Every month I’ll be interviewing a rider, each with a different background, ability, experience, interest and plans for the future. The people interviewed will represent a spectrum of links to the cycling world; some will be racers, some supporters, some mentors or coaches, some new to cycling and some with a long history with the sport.

Tell us about yourself?

I learnt to ride as a child in the 70’s, usual kid’s stuff, just messing about on old bikes and junk yard ramps. As an adult I continue to ride for fun, but now there is also a strong competitive drive. I started riding with local clubs and moved on through various amateur race teams to where I am now with Saint Piran. I joined teams because I wanted to ride with more experienced riders and learn from them. Now as an older racer, I’m the mentor taking riders to their first races. I hope I can give to these younger riders what my mentors have passed on to me; the love of it, the skills and the knowledge.

Most of my racing is offroad, either MTB XC or CX, and I’ve competed at anything from local, to international and world level (as an amateur). Most of my riding is in Cornwall; along the coastal roads or in the woods and on the mining trails. I live right in the centre of a spiderweb of amazing offroad riding.

What is your favourite ride?

This really took some thinking about; it could have been any of my regular Cornish loops, the Paris-Roubaix sportive, or the Three Peaks Cyclocross, but on reflection I think it has to be the Fred Whitton Challenge. It’s 112 miles (and you know it) over every iconic pass in the Lake District. None of them are short, and the more famous ones get progressively steeper the higher you climb. The Hardknott reaches 33% just before the top. A great place for spectators having a picnic, but as a rider you haven’t got a hope of admiring the view or the old Roman fort. The year I did it the weather was glories, which meant the views were spectacular: from the more coastal passes you can see all the way to Ireland. And the crowds are amazing, it feels like you’re riding a grand tour. There are epic feed stations and friends and family all the way round cheering and handing out sweets to everybody. There is a really positive vibe about the whole day and it’s one I’d like to return to at some point.

Do you have any favourite, or Hero kit?

I love my Spatz overshoes, but I think the piece of kit I ride in most are my XC/CX shoes. I’ve got a pair of Lake MX238; and because they have so many fit options, I can have a really comfortable Wide fit. They are much stiffer than my old shoes, but somehow flexible where I need it for those inevitable CX run sections, they take a toe spike, again almost obligatory in a CX race, and they have this thing called a ‘Cat’s tongue’ in the heel cup that holds your heel in place when you are on your toes. To the touch it really does feel like a cat’s tongue and it’s been a revelation when it comes to keeping my shoes on when I’m off the bike - the things you never knew you needed. The double Boa is also a huge change from a single one when it comes to fit and adjustability, it’s so much more comfortable having independent control over the tension. Most of my races are muddy so there are hardly any pictures of them looking clean

And finally, tell us about your favourite bike?

This one is a lot easier to answer, it’s my Trek Supercaliber SLR 9.8 XT. This is my XC race bike and it handles like a dream. I’ve taken on some pretty frightening stuff with the bike, well above what used to be my technical limit, and mostly come away unscathed. I’m riding this in my second race season now and it’s handled all the National race circuits and a trip to Lanzarote for a 4-day stage race and outperformed a lot of it’s comparable rivals. It’s just so ‘planted’, but easy to handle at the same time, and soaks up the lumpy terrain with ease. I went all black (wannabe ninja) and old-skool with mechanical shifters (just a personal preference given the abuse they get in winter races). I run a lightweight set of custom wheels for racing but hammer around on the stock wheels the rest of the time. It’s certainly the best XC bike I’ve ever owned.