1x10: Charlie Aldridge
1x10: Charlie Aldridge
1. Can you introduce yourself and let our readers know a little bit about you?
I am 16 and from Crieff in Perthshire and ride for Wheels Cycles in Callander, but I race in a Stirling Bike Club top. I am mainly a Cross Country mountain bike rider, but like to do a bit of everything including enduro, road and cyclocross.
2. How long have you been involved in cyclocross?
Just 2 years. Before then I was doing a lot of ski racing in the winter and was part of the Scottish Alpine Academy
3. What got you into the sport in the first place?
Just as the trails at Comrie Croft were getting going and I was 8, my mum saw an advert for the Strathearn Mountain Bike Club coached by Derek Dobbins. We went to a SXC up at Strathpeffer and I think I came 3rd. I started cyclocross a few years ago for some training and then I enjoyed it and started racing more!
4. Can you remember the first CX race you went to, and how did it go?
Callendar Park as a U14 and hearing Jammy on the PA, “Here comes the big man on the mountain bike!”…. I was quite tall for my age!
5. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a cross race?
The wash area at Peel Park, Bradford at the Nationals last year – mud everywhere and my dad covered head to foot from washing the bikes.
6. What’s the most embarrassing thing you have done at a race, on or off a bike?
Losing my race licence on the jump and airbed at Lochore SXC some years ago.
7. Do you have a favourite course, either to ride, or to spectate?
Ummm... For a mountain biker this is a hard one as they are never technical enough, but Irvine and Mull are good fun! For mountain biking my favourite course is Graz in Austria out of the courses I have raced so far.
8. Are there any riders you particularly admire?
Mathieu van der Poel is the only CX rider I really know as he did some mountain biking this year, but Nino Schurter is a pretty good role model!
9. Any particular highlights from last season?
I know it is not CX but it has to be winning the U17 European MTB Champs in Graz Austria as part of the Ride for Charlie Craig team
10. Finally, what are you looking forward to for this season
Probably the British National champs at Hetton as I haven’t raced there before and everyone says it’s a really good course!
