Wise Words is our 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 to you from none other than Frida Rønning.
Frida Rønning is an up-and-coming Norwegian pinner, riding for The Union, and is bothering the World Cup top 10. She was out most of the 2022 season recovering from concussion but we’ll hopefully see her back to full form in 2023.
When not racing, she’s studying to complete a PhD in mechanical engineering, specialising in electrolysers, which may well be the future of our electricity production.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
That’s a pretty hard question, but I like to think maybe pretty smooth and precise with a little bit of steeze.
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?
I think maybe a nice couple of tool boxes and tools. Always having what you need to take care of your bikes, and it being organized well, is really nice. I’ve made a little day ride tool box as well as a weekend adventure tool box, so I always have what I need when I’m riding.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
Nothing too unusual. Maybe a couple of things that are unusual for a dh mountain biker, I really enjoy pedaling even though I’m not particularly good at it. Going for a pedal up a mountain or a road ride calms my mind so I often do when I have a lot going on.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
Slow down. Take some time to learn skills on a bike or just play around on a hardtail. In my opinion that’s one of the best ways to become a better bike rider and therefore also a faster racer.
For what to ignore, I’m not really sure. Maybe, you don’t need all the fancy equipment to be a better rider. Focus more on improving yourself and improving what you have before spending a lot of money to get faster.
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?
Riding in Morzine. I really enjoy going for a big day starting from Morzine. It’s so cool how you can go from bike park to bike park there, ride so many good trails and see so many amazing views in one day. Preferably with some good friends. No need to change anything.
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?
That’s a hard question. I don’t really believe in wasted time. Every mistake you make is something you can learn from, so I don’t look at it as time wasted. But, maybe trying to do everything perfectly instead of enjoying the process. Nothing ever goes exactly like planned and just learning to be okay with that instead of stressing about it.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
Normally by thinking of what I want to accomplish. It’s worth putting in some effort to get where you want to be.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
Learning something new while having fun with friends. I really love riding my bike, especially with good people pushing each other to try new things. It doesn’t have to be something major, but maybe hitting a new jump, finding a new line, trying something I was originally scared of or working on learning how to do a whip or a scrub a little better.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
Couple of the gnarly injuries some people have had.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
Hopefully get more girls on bikes.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Joe Bowman.
