THE white-knuckle art of mountain biking has taken rider Richard Payne around the world and all the way back again…
In 2026 alone, he has flown down diamond runs in New Zealand, traversed winding, picturesque trails on the Italian Riviera, and ridden through the breathtaking scenery of Wales’ Eryri National Park.
But despite his many exotic travails, it is his former home of Jersey that continues to hold a special place in his heart.
The former 4X World Cup rider – now a presenter for the Global Mountain Bike Network, which boasts over 2.1 million YouTube subscribers – said how a recent trip to Jersey refreshed his appreciation for what the Island has to offer.
“It’s really such a unique place,” he said. “I lived in Jersey permanently with my wife for a long time and I still love to try and come back as much as possible.”
“Mountain biking is not massive on the Island because it doesn’t have any mountains,” he laughed. “But it just has these amazing little trails and great scenery, which is quite varied as well.
“When the sun’s out and you’re dropping down into Bouley Bay or Le Mourier – or wherever – it’s just pretty cool.
“There’s a really good scene here – quite a diverse scene of mountain bikers all over the Island, and good racing too.
“For a place that’s only nine by five miles, it is surprisingly healthy on that front.”
Alongside his duties as a GMBN presenter, Richard has also gathered a substantial social media following – his Instagram populated with a hair-raising portfolio of GoPro-captured trail runs.
Earlier this month, a post captioned “Around the Island in 80km” accompanied several photos documenting his “impromptu” on-bike lap of the entirety of Jersey.
“[I’ve] been meaning to do it for a while but I’ve always been flat out when over,” he told his followers. “It’s not the biggest lump in the ocean but for somewhere 9×5 miles it’s pretty flipping epic.”
Talking to the JEP from his office at GMBN, he said it was the first time he’d been around the perimeter of Jersey since first taking on the challenge nearly a decade ago.
“I haven’t been around the Island in ages, but I finally got some time, I had the day to myself and thought now is as good a time as ever,” he said.
Highlights of his on-bike expedition included the steep trails near Sorel Point in the West and Devil’s Hole on the North coast.
He also spoke glowingly about the terrain at Grève de Lecq, describing the scenery in St Ouen as among his “favourite bits” on the Island.
The veteran mountain biker concluded by praising the “vibrant” mountain biking community here in Jersey.
“The local clubs work really well organising youth events and coaching and training,” Richard said.
“I think Jersey’s quite tricky for really young riders to get into mountain biking; the cliff paths are pretty tricky.
“[But] Jersey has a great skatepark – although it’s not mountain biking – it’s good to mess around in.
“[There’s also] a few bits planned for Millbrook Park, so it’s definitely improving – not just cycling, but extreme sports altogether.”
