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 to you from Mr. Sandy Plenty.
Sandy Plenty is a parent, rider, racer, owner of the Trailhead Bicycle Co. in Shrewsbury, photographer and many other things, all while being a standard-bearer for mountain biking. A good egg.
How would your closest riding buddies describe you to someone who has never met you?
When asked they replied…. Slightly controlling with regards to the riding route. Enthusiastic. Intense. Driven. Loyal. Deceptively wild. Opinionated AF. Mainly a pain in the ass.
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?
A couple of things spring to mind. I recently purchased a PNW Pebble tool, small sleek & has a built-in Dyna Plug. Then the biggest life changer for me has been my Nuke Proof Megawatt. Having a ‘dicky ticker’ means I can ride further with zero worries. I love it.
What unusual habits do you have as a bike rider?
Brake lever reach, I love having them super close to the bar, makes setup challenging for sure. It drives all the shop mechanics crazy. The other one is well-fitting gloves, I love a fresh set of Royal gloves in small.
What piece of advice do you think every mountain bike rider should hear? And what piece should they ignore?
I would say don’t worry about the latest tech or carbon parts, get yourself some coaching, develop your own skill set & improve as a rider instead. Definitely ignore your mate(s) who want(s) to tell you what bike or kit you should be riding, carve your own path.
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?
It would be Trans Provence 2015, the final day knowing my dad was at the end. I definitely must have had some dust in my eye as I rode into Menton, I couldn’t hold the tears back. My dad has always supported me with riding & with life in general. I wouldn’t change a thing about that day.
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?
Worrying about what other people think about me & my business. The art of not giving a f*ck is one that I am trying to develop as I get older. I still worry. Social media causes me much anxiety at times… I wish I could give up some aspects of social media. Now I hear you say why don’t you just delete all platforms? Sadly it has become an integral part of my business, this then spills into my social side of life.
How do you motivate yourself when you’re struggling or lacking inspiration?
I get a couple of 12 hours sleeps in then I am normally back and ready to go/ Motivation is tricky in the winter I find, doing other sports & mixing it up helps for sure. I am currently 2 years into a hobby sabbatical… I’ll be ready to come back to MTB full time soon… I think.
What single and specific thing about riding bicycles do you gain the most happiness from?
It used to be the adventure side, the exploration & finding or making new trails but now it’s the social aspect, pushing your own riding limits with a bunch of mates down a fun trail, whooping & hollaring, then a full debrief down the pub. This gets me going for sure.
What single thing would you like to erase from cycling history from the last year?
The sudden overstocking of bikes. Everyone has played their part in this from the bikes shops to the manufacturers. Some of us have been fools thinking that the ‘Covid Boom’ was going to last forever. Some challenging times ahead for sure. Distributors do need to remember that they are the ones that historically hold the stock, not the shops, equally so we have a responsibility for what we order. It is tricky. ‘Co-operation not corporation’ is constantly on my mind, I pinched that from a very good friend.
What single thing would you like to make happen in the cycling world in the next year?
I think as an industry but also as a sport we need to all learn (not everyone, but a good few) how to behave in the countryside a lot better. We are often simply guests in the countryside. Why is there still litter being dropped by riders?
Trash Free Trails are killing it with their amazing work across the UK, but as a sport we need to be looking after mother nature a little better. Also landowners need respect. As land access is increasingly getting harder, why are we as a sport not putting ourselves in the best possible light? Minority spoiling it for the majority springs to mind. Sorry for the rant.
Who else should we ask these questions to?
Ali Beckett (Redburn Design), Gareth Brewin (to many hats to list) & Jonty Bright (Santa Cruz).
