“I have always loved the versatility of Mountain Bikes, when I first got into the sport it predominantly revolved around Cross Country racing but even back then it was obvious that Mountain Bikes were capable of handling many types of terrain and riding styles. I was never your standard XC racer; I dabbled a bit but always found myself using my MTB for more extreme riding. Coming from a background in Motorcycle Trials I loved how I could use this bike to attack obstacles that had never been possible on the push-bikes I’d ridden before. Since that time Mountain Biking has grown and proved its adaptability, there are now many disciplines that come under the heading ‘Mountain Bike’.
I created ‘Team Ashton Diamondback’ so I could provide support for talented bike riders who are at the top of their game nationally and can also achieve results at an International level. However competition results, although important are not the be-all and end-all. This Team is a special bunch of riders that represent the versatility of Mountain Biking through their diverse styles and talents.
The riders on the Team (including myself) are charged with all the normal responsibilities of producing as much positive Competition and Media results as possible. However during the 2008 season we are also developing a ‘Team Ashton’ range of bikes that will be launched in October as part of the 2009 Diamondback range. Working in partnership with Diamondback on this range has been a brilliant experience for me, I’m getting very excited about launching these bikes that have been tested and developed by ‘Team Ashton Diamondback’ throughout the 2008 season.”

Martyn Ashton
Team Rider/Manager