He's only gone and done it again!!!
Discussion
The "he" is, of course, Martyn Ashton!
Not content just with getting back on a bike after his paralysis, he's just ridden the World Cup Downhill course at Fort William!
I love my mountain biking, but I couldn't ride a lot of that, and I've got a working spine! The man is just amazing!!!
Not content just with getting back on a bike after his paralysis, he's just ridden the World Cup Downhill course at Fort William!
I love my mountain biking, but I couldn't ride a lot of that, and I've got a working spine! The man is just amazing!!!
Edited by Kermit power on Monday 13th June 13:25
AndyWoodall said:
Cracking video.
Theres been a bit of e-bike whinging since they started to hit the trails, but if having e-bikes means it enables people who can't walk to ride World Cup Down hill tracks then the whiners can sod right off...they are worth it.
For people like Martyn Ashton, who couldn't make an exception! Theres been a bit of e-bike whinging since they started to hit the trails, but if having e-bikes means it enables people who can't walk to ride World Cup Down hill tracks then the whiners can sod right off...they are worth it.
They should still be viewed as the Devil's work for the able-bodied though....
Watched this earlier.
What a guy.
The e-bike debate is one that'll probably never end, but for those who aren't able to use a normal bike due to illness or injury they're fantastic.
More power to Martyn for getting on and doing this - if you follow him on facebook you'll see how determined this guy is. Watching his grit in trying to walk in his parawalker for a few yards is amazing.
And he seems to have a fantastic sense of humour.
What a guy.
The e-bike debate is one that'll probably never end, but for those who aren't able to use a normal bike due to illness or injury they're fantastic.
More power to Martyn for getting on and doing this - if you follow him on facebook you'll see how determined this guy is. Watching his grit in trying to walk in his parawalker for a few yards is amazing.
And he seems to have a fantastic sense of humour.
Link won't work for me - keep getting "runtime error" and a screen-load of gibberish.
The e-bike thing? So long as folk don't try to race on them in non-assisted races, then why not?
On a recent road ride I stopped at Peaslake Village Stores for the first time, and had a long chat with three men who were of "pensionable age" to put it politely. All three were riding very snazzy full suspension 'electronically assisted' MTBs all round the local MTB trails. All three said that without the battery power they'd have to give up on their passion for off road cycling in the area due to health issues arising from their advancing age (none would reveal their individual age, but a combined total of "damn near 200 years" was mentioned).
Now I get frustrated sometimes, when I can't get even vaguely close to an uphill Strava KOM, but going over to the 'dark side' to do so doesn't occur. I'm no youngster, but I don't (yet) need to rely on electricity to boost me up hills, so e-bikes hold no appeal. On the other hand, if it keeps older riders or those with health issues on their bikes longer then so much the better. I'd happily ride in a mixed group with an e-bike rider of any age or fitness, so long as they didn't take the proverbial 'p' and abuse the privilege by using the battery power to "rip my legs off".
Edit to add:
I managed to isolate the link from the gibberish on that "runtime error"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wToZJ_bfUYM
plus the link for Martyn talking through the adapted Canyon Sender bike used in the film... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j89T0VSn8Tw
The e-bike thing? So long as folk don't try to race on them in non-assisted races, then why not?
On a recent road ride I stopped at Peaslake Village Stores for the first time, and had a long chat with three men who were of "pensionable age" to put it politely. All three were riding very snazzy full suspension 'electronically assisted' MTBs all round the local MTB trails. All three said that without the battery power they'd have to give up on their passion for off road cycling in the area due to health issues arising from their advancing age (none would reveal their individual age, but a combined total of "damn near 200 years" was mentioned).
Now I get frustrated sometimes, when I can't get even vaguely close to an uphill Strava KOM, but going over to the 'dark side' to do so doesn't occur. I'm no youngster, but I don't (yet) need to rely on electricity to boost me up hills, so e-bikes hold no appeal. On the other hand, if it keeps older riders or those with health issues on their bikes longer then so much the better. I'd happily ride in a mixed group with an e-bike rider of any age or fitness, so long as they didn't take the proverbial 'p' and abuse the privilege by using the battery power to "rip my legs off".
Edit to add:
I managed to isolate the link from the gibberish on that "runtime error"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wToZJ_bfUYM
plus the link for Martyn talking through the adapted Canyon Sender bike used in the film... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j89T0VSn8Tw
Edited by yellowjack on Monday 13th June 13:30
yellowjack said:
Link won't work for me - keep getting "runtime error" and a screen-load of gibberish.
Fixed it now. I'd forgotten the | sign in the URL code.yellowjack said:
The e-bike thing? So long as folk don't try to race on them in non-assisted races, then why not?
