The world champion brothers bred in the Peak District

However, in the hills above this small town on the edge of the Peak District we can find something quite different.

Perched on top of a local peak with stunning, bucolic views stretching in all directions is Derbyshire Bike Trial Centre, one of only a few such centres in England and home to world champions in the sport, brothers Eddie and Oliver Weightman.

Eddie Weightman, at the age of 14, is already four-time British Trials Champion, BIU* World Champion and two-time BIU European Champion.

Summer 2023 took him to Spain where he competed in the UCI Trials World Youth Games. Eddie qualified for the finals with a perfect score. In a nail biting last round he came third in a strong international field, where one slip of a tyre became the difference between the top three.

When he is not competing on a world stage, Eddie is in year ten at Anthony Gell School, and about to choose his GCSE subjects.

Oliver Weightman, now 17, has been riding trials bikes since he was eight-years-old. Oliver is no stranger to gold medals either, previously claiming Junior World titles in UCI and twice in BIU competition.

But after an injury late 2022 saw him miss out on a world title, he came back even stronger in Summer 2023, when at the UCI World Cycling Championships in Glasgow, he achieved his first win in a men’s category, becoming UCI Men’s Junior 20” Trials World Champion.

Oliver is in his final year of school and studies Tech/Design, using the skills he developed at home, building and maintaining a bike trials practise course with his brother and dad.

Oliver’s first love is his sport, dedicating his spare time to training; improving his skills, physical fitness and nutrition.

Oliver is talented on and off a bike, getting involved in the design of future trials courses, including the re-purposing of the World Championship course from Glasgow, saved from landfill to create a course to inspire the next generation.

Derbyshire Bike Trial Centre was set up by Carl Weightman and Sarah Collis, Eddie and Oliver’s parents.

Carl said: “It started with just a few obstacles to help with the boys’ training. But as it grew, adding obstacles we built ourselves and others donated by local businesses, we started to open the centre to others, with the hope of improving accessibility into the sport.

“I use many years of experience in the building trade to build obstacles and keep the trials course safe for our sons and others to learn and compete on.

“I also grew up on two wheels, appearing on ‘Junior Kick Start’ in 1985. Sarah is creative director at Max’s Hairdresser's in Wirksworth and manages her working life to ensure she can travel with Eddie and Oliver to their competitions as often as possible.

“Nowadays, the whole family have a part to play in running and maintaining the Bike Trial Centre.”

If you are reading this and can’t visualise the ‘bike trials’, imagine ‘Junior Kick Start’, the BBC program from the 80s, but on bicycles, or head over to Eddie and Oliver’s social media.

Carl added: “In reality, the highly specialised equipment ridden in bike trial competition bear little resemblance to the kinds of mountain bikes a lot of people use. At first glance the most obvious difference is they have no seat.

“For a start no one ever sits down during this sport. A seat is extra weight and would get in the way as the riders demand flight from their bikes.

“But the seat is just the start, as every inch of their bikes is specially designed for purpose. From the thicker bouncier rear tyres that they spend a good chunk of their competing time balancing on, to the light weight, stripped back frame and components that make it possible to leap around rocks and obstacles.”

When the weather allows, the Centre opens up twice a week, advertised on their Facebook pages. Everyone is welcome from beginners to experienced riders. There are even a couple of old bikes to borrow for the complete beginner, and you could be training along side two of the best trials riders in the world.

​So, with a world class course on our door step and local riders dominating the sport for several years, why do we all not know more about this sport? The answer is the same as it is for many cycling disciplines – funding. Eddie and Oliver have reached the top of their sport with no funding from UK Cycling and very little from sponsorship.

To find out more, follow Oliver and Eddie on their social media – Tiktok: @oliver.weightman and @eddie_weightman, YouTube: @oliverweightmn1714 and @eddieweightman9828, Instagram: @oliver.weightman and @eddieweightmantrials.

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