Interview: Rob Warner

Let's start from the beginning... You are not the first one in the Warner family to have huge passion for motorbikes...
Your father is a true influence on you in this matter, isn't he? Can you tell us more about your early days, please? Where did it all start, and how was it going for you, back then?


Dad raced motocross all through the 60s with his brothers, and doesn't stop talking about it to this day! I was on a motorbike at three and a half, and it was the start of my lifetime obsession, I guess. Mum and Dad wouldn't let me do motocross though, too expensive and dangerous, so I got into trials which I'm really thankful for, I still ride twice a week now and I am still loving it. Maybe more than ever. I rode ‘Junior Kickstart’ three times, each as unsuccessful as the other... Me and Dad travelled all over the country every weekend competing right up until the mountain biking took over. I had some success, won a few Nationals and made the top ten in a couple of British Championship rounds. My passion for motorcycle trials will never leave me, I love it.


Was it a natural progression to move from motorbike trials to push-bike trial riding, or did someone or something make you to do it? From early days of your career, you have been really good with promoting mountain biking, even if not everything was going well on the live TV shows. How did you get into TV? Was it easy? Can you recall this particular show with, forgive me, hilarious, yet pride damaging finish?


Actually, all kids that ride motorbike trials will almost certainly do ‘cyclo’ or ‘bike’ trials. When you couldn't ride the motorbike out came the push-bike. I’d spend hours and hours just messing about on a pile of pallets, hopping on and off. Then when I started racing mountain bikes, I’d always be messing about doing ‘trials’ on them. That’s how I got into this mess live on TV. In fact back in the early days as well as racing a big part of me being on the team was doing trials demos. Awful really, I wasn't that good. As that video shows. I got up on the car roof on the back wheel and the whole car was wobbling so I shit out. But then I remembered I was live and would never live it down so I went for it, with a pretty catastrophic ending for the back wheel. All good for the TV.

But it seems like trials wasn't meant to be the one for you, because you decided to race in downhill, which later on turned out to be bullseye! The commentators make many good comments on you in this video - fast, stylish, aggressive, basically a very good rider... You were the new generation of downhill riders... How do you see it after all these years? I suppose Lycra was the official outfit for the racers back in the 90's, but they didn't say anything about shoes and you used this loophole in your very own style... What pushed you to do that?


In 1995, I got my first really true ‘pro’ deal, which actually was the worst year of my life. I was teammates with Peaty and we just didn't get paid. But we made them pay in the end. I really hated pedalling, and couldn't stand getting out of breath. I was all about hitting the ‘tech’ sections fresh and fast. It did work for me back then, because of the trials I think, I was miles ahead of most for technique, remember the sport was really in its infancy. Not like now. I don’t think the Lycra is that bad, they could bring it back, it's faster. I liked the freedom of flat pedals, and they’re no disadvantage. It was all wrong to be clipped in, I tried it and hated it, the bone-shaker bikes and a pair of Nike trainers didn't make life that easy though when it came to keeping your plates of meat on the pedal.


Sorry, I have to ask you that burning question! You used to have a nickname 'Caveman', who gave it to you and why didn't you like it?

It's just shit, I mean it ain't cool is it. I didn't wash myself or my hair ever, so that’s where it came from and was valid, but I didn't like it.

One year later and you had your name written into the books of not only the British mountain biking, but International, as well! You are the first downhill racer from the Great Britain to win a UCI Downhill event. Kaprun, Austria in 1996 with the time of 7:15.32! You were lost for words minutes after the race. can you tell us more about it, when emotions cooled down a little bit? Does it feel like it was just 'yesterday'?


I was lost for words, because I pedalled for once and was hanging! I was under a bit of pressure that year. I’d signed that year for Giant, and had no results. Partly as the bike sucked for DH and partly cause I was out every night trying to get hold of chicks. In qualifying I got up to my old tricks of not pedalling, I was hungover to shit from the night before, but it didn't really work on the ‘flat’ hill of Kaprun. Johan, the team manager, had hiked up to watch. At the bottom of the section known as ‘pinball alley’, everyone got up and sprinted all out across this massive flat field. I just tucked. I remember it clearly, it was muddy and I almost came to a complete standstill. But I’d be f*cked, if I was pedalling. The team manager was furious. He timed me and on that one section, I lost 45 seconds. So, I did some maths and worked out that on paper I could win if I pedalled. I really went at it in the race run, no braked pinball and pedalled like I'd never pedalled before. I was so f*cked that I didn't stop in the finish area, I was panicking how hard my heart was going so I rode off down the road. MTV were there doing a feature on me and the bird presenter was totally up for it, I reckon. I couldn't fail I’d just won?! The manager though stuck me in a car and drove me to Holland, back to HQ. I drank the huge bottle of champagne and just sat there. I’ll never forgive him for that, I won a world cup and didn't get to party. I’d made about 8 grand too in those 7 minutes and was ready to party like it was 99, but wasn't to be. Still pisses me off to this day.


