Cyclist: Danni Shrosbree — Roadbook of Cycling

I went for a coffee spin with my friend Danni Shrosbree (currently racing for Team Brother UK - LDN). Danni is a role model athlete. Her attitude and outlook on life are worth sharing.

“So, who is Danni Shrosbree?”

“Haha, where do I start? I’m pretty mad about sports, surfing, triathlon, rowing, cycling, you name it, but my real passion is cycling.”

“When did your love affair with cycling begin?”

“I grew up with sports. My dad was an elite athlete. I was the kid that said ‘NO’ to stabilisers. I wanted to get straight on my bike and chase after my brother. Then I began swimming, running and started triathlon. Back then, actually, cycling was my least favourite discipline, just because I was stronger at the others. Cycling was my weaker link.”

“Then I went off to university. I was picked up at the fresher’s fair by the rowing team for being tall. From then on I fell in love with the sport. Rowing took over my university degree, It became ‘rowing 1st’ and ‘university 2nd’ (I still made sure I actually came out with a good degree, I just completed more lectures remotely online 😉).”

“I was competing at quite a high level and taking part in the GB trials. I was part of a Women 8+ boat which won gold at the European University Games in Croatia, It was quite a cool journey. 😎

“When I left Uni, I kind of missed doing all my other individual sports, so I decided to go to Regent's Park and do some laps on my bike one morning, just for fun. I was like, ‘Yeah, I won't get into the competitive side of it.’ But, err, that's naturally in my bones.”

“Before I knew it, I was in a race…”

“Competition is in the blood, right?”

“My dad was in the military. He was in the GB biathlon team (the ski-shoot team), and then he was on the GB triathlon team; where he represented Great Britain and got some world championship results.”

“He was invited to the Olympics, but because of the military, he had to turn them down.”

“Yea, you’ve clearly inherited his competitiveness.”

“Yeah, definitely, haha. Our family is a bit mad for sport. I think mum is the one that keeps us on the ground. She’s a bit more ‘normal’ if you like. But yeah, it definitely runs in the blood. My brother was a passionate cyclist.”

“What progress are we seeing in women's cycling?”

“Yeah, I definitely think women's sport, in general, is taking a big step in the right direction. The crowds are getting bigger at races. Recently, GCN gave live coverage of the women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Flanders, with Dani Rowe (former Olympic cyclist) commentating.”

“It was just incredible, a step in the right direction for women's cycling. The day-to-day community of women’s cycling, just in Regent's Park, for example, is brilliant. Every day at 05:00 there are so many women out cycling. On Thursday morning’s, there’s a group run by the coach who runs my team (Team Brother UK - LDN). He started off quite a small, women's specific training group, and now there's like 30, 40 riders that arrive at 06:30.”

“It's definitely growing and It's really great to see.”

“You mentioned Dani Rowe, is she one of your Role models?”

“She is, absolutely. She's coaching me this year (which is incredible). I've always looked up to Dani. Back in the day, our dads used to race each other, but Dani was so busy with her cycling and everything, that I never really got the opportunity to meet her properly.”

“Last year I came back from injury. I was trying to tick-over and keep fit, so I was back to my swimming and running. As a challenge, I entered a half Iron Man… Like you do.”

“Masochist.”

“And so, I just got back on the bike. I entered a few crits and podium-ed on minimal training, then three weeks later my coach entered me into the Nat B Bourne CiCle Road race, where I managed to do a 20-mile breakaway and finished 9th (this race was the longest distance I had been on my bike all year). Then I did the half Iron Man 2 weeks after this and qualified for the New Zealand world champs, which is quite cool, that’s in November this year.”

“And I've been kind of weighing up my options. My true passion is cycling, and that's what I want to go after.”

“Anyway, after those results I contacted Dani to see if she could coach me and take me on, and she said ‘Yeah.’ So, yeah, it's a really exciting journey to be on and it's so great to have such an inspirational person coaching you, you know?”

“That is cool. I listened to a really good podcast with Dani I'll send it to you.” -(@PodCrashPod: Dani Rowe -Life After Cycling)

“Yeah, Dani is such a good commentator. I don’t know if you’ve seen? She does women’s specific Zwift rides, women all over the world join up to do a Zwift ride with Dani. A lot of other people, including myself, think it's a great way to bring the women’s cycling community together.”

“Could you give me an example of inequality in women's sport that you have experienced?”

“Yea, an example from my rowing day’s, It's only two or three years ago that they actually allowed women to do the boat race on the men's course at Putney. The women raced at Henley, untelevised.”

“Whereas now you'll see that the women's race is on the same day, it’s televised exactly the same as the Men’s race. Rowing was always quite tough, to be honest. Even when I started out, It was very ‘What do the boys need?’ the girls were an afterthought. But my coach at the time - Allan French soon changed this, we were producing the same results as the boys, he recognised the potential in us girls.

He was very supportive and made huge changes within my Team, to ensure we were provided with an equal amount of quality coaching and kit, to help us achieve even better results. I also believe sports companies now realise that women are just as (have always been) passionate about sport and therefore deserve to have specific kit for them.”

“I think that a lot of cycling brands, these days, recognise that men and women are different. For example, they need different cycling shorts than men.”

“You’ve been working with Endura to help them develop better kit for women, what have you helped them discover?”

“Yeah, Phil Burt (ex GB physio), has been doing a lot of testing and research into women’s chamois pads, looking at injury prevention and how you can create a pad that it is more suitable for women.”

“What's great about Endura, is that men and women can buy shorts with different sized pads to suit them. Let’s be honest, we are all different shapes and sizes.”

