Lachlan Blair Joins Deviate Cycles

Jan 1, 2023
by Deviate Cycles  
photo

PRESS RELEASE: Deviate Cycles

Edinburgh-based Lachlan Blair will be riding for Deviate Cycles in 2023, taking on the newly titled UCI Mountain Bike Enduro World Cup, the Trans Madeira and some DH races to boot.

The move to Deviate happened in part by chance.

bigquotesI’d noticed Deviate bikes around more and more but I hadn't really cottoned on that they were based so close to me. My friend, photographer Ross Bell, knew Ben (Jones, Deviate’s co-owner), and he suggested that I contact Deviate. And we just clicked. It was so exciting, the thought of working with a company based an hour away from where I live!”

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Lachlan will be starting the year on a Claymore, something he’s already had a chance to swing a leg over on the many trails at Tweed Valley:

bigquotesThe Claymore is just brilliant. I love the high pivot design - especially when climbing. Being able to pedal up choppy, rough climbs, without feeling a single bump on the trail - it’s just smooth pedaling, and traction to the back wheel. The traction is just there the whole time, that's the most noticeable thing. It's a great combination - huge fun, but also really stable and planted, with brilliant grip. The faster you go, and the more you attack, the more stable it feels.

Most people will know Lachlan for his DH background and as a member of the Dudes of Hazzard alongside Joe Barnes. Following a crash in Leogang back in 2017 and the inception of the Hazzard Racing team in 2019, Lachlan switched focus to Enduro.

bigquotesThe next year, I was still focused on downhilling, but after a few more injuries I started to realise that enduros were much less stressful, and you got to ride your bike a lot more! And after having not been able to ride my bike for so many months just getting to spend all day out riding your bike felt pretty good. So when Joe started the Hazzard Racing team in 2019, focussing purely on Enduro, that’s when I really just dived in.

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Lachlan’s racing season kicks off with the Tasmanian rounds of the UCI EDR where he’ll be joined by fellow Deviate rider Matthew Fairbrother.

See more from Lachlan :
Instagram
TikTok

Author Info:
deviatecycles avatar

Member since Nov 22, 2017
18 articles

41 Comments
  • 106 0
 So excited to be a part of the Deviate clan!
  • 7 0
 You are gonna love racing that bike so damn much...
  • 3 1
 @lachlanblair Excited to see you ripping with this bike mate
  • 7 0
 See you in May dude!
  • 1 0
 Going to be having a ride with Andrew at some point?
  • 8 0
 @mtb-scotland: And then go out on the bikes?
  • 2 0
 damn and i thought you will become the next james bond
  • 1 0
 Aw Sweet man!!! Well happy for you.. be riding like a Legend lately from what we can see
  • 2 0
 Good luck for the season bud. This article is the only reason I now know they are based in Dunblane. I stay in central Scotland and have been seeing the brand around for the past few years but had just assumed they were Canadian or American for some reason.
  • 24 5
 That's a big upgrade from Orange. Have heard so many good things about the Deviate. Could be a dark horse bike for 2023 to be a ripper. Cool luck Lachlan.
  • 13 1
 Dunno, Orange seem like a fairly slick team and their new bike is totally current but if he's enthusiastic for it then that's what matters really. The deviate looks good, let's hope he rips.
  • 8 0
 It is good to see more brands getting officially involved in Enduro. I guess that now that it is a WC it might be easier to sell to marketing honchos. The claymore looks like a weapon.
  • 9 0
 Holy headspacers!!! These bikes are just
  • 4 0
 Awesome!!
  • 6 10
flag jimmythehat (Jan 1, 2023 at 2:44) (Below Threshold)
 Expensive
  • 3 1
 Just saw this. Get this man a proper riser bar.
  • 1 0
 By the looks of how small the ht is, I’d say he’s ridding a “small” frame.
  • 2 8
flag jimmythehat (Jan 1, 2023 at 11:12) (Below Threshold)
 Lot of dentists here
  • 2 0
 @jimmythehat: they're all expensive mate, especially if you buy new. And a small (actual) boutique brand, without the economies of scale (and multinational backing) of some brands, even more so.

So it's not so much that everyone here is dentists (if you look at my bikes you will find that I'm as far from this archetype as you can get - current bike, and the newest and best I've owned, is a 2012 meta V3), it's more that it's obvious and boring to say MTBs are expensive. Yes they are - now move on.
  • 1 3
 @alexhyland: I’ve got a Nuke Mega with Ext shock, unbelievable bike, £1300 less than these
  • 3 0
 @jimmythehat: £1700 less than a Nomad then, what's your point?
  • 1 2
 @alexhyland: obvious no, £1700 for a sticker
  • 6 0
 Awesome partnership!
  • 4 0
 A loss for Orange, but Deviate seem like good guys.
  • 2 0
 Sweet. Should be heaven of a season. curious how flickable that big bike looks under his hands
  • 2 0
 am i still drunk or is that bike in the first picture tiny?
  • 5 0
 You might still be drunk, but @lachlanblair is 9ft tall.
  • 3 1
 Sizing down is the way forward
  • 2 0
 @Monty916: I'm still high, but he's taller than those mountains, taller than Jack Moir

@linton-photo: forward and up with downsizing, fellow Deviate brother
  • 2 0
 Definitely a team I can root for there!
  • 2 0
 Good luck Lachlan!
  • 2 0
 This is a great pairing
  • 1 0
 Wow he’s great for deviate!
  • 1 0
 Great rider, great bike! Excited to see how the go in 2023….
  • 1 0
 From a barn gate to a ….?
  • 3 4
 Excited to see how much faster he goes
  • 6 0
 Prob the rider not the bike!!
  • 2 0
 I actually agree. He’s one of the most stylish riders out there. I also like Orange so it will be interesting to see if there’s any difference with his average finishes the past few seasons on the Orange.
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