159 – Chasing Podiums & Fun with Tommy Magnenat

by Gareth Beckett

159 – Chasing Podiums & Fun with Tommy Magnenat

Today’s Guest:

Often seen racing hard, standing on podiums and having a blast – Tommy Magnenat

On episode #159 we are chatting with Tommy Magnenat about moving to Northern Ireland, why he likes the Irish mountain bike scene so much, what he thinks about our trails, riding his Forbidden Druid, racing, injury recovery and what he has planned for the future, plus tonnes more.

Tommy is originally fromArgentina and has been racing bikes since around the age of four. Like so many of us he started racing BMX, but once he got on a mountain bike everything else took a back seat and mountain biking became his full time focus. 

Tommy made his way to Northern Ireland on a work experience program and completely fell in love with the people, the trails, the forests and the mountain bike community, so much so that he made plans to return and now works full time at the Life Adventure Centre in Castlewellan forest park.

So join us as we chat about how Tommy got into racing, got involved in the Irish race scene, races for the Mech Monkey Team and just loves to be on a bike (and how standing on the odd racing podium helps!).

Find Out:

  • When Tommy first got into bikes
  • When Tommy started racing
  • Why he has always been competitive
  • How he came to be living in Northern Ireland
  • Why Tommy loves the bike scene here so much
  • How the scene and trails are different from Spain (and possibility better)
  • How Tommy got involved in the bike and race scene here
  • What it is like working for Life Adventure Centre in Castlewellan
  • How his 2019 race season went and a little of the 2020 season
  • What his plans were for the 2020 race calendar
  • How he is dealing with his shoulder injury (which has been one of many)
  • How he finds riding his Forbidden Druid
  • Why he has been riding a Fustle gravel bike mostly over the summer
  • What his plans are for the off season and the upcoming 2021 race season

 

Tommy has made the most of moving to Northern Ireland, he is dedicated to doing what he loves and riding bikes and having fun plays a large part in that. Tommy found out a while ago when he was training six days per week and doing a very intense training program, with the end goal of racing professionally, that after almost a year of this brutal schedule that it wasn’t really for him. It was taking the fun out of his riding and that is what he enjoyed most about mountain biking, was having fun and enjoying himself with friends, and the full on training was just taking that away from him. Always training, looking at improving times, technique, speed etc…etc..it just keeps going and never stops.

So Tommy took a step back and realised that this curtain direction was simply not for him, so he concentrated on a career in the outdoors adventure industry and this, in part, is what led him to be in Northern Ireland and working at the Life Adventure Centre, which he loves.

Now if you have seen any of Tommy’s social posts you know how good a rider he is. He has it all from the speed to the style, so no wonder the Mech Monkey crew snapped him up and got him on their race team. Tommy loves being part of the team and even though he hasn’t been able to take full advantage of it because of a mostly non excenest 2020 race calendar he knows the benefits it brings and having that support, especially on race day makes a massive difference. So look out for good things from Tommy and the Mech Monkey team in the 2021 race calendar (fingers crossed, we have one).

So put your feet up for an hour and chill out as I talk bikes, setups, busted shoulders, racing, having fun and being in love with the Irish bike scene.

Enjoy the show. Thanks for being here.

 

To Connect with Tommy:

Instagram: tommy_mag

Facebook: tommy.magnenat

YouTube: Tommy Magnenat

 

Tommy would like to thank:

Forbidden Bikes: www.forbiddenbike.com

Alastair Beckett & Redburn Design: www.redburndesign.com

Fustle Bikes: www.ridefustle.com

Mech Monkey: mechmonkeybelfast

Life Adventure Centre: www.onegreatadventure.com

 

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Thanks to Tommy for coming on the show and telling us his story. Awesomeness! 

And thanks for tuning in once again and being a part of the podcast!

Join me next week for another MTB TRIBE Podcast show.

 

 

 

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