Customer Spotlight: Music & riding give energy to recover from injury

November 26

Not many people know the Blood, Sweat & Sound that goes into overcoming a serious head injury.  Ross Palesthrope knows this better than anyone while balancing full time work, full time study, full time parenting and training for an endurance MTB event.  earSHOTS Bluetooth Earbuds was honoured that he chose us to drive the soundtrack and beats that motivated and inspired him to get out on his bike but also stay safe and connected to family. 

Ross discovered mountain biking after moving from Scotland to New Zealand in 2009 having always had a bike on hand but mainly used for commuting. Since the arrival of his son, the trails gave way to a traffic filled commute and shredding dirt became changing dirty nappies. It wasn’t until June 2019 and a serious incident at work, leaving him with a concussion and a new outlook on life, that he finally got back to the single track. The rest of 2019 was focused on recovery and in January 2020, realising that he needed to make time for what he really enjoyed doing, Ross bought a cheap hardtail and got back out on the trails. The long steady rides needed for his recovery were perfect endurance training and after a few months he was hooked; taking the plunge, upgrading to a full suspension bike and entering the Whaka 50. The commitment to training was a crucial part of recovery and getting back to being well, making time for the things important to him and the challenge of improving skills, speed and endurance. 

 


“Life had become just work and parenting and you need to make time for what’s important to you, for me a big part of that is riding."

 

earSHOTS Bluetooth Earbuds became a key component in training, after constantly getting tangled in his cord earbuds, Ross came across earSHOTS in a magazine review and treated himself to a set. Solo mode allowed Ross to get those long rides in, but still be available for phone calls incase of family emergencies, all while staying safe and being able to hear traffic. Cycling along just outside of Auckland at dawn, listening to an ultra cyclist's tales of bike backing as the sun rose, was a memorable moment and its the little things that make the hard work and suffering all worthwhile. Audiobooks and podcasts quickly became his go-to listen, giving him extra motivation to go a bit further to find out what happened, as well as catch up on study. It wasn’t just during training that Ross found earSHOTS Bluetooth Earbuds were the best. Their small portable nature meant that he could listen to his hype anthems on the start line and then relax with chilled vibes after the event. 

Ross hopes his renewed passion for riding will rub off on his young son, who is already tearing up the pump track on his balance bike, but maybe not his “embarrassing” music taste; recommending Deftones for his go-to riding jams or a gritty true crime podcast.