Back in Wern Du chaos reigned, BMX was king, the barn was ramped with ply. I remember it clearly as it was the first time I’d seen the ‘not so pleasant’ side of professionalism having been bollocked by a sponsor for asking the family to get a casual shot around the kitchen table rather than an advert for their products!

It has been a crazy decade and even though they have all taken some major knocks they roll on winning, picking up World Championships and titles. Today Rachel is this country’s most successful downhill racer of all time. Gee is trucking and definitely has the upper hand over his junior ranks nemesis Sam Hill. His podium percentages for the past decade have been off the charts.

Dan has moved to enduro but more than this he is one of the worlds only riders to push the creative envelope. His quarry and yard–works are masterpieces, some of the most inspired digging ever seen, the stuff of which most riders can only aspire to. Dan is currently deep in Sitka territories, his usual enigmatic self. What will he come up with next?

Barns are still part of the Atherton framework, except it’s all so corporate these days – one of team managers, personal assistants, psychologists, spannermen and trainers. Stainless steel has replaced the plywood, they’re on bikes that fit them and the team launch as been cocktails in SE1 rather than a bacon butty and a cup of scruff.

But don’t be too alarmed at the order and branding, they’ve retained their good nature and… well I’m trying to think of a polite way to describe their mild untidiness.