The Union Tapes

Theres not many people who fit in this bracket, Mark Noble first started in BMX magazine publication business when he began contributing photos and writing to a lost and dwindling publication, Freestyle BMX in 1986, saying that, BMX was lost and dwindling at that time. The publishers gave up the magazine and the Nobles, 2 young BMX riders took the reigns, with virtually no budget, very few advertisers, a couple grains of know how and no audience they some how managed to put a monthly magazine out of BMX Freestyle, Racing and Skateboarding for a few years. In 89 Freestyle shed what was left of the very 80s looking Freestyle BMX title and turned into Invert magazine, which featured more of the same but with a more feel and grit to it. As BMX started its slow rebuild, Invert eventually evolved into Ride UK, solely BMX with content from around the world. Shortly after that the publishing company 4130 started releasing other titles, and a family run company grew into something stronger than they'd imagined, eventually being bought by some idiotic venture capitalists who bought every core magazine in the uk and managed to run almost every one of them into ruin . We cover this whole journey right up to current day, and the release of Marks highly praised Emulsion book, a select collection of Marks BMX pics from 1987 to 2003, which came out a few years back.

Crandall has lived a BMX life, you probably heard about it before? But you wouldn't have heard most of these topics. Cause I havent and I listen to most BMX audio out there. The Cran man could definitely be considered a 'Lord of fun' as one of their old t shirt slogans used to say. I wanted to know the in's and out's of FBM, one of my favourite BMX co's of all time. Who was involved at the start? And what spawned its inception as it bounced from Ithaca to Fort Wayne to Ohio. How did they break into selling and designing soft goods, ads in USA ride, why did they make such chaotic and ground breaking videos, what was road fools 2 like. Why did they end up becoming a full blown bike company-and one of the most important brands of the 90s- and what happened to finish it off? The stories behind the jams, how they went up against the multi million corporate X games with a bunch of pallets in parking lot and where it went from there to what he is up to now?

So we reached the big 50…A harder task than you'd think in this BMX podcast thing. For one reason or another a fair few people that I want to come on and tell their story are difficult to convince. Anyways lets hope that they do eventually change their feeble minds! Cause there are a few that myself and other people know should come on... But onto Paul. A very fitting episode 50. This guys has been on my list for a long,long time and I have asked him to come on before, he's been one of the most requested characters for this podcast so It was good to finally get him on….He didn't stop talking though, which I expected (Its episode 50 right, make it count, make it a task!) but then what do you expect from a guy that's lived this much BMX and seems to remember all his weekend race results from 12 plus to current day, it is gonna go on a bit. This guy has done it all from a kid who couldn't place at races, to getting sponsored, onto being a pro racer, trail rider, Chasm jumper, roof dropper, magazine contributor, Ride uk assistant editor, professional photographer, team manager for multiple brands, celebrity commentator/announcer and still rides BMX now, find out the journey from West London to Southern California, you may need to book a week off work to listen tho!

The UKBFA has been brought up numerous times in the Union tapes, often in a disapproving way. Its fair to say at one point the UKBFA was a target of the core riders of the 80s. Its never had a chance to tell its side of the stories-excluding a few letters in BMX Action bike back in 1986, so when I got an email from ex 80s pro Simon Kefford, son of Colin Kefford, the UKBFA founder, when I saw his name pop up in my inbox, I first thought id said something negative on a podcast about his Dad? Fortunately that was not the reason he mailing me. He said he had found a box of the UKBFA's history/time line and if I wanted it he would send it over. Of course I wanted it, I love all this stuff. So he sent the box and it did not disappoint, all kinds of intriguing letters, proposals, news letters, contests itineraries, programmes, fliers, news paper cuttings, a list of UKBFA members, early contest ideas, so much info. I managed to talk a reluctant Simon into coming on for an interview to hear his BMX pro life story and tell us as much as he knew about Colin Kefford's / UKBFA's side of things. Thanks Simon!

Dylan Clayton is one of the UK's most winning racers, not only that but also known as one of the guys who rewrote the book on how to gain speed without pedalling, a method most others had not yet thought about. With an addiction to BMX starting at a very early age, and a thirst for riding even if it meant taking the occasional unofficial day off school. Dylan takes us through his path into riding round the streets then moving swiftly onto the race track through being sponsored by Alans BMX, Robinson then onto Mongoose. The boom years getting pics in magazines and winning races at an early age, then the dead days of BMX and how he and the race scene survived it. Winning races moving through the ranks getting on other BMX teams and eventually landing on Sunn for a pro ride, riding in the USA, riding trails and skateparks, and now working for BC, as well as a whole lot more info in here...Lets get it on!