You really love TV or should I say TV loves you? This win gave you a really big boost of confidence not only for riding, but to go out there and spread the word about MTB! Mountain biking was very popular in the mainstream media in the 90s, wasn't it?


I don’t know if it loves me, but I don’t mind it! Yeah, mountain biking was new then and had an incredible buzz round it, it was big news and I got on all sorts of shows. It was pretty rock and roll there for a bit!

You had numerous appearances on TV shows... One of best known is from 'You Bet'. Was this really your own idea? How the whole production looked? Were you deeply involved in designing the track? And most importantly - was it all for real or staged for TV purposes?


No, it wasn't my idea, it was the dodgy team owners who hadn't paid me and Steve. I have to credit that scumbag with the idea unfortunately. It was a huge production, mainstream Saturday night TV. I went up to Cumbria where the race was filmed with my Dad. Like I said, I hadn't been paid by the team and Donald the owner was there. We went along with it all, and then on the morning of the shoot Dad told him I wouldn't wear any Saracen kit, and we’d cover the logos on the bike unless I got my money. We knew Donald had the cash with him, but he held on and on until right before the race telling me I’d never get paid if I didn’t wear the kit. I stuck on a white tee shirt and the cash came out. About 5k as I remember. It was really stressful just before a fairly dangerous run. My head was all over the place. In front of everyone as I was about to go the old man stuck his finger in Donald's chest and said, “If anything happens to him today I’ll f*ckin’ kill you!.” The track had short cuts and stuff for me to stand a chance and they cut some trees down that I could hop as a chicane for the car. Didn't matter though, I still got smoked!


Luckily, riding in front of TV cameras wasn't everything you did. You scored a hat-trick, winning 3 National Championships - 1997, 1998 and 2001. This achievement is a really big deal for you, isn't it?


Yeah, I loved the National Champs. Being National Champ was really important to me as it was a title. Something you’d have forever. So yeah, I definitely stepped up my game for those races, and rode my best, I think. You had to, it was never easy beating Peaty anywhere.


Still, you couldn't resist making something fun for the wider public, and you went for yet another comic TV show. How does it feel to lose to a girl in an underwater bike race? hahaha


It wasn't too bad, but I did really try to beat her. I had to wear weight’s to keep me on the pool floor and I left it way too late taking them off, I nearly drowned which wouldn't have been ideal on a kids show.

The weakest link show... How on earth did you land on that program? hahaha 


They were going to do an ‘extreme’ sports version. They got hold of me and I went and did a screen test, answered some questions, shit like that, and then they got in touch and said it wasn't happening, but would I do a regular show. So I did it, and it was a good laugh, I actually made Anne Robinson laugh by acting out a sex scene, but they cut it out.

This comes to a conclusion that you feel very good in front of cameras, but you also played a big role as a cameraman yourself. Thanks to your passion of recording every silly thing you guys did, we have a lot of crazy footage to watch and laugh at today! Some of those are in a really 'bad taste', others are very funny! How did your daily life look? Who did you like to hang out with in those days? What is your most favourite memory/thing you'd like to come back from back then?


No, I forgot a lot of it, we were drunk most of the time being idiots. It was the best time I ever had actually, money coming in, nothing to worry about except riding a bike, it was a good time. We did so much stuff like this, and we all bought cameras. It was only shot for memories actually, not to go online like now, but when I found it years later I stuck it on YouTube. We did some bad stuff, wrecking hotel rooms, playing golf on the streets of Les Gets. Generally, we were out of control. There’s a few towns that wouldn't host a world cup again because of how badly the towns got wrecked. Les Gets got it bad. In the bowling alley there every piece of the bars furniture got ‘bowled’ down the lanes - tables , chairs, glasses, you name it. Heard it was 10k to put it right.

But it wasn't always fun. One of your best friends, Jason Mcroy died in a tragic accident in 1995. To keep memories about him, you used to race with a container on your bike. 20 years later and it still has not changed... Ever since, even if you're going for a solo ride, you are not riding alone... He rides with you... 


