Interview – Kai Riviere

Can you remember when you first heard about BMX and what year it was?

I first heard about BMX in 1980 from my riding partner, Paul Barter’s dad. I’m not 100% certain, but I think he saw something in a local paper.

Were you already riding a Grifter at the time?

I already had a Raleigh Grifter, and once I heard about BMX, I started converting it.

National racing didn’t officially start until 1981, but you were actually racing in 1980. Can you remember your first event and some of the riders you raced with?

My first event was in 1980 at Buckmore Park—the rest, as they say, is history—I was hooked. I wasn’t aware of any names or who was who at the time, but I distinctly remember being in awe of the kit some of the guys had—Mongoose, GT, Skyway; Robinson was my favorite because of the colorway and, of course, the big R logo.

What other tracks and races did you attend in 1980?

If I remember correctly, Ipswich was the next race.

Was Team Rapid around this time?

By now, my brother Mike was interested, and tracks were popping up all over the south/south-east. We’d try and get to as many as we could. We wanted to look like the others, so Paul, Mike, and I bought some sweatshirts, iron-on letters, and the 3-man Team Rapid was born.

Who ran the team, and who else was on it?

Nobody ran it, so to speak; we just wanted to ride and race at every opportunity. We lived on our bikes. If there was a race, we’d figure out how to get there, and it ran itself. We had a simple plan… ride a bike to school, ride it home, eat, ride until as late as possible, and have a barrel of laughs—absolutely wonderful times and memories.

What was your local track scene like?

Our local track scene was Eastway, which was within riding distance, and Rom skate park was also easily accessible. The nearest tracks after that would be Folkestone Flyers and Buckmore Park, which were a train or car journey away.

It’s well-documented in early magazines and newspapers that you raced on a Grifter, with some great shots of you competing on it. You even scored a Me and My Bike interview on the back page of BMX Action Bike (Issue 2, June/July 1982). How did that interview come about?

The BMX Action Bike interview? Well, if I’m brutally honest, I simply don’t know why or how it came about. I’d had a few races and must’ve had some good results, but in reality, I was just thrilled to be riding/racing a BMX bike—I found the whole thing so exhilarating. I can remember the excitement when issue 1 came out, and then a call came while I was at work at Grimstead Cycles, the local Raleigh main dealer owned by Mick Grimstead. I was in total shock and very excited at the same time—I’m sure you can remember how it made you feel when a complete stranger showed interest in you and in the sport you did. Thinking back, I think it was more to do with me being the kid that raced on a 3-speed Sturmey Archer Grifter, with straightened forks, wearing snow gloves and 9-hole Doc Martens, than anything to do with my riding, but I didn’t care—I was in a magazine… ner ner! That’s when things changed, and BMX became life.

Do you know what happened to your Grifter?

I’ve got no clue where that Grifter is, but I sure wish I still had it; I’d love to see the faces of the kids of today.

You were soon picked up as part of the first Raleigh Team. How was it joining Raleigh as the Burner craze erupted, I presume around the same time?

Remember me saying Mike became interested, and we formed Team Rapid? It was clear very early on that he was much better than me—slimmer, younger, bolder, faster… just better. He, along with Andy Oldham, Matt Oakley and John Lee were selected as members of the first Raleigh Factory Team. Soon after came the support team, something I still hold dear to this day. Being part of the setup was an honor, with team mates like Martin Jose and the Stabielli brothers, to name just two.

Raleigh was doing what they do—moving huge numbers of bicycles, but this time, it was crazy numbers of Burners ringing the tills. Traveling the country and abroad, seeing things for the first time—it all happened really quickly, and I was only too happy to be swept away in it. I guess I was in the right place at the right time.
You also raced a custom Raleigh at some point.

Can you share any details about it? Was it one of the ones made in Ilkeston?

The custom Ilkeston frame? Can’t remember how I came to have it—whether it was Martin Jose’s or Craig Schofield’s frame that they either didn’t get on with or were updating. It used Reynolds 531, think it was double butted tubing, and was brazed. I think Craig has a 753 version too, but you’d need to clarify that with Craig. For me, it was a simple case of little old me from East Ham, representing an iconic cycle brand, and the whole experience—the people, the places—will stay with me forever.

Your brother Mike had a very successful BMX racing career, even into Superclass. Did you guys ride and race a lot together during the early 80s?

