We’re excited to announcethe newest member of the Privateer family, Christo Gallagher!
Christo has built quite the racing career over the past 16 years. Known not just for his racing, but also his riding style and content creation, Christo will be taking on the 2024 season on our latest Privateer Gen 2 platform (Christo is pictured here with a Gen 2 prototype, production bikes will be announced in Feb 24)
“I am Christo Gallagher, I’m 30 years old and have been riding and racing for 16 years now. I’ve never been a full professional, holding down a full time job since I finished university and racing alongside, but I’ve managed to achieve some incredible results along the way:
2019 Scottish Enduro Series Winner
2x Tweedlove Triple Crown Series Win
2021 British Enduro Series Winner
14th at Innerleithen World Enduro in 2022
Coming into 2024, I have plans to take on select rounds of the British Enduro Series and the first official Britsh Enduro Championships in Ae Forest, ‘Ard Rock (of course), Tweedlove’s “International” event, and maybe one or two Enduro World Cups thrown in there for good measure.”
We caught up with Christo ahead of this season to learn more about his career and to discover his plans for the coming season!
Where are you from and where do you live?
OriginallyI’m from Edinburgh, but now I live just outside Dunkeld, Scotland.
Who do you ride for?
This year I'm riding for Privateer, HUNT and Burgtec.
What has been your career highlight so far? Finishing 14th at the Innerleithen Enduro World Cup in 2022.
Do you have a favourite place to ride? My favourite place to ride is my home trails in Dunkeld. Just good, techy trails.
What are your strengths? I'm a smooth rider, but not breaking bikes is probably my main one.
Which trick would you most like to learn?
I'd love to be able to just do a big 360 on a jump, but I'm a bit of a wuss.
What's the most difficult thing about being a pro mountain biker? Well, I'm not actually a pro and work a full time job alongside my passion. The hardest thing is just not getting as much time on my bike as I'd like, but I think that's the case for most people.
What is your best memory of riding so far? The best ride I think I've ever been on involved bivvying at the top of "the lord of the squirrels" in Whistler and then riding down at sunrise for a big breakfast. It was unreal.
What are your goals for the coming season? This year I just want to have a lot of fun and ride fast. Results will happen if I get those two things right.
Which bikes are you riding now? What is your go-to bike?
Right nowI’ve just got my Gen 2Privateer prototype and it’s the only bike in my stable, but I’m absolutely loving it.I’ve had a few weeks now on the Gen 2. It strikes a lovely balance between fun bike and race bike, which I think is perfect for UK ‘enduro’ style tracks.
Who is your riding hero?
I'm not sure, no one in particular. I've always been inspired by my friend's acheivements on and off the bike though.
Do you have any pet peeves? It's petty, but I hate when E-bikes overtake me on climbs.
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be? Everyone wants to fly, right?
What would your warning label say? Startles easily.
