10 Years of Sponsorship

2025 marks ten years of AVK sponsorship for international bike trials superstar, Adam Morewood. Adam is the son of Robin Morewood, Head of Technical and Product Development at Bryan Donkin Valves in Staveley, Chesterfield.

A World Champion in multiple age groups as a Junior competitor, Adam has been competing in Elite (adult) competitions for five years now and has already twice placed third in the BIU World Championships. He will also be representing the UK in the UCI world championships in Saudi Arabia in November.

At this point it is worth pointing out that there are two slightly different trials bike disciplines. UCI competitions are typically held in major city centres over man-made obstacles. BIU events use the natural environment incorporating boulders, trees, and other features. Having honed his skills as a Junior in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire, Adam’s preference is understandably for challenges that embrace the natural environment.

AVK interviewed Adam as he prepared to complete in this year’s BIU Elite World Championships in the Lombardy region of Northern Italy:

What is the training regime for an Elite bike trials competitor?

To maintain my fitness at a level where I can compete across the season, I have to follow a strict training regime. 

I will do three or four gym sessions each week, focussing on weights and plyometric exercises. Plyometrics uses explosive movements such as jumping or bounding to improve speed, power, and agility. More recently I have added sauna sessions to my training regime. The sauna reduces recovery times and helps you train with greater intensity.
I will be out on my bike in the Peak District five or six times a week looking to hone my trials technique and improve my cardio fitness. 
Competing, training, and studying takes up most of my time. 

You mentioned studying. What courses are you taking at the moment?

My initial degree was in Health, Sport, and Fitness. I have stayed on at Sheffield Hallam University for two years to study for a Masters in Physiotherapy. The University has been very accommodating of my bike trials activities and has rearranged the final exam on the Masters in November to take place in the morning before I fly to Saudi Arabia to compete in the UCI World Championships.

My dissertation looks at the differences in outcomes for joint replacement patients comparing same-day post-operation discharges with patients kept in hospital overnight following their operations. My initial findings indicate that same-day discharge patients may experience greater anxiety, have a poorer post-op infection record, and achieve reduced joint movement compared to their overnight peers.

Are you hoping to pursue physiotherapy as a career?

Yes. Ideally, I would like to be a community physiotherapist working within the NHS. Community physios experience a wide variety of treatment scenarios, and you get to work in the patients’ home environment which means building exercises around features in the home such as, for example, the stairs. I think this means patients are far more likely to follow the exercise programmes you prescribe for them.

Does competing in bike trials mean you often need the services of a physiotherapist yourself?

Sadly, yes!

Bike trials is a very attritional sport which puts a lot of strain on joints and muscles; it’s a balance between calculated risks and pushing your body to the max. Over the years I have had broken ankles, ligament injuries, and I suspect I have a degree of arthritis in one of my knees.

It is extremely difficult to peak for each and every event. The worst outcomes are when you take part in a competition feeling tired and unfocussed. That is a sure-fire path to injury.

Are there many other British competitors on the world bike trials tour?

Within bike trials there are two size categories: 20” wheels and 26” wheels. I compete in the 20” category because I find it more fun, more exciting and you can squeeze through smaller gaps.
Despite a small number of bike trials competitors compared to other European countries, the UK is extremely successful. For example, Jack Carthy has won the 26” UCI World Championships for seven of the last nine years, and we currently have two other competitors in the top five. 

My success, and the success of Jack Carthy and others, had been achieved with virtually no support from British Cycling, the national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because bike trials is not yet an Olympic sport?

Which countries have embraced bike trials as a sport?

Bike trials originated in Spain which has hundreds of good riders. Bike trials receives considerable funding from the Spanish authorities, and bike trials is one of the sports Spanish schoolchildren can opt for at school.

How has the support from AVK helped you over your bike trials career?

Like all forms of cycling at the elite level, bike trials is expensive. There is the equipment, the training and, when competing internationally, the travel costs. AVK’s support has meant I have been able to compete in more events than I would otherwise have been able to.

I know it has taken some of the financial pressure of my parents, who have still made incredible sacrifices to enable me to follow my dream of becoming an Elite World Champion.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at AVK for the support I have received. It has made an enormous difference throughout my bike trials career.

What does the rest of 2025 hold for you in terms of competitions?

The two main competitions are the BIU World Championships in Italy later this month (August) and the UCI World Championships in Saudi Arabia in November.

Due to its physical intensity, bike trials is primarily a young man’s sport. My focus remains becoming BIU World Elite Champion before I reach 30.

What has bike trials brought you over the years?

Competing in bike trials events across the world over a number of years means my parents and I have built an international network of friends and acquaintances.

It has also meant I have had the opportunity to see much more of the world than I otherwise would have. In particular, I have recently visited Japan which was simply amazing.

Good luck to Adam and his support team, led by his Dad, Robin, in their ambition to win an Elite World Championship in 2025.