- Now we were just in the shed.
We were filming an ask, and I thought
you know what I think you guys want to get
to know the GMBN presenters more.
So I've got Neil here and I thought why don't we do it?
Why don't we get to know him a little bit more?
Put him under pressure, ask him some personal questions.
- We need to get to know you more Martyn,
but we'll do that later.
- Screw that.
Let's ask you questions.
Right, first question for Neil.
This is gonna be hard for you Neil.
I want you to sum up,
you as a mountain biker in seven words.
- A mountain biker or a human being?
- As a mountain biker.
- Okay, gah that's hard.
- It is hard.
Don't think about it too much.
- Crashes.
(Martyn laughs)
Try to be smooth.
- Smooth, yeah definitely.
I'd say that about you.
- I used to be fast-ish
Don't ride as much as I want to.
Does that describe me as a mountain biker?
- Yes, definitely.
You're always complaining you're not
on your bike enough, definitely.
- That word is want then.
I'm kind of flexing the rules here a little bit.
- They can be flexed, it's fine.
- Not as smooth as I look.
(laughs)
- I like how you had smooth in there and not smooth as I--
- I break a lot more parts than people think I do.
This is not very smooth.
- You break a lot more than people think you do and all.
- A happy mountain biker.
- Yes, yes.
- Chilled.
- Yes, very good.
You know yourself.
I'd say all those things were true.
You are Neil Donoghue.
- That's true.
- We will continue, okay.
Now, a sentence that describes all
that is good about mountain biking.
- wow
- A sentence, ya know, sum it up.
- I have met most of the coolest people
in my life through mountain biking.
- Yes, that's good enough.
Good enough.
You may be killing this idea of with good answers, yes.
(laughs) Right, here's a really good one for you
because this comes from your knowledge of riding.
What is the most common mistake you see a new rider making?
'Cause you've taught riders all through your career,
and, of course, you've been a coach.
- It's a very simple thing, but it's very hard
to get them out of doing is picking up
the back wheel with their feet.
I always talk about this in Bunny Hop videos,
but I see it all the time people trying to jump,
it's really, really hard almost impossible to get good
at jumping if you're doing that
and it all starts with learning the Bunny Hop the wrong way.
And people rely on clips, and just pulling on that.
- Yeah, yeah and then they go out of a jump
and try to do the same thing.
- But really, it makes you not as fast downhill
and not as good at jumping.
- See, it's learning that kind of scoop in or--
- Yep, using your weight rather than just picking up,
staying back and picking up your feet.
- Right, okay.
I just got an email with a new question.
Right, next one is, "What is the most common mistake
"you see pro riders make?"
I mean you've seen all the pros in the biggest careers ever.
Is there a common mistake the pros make?
- It's complex, but I always say the psychological part
of racing is massive and it's a really hard one to nail.
And I would say more riders should
probably get help with that.
You see people come and go, they can win massive races
but then they can't back it up with another one.
And I was not so good for it, Marc Beaumont,
who I grew up with and we've both raced together.
He went off and saw a sports psychologist
and it really helped with him.
I know the Athertons' see people out in the past,
I would say that's probably the one
biggest mistake riders make.
- And I would say the one thing that's striking
about the riders who just stick around and keep winning.
- Super strong, basically.
- The Gwinner's, and the Greg Minaar's mentally
cannot be budged.
- Yep, absolutely.
- Right, okay, out of all of the racers,
I like this question.
Out of all of the racers you've competed against
or hung out with, who or was and is the most annoying?"
- Annoying, that's effectively--
- You've got to diss someone on GMBN.
Do it, down that camera.
- I've just said Marc Beaumont, but I've traveled with Marc
for four years racing and in a couple of years,
or a year probably GMBN and he's a great bloke, loads of fun
but racing he is super, super driven
and it's hard to be a teammate sometimes
with someone like that because they are number one
and you want to try and be your own number one,
but he was great fun, don't get me wrong.
But it's just being a part of a team (mumbles).
- It's hard with teammates and Blake Sampson the other guy
on this channel was my teammate for years,
and years, and years, and yeah man, he can be annoying.
- And rule number one, especially race teams trying
to be the fastest person on that race team.
- Yes, yeah.
- If you wanna get paid the most money,
and you wanna be the person who's gettin' the kit
when it gets sent through the door.
- Absolutely, absolutely.
It can be treacherous.
Okay, right in the Bke Vault, in the Dirt Shed Show
we give away a hundred pound each week
to spend in Chain Reaction Cycles.
I'm not literally, figuratively giving you a hundred pounds
to spend in Chain Reactions,
what would you spend it on right now?
- Well, we get lots of free things, don't we Martyn?
Which is very nice got lots of free bikes and kit stuff.
One thing I do spend my money on
is fancy road chamoix, so bib shorts.
I actually prefer under quid, you'd be strugglin'
so I like to go for, I've got some Rapha.
I've got some Assos, some really nice, comfy
shammy shorts that I can wear on big rides.
- Shame, this was going so well.
That, chamoix shorts?
My God, I thought you were going to inspire our viewers
to spend some really amazing money
on amazing mountain bike parts, moving on.
Neil, you will be remembered,
not that you're going anywhere,
for some serious racing action.
You are a born racer, if ever I met one.
- I've raced a lot.
- However, if you had to be remembered
for any video (laughs) on GNBM what would it be?
