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2026 Gallery

Instagram isn’t the greatest way to show riding photos. It feels like someone should have invented a far better app by now, so here’s a good (old fashioned) blog post with some of my favourite pics from 2026. Cheers, Jamie.

Jonny Faulkner (@JonnyF7)

The last on Brockham’s Mainline will be on borrowed time (or demolished) by the time you read this. I’d tried to photograph this jump a few times but it’s never easy lighting the take off, the landing, and the rider with the two flashes and the sun popping through the trees at any given moment.

Damo Wilkinson (@damowilkinson)

This is the step up on ‘Side Line’ at Leatherhead. I shot Kaz Campbell’s table 3 (for the cover of Shapes in the Woods 3/4) on this jump from behind but Big Line being untarped opens up this angle. Damo did the hard work cranking one in.

Bob Stringer (@bobcat666)

At risk of being the world’s best self indulgent moaner….the Step Down at Woodwardle is another jump that’s not easy to do justice. You’re either stood in undergrowth or on a line. I was hanging on to a branch when this pic was taken! People often comment about Bob’s hang time and you can be sure he’s just floating at this point. If it’s not immediately obvious, there’s a huge vertical drop between the take off and the landing!

Elliot Woodhouse (@elliotwoodhouse)

This was taken at Wisley’s unofficial Jam in August. Perry was injured that weekend but otherwise that’s a full train of our 24″ riders (Samba on Chuck hip, Jonny in the swoop, Attila yanking off the lip, and El up front with the oppo Berm Slider).

Bob Stringer (@bobcat666)

The new line at Epsom has been hit hard this Summer. Classic Bobcat hold and fold. Also….taking photos as the light starts to fade is always a winner!

Damo Wilkinson (@damowilkinson)

A different spin on the same trick /jump as above. I like them both. Epsom keeps delivering the goods photo-wise and (after a quiet few years) is back to it’s former glory with some young rippers (Ben and Harper in particular) coming through to keep Jon and Tommy on their toes.

Elliot Woodhouse (@elliotwoodhouse)

Another one from Wisley Jam. We have a team Whatsapp and sometimes I’ll just put all the photos in there and see what everyone is stoked on. I try to avoid flash glare in photos but otherwise I’m buzzing to include a recent shot of El on Gash line. Shout out to El, Ryan, Wilson, George and those that came before (Digs) for keeping everything dialled in that part of the world.

Attila Sebesteny (@atttila.s)

I like how Jimmy and Wilson are copping this one from platform at Leatherhead, I Like that the hut is there in all it’s glory, and I like that we managed to get a cool photo on a jump that doesn’t see a great deal of action (unless your name is Fraser).

“I studied the foot placement of Mike Aitken”

Attila rules and we’re stoked to have him on the team.

Damo Wilkinson (@damowilkinson)

Early season on the Big Line hip at Sheet. Damo knows how to slam in a lookback. Look carefully and you may observe a Bobcat landing. Jim and I get extra stoked on the impromptu Root trains.

Sam Hooker (@sambastaffs) and Perry Grant (@perrygrant1995)

Sam is new(ish) addition to the team. We couldn’t be happier to welcome a rider who kills it on both our frames….it goes without saying he’s a major part of scene at Staffs trails and the main man behind ‘Dead Man’s’ line.

Perry is another new recruit. He had a lot of injuries this Summer and I never seemed around to take photos when he was wheeling out the Perry specials (massive pulls, giant spins, and flips over this 40fter). He has his own spot and is a local at Digswell.

It’s kind of cool that Samba moved up from (and still rides) a 20″ while Perry is coming down from a 26″.

Jonny Faulkner (@JonnyF7)

Jonny is pretty much everything you’d hope for as a photographer. He barely ever just coasts a jump and he’s got a massive bag of tricks and shapes (e.g. the best tyre grabs). I guess this is some sort of one-footed turndown hybrid and (so far was we know) it’s a Jonny exclusive. Brockham ‘Main’ Line in case anyone was wondering.

Bob Stringer (@bobcat666)

First time at Digswell and ‘Bobby like’ this jump. Dipped t-bog for the Welwyn mandem with Dan in tow.

