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 come to you from Max Nerurkar.
Max will be rocking a Cannondale Habit under the watchful eye of one former World Cup champ Josh Bryceland but is fairly handy in his own right. Artist, pinner and part of the 50to01 gang, Max has got his fingers in plenty of pies.
Photos by Paul Bliss.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
A small boy with a bike.
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?
Hip pads.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
I spend a lot of time thinking about the world and what the fuck is going on with all the corruption and inequality.
Like, why do so many people in resource-rich situations still end up being bored and miserable? I heard it’s something to do with the money, but nobody’s told me exactly what yet.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
That riding mountain bikes is a crazy privileged activity that very few people have the opportunity to enjoy. I am only doing it because my parents are doctors and I live rent-free.
They should ignore people who say there’s better things they could be doing than riding their bikes.
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?
So many, I honestly can’t choose, I wouldn’t be changing nuttin’.
What have you wasted the most time on in your life as a rider or bike industry career that you wish you’d given up years ago?
Worrying about what other people think of me or whether they think what I do is good.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
First answer is child protected but it rhymes with ‘I broke a lot of what?’ but that’s pretty hit and miss on where it’s gonna take you…
So mainly I watch videos of people who inspire me or listen to music that fills me with energy. What usually ends up getting me out of the funk is finding something new that I haven’t seen or heard before, that excites me and reminds me that the world isn’t stagnating and that anything is possible when you forget about the shit that holds you back.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
Being in the forest with a crew that doesn’t want to be anywhere else. Also doing something cool when lots of people are watching, that really gets the ego smiling.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
It might be more than a year ago now, but that parody video of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Humble’ that won Dirt Diaries feels to me on par with most war crimes. Its affect has been felt by thousands and I am sure it brought nothing but confusion and anger to those affected.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
I would like to make stuff that inspires more people to ride bikes.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Graydawg.
