Colin Robin, one of the many students of RIDE School, is no ordinary man whose sole mission here is to learn how to cycle. He is a a professional superbike racer who is taking up cycling as part of his training regime.

Originally from Australia, he is now racing for Prince Lubricant in various Superbike Series here in Asia and Malaysia. We caught up with Head Coach Jessen Lee, at the same time grabbed a few minutes from this racer from “another mother”.

BB: You wear so many hats in life – How about a simple introduction of yourself?
CR: Okay… My name is Colin Robin, originally from Australia but I have lived in Asia over 20 years now. I have lived in Malaysia for the last three years, before that I was in Thailand and Indonesia. Right — Many hats, but always riding superbikes. I started superbike racing since a very young age, and I started racing on the track when I was 18. It was then I realised that I enjoyed riding on the track much more than on the road.

BB: Tell us about that passion in superbikes – How it all started?
CR: Well, it all started in Australia. Luckily we stayed near the Philip Island (Grand Prix Circuit) track and I started doing club racing there. A friend of mine has a motorcycle shop, I spotted a bike there and went for a ride on a track day, and that was it!

BB: You fell in love with it!
CR: *chuckles* Yeah! I took all the standard fairings off, sold them off to buy myself some new wheels. And that was it —
That was the beginning and I have never stopped ever since. I have done several forms of racing including Superbikes, Supermoto, Enduro, but not really into motocross though…

BB: What are the challenges for you right now?
CR: My challenge used to just be winning… *chuckles* Now, it’s all about improving and finding a way to get better. To me, that’s what I’m working on right now. Each time I go out, I try to get better, change a little things to see how the bike reacts. It’s all about improvements to me now, and fitness is a very important part of it.

BB: Is that why cycling is part of your training?
CR: Well, it’s on two wheels which I obviously enjoy! Secondly, it gives me stamina and allows me to shift my body weight, which is all reactionary. It’s similar to be on a superbike — You haven’t got time to think (which way to shift your weight towards) but decisions have got to be made in a split second. Cycling gives me the same feeling.

BB: Since when have you started training with cycling?
CR: I have always trained with cycling but I used to do it just for fun. Now I’m taking it more seriously with Jessen (Head Coach of RIDE School) and he has been teaching me the finer points. And to be perfectly honest, before taking up this training I used to think that I knew how to ride a bike… *chuckles*

I was riding a bike since I was *signalling how tall he was then* (little) , and thought that no one can teach me more than I know now! It’s really not true, not true at all. Jessen and I will go to the trails and he will stop me at any point, guide me on the spot, directing me step by step — “Lean forward more”, “Get off the bike”, etc. He will also tell me how a different way could help, and it really does!

And in that manner, it’s similar on Superbike. You will need to move your weight around and I could take whatever that Jessen has taught me and bring it over to superbiking.

BB: Have you seen yourself improve from the training?
CR: Personally I feel much better, so yes. Because he’s now working on my core so I feel that I’m much stronger in that area. We started this training about three weeks ago to get fit enough for the September race and from there I will really start to find out if I’m getting better.