1x10: Fraser Waters
Turns out Niamh waters isn't the only member of her family to win this year. Fraser on his way to the win in the B-race at Rouken Glen. Photo: M. Young
1. Can you introduce yourself and let our readers know a little bit about you?
I’m Fraser Stewart Robertson Waters - I think my parents were making a point, don’t you - I’m the bloke with the Manc accent that claims to be a Scot ( I am you know, despite what Jim Cameron tells you). I race V40’s for Velo Club Moulin. I’m owner, builder and cup washer upper at The Happy Cog where I hand build wheels, and build & look after customers bikes. I have in the past organised and helped out at many of the Scottish cyclocross races. Along with my Brother In Law, Addy Pope, I ran CXAddict until we ran out of time to devote to it. I’ve been riding bicycles as an adult since 1995 when I bought a GT Zaskar and started racing DoonHill. I have a long history of falling off. If someone had told me 6 years ago that I would have more than one bike with curly bars in my garage I would have wet my Troy Lee race pants laughing. I have the best pit bitch in the business and 2 great kids too that also love to race.
2. How long have you been involved in cyclocross?
This will be my 5th Season of Racing cyclocross, I actually had to go back and check when my first race was, it feels like I’ve been racing a lot longer than that. My first encounter with ’cross in Scotland was going to watch at DigIn in the January prior to me turning up on the start line.
3. What got you into the sport in the first place?
Really it’s all Addy Pope’s fault, he’s my Brother In Law. I had kind of fallen off the wagon as far as riding any sort of bike while i’d been building us a new house. It had been all consuming and my bike’s were - unfortunately - a long way down the list of things to do and expensive. Addy persuaded me to get back to riding again via ’cross, it was cheap and accessible and I knew a bunch of guys that rode from back in the days of racing DH.
4. Can you remember the first CX race you went to, and how did it go?
I think my first race was Falkirk, that race was the hardest thing i’d done physically on a pedal bike, I was burst. I remember battling with a big hairy bloke that turned out to be Davie Graham and a female racer in a white stripy skin suit that turned out to be Maddy Robinson, but that’s about all I remember.
5. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen at a cross race?
The 3Peaks! It’s another world of craziness, they’re all daft in the head. I think the craziest thing I’ve seen at an SCX race was me in a Clif Bar skin suit I bought off ebay taking a short cut at Foxlake over what i thought was a solid tree root ball that turned out to be a huge hole in the ground under a thin layer of dirt, cue Superman! It gave my fellow riders something to giggle about and someone awarded me a 9.5 for style as he went past.
6. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done at a race, on or off the bike?
Hanging head in Shame… It was at the champs when they were at Foxlake, I got a great start and was nearer the front than I had ever been but when we hit the hill for the first time my heart rate was way too high and I had an anxiety attack, I dropped to the floor like a stone, Drew Bell stopped mid race to see if I was OK, he thought i’d had a coronary. That’s why I love ’cross the people are awesome and like one big muddy family - I was OK but I was that pissed off that i chucked my lovely Stevens Prestige about 30 feet into the long grass. Then I did the walk of shame to collect it. I got back on though and still got into the top 30. The worst/funniest bit was Harris McNeebo’s comment to his mum about a ‘silly man having a tantrum’ during the race.
7. Do you have a favourite course, either to ride, or to spectate?
Obviously it’s Knockburn Gordon ;-) My favourite current course to race has to be Falkirk, closely followed by Irvine. My favourite course i’ve ever raced is Auchentoshen. For Spectating, overall it has to be the 3 peaks - it’s mental.
8. Are there any riders you particularly admire?
The riders I admire the most are those that don’t ride for a team, don’t take it seriously, who are out of shape and on a borrowed bike but are having fun and come back week after week, that’s what cyclocross is brilliant for, getting bums on saddles. Oh and anyone that smiles like Rodger as they race, kids and adults alike.
9. Any particular highlights from last season?
That’s easy; Getting boo-ed by JMC and Drew as I was called out to the grid at Knockburn at the champs, brilliant. I did win the B race at Rouken Glen too.
10. Finally, what are you looking forward to most this season?
Watching my kids race, catching up with everyone, the rubbish chat - before, sometimes during, and after the races - , and also seeing some of my lovely wheels being raced. Above all just being part of Scottish Cyclocross.
