I started cycling as a 5 year old in the early 80s on my BMX mainly inspired by ET and a an older kid down my road who raced for Skyway and after that Raleigh. This for me was a madical era. Everything was new and the BMX scence exploded. Every other kid was on a bmx and there were jumps being made everywhere. At about 11 years old I split my knee and had to have 18 stiches after a home make ramp collapsed!
I jumped onto the second wave of BMX in the mid ninetees and helped dig some of the legendary dirt jumps in South Bucks.
I had a break from this in the mid ninetees as I had snapped my ACL ligament After University I was looking to get back into bikes. I then discovered mountainbiking about 15 years ago. The bikes were getting better. Disk brakes. Full suspension that actuslly worked. I took myself off to Morzine in France. I didn’t really know many people in the sport then and I just took myself downhillling in the Alps for a couple of summer breaks.
I thought I should join a club to meet more cyclists and have not looked back.
I am now a member of two clubs. One more multi discipling and the other with a more road focus.
I’ve raced road bikes in crits at hillingdon. Done many mtb races a few yesrs ago in the souther xc series. I’ve done 24 hour endursnce races but the highlight was winning a 6 hour mixed pair relay ebent on mountsin bikes. I now commute most days on my gravel bike. I’ve been across tbe Alps Pyranees and Dolomites on the road. I am preparing to do LEJOG over 9 days.
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I ridden track bikes at Calshot. So from Gravel Biking I’ve just done 1 leg of the King Alfred Way 132km with 2000m of climbing to the Majorca 312 event which is superb. One of my favourite events. I have done many events across mukti disciplines over the years. BMX, mountain bikes, a few road races and some gravel riding. I simply love cycling in many forms.
Darren Smith
