[Interview] WILDE Support Rider – Cossy

Could you please introduce yourself?

My real name is Masahiro Koshiyama. I’ve turned 38. I live in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, and I run an auto repair shop.

Kossy isn't just fast; he also works on cars.

I do maintenance and sales. I can even provide equipment like racks for loading bicycles. I try not to advertise my work because I think it’s a bit uncool (laughs).

That’s not true. I bought my car from Kossy.

Thanks for the purchase (laughs). It seems you’re driving it without any issues.

Thanks to you, definitely!

Back to bikes, could you tell me about your cycling history?

I’d been riding bikes since I was old enough to know better, but I started racing in my first year of junior high, beginning with MTB cross-country races. The guy at the shop that supported me back then started riding BMX, and I’ve been riding BMX for about 24 or 25 years now.

I always associate you with BMX and cyclocross, but you started with MTB, huh.

At first, I was really into the MTB cross-country scene and was even on a team, but BMX was just so much more fun that I focused only on that. There was a time when I had sponsors, but once I realized that reaching the top was impossible, I started organizing BMX events instead. Then, all the older guys into BMX dirt jumping started saying that cyclocross was fun and that I should try it. I was stubborn and kept refusing at first, but I ended up having to buy one... this was in 2014.

Scary older guys (laughs). I feel like there was the fixed-gear boom around that time too; did you not go through that phase?

No, back then we BMX riders were getting backlash over the no-brake issue, so we were pretty anti-fixed-gear. Looking back, it was such an absurd argument (laughs). But once I started running BMX events, those fixed-gear kids started participating too, and we became friends.

I thought you rode single-speed because of the fixed-gear influence, but BMX is single-speed too, right.

When I bought my first cyclocross bike, I knew brands like Specialized or Giant were good, but there was this boredom of just buying those at this point. That’s when, through my BMX event connections, I was introduced to All-City by Motocross International, and I bought that. I basically chose it thinking, wouldn't it be kind of cool if I were fast on a single-speed?

By the way, how did you choose your bikes when you were into BMX?

I’d be inspired by cool riders, that kind of thing! I never thought about performance or anything like that. I didn’t even know how much they weighed. I guess I paid a little attention to size. I don't really know much about the fine technical details, but I choose based on a certain "vibe" I get.

Whether something is cool or has style is such an important element for BMX, after all.

For example, it's the same with skateboard decks; there's really no reason to choose one other than that it's cool, right?
Since I work with cars, I certainly understand the pros and cons of an industrial product's performance, but I feel like I rarely choose things based on specs like how light they are.

I think what’s amazing about you, Kossy, is that while you grew up in a culture that prioritizes style like that, you don't just stay confined to it—you also train hard to get solid results by the standards of cyclocross, which is race ranking. Where are you currently ranked?

Cyclocross has four categories based on speed, and I race in the top one. Even in Kansai Cyclocross, where there are a lot of fast riders, I’m in the top 10. It’s super embarrassing to say it myself, but I think I’m reasonably fast.

And doing it on a single speed, at that. I used to race too, but I think the top category is just a gathering of freaks.

I could give a jokey answer regarding racing on a single speed, but honestly, it’s just one of those elements—like my background and style—that I’ve talked about. By riding a single speed, I get people interested and interviewing me like this, and it builds connections with All-City and WILDE; I really enjoy that communication.

One benchmark I have is Josh Kelly, who used to be a Chris King (Cielo) rider and also visited Circles. I wondered: "How fast do you have to be to become a supported rider for an amazing brand like Chris King?" Well, I’ve reached a point where I can line up and keep pace with people who are on his level (laughs).
He wasn't on a cutting-edge carbon frame but on a steel Cielo, and while I think he was more style-oriented, he was still insanely fast, which left a huge impression on me. Speed is definitely necessary, so my approach is to take it seriously and do it to the best of my ability.

Kossy took me to the Rokko MTB trail and a dirt jump course called 662 a while back, and it was incredible. I’m envious that you have courses like that nearby that you can use for free.

Everything there is handmade and maintained by someone. It’s not really my doing, as the senior members are deeply involved, but when I can help out, I bring a shovel and join the maintenance.

I felt that Amagasaki is a really great environment for cycling.

It definitely is. My weekend routine involves cyclocross in the winter, MTB on mountain trails in the morning during the summer, and dirt jumping at 662 in the afternoon. The area between Osaka and Kobe is known as the Hanshin region, and I think this area, including Amagasaki, is a great place for cycling.

Though the bad neighborhood is an issue (laughs).

The neighborhood is getting better and better, too! Amagasaki is also improving! (laughs)

Next, I want to hear about your relationship with All-City and WILDE. How did you end up becoming a sponsored rider?

After I started cyclocross, I managed to get promoted to Category 2 pretty quickly. That’s when I asked Motocross International for support. It wasn't so much about wanting to be a rider everyone admires, but rather that I hoped being a supported rider would be a catalyst for communicating with various people, so I shared that plan and they gave me the go-ahead.

