With great pride, the RLSCC are pleased to announce Julian Harding as our new joint MTB Representative along with David Colls.
The club is very fortunate to have Julian as our new Joint Mountain Bike rep. He has a great passion for anything on two wheels and loves to share his passion with other riders.
If you are out with him on the mountain bike ride and want help on a riding technique, make sure you stop him and ask for advice as he has a wealth of knowledge.
To help our members know more about Julian, we asked him the following questions.
Committee Position:
MTB Rep
What does your role entail
Working with Dave, the other MTB Rep, to help generate and organise opportunities for our members to ride their mountain bikes
What is your Cycling discipline
I do a bit of everything, I made use of lockdown to ride on the road (less traffic), enjoyed some bike packing last year, do some “gravel” but mostly ride the mountain bike. I prefer natural trail riding and enjoy long days out. I get to some interesting places to ride off road, the Peaks, Scotland, Yorkshire and so on but I’m quite happy spending a day out around Warwickshire.
What do you ride
A few British branded bikes, a full suspension Orange, a titanium framed Sonder hard tail fitted with a German 12 speed gearbox, and a budget Boardman gravel come road bike. I am in the process of building an Orange gravel bike with almost every component coming from Hope Tech.
How long have you been with the club
Joined in 2017 having got back in to cycling via a company challenge, The South DownsWay.
What do you enjoy about the RLSCC
The club colours, to stand out in the crowd.
The variety of ride options, being able to ride MTB in the week, to ride road on a Sunday, and do rollers during the winter (I did join a few sessions this year, riding indoors is not normal but give rollers a go, I recommend it)
What is your most significant cycling achievement
Not sure I have had any
Managed to get up Waltonberg on the budget gravel bike first attempt whilst a local “who had done it loads of times” on his top of the line gravel bike wheel span and fell over
Have done a few 100 mile plus road rides, good sense of achievement doing those. Bike packed to Weymouth and back last year, a great experience.
Rode the Warwickshire Ring with 5 other club members last year, 100 miles of towpath by MTB.
Who's is your cycling hero
Nope, don’t have one really. At a stretch, a couple of MTBers from the 90’s, one or two road riders from the 70’s and 80’s and the young and upcoming riders like Pidcock, MVDP, Wout Van Aert, they can do it all MTB, Cx, and the Grand Tours. I follow The Rough Stuff Fellowship on Instagram, the pioneers of trail riding.
What cycling event or discipline would you like to have a go at
I do quite a bit already but keep meaning to get over to Coventry to see if I can have a go at the cycle speedway.
What is your cycling mantra?
For a while, after climbing Mam Tor three times in one ride, in my head when when climbing something like Edge, I would say to myself “yeah, it’s a hill, it isn’t Mam Tor”
Rule 5
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