Josh Byford (@piiieee)

This would have been Winter still. Piiieee is the driving force behind much of the shennanigans at Sheet (including the recent purchase of a flashing gnome) and a jolly chap, with a hearty laugh, and a mean table. We’ve never been that clear about the ‘team’ because it’s fluid and our riders are trail builders more than pro riders. If we had to categorise it Piiieee is on the ‘Legends’ flow team along with Jim, and Jay Hamilton. Kade Edwards has his own category.

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EUROOT DAy 6

I didn’t know about Kenny Stremes. Now I do.

We travelled North through Germany and Holland in to Belgium (only France and England to go on that day!). I’d heard of MX trails but the general concensus was “just go there”. We went there and I would repeat the concensus. You should probably just go there. MX is tucked away in some hard to find woods and it’s been that way for a long time….before that it was a motocross ‘track’. Red Belge was there to greet us and give the guided tour. There’s enough lines that it’s really easy to get lost just wandering around. It felt like we had hours to spare but after untarping Jonny and some locals rode a ‘small’ line for a short while and it was nearly time to go. Jonny bent his bars and had to sit this one out but thankfully we got to watch Kenny Stremes and Red Belge ride one of the bigger lines. Needless to say it was a privilege!

A couple from Red Belge. It’s pretty much impossible to convey scale in these photos. There’s nothing but thick woods for reference. This isn’t even the biggest line!

Taking photos in places like MX is a bit of a conundrum. You can’t just walk about in any direction. There’s plants, bushes, trees, nettles, and a lot of undulation to contend with. You kind of have to stand wherever you can and set up flashes in much the same way. Once I find a spot I usually take about 10 test shots (sometimes with people riding) to find something that I’m relatively happy with. Then (once I’ve got something passable) I’ll start playing around with slower shutter speeds, narrower depth of field, flash settings, composition, and my position in the hopes of getting something a bit more artistic. Then I’ll move on and repeat the process. I’m certain theres’s a photo to be taken at MX that really does the place justice…..I’m sure someone else has taken it. I’ll have to wait for my version!

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EuroOT DAy 5

One of the things that stood out on this trip was an uncanny knack (from everyone) to get up and get on with it. After the obligatory stop at Aldi/Lidl/Rewe (Rewe being the least grim) we were usually on the road shortly after rush hour.

Jim had become somewhat taken with European driving techniques (lots of tail gating) and we were easily in Mainz by 10am….I say easily. The van had a habit of losing power on anything but the shortest journeys and my directions might have accurately been described as “quite late” on occassions. On this occassion we may or may not have exited the motorway on two wheels before finding ourselves in a shady lane (not the Wisley car park type of shady!). I mean under the shade of trees. A short roll later (or quite long if you miss the entrance and enter via full lap of surrounding fields) we found ourselves at Ziegelei trails.

Ziegeli contains quite a lot of wild features. We didn’t encounter many ‘basic’ lines at German spots. The spots are not as old as is typical in the UK and nor are the diggers. As a result of which you’ll find a lot of Shark’s Fins, Step Downs, and some wild berms that worked with varying degrees of success. Ziegeli has a 270 under/over berm that they call the ‘Helix’ and we quickly renamed the ‘Washing Machine’. The racer before made this obstacle ‘challenging’ for all but the most skilled rider.

I think the whole world knows that Jonny Faulkner likes a good tyre grab. This was a new one though!

Arriving nice and sharp gives you plenty of chill time.

The weather had finally reached expectations. A lot of the day was spent doing….not so much to be honest. Things spiced up later in the afternoon. There was a new crew of locals riding the little line and Mortitz was ripping the big line (I’m sure they have names), a bunch of people were sessioning the ‘Washing Machine’, and everything was good in the world. Although things never stay perfect. (Not so) Mini Max and Damo both needed a trip to the local A&E. Injuries are an inevitability but if you’ve just come back from a previous injury, or you’re hundreds of miles from home it’s extra shit.

Max Dunn aka Mini Max got tall. Like this massive Boyley. The former Mini Max was another victim of bad luck and a broken collar bone.

Beach Cruiser indeed! Damo was ripping before a freak accident put him in hospital for a short while.

One of the most noticeable things about the German scene is that they have a bunch of young rippers (Surrey Youth Crew has been slack this Summer). I’m not sure of this guy’s name but those jumps are not small and he was not scared to pull up.

