We’ll admit we’re quite obsessive with Instagram here at Singletrack Towers. But not in a weird way or anything. You know, strictly professional and all that…
Of course part of our job is to scour the mountain bike media landscape each and every day, and Instagram has proven to be a consistent source of information and updates from elite athletes, bike brands, events, races, and the many talented photographers that we work with in producing Singletrack Magazine. Don’t get us wrong, there’s certainly a lot of rubbish on there too, but if you can wade through all the crap, there is plenty of gold to be had. And many, many laughs.
From the results of our recent Instagram trawlings, we thought we’d share with you our Top 20 list of Instagram accounts that we love to follow. And what about you? Do you use Instagram? And if you do, who are your favourite people to follow?
Jeff Kendall-Weed
The man sponsored by WTB, Ibis Cycles, Kitsbow and a zillion others is an absolute weapon on the bike. Based out of Santa Cruz in California, Kendall-Weed is a talented enduro racer, but he’s better known for his ridiculous style and skill on two wheels. Whether it’s an epic riding shot, or a short little video of Kendall-Weed doing the impossible on two wheels, we cannot get enough of this guys style. Effortless!
Bernard Kerr
As the inventor and purveyor of ‘Stoppie Sunday’, British World Cup downhill racer Bernard Kerr is well known for showing off his ludicrous balance. Occasionally he rides on two wheels too. He’s sponsored by Pivot Cycles, and while he races at the highest level of the sport, he’s also an incredible freerider, having taken out the 2016 Red Bull Rampage. Way to make us all feel bad Bernard!
Yoann Barelli
Another ridiculously talented rider that we love to follow online is the Frenchman-turned-Canadian, Yoann Barelli. Based out of Whistler and sponsored by Giant Bicycles, Barelli races on the EWS circuit, where he’s a consistent top-10 performer. However, it’s not necessarily Barelli’s racing performance that gets us swiping through his Instagram feed, but more so his incredible displays of skill, that includes shredding downhill trails on a rigid cyclocross bike. Because it would be easy on a mountain bike right?
Rachel Atherton
As the most successful downhill mountain bike racer of all time, Rachel Atherton is easily one of our favourite athletes to watch on the World Cup circuit. Aside from being an unstoppable force at the highest level of the sport, Atherton also happens to be incredibly down to earth, and she’s a terrific ambassador for the sport. Unlike some other elite athletes, she’s got a light-hearted sense of humour too, and we dig that.
Wyn Masters
Here’s another one in our list of Instagram feeds who’s also started a trendy hashtag. In Wyn Master’s case, that would be #wynswheeliewednesday. Nearly every week without fail, the loveable Kiwi pops up a short clip of him showing off his stupidly good balancing act by riding on his back wheel. The swagger in these videos is off the chart, and if you haven’t seen them before, get onto it ASAP!
Joe Barnes
Like many other EWS riders, Scottish riding sensation Joe Barnes initially started out on the downhill racing circuit. But like his talented sister Hannah Barnes, Joe made the successful move to enduro racing, and is a key part of the Canyon Factory Enduro team. However, it’s Barnes’ video exploits as part of the Dudes Of Hazzard series that gets us checking his Instagram feed on a daily basis. The man is quite possibly one of the loosest riders going!
Katie Holden
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest of North America, Katie Holden is a mountain biker with a clear passion for travelling. Sponsored by Liv/Giant, Holden is a talented mountain biker, but unlike many other sponsored athletes, her focus isn’t on racing. She travels the world as a media athlete for Liv, riding in far-reaching destinations that have us looking for the ‘jealousy’ button every time an amazing photo pops up on our feed. Aside from her travelling adventures, Holden is also a mentor in the Ride Like A Girl program, and she’s a key part of a wider movement to encourage more women to get into the sport. Keep it up Katie!
Jackson Goldstone
If you want to feel a combination of amazement and jealously all in one emotion, then check out some of Jackson Goldstone’s riding videos. This little fella has more talent than you can shake a handlebar at, and he’s just 12-years old! Goldstone became known to the mountain biking world back in 2012 at the ripe old age of 8, and he’s been making adults feel embarrassed everywhere since. We love his Instagram feed (which is run by Goldstone’s father), and any parent out there with kids of their own is likely to love it too!
Anka Martin
Sponsored by SRAM, Santa Cruz and Juliana Bicycles, Anka & Sven Martin are a powerhouse team in the mountain biking media world. While Sven is a well known photographer on the EWS and World Cup racing circuits (his Instagram feed is brilliant too), his partner Anka is typically on the other side of the lens. As one of the best female enduro athletes out there, Anka is another athlete that many young riders look up to, though it’s Anka & Sven’s travelling adventures that have us hooked on her photos and accompanying stories. If you want to get inspired, check out her account to see photos of heli-biking, New Zealand campervan adventures, and stunning alpine scenery.
Duncan Philpott
Hailing from just down the road from Singletrack Towers in Sheffield, Duncan Philpott is easily one of our favourite mountain bike photographers. Aside from capturing some of the world’s fastest riders on the world’s most insane mountain bike racecourses, it’s Philpott’s characteristic style and unique framing that always seems to catch our eye. So when you think you’ve seen it all, check out Philpott’s Instagram feed for inspiring photos that highlight an angle that’ll have you scratching your head asking; “how the heck did he think of that?!”
