BIKE BUM TO BUSINESSMAN

Richard Wilford has gone from smelly seasonaire to property mogul in the Alps and beyond, with MTBbeds

Training wheels

Growing up in Somerset, bikes were our only escape if the parents’ taxi service wasn’t on offer. My first real bike was a 1996 Scott Rockwood – I stuck an RST Mozo Pro and Azonic riser bar on and it was awesome!

Injury inspiration

Fast-forward a few years and a group of us from uni did a ski season in Morzine. That started it all. After the 2009 season I stayed on for the summer, bought myself a knackered Giant Team DH and rode it to death on the Pleney, until I broke my ankle. I was bored and skint, so I emailed the owner of my winter accommodation a proposal to sell his rooms on a commission basis. My brother, a web designer, whacked me up a website and Ski Season Beds was born. We adapted for the summer season, and MTBbeds grew from there.

On a roll

For the immediate future we’re focusing on our new destination, Finale Ligure in Italy, home to some of the best trail bike riding in the world. Our Morzine operation is well established now, but for 2017 we have Orange hire bikes and a Five Ten test centre.

Behind the scenes

Running your own company isn’t all bikes, beers and boobs – there’s a lot of keyboard bashing, head scratching and planning to ensure the business keeps moving forward and you maintain a high level of service to your clients. But I recognise how lucky I am to be able to combine my personal passion with earning a crust. When things get a bit heavy I can grab my bike and go for a blast without having to ask anyone, usually with a post-ride beer if I’m honest. As for the boobs…