Throwback Thursday: Peaty, Warner, Ashton and More in Chainspotting

May 28, 2020
by James Smurthwaite  

bigquotesChoose life. Choose a job. Choose your commuter route, your business suit, your aftershave. Choose your pension plan. Choose your football team. Choose your hair style. Honestly, why would we bother with any of that? We chose not to choose. The reason? No reason. Who needs a reason when you have a mountain bike?

Has there ever been a cooler intro to a mountain bike film than Chainspotting's pastiche of Danny Boyle's Trainspotting? If you like drinking tea and you're old enough to remember what a VHS tape is, you'll probably agree that there hasn't.

Chainspotting was an MBUK film in the late 90s and features riders like Steve Peat, Rob Warner, Will Longden, Martyn Ashton and Martin Hawyes showing what British mountain biking was all about in the days before trail centres, bike parks and, apparently, helmets. If 50 minutes of not-very-PC, old school throwback action sounds like your kind of thing then you're in for a treat with this one.

Posted In:
Videos Riding Videos Throwback Thursday Rob Warner Steve Peat Will Longden


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48 Comments
  • 23 0
 I am literally watching this on a building site exactly where the two Martyn’s are riding around 13:50min. Rios burgers is still here though!
  • 1 0
 What ever happened to Martin Hawyes, anyone know? Feel like I haven't seen or heard anything of him in years!
  • 2 0
 @landscapeben: Follow him on instagram... @hawziee I've been dreaming about him getting back into trials...he keeps posting pictures alluding to having a crack at trials again, but also keeps commenting "It's not a come back."....but pleeeeeaaaassseeeeee!!!
  • 15 0
 There are kids here who havent seen Trainspotting and have no clue what that era meant.....the Sprung series ..... way before Krancked and then the JiB movie , what a bullshit movie was that though ... the 24 le toy era and canadians on ridiculous setups .... Evil Imperials with Monster T s
  • 1 0
 Kranked and Earthed series!!
Superheros MTB movie!
youtu.be/Hhc_2yZiDMM?t=1212
  • 4 0
 Rad is also being reissued in 4k this year.
www.slashfilm.com/rad-blu-ray-release-and-4k-ultra-hd
  • 4 0
 @barbarosza "The filthiest toilet in Scotland"

One of the greatest films about heroin and real estate of all time. Need to watch it again.
  • 2 0
 Generational memory has always sucked, all that means is you are getting old Wink

I remember my first suspension fork, RS, circa 1996, the same year my son was born.
  • 2 0
 Mudcows!
  • 5 0
 Had to buy a second copy of this as I snapped the tape on the first one pausing in so much frame by frame to learn how to ride trials. I chose a mountain bike... rather than studying for my A levels, ha! Still learnt how to 360 off the top of a garage though! Good times.
  • 1 0
 I ruined my first copy pausing and rewinding to try to see those nipples better!
  • 2 0
 I have seen this movie for the first time on VHS after it came out, then luckily I pick up copy on DVD about 15 years ago found in the charity shop. Still sitting on my shelf beside other Chili videos. Great soundtrack and great action. Love the oldskool mtb's videos.
  • 5 0
 Judy SL, XT V brakes... dream parts when i was a kid.
  • 2 0
 and a gt zaskar frame
  • 1 0
 Was the intro filmed at a big roundabout/underpass at the end of Wandsworth Bridge Rd London, right before you crossed the bridge into Battersea? I think I used to muck around there on my DH bike when I couldn't get out of town.
  • 1 0
 Great film, watched it again last month. Still have it along with copies of Sprung. I remember getting copies of excellent videos (before they were called edits) free with a copy of MBUK. My youth: Mk1 trailstar and a pair of Z1 bams. Perfect.
  • 2 0
 Jesus, it reminds me how sketchy and incapable bikes actually were back then! On the plus side though, at least they didn't have COVID-19 to worry about.
  • 3 0
 Absolute classic!! I’ve still got the original vhs!!
  • 3 0
 Always ride without a helmet :-) Rob Warner is still the same
  • 3 0
 Time to dig out the DCD and get that fitted to my bike
  • 2 0
 DCD and crudcatcher combo were the dream!
  • 2 0
 Brief glimpse of boobs. Imagine a time before easy access pornography, innocent days...
  • 1 0
 HA I remember that glimpse
  • 1 0
 @RobbieBrighton: soooo good ! Boobies ????
  • 2 0
 I bet it’s like looking back at a bad haircut photo For those guyslol love ittup
  • 2 0
 Choose your future. Choose life.
  • 1 0
 "who needs a reason when you have a mountain bike?"

seems legit. *rolls up sleeves*
  • 3 0
 Needs more slo mo.
  • 2 0
 And dragons.
  • 1 0
 Don't forget the Vintage MTB Festival in 2021 (not this year due to COVID) www.facebook.com/events/287164818943673
  • 2 0
 "Mountain biking: almost as good as skag."
  • 2 0
 So much classic San Diego!
  • 2 0
 Still got the VHS tape with nothing to play it on!
  • 1 0
 Same, I can see my copy of Dirt from here...
  • 1 0
 The baggy clothes, the steel bead necklaces and white sunglasses....its so 90s, i love it.
  • 2 0
 A great Film!
  • 1 0
 Those were the days lads !
  • 3 1
 The no helmet era
  • 4 16
flag Euskafreez FL (May 28, 2020 at 7:16) (Below Threshold)
 It's called freedom (to be dumb) … back in the days SJW were not a thing lol
  • 1 0
 @Euskafreez: lol
  • 1 0
 the quality of these night shots is ashtonising
  • 1 0
 Epic soundtrack
  • 1 0
 This made my morning!
  • 2 3
 Does everything need to be a pun?
  • 15 0
 In the UK, yes, it's the law.
  • 4 0
 Why break the chain?
  • 1 0
 What @bigtim said. And always best if it is an innuendo.
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