Rachel Bird – very sad news
Ex-club member Rachel, a close friend of mine and many others in the Club has sadly lost her battle with cancer on Saturday 19th January. Many of us have know Rachel for years, myself almost 15. She and some friends joined up with Bigfoot after bumping into us in the woods on night time rides in Cranham – and the group became one! The rest is really history. I have many fun memories which I can share with you and here are just a few. We went on the Bigfoot Freeride Spain holiday in 2004 and to Ride Serira Nevada Spain for several years together, we taught each other to jump and to drop on our bikes and fell in love with downhilling. We enjoyed downhilling together in Morzine for a couple of years, we did the Mega Alvalanche race in 2007, the Bigfoot trip to do the Pass Porte du Soleil, downhilling in Chatel and Switzerland. We raced downhill together, Rachel often beating me by just 1 or 2 seconds. We lived for downhilling and visited much of the country riding all the downill tracks we could ….. Abercarn, Cwm Carn, Mynth Du, Foel Gasnach, Gethin, Moelfre, UK Freeride Park, Forest of Dean, Scotland, Hopton, Bringewood, Ashton Hill …. Rachel loved to travel the world cycling and met her husband Andy on a cycling trip to Peru! Both of them have been to the Rocky Mountains, California and Canada any many other locations besides. Her love for XC riding saw her racing team events and also pair events with myself, Ian, Tim P with some fantasic results. In 2008 she achieved the UK Masters XC National Points Series – 2nd place. Rachel had been riding bikes since mountain bikes were invented … way back when she was very young, cyling was her passion. I’ve attach some random photos taken over the years. If you’d like share any memories you have of Rachel, please feel free to add them below. 
Janet, i hope you don’t mind, a found a few pictures from some adventures with Rach, Jason:
Our snowy trip to find the Wentwood downhill a few years ago, note the Pink bike at the end 
Wentwood Downhilling from Bigfoot MBC on Vimeo.
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – Happy time and Beer oclock
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – The gang
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – Rach
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – Andy (Rachs husband) top man
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – Happy time and Beer oclock
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – Happy time and Beer oclock and the walk of Shame for Andy guided by Rach
Our trip to the Alps and the PDS 2010 – Me and Rach sizing up a massive drop on the right, we decided against it in the end, thank god!
Bontrager 24 / 12 – Another first spot for Rach, a common theme
Bontrager 24 / 12 – Rach and the gang having a laugh
Rachel at 2010 Bristol Bikefest
Rachel at 2010 Bristol Bikefest
Very sad news Janet. I never had the pleasure of riding with Rachel, but met her a number of times at club events over the last few years. She was so much fun and full of life. Our thoughts are with Andy and her family.
I had great respect for Rachel and felt really sorry that this happened to her. My first ride with Rachel was one heck of a wake up call as she gave us one mother of a beating. As time passed she showed us what could be done and how the trails should be ridden. But of course it was really great fun, and she gave me a ribbing for being a physicist and not knowing how to open a gate. And at events like the Bristol Bike Fest, even though she took them seriously and did really well, she had time to talk and was friendly offering a cup of tea and all. She is sorely missed.
That is sad news Janet – those are some lovely pictures and memories though, thank you for sharing them.
Very sad news indeed Janet. I have added a few more pictures and a video to your post if that is ok from some of our adventures from the Passportes Du Soleil 2010, Bontrager 24 12 and Wentwood? I know I have more from our fun times up at Stinch, I was very lucky to be accompanied by two girlies in the woods on the down hilling uplift days I had the pleasure of going on with Rach and Janet….
Rach was a bit of an inspiration, it she showed that if you get out there and put in the effort and hard work into biking, you will be rewarded..and she showed that time and time again with numerous podium spots in all MTB disciplines from solo and team events to down hilling. I would like to think that her positive attitude of “just get on a do, don’t moan” has rubbed off on members, it certainly has done to me. All our thoughts go out to Andy and the family at this sad time from myself, Karolina and the Bigfoot club.
very sad janet and our thoughts are with the family
This is very very sad news. Rachel was larger than life and she made everyone that was around her laugh and joke in equal measure. The 2010 alps trip was the pinnacle of that, the walk of shame for both Andy and Rachel will live with me for years. She wasn’t too shabby on the bike either…. Andy and Rachel went to Whistler for their honeyoon which is testament to how much she enjoyed it
Our thoughts are with Andy and her family, Peter and Jo.
