This is a brief history on how it all started.
My name is Rob Fryer,I got into quad racing back in 1990/91, due to a quite serious knee injury I received in motocross.
It all started with my yellow/red and black Yamaha TRI-Z 250 Auto quad,which I had bought for my brother Mark,who was in wheelchair,for him to ride around on,I had a go on it and loved it...(apart from when the top of the steering stem broke off...,but thats another story), that was it I was hooked.I sold my then current mx bike for a Suzuki LT250.
(Above) My Yamaha TRI-Z 250 trike with the autocheck front end.
(Above) Here i am using the first cut tyres i ever done, leading a race on my Suzuki LT250R back in 93/94 at a Vale of the White Horse meeting at Wroxton,Oxfordshire.
I joined up with the then,Mid Hants quad club(Hampshire mx club) the Cobra quad club and the Vale of the white horse and off racing we went with me old man (Alan) and brother (Mark) nearly every week.
Racing is what I loved then and still do now.
Tyres..... most people ask, how did you get into it?
When I was racing in the early days I saw a couple of top riders in the country using mini tyres,but they had cuts in them,I got hold of some and my Dad cut them for me,it took him nearly two days,because he used the smallest blade you have ever seen.So from then on I cut all my own tyres.Many poeple saw them and asked for some for them selves,next thing I know I am cutting tyres for the top boy/girls in the country and it has gone on from there.
In 1999 I started working for Bridgestone Motorsport in their F1 racing service team,basicly we travelled around the world to all F1 races and tests,fitting tyres for the teams on Bridgestone tyres,then when the cars were on the track we would be in the team garage working with them,ie.presures,tyre wear.etc,etc.
(BELOW) That is me on the left, balancing rear dry tyres for Ferrari`s Micheal Shummacher.
not the best of pics.
(above) Justin on the earlier cut mini tyres from Culham 02
I was still cutting mini tyres when I was back at the factory in the UK,between races.Learning the right and wrongs on cutting tyres,from a few of the engineers from Japan.I was working on a design of tyre that would work in the dry,but would also work when wet!! This is were the"EDGE RF1" tyre comes from.
Pontrillas was the next round of the then British championships,i had cut an all new pattern,Justin Reid (Two times British quad champion and multy Irish quad champion)who has done all our testing,put them on,won all three races on the day,brilliant,a good days racing,but earlier in the day had said about a bit of under steer in a few corners which had played on my mind a bit,so when i was back at the factory i spoke to one of the Bridgestone engineers,who worked in the rally department before coming to the F1 dept.He spoke of his expriances in this and we had chat about it.
Next time I meet up with Justin,( cant remember which round)I had a new pattern in which I had come up with,he put them on and tried them... I had solved the under steer issue.
(above) Justin comes into land at Drumglog 03 on the hand cut Edge tyres.
(below) Holeshot at Culham 03.
More Culham 03 below.
( Below) Little silver,Exeter.
So this is the begining of the EDGE RF1 story.
More soon.......
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COMPETITION TIME FOR ALL THE OLDIES.
Below is a photo taken by me at a British championship round back in the 90`s..
Can you name the track in which it was held and any of the riders.
