British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast

Last month, while over in the UK, I made the trip down to Kent to spend the day with Malcolm Jarvis and his family. It was an incredible opportunity to sit down and capture the story of the early days of British BMX.For those who may not know, Malcolm was responsible for bringing BMX to the UK. In 1979, after hearing about the sport, he flew to Los Angeles, immersed himself in the emerging BMX scene, and returned home inspired to build something from the ground up. That trip proved pivotal, visiting BMX Plus! and Bob Osborn at BMX Action, meeting the likes of Bob Haro, watching him ride, and visiting the Corona downhill and Azusa track while meeting Scott Breithaupt and Stu Thomsen. It was during this time that Malcolm began his relationship with Mongoose, laying the foundation for what would become a defining chapter in UK BMX history.Back in Britain after that trip, Malcolm helped shape the sport from its earliest days, developing rule books, building tracks, organizing races, and driving promotion and media, even bringing BMX onto television screens. He went on to create one of the most successful and influential teams in British BMX history, the Ammaco Mongoose team, with the likes of Andy Ruffell, Pete Middleton, Craig Schofield, Chris Young, Brian Jones, and the Llewellyn brothers, and many more.Malcolm reflects on those formative years, the rapid rise of BMX in the UK, and the peak of the boom before the bubble eventually burst. He also shares what life looked like for the Jarvis family after stepping away, and how he reconnected with many friends decades later at the launch of the British BMX Hall of Fame in 2022.We also dive into the behind-the-scenes stories of the early UK scene, highlighting key figures such as Don Smith, Geoff Wiles, and David Duffield, as well as relationships with Halfords and Raleigh. Malcolm recounts making the portable track that he took around the country, the family backyard track at Knockhurst, the lead-up to the very first official BMX race in the UK at Redditch in 1980, Buckmore Park, and many more moments that helped shape the sport’s foundation and so much more.A huge thank you to Malcolm and his family for their hospitality and for sharing such an important piece of BMX history.

Martin Jose, former UKBMX National Number One and Raleigh factory rider. Martin takes us back to the early 1980s, racing at Eastway, rising quickly through the ranks, and claiming UKBMX National Number One two years in a row. Hear about his first sponsor, life on the Raleigh Factory team, traveling the world, and the riders who pushed him to be his best. He also reflects on how BMX has changed over the years, from raw power tracks to today’s fast, technical courses.

Sue Nequest of Bunneys Bikes and one of the UK’s most longstanding clubs and tracks, Bunneys (later Nottingham Outlaws), shares her memories of the early days of BMX in Nottingham. She talks about building the track, the Bunneys GT teams, and some of the riders, including Ian Dixon, Mark Cracknell, Geth Shooter, Dale Holmes, and Nicola Dodwell, just to name a few.Sue explains the founding of NBMXA in 1982/3 and the reasons behind the breakaway from UKBMX, the boom years of the early ’80s, and one of the most remembered nationals, the Nottingham 1984 NBMXA event, which couldn’t finish due to a huge turnout and lack of daylight. She also recalls attending the first World Championships in Holland in 1983, the Raleigh Burner era, the start of the Derby Greyhound track, and the first NBMXA British Championships.We also discuss the people behind the scenes in NBMXA and how the Nottingham race scene and Bunneys Bikes have continued to support BMX racing and teams for over 40 years and counting. Lots more stories and insights are covered in this episode.

New British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast (on Apple Podcasts and Spotify) with Paul Roberts. In this episode, we discuss two new projects I’ve been working on: documenting the rankings and results of UKBMX and NBMXA, and later EBA, including the Ranking/British Championships and Champion of Champions, starting in 1981 (the first year of national racing in the UK for UKBMX, with NBMXA being added in 1983). We also have some fun imagining if BMX racing had been in the Olympics during the 80s and 90s. Who would have made the British teams, starting with the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and then the 1988 Seoul Olympics? There are some great debates when picking a 1984 three-man British Men’s Olympic Team. Who would go? Andy Ruffell, Tim March, Pete Middleton, Alan Woods, Trev Robinson, and others were among the top UK Superclass riders at the time, but we also have to consider some of the top British amateurs from 1984: Craig Schofield, Gary Llewellyn, Geth Shooter, Charlie Reynolds, John Vile, and Martin Jose were all fast – could any of them make the team? We also debated whether Gary Llewellyn was faster than Geth Shooter. We repeat the process for the 1988 Seoul Team. Who would go – Geth Shooter? Neal Wood? Tom Lynch? Tony Fleming? Damon Parkinson? Darren O’Neill? Winnie Wright? Anthony Revell? Lee Alexander? Andy Welsh? Kim Carbutt? Could that 16 year old Dale guy make it in as a reserve? Would Tim March and Ruffell have made the team if they had delayed their retirements to make a run for it? Someone else? What about the women? Would Lulu Adeyemo be on the plane to Seoul? Would Sarah-Jane Nichols, who retired in 1987, have stuck around in 1988 for a shot at Seoul? Had she already made the 1984 team? Julie Woodward, Claire Edwards, Lisa Wright – would they have made the team? Quick fact checks/corrections from this podcast: •Trev Stamford did not win the final NBMXA Pro race in 1988 at Runnymede – it was Tony Fleming. •The PRA did not come to an end immediately after the 1986 Slough World Championships. Check it out if you’re into UK race trivia and history. If you enjoy it, let us know – we’d love to keep picking Olympic teams from the 80s and 90s, including some of the major BMX racing countries. Cheers.