Sam Needham
Many Singletrack readers will need no introduction to Sam Needham. A photographer of immense talent, Needham was recently awarded the 2016 Singletrack Readers Award for Best Image, as voted by you. Needham isn’t as prolific on Instagram as some of the other ‘grammers we follow, but it’s more about quality than quantity with this fella. We also like that Needham mixes up his feed with plenty of non-riding shots too, proving that there can be more to life outside of bicycles (it’s a hard concept to grasp, we know!).
Martyn Ashton
If you want inspirational, then you won’t find anything much more inspirational than Martyn Ashton’s Instagram feed. Most of you will be familiar with Asthon’s story, which took a sharp turn in 2013 when Ashton fell awkwardly during a trials demo at the Silverstone Moto GP and was left paralysed from the waist down. Despite the physical setback, it hasn’t stopped Ashton from grabbing life by the horns and continuing to wring every bit out of it. His Instagram feed is full of humour, but it also shows Ashton’s physical progress as he continues to rehabilitate from his injury. If this doesn’t get you fired up to get out there and tackle whatever it is you choose, then we don’t know what will!
Brett Tippie
Another legend of the sport, Brett Tippie is also neither a World Cup racer or a pro photographer. Of course Tippie is well known for his freeriding talents, being one of the ‘core riders who definied the North Shore scene in British Columbia. These days though, Tippie is a true ambassador for the sport of mountain biking, and is a regular MC at events, both on the ground and in the commentators box. The reason we love him? Tippie is 110% personality, and it’s his infectious enthusiasm and energy for the sport of mountain biking that makes his social media account a pleasure to follow.
Marin Museum Of Bicycling
As you may well know, last month we celebrated mountain biking’s 40th birthday. Yup, it’s been 40 years since those bearded hippies held the first Repack race in Marin County in California. Hard to believe eh? As a reminder of the sport’s roots and to show just how far we’ve come, the Marin Museum Of Bicycling is a fascinating Instagram feed that’s chock-full of historical factoids and old-school bikes. Home to the MTB Hall Of Fame, the Marin Museum Of Bicycling is just as good for a laugh as it is for the retro-enthusiasts. How’s this sweet Slingshot Bike!
Retrobike
Another one for the retro-heads, Retrobike is a British-based cycling community that is 100% obsessed with all things old-school. Think Paul Components derailleurs, purple anodized components, original Shimano XTR parts, and elastomer suspension forks. What we love about following these guys, is not just the interesting bikes and components that get posted up on their feed, but rather the uncompromising detail with which this community approaches each bike. The whole point of building a retro bike is to rebuild it to its period-exact specification. And if something on a bike isn’t quite what it’s meant to be, expect followers to pick up on it!
Ultra Romance
For many of us in the office, we’re going to admit that we have a hard mancrush here. J. Bené Romanceür Esq, also known as Benedict, but best known to the world as Ultra Romance, is about as free spirit as you can possibly get. Ultra Romance came to fame when his Instagram feed was spotted by mainstream media, who picked up on his story where he was quoted as saying that he really dislikes working. So he works just a few months a year in whatever job he can find, and then he then spends the rest of the year riding his bike and camping, often on as little as $10 US a day (that’s about £230 FYI). If you like the idea of riding your bike as much as you want, whenever you want, and wherever you want, then this guy will get you amped to make that a reality. Plus, that hair! #dreamboat
Loose Dog Lewis
As we’re seeing more and more of these days, sponsors are no longer solely interested in podium-capable elite athletes. For riders like Josh Lewis, it’s their creativity with social media that gets both their name, and their sponsors names out there. In the case of ‘Loose Dog Lewis’, it’s all about ridiculous riding videos showing just how hard, fast and loose he can send it, and we are absolutely addicted to it! As one of the members behind the 50to01 crew with Steve Peat and Josh Bryceland, Sheffield-based Lewis will you have aching at the sides with his on and off-bike antics. What an animal!
Your Bike Hates You
Ok, so strictly speaking, this isn’t an Instagram channel. Instead, #yourbikehatesyou is a hashtag, but a hilarious one at that. If you’re a mechanic in a bike shop, or just a particularly anal home mechanic, you will absolutely love some of the images that pop up with this one. All around the world there are crimes committed against bicycles, and thankfully social media is there to document them for us. Whether it’s sheer mechanical neglect, or a component that isn’t up to scratch, or simply a bizarre arrangement of handlebar accessories that leaves very little room for your hands, this is one that’ll get you giggling.
Hubbard Watch
Ok, so this is another guilty pleasure of ours, but we just can’t stop looking! This is another feed that’ll get the giggles going, and it’s called Hubbard Watch. Also known as a ‘Fred’, a Hubbard is a bike rider who might be considered by some as being a little uncool. With images that often cross over with the #yourbikehatesyou hashtag, there is plenty of fodder in here that includes awkward fashion choices, incorrectly worn helmets and excessive aero bar usage. It’s like being at Eurobike all over again!
Asshole Parent
And last, but certainly not least, is the eerily familiar posts put up on the Asshole Parent Instagram feed. No, this has very little to do with cycling, but a bunch of us here at Singletrack Towers have young kids ourselves, and often those kids can be somewhat…trying. If you’re a parent yourself, and you’ve ever had your kid kick off about absolutely nothing whatsoever, this is a channel that will provide you with a little bit of comic relief.
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Thanks STW some of these will cheer up the winter months and my southern rail commute.
Doh! 21 https://www.instagram.com/p/BMpaw5AlKbP/
No @outsideisfred? Do you have something against recumbents? https://www.instagram.com/p/BIp3jWED1RC/