DANNY BATEMAN
Danny Bateman is a 31 year old biking maestro from Essex. He got his start racing BMX for Team Groove before injuring himself and taking up mountain biking, with prodigious success. Most comfortable with two wheels off the ground, he works at Revolution Bike Park and lives in Llangynog with his dog, Bertie.
I rode BMX from when I was 9 to 15 where I was brought up, in Essex. Got to quite a high level too, racing at national and international level, until my heart just went out of it, and I just went out to skate parks and things, just to be sociable. I’m pretty comfortable in the air now - there aren’t any UK jumps that faze me, and the culture is loads more relaxed.
I had a thumb injury, which stopped me from gripping the bars properly on BMX. I stopped riding, and got very depressed, but then I got hold of a cheap mountain bike, and found that the position meant I could ride again. I went from strength to strength after that - a year later I got a DH bike, and a year after than I moved to Wales.
I work at the Revolution Bike Park, making and maintaining trails. It’s great work, and there used to be four of us - but thanks to Covid, we’re down to just two. At present Rev is only open to World Cup athletes and professionals - but hopefully that’s changing soon.
When lockdown first hit I was doing loads of trail building. I was riding loads after September, but just before Christmas I broke my ankle. And then I re-broke it in January. I’m currently riding at 50-60%. It’s mostly OK - there are a few twinges on big hits, but I just ride through the pain!
My dog, Bertie, is my best mate. He’s a French Bulldog/Jack Russell cross. I started training him when he was young - he scrubs jumps and takes amazing lines; it’s great to watch! On a big ride he’ll go in front; if I’m downhilling he follows after. On big climbs or traverses he goes in my backpack.
There’s so much to love about mountain bikes. It’s totally engaging. I can even ride to the shop and have a good time, but I love finding lines to scare myself. I’m particularly scared by gnarly steeps, and exposure. I’ve only been riding DH tracks for a couple of years, and I have to think twice about some of the features there.
I don’t mind riding in the wet. A good thing too, living in Wales. If you fall, you slide, so you’re less likely to hurt yourself!
I’m building a trail in the Berwyns at the moment specifically to show off the Highlander. I’ve got permission from the landowner to make something a bit like the Red Bull Hard Line. There’s a waterfall, and a huge cliff face, and when the sun goes down in the summer evenings, it looks amazing.
The Highlander isn’t like any trail bike I’ve ever ridden. It climbs brilliantly, but I descend faster than I can on my DH rig, even with 60mm less travel. I can definitely push myself harder on it. I’ve got an entry for the Red Bull Hard Line this year; I don’t want to ride it on my DH bike! Then I’ve got an entry for Loosefest - 100ft doubles. The Highlander can totally handle it.
I tend to ride in casual clothes. Part of that is because I’m really short! With riding trousers the bum drops and gets caught in the saddle. And you don’t needed the most expensive kit. If it works, it works. My first bike cost me £300.
I’d like to carry on exploring in Wales. Maybe do some guiding too. I’m currently doing some coaching and mentoring; I really enjoy it. Eventually I’d like to move to Canada. I’ve been over there a couple of times - it’s an amazing place.
I’ve struggled with mental health in the past. I find that biking really lets me stop over-thinking things. It’s so much better if I’m riding with people though - I can relax a lot more. If I’m on my own and I have an accident, it’s not like Bertie can phone for help! I’m not the biggest talker, but if there’s one thing I’d say, it’s that talking helps. Talking *really* helps.
See more from Danny :
