RIDER SPOTLIGHT
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m Greg, I live in West Yorkshire
How long have you been riding, and how did you get into cycling?
I’ve been riding bikes since I was three. My dad was a racer in the ’60s. He taught me to ride when I was very young, and I’ve been lucky to have some great adventures on the bike with him. I’ve had bikes in my life ever since, although sometimes I’ve been more serious about my riding, other times I’ve been more focused on other sports like running. I’m doing more cycling now than ever before, and enjoying it more each year.
What bike are you riding, and why did you choose this frame?
I have a Mercian Vincitore 853 which I have kitted out with my favourite components. It all works beautifully together, it feels really special (which is exactly what I hoped)! I have had a couple of Mercians in the past, KoM touring models mostly, and I like the way they feel and ride. However, I love the Mercian brand and I was always hoping a Vincitore would come up for sale in my size; when I saw this one in Reynolds 853, I had to have it; to me, its the pinnacle of traditional handbuilt steel frames.
What’s your favorite feature of the bike?
It would be easy to say the lugs – I could stare at them for ages! But there are lots of little details that make me happy. The stainless ends are probably my favourite little detail; I hate paint chips at the dropouts, and these look so smart.
Where’s your favorite place to ride?
The Alps in France. Great riding, amazing scenery, wonderful roads, and I like the food too.
What type of riding do you mostly do?
I have a few events planned each year, and they tend to be long distance affairs. So I do a lot of steady miles mostly.
Do you have a cycling goal you’re currently working towards?
I’ll be riding the Yorkshire 12h TT and London-Edinburgh-London audax next year. I’ve done a lot of audaxing over the last 5 years, and its helped me fall back in love with cycling again. I love long-distance challenges, or maybe I just love riding my bike and the events give me something to aim at!
What’s the most memorable ride you’ve ever been on?
Paris-Brest-Paris audax in 2023; it took just over three days to ride 1,200km, but along the way there were real highs and lows; fortunately, the lows came early on, and the last two days were absolutely amazing; riding with friends, the wonderful countryside, warm sun and the amazing support from the French people all along the route.
If your bike had a name, what would it be?
Grace.
What advice would you give to new riders?
Ride because its fun, above all. And when you’re out on a ride, remember to look for the fun (especially when you’re strugging). On cold wet days, or days when I have gone out a bit too hard, or haven’t eaten enough, sometimes I feel like its not so fun to be on a bike. I try to remember that I chose to get on my bike because its fun, and that makes me smile and reminds me of the things that are constant; the wonderful sense of my body working, the freedom that comes with riding, the pace that you see the scenery.
What’s your post-ride ritual or treat?
A nice beer, or a tub of ice-cream. Or both!
If you could ride anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’d love to go to Australia, where I have some friends, and do some long rides around Melbourne – that looks pretty special. And it rains less than in Yorkshire! But (boringly, perhaps) I’m happy riding around the Yorkshire Dales, the Lakes, or even out along the north coast of Wales to Anglesey, all of which are within a day’s riding of me.
Thanks Greg for our first Rider Spotlight post, we hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as we did!
If you would like to feature your Mercian on the Rider Spotlight, download the questions here and email us at press@merciancycles.com
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