Spa Riders

24/06/2026

22/06/2026

☀️💨 Sun, Dust and Bikes 🚲

Another weekend in the books, and it definitely had its highs and lows. We had Hamish and Ruben flying the flag at the Welsh Champs, while Andy, AJ, Bondy and Monty headed to M.I.J Round 2.

🏁 Welsh Champs – Revolution Bike Park

Big shout out to Hamish and Ruben for representing Spa Riders.

🔥 Hamish managed to keep it rubber side down for a change and claimed 5th in Youth in the Welsh Championship standings. In the overall race, he finished 18th with a time of 1:21.604.

🔥 Ruben had a crash in practice but held it together when it mattered most. He secured 4th in Juvenile and crossed the line 10th overall in 1:23.326. Ruben's on an absolute roll at the moment and the speed keeps coming.

🌲 M.I.J Round 2

A fresh track built just for race day. Loose, technical and off-camber everywhere… camber? What camber?!

💥 AJ (Ashton) had a tough weekend with a few offs, but after finally putting together a clean final practice run, he was ready to race. Unfortunately, two crashes on his first run, with the second snapping his brake lever, ended his day early with a DNF. Not his weekend, but we'll be back.

🤘 Bondy enjoyed the track in Juniors but couldn't quite push as hard as he wanted. He finished 15th with a 1:03.405.

👏 Andy kept the top-10 streak alive in Masters. Loving the conditions, he rode to 7th place with a 1:09.117. Another strong result and another top 10 for the season.

🤒 Unfortunately, Monty was feeling rough and had to sit this one out. Rest up and we'll see you back between the tapes soon.

Plenty of dust, a few crashes, solid results and lessons learned. Thanks to everyone who supports the team.

On to the next one. 👊

11/05/2026

This weekend saw Hamish and Ruben take on Round 2 of the National Downhill Series at Antur Stiniog.

With sunshine overhead and cold winds on the mountain, the lads were ready to race.

Hamish was riding strongly all weekend and put in a solid seeding run on Saturday. Unfortunately, during Sunday’s race he suffered a huge crash. After feeling that something wasn’t right, he made the sensible decision not to continue racing and went to get checked over, where it was confirmed he had broken his clavicle. We wish Hamish a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the bike soon.

Ruben hit the track confidently and rode consistently throughout the weekend, finishing 27th out of 40 riders with a time of 2:51.600. A strong result and great experience gained for the rounds ahead.

Next weekend, Andy takes on Round 1 of the Pearce Series. Good luck Andy!

28/04/2026

Spa Riders Race Report – Highs & Lows

Sunday marked a huge opening chapter for the team, with riders split across two major events: round one of the MIJ Series at the Forest of Dean’s iconic Elephant Man track, and round one of the SDA at Innerleithen in Scotland. A full day of graft, progression, and standout moments across the board.

MIJ Round 1 – Forest of Dean

Andy doubled up in both Masters 30 and E-bike, delivering consistency and progression across his runs. He secured 9th place in Masters 30 with a 1:15.257, then pushed even harder in E-bike to claim 4th with a 1:14.468. Clean riding throughout, no drama—just steady improvements, shaving around two seconds off with each run in both categories. Exactly the kind of composed racing we expect.

Ashton lined up in the Youth category and showed real determination. After a DNF in his first run, he regrouped and came back fighting, laying down a 1:11.984 to finish 30th. A solid recovery and a strong mindset to build on.

Monty, also racing Youth, made his debut at this level. Taking on a competitive field, he held his own and crossed the line in 42nd with a 1:16.667. A promising first outing—plenty more to come as he settles into the pace of top-level racing.

Ruben delivered one of the standout performances of the weekend. Racing in the Juvenile category, he stormed to 3rd place with a rapid 1:05.846. This marks his first podium, first MIJ race, and first podium since joining the team—a milestone weekend and a result to be proud of. 🥉

SDA Round 1 – Innerleithen

Up in Scotland, Hamish took on the demanding Innerleithen track. Despite strong riding through the upper sections in both runs, crashes towards the lower stages held him back. He finished 42nd with a combined time of 3:43.673. A frustrating outcome, but clear pace is there—just needs a full clean run to bring it together.

Looking Ahead

A weekend of mixed fortunes, but plenty of positives across both venues. Strong starts, valuable experience, and a podium to kick things off. With upcoming races spanning nationals to Pearce events, the team is just getting warmed up.

27/04/2026

Will be a write up at some point just waiting on the S.D.A to post there results 🤦‍♂️

22/04/2026

20/04/2026

Spa Riders Race Report – Bala National (Rhyd y Felin)

This weekend, Ruben and Hamish took on the notorious Rhyd y Felin in British National Downhill Series Round 1. It marked a first visit to the venue for both riders, adding an extra layer of challenge to an already demanding track.

Arriving on Friday, the team was met with harsh conditions—persistent rain left the course saturated, while the infamous woodland sections proved as dark, technical, and slippery as expected.

Saturday – Practice & Seeding
Both riders faced a tough day during practice and seeding, particularly in the wooded sections where grip was minimal and line choice proved critical. Despite the conditions, valuable track time was gained ahead of race day.

Sunday – Race Day
Conditions remained difficult, with wet and unpredictable terrain throughout.

Ruben – Juvenile Category
22nd out of 34
Time: 3:16.922
Hamish – Youth Category
47th out of 76
Time: 3:16.164

Both riders delivered solid race runs under challenging circumstances, handling the deteriorating track well and gaining important experience at national level.

Looking Ahead
Next weekend, Hamish will compete in the SDA, while the majority of the team will take on Round 1 of the MIJ series.

12/04/2026

Race season is officially underway for Spa Riders 🚵🔥
Hamish kicked things off in Portugal at Bike Park Monte de São Marcos for Round 1 of the IXS European Downhill Cup 🇵🇹

Seeding started strong, but a crash just before the first split saw him pushed off line on a step-down, landing hard into the rocks and damaging his rear wheel. Thanks to a quick save from his coach with a spare, he was back and ready to race Sunday 💪

First out of the gate on race day in a stacked U17 field of 56 riders, Hamish laid down a solid run, finishing in 3:02.082 and taking 46th place 👏

A big step up from grassroots racing and only his second major event — valuable experience gained and plenty more to come 🌟

Next up: Hamish and Ruben take on Rhyd Y Felin for Round 1 of the British Nationals 🇬🇧🔥

12/04/2026

The race season is well and truly underway for Spa Riders, with Hamish opening his 2026 campaign in Portugal at Bike Park Monte de São Marcos for Round 1 of the IXS European Downhill Cup 🇵🇹🚵
Saturday’s seeding run was going well until a crash just before the first split saw Hamish pushed off line on a step-down and land heavily into the rocks, damaging his rear wheel. Thankfully, his coach had a spare wheel ready, allowing him to get back up and prepared for race day 💪
Sunday saw Hamish first out of the gate in a highly competitive Under-17 field of 56 riders. He put together a solid run, crossing the line in 3:02.082 to finish 46th 👏
A great result in his first major international event and a huge step up from grassroots racing, especially after only competing in one national event last season. The experience gained this weekend will be invaluable as the season progresses 🌟
Next up, Hamish and Ruben head to Rhyd Y Felin for Round 1 of the British National Series. Best of luck to both riders! 🇬🇧🔥