Fourcross MTB News

The increasing popularity of four wheel mountain biking is resulting in a growing media interest in Rough Riderz and this ‘fully inclusive’ new UK sport. As our campaign to acquire more publicity and funding for the club continues, we will keep you updated on all the latest features, articles and other news… plus you can now enjoy the benefits of using our brand new forum to discuss and exchange ideas with other 2 and 4 wheel MTB riders.

Our publicity plan is aimed at obtaining as much media coverage as possible, for the club and it’s members. In turn, this would help to raise awareness of the sport and strenghten our links with other related groups or companies. We also endeavor to find the most useful and interesting developments published across the internet’s MTB community, in relation to the UK fourcross scene… anything at all that creates, promotes and improves the accessibility and facilities available at sites both at home and abroad.

MARCH 2008: The April issue of MBR magazine features a five page interview with UK fourcross rider, and Rough Riderz member, David Bower. The location used for the article was the brilliant Laggan Wolftrax site, in Scotland. We would like to thank MTB journalist Andy McAndlish for photographing and writing this piece, and also to Linsday for his help on the day.

EXCERPT: "In 2000, David Bower lost the use of his legs and it looked as if his trail-riding days were over. Eight years on, it's a different story. You look around and think, 'If it wasn't for these bikes, I would never get here, how would I ever have got here?'"

This article is NOT currently available on-line.

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FEB 2008: The UK fourcross scene is under threat of EXTINCTION! Certain sections of the Forestry Commission are currently threatening its whole future here, due to out of date and unneccessary road legislation regarding access to MTB facilities.

EXCERPT: "This crisis could spell the end of fourcross... and 'disabled friendly' MTB-ing will simply become a totally impractical sport to pursue. The current laws and regulations in place mean the 'quad tow' system we currently use, to reach the top of suitable trails, has been deemed illegal. So we now cannot easily (if at all) access any of the designated sites that all able-bodied riders use. This is also in contradiction to the legal requirements regarding equal access, under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995 and 2005). Do you think this is fair..?"

Please click here to cast your vote in our forum Poll, and feel free to post any comments...

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JAN 2008: The popular disability lifestyle magazine, Able, published a column in the Jan/Feb edition on the exploits of the club. Under the title 'Mountain Maniacs' it highlights the increasing interest in establishing a fourcross scene in the UK. More and more disabled people are accessing the countryside, with some heading to the hills in search of exhilarating 'new kicks'.

EXCERPT: “While New Year's resolutions are often about giving up some of life's pleasures, you can also use the arrival of '08 as an excuse to give something completely different a try. Here are 20 options for people with all levels of ability - and varying degrees of sanity too!”

This article is NOT currently available on-line.

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DEC 2007: The Rough Riderz channel is now available on YouTube. We will post all our club promos and future movies on here for everyone to watch... so why not subscribe to our channel today and then you can rate and/or comment on the films in our collection? We also have some more new films coming soon!

EXCERPT: "High Calibre Design and Dirty Filmz present the Rough Riderz fourcross promos part 1 and 2. Featuring some great footage of Dave Bower in action, from summer 2007, riding the R-One Fourcross MTB. Filmed on location in North Wales."

Click here to view Promo One.

Click here to view Promo Two.

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NOVEMBER 2007: Spinal cord injury charity Aspire kindly invited Phil Hall to be the guest speaker at their 2007 Sports Quiz Dinner. Held at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, it gave Phil the opportunity to thank the organisation personally for the grant he received towards the cost of his own fourcross bike. It also enabled him to speak, to a mainly corporate audience, about his passion for downhill riding and his future hopes and dreams for the Rough Riderz club.

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SEPT 2007: The bad news is… the Forestry Commission Scotland had generously invited the club to attend the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships! However, we were unable to attend the event due to a serious injury. The good news is… they may extend their invitation to offer the same sort of fourcross demo event at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike Nissan World Cup (round 3) also to be held at Fort Bill. This will really help to put the Rough Riderz club in the media spotlight. So, watch this space and make sure you check out the MTB forum and calendar for more information.

EXCERPT: "The one-off glory and hype of the World Championships may be over, but Fort William is not going to sit back, don slippers and take a big long rest with a good book. No, it’s going back into the World Cup circuit, invigorated and excited about long-term plans for 2008 through to 2012 when London hosts the Cross Country Olympic event. The dates for the 2008 World Cup are confirmed on 6/8 June, so start planning now."

