Alan Gray has been producing sparkling content at Ribble for more than TWO DECADES, so he's officially part of the fixtures and fittings. What better person to get to know a little better in this week's Staff Rider Stories.
Alan, with his new addition to the bike family, the CGR 725
Alan, Alan, Alan, you've been here at Ribble for a few years haven't you, but just how many? Errrr, forever?. This year will be my 24th at Ribble, I think? I’m officially the longest-serving employee of the company and started my journey to where I am now in the packing room. Over the years, I graduated from various roles within the warehouse before moving to customer service and then my current role as a copywriter.
With plenty of time to get to know each of the bikes inside and out, which did you opt for? Until the start of the year, I rode a Ribble Azzurro carbon (a precursor of the current Endurance SL carbon range) in the summer and a Sportive 365 carbon winter bike. I've commuted to work in all weathers for the entirety of my time here at Ribble and felt that the extra braking power of disc brakes would be more beneficial.
Anyone familiar with the microclimate that is central Lancashire will tell you that the weather is inconsistent at the best of times. And did I mention wet, like really wet! So, I took the plunge and upgraded to a CGR 725 steel gravel bike with, because, you know, disc brakes!
I run two sets of wheels, one for road and one for gravel. This is the first steel bike that I’ve ridden since I was in my teens, and wow, just wow. We’ve become inseparable, riding on gravel back roads, forest trails and tarmac. wherever my adventures take me, there's very little this bike cannot overcome.
What is your general riding like, how many days per week do you get out? I'm a lazy person by nature, so only tend to put in a longer ride 2-3 times a week. Pre-lockdown there was also the 6-mile each-way daily commute too, come rain or shine. There is always the scope to extend the commute, of course. So in the summer months, I tend to detour before or after work to boost the mileage.
Steel. Is. Real.
Where is your favourite place to ride? God’s own Lancashire, of course! Seriously though. With the Forest of Bowland on my doorstep, why do I need to venture elsewhere? I'm not into climbing as I'm the wrong shape to be any good at it (too much chocolate and beer - my kryptonite), but I've always been captivated by the Alpine switchbacks. Just seeing those images of riders toiling up endless hairpin bends, I'd suffer that pain for the breathtaking vista's offered at the summit, I'm sure. They're definitely on my bucket list.
Who do you mainly ride with? I'm a bit of an introvert, so tend to ride solo, but fully intend to embrace the ride-outs from Ribble HQ when they restart.
Any events you plan to do? Nah, see the introvert bit. I'm just happy keeping my own company and logging the miles on the roads I've enjoyed riding since my youth. As well as exploring the previously undiscovered backcountry lanes and gravel tracks that have always left you wondering " I wonder where that goes".
In God's own, Lancashire.
Do you have any cycling goals? To ride the Alps and increase the mileage again to get my weight back down to where it was approximately 5 years or so back. Unfortunately, for the last dozen or so years, I've suffered from Atrial Fibrillation and have undergone four procedures to try and improve things. It tends to make me feel prematurely tired when I'm on the bike. Since the lock-down, I've been gradually building up the mileage to improve my stamina.
Who is your favourite pro rider, and why? As the British team, I've always liked to see Team Ineos doing well, and I always cheer on the British riders in the big races. But I would have to say my favourite riders of the moment have to be the two big guns of Mathieu Van der Poel and Wout van Aert. An absolute pair of beasts! I've watched them trading punches in various road and cross events for years now. They will dominate cycling for years to come, of that, I'm sure.
If you could have the skill of any rider, who would it be and why? See above or Sagan. Watching Peter Sagan pulling no-handed/one-handed wheelies whilst ascending the Alps in the Tour de France was just mind-blowing. Some serious skills; just a natural-born entertainer.
What does cycling mean to you? I've been cycling now for 30 years or so; it's the freedom to get out and explore the countryside. To leave the rat race behind and just enjoy being in the now. If I didn't ride, I'd be a couch potato hiding away at home. Cycling improves both my physical fitness and my state of mind too.
