Graeme Mudd: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Returning to Australia after a jam-packed 2017 season and now with a new deal for 2018 locked in, Muddy would like to say a few things in his own words…

If “Home is where the heart is” is anything worth going by, my year ahead riding bikes should be extraordinary. After representing Lusty Industries for my entire MTB career, I have now signed exclusively with the Newcastle home based company for 2018.

The season ahead will not be different for me only on the sponsorship side. My mindset has undergone a serious change in how I approach racing. For the last few years while attacking the UCI World Cup circuit, first as a privateer, then on a factory team in 2017, I would always be so results based that if I wasn’t satisfied with my position on the leader board, I was generally unhappy. This is a rut hard to become unstuck from. This year, I decided to wing it. While working full time – far from any type of bicycle – just going with the flow, a conversation started with good friend and owner of Lusty Industries , Johnny Mclean. We could both identify what needed to change in how I went about my racing. Sharing similar values and passions on and off the bike, it was a natural process as we scoped out what we would do for the year ahead.

I am obsessed with progression. I think that the best way to gauge that on a bike is to race, so this was inevitable. I drew up a race calendar that worked in a number of different events that I enjoy, plus a bunch of new races and locations to explore. Main races on the program: two Euro Crankworx events, Mont Sainte-Anne World Cup, USA National Championships and Whistler Crankworx. To add to the pleasure, I will take part to a few enduro’s and specialty DH races in the mix. I will be based in Quebec for the northern race season so feel free to reach out if you have some rad trails to ride.

I’m not sure if winging is really the right word to use,but it really feels like it’s what I’m doing this year. It’s about letting things happen and finding the flow. I am so glad to have some of the most badassbrands behind me on this journey. Cheers MAXXIS, Santa Cruz, FOX suspension, Shimano, ODI,SDG, Crankbrothers, TLD and Deity.