On a recent road ride I stopped at Peaslake Village Stores for the first time, and had a long chat with three men who were of "pensionable age" to put it politely. All three were riding very snazzy full suspension 'electronically assisted' MTBs all round the local MTB trails. All three said that without the battery power they'd have to give up on their passion for off road cycling in the area due to health issues arising from their advancing age (none would reveal their individual age, but a combined total of "damn near 200 years" was mentioned).
Now I get frustrated sometimes, when I can't get even vaguely close to an uphill Strava KOM, but going over to the 'dark side' to do so doesn't occur. I'm no youngster, but I don't (yet) need to rely on electricity to boost me up hills, so e-bikes hold no appeal. On the other hand, if it keeps older riders or those with health issues on their bikes longer then so much the better. I'd happily ride in a mixed group with an e-bike rider of any age or fitness, so long as they didn't take the proverbial 'p' and abuse the privilege by using the battery power to "rip my legs off".
In the case of people who are too old or unwell to otherwise be out in the hills, I don't have the issue. What does annoy me is that the two people I've come across riding them on the trails near Peaslake were doing so because they were too fat, and coming from me, that's saying something!!On a recent road ride I stopped at Peaslake Village Stores for the first time, and had a long chat with three men who were of "pensionable age" to put it politely. All three were riding very snazzy full suspension 'electronically assisted' MTBs all round the local MTB trails. All three said that without the battery power they'd have to give up on their passion for off road cycling in the area due to health issues arising from their advancing age (none would reveal their individual age, but a combined total of "damn near 200 years" was mentioned).
Now I get frustrated sometimes, when I can't get even vaguely close to an uphill Strava KOM, but going over to the 'dark side' to do so doesn't occur. I'm no youngster, but I don't (yet) need to rely on electricity to boost me up hills, so e-bikes hold no appeal. On the other hand, if it keeps older riders or those with health issues on their bikes longer then so much the better. I'd happily ride in a mixed group with an e-bike rider of any age or fitness, so long as they didn't take the proverbial 'p' and abuse the privilege by using the battery power to "rip my legs off".
In both cases, they overtook me going up a climb, and then promptly slowed me down on the descent, looking as though they were struggling with the heavier bikes.
On a related note, have you got round to taking your new beastie off road around Peaslake yet? Offer still stands for the guiding if you want it.
Kermit power said:
In the case of people who are too old or unwell to otherwise be out in the hills, I don't have the issue. What does annoy me is that the two people I've come across riding them on the trails near Peaslake were doing so because they were too fat, and coming from me, that's saying something!!
In both cases, they overtook me going up a climb, and then promptly slowed me down on the descent, looking as though they were struggling with the heavier bikes.
On a related note, have you got round to taking your new beastie off road around Peaslake yet? Offer still stands for the guiding if you want it.
I kind of get where you're coming from with that. I was annoyed a couple of times by a chap in a long wool overcoat with a briefcase on his rear rack smashing past me on a local climb when I lived in Essex. One day I caught him on the gentle descent t'other side and we had a chat. Turns out he was just commuting on it, and the assistance was mainly to help to avoid getting sweaty in his suit'n'tie. It was the early days of e-bikes, and I'd not even considered that he was 'assisted', instead wondering which pro I'd just seen out training in brogues and a three-piece suit...In both cases, they overtook me going up a climb, and then promptly slowed me down on the descent, looking as though they were struggling with the heavier bikes.
On a related note, have you got round to taking your new beastie off road around Peaslake yet? Offer still stands for the guiding if you want it.
The new bike? I've still not ridden any MTB out that way! Too busy finding new and hugely entertaining single-track nearer home if I'm honest. I've started to 'follow' a couple of new MTBers local to me, and their GPS traces are helping me to find stuff I've never ridden before, despite living in this area for near 20 years. Some of it is scarcely more than 20 minutes ride away, and I've been riding past it to get to stuff that's less entertaining!
I'd definitely be up for a tour at some point, but because I have to get the bike inside my car it'd be preferable if the trails were largely mud-free for that to happen. Feel free to contact me if you're planning a session, and I'll do what I can to make it a date. Weekdays and evenings are usually better for me than weekends.
Nice spot with that Martyn Ashton video again. I'd probably not have found it by myself. Good to see a credit for the Army Enduro Team on it too, although I'm not sure what part they played? One thing I don't understand, though, is 15 people ticking the "Dislike" box under the video???
Seriously? Inspirational MTB trials legend proves that there's life after losing the use of his legs, and manages to weave in some humour too, yet some sour faced Doofus decides that they dislike it enough to let the world know about it. It makes me 
yellowjack said:
I'd definitely be up for a tour at some point, but because I have to get the bike inside my car it'd be preferable if the trails were largely mud-free for that to happen. Feel free to contact me if you're planning a session, and I'll do what I can to make it a date. Weekdays and evenings are usually better for me than weekends.
Any Friday afternoon in July could probably work for me. 
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