- Don't panic, it's me.
We've been filming some pretty freaky stuff
here in the dirt shed this week because its freak week
but while I was here I thought
I'd take a look at some of my freakiest riding moments
and I've had a few in Road Bike Party One,
Road Bike Party Two, Back on Track, Down Not Out,
and My Ride in Whistler this year.
I've had some amazing moments that I have absolutely loved.
And they've got some stories behind them so
let's get straight into it with Road Bike Party One
where I took my bike, a carbon Pinarello
over the top a bridge in Bristol and
it took some planning, this shot but
it was amazing fun to do.
I was really nervous because I knew
if I got it wrong, well, I'd probably die.
But I was hoping that I'd just manage it.
In fact, I knew I could manage it.
What I was hoping was that they got a really shot of
me riding over there so we had six cameras pointing
with only one go because we knew
the police were going to be called straight away
because you're not really supposed to
ride over these bridges.
We got this shot.
It was amazing.
The guys had one single instruction.
If I fall off, run and take the footage.
If I get arrested, run and take the footage.
I knew I was going to be lonely either way.
I don't know, it's tough times riding bikes.
Road Bike Party One took me to some very strange places
but I don't think I've had a stranger feeling on my bike
than riding the Wall of Death.
It took me a long time to learn it but
there was a guy there who said he'd teach me.
He rides the Wall of Death everyday on his motorbike and
he thought he'd bring is mountain bike in and
show me how to do it.
After three goes, he said it can't be done mate.
That was really worrying because
I was already there.
I was in my light crew and
I had my carbon road bike ready to go so
we got spinning around the wall and
eventually I made it up onto the surface and
once you're up there, you're only going to stay there
as long as you can pedal like we're talking Chris Hoy hard.
You have to pedal your n-somethings off.
I got up there and once you're on the wall,
it feels like you're basically on a horizontal road.
It's really strange.
All you can see ahead of you is the road
going upwards but it's not, it's sideways,
if you get what I mean.
It's really difficult.
You've got to ride fast.
As far as your pedal stroke goes,
your bum starts to bob and you've lose grip,
the back wheel starts sliding down the wall.
It's a nightmare.
It's called the Wall of Death for a reason.
I don't think I've ever been more freaked out
than this moment in my life.
The top of the hill in Back on Track.
It was going to be my moment to return to cycling
after getting paralysed in a cycling accident
at Silver Stone in my OGP race.
I was really worried whether this idea was going to work
and I had three of the best bike riders I know
responsible for getting me down that hill
so I felt kind of bad because I know
they were very very nervous.
They had to get me down that hill but
they had to push me off to start and
once I started rolling there was no really going back.
So the top of Back on Track is probably
the freakiest moment I've had on my bike.
Thank goodness it worked and I ride on.
Whistler was one of the most amazing experiences
in my entire riding career.
I had so much fun but I've never had a more nervous moment
especially on that trip than the drop off
at the top of A Line downhill race track.
Oh my god, the guys were absolutely terrified
whether I could do this or not.
I was pretty sure I could but
we're all thinking what if
the front doesn't hold up and I just spin and
I nose dive off there and I'm strapped to the bike and
I go rolling down that hill and I hit things.
Thankfully, I rolled straight off that thing perfect.
I'd like to say it was all to do with me but
the bike was just great.
I rolled off that hill and I just went into A Line
with a beaming smile and so much excitement and
I can't tell you, that first corner felt amazing,
knowing that I got the drop out of the way and
now it was time to start on some fun and some bums
at Whistler on A Line.
Oh my god, it was good.
Road Bike Party Two was an incredible film
for lots of reasons.
It was the video where I wanted to lay down
every single thing I could do on a bike.
Obviously I didn't get all the way through that video and
I needed some help.
Danny Mac and Chris actually came in
to do some of the bits I planned but
obviously wasn't able to do because of my injury
but before all that happened,
this scene in Road Bike Party Two
was pinnacle for me.
It's one shot, using one camera,
moving through the scene.
I come in, back flip over a railing,
and land on some pallets, hit a skateboard
which then flicks up and knocks a pallet over,
creating a ramp for me to ride
round the back of the camera man,
come back in the shot, go up the pallets,
ride across a gap and front flip out of scene.
I was supposed to land a front flip
into another scene but my accident happened
in between the two things so
we kind of like had to smudge over that bit
but that whole scene being one shot
with a skateboard trick in the middle,
I think is pretty cool and
something that I'm really proud of.
