Riding with Augie for RAINS x Collective Bikes
A conversation with BMX rider, photographer, and documentarian Austin Augie on creativity, life in motion and on the power of staying curious.
Augie is the kind of person who moves fast but notices everything. You can hear it in the way he talks, quick and offhand but thoughtful, and you can see it in his work too, whether he’s shooting fashion campaigns or riding through the streets of New York on a bike.
He’s a photographer, director, BMX rider, and digital creator. Labels, sure, but not ones he bothers to separate much. “They all kinda live within each other,” he tells me. “Well, sometimes.” It’s less about managing different roles and more about making them overlap in ways that feel natural. “I’ve been doing all these things for so long now that it’s almost second nature.”
This month, he’s channeling that overlap into RAINS and Collective Bikes’ new campaign. It’s a traveling, design-focused bike ride through three cities: London, Paris, and Copenhagen. The vibe is very much about motion, community, and curiosity. Unsurprisingly, all things Augie thrives on. As someone from Copenhagen, I couldn’t help but ask which city he was most excited for. He doesn’t hesitate. “Copenhagen, especially,” he says. “It checks all the boxes. The spots are incredible, the people are great, and it’s such a bike-friendly city. I’m just really stoked to ride and meet new people — plus I’ve got a bunch of friends joining in.”
But the connection to movement runs deeper than just the rides. RAINS, he tells me, wanted their custom bikes to reflect a sense of exploration — something already woven into the way he works and lives. “Their attention to detail, both on set and behind the scenes, has been a privilege to witness,” he says about the process. When I ask if there’s anything that has surprised him about this project, he talks about the Copenhagen shoot. “We pulled off this sand shot that had so many moving parts. The final result felt really special.”
Augie’s been based in New York for the past decade, but he grew up in Amboy, Indiana. A town with fewer than 308 people, as he points out, laughing. The contrast between those two worlds might explain a lot about his perspective. Grounded, curious, and constantly documenting. “My studio, AU STUDIOS, mostly focuses on documentary and fashion work,” he says. “Sometimes the occasional wedding. But no matter the project, I try to keep my style consistent.”
That style is less about polish and more about feel. One of his favorite photos came from the Running of the Bulls in Spain. Cameras weren’t allowed, so he hid a plastic point-and-shoot in his underwear. “As the bulls were released, I pulled it out and managed to shoot some up-close, one-of-a-kind images,” he says, grinning. “Yeah, wild.”
When we talk about how he balances all the roles he plays, he shrugs slightly. “Directing, riding, shooting, filming... I try to weave them into my everyday life,” he says. “Photography and directing have definitely become the main focus. Other things sometimes fall by the wayside, but the BMX and YouTube community keeps me grounded.”
Still, that balance didn’t always come easy. “Back in the day when I was a YouTube vlogger,” he says, and pauses. “I hate that term.” He laughs, but then lands on something more grounded. “As I’ve matured and progressed professionally, I’d say my balance is on point. I feel like not only do I capture life as I see it, but I still live it too. It helps that my work is my life. They go hand in hand.”
Curiosity keeps coming up in our conversation. He doesn’t romanticize it, just lives by it. “I take pride in being deeply curious about the world around me,” he says. “And that absolutely shows up in how I live and work.”
Toward the end of our conversation, I ask if there’s a fear he’s had to work through to do what he does. “The fear of being judged,” he says. “I still and will continue to work through that. Society has paired us against each other, and I try hard not to compare or care. Just to live with compassion and humility and not care what others think or do.” He says it like someone who’s worked hard to mean it. Someone who has figured out the kind of momentum that doesn’t burn you out. He’s not just riding through cities, he’s showing up for them, camera in hand and mind wide open.
If you’re in Copenhagen on June 20th, you can sign up to join the ride through rains.com.