Author Topic: ace bmx walthamstow (Read 3505 times)

eloopnai · « **on:** March 31, 2008, 09:38 PM »

right then ive got a few questions id like answers to and im sure ratty will most probally have all the answers

as a kid i lived in highams park on the border of walthamstow london and used to go over the track in higham hill
so there i used to see a young andy ruffell and im sure he was riding for ace bmx ?
if my memory serves me right although its terrible to be honest i can remember sod all now days

if im right on this what bike did he ride on im thinking it was a mongoose after his grifter ?
theres plenty of pics of andy in mongoose gear on the net but what about his early days what bike and set up did he start on ?
i kinda remember ace having there own frames but not sure andy rode one?
also im sure me and my mate went and knocked for andy one day as my mate was his cousin or some way related to him can some one clarify if he lived in the flats hmm cant remember where now

obviously in walthamstow though
i know ive asked ratty on here before about the ace pads and he has one i used to have a stem one i know they done blue ones but did they do red ?

the reason for this post is i was on the start line sunday with ratty ( who im sure i must of seen over higham hill many years ago) and him shaking my hand and saying higham hill boys at that moment i just pictured higham hill track back in the day

what great memories this site has stirred up from my past although i cant remember most of them

ive tried searching for info on ace bmx on here before but have found bugger all which seems strange as it played a big part in the early days

cheers

ian

Gary72 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 31, 2008, 09:42 PM »

RATTY still cruise's round Stow looking for boys on ACE's and RF-1s

MartyC · « **Reply #2 on:** March 31, 2008, 09:50 PM »

ACE Racing?

Me on mine c1981....

Andy Ruffell did ride for ACE Racing but on a Mongoose, a blue one with nickel forks to start with if I remember right

My old race pants with a patch covering the tear on the knee from putting my bike down in the first Moto at Earls Court on the same day I got them and my jersey off Richard Barrington

.

eloopnai · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2008, 10:01 PM »

cor blimey i remember that pic of cav in the water cheers for that

kinda recognise the frame now and thought andy had a goose

nice one fella

MartyC · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2008, 10:06 PM »

That was taken over hollow ponds I think, great jump spot that

eloopnai · « **Reply #5 on:** March 31, 2008, 10:21 PM »

forgot about hollow ponds yeah used to go over there

what about devils dip in the forest at oak hill a mini track in the forest there was kinda good just behind the hotel

Longun · « **Reply #6 on:** March 31, 2008, 10:28 PM »

I'm loving hearing all about the 'stows heritage now that I live there. Still puzzled by Holeshot's address as I couldn't find a no.1 Mission Grove (maybe it's been demolished and built over now) - Wonder what's currently at Ace's address.

eloopnai · « **Reply #7 on:** March 31, 2008, 10:35 PM »

kinda remember going to a bike shop just down from the bell corner bought my yellow mongoose grips and 2 finger haro lever there after saving up my pocket money cant fooking remember the name of that shop

RATTY · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2008, 08:29 AM »

Quote from: Longun on March 31, 2008, 10:28 PM

I'm loving hearing all about the 'stows heritage now that I live there. Still puzzled by Holeshot's address as I couldn't find a no.1 Mission Grove (maybe it's been demolished and built over now) - Wonder what's currently at Ace's address.

Its still there, next to a block of flats, its a double house with metal gates on it. opposite the rear of woolies.

I was talking to Keith Wilson on Sunday about Higham Hill and the faces that used to ride there.

We was there every day and stayed there until it got so dark you couldnt see the track anymore..

We used to have mad races over there using a scaffold board for a gate. Watching the likes of Cav Strutt, Sam and tony Wonfor, Nikki Matthews, Pete Middleton, Scott McDonald , Steve Gilley, Trevor Shanks, Andy Ruffell, Dean Miller, Keith Wilson, Sean McDonagh, Tony Riley and a fair few others was awesome, The action was better than most races back then, it was a tiny track on redgra, 2 foot berms at the most with some mad little jumps.
We had more talent there some nights than most national races back then. Some of the first BMX action shots were from there including Andys tennis net bunny hop.

We even had BMX royalty visit including Bob Haro, he refused to ride our quarter pipe because he said it was dangerous

Ace racing was started by Richard Barrington in Forest Road, about a mile from the Higham Hill track, it started as a bike shop but soon had some of the best talent in the UK on its team. I rode for them as the last sponsored rider and I loved my frame until I managed to snap it

Ace had folded by then and superbike Dan got the job of painting and re stickering all the remainding frames for Superbike in Romford.

Ace, along with Mongoose and Alans did a hell of a lot for BMX in the UK in the early days. I often wonder if ACE had been able to keep the riders who started on its team, just how succesfull it would have been.

eloopnai · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2008, 04:57 PM »

remember steve gilley tony as i said sunday if my memory serves me right he lived in walthamstow but moved near me in highams park
always out on his bike and there used to be a crowd of us going from highams park to higham hill as you say till it got dark

didnt get to say goodbye sunday m8 couldnt find you at the end

gonna be going sunday again do you know what time to set out ? ive got a sat nav and the address so should find it ok
hopefully have my other bike as the old goose is a bit twitchy especially with the tuffs

mattnice · « **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2008, 05:01 PM »

the shop by the bell was called BellChambers,was always a good place to find your bike if it got nicked.

jedi · « **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2008, 05:07 PM »

i used to ride at a track in a park near the river lea,we called it queensway(past the market for a mile or so along the river then up through houses) track is it still there.anyone remmeber it

kdw712 · « **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2008, 06:43 PM »

i found these pics in riders ready pedals ready from 82 ish

and don smiths book

kdw712 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2008, 06:55 PM »

and a couple more

kdw712 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 01, 2008, 06:55 PM »

eloopnai · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2008, 07:56 PM »

thanks kev some good stuff there appreciate you digging all that out

ian

eloopnai · « **Reply #16 on:** April 01, 2008, 08:03 PM »

on the mongoose advert whos that riding ? cos i copied his bike i had the same stem pad and haro lever on mine way back in 1981

MartyC · « **Reply #17 on:** April 01, 2008, 08:05 PM »

Quote from: eloopnai on April 01, 2008, 08:03 PM

on the mongoose advert whos that riding ? cos i copied his bike i had the same stem pad and haro lever on mine way back in 1981

Andy Ruffell, you can tell by the bandy legs and if you could see his face, his tongue would be hanging out one side of his mouth

rarman1 · « **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:27 PM »

Quote from: jedi on April 01, 2008, 05:07 PM

i used to ride at a track in a park near the river lea,we called it queensway(past the market for a mile or so along the river then up through houses) track is it still there.anyone remmeber it

the whole lots gone (bmx track, racing track and sports center) for development of the 2012 olympics.

jedi · « **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:29 PM »

do you remmeber it? in a park surrounded by houses??

rarman1 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:44 PM »

yeah, eastway bmx track was surrounded by a geared racing circuit for racers with a sports center over the road, there were flats nearby,

and as i got a bit older i found flappers up the road (nightclub)