Voodoo VIP of the Month: Connor Vernon

How long have you been riding and what do you ride?

I started riding in May 2020 during the pandemic and my bike’s a Voodoo Canzo.

What attracts you to mountain biking?

The community, the adrenaline, the passion and the fitness. To get away from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life in big cities, and visit and explore locations out in nature that most people might not get to see.

How did you get into racing?

Well, I had been riding for about a year and my friend was racing in Wales and asked if I would go along with him to watch. So we went, camped, and had a great weekend watching the racing. The atmosphere was amazing and I just kept thinking, “I can do this”.

Then another race came along and my friend again asked if I would go with him, but he kept nagging me that I should enter and race with him. I sat on it for a couple of days and just thought, “Why not? Let’s give this a go.” That was my first enduro race – PMBA Kirroughtree in Scotland – and I got hooked. I then went on to race a couple more races that year and had a fun time being between the tapes.

What made you choose the Voodoo Canzo first time round?

It was my friend. When I said I was after a bike within a decent price range, he went looking for me and came back with the Canzo and for £1000 I was more than happy. It’s got full suspension and the components are of a high quality. Also, it’s great that I can adapt and modify the bike to suit my riding style and the type of terrain I ride.

How is the Bizango Pro?

I’m really loving it! The 29” wheels are great for a sticking around corners and it’s bringing my riding on a lot as well because you have to kind of change the way you ride a hardtail compared to a full suspension bike, so putting in time on both bikes is helping a lot

Your images look great, what equipment are you using?

I am lucky enough to have a few friends who are photographers, and they are always happy to come to a forest and snap some shots of me riding.

What skills did you learn first (and is there anything you wish you had learned sooner)?

I am lucky enough to have a friend who is very experienced on a bike, so he’s constantly onto me with ways to better myself.

I would say the first thing I learned was how to ride steep stuff and how to do drops. What I wish I’d learned sooner is jumping; I still haven’t got that down properly yet, but it is coming along so it won’t not be long before I’m pulling off big air.

What are your top three essential upgrades?

I would say tyres, pedals and brakes. Tyres to improve grip throughout those wet British days on trails. Pedals to improve your comfort and the control you have over your bike. Brakes to improve modulation and stopping power, and to minimise arm pumping on those long trail days.

I’m also going to add a fourth and say that if your bike doesn’t have one installed, then a dropper post saves so much time.