A wrap-up on our 2024 inductees with a deeper dive into their stories. We also provide an update on the 2025 British BMX Hall of Fame and give a shout-out to everyone who has offered their support for the event. We discuss the 1984 World Championships in Japan, Gary Llewellyn, and a hypothetical Open class at Poole ‘84—could the top amateurs of the time have challenged the Superclass riders if they had raced? And did you have to jump the Dollys to win? We also talk about Sarah-Jane Nichols and Carole Gosling, now two-time British Hall of Famers after being inducted into the BCF Hall of Fame last year, adding to their British BMX Hall of Fame 2022 inductions. Alongside Sarah-Jane, David Maw is also a two-time Hall of Famer. We list the other inductees of the NBMXA / BBMXA Hall of Fame from the 1980s. Plus, we take a deep dive into British BMX history from 1979–1982, reflecting on conversations over the past few months with some of the sport’s early pioneers, including Malcolm Jarvis, Geoff Wiles and more.

Catching up with Grotbags Paul Roberts in Huntington Beach for a podcast. We talk about Paul’s recovery from his leg injury after crashing in the dark while riding back from @epicbmx—mis-timing a curb and ending up on crutches, unable to ride for months. We then dive into some of the topics we’ve seen on social media lately—Is BMX dead? With the industry in a downturn, we talk about how things were in the late ’80s and early ’90s when we were both part of the downtime after the ’80s BMX bubble burst. The riders and brands that stuck around during that period ended up in a good place when the industry bounced back in the mid-’90s. We also dip into a bit of politics for the first time, with so much in the news since the election. Other topics include a potential Neal Wood podcast, Paul’s days as Vans UK Team Manager, getting Martin and Stephen Murray on Haro UK, and a few old stories from racing in the UK in the ’80s and ’90s—including my dad not wanting me to get into a car with Paul to go to a race. And more.

In November, we will be announcing all our 2024 inductees across various categories into the British BMX Hall of Fame. We have already started by welcoming Fids to the King of Dirt category, joining 2022 and 2023 inductees Stephen Murray and Keith Duly—congratulations to Fids! (Be sure to check out all British BMX Hall of Fame social media and YouTube channels for videos and background information on our 2024 inductees.) In this episode, we discuss this year’s Hall of Fame, thoughts for 2025, the voting process, and plans to further document British BMX history through The FILE, with the hope of passing it on to future generations. A huge thank you to everyone involved in this year’s Hall of Fame, especially Neil Waddington (Ride On BMX) for the incredible inductee videos, and to this year’s Hall of Fame sponsors: Alans, Source BMX, GT, SE, Jolt, Ride On BMX, Crit Plates, and BMX Weekly. Stay tuned for our next inductee announcement in the coming days!

Photo by Kenny Hunter It’s been a long time coming, this podcast featuring my good friend Martin Murray, who had spent a few weeks in the US for DIRTYFEST and the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey. We recorded this episode at Robbie Miranda’s house in Huntington Beach while Robbie was hosting a BBQ, so expect a few guests chiming in with questions for Martin during the podcast. We delved into Martin’s early days in the UK, including his 4th place finish at the Brighton World Championships in 1996 in the Junior category, which kickstarted his pro career alongside his brother Stephen. Martin shared insights from his time in the US, including his battle with Dylan Clayton for the UK Pro/Elite title, winning the 4x National Series, and landing a Dirt Magazine cover with Steve Peat, who he now works with at Peaty’s. We also discussed some of the UK teams Martin and Stephen’s family managed over the years, his time at 6th form college with Scott Beaumont, Martin’s win at King of Dirt at the age of 13, trail riding, participation in Red Bull’s Empire of Dirt, retirement from racing, and more about his current role at Peaty’s. And, of course, we touched on how Martin’s brother Stephen is doing these days since moving back to the UK after his injury almost 20 years ago, and more.

It was great to catch up with Matt Barnard while he was visiting Huntington Beach for a family holiday. We met at his beachside hotel along with Paul Roberts to record a podcast. Matt has been deeply involved in BMX in the UK for 40 years, starting his racing journey back in 1984. Matt shares his insights into the various teams he has ridden for over the years, right up to his current involvement with Stay Strong. He also discuss some of the riders on the UK team alongside helping with team manager duties at the Nationals. We talk about the UK Nationals scene over the years, talk about the older amateur classes, and discuss some of the riders Matt has raced with, and his dedication to racing on flats for most of his 40-year career. We delve into Matt’s numerous trips to the US over the years, riding Sheep Hills and trails and his passion for competing in his 40s and more. PC: Kenny Hunter

