Advertise on podcast: British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast

On this episode of the British BMX Hall of Fame podcast, Paul and I talk all things Hall of Fame ahead of next week’s event on Saturday, November 7, at Donington Park Farmhouse. We drop a few clues about this year’s inductees, talk about recording the voiceovers and share some of the plans for the night. With five years of Hall of Fame history soon in the bag, we also discuss potential projects to help document and celebrate the sport’s past. We get into the new International Award, some possible future names and how the category could evolve. Plus, we talk about Dutch powerhouse Phil Hoogendoorn, a multiple Dutch, European and World Champion, and throw in a bit of BMX trivia along the way. Check it out! Looking forward to seeing everybody next weekend at Donington Park Farmhouse. If you haven’t already, get your tickets now at www.ukbmxhof.co.uk

The 2026 British BMX Hall of Fame is getting closer! In this episode, we talk more about this year’s event on November 7th at Donington Park Farmhouse, including some of the times, what to expect, and what we’ve got planned. We also get into the nominations we’ve been rolling out every Thursday, discussing some of the names and favorites in particular categories, the new categories we’ve added, and everything Hall of Fame for 2026. If you’re planning to come, tickets are on sale now at UKBMXHOF.co.uk. Check it out, and we’ll see you at the Hall of Fame!

If you raced BMX in the UK during the 1980s, you might remember the Mirage number plate. It was one of the many ideas cooked up by Alan Woods of Alan’s BMX and became one of the most popular plates you would see in the UK, regularly appearing in the magazines and on the front of not only Alan’s Torker and Robinson team riders, but also many of the top riders across the country who chose to rep the brand. Well, Mirage is back! Thanks to John Bentley, the iconic name is returning, and he gave us a quick scoop last week on what he has going on and what he has planned. After suffering a major injury while battling for the National title in 2025, breaking his right arm and requiring multiple surgeries, John was forced to spend a year off the bike. With concerns that it could potentially mean the end of his racing days, he started thinking about how he could remain involved in a sport he has always loved. John has always been a natural problem solver, whether working in situations where lives were at stake during his 12 years with the Ambulance Service or finding solutions within the building trade. Starting a BMX brand had always been something he had thought about, and his time away from racing gave him the opportunity to turn that idea into reality. After speaking with Alan Woods about using the Mirage name he created in the 1980s, Alan agreed to let John bring the brand back for modern products. Alan may still continue to produce some old-school products under the Mirage name, but he is happy for John to take the brand forward in a new direction. Check out the mini podcast as John gives us a quick story behind bringing Mirage back and what he's got planned.

With the recent news of Raleigh going into administration and the wider challenges facing the bike industry, it only made sense to sit down with my friend Jason Boness, who spent the last 15 years as Product Manager at Raleigh. We talk about what’s going on with Raleigh at the moment, the story behind the recent news, and whether there’s a future that could see the iconic brand back out there again. We also look back at Raleigh’s incredible history: the bikes, the teams, and the people who helped make it one of the most recognisable names in cycling. Jason also shares some stories from his 15 years with the company and gives us an inside look at what it was like working for such an iconic British brand.

Check in with my sister Rachel Holmes, and we talk about the early Nottingham, Derby & Ilkeston BMX track scene when we got into BMX in the early ’80s. We touch on some of the local riders from all 3 areas, meeting up at the tracks and spending countless hours there daily, local races, and some of the locals who went on to have national success.

In this new episode of the British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast with Paul Roberts, we start by giving a huge thank you and shoutout to Alan Woods at Alan's BMX for coming on board as the Title Sponsor for this year's British BMX Hall of Fame. We talk about Alan's incredible history and contribution to BMX, not only in the early days of the sport but right through to today, with the same passion, enthusiasm, and love for BMX that he's always had. We also discuss several of the British BMX Hall of Fame categories, along with some potential new categories being introduced for the 2026 event. We go behind the scenes and explain how someone can actually be inducted into the Hall of Fame. We then take a deeper look at some of the nominees who could feature this year, discuss riders whose names may appear in multiple categories, and talk through some of the long lists we've been posting on the British BMX Hall of Fame Facebook and Instagram pages. Plus, loads more BMX chat throughout the episode.

On the British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast, we have Robert Cardoza, one of the riders who appeared in a well-known movie you might have heard of called E.T. Robert these days is married to British BMX Hall of Fame 2023 inductee and the first official UKBMX National Number 1 girl (1981), Jane Windle. Robert tells us about the early days working with Howie Cohen at Everything Bicycles (distributors of Kuwahara), making factory plates for Bob Haro, and building up the Kuwahara bikes for the movie, plus how Steven Spielberg and crew found the other BMX riders at the Ascot track in So-Cal that we see in E.T., along with Robert and Bob Haro. Robert talks about Howie Cohen, the famous bike chase, how much they got paid/credited, what happened to the Kuwahara bikes after the movie was done, where they are now, and so much more. Check it out and subscribe to the British BMX Hall of Fame Podcast on Apple and Spotify if you haven't already, for future and archived episodes.