Mike and I rode all the time, as much as each other, everywhere. We lived on our bikes. He was naturally talented. In fact, here’s something only he and I know: if Team Rapid had not been formed, Mike would’ve been riding Mongoose, and things would’ve been a whole lot different.

You raced alongside riders like Tim March, Alan Woods, Pete Middleton, and Steve Gratton. Who were some of the other riders you battled with?

If memory serves me correctly, Tim, Peter, Alan and Steve are all older than me, but as soon as I turned 16, I was racing them—those very people I looked up to. There were so many fast riders, and even though I was in the mix, I was always in awe of them, but I didn’t show it—well, I did once. A race at Landseer Park, Ipswich, and I made the final. I was in 6th place when Tim and two other riders went down mid-point on the 3rd straight. I remember passing Tim before he started to get up and thinking I’m going to get third. I looked back and saw Tim back on his bike, but by now, I was halfway down the last straight. Then something happened—it was almost as if I didn’t think I deserved to be in front of Tim because my legs wouldn’t work. By the time we got to the finish line, it was a split decision. They gave it to Tim, and I wasn’t going to argue, but something special happened. Tim came bounding over and confirmed I’d actually finished ahead of him, gave me the trophy he was holding, and a lifelong friendship was born.

I met Pete Middleton, Nicky Mathews and Andy Ruffell quite by chance. Our little bike crew rode from East Ham, E6, to Highams Park, E17, and stumbled upon a track where they were all racing. I heard Pete say, “He’s not bad,” and those three words stuck.

You went on to race Superclass. How was that experience?

Superclass was an experience—I loved any racing, but that was next level for me. I’ve never thought I’m better than I am, always known my ability and what I’m capable of. Superclass was a bit too big to swallow.

What were some of your most memorable moments and results during the early days of your BMX career?

Memorable moments are numerous, but my first race at Buckmore Park is right up there as one of the most. Representing Raleigh at Earls Court, in Dijon, Slagharen, Slough Worlds. After my first 515 plate, I stayed in the top 10 until I stopped racing. Mr. Average, but at the time, I was happy with that.

It seems like you retired from racing in the 80s and then came back years later. What did you get up to during that time? Were you just getting on with life?

By my early 20s, women, alcohol and cars were distractions. I rode less and less, then I just stopped, and life happened. Played a little football, did a bit of boxing, went to a lot of raves, became a dad, etc.

BMX must have looked a lot different when you came back. What motivated you to return to the race scene? On top of racing again, you were one of the early pioneers recording races and sharing them on the internet. Can you share more about that?

I thought BMX had actually died, then a friend (Stumpy) asked if I’d seen Shanaze in the 2008 Olympics. That question blew my mind and threw up more questions. Meanwhile, I’d acquired an SE Racing Cruiser from Tony Slater, which I think used to be Craig’s, scrounged some parts, and by 2009, I was back riding/club racing. Yes, there were many changes—the tracks, the bike designs, equipment, riding techniques—lots of things were very different, but just like before, I was thrilled to be back on a BMX. Seeing Shanaze race was motivating, as was slowly hooking up with the old guard, knowing people like Keith Wilson and Kev Ranscombe were still at it. Tony Waye loaned me an 80’s 20” Mongoose, and I fell in love again.

My partner Jennie recorded races on her mobile, and I posted them to Facebook. This continued at each race, and it wasn’t long before she was getting requests to film races, so we got a camcorder, and Race Day Video (RDV) was in business—with Jennie on camera. By 2010, I was at nationals. The competition wasn’t as stiff but still as exciting. By 2013, I had my first-ever big off, breaking my pelvis and femur, putting me out for a year+. Once I could walk unaided, I started helping with video, shooting interviews with riders in the pits, etc. I was privileged to get sponsorship support and backing with JVC cameras through Neil “Warlock” Stewart, Silver Lining Convergence, and EVERYCLOUD.EU, as well as Alan Wildbore with Maxtrax, without which we wouldn’t have been able to cover the whole series for as long as we did. All recorded races from 2009 are still available on the RDV YouTube channel.

You’re still involved in BMX today, which is great. What are your thoughts on the sport now?

Hmm, it’s BMX—it’s spilled my blood, broke my bones, took all my money, she’s gotten older and changed, but I still love her.

What are your plans for involvement in 2025 and beyond?

For 2025, I’m focused on coaching and staying in good health. No plans other than to stay healthy and wake up to a new day as many times as possible.