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Video: Trials legend Martyn Ashton Back on Track in film charting his first mountain bike ride since life-changing 2013 crash
Back on Track
Martyn Ashton, the star of Road Bike Party 1, 2, and 3 who was paralysed from the waist down two years ago has is back starring in another film of him doing what he’s best known for - riding a bike.
The film, Back on Track, marks a significant step in what Ashton hopes will be a continued recovery from the injuries he sustained when an an accident at a trials display at Silverstone in the autumn of 2013 left him paralysed from the waist down.
In the new video, Ashton accompanied by trials legends, Danny MacAskill, Chris Akrigg and Blake Samson tackles the downhill trail at Antur Stiniog in Snowdonia on a lightly modified Nicolai Gemetron - the light modification being replacing the saddle with a ski chair. Ashton rides the trail with his feet taped to the pedals and demonstrates that none of his bike handling skills have deserted him.
Ashton has been planning the ride for 18 months - although he may never walk again, not riding a bike again was never a possibility that entered his mind.
“Of course I have questioned if I’ll walk again, and I don’t know if I will or not. But with riding a mountain bike, for whatever reason, it was always ‘how are we going to do it’. Never riding a bike again? Well, that never came up,”
says Ashton.
“I’ve been riding bikes for so long that I think it defines my life. Riding is such a natural thing to me – it’s who I am. I’m not willing to let go of it despite the situation. All of us who ride bikes – whatever level it is – has the same feeling when they start riding: the exhilaration of riding. The freedom. For some of us that sticks and never goes away. And for me, it’s like that.
“Being able to mountain bike again feels like I’ve got something back that a higher power took away. I feel like I’ve cheated the game and that feels… triumphant.
“As soon as they’ve pushed me off at the top of the summit, I was no longer the guy in a wheelchair: we were four mountain bikers riding together and we were having so much fun; I was having the best time I’ve ever had on a bike. Genuinely.”
There is also a film to accompany Back on Track in which Martyn Ashton talks about his journey back from the moment at Silverstone in 2013 that changed his life to sitting on a bike at the top of Antur Stiniog with Danny MacAskill, Chris Akrigg and Blake Samson.
road.cc's founder and first editor, nowadays to be found riding a spreadsheet. Tony's journey in cycling media started in 1997 as production editor and then deputy editor of Total Bike, acting editor of Total Mountain Bike and then seven years as editor of Cycling Plus. He launched his first cycling website - the Cycling Plus Forum at the turn of the century. In 2006 he left C+ to head up the launch team for Bike Radar which he edited until 2008, when he co-launched the multi-award winning road.cc - finally handing on the reins in 2021 to Jack Sexty. His favourite ride is his ‘commute’ - which he does most days inc weekends and he’s been cycle-commuting since 1994. His favourite bikes are titanium and have disc brakes, though he'd like to own a carbon bike one day.
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25 comments
Great video and inspiring story. Athletes are athletes and often find ways to come back from life altering injuries, that could only inspire others, including able bodied athletes!
some years ago whilst taking a vacation in Whistler, BC (Canada) I met a legendary guy called Stacy Kohut
He was incredibly fast down the A-Line trail, and inspiring to talk to once we reached the chair lifts after finishing the run.
Fantastic to see Martyn Ashton back on a bike
Tear jerker, what an inspiration, Kudos Mr Ashton
Can only echo the other comments. Puts everything in perspective.
Very inspiring
Good man, i'm sure it took a huge effort to get that far so soon, what an inspiration
OMFG - can hardly type for the tears in my eyes.
To call him an inspiration seems like a cliché, but the attitude he displays in the video is one that should give us all pause for thought.
Good on yer fella.
Love the positive attitude - wonderful.
Eventually safety nets for circus performers became "de rigueur". Hope Marty's story can inspire many youngsters to challenge themselves - safely.
Truely inspirational. Brought a little tear to my eye
I'd posted my comments on STW but missed out doing so on here.
But as rightly said, this should be the type of thread we are all praising and enjoying.
Good on Martyn. A nice guy and great inspiration.
Really really cool. And a novel use of electrical tape...
Loved this, he really is an inspirational guy
Respect.
Well, I'm grinning, watching him grinning.
Cried tears of joy to see him back in the saddle again. Inspirational.
Due to one thing and another I had been feeling a bit sorry for myself today- then I saw these videos and soon caught myself on. Awesome and inspiring stuff all around- I don't mind admitting I leaked a bit watching.
On a slight tangent though- only 7 comments before this one? If this had been about a cyclist being knocked down, a doping story or something to do with helmets this thread would be well into double figures before now- surely this is the kind of stuff that should also be attracting attention and reminding us just why we love being on two wheels.
Ditto the 'grit in my eyes', and the astonishment regarding the paucity of comments. I put it on my Fb feed, and no one commented there at all.
To me, it's still a massive achievement, even if you take into account the support he had (technically and his mates).
Fantastic stuff.
Totally class. Laughed and cried right through. Martyn you're an inspiration.
Kick ass.
Legend.
The road bike part videos are amazing, but this one gave me the biggest smile by a long way.
Props. It must have been hard without being able to come out of the saddle all the way. Having grown up with mbuk in the 90s Ashton feels like someone I genuinely know even though I've never met him. Brilliant to see him back on the bike. Thanks for running the story.
Just 4 guys having fun on bikes ---awesome
Loving the smile on his face! Well done - an inspiration to us all.