Bicycle Union

24/07/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaRFwdCqe5U
James Newrick is a seminal name in UK BMX, from his early start in the streets of the north east to present day riding and still putting out videos of unique and real BMX. James got an a bus from Newcastle to sit down with me here in London and talk about his BMX journey. We get into it all, from the start and getting his first BMX, early BMX influences, meeting his first riding crew and finding other BMX scenes, building trails, the formation of the NSF in the early 2000’s and the drama that came with its inception…video parts, moving to Sheffield for a summer, making videos back then, ratty bikes, the buff house, street jams, features in Ride, joining the S*M crew in the UK. Getting burnt out on riding to coming back to it. Making videos with a different perspective and how riding changes, what problems you have to solve as you grow up and continue riding. Get it on!

James Newrick is a seminal name in UK BMX, from his early start in the streets of the north east to present day riding and still putting out videos of unique...

22/06/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYmgaPOcMvs&list=PLDsaDzP409ZDD2BJGEm3HLfLT7OyzN3M7

This one delivers some good insight into the Scottish scene, a scene which has certainly been over looked for years by the BMX media, other than a few token shots its still largely an untold story. Lots of info I was unaware of in this one, David Frame gives us the brass tacks on his journey in BMX which he is still on today. Framey's been ripping for decades, more so than most of us realise. We get into all the usual and not so usual stuff, from perspectives us English lot haven’t seen previously? Multiple world champ, Livingston skatepark lifer, TV appearance regular, member of tne one footed look back club…a very exclusive bunch indeed! Press play and take some in!

Riders mentioned:
Ricky Fleming, Duncan junior fraser, Marcus Scent, Noel Cowan, Scott Carol, Kenny Hunter, Andy Burke, Amos Burke, Gogo, Scott Mcnicholl, Gavin Simpson, Gary Neal, Gary Forsyth, Scott Macdonald, Grant Smith, Paul Robertson, Gary Henderson, Scott Timmins, Sandy Carson, Stephen Mcintosh, Stuart Pepi Winder, Stephen Laidlaw, Dave Young, John Buultjens, Carlo Griggs, Simon Tabron , Mick Hudson, Craig Campbell, Neil Ruffell, Mike Canning, Dino Deluca, Ron Wilkerson, Mat Hoffman, Jason Ellis, Ed Doherty, Eddie Fiola , Mike Dominguez, Ralph Tribe, Tony Mckenzie, Bob Morales, Chris Sales, Rick Moliterno, Andy Ruffell, Dennis McCoy, Rich Sigur, Stuart Durant ‘Juice'

This one delivers some good insight into the Scottish scene, a scene which has certainly been over looked for years by the BMX media, other than a few token ...

20/04/2025

Jon Taylor has been around a while eh, Jon first got exposed to the BMX masses-probably a few hundred people back then-in 1989 feature in Freestyle Magazine doing a hand plant.
At a mini ramp jam at the infamous Roller snakes skate shop, with a bunch of other well known BMX faces from back then. From that pic we would later see Jon appear in print on the regular,
Also from that pic he received the name Mad Jon, which he has never managed to shake off.
Then he would pop up at the contest and jams of the time often getting coverage in RAD and Invert magazines. Then appearing on video parts for the Backyard and other VHS tapes coming out in the early 90s.
He’s ridden throughout the times since then and continues to do so now. We talk about all the decades and how he got back into BMX after a stint on a skateboard in the mid 80s. From going to the annual Holeshot 87 contest where he saw the BMX chaos and Craig Campbells rebel run on the halfpipe, to riding for GT and Hoffman bikes and Vans…Going on to demo days, riding at download festivals then putting on big music events which is what he has a hand in now, this is a long, fun and colourful journey that is still going strong.

Jon Taylor has been around a while eh, Jon first got exposed to the BMX masses-probably a few hundred people back then-in 1989 feature in Freestyle Magazine ...