It was a terrible time. I’d been shacked up at his house with this chick all week, he was there with his girlfriend, Sophie. Myself, Steve Peat and Jase had become good friends on the world cup circuit. I said my goodbyes as I needed to get down south to see my girlfriend proper, and JMC left on his Harley to go go-carting over in Sheffield with Steve and a few others. That was the last time I saw him. The next morning Pete Tompkins rang, my mum handed the phone to me, woke me up, it was early. I remember it so clearly, Pete telling me, and me knowing it was for real by his voice that was breaking up. It knocked all our worlds for six back then. We all lost a good mate that day, he was just a down to earth lad in the prime of his life. It’s 20 years since we lost him on August the 24th this year. It still makes me sad thinking about him and I always wonder what we’d be all be doing now if he was still here.


You have never left motocross behind, and this gave you a fantastic opportunity to be a commentator for Red Bull X-Fighters. How do you like doing that?

I spent a lot of the money I made racing treaders on racing motocross and bust myself up badly all the time. Broke my ankles 5 times, bust leg, broken pelvis amongst others. It was like living in a perpetual car crash. My dad thought I was an idiot, but I was obsessed and of course it was costing me money. After the third bust ankle Giant put an injury clause in my contract. But I was never allowed to do it as a kid and when I got bucks I bought MX bikes. I had five new ones in one year once! Although I rode at least five times a week with my mate who did it for a living. In the end though it’s paid off, I wouldn't be working on X-Fighters if I hadn't and I love that job. Just being around the bikes, the noise, the smell and watching the nuts shit they do.


Of course, you wouldn't be yourself, if you couldn't fool around... One of many and probably my favourite thing is 'fmeggs'! Honestly, didn't you notice that Ed didn't swallow those eggs? hahaha


No, I didn’t notice! Son of a bitch! The eggs had been out in the Sydney sun all day, so I don’t blame him for not getting them down. I really went for it, moments after this I was vomiting just outside the riders lounge, don’t think it went down very well!


When in downhill, racing a proper athletic regime was slowly becoming established, you decided not to be bothered and retired from racing. But this wasn't end of wild times for you, nothing like that... You began a new era with Rob Warner as a commentator for Freecaster. How did those guys find you? This was the time of some really twisted and spontaneous events, wasn't it?


Well, yeah there were a few reasons I was done. But I was over it, from the buzz of the mid nineties to the ‘ghost town’ feel of the pits in the twenties, I just couldn't get motivated. The Freecaster days were wild, I spent three years drunk on and off air. It was a good time, but I like doing it more now with Red Bull, which might sound strange, but it's exciting trying to learn how to be a better commentator. My direct boss on Freecaster was Will Ockleton, he’s a raging alcoholic and was as pissed as me during most of the shows, god knows how we got through it. Pretty rock'n'roll, but unsustainable, it would have killed me by now if we’d carried on.


From '1' to 'glad to be alive', how happy are you that Claudio took over track previews?


Those things are gnarly, I’m so glad I don’t do them any more. With it being a World Cup it's not easy to get on the track, so I used to get one run, on a borrowed bike with borrowed kit. Then you have to ride down very aware that everyone is watching, so you have to go at it blind whist talking. It was an accident waiting to happen as Will Longdon, found out in Leogang last year when he followed Claudio down. He really hurt himself! Fair play to Claudio, he keeps it clean, is funny as f*ck and still goes fast. Although he is nuts, I guess.


Freecaster let you live the dream after you hung your race bike on the hook. Yet, the good days with them came to an end, too. But they go in a great style! Danny Hart's phenomenal ride for gold in Champery in 2011 is an iconic moment in mountain biking commentary... Can you recall that evening and what was happening not only inside the booth, but in your mind, as well?


We knew it was the last ever show so we embraced it! Me and Nige were well oiled for that one and there it was, a staggering run by Danny, one for the history books. We weren't really commentating, more cheering our countryman on, but for all the wrong reasons the clip went massive. That and Hill's run from the 2008 World's in Italy definitely stay with me from the Freecaster days.

"No more beers on air, Rob! Only energy drinks from now on!" When Red Bull took Freecaster's place, you already had a strong, well established reputation as a commentator. However, your 'untamed' style wasn't fitting into the image of the company... Some things had to simply change. How did you take those adjustments on board? Are they any good or do you miss the good old days of pure freedom behind the mic?

