055 – Kerio Valley Enduro & MTB Development In Kenya

Todays Guest

Simon Blake – Sports Director For African MTB & Cycling Development Talks Kerio Valley Enduro And MTB Development In Kenya

Its episode number Fifty Five, and the podcast is one year old (it was launched with four episodes)!!

So in saying that it was great to have Simon Blake back on the show to talk about the Kerio Valley Enduro and how mountain biking in Kenya, East Africa has developed over the last 9 to 10 months. Simon was first on the show back in episode number Twenty (Listen Here) talking about his work in East Africa and how mountain biking was starting to get popular with XC and Enduro events starting to pop up all over Kenya, with his guidance and help of course.

Simon is never at home. He is always on the road promoting MTB and Road Racing development within Kenya, so he is a hard man to grab for an hour. Simon has been doing an awesome job building the MTB community and letting people see the advantages that such a healthy and fun past time can have not only on yourself but also your local community.

We chat about how the mountain bike scene has changed over the last number of months and some exciting progress that has been made. We also chat about the Kerio Valley Enduro that Simon has just held and how it has become more popular not only with riders but with sponsorship and local businesses.

Find Out:

• How popular the Kerio Valley Enduro has grown
• What the trails are like
• The difficulties in running an enduro in this area
• How the riders found the trails
• How Simon works the timing system
• Why this would not happen without the help of people giving up their free time
• How Simon planned the routes with the help of locals
• Why Simon almost had to pay 10 bucks for each onion they damaged
• Why the BMX pump track competition went down so well
• What the future looks like for MTB in Kenya and East Africa
• Exciting things happening to help introduce more people to MTB
• Young kids that shred
• What other events are happening this year and in the near future in Kenya and East Africa
• Simon’s awesome Canada and Whistler trip

Simon is super passionate about mountain biking and road racing and helping get it into more peoples lives in East Africa. He had already made great strides with the Kenya road racing team with a few top riders in his camp. Simon himself is a keen mountain biker and this is were his true passions and interests lie. Simon works with a number of other key people in East Africa to make these great events happen, two or three of who have been on the podcast in the past (see episodes below).

The last time Simon was on the podcast he chatted about the problem they had with simply getting half decent bikes. Considering most of the local guys are either getting a lend of a bike or are racing enduro on a ridged it is not hard to see the issues. However, this may be due to change. Simon has had a number of meeting with a supplier that may be able to help and not only with decent bikes but with parts and components. If you break a cable or a derailleur in East Africa you can’t simply walk down to your local bike store and get a new part. Ordering online is also not easy as customs and delivery can be a huge issue. So most of the mountain bikers have to wait until a mate is flying in from elsewhere and ask them to kindly bring the parts they require. Not ideal. We chat to Simon about how this large stumbling block may be coming to an end.

We also chat about everything enduro and how these events are helping the local businesses make more money and have a good time while doing it. We also get the low down on Simon’s awesome trip to Canada and what he thought of the trails in Whistler and the outlying areas. Plus loads more interesting East African MTB information.

If you want to hear what is happening with mountain biking in other area’s around the world, then have a listen and check it out. Enjoy!

To Connect with Simon and the Kerio Valley Enduro:

Instagram: @exploresimon

Facebook: Kerio Valley Enduro

Website: kenyanriderssafaricom.com

Website: kenyanriderssafaricom.com/simon-blake

Instagram: @kenyan_riders

Sponsors of the Kerio Valley Enduro: