Kostas “Honey Badger”

By Lowell on October 6, 2017

That’s Honey Badger Passion right there

Cycling name?

‘Ratle’. I don’t how on earth Lowell et al. came up with this but I like the Honey Badger. (Actually, you can thank Ben)

Why do you ride your bike?
Cycling is freedom.  It’s just me and a road.  I can go to places that I would never go to and I can experience lots of positive emotions while riding. It is also a way to relax and compete with others.
I have been cycling as long as I remember, mainly on mountain bikes. When I moved to London got bored of waiting for my friends on weekend rides. I thought that there must be people who can challenge me more than my friends and I decided to find a cycling club. I bought my first road bike in summer 2016 and I joined the London Baroudeurs pretty much straight after. I can certainly say that I am definitely not waiting for people on weekend rides anymore!
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Favourite place to ride?
Anywhere without cars.

The Bear and the Honey Badger leading a break at the ToC

Up or down mountains? 
Down.
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Favourite climb? 
I’m still discovering.  But, I recently smashed the Urban Hill Climb (1.41mins), so I guess I have to improve next year.
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What song/tune/music goes through your head while riding? 

Obviously, Chamillionaire – Ridin‘ ft. Krayzie Bone.

Best moments?

Coming 6th in my first crit ever.

Qualifying for UCI Albi Gran Fondo in the Tour of Cambridgeshire which was one of my longest rides ever.

Finishing the Prudential Ride London 100 in 4h 29min with a starting time of 8:20am!  Did I say I was still recovering from that crash from the crit?

 

TTT - Steve 'Bison' - London Baroudeur Profile

Honey Badger (second from the front) in TTT mode

How long does it take you to change a flat?
No more than 5mins.  Max.
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Advice to a new cyclist.
Your riding position means more than you can imagine.
Also, use chamois cream.
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Steel, Carbon or Ti?

Carbon but it cracks (so far twice).

Grand tours or classics. 
Grand Tours.
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Gels or potatoes? 
Potatoes after a ride but never before!
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Headwind or rain? 
Rain.
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I wish I had been told that…
I will have to shave my legs at some point.
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The Honey Badger and the Bear have their swerve on

What is it like being a Baroudeur? 
It’s a small community and I have made friends in the club. It also means getting up super early in the morning at least once a week, but it’s worth it.
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Advice to someone wanting to join the Baroudeurs?
Don’t be discouraged when you are dropped. If you are in Regent’s Park, just wait for us and try your luck again. Try to push hard and give everything that you can.
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Where do you want to take your cycling?

I will probably have to shave legs at some point in the future (Hernan, you will also have to do this too!). I want to come back to racing and hopefully a few other B’s will join me, so that we can create good breakaways. Then, I aim to start doing longer rides to better prepare for sportives and Gran Fondo’s.  My ultimate aim is to make Ben work hard on those long rides.

Kostas - Honey Badger - finish line ToC 2017

You can try, but trust us, you can’t rattle this Honey Badger

:: Meet more of the Baroudeurs

 

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