Joe Barnes – Father, EWS racer and Top Chief
How does the birth of a child impact the life of an elite EWS rider racing at the highest level? How do they find the balance between family life and training? And is it even possible for them to walk the fine line between risk and reward, knowing that they have a family to look after at home? We spoke to Joe Barnes to find out.
The workshop of the affectionately named “clubhouse”, actually just a big wooden barn, can best be described as an organised mess. Around me, shelves are piled high with trophies, spare tires and countless bottles of bike wash. The workbench is covered in a blanket of tools, and there is a 10-week-old baby asleep in a seat on the floor. Standing in the middle of this organised chaos is Joe Barnes, fitting a new rear derailleur to his bright yellow Orange Alpine 6.
The birth of a child is life changing. Time off work, saving money and sleepless nights are just a handful of the challenges faced by parents. Now imagine this, as well as being a new dad, you are also a professional mountain bike racer, putting it all on the line competing on some of the hardest trails in the world. Could you handle the life of elite enduro racer and father Joe Barnes?
Joe, Fiona and baby Bo are making it work. I caught up with them at their home in the Scottish Highlands, in order to gain an insight into the daily life of the dad who also races for and manages the Hazzard Racing team.
Who is Joe Barnes? Joe, a.k.a “Top Chief”, is an elite enduro racer from Fort William, Scotland. Well known for his podium bagging race performances, Joe is arguably even more successful with his homemade video series documenting the adventures of the “Dudes of Hazzard”, which follows the crazy exploits of a small group of Scotland’s most creative and entertaining riders.
Having finished installing the new rear mech, Joe walks over and gently picks up the sleeping baby. “This is Bo Barnes” he says, proudly introducing me to his son. We head up a set of creaky wooden stairs, the walls beside me lined with race plates, some still speckled with dried mud from the other side of the world. Through the door at the top of the stairs, we enter Joe’s office and gym. Next to a window looking out on the looming mountainsides are Joe’s desk and computer, where all the “Dudes of Hazzard” videos are brought to life. He shows me a few scenes from his latest “Hazzard Racing” creation, a typical Joe Barnes production with flat-out riding and a sprinkling of banter thrown in for good measure. It is here where we talk about Joe’s life, going all the way back to the very beginning…
Joe started riding mountain bikes when his family moved to Fort William from the Lake District. He was only five years old at the time. Like most of us, Joe started riding because it was a fun and accessible pastime. “I think it was just a fun thing to do, having junk bikes and riding around the campsite where I grew up” he says, smiling, and hands me a photo of himself wheelieing an old bike through the campsite, with no helmet and seemingly not a care in the world.
I think it was just a fun thing to do, having junk bikes and riding around the campsite where I grew up.
However, the fun quickly turned to passion when Joe witnessed the Fort William round of the Downhill World Cup, held just a couple of miles down the road at Nevis Range. Living so close to one of the most iconic downhill tracks in the world, it seems that Joe was always destined to fall in love with the sport. It wasn’t long before he picked up his first downhill bike, an old Orange Patriot, and started racing at the age of fourteen. Joe competed as a Junior in the Scottish Downhill Association National series but soon set his sights on international racing. Having followed the world circuit around the globe with his dad, the biggest lesson he learned from his junior years is that racing isn’t always easy and that sometimes the races you look forward to most are the ones that end up disappointing you. “I always liked racing the Fort William World Cup, but I never did that well in it so it was always a bit of a love-hate relationship” Joe recalls.
When the Enduro World Series came along, Joe knew this was an event that played to his strengths and was an opportunity not to be missed. Being a very technical rider, he preferred the long, steep and gnarly stages over the flat out tracks that were becoming all too common in the Downhill World Cup.
The new format of Enduro racing clearly suited him and Joe’s results were quickly noticed. He signed with Canyon Factory Racing Enduro for the 2013 season and for the next six years, he would fly the banner for the German direct-to-consumer brand while competing in the EWS. When talking about some of his personal highlights, there are numerous podiums, stage wins and outstanding results to choose from, but for Joe, the best feeling is simply when his riding just “clicks”.
2019 brought about some big changes for Joe. He announced that he would be leaving Canyon to set up his own program, called Hazzard Racing, with handpicked sponsors, a brand new bike and his own team setup. Shortly after the team change, an even more significant event took place – Bo Barnes was born in March 2019. It may seem like the switch to the new program and the birth of his first child were planned to coincide, but Joe tells me “It was actually just coincidental, the two things happening, but it has actually worked really well.”
You gotta set an example for the little man, don’t you? You gotta be sending it.
But how does the birth of a child affect the priorities of someone who’s only previous responsibilities were to go fast on a bike? As I watch Joe lovingly cradle Bo in his arms, he explains to me that the process of setting up his new team has actually impacted his training and racing schedule more than the family side of things. “I’ve definitely done less training this winter, but that’s more been down to setting the team up than family. I think I’m running on previous years’ training at the moment… But I still would have preferred to have done it this way”
A topic that I often hear discussed by friends who have kids of their own is how the amount of risk they are prepared to take whilst riding has changed after having a child. For many, their risk perception has changed and they feel less comfortable pushing their limits on the bike. I mention this to Joe and am initially somewhat surprised by his response. “No, it hasn’t felt like it so far. It’s definitely not at the forefront of my mind when I’m doing something dodgy…” he laughs “You gotta set an example for the little man, don’t you? You gotta be sending it.”
However, on reflection, it makes sense. A racer like Joe has spent their entire career walking the fine line between risk and reward, and they know their limits a lot better than the rest of us.
“But I don’t feel like I’m too much of a risk taker. I’ve always ridden a bit conservatively which I think is a bit of a shame… But I’m one of the few people that have ridden all the EWS until the two I missed this year, that’s something like 49 races finished back to back, all healthy and consistent.”
As we watch in silence, the baby begins to stir and wake. Will Bo Barnes follow in his father’s footsteps? Every parent who is passionate about something dreams that their child will be born with that same passion and Joe is no different. “I think I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was going to try and get him into it” he tells me. “Just get into football, it’s just as good as riding haha” he tells Bo sarcastically, then, to make sure the little boy knows he’s only joking he states “… it’s clearly not as good!”
I say my goodbyes to Joe and Fiona, and offer my finger to shake hands with the little boy. Bo reaches out and holds on with a strong grip. He stares into my eyes and perhaps I am just imagining it, but in his eyes, I see the fiery determination of a future champion.
We want to extend our thanks to Joe, Fiona and Bo for having us around and giving us an insight into their personal lives. Thank you and all the best!