I did miss it at the beginning, how could I not really, it was the only way I knew how to do it. I found it difficult working with Red Bull in the first year. I thought I was a great commentator and really couldn't see the bigger picture. I couldn't understand why it wasn't what they wanted. But now I don’t miss those days at all. Red Bull work really closely with me on the commentary, which is such an opportunity. It's hard, I won’t lie, I've got bad habits that are hard to get rid of but I’m trying. If I can get it right, and I’ve got a long way to go. If I can get it right then commentary could take me anywhere.

Does it mean that your Dirty Business is too dirty and we won't see it anymore?! 

Dirty Business was a laugh, but also a stress. It was all on me to find funny stuff, and on a world cup weekend it was a pretty big workload. The first year was easy, but then came the ‘tricky’ second series. I ran out of ideas, and we’d been to a lot of the venues before so it wasn’t easy. To be honest, I was glad to see it go, don’t get me wrong I got to do some incredible stuff, like flying with Hannes Arch and climbing with Thomas Huber, but I’m glad it's over. By the end it wasn’t as much fun.

Walk us through your routine of any world cup stage, please? What does it take to prepare to Sunday finals? Where do you get all your information? Do you visit Pinkbike for some additional gossip/info?

It’s a bit never ending actually the research that you can do. I always try and get there with everything ready and updated from the race before so I can concentrate on getting the latest news at the one I’m at. The key is to stay on top of it, and to have it done the night before. That way I can get in the pits and find out what I can race morning. I use Pinkbike’s photo stories, of course. The captions written by Nathan Hughes are funny and informative, there’s some great facts in there. And the photos he uses to go with them are brilliant as well.


It may be hard for you to get a gold medal for racing, but you are most definitely winner of some of the best quotes in mtb commentary history. Let me remind you of a couple of my most favourite ones here - ~ on Sam Dale in Pietermaritzburg, 2014 - "He hits the deck harder than an old lady on a cruise ship" or "He's letting it hang out like a fat bird in a bikini" and of course, we cannot forget about the legendary - "Look at the time!" which, by the way is tattooed at your bottom part of the body! hahaha. How do you come up with those great lines? Is it coming to your head in the heat of the moment or there are tiny seeds in your mind waiting to bloom in the right moment?

No, I usually have them in my head before I go in the booth. I get them anywhere I can, I hear a lot down the pub. My mate is a builder, so he hears quite a few good ones. The really funny ones though are usually a little offensive, so it's getting more difficult.

It's obvious that your prime interest in cycling is downhill. However, what are your thoughts about Enduro and Slopestyle/Dirt Jumping? Do we have a chance to see and hear you at the Red Bull Rampage?


Yes! If you're in the UK, at least. I commentated on last years Rampage a few weeks back for ‘Dave’ the channel . It aired at Easter here. I’m not bothered with Enduro, no doubt it’s a brilliant day out on your bike, but for me it doesn't compare to Downhill. Not even close. And it's near impossible to cover live and be exciting, I think. Compare F1 to Rally, it’s a bit like that. I didn’t like Slopestyle either, if I’m honest until I went Crankworx a couple of years ago. Then when I got up close to the Joyride course, I was blown away by how f*cking big it all was. I didn’t really get it till then. And the event itself was insane, off the hook.

Many young pro riders don't like thinking what it's going to be like for them in 10 or 20 years from today... Is it easy to 'give up' on being a pro? Is life after a professional mountain bike rider career easy?

Well, it probably comes down to how much money you make and for how long. But of course, you have to live the dream at that point in your life too. Like I said already, I spent most of mine racing Motocross, the rest I wasted! I’m under no illusions that I got lucky twice in life. The mountain bike career was amazing, but then to fall into TV presenting and commentating was my second lucky break. I’m not a bit religious, but if I was I’d defo say I was blessed!


What does your mountain biking look like these days? 

I’ve got a Giant Anthem 29er and I love it, amazing bike. For the riding I do these days, XC loops around my house it's perfect. The big wheels are so fast that they made mountain biking fun for me again, amazing bit of kit.


To sum it all up, how do you see evolution of racing, technology and mountain biking during last two decades?

Well, it's definitely faster now, the bikes are just incredible at what they do. I think I was lucky to ride when I did as it was such an exciting time in all ways. Huge crowds, a real buzz around the sport. When I started it was on hardtails with cantilever brakes. But I raced through an incredible time when the bike companies threw a lot of money at development and it was great to be a part of making those early bikes. Bikes still get developed now, of course, but more refined I guess.

Your plans for this year?

To get through it!

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