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 come at you from none other than Max Hartenstern.
Max Hartenstern is part of the recent wave of rapid Germans making their presence felt at World Cups. He’s one of the few riders that can claim a World Cup podium spot and has been with Cube for almost a decade. Unfortunately, he sustain a fractured knee cap in Les Gets and will likely miss the rest of the World Cup season.
Photos by Monica Gasbichler.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
They’d probably say I’m a really disciplined guy who loves riding bikes, but also someone who loves to talk shit and have a laugh. I take the racing and training seriously when I need to, but I don’t think everything around it has to be serious all the time.
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 bought a new coffee machine at the end of last year, which definitely made the mornings and rest days at home a lot nicer.
I also bought a Freelap timing system, which made winter training a bit more attractive and a lot more fun. Being able to put a time against things gives you something to chase and makes those training sessions a little more interesting.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
I’m not sure I have too many unusual habits on the bike, but away from riding I like to go fishing whenever I can find the time for it in the summer. It’s probably quite a good contrast to racing downhill bikes, everything slows down a little bit.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
The biggest advice would be to enjoy riding as much as possible. That’s the reason most of us started riding bikes in the first place.
And if you’re racing, don’t spend too much time looking at the result. Obviously results matter, but if you become too focused on them it’s quite easy to forget about enjoying the riding and the process that gets you there.
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?
I don’t really look backwards like that. There have been too many good days and experiences over the years to pick one single highlight.
I also think some experiences are special because you only get to live them once. I wouldn’t want to go back and change anything either. Changing one thing in the past could completely change where I am today, and I’m enjoying where I am and what I’m doing now.
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?
Probably watching YouTube videos. That isn’t always a bad thing depending on what you’re watching, and you can definitely learn plenty from it, but when I think about how much time I’ve spent doing it over the years, there are probably a few hours I could have used better.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
The feeling of doing well at a race never really gets old. If I’m having a difficult day or struggling with motivation, I think back to how good it feels when everything comes together and you put down a run you’re happy with.
Normally that’s enough to make me want to get back to work pretty quickly.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
Putting mud tyres on my e-bike and going out to shred loam and mud in the winter.
There’s something really simple about just going out when the conditions are horrible, getting completely covered in mud and having fun on the bike without worrying about training, results or anything else.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
I’d probably erase the change from a five-rider podium to a three-rider podium.
I understand that a three-person podium is more normal across most sports, but I always thought the five-rider podium was something quite cool and distinctive about mountain biking. It also gave two more riders the chance to stand on a World Cup podium and gave their teams and sponsors some valuable exposure in return for the support they put into the sport.
In a sport where riders rely so heavily on that support, I think those extra two places had real value.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
For me personally, getting back to consistently racing inside the top ten and getting back onto the podium.
I know what it feels like to be racing at that level, and that’s where I want to be again. The goal is not just to do it once, but to get back to a point where challenging those positions regularly feels normal again.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Kasper Hickman.
