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!
This week’s Wise Words comes from mountain bike powerhouse, Mr. Rowan Sorrell.
Rowan Sorrell is a man of many talents. From World Cup racer to trail builder and now director of Bike Park Wales, there’s certainly a fair few feathers in this man’s cap. One of the hardest cornering riders out there, you have to feel sorry for his bike.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
You couldn’t print that… They’d probably say something like: Injury prone, passionate, dedicated and occasionally loose.
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?
Hold on… I’m going to go there; the e-bike. An e-bike as an addition to my bike collection has meant that I can make more of the odd hour window I may get in the working week squeezing in a few descents and has allowed me to explore the wider countryside that I’ve never accessed before.
This combined with the time spent riding the trail bike or DH bike on the weekend has brought even more options and fun to my riding. I resisted them, then I tried one properly and you cannot deny that they are just fun. My only concern is the environmental side with the used batteries.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
Admiring and taking photos of trees, I love a fine specimen. I guess it’s due to spending so many years working and riding in woodlands, I’ve become a bit of a tree geek and as I learn more about them, they do blow my mind a little.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
Hear: Tread your own path, ride what makes you happy and don’t follow the crowds. Unless of course, that is exactly what you want to do.
Ignore: Don’t believe the hype. Many riders feel they have to spend extortionate amounts on bikes and product and that it will improve their riding, they could invest that money into riding time and gain so much more.
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?
Tough one, for downhill I’d say Schladming on any given Sunday, I love that track, it sums up what DH is all about. Alpine, high speed, choppy and rough with great dirt.
On a more exploratory tip I’d go back to my stag do when 16 friends came together in Jamaica with the Singletrack Jamaica crew, it was an amazing time riding great trails, drinking rum and travelling around one of the most beautiful islands in the world.
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?
Punctures and broken rims. Don’t get me wrong, it’s much better now but I still feel we are a few years away from something really solid.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
I very rarely lack motivation to ride, I’ve always rode a real mix of bikes and styles from TTRs and jump bike through to trail and downhill bikes and the variety that comes with that means I simply never get bored of riding. I ride according to my mood on the bike and place that suits. Some days I’m in the mood to ride hard and push things, others it’s about the journey and exploring the great outdoors.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
It’s not one thing but independence, peace and that fix of adrenaline, that’s what really does it for me.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
Like many others I get annoyed by lack of compatibility and short-sighted changes, so I’d have to say it is some new industry ‘standard’ hub/bb/headset/ *delete as appropriate.
I’m not a luddite and design improvements are naturally welcomed, but when things change so often for seldom no tangible benefit, or there appears to be no joined up strategy and customers become part of a power struggle between the big brands, I feel like the industry are making mugs out of their customers, and that’s not cool.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
Genuine puncture protection systems that are well designed, co-ordinated between brands and user-friendly.
Imagine that, being able to run any tyre/rim combination with a standard fitment puncture protection system that can be installed by hand by anyone. Is that too much to ask for?
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Chris Ball, James McKnight, Bob Campbell, or my Czech mate Pavel Hornik.
