Back in 2011, Matt had just returned from coaching mountain biking in Canada. Enthused by this, he joined forces with Sam, to work out if there was a way in which they could make their mountain biking hobby into a viable business. The result was Bristols first mountain bike coaching and hire company, Pedal Progression, born in 2012. After 8 successful years, May 31st 2020 marks the end of a chapter.

Matt: “I first met Sam when we worked together in a Bristol bike shop back in 2007. Even then, he was new levels of bike obsessed, knowing intricate details of every bike on the shop floor and which tyres would best suit which trail. His knowledge of where to ride was just as vast. We started riding together and I soon realised Sam was incredibly gifted on the bike. Fearless, precise and would read the trail in a way others couldn’t seem to.

We became good friends around work. Sam went to Whistler for the Summer and came home to join a gruelling 17 day charity ride, to raise money for a charity who had helped my Dad in his terminal illness. A week into the ride I was riding through a field in Telford with Sam when I got a phone call to say my Dad had passed away.

After Pedal Progression was formed, Sam quickly became a master of detail within the business. He wanted everything to be perfect all of the time. The trails, hire bikes, internal systems and even the stationary drawer in its organisation! It was this attention to detail that made him a brilliant skills coach. He’d notice the smallest errors in a riders technique, knowing it was these small things that’d make the big difference on the trails. These valuable traits will stay with Pedal Progression moving forwards.”

“Sam sparked the Pedal Progression Renegade Slaloms which were a staple in our calendar, during the companies early years. The picture above was taken from one of my favourite of these events which included some brilliant fancy dress! Sam led the charge in his 80’s metal get up!”

“Many people know Sam as a trail builder. He was someone who played a big role in the building of Still Woods back in the day and more recently Belmont and the formation of Belmont Riders Association. Heavily motivated by building the features that he dreams about riding, Sam has always been a powerhouse in this area. The picture above shows hm enjoying the finished product!

“He designed our Bristol clothing range, many of you have bought from us over the last year. This was very much a hidden talent to me and Ollie. We were blown away when he first showed us his sketches. With a super cool design on the back (shown above) and a motif on the front that tips its hat to the various trail building projects Sam and Pedal Progression have been a part of over the years.”

“Our popular Jumps & Drops sessions were Sam’s baby. He worked hard to create a program that would grow riders in confidence and ability, sharing his love and passion for hitting jumps. He also grafted in getting the Leigh Woods jumps area planned, approved, built and maintained. I’m sure many of you have ridden these outside of a skills session and many will have been coached by Sam on them.

At the beginning of this year, Sam made the decision to move on from the business, looking to embrace new challenges. Ollie and I would like to thank Sam for all the positive ways in which he shaped Pedal Progression over the last 8 years. For his hard work, passion and commitment. We wish him all the best in his next moves.