Gee Atherton speaking tour.

Anyone else been yet, or going? Went to the Sale, Manchester night yesterevening and really enjoyed myself. I’m not really a follower of the professional side of the sport so I didn’t really comprehend quite the scale and number of his injuries, which were covered in some detail, if your squeamish and yet to attend, good luck!

Pretty slick presentation, and well delivered too. Apparently not as good as Martyn Ashton, but he’s had some years to hone his speaking, Well worth the effort for anyone else planning on seeing him. Well done Gee.

Oh, and his new Kazakhstan is awesome, sneak preview for anyone going.

Yeah me and a mate and the boy went. It was really enjoyable although at times did jump about, around and skipped things i’d like to have heard more about. It made me laugh when all the people were going OHHHHHH about his femur and recalling doing the same (segmented) to mine which is also pinned.

If i’m being honest, the whole talk just made me think Dan is even cooler than i thought he was (which was already a high bar). Dan seems to be just bonkers in the very best kind of way.

Kaza video was excellent, but he still has a way to go before he’s beating Kilian Bron with the epic videos IMO.

It was topped off by the boy winning a pair of Contis 😀

It was topped off by the boy winning a pair of Contis ?

Ah, excellent, I didn’t hear any whooping or cheering last night, so don’t know who won. Not me anyway.

Agree about Dan, the amount of reference to his influence means I’d like to hear a leadership talk from him.

It was really enjoyable although at times did jump about, around and skipped things i’d like to have heard more about.

Would agree with this. You, like me, love DH racing, so I think there was a whole period in between the commencal animal days and the atherton bikes days that was just barely mentioned. That was a huge part of his racing career, he (and Rachel*) I think really progressed the sport in that era, which coincidently was also when I started watching. I’d credit Gee and Aaron Gwin for really upping the game and then dragging everyone else up with them.

You can see his enthusiasm for what people call “Freeride Gee”, so I guess it makes sense that he focussed on that.

*got to mention Rachel becasue their family team set up was fairly unique. Part of me thinks he’s deliberately left that part out to leave room for Rachel to do her own speaking tour soon?

Part of me thinks he’s deliberately left that part out to leave room for Rachel to do her own speaking tour soon?

It was mentioned by him that they tried to get Rachel to do on but she didn’t want to. It would be another really interesting one to hear about.

I love the Freeride stuff, but i am deffo into the ‘alternative’ riding stuff as much if not more than DH etc. Things like Rob Warner when he was doing Chile with Finn, even when he was with Hans on a trip as well and the one in the Alps. Then throw in some Kilian Bron or Remy Metailler and i’m right there in my happy place.

Gees ‘Ridgeline’ disappointed me a bit and didn’t seem terribly well thought out, but the new one that’s coming out, yeah that was absolutely superb to watch.

I really wanted to pick his brains on things like Atheron Ebikes, WC tracks at Dyfi etc etc… but wasn’t really going to fly.

We saw him in Harrogate. It was his 2nd??? night I think. He’s not a natural presenter, but it was enjoyable evening with some good tales and banter. I’m sure he will improve his presenting style as he gets more used to it, but I’d still recommend it as good evening.

Me and the wife went to Buxton on Tuesday, both had a really good time. We though he was a really good speaker , pretty humble and likeable. I guess the problem with it jumping about etc. is if he covered everything, we’d have been there till gone midnight!

And yes, his new video is excellent.

I was there last night in Sale, thought it was really good but would agree with others that parts felt a bit missed out or skimmed over. Can’t really be helped I suppose if you’re telling your life story in a short period, but a few bits that were noticeable for me:

When they were young and getting into biking, stories of injuries and travelling around for races etc, I found it odd that their parents were not mentioned at all. Surely they must have been pretty supportive of everything, not to mention that it must’ve cost a small fortune in travel and entry fees!

The anecdote about running low on fuel in Kazakhstan and stopping at the military base, the guard nudging the camera’s view away and then… change the subject. Aargh! What happened? I assume he just sold them some fuel on the side, but it would’ve been nice to know!

Didn’t mention the experience or feeling of becoming World Champ.

—

I wondered who won the mystery prize, glad it’s someone I “know” 😀

I’m seeing him in Cheltenham later on this month… The Martyn Ashton tour was excellent, and definitely my era of MTB. I’ll be interested in gees early career as I had a bit of a small brake frame mtb in the early 00’s

By the sounds of it I am glad I didnt book in.

I would want to hear about the early years ie childhood progressions and pathway to the top, and then whats next.

All the injury stuff has already been more than covered on YT

Going on Saturday to see him

How long does it last? Says a 7:30 start. Just trying to work out train times home

@BoardinBob we were out by about 9.40 ish.

I would want to hear about the early years ie childhood progressions and pathway to the top, and then whats next.

