by Davi Birks September 20, 2021

Name: Ali Clarkson
Age: 37
Discipline: Trials / MTB 



What bike(s) do you ride?
Mainly an Inspired Hex street trials bike but also a Santa Cruz 5010 (possibly changing due to sponsorship negotiations, I'll let you know), I plan on doing more MTB as time passes

Where are you from?
Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire

How did you get into riding?
Saw my big brother riding and thought bikes looked cool, I read his old bike mags and got hooked. I ended up going out riding with friends whenever possible and am still doing it 25 years later.

Favourite HKT product?
Has to be my signature frame protection doesn't it! Although having a good quality cheap brake pad is also handy so the 35Bikes pads are a close second.

Rider you most admire and why?
Chris Akrigg, style for miles and can seemingly ride any bike in just about any place better than he has any right to. 

Favourite bike-related event?
I'm a bit of a bike nerd so I always like walking around Eurobike looking at all the new gear.

Best trail ride snack?
Soreen mini loafs are good! So are fig rolls and Skittles

Any strange habits you do whilst riding?
On the MTB when I'm climbing I might make little tunes from my heavy breathing, like a beat. I figure everyone does that though right?

Favourite thing about modern-day mountain biking?
How much more reliable they are. Brakes work better, tyres puncture less, chains stay on etc. There's a lot less stopping half way down a trail and bodging a repair than there used to be.

Describe mountain biking in 3 words?
Suffer, Enjoy, Repeat

Funniest experience while out on a ride?
Probably when I did work experience at Orange bikes and had a ride with a few guys at lunch time and had both my trousers and boxers pulled down by the rear tyre on a g-out...funnier for them than me though!

If you could only ride one trail for the rest of your life what would it be?
I'm useless at remembering trail names but I had mega fun on a trail in Switzerland a few years ago...cool story bro. 

If you could magically tell every mountain biker in the world something. What would you tell them?
Learn some trials, it can be a get out of jail card for tight/tricky situations!

What is your party trick? The worm (only on the bike though)

One random fact about yourself?
I consider myself a rather excellent whistler 

Check out my HKT collabs below along with the podcast I did with Davi and Odub during lockdown. You can also follow my social channels!
Instagram / YouTube

Ali has appeared on the HKT Podcast a couple of times too. Firstly back in 2018 live from the Malverns Classic and most recently as part of The Lockdown Companion series. 

 

Davi Birks
Davi Birks


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