• Nicky Matthews

    Along with Sam Jarvis, Mark Peat and Andy Ruffell, Nicky Matthews was already a 2 x National Number 1 plate going into the 1983 season. BMX Weekly (Volume 3 issue 2) featured an article on all 4 guys titled, “The Fab Four”. Nicky was part of the ACE Team with Andy Ruffell, Pete Middleton & Cav Stutt before moving over to Kuwahara. Nicky lost the number 1 plate in 1983 to Martin Jose and it seemed like he had lost interest by 84 but had a resurgence in 85 & 86 turning Superclass, riding for Suzuki and had some good, consistent results in both the UK and Europe during this…

  • Andy Ruffell – Picketts Lock 1983

    There is so much history to Andy Ruffell and what he did for BMX in the UK during the 1980s. To put pen-to-paper in just one update would be a huge task and would clearly do him a disservice, as it’s inevitable to leave something out. Maybe the best way is to document Andy Ruffell updates and posts, as this website moves forward. What we can say is that he is undoubtedly the most successful & biggest name in BMX to ever come out of the UK, period.

  • Stu Diggens Interview

    Stu Diggens Interview – by Chris Carter For those born in 1969, Kuwahara factory rider Stu Diggens was the acknowledged dominant force in that age group in the early 1980s. ‘Super Stu’ became national number one in 1983, having wrested the title from Mongoose’s Steve Greaves. He kept the number one spot for the ’83 and ’84 seasons, during which time he was virtually unstoppable in one of the toughest age classes of the era. But in 1985 things began to unravel. Diggens quit the Kuwahara team to take up a lucrative place on the 1985 Raleigh squad alongside Andy Ruffell and Craig Schofield. What happened next has kept the…

  • Tim March – 1981 Knott’s Berry Farm

    Back in the early 80s only a handful of British riders had crossed the pond to race in the US; Alan Woods & Dave Arnold being the first – shortly followed by the UK Mongoose Team which was featured in BMX Action Bike Issue 1, which was a trip to California funded by UK importer, Malcolm Jarvis. Tim March, Andy Ruffell, Brian Jones, Craig Schofield, Chris Young & Matt Oakley all made the trip over to California to race some local So-Cal events and to also compete in the Knott’s Berry Farm Mongoose International event, which was well-documented in all of the main BMX publications at the time. Tim March…

  • Interview Bobby Hyde – UKBMX 16x No. 1 1987

    Active years racing? 10 years 1983-1993 How did you get into racing? My friend at school brought in a BMX Action Bike magazine and that was it, I was hooked. ET had just come out as well. I found out about Hayes track and rode up there. There happened to be a race going on and I got to see all the tricked out bikes and race gear that I’d seen in the mags and it was like a different world… I had discovered BMX racing, my first race was the 1983 Hayes UKBMX National, I rode 12 novice, made the semis but crashed. Local scene and riding crew? In…

  • Nick Lacey – European & World Champion 1990

    Nick Lacey was one of the few riders to beat Dylan Clayton for a National title during his time racing in the late 80s and early 90s but not to be content with just British titles, Nick had some big wins in Europe also winning the European title in 1989 while riding for Links Racing. Still, Nick’s real stand out year came in 1990 while riding for MCS doubling at the European Championships in Switzerland and then onto winning the World Championships in France a few weeks later ( Lane 8 as well ) in a demanding fashion. Nick was known for his size, power and good starts but maybe…

  • Stu Diggens

    Steve Greaves, Chas Smith, Warren Godfrey & Tim Print are just a few of the names you would hear between the years 1982-86 in the 12 x through 16 x classes in UKBMX & NBMXA. In 1982 Mongoose’s, Steve Greaves was the UKBMX National number 1 but it was in 1983 & 84 – Kuwahara’s, Stu Diggens who was getting most of the wins – taking the UK number 1 plate during these years alongside winning the NBMXA British Championships in 83 and the 84 European Championships in Birmingham. Stu rode for teams like Redline, Kuwahara, a short stint on Raleigh before finishing up his last few years in the…

  • Dylan Clayton 1993

    It was rumored even during his last few years of racing that amateur, Dylan Clayton, was making more money racing for the French Sunn Team than any of the European-based Elite / Pro top riders at the time. He got big bonus checks for all of the major titles and in his last year as an Am, Dylan cleaned house winning the EBA National Number 1, EBA British Championship, doubling at the European Championships in Sweden and a few weeks later doubling yet again at the UCI World Championship in Holland. Job done and onto Pro / Elite for 1994. Photo Credit: Neill Phillips  

  • Geth Shooter NBMXA Club Championships 1984

    1984 was the breakout year for Geth Shooter riding for Bunny’s GT Bike Shop Team. Geth was making waves on the NBMXA scene by the end of the season, Geth had wrapped up NBMXA National titles in the 16 expert & Cruiser before going onto winning 17 plus at the Club Championships ( see clip below ) at Nottingham’s Colwick stadium. Geth, then finished up the year in NBMXA doubling at the British Championships a week later. During the winter, Geth was picked up by Redline, turned Pro and was ready for the 85′ season to play — with March, Ruffell and all of the UK BMX big names of…

  • 1987 NBMXA British Championships

    Pro Geth Shooter, Darrin Stock, Damon Parkinson, Tim March, Jamie Vince, Andy Ruffell, Tony Holland, Richard Thorner. 17+ Kim Carbutt, Kevin McShane, Robin Mason, 16s Sean Field, Ian Barford, Richard Barrett, 15s Dale Holmes, Neal Wood, Daryll Wheeler, 14s Jeremy Kenning, Anthony Revell, Stuart Anderson, 13s Chris Bennett, Aaron Valente, Gareth Shea, 12s Stephen Pursey, Darren Reidy, Neil Gascoyne, 11s Andrew Please, Gary Bowman, Richard Dustin, 10s Matt Boyle, Mathew Hipkins, Paul Cope, 9s David Maw, Ross Hill, Barry Scott, 8s Gareth Blades, Peter Holland, Scott Burston, 7s David Coleman, Jonathan Clarke, Stu Wilson, 6s Danny Worthington, Andy Weatherhogg, Jame Buddery, 5s Philip Shirtliffe, Jamie Moores, Lee Farndell  35+ Cruiser John Johns, Michael Fortune, Keith Jones, 25/34 Cruiser Clint Hillier, Alec Scott, Alan Richardson, 16+ Cruiser Darren O’Neill, Simon Fox, Robin Mason, 14/15 Cruiser Dale Holmes, Neal Wood, Anthony Revell, 13 & Under Cruiser Andrew…