Rob J Heran, (known affectionately as Rob J), has become somewhat of an institution in the European MTB scene. As a Canyon Bicycles and Spank Industries pro teams member, and the organizer of multiple events and youth programs he stays pretty busy year round.
Rob had a massive knee surgery at the end of last year's season and it's been a long, hard climb back. After three months of training at home, Rob traveled again to Cape Town, South Africa to do some first easy rides, get some strength back for the new season, and relive some memories. Craig Kolesky, professional photographer and close friend of Rob's produced this video early this year while they were riding together in Tokai Forest, Cederburg, Paarl and Stellenbosch. It's the first of a two part series...so stay tuned for the next segment focusing more on DJ/DH/FR.
It's amazing even in this day and age of media, that many of the top personalities in Europe are still relatively unknown in North America and vice versa. When I had a little time to sit down with Rob, I thought it might be fun to put a quick interview together and share.
Where are you from, and where do you reside now? I was born in Prague, Czech Republic. Now I live in Munich Germany.
How long have you been riding? How long as a pro?I bought my first mtb when I was 15. I worked after school to save for it and rode dual slalom races with it. I turned pro when I was 21, right after my apprenticeship in trade business.
Can you give us a brief breakdown of your 2011 quiver? What is your favorite ride right now?My favorite ride is the new Canyon Torque FRX, which I helped to develop with Canyon. I have a really nice, strong, light race setup. The bike has optional 180mm or 200mm travel, an amazing geometry and weighs only 15,6 kg. It works great on DH tracks, pedals incredibly, and jumps and spins with ease. I love it! My other ride is the Canyon Strive. It has 160mm travel with a wide comfort range. So, I take it to XC trails, Enduro races and singletrack surfing. My Canyon Lux MR Pro, is a 100mm full carbon XC full-suspension bike. I changed the original setup a bit: 140mm fork in the front, wide bars, shorter stem, proper tires and stronger light weight wheels from Spank for a more freeride-style XC experience. At only 11,4kg that thing is fast! For Dirt jumps and 4X racing I use my signature Canyon Stitched. 3 gears are enough for the gates! Oh...And I have a dope Full Carbon-Roadbike as well!
What would you consider your favorite trail of all time?My favorite trail of all time is the Ima trail in La Paz, Bolivia. Epic, fast, dangerous, full of surprises and technical. Love it. Best trail ever!
What is your most memorable experience related to biking?It was in 2003 when I arrived in Cape Town for the first time. That was my first big journey. I met amazing people and had a super good time in South Africa. I found this location perfect for a road-gap on Signal Hill above Cape Town with the Table Mountain in the background. I built the jump and one morning at 6 am I went for it. The best thing was that all the friends I met during the trip came early that day to support me and watch me jump, even after a long party night. I still get goosebumps when I see the photo...
Who do you respect most or look up to in the industry? Why? Peaty, Minnaar, Gee Atherton are great athletes with amazing riding skills. "Mr. Mega“ Rene Wildhaber is also a guy I look up to because he is such a good person with a good way to see life. I would go on every trip with him if I could.
What or who helped you the most to make it to this level as a pro?I think it was the fact that I grew up in an orphanage and with that came the chance to create my life as I wanted to. There were no expectations from parents like a lot of kids have to fulfill today. I was searching for something thrilling that gave me the chance to get out there and travel the world. I've had the dream to become a pro athlete as long as I can remember. I found the love and fun in riding bikes. That passion was and still is the biggest motivation for me as a pro.
What accomplishments in your cycling career are you most proud of? I had a few good top 10 results in some dirt jump and slopestyle competitions over the years, but they are not that important to me. Dirt Jumping means good, progressive sessions with friends, and not competition to me. That's why I never felt really comfortable in this atmosphere. I feel much better in DH and Enduro / Super D racing. For me...if I have to say one thing I'm most proud of, it's the success of the events and youth programs we have put together for kids, building passion for our sport and the skills they need to push it to the next level. Of course it takes huge commitment from a lot of people to accomplish this sort of project year after year, and I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has helped to make this dream possible.
What would you say was (or still is) the hardest challenge you had to overcome as a pro-rider? During the season it's honestly just hard to get everything done. My work is more than just riding from one nice location to the next. I organize a few of my own events like the Youthcamp with 110 kids or the Trailmaster Challenge, which has become a major media event. I try to have a good mix of different races, events, media, shooting and trips. The season is short, so you must have a rock solid plan not to get too stressed out or get hurt while riding. Sometimes it's just hard to find the time to rest.
Which is your favorite event and why?I like events like the Red Bull Trailfox in Flims or our Trailmaster Challenge in Austria. Races with different stages where you have to be a good "overall" rider to take the win. The Megaavalanche in France is also a great experience.
As a well known European rider what would you say is the biggest difference between the scenes in North America and Europe? It seems like in North America the guys can dig a lot more in the woods and mountains than we can, so trails and stunts are always evolving. We are very limited in this way because we don't have that much free space in the mountains. Everything is well protected - which can actually be good in many ways, but it takes a lot more planning and cooperation to create a crazy new line.
What do you love the most about the bike industry? The diversity in riding, the innovation, and the progress...and the fact that riding bikes is something good for our future. Look at the world and the problems we face today. Riding bikes in general - road, city or mountain biking is something that can help everyone to live a cleaner and healthier life.
What would you change about our industry if you could and how? I would like to see more companies that produce their bikes and products in a more sustainable way. I see a lot of innovation in the products, but where is the innovation in the production process? Also, I think companies have to stop trying to do everything. There's already an overload of products in the market, so the companies should focus on doing what they can do best! I would love to see brands that are happy with their size as they are, without the pressure to grow by 10, 15, 20 % every year. I think this economic system will collapse one day if we don't stop asking for "more and more“ all the time.
If you had to give just a little advice to the young riders out there that dream of turning pro…what would it be? Love the two wheeled ride! That means ride everything from road to DH. Experience the diversity of riding bicycles and enjoy it all!
During the event season, what makes up an average training day? Well, during the season I try to ride my bikes as much as possible. On free days in Munich I go for XC rides on our Isar trails or I go to the mountains for Freeride or DH. But the real "training“ is my off season program. I train a lot in our sportschool - which is an amazing gym with very professional support and coaches. I swim a lot in the early mornings and I do yoga - I love it cause it challenges the full body and makes you feel amazing for the rest of the day. I've recently also started Crossfit training, which is absolutely amazing.
What’s next for Rob J…any events you are targeting or dreams you still want to accomplish? I am working a lot on my fitness and strength for this year's Enduro races. Due to my knee surgery in Sept. 2010 and a massive motorcycle accident in April which I was lucky to survive, I missed a lot of races last year. So this season I want to come back strong enough to secure some really good results in the Enduro and Super D races. In the long term I will push my youthcamps forward, and work to create a series with my Trailmaster challenge! Of course I hope to go for a lot more adventure roadtrips in some great places too!
How about life after bikes? What in store for Rob J after your career as a rider? I am already doing a lot in the MTB biz aside from my riding, like my competitions, camps and other projects. I have a lot of ideas to push forward as soon as I don't want to ride that much anymore. Who knows what the future brings. I go with the flow and listen to my belly. It works pretty good so far that way...
Rob's Sponsors for 2012 include:
Spank Industries, Canyon Bicycles, SixSixOne, Onza Tires, Oakley, Vans, Contour, Acros, Assembly Industries, Sportschool FFB, Formula Brakes
Coming soon...Rob J T.I.A. Part 2
Spank Industries Canyon Bikes 