Good to sit down with Clive Gosling over the weekend while he is in California for the week and catch up on everything GT since he took the new role 6 months ago as the global head of marketing for the brand. Clive talks about his history with GT that goes back to 1984 through the 90s and onto today and plans moving forward. We talk about GT’s Kye Whyte after his World Cup win going into this summer’s Paris Olympics, GT’s presence in the UK and France, some of the riders, programs and teams GT supports in racing. Clive also gives us his thoughts on marketing, branding, sponsorship, social media, MTB, Wyn Masters, Tyler McCaul and more. PC: BMX.Photos  

This week, we hit the back of the Pod Van and recorded a podcast with the King of British BMX Trivia, Paul Roberts, and talked about the British National rankings in the early days of UKBMX and NBMXA. We go back to 1981, the first year of National rankings in the UK, and discuss some of the riders who got the Number 1 plates in both UKBMX and later NBMXA when they kicked off their National Series and the first-ever NBMXA British Championships at Derby Greyhound in 1983. We delve deeper into the mid and late 80s and touch on some of the riders – Pros, Superclass, Girls and Cruiser, and some of the names, Mark Watkins, Neal Wood, Lee Pickstone, Joey Gough, Pete Dymott, Jeff Dovey and so on, including some of the names winning those early NBMXA titles and featuring in the top 10 and more. Check it out on the British BMX Hall of Fame website or Spotify.

After 16 years with Chain Reaction Cycles and Nukeproof Team Manager on the UK and World Cup Mountain Bike scene, Nigel Page’s job has come to an end unfortunately while he was out here in California on holiday with his family. Nigel gives us the rundown on what happened with Chain Reaction and his program, some of the riders and amazing results they’ve gotten over the years and thoughts on moving forward. Nigel gives us his thoughts on the mountain bike industry as it sits today and, like BMX, in a tough place right now with brands, jobs and racing and the state of the bicycle industry. We also talk about the ESO, mountain bike DH World Cup, Enduro, Redbull Media, Rob Warner, Discovery Channel, e-bikes, bike technology, the cost of running mountain bike teams, rider salaries, DH MTB GOAT talk, racing mountain bikes in the snow, 4 Cross, mountain bike and BMX media. Nigel shares his love for all wheels including BMX, riding today and still being a huge fan and so much more.

I first met Steve Rooke at Redditch Trails back in 1997 when a bunch of us would go over to ride on the unused Redditch track, which was the home of the Anglo American Cup. Steve still rides today and was out in Newport Beach for the One Love Jam a few weeks ago, so he drove down to San Diego and we caught up and recorded a podcast for British BMX Hall of Fame.  We talk about everything from Steve being a Redditch track local in the early 80s, going to Steve Wilson’s to get his frame welded, riding freestyle and flatland and UKBFA Comps. Steve talks about doing demos, the resurgence of the Redditch scene in the 90s, the Redditch Wheels Project, reforming the Redditch Premiers Club with Benn Thombs, Tim Print, Gary O’Connor, Scott Beaumont, Si Paton and Chris Taylor. Then there was the new Redditch track opening and David Duffield giving a speech in 2010, the long term goal for Redditch, Steve’s daughter racing and so much more. Shout-out to Steve not just for this podcast but also for writing a Redditch history timeline for the British BMX Hall of Fame program last year and helping us with the event. Check it out. 

New Podcast with Paul Roberts talking about the 2nd Annual British BMX Hall of Fame that went down at The National Conference Centre and Motorcycle Museum, in Solihull on Saturday, Nov. 11th. Paul gives us his views on the event, the inductees for 2023 and overall thoughts on the 2nd annual event. Of course we […]

On this Podcast we catch up with Clive Gosling, who was out in California last week visiting from the UK. Clive has just taken on a full time position at GT working with the brand directly in California and gives us a little insight on the job and his own history with GT that goes back to the 80s […]

New Podcast posted and this time with a good friend of mine and lead singer of the Guana Batz, Pip Hancox. Pip talks about getting into BMX in the UK and racing at Eastway, Earls Court when the sport was in its infancy and riding with guys like Marcus Rich and Tim O’Shea. Pip tells us about leaving […]

While in England for the last few weeks I decided to switch things up on the Podcast front and record a quick Pod with both my mum and sister, Rachel, in the kitchen while mum was making Sunday dinner. My mum actually worked for Raleigh way back in 1960 and my mum gives us a […]

While in the UK over Christmas I headed over to Raleigh for a Tour of the Factory and recorded a Podcast with my friend Jason Boness, who I’ve known for a very long time. We talked about both Jason and his brother Jamie’s history in BMX who have been involved since the early 80s riding […]

After years of trying to get him to do one, Geth Shooter finally caved in and we just recorded a Podcast whilst I’m over in the UK. We cover a lot. Starting out riding for Two Wheel Service Bike Shop, Bunneys GT, Redline, GT, Titan and Free Agent (distributed by Raleigh) later on down the […]

The day after the Inaugural British BMX Hall of Fame event, I sat down with longtime friend Mr. Simon Dando and recorded a Podcast. We briefly talk about the Hall of Fame night, thoughts on how it went, and how cool it was seeing friends we’ve not seen in over 30 years and a few […]