Behind the Wheel: Meet Si & Rich, the Riders Behind Customer Care

From national championships and epic gravel adventures to helping riders get the most out of their wheels, meet Si and Rich, two familiar faces behind HUNT's Rider Experience team.

At HUNT, we're riders first. It's something that shapes everything we do, from the wheels we engineer to the support we provide long after they've left our warehouse.

In the latest episode of Behind the Wheel, we catch up with Simon McNamara (Si), our Rider Experience Manager, and Richard Cartland (Rich), our Rider Experience Team Leader. Between them, they've spent decades racing, exploring and occasionally getting very lost on two wheels.

They're also good friends, former racing teammates and two people who know a thing or two about cycling. We sat them down to talk about their racing days, the changing world of cycling and why great rider support starts with understanding what it's like to be on the other side of the conversation.

From Racing Teammates to HUNT Teammates

Si and Rich go back a long way. Long before working together at HUNT, they were sharing training camps, racing stage races and experiencing the highs and lows of competitive cycling.

One particularly memorable adventure was the 2005 FBD Rás in Ireland, a gruelling UCI stage race that brought together around 200 riders for days of unpredictable weather, crashes and hard racing.

Their memories? Washing kit in hotel showers, attempting to dry it over light bulbs and navigating the general chaos of racing day after day.

Since then, both have built some impressive cycling CVs.

Rich finished 16th at the 2012 British National Road Race Championships, competing alongside some of the biggest names in British cycling. Si, meanwhile, won the European Masters Road Race Championships in 2019, attacking solo in the final kilometres to take the title.

But their love of cycling goes well beyond race results.

Si has since embraced long-distance gravel adventures, including a double crossing of the South Downs Way, covering around 200 miles and 7,000 metres of climbing. He's also tackled Badlands, where an unfortunate relationship with his GPS added an unexpected 100 kilometres to the route.

Proof that even the most experienced riders don't always get everything right.

Riders Helping Riders

With decades of experience between them, Si and Rich bring much more than product knowledge to HUNT's Rider Experience team.

They understand what it's like to prepare for a big event, deal with mechanical problems, make decisions about equipment and simply want to get back out on the bike.

As Si explains:

"It's such a big advantage to be a bike rider helping bike riders."

It's an approach shared across the Rider Experience team. Whether it's advice on tyre compatibility, choosing the right wheelset or troubleshooting a technical issue, the goal is always to find the best solution for the person asking.

And sometimes that means going a little further.

Si recalls helping a bikepacker continue their journey by arranging for a replacement part to reach a hotel along their route.

Rich shares another example from Mallorca 312, where the team helped a rider whose wheel had broken. It wasn't even a HUNT wheel, but they were able to lend him a carbon wheel and get him back out enjoying his holiday.

It's these moments that define what Rider Experience means to us.

More Than Just Customer Service

Behind every conversation with our Rider Experience team is a genuine understanding of cycling.

From technical questions about tyre pressures and tubeless setups to advice on wheel selection, Si and Rich know that getting the details right matters.

Tyre and rim compatibility, in particular, is something they take seriously. With wheel technology constantly evolving, making sure riders have the correct information is an important part of helping them get the best performance from their setup, safely.

Of course, there's also one question that comes up regularly:

Will these wheels make me faster?

According to Si and Rich, the answer is a pretty enthusiastic yes.

But beyond the technical advice, there's something more important at the heart of the team: treating every rider the way they'd want to be treated themselves.

That means clear answers, honest advice, friendly conversations and support when it's needed.

Clean Shoes, Cake Stops and Cycling Pet Peeves

It wouldn't be a proper Behind the Wheel episode without getting into a few of the more important cycling debates.

Rich has a strict policy on keeping white cycling shoes clean. Si has strong opinions about being on time for group rides. And both agree that sunglasses worn underneath helmet straps are a serious cycling offence.

Then there's the subject of cake stops, which quickly becomes a discussion about the minimum acceptable number of stops and the importance of having both savoury and sweet options.

Despite their differences, it's clear these two share an infectious enthusiasm for cycling, and a friendship built over years of adventures, racing and plenty of stories.

Support That Goes Beyond the Wheelset

For Si and Rich, the relationship with a HUNT rider doesn't end when a wheelset is delivered.

We want every rider to feel confident in their equipment, know they're getting the performance they expect and have someone to turn to whenever they need advice or assistance.

As the pair explain, buying HUNT wheels isn't simply buying a product. It's also having the support of a team who understand the sport and genuinely care about keeping riders on their bikes.

That's what Rider Experience is all about.