Interview: Mark Weir - Back in Action

Mountain biking as a sport has been around for a bit more than three decades, and Mark Weir has been racing cross country, downhill and enduro for twenty two of those years. Along the way, Weir has earned a half dozen aliases - many of them publishable - some, not so much. Stories recounting Weir's iron-man riding and mountain-man lifestyle have become the stuff of legends and while his sensational side is the oft' told tale, the power of Mark Weir emanates from deeper source. He commits to his goals. His honesty is rarely filtered and his casual phrasing often masks keen observations and deliberate answers. Twenty two years of pedaling a mountain bike through the woods have given him plenty of time to be alone with his thoughts. Ask Mark a question and he is going to speak his mind. There is no small talk and, if there is an elephant in the room, Mark probably rode in on it.

Straight-up honesty, zero tolerance for mediocrity, and enviable bike-handling skills are attributes that also make Mark one of Wilderness Trail Bike's most valuable test riders - a position he has held for most of his career. Weir's livelihood as a professional mountain bike rider, however, almost came to an end after a freak trail-side accident. He was crushed by a dead oak tree that fell on him as he and some others were attempting to move it. After spending six months in a wheelchair and on crutches, the WTB/Cannondale rider fought his way back and is killing it on the bike again. We caught up with Mark for a few questions about lessons learned and what's ahead.

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It is hard for me to really find fault in the new enduro, since its popularity has given me extended life in the sport. But, it is not anything like what I felt in love with many years ago in France at Fred Glo’s races. I guess that is mostly the progression of the sport and me seeing it from real grassroots view. I think at some point, sometimes people forget enduro (trail riding) is supposed to be fun while you are doing it - not just when you are happy that you made it to the end. I don’t really think the tracks should be only loved by the guys with the highest skill level or biggest nuts, if that makes any sense. The good thing is that you can find an enduro race almost any weekend of the year, or you can just go on a trail ride.

In all of your travels as a racer and a mountain bike ambassador, where did your most magical ride take place and who was with you at the time?

The Day La in Marin: 97 miles of dirt; 18 thousand feet of climbing on an Ellsworth Dare with a low seat (before droppers); and a 40 tooth chainring - it was 18 hours long. Our group was 15 guys and it ended with five. The stories along the way are interviews in their own right. Guys like Kevin Franks, Ben Capron, and Mike Cushionbury all failed to finish. Hahaha! Maybe Franks' pants were too tight, I’m not sure. Or, maybe because they are were on Specialized, that could be it. It was one of the most epic days of my life, no pun intended.




Tell us what it is like being a family man who makes his living riding bikes.

A dream mostly. Travel can sometimes bring me down, especially now that I want to be near them all the time. But, the bike and my sponsors have given me something that I knew I would never take for granted. Looking into my son Gus’s eyes when he does something that scares him on the bike is like nothing else. He makes me see the purity of the bike and what it felt like to really ride free. This year was so different because of the accident. After I got crushed, I heard the words I have been waiting for: Cannondale and WTB said, "No worries. Take the year off from racing and most of the travel. Get back on your feet and do what you feel in love with - go ride your bike."

As soon as I could get out of that wheelchair, that’s what I have been doing for the last four months. It's the most fun I have had in years. No bullshit, no Strava, no racing, just big rides, good friends and lots of alone time on the bike - like the old days. I can’t remember the last time I really felt this way on a bike. I have been always riding for reason: a race, a trip, a picture, or a video. I’m riding every day for nothing else but the ride. Well, maybe also the fact that I like beer and good food - just looking to break even these days. I'm thankful I have the support crew that I have. I could not of done it without them.


I build my bikes to last. Never with the lightest stuff I can get, and always with tires that weigh at least 1000 grams. Nothing worse then a breakdown because of a flimsy parts or tires. Bikes these days can really let you get out your aggression. That’s what I’m banking on. Without that, I would be a different person. Put me on an XC bike and I would be meaner than mud.

You have participated in the sport as it underwent many profound changes. What period of the past did you find most enjoyable and how do you see mountain biking evolving in the future?

I have always said: “You don’t have a past if you don’t build the future.” Watching Ben and Marco forge a path for themselves in the sport I love has been one of the most satisfying things in my life - on or off the bike. Kids I have known since they were just little guys knocking on my door to ride the pump track - to guys that are my good friends, and not only part of my life, but of my family's. To have that happen, and to have all of us living in the same town on the same team makes me smile every time I think of it. Now, with the new bike park coming in right down the street, life around here is going to change. After the years of hard work, fighting for bikes in this up-tight Marin County community. I can’t wait to be there and to be part of it.

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