20/03/2025

David Slade has gone on quite the journey in this lifetime-BMX videos to Hollywood director. I think the first time I ever saw his name in print was a full colour spread in a 1985 BMX Action Bike Hole Shot report in mid air sky diving next to an ejected pink Dyno bailing something high above a quarter pipe.
I'd seen him before that on the BMX beat tv show…but that seemed to have not gone into my brain as deep as the Action bike pic. Un be knownst to me at that time David was one of the riders to look out for on the Freestyle contest scene in those days.
Growing up in Barnsley he got deeplly into BMX in the first boom with a bunch of friends who formed their own trick team-the blue tile trick team, demoing locally in those early days of Thatchers Britain.
As things began to evolve and his universes began to expand he found other riders and scenes further afield and certain creative out lets started to flow….and didn’t stop, to this day.
We talk about the Blue Tile trick team, Sheffield YMCA days, early competitions, learning 540's, the PPLA, the love and influence of culture in BMX, discovering a music scene, putting on the first street jam in the UK, Zine making, Damage zine and clothing, riding for GT, shooting pics with Windy Osbourne for Freestylin magazine, Ninja scooters, couch surfing in London, getting chased by cops, making one of the first BMX videos in the UK-‘Smart people in a car crash’ Where he went from there, directing music videos, TV shows and movies...Right up to what he is up to now and how BMX shaped his future….

David Slade has gone on quite the journey in this lifetime-BMX videos to Hollywood director. I think the first time I ever saw his name in print was a full ...

20/02/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go9gIhK01RU
Eddie Roman has, coincidently, made a few appearances online over the last month or so. We started this interview in early December, and had to come back for another sit down in early Jan.
I was surprised that no one had asked Eddie to do an interview before, the guy was a major part of the BMX scene and the direction it went in back in the mid 80s to early 90s, and beyond. A major innovator and pioneer, from riding to video making to product development. We go in depth as usual, from the start of Eddie’s BMX up to todays activities. From getting on Skyway and UK tours, riding the AFA contests, getting the first wall ride pic in the USA magazines. The following explosion of sponsorship. The decline of BMX in the late 80s, the Enchanted ramp and 2 hip events. The riders that influenced and helped shape what was being created in those recession days. Getting into video making and filming of the most influential videos of that era-Aggro man, Ride like a man, Head first and Ride on (How's that for a video back to back body of work?) This is a good un, lots of stuff that hasn’t been spoken about before. Get some!

Eddie Roman has, coincidently, made a few appearances online over the last month or so. We started this interview in early December, and had to come back for...

10/02/2025

Coming in HOT! Bicycle Union magaZINE 6
Pre order-estimated release date mid / late Feb.
Back with an another instalment of slander and accusations wrapped up in a full colour 90 plus page A4 magazine that still claims its a zine, not the only mag with a personality complex….As well as the realest BMX action you’ll see printed on paper. With in the pages of this issue is a Fids tribute and the story of the naked nothing in South Africa, the brief but lengthy history of BMX foot wear, music with Stuart King, Southbank stories-how did this all come about back in the 80s, BMX slang, Whats the story of Zones with Tonash-the maker about the making of last years hit Endless DVD 'zones', words without Ron Wilkerson, Why cant we quit with Dennis McCoy and Ian Morris, What is style and who decides, the ‘granny air’, who’s getting ‘aggro and who injected the aggro?’ The origins of the tyre slide-interview with Garrett Byrnes and Corey Walsh about sliding the rubber, copping the bend or holding it straight, the coaching con, Paul Plonks pit, Me and my bike - Scott Malyon, origins of the north east trail scene with Mike Hill, the simplicity of it with Tom Saunders….as well is all the usual stone throwing and crap humour….lighten up n light em up!

24/10/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yirlKU51Sek
John has been in BMX since the start, he’s been involved in a lot of projects both in front of the camera and behind the scene, we tap into all of that and more. From John’s start in BMX in the west London area to present days BMX projects. We get into his first BMX, the early race days, the first quarter pipe ridden. Discovering Harrow skatepark and the early 80s scene. Riding for Raleigh, the team and the BMX programme they tried to create in the mid 80s. Meanwhile quarters and the London scene in the darker days, leaving the UK and moving to California in his late teens.
Progressing street riding, filming for the ultimate weekend VHS, ramp building, being in the iconic Dirty deeds video, working at Schwinn. Later being a part of the Etnies BMX programme when they had there most popular push in BMX right up to present day and the Old School BMX Reunion out at Woodward west they he puts on.

John has been in BMX since the start, he’s been involved in a lot of projects both in front of the camera and behind the scene, we tap into all of that and m...

