217- Enduro, Downhill, XC, Road, BMX. Stories From The Past with Darren Tapp
Today’s Guest:
From racing BMX to XC to Downhill to Road to Enduro, we chat with Darren Tapp (Daz).
On episode #217 we chat to Daz about his experiences racing through the years across many different disciplines, how he fell into the bike scene, spent a small fortune on bikes, got sponsored by Yeti, raced against the likes of Steve Peat and Rob Warner, was on the cover of bike mags and how he eventually burned out. All this plus much more!
Thanks for tuning in, grab your favourite drink and enjoy the show!
This episode is proudly sponsored by ALLTA
Here at MTB Tribe we are super excited to introduce you all to our new brand – ALLTA.
ALLTA is a range of mountain bike clothes and accessories dedicated to make mountain biking easier. Our gear is designed to be practical, stylish and environmentally friendly. Our best-selling Trail Changing Robe will keep you warm and dry while you are getting changed in and out of your riding gear and our other pieces work just as well on the streets as on the trails.
We’re a small Irish based brand, but our range is growing steadily with the support of a fantastic group of mountain bikers across Ireland and the UK.
You can check us out at www.rideallta.com or on Instagram @ride.allta
Find Out:
- How Daz got into bikes at a young age
- What the bike scene was like back then
- How Daz fell out of love for bikes but got a passion for motorbikes
- Why losing his driving licence got him into the world of mountain bikes
- What magazines Daz was reading and following at that time
- How he got involved in the race scene
- What his first few race bikes were and why he kept spending loads to money to upgrade them
- What racing against Steve Peat and Rob Warner was like and how he beat them at least once each!
- What the after parties were like back then (and if they are still the same)
- How Daz got sponsored and was riding top bikes
- How he ended up on the front covers of both MBUK and Mountain Bike World magazine
- Why he fell out of love for mountain biking
- What brought him to Northern Ireland and why he started road racing
- What brought Daz back into the mountain bike scene and got him racing again
- What he thinks of our young Irish talent and the future of mountain biking in Ireland
- How to find out more and get in contact
I love chatting to people like Daz. They have so much history in our sport, have amazing stories and have come across characters that help mould and shape this mountain biking game into what it has become today. But, not only that, people like Daz are better placed to know what the future holds for mountain biking because they have been there, done that, seen it all and know from history what the future is about to repeat. If you don’t know your history, how can you know the future?
Daz has been involved in most things that use two wheels in one way or another. He started like so many of us on BMX bikes, moved to motorbikes, then mountain bikes, then road, gravel and back to the mountain bike. You know if you think about it, that BMX scene that travelled across the pond from the US in the 80’s has built a love of mountain biking in this country that goes far and wide. No matter how long you were into the BMX scene for, a load of us fell in love with riding two wheels due to that craze (if you can call it that) and continue to still ride on two wheels today. The bikes have just got bigger, better and more capable. Other than that they still have two wheels, brakes and a frame (and maybe suspension, if you’re into that!).
Daz was there from the very early days, the days before TV coverage, social media and even the internet. He grew up flipping through magazines and dreaming over what bike and gear to buy next. Then guess what? Other like minded people were doing the same, brands started popping up, trails were getting built, people wanted to race and a scene was born. And as they say…that’s history.
So put your feet up, grab your favourite drink and have a listen to some great stories, the history of our sport from a first hand account, how the scene has changed and how it is only going to get better!
Thanks for your support and for tuning in!
Enjoy the show!
To Connect with Daz:
Instagram: daz_the_cyclist
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiPIIJyquhxhphxsd1PJ4Qg
Brand Ambassador For:
This episode is proudly sponsored by ALLTA
Here at MTB Tribe we are super excited to introduce you all to our new brand – ALLTA.
ALLTA is a range of mountain bike clothes and accessories dedicated to make mountain biking easier. Our gear is designed to be practical, stylish and environmentally friendly. Our best-selling Trail Changing Robe will keep you warm and dry while you are getting changed in and out of your riding gear and our other pieces work just as well on the streets as on the trails.
We’re a small Irish based brand, but our range is growing steadily with the support of a fantastic group of mountain bikers across Ireland and the UK.
You can check us out at www.rideallta.com or on Instagram @ride.allta
To Share Your Thoughts or Get In Contact:
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Thanks to Daz for coming on the show and sharing his awesome stories.
And thank you once again for tuning in!
Join me next time for another MTB TRIBE Podcast show.