Author Topic: 25 YEARS LATER...THE RETURN TO EASTWAY (Read 6210 times)

RATTY · « **on:** July 02, 2006, 07:13 PM »

So a few months ago I decided to start getting back into BMX, I put my name down for Milton Keynes but..one problem, I havent set foot on a race track in years, let alone ride a bike on one, so me and Tony (BMX 796) decided to pay a visit to the Eastway track down in Hackney East London, The last time I was there I raced in the 15 age group and came third in a national race against ruffs, Lee, Wilson, Pardon, strong etc... I am now 40, 4 stone overweight and sooooooo unfit.

Well what a difference 25 years make, the track is now so overgrown, you need a strimmer to make it down the last straight, the 6 foot table top is now about 3 foot high, the wide start gate is still there but it rapidly narrows to one lane. Its a shame it has been let go so bad, it could still be a world class track with some money spent on it......

Well for your entertainment pleasure here are some shameless photos of the two tonys at Eastway, No taking the piss now...

Hope we didnt bore you too much, now Tony you gotta put the other ones up....

harris · « **Reply #1 on:** July 02, 2006, 08:00 PM »

good stuff our old track looks like that at brandon nice lookin rides boys :daumenhoch:dan

bmx-796 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2006, 08:06 PM »

sorry pics not to good setting not set on the phone

Bob_Acid · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2006, 08:07 PM »

You should get your arses to Dartford or Dagenham

bmx-796 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2006, 08:32 PM »

not been on a race track in 24 years dagenham is next i stopped in 82 /83

RATTY · « **Reply #5 on:** July 02, 2006, 09:16 PM »

Dartford and dagenham are next on the list, Stick the details up for us, and perhaps at a BMX track near you, you will run into the B team!!!!! Tony eat Eastway dirt today, hope its not my turn next

Zippy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 02, 2006, 09:20 PM »

I used to race at Eastway on a Wednesday night in their Sumer Series mountain bike races. Great place and the track changed every week. It's good to see eastway still going. Will it be affected by the Olympics coming to the area though

RATTY · « **Reply #7 on:** July 02, 2006, 09:34 PM »

If you search eastway on the net, theres a few pages about it and the olympics, mainly it seems the place will be levelled, the guys we spoke to today are under the impression that the track (road) will only be half the size when its finished, and their may be no track for them to use until after the olympics!!!!!

Mind you their are also proposals for an international BMX track to be built, lets hope so.....

mike pardon · « **Reply #8 on:** July 02, 2006, 09:43 PM »

Eastway man !!!! no way thats cool i raced there in (god knows when) like ya said in the 15 age group had a ding dong with Ruffell, he pushed me over the berm...ha ha. I seem to remember a nice tabletop...good to see the pics mate

RATTY · « **Reply #9 on:** July 02, 2006, 09:51 PM »

Hi Mike, I remember you racing there against Ruff, I was following you in every moto and I had home advantage, you was way quick. Cant remember if you got pushed off in the final or you got a second? Hows your memory??
The table top had to be one of the best in the country back then, I remember forgetting to speed jump it and clearing the bloody thing and nearly breaking another bike

Nice to hear your still racing, good luck mate

DR VINOAH · « **Reply #10 on:** July 02, 2006, 10:37 PM »

eastway

good on ya lads for the pilgrimage

Rooonga · « **Reply #11 on:** July 03, 2006, 02:53 PM »

I went to Eastway this time last year and chatted with a couple of fellas running the place.

They said it is ok for a group to come over with strimmers n spades etc. and get the track back to the proper size/shape it was before.

Be a great summer project over a weekend

And those berms are just as mad as they were BITD!

mike pardon · « **Reply #12 on:** July 03, 2006, 08:57 PM »

Quote from: ratty on July 02, 2006, 09:51 PM

Hi Mike, I remember you racing there against Ruff, I was following you in every moto and I had home advantage, you was way quick. Cant remember if you got pushed off in the final or you got a second? Hows your memory??
The table top had to be one of the best in the country back then, I remember forgetting to speed jump it and clearing the bloody thing and nearly breaking another bike

Nice to hear your still racing, good luck mate

yes mate, i never made around in the final, i did have a picture in official bmx of me going straight over the first berm at eastway..The tabletop was ace. i remember either Ruffell or Cav Strutt doing 360s over it? Great memories thanks and good luck

RATTY · « **Reply #13 on:** July 03, 2006, 09:44 PM »

Quote from: Rooonga on July 03, 2006, 02:53 PM

I went to Eastway this time last year and chatted with a couple of fellas running the place.

They said it is ok for a group to come over with strimmers n spades etc. and get the track back to the proper size/shape it was before.

Be a great summer project over a weekend

And those berms are just as mad as they were BITD!

It is too far gone now, it could be cleared, but it would need jcbs to rebuild the jumps. The surface is still ballast and full of sharp flint stones, I remember bitd alan woods and the riders committee protesting about the surface, nothing was done so the track never got sanctioned for a national again, a few local league races were held but soon stopped. To be fair the track is dangerous, you dont just get road rash if you crash, it takes great lumps of flesh with it, ask Tony BMX 796

terry · « **Reply #14 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:11 PM »

Hey
Me an my uncle(Assheton,Really curly Hair lol) were passing thru hackney(seeing family)
an we passed thru there on the way.
He used to live over that place as my grandparents lived near roman road

Jazzchimp · « **Reply #15 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:13 PM »

Good stuff fellas

It's all about airing then beautiful bikes!! I'm proud of you guys

bmx-796 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:16 PM »

i did have a pair of nos skyway pedals on it not nos now

RATTY · « **Reply #17 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:24 PM »

Quote from: terry on July 03, 2006, 10:11 PM

Hey
Me an my uncle(Assheton,Really curly Hair lol) were passing thru hackney(seeing family)
an we passed thru there on the way.
He used to live over that place as my grandparents lived near roman road

Ummmmm Roman Road, home to the best Pie an Mash shop in london

RATTY · « **Reply #18 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:32 PM »

Quote from: bmx-796 on July 03, 2006, 10:16 PM

i did have a pair of nos skyway pedals on it not nos now

Wanne flog them pedals for a fiver, now there all chewed up!!!!!!!!!!
And I was in the lead..........

bmx-796 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 03, 2006, 10:42 PM »

let me think about it

RATTY · « **Reply #20 on:** September 20, 2006, 03:47 PM »

Just messing about on Google earth and found this picture of Eastway, you can see how narrow the track is now

steve · « **Reply #21 on:** September 20, 2006, 07:07 PM »

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=7915.0

-that eastway?
-remember the curly haired dude back n the day
-i think we all went up from westway one day, he was there
-i think they were actually filming the above
-thats why we went!!

RATTY · « **Reply #22 on:** September 20, 2006, 07:43 PM »

Quote from: steve on September 20, 2006, 07:07 PM

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php'topic=7915.0

-that eastway?
-remember the curly haired dude back n the day
-i think we all went up from westway one day, he was there
-i think they were actually filming the above
-thats why we went!!

Steve, who the fook is the curly haired dude?