29/09/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0gfGZLLJpU
Kurt Schmidt is without doubt the fakie pioneer, no one was doing fakie tricks like him in the mid 90s, we delve deep into that topic and as usual go right back to the start. Kurt grew up near Minneapolis in middle America, a long way from the sunshine drenched concrete skateparks of California but the lust for BMX was strong and these guys made their own thriving scene, mostly in Kurt's garden, where they constructed quarter pipes to rip on. I never knew just how deep Kurt's BMX roots were, he started way back in the 80s BMX boom. Progressed up the ranks in the local MFA contest scene,
Met a bunch touring BMX teams and through riding with Rick Moliterno and DMC ended up riding for Haro, just as BMX was collapsing….We get into the stories in this episode and uncover a bunch of tricks that that Kurt owns, that most people don’t realise. The inception of Standard bike co, how and why it came about, what the idea was, the way they rode, where they took inspiration from and how they picked the team….the BMX beefs back in the 90s and the whole story up until now!

Kurt Schmidt is without doubt the fakie pioneer, no one was doing fakie tricks like him in the mid 90s, we delve deep into that topic and as usual go right b...

25/09/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzvmTfZuZms
Part 5....the guys at Quantum bridge podcast ask quiz about the union tapes origins and where we are at...

We sit down again with BMX old-skool icon, business-owner, tattoo artist, hardcore music fan, podcaster and generally great bloke... John Dye! Thanks for giv...

20/08/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXFUpjL4Er0

Dan Price made an impact on the UK scene in the mid 90s but his true BMX roots go back much further back than that. We take a step back into the archives of Dans over active mind and uncover a lot of things most of us had no idea about. His journey into BMX being quite different to most others who came through the 80s BMX explosion, where he went in a few different directions and found himself returning back to a BMX scene that was desolate but he didn’t even realise it. In this one, we cover the 80s BMX boom, discovering Southbank, early influences and being heckled for being too dirt brothers like, who were his first real influences, early street jams, meeting life long friend James White, contests, moving to Hastings, never being bothered about riding ramps, early 90s BMX scene. magazine pics, video parts, the ideals of street riding, the trouble with being sponsored, trips to the USA and his take on modern street riding, as well as the never ending battle of still riding BMX and what it all involves.

Dan Price made an impact on the UK scene in the mid 90s but his true BMX roots go back much further back than that. We take a step back into the archives of ...

20/07/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGNSwJrVitk
Back when I first got into BMX, we used to go Rom on semi regular basis, dreaming of one day being able to air the concrete bowls there like the other kids could. Rom had some amazing locals, low key and top sponsored guys. But what everyone really fawned over was the California skateparks, under the picturesque blue sky, light coloured concrete, motocross googles and colourful race uniforms. There were a few riders that featured regularly in the UK magazines, pics started coming out in UK magazines of riders like Eddie, Brian Blyther, Mike Dominguez and Rich Sigur who specialised in aerial moves at the pipeline skatepark in CA. These pics were the ones all of us aspiring youngsters looked to and dreamed about. One of the riders that I started to see feature in the uk magazines was Eddie Fiola, Whom by this point was aboard the new GT performer fully kitted out in matching race gear.
The buzz was well and truly out there and this guy was on everyones radar, more photoshoots and a visit to the UK to compete on the new UK BMX TV show Kellogs track wars was perfect timing. Now almost a house hold name in the UK. That year yellow bike part sales no doubt got as popular as they have ever been.
Eddie was all over the magazines and events for the next few years, but then slowly faded out of the spot light, even though he never quit riding BMX. We do the usual here and follow Eddies story from his first bike into BMX, creating skatepark riding with the early pioneers and what evolved from it. First photoshoots, the start of the King of the Skateparks events. Multiple sponsorship stories, visits and tours to the Japan, UK and Europe. Controversy at the Kellogs event.
Shows, the changing face of BMX, right up to present day and releasing the EF frame fork and bar kits….An information over load on this one for me. Enjoy.

Back when I first got into BMX, we used to go Rom on semi regular basis, dreaming of one day being able to air the concrete bowls there like the other kids c...

10/07/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUi5H2KqtiQ
Bonus the Union tapes episode....Live now!
Another Historical look back into the archives of UK BMX as it was rebuilding its self from the scraps left from the exit of the masses that lead into the dark days. The year is 1994, the light is starting to appear, we head back to Hastings for the annual Backyard jam, which is now solidified its self as THE BMX event to attend world wide. Visiting riders from the USA and Europe terrorize the dirt, vert and streets of Hastings. BMX is seeing waves of a come back in 94, the riding was progressing the image evolving and the under ground like vibes of excitement were flowing. Mark Richards was there once again to capture it all on tape, this is the story of 1994's Unlock your BMX VHS which he filmed and edited as the annual Backyard video.

Another Historical look back into the archives of UK BMX as it was rebuilding its self from the scraps left of the dark days. The year is 1994, we head back...