This was our final day as a full gang. The following day was split with some of us headed home (via MX in Belgium), others headed to Cloud 9 trails, and some in hospital.

It’s pretty much always a good time travelling with a bunch of old and new friends, meeting new people, seeing new things, laughing, and learning. This trip was no exception. We owe thanks to so many people! Hope to do something similar again before the year is out.

Felix aka Ronny impressed everyone. He’s a got powerful style. I wish I could tell you more about Ronny and his crew but they ‘hot-footed it’ to catch the last train home. He’s another fella riding a Four frame and making it look amazing!

I’m pretty sure Wayne is some kind of tree surgeon. Who wears chef’s shorts and cooks like a champion!

Well I guess we all know about Atilla’s one footed invert after Tuesday’s post!

Sven Littfinski. What a guy. It was awesome to see him back getting laps!

Jonny loves laps.

You’re going to need to wait for Sam’s video to truly appreciate Moritz Muller.

Eliott and Ryan were off to Austria, Switzerland, and France (Morzine) for a month right after this trip. El has some cassette driver issues, so we didn’t see as much of those trademark El shapes as usual.

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Euroot day 4

Our convoy headed to nearby Darmstadt. A pleasant little city with a really good outdoor skatepark and an array of street spots that we’d die for in England. Also home to Sven Littfinski. I should mention that Sven has been recovering from a nasty head injury. It was pretty heart warming to see him cruising both H20 and the skatepark.

We were joined by a local named Oskar in some sort of enormous beer garden that served a beer named Hell and some confusing food. We made like typical Brits abroad and all stood in a line before ordering the exact same meal of sausage, bread, and chips. This wasn’t rocket science but they gave us an alarm with each order that would buzz once the chef had everything ready……I don’t why but we seem to get flustered when something is just a little different than the UK. The alarms were no exception.

Ziegelei Trails’s main(z) man. Atilla Sebesteny.

Back at H20 everything was set for a decent evening session and we were joined by Atilla Sebesteny and Moritz Muller. Most of us had met Atilla on his previous visits to the UK. He’s responsible for a lot of what gets built at Ziegelei trails, rides a Root Four, and was on top form for the next 48 hours. From the umpires shirt, to the headwear, to the playlist, to being an absolute sickhead on his bike.

It probably feels totally different to the one at Woodyard but Damo and Wayne seemed right at home on the step down.

Best x-up of the current era? Add Wayne to the short list!

Jonny and Wayne both decided that airing out the Shark’s fin might be fun.

Damo’s one-footed motos tho!

Moritz Muller is another German ripper to look out for.

I mean. It’s pretty decent photo. I’m not sure it does any justice to Atilla’s pull at H20.

Mr Reader!

Late evening shapes on the hip. Jonny is your man.

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EUROOT DAY 3

After a brief stop in Cologne we headed South to Sven’s spot (H20 trails). On the journey down I think we remained in good spirits but the media (Sam and myself) had resigned ourselves to having a laugh with the boys and ‘scraping the barrel’ for content.

I can’t remember the exact story but Sven lives in Darmstadt and after digging at Ziegelei (near Mainz) for a while he took over duties closer to home. There’s a few bits for the local kids and an ‘trick line’ (the first jump is a table top) to the right. The ‘big line’ sits of the left and (unlike a lot of European trails) there’s a gradient.

This area was four hours South and had a completely different feel. There’s was rolling hills, sunshine (still with the odd shower), and it reminded me a bit of Southern France.  Having visited Germany a few times (mainly for the Worlds in Cologne) in the past and never seen this part of the world. It was a treat to see a whole different area.

By this point we were all very relaxed in each other’s company and the banter was non-stop. You kind of only need a Wayne on your trip to make sure the banter is non-stop. Everyone got some laps that evening and trains were heading in and out like Clapham Junction.

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EUROOt DAY 2

We decided to spend another day in our dialled Belgium surroundings. Once again the weather wasn’t particularly keen on us staying put. The trails have a pretty cool pump track……you can either ride that alone or transfer into it from the main line. This proved to be the perfect warm up but for a lot of our crew it was both the beginning and the end.

Ryan King through the Pump Track rollers

After more showers most of us were resigned to another day of not riding a great deal and beer, bar-b-q, and football became the order of the day.