Click here to read more.

Click here to read all the latest event information.

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JULY 2007: The Back-Up Trust started a new awareness campaign on spinal cord injury. This included a campaign leaflet (Back on Track) aimed at the motorcycle industry, which featured Phil Hall’s story. It explained the nature of his injury, his successful rehab, the new experience of fourcross riding and the creation of his downhill MTB club.

EXCERPT: "…aged 21, Phil got his own motorbike and in his own words, from that point on he didn’t look back unless he heard the police! Phil was living in Tenerife in 2003 when one day… his front wheel hit something in the road causing loss of control… Phil became a paraplegic… 8 months on from his life changing injury Phil was reluctantly talked into a Back-Up course. After a week of outdoor activities… (he) realised just how much was possible. Determined not to relinquish his need for speed Phil set up Rough Riderz in December 06 – the UK’s first 4 wheel downhill mountain biking club."

This article is NOT currently available on-line.

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JUNE 2007: The Big Issue magazine wrote about Phil Hall’s exploits on a fourcross bike, entitled A BIT OF ROUGH! It included some background on Phil and his ambitions to bring the sport of fourcross to the UK with the help of his new club.

EXCERPT: "The club has members from all over the UK and from as far away as Brazil. It is seeking funding for spare bikes and taster days that Hall hopes to start… people will love it so much that they will want to buy their own bike and increase the scene over here."

This article is NOT currently available on-line.

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APRIL 2007: The Spinal Injuires Association magazine, 'Forward', featured another article about the Rough Riderz club and it's founder Phil Hall. He talks about his love of mountain biking, and his hopes for the club, both now and in the future.

EXCERPT: “An article in the February 2007 edition... has sparked further interest in this exciting sporting opportunity. The amazing buzz and feeling of freedom that this sport offers is something that I seriously feel must be made accessible to people here in the UK.”

This article is NOT currently available on-line.

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APRIL 2007: Some very exciting news! The Forestry Commission Scotland have very generously invited the Rough Riderz club to attend the 2007 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships! This would involve some of our club members attending the event, being held in Fort William this year, to participate in a fourcross demonstration event, in front of the world's sports media.

EXCERPT: "Fort William welcomes the world. In September 2007 the global mountain biking community will be focused on a small town in the Scottish Highlands - a small town that has become a byword for great mountain biking, fantastic fans and the best competitions in the world."

Click here to read all the event information.

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APRIL 2007: The Spinal Injuires Scotland quarterly publication, 'Newsline', pictured Rough Riderz member Dave Bower on the front cover of the magazine. It also included more photos of Dave with a full write-up about the club inside the Spring issue.

EXCERPT: "...both able-bodied and disabled people are welcome to join Rough Riderz, anybody at all who wants to get involved. When asked about the future Phil is upbeat: I’m certainly optimistic, although the challenge now is that the club desperately needs to raise enough money to provide the transport, spare bikes and safety gear necessary to give the increasing number of interested people approaching us the chance to participate. I just can’t wait to show them what they’re missing. Trust me, they’ll be smiling for at least a week!"

Click here to read the full article (see page 23).

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MARCH 2007: North-West regional newspaper The Citizen featured Phil Hall's story and his ambitions for the Rough Riderz club.

EXCERPT: "To speed down a mountain on one of the bikes gave me an extreme sense of freedom and that buzz of excitement for the first time since my accident. He has received support, help and advice in achieving his dream from spinal injuries charity Aspire... Phil added: I'm trying to secure funding to offer people taster days so they can hook up with Rough Riderz and try out the sport."

Click here to read the full article.

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MARCH 2007: Rough Riderz' original founding member (and Club Secretary) Phil Hall was recently featured in his main local newspaper, The Lancashire Evening Post.

EXCERPT: " Phil Hall became hooked on downhill four-wheel mountain biking last year during an American holiday in Colorado and now it's his dream to bring the sport here to the UK. He said: 'I'm absolutely madly obsessed with it! When getting in a downhill bike, once you're rolling, you might as well forget you're in a chair. It's completely irrelevant... I'm doing what I used to do. Hurtling down hills at great speed. For me, it's an important part of my life, getting that adrenaline...' "

Click here to read the full article.