I love watching it.
This is literally the first scene I shot of
Road Bike Party Two.
I wanted to drop off this roof that's in Bournemouth,
land on this railing and ride away.
Sounds simple.
I thought it was simple too.
But unfortunately, road bikes don't like
doing this kind of trick and you know what?
Building owners don't like you riding off their roofs.
I got up very early in the morning.
We're talking four o'clock and I rode down
to this spot in Bournemouth on the sea front,
Robyn the cameraman got lined up, and
I rode off this roof and I folded my ankle,
went over the handlebars.
I chucked my bike down the road.
Oh my god, it was an absolute disaster.
We're talking four seconds into the filming of
what I thought was going to be the biggest film of
my riding career.
My ankle was bruised and battered,
I'd folded it over.
I thought I broke it for a little bit.
Thankfully it healed up.
Three weeks later, it's four o'clock in the morning
and I'm back in exactly the same position.
I have practised, maybe, 2000 drop to rails in the process
on a very sore ankle.
This time, it works out and thankfully
we can get filming with Road Bike Party Two.
These road bikes, they're not easy to ride, you know.
The wavy wall from Road Bike Party One.
I don't really know what else to call it.
It's an incredible obstacle to ride but
it took me an absolute eternity.
I would love to tell you that I did this first shot
but I didn't.
It took 34 goes of falling off.
In the end there was a great big crowd watching me
and what you can't see on camera is
as I ride away they all burst into applause and
I chuck the bike, run back, and
me and Robyn do a big high five.
We were super happy to get along that wall.
Talking of freaky rides,
I don't think there's a freakier moment than
a paralysed rider, someone who uses
a wheelchair to get around, sat on his bike
in the start hut of the Fort William World Cup Downhill.
That's just stupid.
Yep, in Down or Out, we decided to create
a little bit of a dream scenario
where I win the race.
In my mind, since I feel like I have won the race.
But in actuality, you know, it wasn't real.
But starting in the start hut, it felt real.
I couldn't believe it.
I felt like a World Cup racer and
I think in my past, I've raced maybe two downhills ever
so I didn't deserve to be in that start hut but
I enjoyed every second.
I went flying out of there as fast as I could and
then I discovered why World Cup Racers are incredible.
They make it look easy but the turns at Fort William
are like ball bearings, there's no grip.
Three turns in I was not having a good time anymore.
I was just terrified.
Anyone who has seen my videos since my spinal cord injury
will know that I'm not very good at doing jumps anymore.
I'm sat down, I'm basically doing bump jumps
out of every lip.
Down Not Out meant I was going to have to face my demons
so I had Neil shout me into the run for this jump.
So basically if he thought my speed was right coming in,
I'd pass him and if I heard scream "Yep"
I was good to go.
First go at this jump, I absolutely nailed it.
Didn't I Mike?
- [Mike] Absolutely.
- It was perfect but we didn't get that one on shot.
It was just a practise run through.
Second go, I come in and the whole buckaroo come out.
I just don't know when that thing's going to hit me
and I bucked.
You know, it's not pretty but I still think
it's a freakishly fun moment in mountain biking.
Doesn't look good but oh well, you can't win them all.
Okay, this was an incredible moment.
A live moment where I never thought I'd ever experience.
I come into the finish line of Fort William to
I don't know how many people but cheering, going crazy,
treating me like I just won a World Cup.
And I would love to thank every single one of them.
It was absolutely incredible.
And I was nervous.
The crew were nervous because we knew
we only got one hit at it and
I couldn't get it wrong so
I went a little bit slower than I liked but
I made it down and then off the drop at the end
I bottomed the old bike right out.
Of course, she made a hell of noise which
thankfully you can't hear in that clip.
Rode round in the pits, claiming the win.
It felt absolutely amazing.
Down Not Out was an incredible experience.
Fort William Racetrack, wow, can't believe it.
Those are my freakish moments from the videos I've done.
I hope you like them.
Let me know about your freakish moments
in the comments down below.
And if you want to watch some more of my films,
then why don't you head over there for
Road Bike Party Two and over there for
My Ride in Whistler which I absolutely adore.
Thanks for watching.
We had a great time.
Don't forget to subscribe and give me a thumbs up like.
I don't know why my hands look like this.