Nat Redmond is all about going fast on the bike. When she's not working as an acoustics engineer she's got her eyes on winning green and gold at the upcoming Australian CX national championships. We aren't brave enough to bet against her!

Dream Bike

All that I have been dreaming about this year is my new Cannondale SuperX which I just received for the start of the National Cyclocross Series.

However, let’s be unrealistic for a moment. I am goofy-footed so when I am racing cyclocross I dismount to the drive side (right) of the bike when a rider would normally dismount to the left. Therefore, when I pick the bike up onto my left shoulder I usually end up digging a chainring into my back and leaving rookie chain marks on my kit. I would love if someone did a left-hand drive cross bike for us right side dismounters. There are literally dozens of us!

Nat becoming one with the mud. Photo - Lana Adams

Favourite local ride

I live just 10 minutes ride from the bottom of Adelaide’s favourite training climb - Norton Summit, so I spend a lot of time there doing hill climb repeats. That isn’t always fun so my favourite ride lately is to head out to Hahndorf for coffee and sour cherry cake. The great thing about riding in the Adelaide Hills is that you can change your ride loop depending on how hard you want the ride to be. Here is a 70km Strava route version with a few gravel sections.

What is your current cycling goal

To win the Cyclocross National Championships in August and wear the green and gold in Belgium for the European season.

When I am on the bike I...

…am doing hill climb repeats and thinking about a hilarious title for my Strava ride.

Re-mount game is strong. Picture - Jake Thomas

How did your love of bikes come about?

Cadel Evans! I watched the Tour de France in high school with my Dad which inspired me to start riding my Shogun mountain bike to the beach and back along the linear park #hubbard. I got my first road bike at the end of year twelve and rode the Great Victorian Bike Ride with my Mum.

In university, myself and a few other students founded the Adelaide University Cycling Club which introduced me to the social side of cycling. Around that same time I discovered track and road racing and was immediately hooked.

#NatRedmondStaringatStems. Photo - Andy Rogers

Share a cycling memory

In 2014 I started racing in the National Road Series (NRS) as an individual rider with the hope of getting some results and a spot on an NRS team. All my preparation came together on the road stage at Tour of King Valley where I conserved on the flats, climbed with the front of the bunch and won the bunch kick to finish second to Rebecca Wiasak (who had solo’d off the front and just managed to stay ahead of the bunch for the win).

Even though I didn’t win, this day really affirmed for me that I could compete at the top level in this sport and be the road sprinter I aspired to be. The next day I backed up this result with a fifth place because once you believe you can do it, you start racing like you can.

I love to ride because....

… every year I am discovering more ways I can grow as an athlete to be fitter, faster, stronger than I have ever been before and I haven’t reached my personal limits yet. I know that I will always be a cyclist in some form or another but I won’t give up racing competitively until I feel like I have reached my physical potential.

Riding challenges you to keep raising the bar. The best feeling is when after months with your best time for a climb being over sixteen minutes you go out and do a fifteen minute time. Your whole perception shifts and suddenly you are thinking about how you can break the fifteen minute barrier. While always wanting to be better may appear as never being satisfied with what you have, I believe that if you approach continuous improvement in a holistic way rather than just one specific target it can be a very positive thing.