This podcast features Charles Townsend reflecting on his trip to the UK in 1986 to race the IBMXF World Championships at Slough while still an amateur rider for Hutch. Charles talks about travelling from the United States with his Hutch teammate Eric Carter, his first impressions of the Slough track, and racing overseas for the first time. He also shares memories of battling Dutch European Champion Bas de Bever in both 20-inch and Cruiser competition, becoming a double World Champion, and forming lasting friendships with many of the English racers he met over the following years.

Jane Windle grew up at the heart of the UK BMX scene. Alongside her dad Les Windle, better known as Mr. Hotshot, and the rest of the Windle family, she was there during the earliest days of BMX in Britain. Jane became the 1981 UK National No. 1 Girl, while her family built and operated Hotshot BMX, one of the first and most iconic BMX companies in UK history. In this episode, Jane looks back at the early days of BMX racing in Britain, her experiences as one of the first UK riders to travel to the United States to race, and competing at the World Championships. We dive into the history of Hotshot, the influence of brands such as Redline, Patterson and GT, and memories of riders including Gary O'Connor, Mark O'Connor, Nick Dalton, Paul Ray, Nick Gill, Paul Gray and many more. We also discuss the current Hotshot BMX team in the UK, led by Matt Phillips, and some of the riders carrying the Hotshot name today, including the ever-popular Sarah-Jane Nicholas. Jane also talks about her move to Arizona, life in the United States, and her continued connection to BMX after more than four decades in the sport. A great conversation packed with stories, memories and insight from one of the true pioneers of UK BMX.

We talk to Mongoose's Eric Rupe about the 1984 Kellogg's BMX Series, winning Round 1 at Hounslow, the disqualification in Birmingham, and finishing 2nd overall behind Nelson Chanady.

We talk about the US Number 1 Pro at the time, Brian Patterson, racing in the UK during the 1984 Kellogg’s TV Series, passing Harry Leary in round 6, and getting disqualified for a gate infringement in that same race. Brian came back to the UK again in 1985 and really showed the inspired UK racers and fans why he was such a star in the sport.

We Talk British BMX Hall of Fame 2025 Inductee Steve Gratton Steve Gratton is a 2025 British BMX Hall of Fame inductee in the Pioneer Racer category. From his early battles for the first official National Number 1 plate in 1981 to becoming the NBMXA National Number 1 in 1983, Steve was one of the standout riders of the early UK scene. We also discuss his early sponsors, skating, building tracks, and that California surfer look that made him instantly recognizable in all the magazines of the era.

In this episode, Paul and I talk about the announcement of the date and location for the 2026 British BMX Hall of Fame, taking place on November 7th at Donington Park Farmhouse. We also dive into some of our favourite UK BMX race photos featured in British magazines over the years, including classic shots of Geth Shooter, Charlie Reynolds, Tony Holland, Craig Schofield, Dean Iddiols, Tim March, John Lee, and more. We chat about photographer Paul Bliss, alongside Dylan Clayton and Mike Pardon, appearing on the Union Tapes Podcast, plus Alan Woods, Ian Ruby, Malcolm Jarvis, and a whole lot more. Check it out.

We talk about Skyway’s Andy Patterson and his time in the UK and Europe, racing in the Halfords Anglo American Cup, doing demos, winning the European Championships, and the 1983 IBMXF World Championships in Holland.

Last month, while over in the UK, I made the trip down to Kent to spend the day with Malcolm Jarvis and his family. It was an incredible opportunity to sit down and capture the story of the early days of British BMX. For those who may not know, Malcolm was responsible for bringing BMX to the UK. In 1979, after hearing about the sport, he flew to Los Angeles, immersed himself in the emerging BMX scene, and returned home inspired to build something from the ground up. That trip proved pivotal, visiting BMX Plus! and Bob Osborn at BMX Action, meeting the likes of Bob Haro, watching him ride, and visiting the Corona downhill and Azusa track while meeting Scott Breithaupt and Stu Thomsen. It was during this time that Malcolm began his relationship with Mongoose, laying the foundation for what would become a defining chapter in UK BMX history. Back in Britain after that trip, Malcolm helped shape the sport from its earliest days, developing rule books, building tracks, organizing races, and driving promotion and media, even bringing BMX onto television screens. He went on to create one of the most successful and influential teams in British BMX history, the Ammaco Mongoose team, with the likes of Andy Ruffell, Pete Middleton, Craig Schofield, Chris Young, Brian Jones, and the Llewellyn brothers, and many more. Malcolm reflects on those formative years, the rapid rise of BMX in the UK, and the peak of the boom before the bubble eventually burst. He also shares what life looked like for the Jarvis family after stepping away, and how he reconnected with many friends decades later at the launch of the British BMX Hall of Fame in 2022. We also dive into the behind-the-scenes stories of the early UK scene, highlighting key figures such as Don Smith, Geoff Wiles, and David Duffield, as well as relationships with Halfords and Raleigh. Malcolm recounts making the portable track that he took around the country, the family backyard track at Knockhurst, the lead-up to the very first official BMX race in the UK at Redditch in 1980, Buckmore Park, and many more moments that helped shape the sport’s foundation and so much more. A huge thank you to Malcolm and his family for their hospitality and for sharing such an important piece of BMX history.