I’m Tom – a 23-year-old multi-discipline cyclist from the south of the UK. After transitioning from a background in athletics, I’ve worked my way up through the cycling ranks. From representing Great Britain at the European Championships to standing on national-level podiums across a range of disciplines, it’s been an incredible journey so far.
While I initially chased the dream of becoming a professional road cyclist, I’ve since shifted focus to the off-road scene. Whether it’s gravel, cyclocross, or crit racing, I’m more excited than ever to represent Ribble this season as a privateer.
Why Ribble?
For me, partnering with Ribble was a no-brainer. They have a rich legacy in the UK cycling scene, and I’ve been fortunate to ride their bikes for several years now. I’m consistently blown away by the performance, innovation, and sheer quality of their range.
Some of my most successful seasons have been on Ribble bikes. From 1 hour full gas cyclocross races to 360km gravel races, their bikes have never let me down – which, to me, says everything you need to know. They’re fast, look incredible, and offer the perfect ride feel: comfortable, agile, and confidence-inspiring whether you’re climbing, descending, or cruising on the flat.
A few things make Ribble stand out even more and is the reason I love the brand so much. First, the customisation – choosing your own paint colours and components via the BikeBuilder tool means your bike is truly your own. Then, there’s the fact that every bike is hand-built in the UK and comes with a lifetime warranty. That level of care and confidence in their craftsmanship really sets Ribble apart.
Your Favourite Bike?
That’s a tough one! But if I had to choose, it would be a tie between the Gravel SL and the Ultra SL R.
The Gravel SL is the most versatile bike I’ve ever ridden. It’s right at home on rough gravel trails but still holds its own on the road – I’ve even raced cyclocross on it! It’s taken me on more adventures than I can count and never fails to put a smile on my face.
Then there’s the Ultra Race, a recent addition to the fleet – and it’s blown me away. It climbs effortlessly, flies on the flats, and corners like a dream. If you’re looking for an aero road bike that delivers on performance and comfort, this is the one and I can’t wait to line up at the National Crit series on this.
Why Go Privateer?
Going privateer was a big decision – and a bit of a leap – but after several seasons riding for teams, I was ready for a new challenge. I wanted more freedom in my race calendar and more control over my journey, and going privateer has opened up that opportunity.
It’s allowed me to take on a whole mixture of different events – from my first triathlon to the Gravel Earth World Series, the National Crit Series, and soon, the Gravel World Championships. It’s a calendar that keeps things fresh, exciting, and unpredictable – and I love that.
It’s also helped me evolve my content. I enjoy sharing my racing and training experiences, and this variety keeps things interesting not just for me, but for the people following along. It also gives me the chance to showcase the products I use across a wide range of disciplines and conditions as well as to different audiences.
One of the biggest highlights has been designing my own race bike and kit – something I feel incredibly lucky to do. It’s come together better than I ever imagined, and I’m already excited for what’s next.
How has the year played out so far?
The year couldn’t have started any better for me. With already 3 wins under the belt I couldn’t be happier. The first of which came at the Battle on the Beach, a race I’ve now won two years in a row so hopefully I can make it a third in 2026. After this I travelled out to Spain for some training and also to race The Traka which has quickly become one of the biggest gravel events in Europe. This year I competed in the 100km as knew this would play to my strengths the best and after a podium in 2024 I was hungry to challenge for the win. Sadly it wasn’t quite to be but to finish 8th in a field stacked with the likes of an Olympic Gold Medalist and also MTB World Champ was pretty cool!
After Spain I dabbled my hand in triathlon and took to the start line of one of the hardest triathlons in the UK. After a 1.5km sea swim, a 100km bike and running to the summit of Snowdon and back down again I again finished 8th!! For this I raced my Ultra Aero which certainly turned some heads when I was overtaking all of the TT bikes with disc wheels!
Attention then turned to the Gralloch. A race I had pencilled in as a big target for the year, my ticket to the World Gravel Champs if I qualified in the top 25%. After some good sensations in racing and training I knew I potentially had a good shot at winning but only if I played my cards right. However come race time the idea of playing it safe had long gone out the window and I attacked with 70km to go and somehow held off for the win which was a pretty cool feeling and certainly given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. I followed a similar style of attack at the Gravel Rush and went solo 50km from the finish to again take the win.
What do you have planned for the rest of 2025?
Let’s hope the wins keep on coming as I have an exciting remainder of 2025 and a calendar that still involves a huge range of races. In addition to local cries and cx races a few big targets are as follows:
Race Calendar 2025
- Gritfest a large multi day gravel race in Wales which I’ve won for the past two years - fingers crossed I can make it a third in a row!
- The National Crit Series - In particular Guildford is my big target, a 3rd in 2024 and 6th in 2025 gives me a lot of confidence and I know it’s a circuit that suits me well.
- The Three Peaks - an event that has been on my radar for some years and let’s hope this is the year I can take to the start line!
- Gravel National Champs - This year there is a TT and also gravel race and after my success at the Gralloch a podium is the big goal.
- Gravel Worlds - Arguably my biggest focus and also biggest race of the year because let’s be honest it doesn’t get bigger than Worlds and a stripy jersey on the line!
- National CX series - If that wasn’t all enough the cross season will be my calling ground for the winter.
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