Wise Words is our new interview series talking to some of mountain biking’s most switched on people.
We’ll ask our short list of questions to a heap of influential, inspiring and outspoken people that we feel are driving the direction of mountain biking today. Some will make you think, some will make you laugh, some will be plain dumb, some will inspire you to better yourself and your riding. We hope!
In the Wise Words corner this week is none other than Anka Martin.
There is pretty much nothing it seems that Anka can’t do well, while her infectious smile and personality gets everyone else smiling and having fun too. From World Cup downhiller, Enduro World Series pinner, Trans-Provence stalwart, guide, brand ambassador, the list is almost endless.
A good egg.
Pinned! Photo by Sven Martin.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
I start off slow and steady, but I can keep going all day. I don’t get sucked into uphill sprints, I’m not a big chatter on the climbs, I’m not interested in your Strava stats and I usually have heaps of snacks and a sandwich or two stashed in my bag.
I’m that annoying person constantly stopping to look at trees, flowers & birds. Riding makes me happy, so I smile a lot.
What thing or things have you bought in the last year that had the biggest effect on your life as a mountain biker / cyclist / person that works in the bike industry?
This is probably not what you were looking for, but it has been our record player. It’s been the best. I love the fact that you don’t use your phone to activate it, you sit down and listen to every song, you read the words and appreciate all the rad album cover graphics.It makes me a happier person.
On my actual bike it has to be the new Reverb dropper post lever. Holy moly, I have no idea how my thumb used to operate the previous version, but man, this new one is ace.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
I roll my shorts up when pedalling uphill – I can’t stand anything restricting my knees. I blow my nose (Zulu hanky style), so stay clear if you’re behind me, I sweat a lot, pretty sure more than your average female rider and I’m always on the lookout for a piece of bike flare in the form of a pretty leaf, flower or a feather of some sort to come along for the ride.
Photo by Sven Martin.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
Mountain bike because you love mountain biking. Because you love where the journey takes you, because of the beauty. Soak it all in, stop, look around & wonder about your surroundings.
That is why I mountain bike, because you can access the most incredible places & temporarily remove yourself from your daily routines.
Don’t get too caught up in the trends, the fads, the forums, the latest & the greatest, the gadgets, the stats. Just keep it simple, and head out on a bike ride. Don’t take anything too seriously, we’re just riding bikes after all, kids play right?
If you could go back and re-ride one day from your life so far, where/what/when/who would it be? Would you change anything?
I would re-ride the day back in 2005 in Whistler when Sven crashed & broke his neck.
It was a horrible day. At the same time, that accident taught me and us so much and it really put everything into perspective for me. It was also the day when I fell out of love with my downhill bike, but fell back in love with the simple pleasure of riding my bicycle for miles and miles on end.
What have you wasted the most time on in your life as a rider or bike industry career that you wished you’d given up years ago?
I don’t really have any regrets as a rider, as a racer, maybe I would have preferred to stop racing professionally a few years earlier to spend more time exploring new places, but it’s the bloody social media that has wasted so much of my time over the past few years. F*&k you Facebook!
Photo by Boris Beyer.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
I walk away from my bike and head out for a run or a hike, usually followed by a swim in the sea. It clears my head and allows me to actually think about and appreciate other things. When I’m mountain biking I don’t think about anything other than the trail and trying to get down it. I’ll keep doing this until I feel the need to really get back on my bike again.
I also do love a bit of a city fix, people watching, trend spotting and sipping over priced, fancy cups of coffee. I am actually one of those crazy people that sit and drink coffee alone without my phone.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
The simple feeling of the wind in my face when freewheeling down a hill, while gently turning the pedals. The simplicity of that circular motion is what I crave and keep coming back for.
Photo by Boris Beyer.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
I’m not a huge fan of this whole extreme feminist business that a lot of people seem to be going on about at the moment in the bike industry. Women want to be treated equally in the biz, but then they want special treatment at the same time, so I’m a bit confused about all of this BS.
I do what I do because I’m passionate about biking, it doesn’t matter if I’m a man or a woman or whatever, just do whatever you do with passion and love and I won’t be offended if you call me a pussy.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
To give back to people and kids who have nothing. Getting under-privileged kids, especially girls out on bicycles to build their confidence through the simple act of pedalling a bike, and through that, they can strive for a better future, be more productive and create their own future.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Rachael Walker, Julia Hobson & of course the one and only MrsGoWhereScotland (Aneela McKenna)!
