Brian Smith
I started my love of Motorbikes at 12 years old when I bought my first motorbike - a Bantam Beazer. At that age it was the love of my live - I covered every square mile of fields around where I lived in Killinghall near Harrogate. I was forever coming off it as it was not an ideal grass tracker! An old man stopped me one day on a country lane and took a great interest in my Beazer - it turned out to be his old bike! He told me to get a piece of string and tie it to the back wheel, then pull the string out behind the bike and look along it to see if the bike frame was straight. No wonder I kept falling off - the frame was well and truly bent!
I kept on riding bikes all through my teens and also committed the cardinal skin for all bikers - I bought a scooter! I was really screwed up, my then-girlfriend was a mod and I was a bit of a rocker so I used to ride a motorbike wearing a parker and my scooter wearing a leather jacket.
I met Elaine, the second love of my live, and at the age of 21 she made an honest man of me, BUT the bikes had to go. Three children later (who also had little field motorbikes as soon as they could walk!) and I got back into motorbikes, purchasing an ex-Army Bike made by Harley Davidson. This went under the name of an Armstrong and was powered by an 500cc Rotax engine.
It was an absolute brute to kick over and I never got to master the technique, much preferring to stop outside pubs, etc on a hill so I could bump it off. Then followed three Harleys, my last one being a 1200 sportster back in 1998.It was a great bike for flying round the Dales but not very good on long distance trips. We did a trip down to northern Spain and it nearly shook me to death. By the time I got back to Masham I’d already decided it had to go!!
I had really got into my long distance rides by this stage, covering the whole of New Zealand in 1999 on a Yamaha along with my best mate John. This was then quickly followed by trips to Italy, Germany and Switzerland. Then came the big one - in 2003, five of us decided to ride Route 66 across America in 8 days (3,457 miles) for the Breast Cancer Charity. We made it with no major mishaps and loads of great memories, and more importantly we managed to raise £52,000 for Breast Cancer. The next trip has now been planned where, along with five friends and colleagues from Black Sheep Brewery, I will set of on June 9th to ride to the Arctic Circle. We plan to raise £25,000 for the Friarage Hospital Northallerton Breast Cancer Ward.
Mark Allison
From the young age of 5, I was bike mad and with my Dad’s support (who had also been a keen biker and road racer) I started my racing involvement. Firstly beach racing at the age of 7 and winning the North East Championship. Then I moved on to Karting at the age of 12 and raced against some now big names like David Coulthard, Darren Manning, Dario Franchitti etc
At the age of 16, I moved from four wheels to two, road racing. At club level I rode ex GP TZ 250. Enjoying every moment the time flew by and at the age of 21 I made a life long dream reality by riding a CBR 600 round the world famous Isle of Man TT course at the Manx GP finishing 9th overall with an average lap speed of 103 miles per hour, a proud moment.
My next move was to the Sidecar in 1995 firstly at club level then to the Clubmans British Championships. Racing a formula 2 sidecar I was crowned British Clubman's Champion in 1997 which was a great achievement. After this win I moved up to the bigger formula one machines. Racing in the British Championships in 1999 I achieved a fifth position.
The European championships were next and on a newly acquired Grand Prix sidecar at £14,000 this passion had become an expensive hobby. Eventually Mark Pickering my sidecar passenger and I achieved 4th position in the European Championships in 2002.
Due to important family commitments and ever increasing financial demands of the sport, I decided to hang up my leathers in 2004, a sad day!
However the passion is still there and my love for bikes, motor sport and adventures has led me to this latest challenge “The Big Push Up”Arctic Circle Adventure.
Riding – BMW R850GS
Allan Russell
Allan Russell, age 53yrs and lives in Masham, North Yorkshire.
Married to……Jane, two Children Mark & Izzy.
Occupation…National Accounts Manager Black Sheep Brewery. Loves a challenge & likes to keep fit
1970 1st Bike James 150 cc (my pony was faster!)
2nd Bike BSA 350 cc older than me, very reliable, sky blue!
Continued with horses, show jumping, hunting, cross country. Always run for fun, competed in 3 local triathlons. Twice sailed in the Brewers challenge for Black Sheep Brewery
Got back into bikes several years ago with a Montessa 348 (off road). Then a 500cc Kawasaki road bike and I currently ride a BMW K1200 RS...It’s my surrogate horse!
I have never ridden long distance before, so I took Jane on the bike to Paris last year for a practice run and also to see the finish of the ‘Tour de France’ and she is still with me!
I am really looking forward to the trip, we have had lots of fun raising lots of cash for the Scott Suite Breast Cancer unit at Northallerton Hospital.
John Oldridge
59 years old this year (and old enough to know better ) John has been riding motorbikes for 42 years and passed his test on a BSA Bantam ( remember those?). He has ridden through most European countries and also toured New Zealand with Brian Smith in (1993).
Over the years he has also been involved with rallying, powerboat racing and sub aqua diving. His current pastime is competing in the Golfus ClubsYacht Racing in Northern Spain. Married to Linda for almost 33 years, they have three grown–up children, the youngest of who is getting married just 2 weeks before the Big Push Up, and three grandchildren. They retired from their own business in 2005 and spend much of the year at their home in Spain