Ben Cathro – The Return to Racing

Today I’m catching up with Ben Cathro. In 2021 Ben made his return to World Cup mountain bike racing and did an awesome job by qualifying and taking some great results at the final round in Snowshoe. We find out about his season and get his thoughts on some of the other goings on, both on and off track. Hear about his ‘How to Bike’ video series and his plans for the Pinkbike World Cup race team. Find out what it was like beating Reece Wilson and hear Ben’s thoughts on the health of our sport. Ben always has some great insight, so sit back, hit play and listen to this episode with Ben Cathro. You can follow Ben on Instagram @ben_cathro. Supporting Partners Cotic I've been riding and loving Cotic for a long time, but they aren't just great bikes, they are a great company too. Cotic really are focussed on doing what they can for our sport and our planet. They have made me feel like part of the family and they take that same approach with all their customers. That customer focus has been really clear during the pandemic. With parts in short supply, Cotic will do everything they can to help you. They offer rolling chassis builds so you can swap over good parts that you have on your current bike. You can even send them parts you’ve sourced and they will build them onto your new bike for you. It really is your bike, built for you. Give them a call and you’ll get to speak to an actual human who will help you through the process of getting your dream build ready to go. The UK manufacturing of their suspension bikes also means that they often have stock when others don’t. You can check out all that they have to offer by heading over to cotic.co.uk  Strength Factory January is a month where tonnes of people are thinking about being fitter, getting leaner, and getting quicker on their bike as a result. Unfortunately, most people bite off more than they can chew and don’t stick with it. But with the Strength Factory’s Over 40s MTB programme it’s not some crazy plan that promises abs in two weeks, this is an achievable 20-week plan for everyone. Designed to fit around the ups and downs that life throws at us, so that you can stick at it, be consistent and see and feel yourself improve. The programme is written so that you can do it in a gym, but you can also do it at home with just a few resistance bands, so whatever life or covid gives us in 2022, you can keep going and be in the best possible condition when the dry trails return. So if you want to be better this year, then head over to thestrengthfactory.uk now and check it out Podcast Stuff Downtime EP Downtime EP issue 1 is now available at downtimepodcast.com/ep. EP takes inspiration from the guests and topics of the podcast, expands on them, and takes them into a stunning print-only format. EP is the perfect companion for some quiet time away from the distractions of modern life. Beautiful to have and hold, and a timeless piece of mountain bike history. Just head over to downtimepodcast.com/ep and you’ll be able to save yourself £5 off of the cover price with an annual subscription for just £20 plus postage. Merch If you want to support the podcast, and represent, then my webstore is the place to head. All products are 100% organic, shipped without plastics, and made with a supply chain that's using renewable energy. So check it out now over at downtimepodcast.com/shop. Follow Us Give us a follow on Instagram @downtimepodcast or Facebook @downtimepodcast to keep up to date and chat in the comments. For everything video, including riding videos, bike checks and more, subscribe over at youtube.com/downtimemountainbikepodcast. Are you enjoying the podcast? If so, then don’t forget to subscribe. It’s free and means you’ll get every episode delivered to your device as soon as it’s available. You'll find all the links you need at downtimepodcast.com/subscribe. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify,