Introducing Duncan Shaw

Duncan Shaw has been riding for Marin since the start of 2021, but to a lot of people, he’s already the most familiar face of our brand.

Many of you will have met him through the Marin Bikes YouTube channel, where he can be found explaining everything, from the newest models of bikes, to how to pop the perfect manual. He’s not just another mountain bike YouTube guy though. He’s ridden all over the world with some proper big names from the bike trials world as part of the legendary Drop & Roll Tour.

Whether it’s hopping his trials bike up and down seemingly impossible obstacles, or explaining how to maintain your e-MTB, he’s always cool, calm and collected. We booked some time out of his busy schedule to find out how a trials-obsessed teenager from the remote Scottish town of Inverness came to be spreading the stoke worldwide.

So, who is Duncan Shaw then?

My name is Duncan Shaw, and I’m based in the Highlands of Scotland, in a town called Inverness. I’m first and foremost a street trials rider, but in the last few years I’ve been riding my e-bike and MTB just as much, and absolutely love it.

Personality-wise, I consider myself pretty chilled, as long as I can ride.

And What's Your Background?

My mum and dad tell me I have been into bikes and trikes and things since I was tiny.

One of my first memories is riding around my garden when I was three, the first day we took the stabilizers off.

Scotland Seems To Produce Some Talented Riders!

Yeah, it seems to punch above its weight in terms of top riders relative to its population.

I’m not really sure why that is, but I guess it’s a combination of a really strong scene across various disciplines, amazing terrain, and not too much else to do!

You're Best Known As A Trials Rider, How Did That All Start?

So from three until 13 I was always pretty into bikes, but nothing serious and no specific discipline.

That all changed one day when I was out cruising with friends, and we bumped into some older guys riding trials in the streets of Inverness. We rode with them all day and I think I’ve called myself a trials rider ever since.

For some reason, Inverness has always had a core trials scene and it’s spawned loads of good riders over the years.

Why Trails Over Anything Else?

I have always loved how, as well as being super fun, you can do trials pretty much anywhere. That was a massive reason I did it when I was younger.

I lived in a small town and whilst there’s MTB riding not too far away, I loved that I could be completely independent on the trials bike and not have to rely on my parents to drive me to the start of a ride.

You're Part Of The Awesome Drop And Roll Tour, How Did That Come About?

Myself, Danny Macaskill and Ali Clarkson had been doing trials shows for years with a team called The Clan. We would do all sorts of events, mostly in Scotland.

Back in 2014 me and Danny decided to start something new that would be suited for shows in mainland Europe and beyond. Ali was delighted to join, we also recruited Fabio Wibmer, and we’ve never looked back.

Any Particular Highlights, Favorite Experiences Or Countries Visited?

We have been so lucky to do some big shows in some amazing locations.

If I had to narrow it down to a couple of highlights, it would be hard. We did a tour In the Philippines that was absolutely incredible and the crowds were amazing. And the shows this year at Silverstone for the Formula 1 were quite a surreal experience.

Drop and Roll shows are just consistently a good time. The feeling of getting so many people from all walks of life stoked on bikes is always a blast.

And You've Got Your Own Marin Trials Bike Now, Right?

Yes! It's called the Marin Inverness Trials frame, named after my home time.

The frame is something we talked about from the start of our partnership, and I was delighted we managed to make it happen. It was a process I wasn’t really familiar with, but the final outcome was amazing and the bike came out so good.

Growing up, it was always a dream to have a signature frame, so it was definitely a cool moment to open the box on the finished item.

The bike rides sweet, and it was exciting to show everyone the new paint job we’d been working on.

And It's Not Just About Trials For You Is it?

I started off riding pretty much only trials, but in the last few years I’ve got more and more into riding MTB and e-bikes.

Now I’m living back in The Highlands, I’m really spoiled for choice, with so many amazing trails to ride and lots of people to ride them with.

And What Does The Future Hold For Duncan Shaw?

The plan is to keep enjoying riding bikes, whether that be the trials bike, e-bike or mountain bike. There are a few new tricks I’d love to learn, and hopefully, I can make it happen in the coming years.