If you're ever stranded on a boat, this nautical expert is the man to call
You're an interesting chap, you must have loads of fun things about you we don't already know. Come on, tell us just one. That's a tricky one, really, as I think I'm pretty boring. But how about this? In my youth, I attended nautical college where I learned some essential survival skills, like how to overturn a life raft in a storm. Being dressed in a boiler suit and life vest, paddling around for dear life in a purpose-built storm simulation pool. Thrashing around trying to right an overturned life raft, the likes of which you may have seen cocooned aboard ferries and cruise ships is not my idea of fun. if you've ever wondered what those weird white cylinders are on the sides of ships, those are life rafts. They also train oil rig workers to escape from helicopters there. They literally dunk a helicopter cab into the pool, invert it and you have to escape to safety.
It's not all bad, though. For I also found out that I have a real flair for dead-reckoning navigation. If you are unlucky enough to ever be stranded in the sea or ocean with nothing but a life vest, life raft, and some other poor unfortunates for company, feel free to give me a holler. I'll share my tips for staying alive and finding your way to safety.
What has been your proudest cycling moment? It would have to be the cycle tour my dad and I went on when I was in my early teens. We took the overnight sleeper from Preston to Glasgow, then over to Mallaig. From there, we took the CalMac ferry to Skye and proceeded to tour the Inner and Outer Hebrides as well as parts of the West Coast of Scotland.
The scenery along those isolated coasts is absolutely sensational. I can only compare it to the Norwegian Fjords, albeit on a slightly less grandiose scale. One moment in particular has stuck with me ever since. On the climb out of Seilebost on the Isle of Harris, my dad and I took a moment to take in the breathtaking view of the Atlantic and the Harris coastline stretching Northwards. It was surreal to look down upon the tranquil white beaches and aquamarine waters and be hit with the realisation that what you were looking at was one of the most windswept and savage coastlines in the UK. And not something you could easily find on a postcard to send home to friends and family from your sun-kissed Caribbean vacation.
The sea and beach were such breathtakingly contrasting hues of Blue, Turquoise and Gold. That trip was also some seriously hard riding, 550 miles+ over nine or ten days. But it was fun, and when we finished, I was beyond proud of my achievement. I also happened to have legs like Robert Forstemann....possibly.
And we've all had them; what has been the worst ride of your life? There's been a few, but the winner has to be another trip to Scotland. The overnight sleeper again. But this time we stopped slap, bang in the middle of the highlands. A place called Tyndrum. If you've ever been unlucky enough to visit this 'station' you will know what I mean. When the train lurched to a halt, I was dismayed to see that we had stopped in the middle of nowhere. At least that's how my adolescent brain viewed it. My initial outlook only soured further when the guard announced he did not have the key for the door that faced the platform. Which meant he had to pass the bikes down to us as we straddled the opposite train track.
It was like the premonition of some cheesy B-rated horror film. There we were in the middle of nowhere, standing by the side of the railway tracks having our bikes passed down to us, whilst god knows how many passengers were left wondering why on earth the train had come to a grinding halt and no-one was getting on or off. It was then that I became aware of our surroundings, a Little Chef and a deserted A-road... that's it. In all fairness the village of Tyndrum may be lovely, it's just that I didn't actually get to see it.
Off we we pedaled to our overnight accommodation. Our destination that day was what my dad rather optimistically termed as a Cyclist Touring Club Bothy. Here we would spend the night, before moving on the next day. It turned out to be situated in the middle of a forest, setback off the only road for miles in any direction. You would have to know my dad and some of the accommodations he had selected for family holidays to know that I was a little apprehensive about our lodgings for the night. as we turned off the main road, wham! A Bee/Wasp hit me in the throat like a battering ram. Leaving a little momento of its visit lodged adjacent to my windpipe.
That was about as welcome as a chocolate teapot, and I had to ride the last few hundred metres or so in some discomfort. As the swelling started to take effect, I was utterly convinced that I would die on the spot. The horror did not end there. Upon opening the door of the bothy, my eyes were drawn to the lack of anything one could even remotely term as home comforts.
And the spiders......I had never seen any so big or so many of them in one place before. This was not helped by the fact we only had torchlight to see by, and this projected each spider into horrifyingly ginormous proportions onto the walls and ceiling. If I slept a wink that night, I'd be surprised.
To my great shame, the multi-day adventure became an overnighter. For I demanded that we leave the very next day. So ended my nightmare vacation in the hut from hell!
Ribble CustomColour, what is it, how does it work, and how do I order it? Read our in-depth guide to all things CustomColour here.
A good set of wheels will improve your riding experience enormously, read about the benefits offered by the Level range of wheels here.