In the late 2000’s young gun Kieran Bennett was introduced as a sponsored athlete for R&R Sport and represented the brand for a short stint. He flew off the radar for a bit, started riding with the good guys at Fox and later on, he also joined forces with Torpedo7 with a vengeance to take over the MTBing scene. Check out his Instagram @Kieranbennett36 and his interview below for an inside life to one of our Team Athletes.

So how did it all begin?

I have been hooked on two wheels for as long as I can remember, it started with jumping sketchy wooden ramps on a BMX as a kid and grew into a huge passion for moto x and mountain biking as I got older which eventually led to racing all over the world on the World Cup Downhill circuit.

Why mountain biking?

Bikes have allowed me to see places of the World that I never expected, from Slovenia to South Africa and everywhere in between, it was an amazing ride spending 5 years on the World Cup Downhill circuit.

With mountain biking growing exponentially in New Zealand year after year my passion for riding and racing bikes has only kept growing stronger and now with events like Crankworx and the Enduro World Series I can keep competing at the highest level without leaving the country!

What’s your favourite piece of kit?

Super stoked on my matte black Proframe Full Face Helmet! It’s super light and meets the ASTM DH safety standard so I feel protected and still look sharp!

The Flexair range is awesome, the shorts and jersey are so light and versatile, you could spend all day pedalling in it or go and race a World Cup downhill race and it will be perfect for both.

Crankworx! What events will you be participating in?

Crankworx Downhill has been one of my favourite events for the last couple of years, the track is awesome and Rotorua always puts on a great atmosphere! I’ve always loved throwing out big whips at races so it should be a fun event.

Photo Cred: @samblenkinsop

What are your goals for 2017/2018?

Right now I am really finding a lot of motivation in enduro racing, I enjoy training and love the challenge of having to be consistent with multiple stages rather just one run like DH racing. I would really love to be able to make it to some of the EWS events overseas but the budget doesn’t allow for that so I’ll be chasing as many events around New Zealand as I can and I would be lying if I didn’t say the goal is always to win!

2016/2017 Results 

Make sure you check out all the sideways actions at Crankworx Rotorua 2018. Good Luck Kieran!