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Video: behind the scenes at the making of Martyn Ashton's Road Bike Party 2Blinking flip! A still from the Making of Road Bike Party 2

Video: behind the scenes at the making of Martyn Ashton's Road Bike Party 2

The highs and the lows of a film almost derailed by disaster
by John Stevenson
Mon, May 12, 2014 13:24
9

Martyn Ashton and friends have just released a 27-minute documentary chronicling the  story behind road bike stunt riding film Road Bike Party 2 which is approaching 10 million views on YouTube.

The documentary interviews with Ashton, Chris Akrigg, Danny MacAskill, and film maker Robin Kitchin together with behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes, and anecdotes, aiming to give an insight into the story behind Road Bike Party 2 and the aftermath of the life-changing accident that failed to derail it.

Ashton says he has been genuinely overwhelmed by the support he and the film have received.

He said: “The journey through making this video was full of incredible highs and desperate lows. Somehow we made it happen and the end result is something we can all be proud of.

“I think this look behind the scenes shows just how much hard work and energy went into getting it done. It also shows how much fun we had, the laughs and crashes too.

“It’s crazy but it was the best of times during the most desperate of circumstances.”

This might be his last ever two-wheeled riding film, but Ashton is determined to stay involved with cycling despite losing the use of his legs in a stunt-display crash in 2013. He now works as a presenter and producer for Global Cycling Network and has spent time recently training on a handcycle.

road bike party 2
Road Bike Party
Martyn Ashton
global cycling network
GCN
Colnago
John Stevenson

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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9 comments

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124g | 10 years ago
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What an inspiration a true legend and an awesome guy, Danny and Chris you were amazing, I have always admired all of you having watched this twice ! that opinion is hugely magnified.

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domofarmfrites | 10 years ago
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That is awesome (in the proper sens of the word!). A lot of respect to Martyn and all the best.

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Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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Got another 10 minutes to spare?

Listen to Simon Richardson interview http://youtu.be/Mok3toaK93Q

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Mombee | 10 years ago
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A staggering film… Martyn must have had some dark days, but to be so upbeat and positive about this project (and the future) is an inspiration… truly amazing and worth finding the time to watch the whole 30 minutes!!

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tomski | 10 years ago
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Wow what a fantastic film!
An amazing bunch of talented guys.
Martyn is an inspiration.

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nowasps | 10 years ago
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Exceptional

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gazzaputt | 10 years ago
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Wow had me in tears!!!! What a guy.

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Gkam84 | 10 years ago
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Normally when I sit down to watch a video like this, I come away with a sense of "that is X amount of time i'll not get back"

This one, who cares, I don't need that time back, it could have been a two hour documentary and I would have still watched it intensely.

I think some of that comes from not being able to do things on a road bike that I used to be able to do myself, one being just ride it for any length of time, I think I could do a couple of miles, I can ride one from the LBS to my workshop now without falling off, but that is just from building up my riding on a recumbent.

I cannot wait to see what Martyn comes up with in the future. I can imaging him out for a spin on his hand trike looking at everything like an obstacle, like I did when I first got my trike.

I can also see him, depending on how his body would take it, trying stunts in a wheel chair. You have to be slightly bonkers to do the sort of riding he did before and that would just go away because of the accident. So I'm sure he'll come back with something crazy.

Great video and WELL worth watching ride till the end.

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Yennings | 10 years ago
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Remarkably philosophical attitude from Martyn Ashton. Inspirational.

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