Monkeyspoon was set up and is run by a group of downhill mountain bikers based around the Hope Valley in Derbyshire. The Hope Valley is between Sheffield and Manchester and mountain bikers have been coming to this area for a long time for its unique and challenging trials.

A little introduction to everyone:

Name: James Irwin (Website Owner and Web editor)
Nickname: Irwin

New Bike: Santa Cruz Vp-Free, Custom BMX
Prevoius Bikes: DMR Rhythm, Kona Stinky
Bit about Irwin: Irwin is the Daddy at legendary epic all day rides in whatever conditions! He excels at downhill and rides low and fast and will hit anything like it’s a downhill course. Normally he rarely falls off (lucky bugger), but when he went to Caersws he came off 3 times, sprained his ankle and couldn’t enter the race, that was his unlucky day. He is unlucky in the fact that as soon as he buys anything nice for his bike it breaks! Like his 66’s how do you break em? He knows virtually all the local tracks and riding spots, if its downhill and he hasn’t ridden it, its probably not worth riding. Hes currently in his final year at Uni in Manchester, but is home some weekends and always up for a riding.

Name: Jeff R King (Media content provider/editor)
Nickname: The Cameraman and First-aider
New Bike: Viper TR 3.5
Old Bike: Raleigh Attitude (with a capital A)
(With Jeff the cameras are as important as the bikes: )
Stills Camera: Fuji FinePix s9600
Video Camera: Sony Handycam DCR DVD92
Bit about Jeff: Ever since I can remember Jeff has been filming us riding. I think the exact script for the cameraman & firstaider line came from the big drop at Mam Tor when Pete, not know any better, asked him “Are doing this one
Jeff?” (at this point Pete started as did the film) where upon he explained “I’m the cameraman and first-aider”, little knowing the importance of the historic words he had said.

It may be very easy to take the mic out of Jeff’s bike but he is very willing to have a go at almost anything downhill. What he lacks in biking skill he makes up for with camera work and editing. Top Lad

Name: Nicky
Nickname: Nickynoesdives
New Bike: Specialized Enduro
Old Bike: Kona Stinky 05, before a super old kona fire mountain probs from 95 or something ridiculous.
Bit about Nicky: The first person to attempt the unfairly named J-Drop and the only person to fail on it sustaining scary injury. He hasn’t tried it since. Hes a good rider and tries most things. He has a good riding set up at his house with dirt jumps, drops and northshore.

Name: Shane
Nickname: Shanus
New Bike: Marine Quake, Norco Sasquatch
Old Bike: Kona Stab
Bit about Shane: Shane is the fountain of all Edale biking knowledge and knows every bridleway like the back of his hand. He loves the tracks rocky and technical and now he is on his new bike he doesn’t mind pedalling either. He is a solid rider that doesn’t fall off very often. When he is free you will be sure to find him out riding the trails.

Name: Jonny
Nicknames: Jonny Mono, Hardrock boy
New Bike: Orange Sub Zero
Old Bike: Specialized Hardrock (sport) with everything pimped.
Bit about Jonny: Jonny used to ride the most pimped Hardrock there is, he spent more on brakes than the original bike, but recently he’s got an Orange Sub Zero. He’s the test rider for everything and he has lost his ability to have kids after trying (and failing) to do a no footer of a drop, 3 times. Most recently Jonny has learnt how to do 1 footed flattys and 360’s. See his 360 on youtube.

Name: Tim F
Nickname: Tarquin
New Bike: Kona Stab deluxe
Old Bike: Orange Ms Isle
Bit about Tim: Tim reminds me of a can of relentless, no half measures. He has the most aggressive riding style I think I have ever seen. Using his strength to muscle his bike around. He does not appear to take note of line choices rather he just makes his own! Tarquin doesn’t have the best technique but he is always the first to try a new line and when he does fall which isn’t that often he has this ability to take huge falls and walk away fine. Plus he is the most medically trained of anyone, which is always nice to know..

Name: Matt
New Bike: Kona Stinky 06, BMX
Bit about Tim: Matt is an old friend of mine that has made the transfer across from BMX to MTB. So even though he has not been riding his stinky long he seems to be very much at home on it. He often can be found riding the legendary tracks at Wharncliffe, which are a great practice ground. He is always chilled out and great fun to ride with.

Name: Pete
Nickname: Gayboy, Pierre
New bike: Orange Patriot 7+
Old Bike: Stinky Primo 04
Bit about Pete: Pete has been my long time riding buddy, he is always the first to try anything, and most of the time he nails it. He brings style to our riding. With his No-Footers and whips. Last year he impressing everyone in Morzine with his whip over the last bridge on Pleney. Almost killing himself!!! Nice one Pete.

Name: Tim
Bike: Santa Cruz VP-Free
Tim is Pete’s older brother. Like Irwin he has a rather nice second hand VP-Free, but he got his off Sheffield’s 2nd most famous downhiller, Will Longden. He’s good at drops and up until recently he had a hardtail, but with his new bike he can’t fail to improve on the down hills.

Name: (Rob) Jolley
Nickname: Jolster
Bike: Duncan hard tail with loads of nice stuff on it, previously it was the most advanced barracuda because the guy he bought it off is a prat.
Bit about Jolley: The first guy to do the road gap and the first guy to do the J-Drop on a hard tail. He has moments of inspired nuts-ness and can bunny hop like a bitch and he can hip very well too. He was once called Charlie in the credits of a video because somebody thought that was his name, cof cof JEFF cof!

Name: Joe Bowman
Nickname: Bowman
Famous Line: (When overtaking) “Awww, he’s dun ‘im !!!”
New Bike: Giant Glory, Cannondale Chase hardtail
Old Bike: Turner dhr
Bit about Joe: The lucky bastad has been to Whistler and Morzine, and he gets loads of free bike bits. He was the first to land the J-Drop, the 9’s and to do pretty much everything that Jonny didn’t do first. He is super quick down hills, good at big jumps, and recently came first in the Hardtails category in Pearce Cycles Winter Series 1st round at Hopton. He co-owns dirtyhalfpipe.co.uk. Joe is one of those strange people who enjoys digging and building jumps. He also rides for Gravity Slaves and attends many races.

Name: Josh
Nickname: Jhoshvar
New Bike: Specialized SX-trail
Old Bike: Norco full sus
Bit about Josh: A good rider, he will try anything as long as jonny has done it first. However he did do the J-Drop before jonny. Josh has recently got ride of his hardtail and now rides a full suss.