The Austrian cycling sensation, whose videos brought him a huge following on Instagram and YouTube, cycled furiously during the blockade.
While he had previously used railings and walls in cities around the world for his stunts, the 24-year-old is making the most of what he has at home for his videos.
His “Home Office” video, which has been viewed over 1.6 million times in a day and now has over seven million views, involves Wibmer performing tricks throughout his home using household appliances and sports equipment as props .
“We really had fun because we had a rhythm, a bit like a mission to do something and we found our passion at that moment.
“I think the whole team has been super happy to be in such a situation where we can still do something at home rather than just sitting at home and watching Netflix or something else.”
Adapt to the surrounding environment
Wibmer started riding when he was six and traveled the world to shoot stunts from the streets of Paris and Hamburg to Tenerife and Vancouver.
Given the global lifestyle, being told that he had to stay home in Austria was “super crazy” for Wibmer.
“I was there with my roommates and then we thought, ‘well, let’s make the most of it and try to be creative and do something.’ And so I had to bring my playground by bicycle from the streets and mountains to my house. ”
“For a guy like me, I’m used to playing outdoors with my bike and cycling everywhere, but not at home. At the beginning I didn’t really know what to do because I don’t usually ride home.”
Even for someone with experience like Wibmer, some of the stunts in the video have required numerous refinement attempts.
Wibmer says he tried basketball, where he uses the rear wheel of his bike to hit the ball in the circle, about “600 times”.
“I think that out of the 600 attempts we’ve had, maybe 10 attempts have gone in that direction, but I’m definitely not in the bin.
“I mean, we didn’t really have any stress, so it was actually colder. It took about four or five weeks in total to get everything.”
‘Inspire’
His increase in popularity was also accompanied by a growing awareness of his ability to inspire people in the bicycle community.
“With my driving and my passion for cycling, I can inspire many people and many children, which is really fantastic,” explains Wibmer.
“The cycling nation is still able to reach so many people and inspire so many people. This is really beautiful and really motivates me and excites me for every single video.”
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