Introducing Alf Raynor

Alf Raynor is the definition of core. He loves getting stuck in and goes hard on the bike. The David Dunn of MTB, the man's unbreakable. We're stoked to announce Alf is riding for Airdrop Bikes.

Alf is likely the hardest man in MTB, he loves the graft and goes hard on the build. His raw style on the bike and commitment is something that has to be seen to believed, its wild. Off the bike he's the most down to earth, humblest, spaniel-loving dude. Alf lives and breathes bikes and we couldn't be more stoked to have him riding our bikes.

Alf Raynor Q&A

In the interest of lifting the lid on what makes Devon's answer to David Dunn tick we asked Alf a few questions. He's a man of few words (he lets his work do the talking) but we managed to squeeze a bit of info out of him. And Dan at Moonhead Media blasted out some photos of Alf riding at a very snowy Dyfi....

Name?

Alf Raynor

Age?

22

Current job?

Trail builder at Dyfi Bikepark

Whats the best bit about your Job?

Building trails.

Any shit jobs?

I Haven’t really had many bad jobs, why do it if you hate it?

Where did you grow up and what was it like?

I grew up down in Devon on Dartmoor, it was a pretty cool place to grow up!

Pasties or Cider?

Pasties and Guinness.

Where are you living at the moment?

In my van in the woods!

How did you get into riding?

I got into riding with mates, just building sketchy stuff to try and ride.

What inspired you growing up?

BMX was always a pretty big inspiration growing up, big one hit clips have always got me stoked.

How much thought goes into your setup?

Not a lot, slow and stiff.

Do you change your setup between spots?

Not really. If I’m trying to keep up with the fast boys I back a bit of compression off sometimes…

Ever had any big injuries?

I’ve always gotten away with crashes pretty well, although definitely a few big head ringers.

Do you have a clear vision when you begin work on a build or do you let it develop as it progresses?

I always go into a build with a plan but that normally ends up changing as you get stuck into it, definitely easy to get carried away and forget the plan though!

Whats it like digging Hardline?

Pretty mad, it’s really hard to build something that’s hard to ride for the best riders in the world but still possible and not sketchy.

Do you ever get frustrated/angry when trying something and it isn’t going your way?

Yeah all the time! Always good to have a few slams and work for a trick though.

Do you use music as a motivator for riding, if so how, what, and why?

The morning drive to the Bike park is normally some pretty heavy metal to get in the mood.

Somewhere you would like to ride but haven’t had the chance yet?

Royal hills, or anywhere with some big jumps!

Have you been influenced by any other riders, or people in other sports?

Definitely a few of the freestyle moto boys and some street bmxers!

Do you have favourite riders?

Bence Kuli to watch for sure.

What is your relationship with social media like?

Never been a huge fan of social media, but it has opened up a lot of opportunities for me!

What made you want to ride with us?

Too many bike companies just pump out ‘disposable’ bikes now, so riding for a company that make solid fun bikes is a huge thing for me.

If you could change one thing about the MTB scene, what would it be?

More people going into the woods and building things for themselves rather than complaining about what others have built..

 Where do you think mountain biking is heading?

 Downhill… no one likes pedalling. 

 What does the future hold for you?

Hopefully a lot more exciting scary stuff!

If you've ever ridden at Dyfi Bikepark or watched Redbull Hardline, you'll already be familiar with Alf's work as a builder. And if you happen to see a dude backflipping a Slacker and nailing a sketchy (possibly sideways) landing, that's probably Alf too. Alf is currently running a Slacker, an Edit MX and a Fade.