Trials and mountain-biking legend Martyn Ashton has teamed up with the Global Cycling Network to deliver Road Bike Party 3, the first complete film in the series since Ashton’s 2013 accident which left him paralysed from the waist down.
Road Bike Party 3 sees dirt jumper Sam Pilgrim, the 2013 freeride mountain bike world tour champion, swap his dirt bike for a Ridley Noah to perform some new spectacular new stunts in the four-and-a-half-minute new film.
Using the same full-carbon racing bike as Andre Greipel and his Lotto Belisol team-mates, Pilgrim headed to San Diego, California, with his introduction to the series aimed at bringing a ‘more extreme’ feel to the latest film.
The Noah survived ten days of ‘brutal’ filming, including jumps, drops, crashes, a back flip at more than 15ft above ground and a seven-foot drop onto concrete following an aborted flip – with two inner tubes the only new parts required.
Ashton said: “California was great, but the main change is moving away from the trials riding of the first two.
“That’s down to one reason – dirt jumping is more extreme. We wanted to see just how much punishment the Ridley Noah could take and it turns out it was a lot.”
Pilgrim paired the unaltered frame with FSA’s K-Force carbon road-racing drop bars, stem and seat post and the Taiwanese firm’s K-Force light cranks.
Vison Metron 55 and 81 carbon clincher wheels, wrapped in Continental GP4000 tyres, a Prologo Nago Evo saddle and an 11-speed Shimano groupset with mechanical shifting completed the set-up.
Pilgrim had never previously ridden a road bike and said: “It was scary at times, especially using dropped bars.
“There’s a scene where I ride across a tree. I’m not a trials rider and the second attempt saw me face-plant. I almost lost another tooth.”
Check out the video on the Global Cycling Network channel here.