Enduro
The Erzbergrodeo 2013 winner tells us how he became the current king of Hard Enduro.
In this series of Fast Talk Q&A interviews we delve into the minds of some of the world’s best enduro riders and get to know them a little better. For this instalment, redbull.com catches up with Graham Jarvis…
RedBull.com: Graham, how did you get involved in motorsport? Graham Jarvis: There was a patch of woodland at the back of my house and every Saturday a group of guys would meet up to ride bikes there. I’d spend all day watching them and then eventually after badgering my father to buy me a trials bike, he finally did. I was only ten years old when it all started.
RB: What’s been your best experience? GJ: Winning the Red Bull Romaniacs has been the standout highlight of my career. It’s an event I enjoy a lot. The riding is great and it takes four days to win it. It’s not an easy race that’s for sure!
RB: What’s been your worst racing experience? GJ: I’ve got a couple but getting excluded from Erzberg three times are my most memorable worst experiences! Of them all I think the worst one was in 2011 after all the prize giving ceremonies had taken place. I’d done all the interviews, sprayed the champagne and was then told I’d gotten excluded. That was a rough moment to take.
RB: Do you have any motorsport idols? GJ: Growing up in trials, I always looked up to guys like Steve Saunders and Jordi Tirol. They were who everyone aspired to be – really good riders with great technical ability. Nowadays I have a lot of respect for people like Travis Pastrana and Taddy Blazusiak. They’ve contributed a lot to our sport and helped make it what it is today.
RB: Do you spend much time in the gym? GJ: My training regime varies depending on the type of event I’m doing. During the winter I do a lot more fitness work than riding my bike. Closer to the season I’ll spend more time training on my bike than working in the gym. Generally, I just try to do something that fits in with the lead up to a big race. It’s important to mix things up to avoid getting bored.
RB: How much time do you spend prepping your bike? GJ: Err…it’s minimal! I’ve got a practice bike at home that I maintain myself. All I do is keep it topped up with petrol, change an air filter or tyre. It’s been a while since I changed a piston.
RB: What is your favourite event of the Hard Enduro season? GJ: The Red Bull Romaniacs is my event of the year. I really love going to that one. The riding is awesome and each day is always different. It’s four tough days of pure enduro – it’s an incredible race.
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