What is your current job title/role in the bike industry?
I am the owner of basqueMTB. flat basically means guide, driver, picnic maker, bike fixer, marketing department, booking department, trail builder… you get the idea!
What was your job title or field of work before you joined the bike industry?
I was a process manager in the optoelectronics industry, making semiconductor lasers.
How old were you when you made the change?
Too old! I was about 32.
What made you leave your previous life?
I fell in love with a Basque girl, Amaia. She was offered a job back in the Basque Country and I was really ready for a change. We were walking off hangovers on the beach on the island of Iona when Amaia mentioned her job offer. We decided instantly to make the move and by the end of the walk we had drawn up basic plans for basqueMTB! Of course, that was just the dream and the realisation of it took a lot more time.
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About Singletrack
We’ve got our usual dose of adventure for you, with three UK based rides to inspire you to hit the trails.
Path of a Prince – Pete Scullion takes us on another historical Coffin Road tour, this time in the wilds of Scotland, in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Trail Hunter – Border Blasting – Tom Fenton heads to the northern fringes of England in search of more of the best trails the UK has to offer, this time skirting the Scottish/English border on a frigid day.
Classic Ride – Duddon Valley – Tom Hutton takes us on a tour on the Western side of the Lake District – away from the big tourist crowds, but still big on scenery.
Quit Your Job – We look at people who have made the leap from ‘normal’ jobs to working in the bike industry. Could you quit the rat race and turn your hobby into a job?
Bamboozled – Wil takes on a build-your-own bamboo bike kit. Will he glue himself to the frame? Will he be attacked by a panda? Will he build himself a bike, or a bike shaped object? Wil tells us the tale through his epoxy-induced high.
Bike Test – Unsprung Heroes – Chipps checks out fully rigid bikes from Kona, Pinnacle and Surly and discovers that no suspension doesn’t mean no fun. It just needs a re-evaluation of your outlook.
Group Test – Platform Clip Ins – Wil checks out eight pairs of pedals with platforms for support as well as cleats for security. Full reviews of the best four will be published in this issue, along with summaries of the runners up.
Room 101
Charlie The Bikemonger sets all judicial process to one side and passes his decrees on what will or will not be banished from the cycling world for ever.
Column: Jason Miles
Our award winning columnist is settling in to his new life in Scotland – by going on a ski holiday, where he learns that being a beginner again can be refreshing. And finding a whole new avenue of kit to need.