“So, yeah, Endura just invited me up to Scotland, to test some new women’s specific kit. It was an absolutely incredible week. I was riding with legends like Graeme Obree, Marcel Kittle and Brian Smith. I loved hearing all of their stories.”

“Do you think Endura have created a superior chamois pad for women by listening to people like yourself and investing proper time to research and development?”

“Yeah. I really do. The one coming out next year will make a real difference to women’s comfort and performance on the bike, because we are really different. So, yeah, I think it's really exciting. Phil has done a great job, he really cares about making quality products and making a difference to athletes.

“What did you learn from the great Graeme Obree?”

“Oh wow, where do I start? To make marmalade sandwiches for your back pocket (his personal favourite bike snack was curry pie). He's just old school and I love it. I could listen to him all day, he just comes out with the most incredible stories and innovations. His brain is constantly ticking, he's just remarkable. Yeah, massive respect.”

“It's not flat in Scotland, just seeing him still climbing those mountains was incredible, and more so his descending. He was like Superman.”

“Yeah, he is literally Superman.”

Obree’s ‘Superman’ position during the hour record.

“Did you enjoy beating the guys up all the climbs? Masculinity can be so fragile 😉“

“I suppose it's the competitive side of me. Yeah, Brian Smith was there saying “A couple of the big climbs coming up in tomorrows ride so Danni, push on.” Obviously, I still needed to continue with my training sessions, so that I did! ”

“I started off with the boys who were doing a bit of filming, then I just got into a good rhythm and pushed on up the climbs. Yeah, the boys didn't enjoy that too much, but I was absolutely loving it, and the incredible scenery, until we were nearly home… Brian Smith sent us on an extra little loop. Which was a ‘nice little surprise’… “

“Yeah, I bet. '“Cheers, Brian.”

“You know, I have to say, I train with boys quite a lot at the time. I think they respect it more than anything when you give them a bit of a test. Obviously, a bit of them is like ‘for god sake’… But I mean, I don't know. All the guys I ride with are supportive.”

“Talking about being supportive, how have Factor helped support you as an athlete?”

“Factor builds bikes with such precision and excellence, I think they are absolutely incredible.”

“Because of my role at Lacoste (Men’s Product Line Manager), I often visit factories to oversee our samples being produced. Our footwear is being manufactured next to another brand, it's incredible to see the effort that goes into the production of a single shoe. But what's nice about Factor’s factories is that all the focus and precision is going into building JUST Factor fames. That’s why they are absolutely phenomenal.”

“I absolutely love my Factor O2 because It’s bespoke to me. It’s got my own custom colour, which I like to think reflects on my personality. Hints of pink to brighten up the day 💗😉.”

“Everyone says I’m always smiling. I just I look at that bike and it makes me smile. It’s a really beautiful build.”

“The guys at Factor are just incredible. I mean, they say you're part of the ‘Factor family’ and I do truly feel like that. Every time I go up to Norfolk to see John and the guys, they are just so welcoming.”

“What was it like when you went to meet them for the first time for the ‘Factor Experience’?”

“It was amazing. As I said, Factor does everything with such precision. James, the bike fitter wants your feel comfortable on the bike and, you know, be the best you can.”

“And yeah, they just give you as much time as you need. They’re so flexible, and they are good at listening to what you need and how you're feeling on the bike. They help you make those changes towards achieving your goals.”

“How are Factor helping you achieve your goals for the season?”

“As I said, last year I was out for the majority of my racing due to injury, I just came back into it at the end of last year. This year is about getting stuck into all the national races, all the big races, seeing what results I can achieve and trying to get my name out there a bit more.”

“It’s quite exciting to go into this season with a full winter of training under my belt and a brand-new bike of this quality, you can get some serious speed out of it.”

“What did your injury do to your mindset, your head, as well as your body?”

“I'll be honest, last year was a real struggle and that's why I love this bike. You see the ‘pink hints’, and it brings some brightness to your day. And that's what I try to look for each day. You know, when you have to go and do four hours in the pouring rain, I try to look for the brightness and the bigger picture.”

“During my injury, I came off social media for a bit, it was hard seeing my teammates doing everything I wanted to do (and other reasons). After a while, I took a step back and said: ‘Actually, do you know what? I CAN get back there, so, enjoy seeing your teammates achieving great things because you can get back and be a part of that.’ And I think that's what got me excited about this year.”

“I've got a great team of girls this year. Teammates are so important, you know? We spent so much time with each other, that’s why I'm excited to get back there.”

“You'll come back better. Rehabilitation is not about coming back to ‘where you were’. True rehabilitation is coming back even stronger. With your attitude and positivity, I do not doubt that you’ll achieve every goal you set yourself.”

“Yeah, 100%”

“While we are talking about goals, how do you balance work, life and play?”

“Like you, I am part of #5amClub™ to make sure I get my training in before work. I think it makes you mentally tough, because if you can hit your numbers at that time, then when you’ve got to do it with more rest in your body and you’re more awake, it becomes a little easier!”

“My life is 100 miles an hour, my friends all think I’m nuts, and my mum even bought me a T-shirt with ‘Rest Day’ on it for Christmas to remind me to ‘chill out a bit’. That’s the hardest part of combining full-time work and full-time training, ensuring you are getting enough rest, as it’s just important as training.”

“Although it’s tough and my time is restricted, having a routine makes you more committed and ensures you get it done, both at work and training. Ideally, don’t get me wrong, I would love a little extra sleep each day, and maybe a day during the week where I could enjoy my bike without the stress of needing to be at my desk by 09:00. But right now, that’s not possible, but I hope further down the line it will be.”

“Danni, I can completely relate to that (as can most cyclists), thank you.”

“We have a lot in common and I can’t wait to share the road (and coffee stops) with you in 2020.”