I'm not interested in your racing.
- Well--
- You've got to pick one of these videos.
You've made hundreds, what's the one
you're like, "nailed it,"
and then, all the viewers can go and watch it.
- I don't know
if I have one of those. - The link for it will be
in the description down below.
- Some of the most fun ones are the Fat Bike ones,
I always come back to, because I know Blake didn't.
I was re-jeev-us, I was a big non-believer of fat bicycles.
What's the point in that. - I'd say you hated 'em.
- [Neil] Stupid, then I rode it
and I was like this is so much fun
and then Blake's got bitten by that bug as well,
so he's doing it now, but they are.
They look stupid, but are loads of fun.
- I don't think Blake's improved on your going
mega, mega fast on a fat bike video yet.
I really enjoyed that one.
- And to have this job has actually helped me mellow out
my preconceptions of mountain bikes.
I'll be like, "ah, that's fine, don't worry about it."
- Because you know what, behind the camera
Neil's got some views.
He really has got some views.
We're not allowed to let the real Neil out.
- And these are the mellowed down views
that even you're getting.
- Right, okay who's the most frustrating GMBN
or EMBN or GCN Presenter.
You know 'em all.
Who's the most annoying?
If you say me, honestly, I'll throw little Dan Lloyd at ya.
And if it's little Dan Lloyd, he'll throw me at ya.
- [Neil] Steve Jones can be frustrating.
- Let's leave it at that.
Okay next.
What makes a good bike vault photo?
- A nice bike and a nice trail.
- Dog?
- Yeah, of course.
- Dog, you are a sucker for a dog.
If someone puts a boxer in there.
- Oh yeah, of course. - That's super nice.
- I like to see a trail that's cool.
- Yeah, trail leading away that's one of my favorites.
Okay, so try and do that
if you're trying to get in the bike vault.
So you famously took a big hit on your road bike last year.
(Neil mumbles)
Is it tougher to come back from an injury,
now you're nearly 40?
I just put that question in there to say, you're nearly 40.
- I don't feel like it is, to be honest.
I think-- - What, it's not nearly 40?
- No, I am.
I think my time constraints make it harder
to do a good amount of physio.
Being a pro back in the day I'd hurt myself
then I'd do seven days a week physio, now I can't do that.
So that maybe, but the age I don't feel like
it has made a change yet.
Maybe when I hit 40 it will.
- Or another tree. (laughs)
Okay.
- [Man] Jesus.
- Right, here's a question for ya.
E-bike or fat bike? - If I could only have one?
- Yeah.
- E-bike. - E-bike, okay.
Full sus versus hardtail?
- Full sus. - Full sus, okay.
E-bike versus full sus?
- Full sus.
- That could be the same thing.
There was a flaw in my game there.
Doesn't matter.
So many of our viewers know you
as an all round bike riding master, you know.
You can do it all, we watch on these videos.
There's not really anything you can't do
on a bike or haven't done.
- That's not true.
- Won races, lost races, you've done Enduro.
You've done downhill.
You've done cross country.
You can trials ride, you can backflip.
- Can't trials ride.
- You're great dirt jump rider.
- Used to be.
- You can do street.
Look smooth, what in your opinion,
in Neil Donoghue's opinion, what haven't
you mastered on a bike?
- 360s one thing that--
- Ah yeah, yeah.
- I gave up on. - Tough, tough!
- I used to ride a BMX in the park quite a lot
and I once, I was 360ing quite a big box,
and then I under rotated and jumped off the bike
and I landed on my foot through the frame
dislocating my knee, that was it.
Done, dusted.
No more 360s for me.
- Yeah 360s are hard. - And I didn't very good.
I was very average at it.
- Yeah, yeah you gotta commit to the old spin.
- Yep, I love seeing people do it.
- I don't know why I'm telling you. I'm rubbish at it.
- You know the con-de-gue when he does
those really dipped ones that's what I would love
to be able to do.
Too late, too late.
- I'd have loved to been able to do a really big ole 360.
Right, last question, okay our viewer out there.
- Yep.
- You.
- I can see him--
- Yes. - Or her.
- We can't tell from here.
(Neil laughs)
They've got a ticket to go and ride anywhere in the world
Where are they going?
What are they taking with them?
- Oh, I don't know.
I've been loads of places been really fortunate.
One of my favorite downhill tracks ever was Japan.
I would go back there. - Yes.
- But if we're saying it's kind of novice
who's not been anywhere yet, I would say
just go to Whistler.
It's a cliche, but just go there. You'd love it.
Take a four inch, six inch trail bike go to Whistler.
- [Martin] You know what, I hadn't been
to Whistler until last year
and I was like that is, just everyone says that,
but you go and you're like, "Ah, this is so easy."
- [Neil] It's Disneyland for bikes.
- [Martin] It's great fun.
Alright, Neil that is all the questions for you this week.
Thank you very much. - Thanks Martin.
- You passed.
You are a mountain biker.
And best of luck in the future.
- Hope you don't hit-- - Thank you
- -too many trees, well I'm sure you'll hit a few.
- I'm sure I will.
- You go too fast that's your problem.
If you'd like to see more from Neil
then why don't you click here to see his presenter video
we get to know more about his life and style.
- Good one.
- Click on the old globe to subscribe
and give us a thumbs up like, if you like Mr. Neil Donoghue.
- Thanks Martin!