Winner of three World Enduro Champion titles and recently crowned Pinkbike’s Female Athlete of the Year, Tracy Moseley is a cycling icon for many an aspiring mountain biker, and also a coach at her local cycling club. We grabbed five minutes with her:
How did you first get into racing and what inspired you?
I grew up on a farm and always had a bike. When my older brother got a mountain bike and started going to local races, it was a natural progression for me to follow him.
How did your initial training schedule look compared to now?
I was pretty lazy as a kid and just rode my bike for fun and for weekend races. Now it’s a lot different: I spend five or six days a week on my bike, putting a lot of hours in over winter to get fit for the summer race season.
What’s your favourite part about cycle racing?
I love the travelling aspect: visiting new places; meeting people and the chance to ride in some of the most beautiful locations.
How do you have a successful start to finish race?
Enduro racing requires me to be out for multiple hours on race days. So I need to be self-sufficient, therefore having a pack is vital to survive 3-5 hours on the bike. Carrying water with quick, easy access is a big thing and having the flexibility to carry different size bladders is a great advantage. Space is also important to carry your pump, tools, tubes, spare clothing if the weather gets bad and even a first aid kit, as you never know if you or someone else might need it. It’s pretty vital that you’ve got everything you need to survive and I think that’s a big part of me surviving three years of the world enduro series. I pretty much have everything with me in my Osprey Raven 10.
Why should anyone get into cycling?
Cycling is a great way to stay healthy, keep fit and experience some amazing places that you would never see by car or foot. It gives you freedom and is such a satisfying way to make a journey. The racing scene is a lot of fun, it can challenge you in many ways and is a place where you can make life-long friends.
In your view, what’s a good starting point for young people interested in cycling or cycle racing?
Find a local cycling club, it’s a good social environment and there you’ll find people to ride with, coaches to help improve your riding and who’ll suggest the best local races. When you’re young it’s important to try as many different cycling disciplines as possible to gain a wide skill base. Watch a race first too, just to see if you really fancy giving it a go.
Tell us about your youth programme and why you’re keen to inspire younger children?
I’ve always enjoyed encouraging children to get on their bikes and take their riding one step further by racing so, for the last five years, I’ve been coaching at my local cycling club, Malvern Cycle Sport. I love seeing the children grow into amazing bike racers. For example, recently Evie Richards, became the Cyclocross U23 World Champion at just 18. I love being able to put something back into the sport that has given me so much. At the moment it’s just a grassroots program, but maybe in time it will grow.
Tracy Moseley is sponsored by Osprey Packs. For more information on Osprey’s cycling range click here: www.ospreyeurope.co.uk