British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast

The 2026 British BMX Hall of Fame is getting closer!In this episode, we talk more about this year’s event on November 7th at Donington Park Farmhouse, including some of the times, what to expect, and what we’ve got planned.We also get into the nominations we’ve been rolling out every Thursday, discussing some of the names and favorites in particular categories, the new categories we’ve added, and everything Hall of Fame for 2026.If you’re planning to come, tickets are on sale now at UKBMXHOF.co.uk.Check it out, and we’ll see you at the Hall of Fame!

If you raced BMX in the UK during the 1980s, you might remember the Mirage number plate. It was one of the many ideas cooked up by Alan Woods of Alan’s BMX and became one of the most popular plates you would see in the UK, regularly appearing in the magazines and on the front of not only Alan’s Torker and Robinson team riders, but also many of the top riders across the country who chose to rep the brand.Well, Mirage is back!Thanks to John Bentley, the iconic name is returning, and he gave us a quick scoop last week on what he has going on and what he has planned.After suffering a major injury while battling for the National title in 2025, breaking his right arm and requiring multiple surgeries, John was forced to spend a year off the bike. With concerns that it could potentially mean the end of his racing days, he started thinking about how he could remain involved in a sport he has always loved.John has always been a natural problem solver, whether working in situations where lives were at stake during his 12 years with the Ambulance Service or finding solutions within the building trade. Starting a BMX brand had always been something he had thought about, and his time away from racing gave him the opportunity to turn that idea into reality.After speaking with Alan Woods about using the Mirage name he created in the 1980s, Alan agreed to let John bring the brand back for modern products. Alan may still continue to produce some old-school products under the Mirage name, but he is happy for John to take the brand forward in a new direction.Check out the mini podcast as John gives us a quick story behind bringing Mirage back and what he's got planned.

With the recent news of Raleigh going into administration and the wider challenges facing the bike industry, it only made sense to sit down with my friend Jason Boness, who spent the last 15 years as Product Manager at Raleigh.We talk about what’s going on with Raleigh at the moment, the story behind the recent news, and whether there’s a future that could see the iconic brand back out there again. We also look back at Raleigh’s incredible history: the bikes, the teams, and the people who helped make it one of the most recognisable names in cycling.Jason also shares some stories from his 15 years with the company and gives us an inside look at what it was like working for such an iconic British brand.

Check in with my sister Rachel Holmes, and we talk about the early Nottingham, Derby & Ilkeston BMX track scene when we got into BMX in the early ’80s.We touch on some of the local riders from all 3 areas, meeting up at the tracks and spending countless hours there daily, local races, and some of the locals who went on to have national success. 

In this new episode of the British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast with Paul Roberts, we start by giving a huge thank you and shoutout to Alan Woods at Alan's BMX for coming on board as the Title Sponsor for this year's British BMX Hall of Fame.We talk about Alan's incredible history and contribution to BMX, not only in the early days of the sport but right through to today, with the same passion, enthusiasm, and love for BMX that he's always had.We also discuss several of the British BMX Hall of Fame categories, along with some potential new categories being introduced for the 2026 event. We go behind the scenes and explain how someone can actually be inducted into the Hall of Fame.We then take a deeper look at some of the nominees who could feature this year, discuss riders whose names may appear in multiple categories, and talk through some of the long lists we've been posting on the British BMX Hall of Fame Facebook and Instagram pages.Plus, loads more BMX chat throughout the episode.