Duncan McCann

Venues:

Room Layout:

Capacity:

Duncan, originally from Leeds, moved to Beeston in Nottingham in 2012 to be closer to his job at the time with Raleigh bikes. His relocation was somewhat of a ‘home coming’ as Duncan’s family on his father’s side are originally from Nottinghamshire and his grandfather bucked a family tradition of automatically becoming a coal miner to start work building wheels at the original Raleigh factory on Triumph Road. As World War II erupted, his grandfather left to join the RAF and of course then Raleigh changed focus from cycles to munitions to support the war effort.

With over 25 years’ experience in the cycle industry, he entered the arena as a professional mountain bike downhill racer, achieving full sponsorship and competing at the highest level in various European competitions. A particular highlight of his career to date was when the Marin Mountain Bike Museum in Fairfax, California, requested his original race bike and profile information to be on permanent display in their Hall of Fame. As an avid mountain bike rider, he continues to ride every day on the trails at Hemlock Stone in Bramcote or Sherwood Pines, near to the ancient woodlands of Sherwood Forest.

Today Duncan is Sales Director and owner of a mountain bike brand he chose to establish in Nottingham called PYGA, recognising the talented workforce in the area and bringing cycle manufacture back to the region.

Duncan is also a fully qualified LTA tennis coach specialising in disability tennis and volunteers at the Nottingham Tennis Centre. His work covers all learning disabilities, visually impaired and blind, and wheelchair coaching. In 2019 he was nominated for the Wheelchair Tennis Coach of the Year by the British National Tennis Championships.

He is also an ambassador for Nottingham, specialising in the sports industry, and has worked with Meet In Nottingham and Marketing Nottingham to promote the region since 2014.

“I am honoured to be an ambassador for Nottingham and to have established it as the home for my mountainbike business. As an active member of the community living in Beeston, I feel passionately about the area and take every opportunity to shout about its remarkable location, unique things to do, it’s hardworking talent pool and pioneering spirit when travelling overseas on business.”

“When not at work, you’ll find me coaching at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, or riding the trails of Sherwood Pines, probably ending with a pint of Elsie Mo or Welbeck’s Kaiser in Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem”.