STEVE BEHR ON THE RISING STARS OF MOUNTAIN BIKING...

Steve Behr has been part of the MTB scene (and MBUK) since dinosaurs roamed the trails, and has worked with many young riders who’ve gone on to become legends.

“Over the many years I’ve been involved in mountain biking, I’ve seen a fair few riders grow up and become exceptional talents. A few standouts: an extremely young Josh Bryceland turning up to an

MBUK event pretending to be older than he was so we’d let him

take part, wearing a jersey so big you could have fitted three of him in it. Brendan Fairclough being dropped off at my place by his dad so we could drive up to Steve Peat’s for a weekend of training and a photoshoot with the master. And Gee Atherton coming with us on an MBUK trip to Spain with his older brother Dan as chaperone, who was barely old enough to fulfil that role himself.

“In a sport as new as mountain biking, progression is fast. Every new generation sees the top-guns of the previous generation doing things that those older riders have built up to over years of practice, and assumes that’s the level to start at. So they do just that, and then push it further. Better junior bikes help, too. The current crop of youngsters are starting at an incredibly high level and at ever-decreasing ages.

“If you’re the parent of a potential young ripper, how do you encourage them? Well, they’ve got to want to do it, for a start. There’s no point in forcing them to ride a bike if they’d rather be playing football or the guitar. It’s not about having the most expensive bike, either. The beauty of MTBing is that it can be just as fun on a basic hardtail as an expensive full-sus. Just make sure it’s the right fit so as not to put them off. That said, it’s an advantage to have something light and advanced enough that they can handle it, pull the brake levers and change the gears.”