Glyn O’Brien is one of the legends of the sport of mountain biking. We chat Rampage podiums, race series and the state of play with Big OB.
Only if you’ve been living under a rock will you have failed to see Glyn O’Brien’s name pop up every now an again. A World Cup racer from the late 90s through to the mid naughties, fireman, race organiser, racer, trailbuilder, the list goes on. Let’s just say Glyn has fingers in lots of pies.
Who is Glyn O’Brien?
In my purest form I am a cyclist. If you break it down I can be a racer, adventurist, coach, guide, trail builder, event organiser, team manager, ambassador, firefighter, husband and friend. My natural habitat is simply being outside on a bike with friends.
What’s your background in cycling?
I started off racing BMX until that fizzled out in the early 90s. I dabbled at Moto-X for a few years and then started racing downhill in 1995. These days you could find me riding a cross country bike or even a road bike! Enduro racing is where my competitive streak is focused, but my passion is still downhill racing. It’s the Formula 1 of mountain biking, right?!
What’s your background in the cycling industry?
When I stopped racing World Cups I wanted to stay in the MTB industry one way or the other. I started my own business called First Tracks to provide coaching and guiding. It was fairly low key at the time and I also worked in a friend’s bike shop for a few years (Green Bikes).
Since then First Tracks has evolved into event organising, race teams, trail building consultancy, providing stunt doubles for Disney and so much more. It’s really interesting as sometimes we don’t know what could happen next. That’s the way I like it.
What got you into riding bikes?
That’s just what my family did. I raced BMX with my brothers and friends. It was totally normal to me and became a lifestyle that I will follow forever. I would probably be in a lot of trouble if it wasn’t for bikes!
When was your first race?
I was about 4 years old and BMX racing was booming. My first Downhill race was on Sugarloaf mountain in 1995 just outside Dublin. Funny enough just yesterday I visited a new bike park in Dublin called GAP. I took the uplift to the top where it overlooks Sugarloaf, that brought back a lot of memories. Pushing up, kitchen clocks etc. How times have changed!
When did you start racing World Cups?
My first international race was the 1997 World Championships in Chateaux D’oex, Switzerland. What an eye opener! That year I had been racing the British National Point Series, now the BDS, and was lucky to get picked up by a team called Rotec/White Bros. 1998 was my first World Cup season and from there I went World Cup racing until 2006.
Favourite moment from travelling with the World Cup circus?
As you can imagine there was some wild times! I was lucky to spend it with some of my best friends like John Lawlor, Honcho and Ben Reid. One of the most memorable times was spending a month in Austria with the Irish team training for the Worlds. Jackass was on TV, so on the first night the sleepy town of Lermoss got a rude awakening from a bunch of Irish guys with mohicans staging a kidnapping.
Picture a full grown man in a nappy, gaffer tape over his mouth and so on! We all got arrested and the authorities closed the Austrian/German borders until we could prove using our video cameras it was just a joke. We became best friends with the local police after this.
What made you pack it in?
Like any good thing it has to come to an end. I got so much out of it I consider myself very lucky. Although it was hard work at times you have to pull the pin sometime. Priorities change and things move on. No regrets.
You famously podiumed at the Red Bull Rampage, that must have been a mad old day?
Yeah I was up for anything back then! My friend Dave Watson got me into it after seeing some of the things I built in my local woods just for fun. I went out there with no expectations but just to ride and send it off some cliffs. After shitting my pants several times I figured it out, started digging and pulled 3rd out of the bag. Class!
How did Vitus First Tracks come about?
Well as you know First Tracks is my own business. Vitus Bikes are a long term sponsor from our friends at Chain Reaction Cycles. So from this, the Vitus First Tracks Enduro Cup was born, along with the team – Vitus First Tracks Race Division.
What made you want to start an enduro series?
Good question, I enjoy a challenge! It’s all about timing really. I don’t want to JUST race, and more people in Ireland are getting into the Sport. I got so much out of mountainbiking that I feel I want to put something back in. Being a racer I believe I can put the right ingredients together to produce awesome events. If people are stoked to race and the energy is there I want to continue improving on what we do each year.
How do you think organising a race series in Ireland differs to other countries?