All the injury stuff has already been more than covered on YT

There’s plenty of both. First half is early years, second half is injuries and current stuff.

By the sounds of it I am glad I didnt book in.

I would want to hear about the early years ie childhood progressions and pathway to the top, and then whats next.

All the injury stuff has already been more than covered o YT

There was very little i didn’t know about Martyn Ashton’s talk, from an early years pov, and having read his subsequently released book he didn’t really go into loads of detail about his injury stuff but cirtainly gave you a flavour of what a life changing injury does. It was still an excellent evening and a couple quid well spend.

We went in Surrey and it was great. But two members of the audience fainted during the section where he shows the picture of the metal halo pins attached to his head to let his skull heal.

Kazakhstan

@tthew you want a slideshow of metal work? Can do that.

You want tales of gnar whilst hungover i can do that…

Gee is a legend, however always found him so serious and focused hes not always hugely personable. But at that level its not a slight its a sign of focus!

Yes also saw him in Harrogate, really enjoyed it.
I will say though and I’m absolutely not embarrassed to say this that during one part of his show I nearly passed out…. My other half who works in the NHS saw it going to happen, luckily cool air in there and sleeves and trousers pulled up and kit removed I managed to stave it off…. But yeah, I’m really NOT GREAT with medical things of that level ?

Saw him in Altrincham on Wednesday.

what @P20 said. Gee did a very good job. There were parts where his delivery flowed very well. It’s tough having to stand up in front of any audience and talk for so long about your experiences. I hope he keeps on at it as his ability to speak about his achievements, recall Dan’s drive, and touch on Rachel’s incredible success makes for a more interesting story than the typical sports talk. And definitely better than some ‘inspirational’ corporate speakers I’ve endured in the past.

he made reference to some southern folks being a bit weak-kneed at some of the injury pieces. IDK, maybe several years of working in A&E and orthopedics inured me to that kind of stuff? The riding clips though! Terrifying! Narrow ridges. Huge precipices. Hyper speed jumping. Yikes! Another other level of daring and commitment.

Gee dealt very well with the question of ‘how do you get back on after injury’? Drive and commitment and you’ve done it so much that you just do.

it was well worth seeing. He packed a lot in and ending with the Kazakhstan video was very slick.

I saw him and his girlfriend at Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall one time.

I papped him when I got back down the bottom.

Here he is look.

Fair enjoyed this. He was pretty nervous at the start and a couple of his attempts at jokes didn’t generate any laughter, which I can tell you from painful presenting experiences in the past, that doesn’t help the nerves but he definitely got better. The 2nd half with the big mountain stuff definitely felt like his comfort zone. He was much more animated and passionate about that stuff. The very clunky promotion section for the 360 Camera wasn’t great.

On the injury stuff, unless he pulled some slides from earlier shows, or people really are just sensitive, other than the footage of the crash on the steep jagged rocks, there isn’t anything bad. A swollen leg and a sewn up wound on his wrist, and a few general pics of him hospital beds. The halo thing looked absolutely horrendous though

Definitely worth seeing if any of the remaining dates are near you

A swollen leg and a sewn up wound on his wrist, and a few general pics of him hospital beds.

Would absolutely be sufficient to send my missis and most of her family into a fit of vapours.

I had to rescue SWMBO out of the bushes beside the main doors of our local hospital. We went to see my Grandma after a knee replacement. It was under a blanket, but just the thought of it… Managed to get into fresh air before keeling over.

The halo thing looked absolutely horrendous though

That’s where both people fainted when I went.

That’s where both people fainted when I went.

I was also at that show. That’s not my recollection of it. One person fainted before the device had been shown, one after afaik – they were ceratinly spread ~10 mins apart. There was no suggestion that the imagery had caused the fainting – it was warm and stuffy in the room, it was definitely an unusual thing to happen.

The image was a slightly closer-up version of the halo image on this page https://www.pinkbike.com/news/injury-update-from-gee-atherton.html

nothing gory or nasty, no blood, just some metal going through the skin.

That’s not my recollection of it.

Recollections of events may vary – eye witness testimony is notoriously unreliable.

There was no suggestion that the imagery had caused the fainting

There was also no suggestion that the imagery had not caused the fainting

I have been to many shows in theatres small and large, including lots at Leatherhead. I have never seen a member of the audience faint, let alone two independently. Co-incidence?  Not in my opinion, but of course yours may vary.

Which show(s) did you go to? One of my colleagues had fainters at the Shrewsbury venue.

I saw him and his girlfriend at Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall one time.

I papped him when I got back down the bottom.

Here he is look.

He’s not about to ride down that, is he?

No don’t tell me – the landing is out of shot on the left.

Can confirm, it was the halo that nearly had me passing out…. Luckily sleeves rolled up, trouser legs rolled up, long heavy breathing and looking away I managed to stave it off!! Was v close though!!