The former Ibiza DJ and producer swapped discs for disc brakes (is there a better pun?) to head up the sales team at Ribble. Here he talks of his love of the domestiques and Mallorcan climbs - as well as those late nights in the party capital of the world.
Mallorca: best of both worlds for a cyclist and former DJ
It's been a busy few months for our Head of Sales, Fraser Hamilton, but he took a quick five minutes out of his day to share his road from late night DJ sets to early morning spins.
Fraser, first up... how long have you been at Ribble for? It's two years this week, my anniversary is the 7th June.
Which bike/s do you ride? I currently ride a Aero 883 for the road, and a CGR AL for the more off-road adventures.
Not sure which is nicer, sunset or that epic paint job
What is your general riding like, how many days per week? I don’t ride as often as I like. I try to get in at least 2-3 days a week, with a bigger ride at the weekend.
We have a shared love of the hills, but where is your favourite place to ride? I’m fortunate that where I live I can access the Peak District and North Wales so I enjoy getting out there and experiencing some of the best views in the UK. Outside of that, Mallorca is a lovely place to ride a bike.
Cranks at PRECISELY the right angle for an Insta pic
Who do you mainly ride with? Like most recently, solo. Prior to lockdown, in the weeks I tend to ride alone in the week and then go out with a friend for a longer weekend ride.
Were there any events you had signed up for or that you plan to do post-lockdown? Nothing this year. I’m really last minute when it comes to attendance for events, but might look for a few next year if the diary looks favourable.
What are your cycling goals? Nothing major, but would love to experience a couple of climbs from the bucket list; Stelvio Pass and Alpe D'Huez.
Who is your favourite pro-rider and why? I don’t particularly have one out & out favourite rider but I’m quite a fan of the domestiques, the unsung heroes of any peloton. I’m a big fan of team sports in general, but Luke Rowe or Tim Declercq impress me with their engine, attitude, and general determination to support a win for their team.
If only looking pro gave us pro watts...
If you could have the skill of any rider who would it be and why? I think if you ask any social rider, the skill of any professional rider would be great right now! An engine for hills, or the legs for sprinting would be ideal.
What does cycling mean to you? There’s a lot to be said about cycling and it’s ability to give a very strong feeling of independence through movement.
I often use the time on the bike to think or reflect, or even just to take my mind off things. Like most people, I started on bikes when I was a very young kid, which then evolved to riding and having a traditional paper round as one of my first jobs.
Back then I used to love just getting out, riding, and experiencing new places (albeit locally). After a bit of a gap off bikes, and coming back to it during the last decade it’s rekindled that passion of freedom and exploration.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself? I used to be a professional DJ & producer about 10-15 years ago now. Managed to have a few of my records played on Radio 1, and played by some of the biggest DJs in the world.
I’ve also, fortunately, DJ’d in some of the biggest clubs in the UK & Ibiza, which were incredible experiences back then. I still DJ now and again, but my kitchen is about as big as it gets for the venue these days!
Real. Bike. People.
It might not come as close as DJ-ing in Ibiza, but what has been your most proud cycling moment? Having my name in lights at Lea Valley Velodrome. I took a friend for a birthday present for a track riding experience, and they did a timed lap for everyone towards the end. The time was nothing to write home about, but I think I was more impressed to have my name up there. Aside from that, I think my first century ride would be up there just for a sense of accomplishment.
We have all had them, tell us about the worst ride of your life? One that springs to mind was a local ride up to the Cat & Fiddle climb towards Buxton, coming back from there I’d clearly used everything in the tank plus the reserve. I was about 5-6 miles from home and the dreaded bonking feeling was kicking in, weaving a little more than I’d like in the road. What I saw was something of a mirage that said ‘ICE CREAM FARM 200m’ on a sign by the side of the road. Thankfully I wasn’t dreaming quickly pulled in and had, what felt like, the best sugar kick I’ve had in my life. From there it was an embarrassing 10 minutes from home, but probably the most alive I’d felt in the last hour of that ride.
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