Category: Interviews

  • Melanie Osborne

    Melanie Osborne

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    Melanie Osborne’s BMX journey began in 1982 in an unexpected way. While watching her friend Chris Potter race, his parents were speaking with sponsors SRE about supporting their son and happened to mention Melanie’s natural speed and cycling ability. At the time, Melanie had never raced BMX, never ridden on a BMX track, and did…

  • Tracey Long Clapton

    Tracey Long Clapton

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    Tracey Long Clapton is the founder of T.C. Cycling Skills and Coaching and has been involved in BMX for more than four decades. Her journey began in Cornwall during the early years of BMX in the United Kingdom. In 1981, Tracey’s parents helped build one of the region’s first BMX tracks at Kellsters Farm in Hugus, home…

  • The Man Who Brought BMX to Britain — Malcolm Jarvis

    The Man Who Brought BMX to Britain — Malcolm Jarvis

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    How did BMX start for you? We had diversified from housing into import-export, and we sold some goods to Nigeria and nearly lost our money. So we thought, “Right, we’ll import instead.” A passing businessman said to me, “If you’re doing bicycles, import-export, you should look at BMX in America. It’s half the whole market…

  • Interview – Martin Jose

    Interview – Martin Jose

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    By Julian Allen When and where did you start racing? I started at Eastway Cycle Circuit in Stratford, which is now the Olympic Park. That would have been around 1980 or 1981. By 1982, I was doing regional races. Who was at Eastway when you started, and how did you get involved? Eastway was the…

  • Sue Nequest (Bunneys Bikes)

    Sue Nequest (Bunneys Bikes)

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in ,

    Bunneys Bikes & Bunneys BMX Track (later Nottingham Outlaws), Nottingham We caught up with Sue and John Nequest at Bunneys Bikes to talk about the early days of BMX in Nottingham, how Bunneys BMX Track came to life, and the formation of NBMXA. How did you first get involved in BMX? It actually started through…

  • Melanie Wallhead (formerly Woods, then Gilmour)

    Melanie Wallhead (formerly Woods, then Gilmour)

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in ,

    What year did you start racing?I started racing in 1980. Which teams did you ride for?I rode for Torker. What was it like riding for Torker?Riding for Torker and being part of the Torker and Robinson family was an incredible experience, I was so proud. I remember one race where I was in second place…

  • Interview – Dave Morris

    Interview – Dave Morris

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in ,

    Teams you rode for? Curtis, Ammaco, Shadow Racing and Hot Wheels. What year did you start racing? Quite late to the party, so it was early 1983. Do you remember your very first race? How did it go? Bournemouth 83. A load of us went on a coach from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, cramming all the bikes…

  • Filmer (UKBMX & NBMXA) Michael Watkins.

    Filmer (UKBMX & NBMXA) Michael Watkins.

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    You might be familiar with the name Watkins. Michael Watkins was the father of mid 80s British, European, and World Champion Mark “Whoppa” Watkins, who rode for Halfords, MRD, and later Thruster. Michael is one of those unsung heroes of British BMX who spent countless hours at the races, often standing in the middle of…

  • Interview – Lee Curry

    Interview – Lee Curry

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    Team ACE is widely recognized as the first official BMX team in the UK, assembled by Richard Barrington, who also helped organize the country’s first BMX event alongside Don Smith in 1980 at Brockwell Park, London. Early Team ACE riders included the likes of Andy Ruffell, Pete Middleton, Nicky Matthews, Steve Gratton, Cav Strutt, and…

  • Interview – Derek Curry

    Interview – Derek Curry

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    British BMX Hall of Fame
    in

    Team ACE is widely recognized as the first official BMX team in the UK, assembled by Richard Barrington. Early Team ACE riders included the likes of Andy Ruffell, Pete Middleton, Nicky Matthews, Steve Gratton, Cav Strutt, and Craig Schofield—many of whom went on to become the first generation of BMX superstars in the UK. In…