After four seasons of racing regularly in France, which had become a full-time pursuit, he has put his own major competitive ambitions on hold and in recent months has been leading the Guernsey Velo Club’s Academy.
The 22-year-old has plenty to give back to domestic youth cycling, having just used his expertise of the French scene in accompanying 12 Guernsey juniors to two races and a velodrome experience in Brittany.
‘When I came back from France last year, I said I’d try and say yes to as many opportunities as I could while I was back in Guernsey,’ said a rider who works at Wheels & Co Ltd.
‘At the time, this wasn’t really on the cards or the plan for me, but I guess with my knowledge and experience, it was a good opportunity to take and hoping that I could pass some of that on.
‘So far, it has been really rewarding.’
One realisation had truly dawned on Reed during the start of the summer training and racing programme on Victoria Avenue’s kart track.
‘I was like, “God, this was me 10 years ago”,’ he added.
‘It was quite weird. It had gone full circle, where in the past I had all these people I looked up to and helped me, and now I was doing it for the next riders coming through, which was really nice.’
The Guernsey 2023 road competitor has not ruled out continuing to represent his island on the wider stage.
However, for now, he is enjoying a more casual approach and mixing in gym and running with his cycling.
He had found himself at the juncture between another season in France, or focussing on gravel racing – in which he debuted last spring and went on to race at the ‘Worlds’ that October – or returning to Guernsey, ultimately settling on the latter.
‘I would have liked to have kept on doing the gravel stuff,’ he added.
‘I was really enjoying it last year, but it just was a lot of commitment to it.
‘And I know how much hard work you have to put in to be at that top level I was.
‘I was quite worn out with all of it – four years full-on of doing it – so I’m just now more riding my bike for the enjoyment of it, which has been really nice as well.’