I would imagine most of the challenges are similar no matter what country you are in. We always think the grass is greener when we look at other series. The reality is a lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes, months and sometimes years before each race happens. The cool thing about it is we have a solid team that creates the perception that it looks easy. Therefore the vibe at our series is really chilled, typically Irish!
Don’t get me wrong though, when it’s time for business we can switch it on. One major difference is the riders, we like to take the stress out of the racing so people can come along and treat it like a weekend hanging with their friends. Irish people are pretty chilled and we want to keep it that way. At the same time though, we take our racing serious so its elbows out on the tracks.
What state is mountain biking in Northern Ireland in?
We only have to go back 3 or 4 years and mountain bikers had not been accepted in society properly. Now its a different story, since the opening of trail centres more and more people are getting into the sport. Everyone now knows someone that rides so the attitude towards mountain bikers has changed.
In Ireland there are now several private ventures opening bike parks and 2 more trail centres have confirmed funding along with the established ones scattered all across the island. We will soon be a major contender as a mountain bike destination on a global scale. Sure where else can you ride bikes, drink Guinness and have the craic!
As far as racing goes we are taking the same turn as the UK. Downhill racing is not just as popular anymore – it’s all about Enduro these days. Let’s hope it can survive, these races rely on riders entry fees. If riders don’t sign up there simply won’t be any more races. Ireland has produced world class riders such as Greg Callaghan and Jacob Dickson, a competitive domestic/national race series are major factors why they have achieved so much and it’s important we look forward to the future. Support your local races folks!
What did you have to sacrifice to get to this stage?
Tough question! Sport is a selfish game, achieving goals requires sacrifice. One cannot escape that fact. Personally I have travelled a lot, trained hard and still constantly tweak my life to make things work. That means missing friends’ birthdays, stag dos, family etc. The list is endless, anyone that has done something similar will understand. Finding a good life balance is the key. Work hard and have fun is the name of the game.
Did you have day jobs that you had to give up?
Yes. I always had a goal in the back of my head and I would do whatever I had to do to get there. Working in a steel yard was not one of my goals! It simply funded the dream. There are many kids out there with similar goals in mind. My only advice is to have a back up! It’s extremely competitive out there and things can be short lived, be smart and always be one step ahead.
Are you working alongside to make ends meet?
I am also a firefighter with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue service. It’s a great job and I really enjoy the change of roles and different challenges each job brings. Variety is the spice of life they say!
How make or break is the company for you?
It has taken a long time, personal investment and lots of energy to get First Tracks where it is today. I am in a good position and will continue so long as the stoke factor stays high. That’s the riders, team and myself.
Has any work you’ve done previously helped with First Tracks and the series?
Absolutely! Everything I have done has been geared towards First Tracks and all that surrounds it.
How did you learn what you needed to know to get your own company off the ground and the riders booking coaching and entering races?
I listened really hard at school! Only kidding. You don’t get taught these kind of things. Yes there are qualifications you can get but mostly its experience. Something you can’t buy! You just have to go out there and learn it. Being prepared to take a few risks also helps.
Any disasters?
Well I am still here so it can’t be that bad! We all make mistakes, its learning from them that separates us. We are constantly tweaking and changing things. Sometimes there is no right or wrong you just have to go by feel.
Favourite moments?
I love creating things so it can be something as simple as building a feature or a trail and getting people stoked on riding it.
Where next for Glyn O’Brien and First Tracks? How do you plan to go about getting extra helpers etc. etc.?
We will certainly keep doing what we are doing for the foreseeable future. Things change all the time and we just have to adapt as we go. Sponsorship and funding is something we constantly work on and without that we would not be where we are today. Who knows the future but I do know I will still be riding my bike whatever happens.
Anybody to thank at this point in the journey? Long suffering spouses/parents/friends?
You will never get far in life without a good team of people behind you.
Thanks to:
My wife Cato for putting up with me. (In return I listen to your crap! Lol), Mum & Dad, Friends, trail builders, Chain Reaction Cycles club, the riders
Also thanks to our sponsors and all their support:
Vitus Bikes, Acti Snack, First Tracks MTB, Think Studio, Silverfish UK (Raceface), WTB, Denis Wilson of Glenavy, Rapid Racer Products, Erdinger Ireland, Conservation Solutions, Fair and Square Insurance, Hill’s Mixtape, Niall Clarke Oils.
Keep ‘er pinned!! OB
