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OUR VALUES

Dirt Factory is a Manchester-based company, created by five friends with a passion for mountain biking. Our mission is to get more people cycling more often by offering fun and rewarding riding experiences in major cities, local communities and at events. 

We follow a simple formula, we combine fun experiences with progressive activities to help improve people’s physical and mental health. We passionately believe that cycling and more specifically, off-road cycling, can contribute a great deal in tackling many issues we face in day to day life.

We want to give people the chance to ride fun and exciting trails whatever the weather, after work or school, through the darker nights or when travelling long distances is not an option. Central to the Dirt Factory ethos is that by having fun on your bike, you will improve your skills, health, well-being and confidence, and are more likely to cycle more often.

If you are interested in giving mountain biking a go and wondering where to start, just get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

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Fun-02

FUN

We want everyone to feel comfortable and have fun.

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INCLUSIVE

We are friendly and inclusive with others and help individuals based on their own needs.

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INSPIRING

We support others to achieve progression through learning, demonstrating and mentoring.

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PROFESSIONAL

We act with integrity, reliability and responsibility to provide a quality service.

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SUSTAINABLE

We will grow Dirt Factory sustainably and help others to become more sustainable in their everyday lives.

PARTNER UP

We are working with a number of partner organisations to develop Dirt Factory and get more people having fun on bikes. Please click the logos below to find out more about the organisations supporting Dirt Factory.

Dirt Factory is engaging a broad community of cyclists who ride to have fun, exercise and learn new skills. We are keen to partner with businesses who share our vision and would like to benefit from the unique opportunities we can offer.

We are looking to establish mutually beneficial partnerships with local, national and international businesses. If you are keen to boost brand awareness, deliver social return on investment, stimulate your staff or drive sales of your products or services, a partnership with Dirt Factory can help you achieve your goals.

Our vision and passion for mountain biking present many opportunities to brands looking to engage service users of all ages and demographic. From product launches, demo days and networking events to advertising, affiliate marketing and supplying items to our shop, Dirt Factory can give your brand a boost in many different ways.

Ultimately we will look to develop a partnership which helps Dirt Factory expand and grow and that delivers real value for your organisation and our customer experience.

If you have a partnership idea in mind or if you would like us to discuss opportunities, please email us at [email protected]

OUR TEAM

Dirt Factory is delivered by a passionate staff and management team. Our love for bikes, spades and bringing people together has been harnessed within the development of Dirt Factory. We are using our shared passion constructively to bring mountain biking and BMX to a much wider audience.

Our six directors are professionals with a wide range of experience from the bike industry, construction and project management, finance and accounting, marketing and education. Our shared skills and passion are driving Dirt Factory forwards – building a brand that will deliver truly unique experiences and leisure facilities.


Dan Makin

Founder and CEO


Andy Fowler

Communications and Marketing Director


Mark McClure

Director and Trail Specialist


Gary Hampson

Director and Trail Specialist


Ian Wheeler

Schools and Community Director


Stuart Brierley

Financial Advisor


OUR STORY

  • 2009

    Five friends gathered around a table for the first time to discuss their business idea.
  • 2010

    Dan and Mark attended Euro Bike. They established key partnerships with pump track manufacturer Parkitect and various other brands. They were also lucky enough to witness Danny Hart’s unbelievable winning run at the Downhill World Championships in Champery.
  • 2011-2013

    Dan left his site manager job at Morgan Sindall and traveled to Whistler bike park for two months of riding. Once back in reality the next few years involved lots of meetings, research, learning from others, visiting bike parks and writing our business plan (while working various other full-time jobs).
  • 2014

    The vision and business plan was complete, but communicating the vision was a challenge. A close friend of Dan’s worked up a computerised 3D model in his spare time, which was used to drum up support. Soon after Dan and Mark built a physical model the size of a small table, it was awesome. Dan and Andy then carried the model through the middle of rainy Manchester and up an elevator to Piers Linney. It was during our meeting with Piers when we first explored the concept of crowd funding.
  • 2015

    Dirt Factory Limited was incorporated at Companies House and the funding journey began. Dirt Factory was awarded a 5k innovation grant and used the money to create a detailed 3D visualization of their vision. This was a pivotal moment because finally the scale and vision could be communicated much easier to potential funders.
  • 2016

    Dirt Factory raised £431k on Crowdcube thanks to the amazing support from 517 people. Dan Makin was appointed CEO and the real hard work began.
  • 2016-2018

    Dirt Factory seeks a 70,000-90,000 sq ft warehouse but a number of premise moves fall through. In the background Dirt Factory uses the funds to purchase a Parkitect modular pump track and BigAirBag. This equipment has been used to deliver over 70 school and community outreach projects and events. The Dirt Factory brand and network really started to grow from here and we still work with the same clients today.
  • 2019-2021

    We got the keys to open the UK’s first indoor bike park in the heart of Manchester. The building size was a third of the size we had initially planned and was only temporary, which is why we chose the name Dirt Factory Pop-Up Bike Park. Our team set about creating a condensed version of the vision and delivered an amazing leisure experience.