Follow Fergus Ryan for the first installment of ‘Trail Sessions’ – a miniature docu-series by film & photography trio Trail Creatives, exploring stories from thriving mountain biking scene in the UK.
To kick things off, Fergus found time between EWS rounds in Les Orres and Whistler to show us around his local spot where regularly trains and talk us through what keeps him motivated, how he finds his focus and how he keeps up with the mental and physical demands of racing on the global circuit as a privateer.
As a teenager, Fergus fell in love with racing and pursued riding DH competitively, rising through the ranks to an international level. On the recommendation of a friend, he tried his hand at enduro racing in his local series at Cwmcarn – Since then, he has competed across Europe in the EWS series, regularly placing within the top 100.
After having the privilege of sampling some of the finest trails the world has to offer, catching Fergus on his home turf showed us that it’s not all about the destination – the man made trails of South Wales that have been crafted over the years by dedicated groups of locals are brimming with a variety of terrains, from wooden booters and concrete like berms to fresh loam, and steep rooty tech; all of which have helped Fergus build and develop as an athlete. With such diverse terrain and changeable weather conditions in such a condensed area, Wales makes for the perfect training ground for Fergus being just over the bridge in Bristol.
Working full time as a marketing manager, Fergus fits training in around his day job, often working late and weekends to ensure he gets enough time on the bike. With a handful of dedicated sponsors, some of which he's had since the beginning, Fergus’ balances his real world commitments with a hectic racing calendar in the pursuit of progression and to “be up there with the top guys”.
As he continues to focus his training on going into the EWS 2020 season stronger than ever, we know we’re yet to see the best from Ferg!
To see more film and photography from
Trail Creatives, check out their instagram
@trailcreatives.
Source: the pinkbike comments