Name:
Julie (Grrr) Greengrass
Age:
The other week I was told I looked about 28, let’s stick with that shall we.
Hometown:
I suppose you’d class me as an Essex-girl, originally being from Canvey Island, in Essex the land of the very flat, but lived in Northumberland/Newcastle for 10 years , plus Brighton and East Grinstead and now parked in Glossop; The Peak being a jewel for biking and running.
Profession:
Performance sportswear designer: Senior designer/Design Manager for Sprayway.
Years riding:
MTB: owned a MTB for 14 years but properly riding for about 5 years, racing 4 years.
Road: 2 years.
BMX: I always wanted a BMX, and would love to give the track in Manchester a try.
Track: I’ve dabbled (Manchester Velodrome), but still need to get my accreditation – it’s on the list of things to do.
CX: Toying with the idea, it’s a maybe for later in the year.
A summary of your riding style in three words:
Never give up.
Why bikes:
They make me smile and they have character.
What type of bike got you into riding:
A red Raleigh Tomahawk (the baby Chopper), my Auntie Eileen got it for me. It was my first and the coolest bike and couldn’t be fitted with stabilisers so I spent a lot of time crashing.
First memory of riding:
Pedalling along my street: me ‘have you still got me’. Auntie Eileen ‘yes I’ve still got you’ she said holding onto the bar at the top of my saddle….pedal pedal pedal…me ‘have you still got me’. Auntie Eileen ‘yes I’ve still got you’ she said, sounding a little distant. I looked back and realised that I was pedalling all on my own.
When or how did you realise riding bikes was the path for you:
I realised as a kid that it was the easiest way to get about, escape or go fast.
What do you get from riding or racing:
From riding I get lots of things; I love sociable rides with friends which are fun yet relaxing, sometimes a way of learning something new, or catching up with news and gossip and always leave me with a smile on my face. I also love riding on my own; at the moment I’m trying to learn off road routes from my front door, so it’s a navigational challenge as well as feeling that i can stop and check the view at any time, or ride down something really well, or up something I’ve never climbed before in one go, or go back and do something again. Riding over more technical stuff, like in the Alps last year, I find scary but also more satisfying if I manage to do something I didn’t think I could do at all. I love learning new things, or a better way of doing it, I don’t think I’ll ever run out of things to learn with bikes. I commute to work by bike too, some mornings it’s beautiful, with the sun shining and it just makes me happy to be out on my bike before I get down to work. It can also be the perfect escape after work and turn a rubbish day into one that’s not so bad after-all. It also puts the weather in perspective, and living in the Peak you get used to rain, it’s never as bad as it looks outside.
Racing is something else. I can be very competitive, and I love team races for the speed, going flat out is hard but the feeling is worth it and getting the dawn lap if you’re lucky is amazing on a sunny day. I tried my first 12hr solo last year, and I find it fascinating to judge what your body is doing, and what food to eat, and how long will it keep going for.
Why MTB:
It can take you anywhere.
Why Cyclocross:
Not tried it yet, but like the idea of it.
Why Road:
You can go for a gentle but long ride and take in the scenery without worrying that you’ll hit a rock and fall off. Or you can completely obliterate yourself climbing the steepest hills, and scare yourself overtaking cars at 40mph on the descents. Or you can ride and ride and ride. Or riding in a group going really fast. Or riding with friends down country lanes chatting.
Why Track/Fixed:
Must revisit the track, I love the whoooooooooosh and blast of warm air when you come out of the top bend from high up and fly down into the straight
Why BMX:
It looks fun I wanna try it
What makes you want to try other forms of cycling:
Good excuse to buy a new bike
Is there any you’re itching to try:
BMX, CX…If I put Downhill on here everyone would know that I was lying.
Riding and racing history:
I’ve been glued to the saddle of a bike for as long as I can remember. Got into racing about 4 years ago, and love the challenge and also the social side of it.
Best bicycle moments:
Finishing the Kielder 100 last year, standing on top of the podium at SITS and Mayhem with my team, unbelievably coming third at 24/12. Receiving a text that said ‘19:59:13′ and watching friends do so well last year.
Worst bicycle moments:
Crashing my roadbike on the way home from work and thinking ‘aarggh I could be under a car in a minute’, and then the unique aches and pains that a crash at speed on tarmac can leave you with for weeks afterwards.
What do you hate about bicycles:
Not having enough time to ride them
How would you change the bike world to suit you:
No ice, no wind over 25mph, nobody would want to steal your bike ever, you could take your bike on a bus and free bike carriage abroad.
What bike races inspire you:
All of them in different ways
Whose the rider or riders who made you think that bike riding really is the best thing in the world:
My friends that ride bikes
What bike skills most contribute to your enjoyment of riding:
Pedalling
What bike skills most contribute to your potential in bike races:
Pedalling fast or for a long time
How do you fit your love of bikes and racing around your full time job:
Mostly by using my commuting time as riding time. Currently trying to find some more interesting and longer commutes for when the weather gets better and the mornings and evenings get lighter
Does you job actually help with your riding:
Sort of, as I can test the kit I design on the bike (although not bike specific kit), plus they are sympathetic to the racing (my boss is a runner and still competes, which I think helps the understanding) the time that it takes up, why I can’t walk up or down the stairs too well some days, and why I spend the summer covered in bruises.
How would you describe yourself off a bike.
Non-stop
What made you want to join The Kinesis Morvélo Project:
It sounded like a lot of fun
