GERMAN stunt king Hans Rey has ridden the rim of a boiling volcano, performed wheelies on a terrifying 800 feet ledge at the towering Cliffs of Moher and jumped over a car on a gridlocked Los Angeles freeway.

Extreme sports pioneer Rey is the Lionel Messi of mountain bike adventures – and he is gearing up for a special journey to Clitheroe to reveal the secrets behind his death defying feats in the saddle at the Grand venue next month.

“I’m very lucky, I’ve been all over the world, 70 countries – I like the idea of being a modern day Indiana Jones,” said Rey.

“That sense of adventure has always gripped me, being the first to ascend Mount Kenya on a bike or traversing the Sinai Peninsular.”

But you confront Mother Nature at your peril as Hans recalled when he tackled one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet.

He added: “This crazy German moviemaker asked me to come to Hawaii, filming me doing a bike dance on the side of a volcano.

“There I was, on a cliff with 2,000 degrees lava flowing into the ocean below and fist size rocks barrelling through the air.

“It was night, with the steam from the ocean being lit red by the lava.

“That was nuts, but the craziest place I’ve ever rode was through the rush hour traffic in New Delhi.”

Rey’s 50 now, but cut his teeth when he was a 12-year-old riding trials bikes in the Black Forest.

However, when he went to America he was to prove an overnight sensation and signed a deal with Swatch watches.

Now the sport’s greatest ambassador has acted in Hollywood – appearing in TV series Pacific Blue, about the Santa Monica Bike Police, as well as performing his stunts on every continent.

“Riding is like meditation for me; the visualisation, the finesse in pulling off a move, the body control – it is very satisfying.

“I do have to fight about people’s preconceptions, though.

“They think, ‘He should be doing something else at his age.

“A lot of my friends retired at 30 because it was expected.

“There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not like tennis or golf where you can retire in wealth and luxury.

“I’ve definitely no regrets because I’m still living the dream.”

A decade ago, Rey founded Wheels4Life, a non-profit making charity that provided bicycles for people in Third World countries in need of transportation.

Last year 7,000 bicycles had been given out to students, healthcare workers and farmers and often the results were life changing.

“Even the smallest chores like visiting the nearest water hole can be four miles away, so doing things faster and easier on the bike makes a huge difference to a family,” added Hans.

“There was one kid who wanted to become a doctor but didn’t have a job.

“Then he got work on a building site in the next village, riding there each day.

“It meant that he had earned enough money to finish his studies at university.”

Hans Rey, Clitheroe Grand, Sunday, March 5, co-promoted by the Green Jersey Bike Shop, Clitheroe. Details from the box office on 01200 421599