Seconds with... RAB WARDELL

Rab Wardell discovered mountain biking in the early Noughties and, following in his older brother David’s footsteps, began to race XC. He rode for Great Britain as a Junior, progressed to World Cups, and represented Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. From 2007 to 2012, Rab worked as a coach for Scottish Cycling, then tried to qualify for his home Commonwealth Games in 2014, but struggled with ill health through overtraining, spending a week in intensive care in South Africa after suffering from rhabdomyolysis [breakdown of muscle tissue] at the Cape Epic. Since 2015, he’s combined fitness and skills coaching with event delivery, commentary and digital marketing. In 2020, Rab set the fastest time for mountain biking the West Highland Way. This year he carried this momentum into a return to racing, competing at the Marathon World and National Championships, in the Marathon World Series and at the British XC Champs. Rab has also been working on a film series with Tommy Wilkinson, Old Enough To Know Better, looking at the concept of time and whether you should really still be trying to turn pro at the age of 36. The first episode aired on 7 December, with three more to follow – check them out on YouTube.

Who is Rab Wardell?

A 36-year-old mountain bike man from Scotland.

What do you do?

I’m a rider, racer and coach.

Where do you call home?

I’ve lived in Glasgow for 13 years, but I’m originally from Dunfermline in Fife.

What was your first bike?

A Townsend Tiger rigid kids’ MTB with white tyres.

What’s your current ride?

My Santa Cruz Blur. It does it all and is flippin’ fast as!

Best trail you’ve ridden this year?

A freshly groomed, pre-EWS ‘New York, New York’ at the Golfie [Innerleithen] on my Blur.

What gets you excited to ride?

A goal to work towards and something new to learn.

Favourite rider to watch?

Josh Bryceland.

Favourite bike film?

The Sprung video magazine series.

Scariest thing you’ve done on a bike?

Going upside-down.

Worst crash you’ve had?

Blowing my hand off the bar while coming off the boardwalk into the first rough section on the Fort William World Cup DH track.

Bike-park flow or natural gnar?

Is ‘gnarly flow’ a thing? If not, I guess it’d be natural gnar.

Biggest ride of your life?

Trying (and failing) to ride the 154-mile Deeside Trail in under 20 hours in October 2020 with [Santa Cruz rider] Mark Scott.

Clips or flats?

Clips for racing, flats for fun.

How far can you wheelie?

Further than you!

What would be your desert island luxury?

A Wahoo KICKR smart trainer.

What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?

Start mountain biking sooner.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing and publishing?

I’d be riding my mountain bike, just not professionally!