RIBBLE STAFF STORIES: MURRAY BRINDLE
This proper northern mechanic - with a love for beasting it out in Ironmans - enjoys the simplicity of single speed and off-road biking. Find out more in our latest instalment of Ribble staff stories;
In the latest in our Ribble staff stories, we introduce you to Murray Brindle. Murray is the product team mechanic and loves racing either on-road or in Ironmans. Here, he tells us about his love of bikes and everything about them - even down to fixing mechanicals.
How long have you worked at Ribble for? This is my second time working at Ribble, 11 months the first time back in 2014/2015 but loved it so I'm back again. I started back in June 2019.
Which bike do you ride? I have an older CGR Ti and a single speed.
How often do you ride and what's your riding style? I ride to work pretty much every day, either on my single speed or the CGR Ti. I love the simplicity of my single speed and I like the challenge it presents riding on all gradients with one gear.
You're a local lad, where's your favourite place to ride - local or more further afield? It would have to be the Alps followed closely by the quiet lanes of Lancashire. Nothing beats them on a lovely summer's day.
Who do you mainly ride with? I generally ride by myself, but when I do ride with other people it's with my cycling club or one of my few friends that cycle.
Any events you plan to do? I’m doing Dirty Reiver again in September and hopefully getting a trip to the Alps again, C-19 dependant.
How low can he go?
What are your cycling goals? I’d love to get my 2nd Cat race licence. I think it's an achievable goal for myself over the next few years and also I’d like to compete in another Ironman triathlon and try to qualify for Kona, Hawaii.
Favourite pro rider and why? I have two, Peter Sagan and Mathieu van der Poel. They are both absolute monsters on a bike and they make watching racing really interesting.
Racing for the 2nd Cat licence
If you could have the skill of any rider who would it be and why? As above, it just seems like there is nothing on a bike they can’t do.
What does cycling mean to you? It’s a proper cliché, and at the risk of sounding like a contestant on X-Factor, it means everything to me. I just love bikes, everything about them, riding bikes, building them, and fixing them. I cycle for mental health reasons. It’s a permanent battle, but if I don’t ride my bike, I’m not the best version of myself so I do it for me, my friends and my family.
An interesting fact about yourself? I used to work as a Health Care Assistant in a Coronary Care Unit in Manchester.
Lancashire's lanes are a favourite for local lad Murray
Proudest cycling moment? Cycling from Manchester to London in a day. It was a great achievement.
Worst ride of your life? I took a friend, who was fairly new to cycling for a bike ride and the weather turned dramatically. I had prepared myself for an eventuality like that and packed a jacket, but he hadn’t. He nearly turned blue, so I gave him my jacket and gloves and then it was me who nearly turned blue. I was so cold and wet, I couldn’t feel my hands or feet, but I felt so bad for my friend I found the energy to get him home. When I got home I had to get in the shower fully clothed as I couldn’t get my kit off.
I’ve bonked countless times when I first started cycling, but that doesn’t happen very often these days, fingers crossed.
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