From Dirt Issue 111 – May 2011

Words by Ed W. Photo by Chris Ball.

GOOD THINGS

I got into mountain biking through racing XC and downhill in my teens, so everyone that I knew in the sport was through competition. Now I get to meet a lot of people that have no interest in racing at all, and in a way they’re the real mountain bikers. They’re not doing it to prove anything, or to represent a particular brand or product, they’re doing it because they actually enjoy riding their bikes.

It’s great when people stop you and let you know how much of a difference you’ve made to their riding. And it works at all levels. I got a text the other day from a pretty fast guy saying that he got a good placing at one of the Winter DH events. We’d done a private session with him on the Friday before, and he put it all in to practice during the race. He was stoked!

We have quite a few riders that we see on a regular basis: the BASE Mountain Bike lads from Borders College for instance. To see them improve, not just on the bike but mentally as well, is really rewarding. Most of them are a lot faster than me, but they don’t necessarily know why they’re going fast. It’s our job to make them conscious of the things that will allow them to reach levels they could never achieve in the same time on their own.

I’m sitting in an internet café with my girlfriend just now, both of us working on our laptops. She’s a graphic designer so, like me, she can do a lot of her emailing or paperwork from anywhere she can get a Wi–Fi signal. It’s great to be able to get out of the flat and work from somewhere with a better view now and again.

When I was a kid all I wanted to do was ride my bike. Now it’s my job! I have moments all the time where I stop and take stock of the situation. When you truly enjoy your job, you never work a day in your life.

I once walked out of a job I had in town because I couldn’t see any trees from the window. There’s no chance of that happening with Dirt School. I’ve always loved being outside. And when I’m on my bike I’m happy.

BAD THINGS.

I’ve heard people say things like, “I wish I had Dirt School’s money so I could afford a bike like that”. It’s ridiculous. I wish I could afford to buy one of the bikes we ride! We’re not in it for the money. We’re in it for a love of the sport.

If I get ill, or if I smash myself up in a crash, I can’t work. If I can’t work then I don’t get paid, and if I don’t get paid then I can’t eat or cover my rent. I had a nasty scare last year where I thought I’d broken my kneecap. Luckily it coincided with the second dump of snow we had in April so we couldn’t work anyway. But Chris and I were sitting in A&E having the ‘what are we going to do with Dirt School if it’s broken?’ chat. It was a real wake up call.

If I have a booking, then I’m out on the hill. Regardless of what the weather says. Obviously if it’s too dangerous to ride then we have to cancel, but I’ve been out with groups in some terrible conditions with water running down in to my shoes and with my hands so cold that I can’t feel the brakes.

In 2009 I was racing XC and riding the bike full time with Dirt School as well. It was pretty difficult coming home after a half day session with someone and going right back out on my road bike to do intervals. When you work on the bike as much as I do you can ride all day no problem, but you never have the speed to keep up with the top guys on the climbs.

CONCLUSION

I have such a laugh with my classes, meet the soundest folk, and watch some of the fastest people in the country ride on a regular basis. I’m in my thirties and I just learned how to whip! Life isn’t that bad really.