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MARCH 2007: Journalism students from the University of Central Lancashire interviewed Phil Hall about Rough Riderz, and the sport of fourcross. The Xpressed website features video footage plus text extracts from this conversation.

EXCERPT: “A 34-year-old disabled man is not the sort of person you'd expect to be an extreme sports enthusiast, but for Phil Hall a lifelong obsession with speed has found a new outlet. Watch Phil talk about fourcross, his disability and the buzz of extreme sports.”

Click here to read the full article (with video).

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FEBRUARY 2007: The Spinal Injuires Association magazine, 'Forward', featured an article on the new ‘disabled friendly’ downhill MTB scene. An important member of the Rough Riderz team, David Bower, writes about his love of mountain biking and his experiences in riding fourcross mountain bikes.

EXCERPT: “Mountain biking meant everything to me before my accident. After many years of searching I have now found a way to enjoy the sport I love so much. My bike is extremely stable and capable of traversing extremely rough terrain including the jumps, drops, rock sections and bermed corners encountered on mountain bike trails. It is designed primarily for use on downhill mountain bike courses… an extremely challenging adrenaline-inducing sport. I am seeking to encourage participation… with a view to eventually developing further purpose-built trails and competitions. I would welcome contact from any reader interested in this sporting activity.”

This article is NOT currently available on-line.

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MARCH 2008: Arguably the greatest 'extreme' mountain bike festival, Kokanee Crankworx 2008 will take place from August 9th to the 17th, in Whistler of course! This is a must for any serious MTB fans... if you have the cash! Some of the top riders from around the world meet for a week dedicated to wheels, speed, skills and thrills... including fourcross expert Stacy Kohut and friends. Can you afford to miss it?

EXCERPT: "Whistler's premier mountain bike festival is set to return... for eight days of incredible, gravity-defying freeride competitions, pro riding demos, FREE music and entertainment, and much more!"

Click here to read the full event information.

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NOV 2007: R-ONE has a brand new website. Featuring the latest team news, product news and interviews. It also has an impresssive gallery of photos featuring the riders/owners Stacy Kohut and Johnny Therien aboard their downhill rigs. You can find out more about the ‘Fourcross’ bike and how to order one here. It is the most comprehensive site (outside the UK) for you to explore more about what’s happening in the world of fourcross riding and racing today.

EXCERPT: " Rider owned and rider operated. R-ONE builds, rides, races, and sells Fourcross bikes. In the past years nobody has ridden more, raced more, built more or sold more in regards to the fourcross world. R-ONE hails from the epicentre of the lift assisted mountain bike movement, Whistler… The riding style is an insane combination of DH mountain biking, rally car driving, high-end off road truck racing, and of course motocross/supercross. The sport is available to all people who enjoy openwheel, fourwheel, offroad riding and racing action! Ride for fun, Race to win.”

Click here to read even more...

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SEPT 2007: Some news on Eric Lindley’s plans for POE Racing, with his team mate Gavin Williamson. This includes information on the prototype fourcross bike they are currently testing with assistance from the AFF. It also features a mini-history of the pair and video footage of Eric in Whistler.

EXCERPT: "Lindsley is running a freelance engineering company called Pryme Offroad Engineering out of Sutter Creek, CA. Pryme is currently assisting Active Force Foundation with the development of a new four wheel mountain bike. The goal is to provide a high performance 4-wheel rig at a cost that more average riders can afford… The pair – also known as the P.O.E. Racing Team – continues to race internationally and is planning to produce a Murderball-style documentary on the history of fourcross.”

Click here to read the full article.

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MAY 2007: Lancashire County Council plans for the Rossendale Adrenaline Gateway Proposal have recently received a boost, with confirmation of a National Lottery award. Originally reported in Singletrack Magazine, this exciting project should create some excellent downhill MTB trails and facilities for the county.

EXCERPT: "Rossendale's Local Strategic Partnership is currently undertaking a detailed feasibility study into developing the biggest adrenaline and extreme sports facility in England at Lee Mill Quarry. The 'Adrenaline Gateway' project would involve relocating and extending Ski Rossendale, together with new activities such as BMX and mountain bike trails, paragliding and ballooning, horse riding and fell running. The proposals for the Adrenaline Centre seek to build on the existing facilities at Ski Rossendale and provide a range of sports and leisure activities that would attract visitors from within and outside the Borough. With the shockingly low amount of bridleways in the county in general we think this idea should prove to be very popular with Lancastrian mountain bikers."

