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!
Gareth Brewin is dispensing the wisdom in this week’s Wise Words.
You’ll more than likely have seen Gareth Brewin, or Gazzy B as he’s also known, driving the Atherton Racing team truck and pits across Europe during race season, slinging a downhill bike about at the UK nationals, and welding great big Cummins diesel engines into his Defender in the off season.
Photo by Sven Martin.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
From a riding perspective, I’d say lazy.
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?
Waterproof socks and winter gloves have transformed riding in the winter months for me.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
People might say I spent too much time working on my Land Rover. But riding-wise my bad habit would probably be pushing up more hills than riding.
Photo by Sandy Plenty.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
Advice to hear: If you’re not having fun, do something different.
Advice to ignore: that going to the gym is more important than riding your bike.
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?
2014 MSA World Cup finals, loved the track that year. The thing I’d change would be to go buy some good tyres so I didn’t get another puncture.
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?
Doing the same events year in, year out, for so long.
Photo by Sven Martin.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
It’s taken me well over a month now to resign to the fact its not dusty anymore. I normally motivate myself by getting to an uplift instead of pedalling.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
Sliding through a fast corner with my foot off.
Photo by Sandy Plenty.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
Not really anything, I think you can take a lesson from the things that have happened. Even if they happened for the wrong reasons.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
Another Trans Provence.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Dan Atherton.