Of course the gusty showers finally stopped with light fading. Just in time for some locals to rip through the lines and show everyone what they were missing!

Sven Grieten. Legend on and off his bike.

Dimitri.Textbook. Blaaskantje.

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EuRoot Day 1

Although Root is owned by two of us, we’ve always considered it way more than that. There’s the team guys, flow guys, and there’s all the people that support what we’re doing (and in turn we try to support them….or at least share some good times). We think of Root very much as a trail collective.

We’d hatched the idea for a trip to Germany when Sven and Atilla starting talking about the Trail Tour over there, then Eliott actually went on the trail tour, and one of Germany’s finest bike stores (Dept of Dirt) starting carrying Root product. Last Summer was kind of a wash out when it came to planning trips months in advance…..this year proved more fruitful.

Getting to get all parties to agree on a date was like trying to catch lightning in a bottle but as soon as that was decided we had a posse. Damo brought Wayne (from Woodyard) and Elliott brought Ryan (from Wisley). Wickham Will, Glen Woods and Piieee were holding it down for the Sheet locals. All of those guys were in Holland early for obvious reasons……..Wayne spent 120 euros on an obvious reason. Not a brass!

Sam (from Bonehouse/Foxhill), Jim (formerly of Birchwood) and myself were not in Holland early…….we did drive over the border briefly. Blaaskantje is some sort of airbase that’s been repositioned as some form of industrial estate where not a great deal seems to happen. That whole area along the Belgium/Dutch boarder is pretty sleepy…….. especially if you’ve been to Amsterdam before you got there. Jonny (from Brockham) was last to arrive.

Sven Littfinski (from H20 trails) and Tobi (from Zabo trails) joined us in Belgium along with various Blaaskantje locals.

Everything was set for a big old session except the weather. The first afternoon/evening was a wash out. Sven and Tobi tried an optimistic untarping only to be greeted with another shower.

Football, bar-b-q, and chatting shit were the order of the day. It wasn’t too much of a chore since Blaaskantje has a dialled set up. They’ve got a kitchen, sofas, a khazi, and power.

Not to mention Surrons and an indoor BMX track. Yep. The Belgiums are dialled. Kiwi is extra dialled. His road mobile has a surf rack, beds, a custom fitted kitchen, and a slide out mount for his Root Four set up.

Our sleeping arrangements varied. Some people (mostly Jonny and El) are well prepared for van life. Damo has a decent set up and so does Jim. Sam and I camped (there’s plenty of room) and Will and Glen slept in the warehouse.

I’m pleased to report a £60 tent and a £20 mattress (from Decathlon) proved to be money well spent throughout the trip.

I’m also please to report Sven Greitten bought the biggest bag of chips you’ve ever seen for us all to share. Legend!

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The 24″ Resource Guide

We get emailed a LOT asking for advice about 24” parts. The list below isn’t supposed to be definitive in any way. Nor are we suggesting that any product is fantastic just because it happens to be included. This is a list of what wheels, rims, and tyres appear to be currently available. It’s going to vary a lot from one country to another but we’ll do our best to keep it updated and welcome all contributions. Hopefully we’ll uncover a stash of gems from the past (like 24” Odyssey Aitken tyres)! Some mail order stores (like Dans Comp and Winstanleys) have older inventory due to the nature of their business and we haven’t listed that type of thing….you can trawl through it if you like.

Wheels

A lot of the available 24” wheels are 110mm spaced BMX Cruiser wheels. These are not compatible with our frames (so won’t aren’t listed).

Rims

We’d recommend double wall rims, preferably with a welded join.

Tyres

Tyres are a lot down to personal preference and where you ride. Most UK trails are fairly hard packed and don’t require knobbly tyres.

A lot of the available 24” tyres are thin race tyres which we wouldn’t recommend. Therefore we haven’t listed anything under 2.0”.

If the truth is told, good 24″ tyres are either non-existent or very difficult to acquire. If any brands out there want to work with us to create a ‘fit for purpose’ 24″ tyre please get in contact.

*Tioga FS100’s are very good tyres if you can still find a pair in 24″.

We have it on good authority that FIT will have a 24 x 2.4″ version of their popular FAF tyre available soon.