Q&A with Matt Robinson, the man behind Tu Wheels Co.
During the winter of 2025, while coming up with concepts for the new Tu Wheels Co website, I thought it would be a great idea to give you a bit of a back story to myself and TWC, so I reached out to some great friends and got them to come up with some questions they would like to know and hopefully you all might like to know too!
Thanks to all involved for taking time to come up with these questions!
Andy Stothard: Tu Wheels Co OG rider
Ryan Roadkill : World-renowned moto artist
Ty Hardy: Ex Tu Wheels Co rider
Fred Murray: Dig Magazine
Andy Stothard (OG TWC rider):
To be honest, I want to know where your love for motorcycles came from, and the story of how you got into it?
Matt:
It probably started when I was around 9-10 years old, an old neighbour of mine used to race Motorcross (Kristian Moore), one day he asked if i wanted to go to a local practice track to watch some riding, which of course I said yes (this was my first real experience of motocross), I don't really remember much of that day apart from coming home and thinking it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen!
When we got back, Norman Moore (Kristian's dad) lent me a VHS of the 1987 Supercross, and tbh after watching that I was hooked!
Later that year when I started high school, i remember seeing a lad (Ben Metcalfe) that I recognised from the practice track Kristian had taken me to, it did'nt take long for us to meet and start talking motorbikes.
Ben and I became pretty close friends for a good few years, most weekends you'd find me at his house playing on his Motorcross bikes at his own track (which a few years later became an official race track, Salkeld mx).
Getting to ride Ben's bikes, and getting the moto bug even more led me to twisting my parents arms hard enough to buy me my first motorbike when I was around 11 years old, a 1987 CR80.
When you get to ride a motocross bike at a young age, I don't think theres a chance you're coming back from it, it really is like a bug you can never shake, that day probably unknowingly changed my life forever!
The people I've met and life long friends I've made, the things i've witnessed, the places ive been.....etc, probably all comes back to being around and riding bicycles and motorcycles!
On the road motorcycle side of things,
I first started to really notice them on a trip to Unit23 Skatepark.
The Mailey family who own the Skatepark, and a few of the locals had motorcycles out the back in the workshop area. At this time Chaz Mailey had this super cool caferacer which really spiked my interest, and from then I dreamt of owning one...
By chance, one day while delivering a parcel to a customer, I noticed an old motorbike leant up against his shed wall, this thing was in a right state, covered in straw and all sorts of crap, but in my head I saw the backbones of something i could bring back to life with my own take on a cafe racer, I mentioned the bike to the customer (who I got to know as Grizzles), he said "if you like motorbikes you should come have a look around at all my other bikes", after a cuppa and a walk round his ecclectic collection he said "make me an offer on the bike", I didnt have a clue what it would be worth so said I'll have a think about it,
The next time I delivered to Grizzles he said "I tell you what, if you give me £300 I'll give you that bike and another one for parts" so I snapped his hand off and loaded the bikes up, deal done, my first unexpected road motorcycle (project) had been bought, a 1982 Kawasaki z400 j3.
Due to moving around to different parts of the country the caferacer project got put on the back burner, only doing bits on it here and there, I was also broke and didnt have a clue what I was doing and had no intention of getting my motorcycle licence at that time.
I think I was around 6-7 years into playing around with the z400 project and it was pretty close to being finished, but I still had not intention of riding it myself, the plan was to just finish it and sell it, but once I put the finishing touches to it there was no way I could just sell it, she was way too pretty to let someone else take it off my hands, so during covid I decided to get my licence and keep the old girl.
The thing I had'nt realised about riding on the open roads is just how much of a sense of freedom you get, its nothing like driving a car, riding a motorcycle is a whole new feeling, a sense you never realised was there to be had, the connection to the road, the different smells, the change in temperatures, learning when to let off, lean in, and accelerate, and like all other forms of biking, it takes you away from all the day to day stresses and bullshit!
Not to get too poetic, but on a quiet day riding a lake road in the Lake District you can find yourself in a bit of a flow state, the switchback corners link together effortlessly and the scenery is ridiculous, it truly is a special feeling!
The 1982 Kawasaki Z400 J3 cafe racer build.
Ryan Roadkill (Moto Artist):
Do you think theres a kind of natural progression from BMX to Motorcycles?
Matt:
For myself, I've always kinda been into Motorcycles, but I definitely think theres a natural progression to a lot of BMXers, its so similar, both are very creative and can be an outlet for individuality, and both have that big family kinda feeling where you're always welcome, we all love coming together to talk shit, have a beer and heckle each other at jams, races, meetings and shows
I think most of us are creatives who think outside the norm, most of us like to build up a BMX with our own individually chosen parts, in the colourway we like etc, much like choosing the style of motorcycle we choose to ride and how we like to customise them to our own taste.
Some folk like to do as many tricks as possible, and some like to just do a kickout on some flowy trails
Some folk like to put leathers on and go as fast as possible, and some folk just want to look cool as fuck and just cruise around.
There isn't a set way to do things, you just go with what you like..... but all of it is fun!
Where the magic happens!
Ty Hardy (OG TWC rider):
I'm aware Tu Wheels Co has a real racing style to it, what is/ was your main influence/ inspiration behind it? Has this come from early BMX style or through Motocross?
Matt:
I suppose my roots in both BMX and Motocross go back to the mid 1980's/ early 90's (the glory days of racing), back then racing gear was bold and simple so it stuck in your head. Even BMX back then was from the racing side of things, loads of guys wearing racing gear at jump contests, so it was just what you saw!
Racing the last ever Brampton Mx
Fred Murray (Dig Magazine):
What feels scarier, a dead sailor on a bmx, or getting speed wobbles on a motorbike?
Matt,
Both in there own right are heart in mouth moments where you don't know whether you're going to walk away from it or not, but personally i'd say on a motorbike, you're normally going way faster and if you eat shit, its definitely going to hurt way more. I've never had proper speed wobbles on my road bikes, but i've definitely hit the deck hard a few times racing motocross in my younger days, once your front tyre grips a rut you're most definitely going for a dirt nap!
Fred:
How Different are the communities, and what do you love about each?
Matt:
Both are similar in many ways, I think thats why I love them both so much!
The bulk of the people in both communities are like minded, and you feel like you have a connection with everyone through a shared love of bicycles and motorcycles.
BMXers can definitely be a bit wilder at times like at jams or after parties, but both BMX and motorcycle communities seem to be very creative, both pick their own type of riding, eg: like choosing street, dirt or park on a BMX, or choosing road, trails or track riding.
Fred:
How did your BMX style influence the way you ride a motorcycle?
Matt:
I'm not saying I am, but I always wanted to be smooth on a BMX and flow well on whatever I'm riding, I guess it's like riding a big bowled corner and leaning the bike over as much as possible, trying to get that floating feeling as the wall holds you around it, which is kinda like hitting a big sandy berm where it almost allows you to lay the bike flat, or getting to a big sweeping road bend when you can lean it in and wind the power on in confidence!