SINCE IT opened in July last year, Platt Fields Park’s BMX track has proved a major draw with everyone from Olympians to youngsters wanting to get their first taste of the sport. But with nine ramps up to seven metres tall, it is not for the faint-hearted. Reporter Marie Burchill, who is usually more at home with the X-Factor than X-treme sports, donned her helmet and pads to experience BMX-ing at first hand, after asking world champion Shanaze Reade to show her the ropes.

THE last time I got on a bike was the summer of last year for a leisurely ride around the Derwent Valley.

And if I’m honest that was just about my pace.

Fast forward a few months and I’m perched upon a bike that feels like it should belong to one of my three-year-old nephews – standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Olympic contestant and World Champion, Shanaze Reade.

I’m pretty sure my knees were shaking slightly, but it was hard to say because they were hidden behind some thick black pads that looked like they belonged to Robocop.

As I struggled to acquaint myself with my own BMX bike, I watched in amazement as 20-year-old Shanaze effortlessly whizzed around the Fallowfield track.

It’s great to see a girl championing what has long been considered a  boy’s sport.

Shanaze had been tipped to win  Gold at the Beijing Olympics. But, sat just behind the leader in silver medal position in the BMX final, it all went spectacularly wrong when she made a bold move for first place. She came off her bike, suffering a badly sprained wrist and a damaged shoulder in the process, before limping home in last place.

It is a reminder of the risks involved with the sport as I surveyed the track that I was about to tackle.

Not that Shanaze has let it affect her. “It was disappointing for it to end like that but I didn’t dwell on it, I’m moving onwards and upwards,” she said.

Shanaze has been in love with BMX-ing since the age of ten. But the sport obviously pays too.

Earlier she pulled up to meet me in her sleek grey BMW X3. Her sponsors have agreed to the £3,000 it costs to insure her for the imposing four by four.

The Fallowfield track cuts an imposing swath through the tranquil landscape of Platt Fields Park.

It first opened back in July 2008, after the ambitious work to carve up the dedicated section of land that had been earmarked for the track began just  seven months earlier in January. It cost almost half a million pounds to create the facility - which has since proved a huge draw for many different sections of the community.

As well as playing host to Olympic heroes, it offers up its services to community groups, school children and youth offenders - transforming the gravel pitch into an arena that promotes community cohesion, as well as the ever-popular craze for BMXing.

The track has nine jumps in total, with the tallest measuring seven meters, and staff have seen bikers pile in on a daily basis, keen to perfect their craft.

Shanaze said: “I’ve had so many injuries over the years, but it’s part and parcel of the job. I’ve broken my elbow, my wrist, dislocated my shoulder and I’ve also broken quite a few fingers.”

Great, if my knees were shaking before – they were positively knocking now.

After a quick tour around the track to familiarise myself with the layout of the jumps and berms – the technical term for the banked turns – we were off.

As I cycled beside Shanaze Speedy Readey I held a steely gaze on the track, trying to determine when to up the speed and when to just go with the flow.

My feeble attempts at cruising over the jumps resulted in a rather clumsy hike up what felt like a mountain – whereas I could see Shanaze out of the corner of my eye, gliding over the jumps and riding down into the curves, emerging over the top without any effort whatsoever.

I came to a sharp holt, followed by a slight wobble on the table top section of the track.

My mentor said she wanted to show me the technique needed to tackle the jumps and, before I knew it, she had whizzed off in a blur.

Standing at the precipice of the burm, Shanaze – who hits the Fallowfield track at least twice a week to train – struck a magnificent figure, silhouetted against the bright afternoon sunshine.

With a nod of her head she shot off the top and built up so much speed that she had no need to peddle at all for the rest of the track stretch. As she hit the jumps she used them as launchpads, flying into the air as if the bike were attached to her body.

It was clear from my amateur status that there was a very long way to go and taking baby steps seemed the ideal way to do it.

I’m all for white knuckle theme park rides, but this was in a totally different league.

Shanaze obviously knows the track like the back of her hand – I stood in amazement as I watched her careering around the track with expert precision.

Speaking of her home training ground – which pulls in visitors on a daily basis – Shanaze, who lives in Altrincham, said: “This is a brilliant facility and it holds a lot of potential for the future.

“BMX cycling is booming right now and this track is in the middle of that, right on my doorstep. It’s a great venue, one of the best, and it’s even flood lit in the evenings – making it so much more accessible.”

Round two and we were off again, tackling the same piece of track on the 340 meter-long circuit.

The frequent reminders from my bike buddy to ‘peddle, peddle’ at the appropriate places on the track helped me in my quest to take on the might of the gravel jumps – although there was certainly no flying through the air for me – and I began to feel much more comfortable in my seat.

After a few rounds I took a break from the track and spoke to the BMX track manager, Mark Norris, who had been watching me from the sidelines.

Keen to find out if I’d made it on to his list of emerging talent spotted at the Platt Field’s track, I ambled over to him for a chat.

Mark said: “You were a bit shaky at the start, but you seemed to be more comfortable after a while.” I think that was his polite way of saying, keep at it!

Mark said: “This track offers the best of both worlds, it keeps youngsters out of trouble and it also allows us to talent spot for emerging stars, who we then recommend to the Manchester BMX Club.

“We’ve had great feedback and host a wide range of groups from all different parts of the community.” Getting on the BMX bandwagon couldn’t be easier, as beginners are able to turn up to Platt Fields and hire a BMX bike – as well as the full gear including a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and gloves – for just £3.30 per adult for two hour’s worth of biking and £2.20 per child.

For the more seasoned bikers – who have all of their own gear and just require access to the track – prices come in at £2.20 per adult and £1.10 per child for two hours on the track. As I handed back my rather muddy bike and parted with my BMX helmet, I was aware of Shanaze still rattling around on the track behind me.

The biker has a lot to prepare for, with her sights firmly set on defending her World Champion title in the upcoming contest in July – not to mention hardcore training for her renewed Olympic bid in 2012. I’m sure she’ll fly through it.

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