Click here to read the full article.

Click here to read even more...

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MAY 2007: Some of the Carron Valley Development Group volunteers have created some interesting new trails in this area of Central Scotland. This project has been assisted by working in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council and the Forestry Commission. Although they are yet to be tested, some of the trails could be suitable for fourcross riders to enjoy?

EXCERPT: "Since the launch in spring 2006, Central Scotland's first purpose built mountain bike centre is proving extremely popular with riders of all ages and abilities. Three exciting new additions in autumn 2006 compliment the existing trails... When it's time to land, head for 'The Runway'. This feature-packed, fast flowing fun park style descent is designed so beginners can roll the jumps and experienced riders can get some air! Experience turbulence as you drop in, feel the speed through the corkscrew and explode out of the bomb hole before lining up for the final approach. Littered with berms, jumps and tabletops it's guaranteed to satisfy those who prefer airtime!"

Click here to read the full article.

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MARCH 2007: More news from Pinkbike.com reporting on the Tweed Valley's ambition, with the help of the Scottish Borders Council, to become Europe's leading mountain bike destination.

EXCERPT: "The independent report, commissioned by Scottish Enterprise Borders, highlights that the re-introduction of a safe vehicle uplift facility at the Innerleithen downhill course is a key first step in helping to grow the number of people using the downhill tracks. Forestry Commission Scotland is currently looking for a company to operate a bus-based transport system to safely transport bikers and their bikes to the top of the downhill routes at Innerleithen. It is hoped that this new business opportunity will be operational by early summer. The report recommends installing a detachable quad chairlift system in Innerleithen, between Elibank and Traquair Forests. The Innerleithen Downhill course at Traquair Forest is already renowned for its extreme biking and a chairlift system would offer significant opportunities to develop the area and reinforce its world-class reputation amongst mountain bike enthusiasts."

Click here to read the full article.

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FEBRUARY 2007: Pinkbike.com highlight plans by Angus Community Council to improve and increase MTB trails in East Scotland.

EXCERPT: “Where are the bike tracks on the East Coast of Scotland? It’s a question many local mountain bikers have been asking. Angus Council’s community learning & development outdoor education team is taking steps to promote a discussion about the viability of a mountain bike trail development matching one of the 7-Stanes sites. This discussion would lead to a consultation period in April. If there is sufficient support then the next step would be to form a group to take the project forwards…”

Click here to read the full article.

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FEBRUARY 2007: The possibility of a ‘chairlift project’ by Scottish Enterprise Borders, at Innerleithen, was recently outlined by Dirt Magazine amongst others…

EXCERPT: “If you read the Press Release then it really does sound like there is a very strong possibility that there WILL be a chairlift at Innerleithen in the near future. A new study has shown that establishing Tweed Valley as one of the world's leading mountain bike destinations to rival locations such as Les Gets in France and Whistler in Canada could help attract 100,000 visitors to the region a year. The independent report… highlights that the re-introduction of a safe vehicle uplift facility at the Innerleithen downhill course is a key first step in helping to grow the number of people using the downhill tracks. Forestry Commission Scotland is currently looking for a company to operate a bus-based transport system… to the top of the downhill routes at Innerleithen. The new vehicle based uplift service will be fundamental in growing the number of bikers using the trails from the current 8,000 visits a year to at least 25,000 visits. The uplift service would be part of the overall strategy towards developing the chairlift as a viable option.”

Click here to read the full article.

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APRIL 2006: Details of the proposed Dragon Downhill chairlift project, at Cwm Carn, featured by Mountain Biking Wales.

Click here to read the full article.

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2005: Dare Valley Extreme Sports Park, based in the Cynon Valley, publish information on their future plans for better MTB facilities in South Wales.

EXCERPT: “Welcome to the new world of extreme downhill. If you are ready to experience some of the most gnarly tracks in the UK then we're ready to meet you. Dare valley extreme downhill mountain biking has been designed to bring out the best of your skills. Laid out over 3kms, our courses have something to test even the most skilled rider.”

Click here to read the full article.

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