Sorry to hear the news and my heart goes out to Rachel’s family, i was lucky to have ridden with Rachel a fair few times normally in the rain and mud and will hold on to the fond memory’s,certainly the time at Birdlip when me William D and Rachel were the only ones to turn up to a night ride in about a foot of snow and she just had this great get out and get on with it attitude of witch inspired others, we have missed Rachel and will continue to miss her.
Wow, what an impressive CV!! If that’s not an inspiration in itself then i don’t know what is. Never met Rachel, but my thoughts are with her family and friends!!
Such very sad news, if i have one memory it is of Rachel leading a group of us around Cranham on a night ride very muddy and very cold she totally run us ragged, some of us gave up and went our own way but on she went, did she ever get tired, my thoughts are with her family and friends.
Terry
As every who has commented it was a pleasure to have know Rachel see was an inspiration to us all over the years will be sadly missed.Thoughts go out to Andy and family.
Mikec
Terribly sad news, sympathy to Andy and family. I didn’t know Rachel well and only rode with her a couple of times at places like Coed-y-Brenin, but she always seemed very enthusiastic and took everything head-on.
I’ve added a couple of pictures from the 2010 Bikefest.
Some more stories starting Rach from the Bigfoot archives from the past few years…..
http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk/2010/12/bigfoot-new-years-honours-2011-the-results/ Bigfoot Racer of the Year
http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk/2011/05/north-wales-trip/ Another North Wales Adventure
http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk/2010/08/bontrager-24-12-newham-park/ Bonty 24/12
http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk/2009/10/come-on-in-the-singletracks-lovely/ Gorrick Racing
http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk/2009/07/bontrager-twentyfour12-mixed-team/ Some more Bonty action
http://www.bigfootmbc.co.uk/2009/04/enduro-6-bigfoot-pair-miss-out-on-1st-place-by-6-seconds/ enduro 6
Was so sorry to here this news, and my thoughts and best wishes go out to Andy and the rest of her family. I had a lot of respect for Her and likewise, was on the receiving end of many pain train beastings in my early times with the club. But she was always willing to pass on skills, and I remember being shown the way on one particular trip to the steep Stintchcombe trails. Fun times remembered.
Such sad news and loss to all who knew Rachel! Great pictures and memories of a great girl who inspired, brought fun and laughter to everyone she knew.
I met Rachel a few months after I had been riding with the club. I noticed how a few riders peeled off with her late into the ride, and found out that she was recovering from Cancer treatment. It was not long though before she was leading the Wednesday night rides, and we were all trying to keep up. Yes she inspired everyone with her, just get out and ride attitude:) Rachel had a wicked sense of humour, always some playful ribbing. I loved to see Rachel and her Dad Simon riding together, having fun and teasing each other:) I thought, how cool is that! I want to be fit enough to have fun with my kids when I am older, not just sat in a pub chair talking about it.
I remember during a Wednesday night ride, she introduced us to the downhill runs at Leckhampton. I had never rode trails that loose and steep before, and neither had a few other new guys. Rach just said, drop your saddles, this is proper Mountain Biking:) People were coming off all over the place as she just rode down in her smooth and fast style! A few guys never came back out with us after that ride. But I loved it! and had the pleasure or learning to ride better with Rachel, Janet, Mark Sayers, Philip Top and other Bigfoot riders:)
Rachel just loved riding her Bikes, and her life revolved around them. Her husband Andy, Dad SImon, and brother, all riding and taking holidays with her.
I was devastated to hear in December 2010 that the Cancer had returned! Rachel continued to ride though and never grumbled. Myself and a few others were lucky enough to still meet up and ride with Rachel. I think she preferred to ride in a smaller group. So not effecting others peoples rides, as she would get tired easier, but she still had her bike skills and enthusiasm.
It was a great pleasure knowing and riding with Rachel, she will be very missed by all who knew her.
Life is for living, Rachel always lived hers.
My thoughts are with Andy, Simon and Rachel’s family.
So sorry to hear this news.
Rachel was as stated above an inspiration to me, never giving up always the first up a climb in cranham and first to give encouragement to those that needed it. She seemed to have endless amounts of energy and enthusiasm for mountain biking.
It was a pleasure to have known her and ride with her.
My thoughts go out to her family at this time of great loss.
Very sad news.
Had good times riding DH at Lecky & the Forest & racing the Dragon Downhill races with Her & Janet.
She will be missed.
My thought are with her family.