So you went and proposed it yourself. Is there that kind of culture in BMX?

I think everyone has different intentions, but "sponsor me" culture is definitely a thing.

I see. Being a support rider for skateboarding or BMX is cool, right? Like Red Bull, for example. I feel like road or fixed-gear bikes don’t really have that; it’s more like an ambassador or influencer culture where you get free stuff, which feels like a different scene. We get a lot of those offers at SimWorks too, but it just feels a bit different.

It might be a bit different from the BMX support rider culture. It feels more grounded in local connections—people you can actually ride and hang out with.
S&M was really like that. It was all just friends, you know? It was about how to build a community. Depending on how you do it, it could seem uncool, but there are people who do it well, and it looks incredibly cool. Even now, everyone still recognizes S&M as a top-tier brand.

When I became a support rider—something I had憧れ (admired) as a kid—my dream came true, but at the same time, I didn't know what to do. Being supported doesn't automatically make you a better rider. But I found that being able to communicate with so many different people was interesting, and that’s when I understood why everyone wants to be a support rider.

I see. It’s great that All-City, not to mention Motocross, seems to really understand that same support rider culture as BMX.

As things progressed, when the folks from All-City headquarters visited Japan, they recognized my work. Since they were also considering supporting riders in Asia, I ended up signing a contract directly with All-City.

And then, when All-City closed down, you became a support rider for WILDE.

Jeff, who started All-City, launched WILDE independently and reached out to me, saying, "Why don't you ride for us?" (laughs) I’m very grateful for that. It’s not about how much I can increase WILDE’s sales by being supported; it’s simply that he follows what I do and wants to support my activities. And when I made the switch, he told me to make sure I didn't leave my previous supporters in a bad position. People in the BMX world might not be experts in business, but they are very strict about doing things the right way, which is important.

You're riding the Mean Jean, which is more of a race-oriented model in the WILDE lineup, right?

That’s right. I think it didn’t even have a name when it was first sent to me; it was just a prototype. When I rode it in the Shonan Cyclocross as my first race of the season, a young guy who looked like a fixed-gear rider came up to me and said the bike was cool and he wanted one, which made me really happy.

That’s great to hear.
And the new frame you received this time is handmade in the US, not in Taiwan, right? Is that also a racing model?

It seems so.
WILDE basically has both production models made in Taiwan and handmade models made in the US for their gravel, cyclocross, and MTB lines. The US-made ones are higher-end and allow for customization of geometry and paint. Since I don’t know much about geometry, I just left it to Jeff and he sent it over.

Having both an affordable production model and a flexible custom model in the same lineup is a progressive approach. It’s great that you have a wide range of choices based on what you actually need, rather than just choosing based on high price being good or low price being bad.

I was checking the lineup because I knew I’d have to explain WILDE, but it was different from the conventional wisdom, so at first, I didn’t quite get it (laughs). But after they sent me two frames, I understood what it was all about. Jeff himself labels the Taiwanese-made ones as "Handmade in Taiwan" and takes real pride in them, so it’s not really a question of which one is "better."

Lastly, I want to hear about that insane helmet.

Yes (laughs). I ordered it from Banzai Paint. The name "Banzai Paint" doesn't exist anymore, so it’s an order from the painter, Mr. Kurashina.

I’ll skip detailing Banzai Paint's legendary work because it would take too long, but my image of it is that before the fixed-gear boom, there was an MTB boom, and Banzai Paint’s artwork was one of the factors that created that movement. I don’t know it from firsthand experience, so this is just my impression, but I thought it was interesting that you’re doing that now.

In my mind, it’s like wearing that piece of art on my head while I ride. I feel that even the scratches it gets along the way just add to it as a work of art.

People often customize designs for helmets and jerseys, but using actual art is a completely different vibe.

There’s a big difference between art and design. The person who made it is an artist, but my approach itself is design; it’s more like I’m paying homage to the things my seniors were doing in the 90s because I liked them. I do have a desire to express things the way I want to. That’s probably the wisdom of experience, if you will (laughs).

From someone with 25 years of BMX experience (laughs).
So what you’re saying is that the MTB people from way back were already doing the things that we think are cool now.

That’s right. I don’t hide where the inspiration comes from, or that there were pioneers before us, but there’s also a part of me that thinks, "If you can copy it, go ahead and try!" (laughs)

Love that!
I hope that when people spot Kossy at a cyclocross venue, they’ll pay attention to that side of things, too. I want more people who can connect the appeal of bicycles to things outside of the cycling world. Thanks for your time today.

Many of the people who read the Circles media might not be that interested in racing, but I’m at the race venues to participate while crossing over into different cultures, and to meet and talk with all kinds of people. So, if you ever have the chance, please come by the venue and say hello. Thank you!