Tell us about your cycling journey.

Growing up in a small town in Mid Wales with the Elan Valley on my doorstep, when I outgrew 20” wheels I moved to cross-country (XC) bikes. XC biking gave me the freedom to explore, visit friends, and enjoy endless days of adventure. Back then, print was king, so when I wasn’t on my bike or at school, I’d be flipping through MBUK and Dirt magazines (RIP) for inspiration. I’d try to build my own trails in the woods or jump the stairs at the local Somerfield supermarket.

As I got older, some of my friends started skating and BMXing, which led me to my next foray into so-called “action sports.” I got myself a WeThePeople Addict BMX, and we’d constantly swap parts or lend parts to each other so I ended up with a pretty nice build. Most of our riding was street style, so we’d return to those Somerfield stair sets and handrails, though we did have a small half-pipe in town. that became the meeting point after school or on weekends—back when not everyone had mobile phones, you could always count on finding a mate at the half-pipe.

Around this time, some BMX/MTB friends got into street trials, with a few even going on to make careers out of it. Although I never owned a trials bike, I always had one on loan from one friend or another—a few favourites were the Onza T-pro, the Ashton Justice, and a bright pink Koxx XTP I repainted for a friend (personal favourite for childish reasons). Even back then we had the age old question what wheel size is best at that time it was 26” or 20” (im still not sure), but what I really loved was modifying the bikes—grinding rims for better brake bite, drilling rims to reduce weight, new paint jobs and decals, or bleeding Magura HS33s in the bath while my mum was out.

At the same time, I was still fully invested in XC riding on my Specialized Rockhopper. Lycra, SPD pedals, and narrow bars were my go-to, whether I was racing a few events or just heading out on long, all-day epics. I loved the gruelling climbs as much as the singletrack descents and night rides, even if our halogen lights barely lit the trail—somehow, we always made it home.

Alongside all this, I had a secret life as a roadie, though none of my friends shared this particular interest so it was more of a solitary pastime. I’ve always loved speed, so a road bike felt right. My bike of choice was a custom-built 1976 Bill Whitcomb in Reynolds 753T steel, fitted with original Cinelli and Campagnolo components. I bought it from its original owner, Stan, who only wanted it to go to a good home. Well, Stan, if you’re reading this 20+ years later, I still have it!

When I moved to uni in Swansea, I initially didn’t bring a bike because my parents were convinced it would be stolen. But I quickly realized I couldn’t live without one, so I brought my BMX back with me the next term. But I soon realised it was taking me forever to get anywhere. Eventually, though, I needed something faster, so I bought a 70s BSA Equipe and gradually converted it to a fixed gear. After joining a fixed-gear club, we’d ride to Mumbles, sprint the steepest roads, and sometimes head to Newport velodrome for laps.

In my final year, I even designed a bike as my final project, which ultimately led me to a career in bike design, and later into outdoor clothing. My love for bikes has been with me ever since that yellow y frame and hasn’t faded a bit.