Want to be inspired? Look no further…

For a rider who was left paralysed in an accident seventeen months ago, Martyn Ashton has a remarkable spirit. Spend even a few minutes talking to him and it is obvious that he has retained a very positive approach. Humorous, maintaining hope and ambition and speaking with a zest for life that would motivate many, the 40 year old is determined to keep moving forward.

We interviewed Martyn Ashton a few months back and he told us that he was going to be back on a bike within the year. It’s hard to believe given his catastrophic spinal injuries after his crash at Silverstone’s Moto GP on September 1 2013, where he fell off a three metre high bar and fractured his spine.

“I still dream about riding,” he told CyclingTips. “Literally. I wake up smiling about it.

“If I just close my eyes and think about being on a bike, I can feel exactly the same about it as I did before. When I see someone else doing it, I can still get a buzz off watching a great bit of riding.

“I am still as excited about it as ever.”

“My ambition is that I will ride. Lots of people think, ‘wouldn’t it be great if you walk again?’ I am like, ‘yeah, it would be great, but I am going to ride again. That is what I am aiming for.’”

Only a few months later after speaking with Ashton in a wheelchair, this video shows him mountain biking with skills and style beyond what most of us pull off. Check it out…

Read the full interview with Martyn Ashton here and see Road Bike Party part 1 and part 2.