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!
Wise Words this week comes from Cut Media’s top cat, Mr. Stu Thomson.
World Cup racer, Scotland’s only World Cup podium rider up until Reece Wilson joined the club this year, the man who invented World Cup live feed, cultivator of Scottish riding talent, namely being Joe Barnes’ team manager from day one until Canyon, producer of Red Bull’s most watched action sports video (Danny MacAskill’s Imaginate) and The Ridge, Dad, husband…
Stu Thomson has certainly kept himself busy.
Where the magic happens.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
That’s an odd question Peteman… You’re my closest riding buddy so can you not answer it?
Editor’s note: Stu once did a two and a half mile wheelie along the cycle path on the way home from riding Ben Ledi. It was the single best thing that had ever happened.
Since then he’s broken the internet more times than any other handsome cat out there, he can cook a mean dinner and high five like no other.
Just don’t ask him to clean your paint rollers.
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?
My Santa Cruz Stigmata.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
I get the biggest buzz off riding the most technical/difficult trails I can find blind and preferably in the wet too…
I also really like wheelies too, and road bikes, but not wheelie-ing road bikes though.
Photo by Pete Scullion.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
Don’t ever downgrade the trail, upgrade your skills instead…
And ignore anyone that says you need the latest bullshit fad/technology/product to go faster, 99% of riders would get more improvement by a decent coaching session.
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?
Probably just re-ride any day of the 2016 Trans Provence.
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?
Looking for music (for videos).
Danny MacAskill poses for a portrait in Scotland, United Kingdom on August 16, 2016. // Fred Murray / Red Bull Content Pool.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
Phone Pete Scullion.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
Top of a Munro, pissing down with rain, blowing a hoolie (Scottish for strong wind), a massive descent in front of me and either Pete Scullion, MacAskill, 4real (Rob Friel) or (Iain) Nimmo ready to buzz my wheel!
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
Minnaar’s puncture at World Cup finals.
The team check the footage. // Fred Murray / Red Bull Content Pool.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
Make all enduro racing blind.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Ben Cathro, Martin Ashton and Frazer Coupland… Good cats, all of them.
