Hari is a Bristol-based adventure cyclist with a passion for bringing people together in the outdoors. She has organized the weekly gravel ride series "Trails & Ales" and the event series "Trash Cat," participated in numerous single-day and multi-day gravel races and events, and also runs a commercial interior design business. 

Words by Hari Milburn

How did you first come across Kickback?

I am an ATEAMer for Trash Free Trails and heard about Kickback through them. I was looking for a regular partner for our Trash Cat event series and with Kickback’s outreach to the outdoors it just made sense to partner! 

Trash Cat was born from a desire to clean up waste on our trails, in a fun interactive and memorable format. This community event, not only cleans up our trails it also brings people together to share the outdoors.

Kickback now sponsor all of our events, where we offer free coffee for all. A feature we have at Trash Cat is everyone needs to bring their own mug so that we reduce our overall waste on the day, aligned with being qualified for the TFT Approved programme.  

Our next Trash Cat event is happening in Leeds on Saturday 27th July!

Tell us a bit about your work/play/life?

As a freelancer and business owner, my days vary a lot. A significant portion of my work involves day-rate projects for London agencies, along with managing my own clients. This work is very desk-based and often involves long hours, but it includes some exciting projects! 

Because of this, I really value my free time when it comes around. I aim to spend as much of it outside as possible, whether it is a short ride to the woods or overnighters on the weekends.

How do you spend time in the outdoors and how do you share this with others?

I seem to have formed a bit of an obsession with a particular ‘Big Tree’ as we have called it, in Leigh Woods in Bristol, where I’ve since started doing coffee mornings. Being in its presence within a fairly dense forest brings an energy you don’t get in the city. My love of trees was ignited when I started cycling in lockdown, just passing so many, taking in their forms, smells, movements in a way you miss when travelling by car. We’ve had an easter egg hunt around the Big Tree, run a drawing and lino printing workshop, spoon carving and just general coffee, baked goods and chats at the base of the giant Sequoria.

How do you feel when you’re outdoors? 

In some ways, the outdoors makes me feel small, in a good way.  In the sense that things don’t matter when you are amongst nature, riding under towering tree structures. I feel I can switch off from certain worries and it opens a space of imagination, creativity and wonder. Riding bikes can provide freedom, but the value of this feeling can be unmatched. Swinging your feet out through a puddle, or cycling across countries, the freedom, the joy and sense of achievement when you are in the outdoors can be so significant.   

How do your adventures change throughout the year?  

It depends on whether I have a race or event coming up or not. I’ve taken this year out from focused riding to put my time into growing Trash Cats and adventure much more fluidly. Plans for next year are forming though and I'm hoping to increase the adventure level! Last year I had Race Around Rwanda in early February and for me it was the ultimate adventure. Riding the circumference of a country in the vast culture shift and conditions was one of life’s peak moments! 

 What is your definition of Adventure?  

A sense of freedom. The feeling of joy. Being outdoors, in whatever form that occupies.

Follow more of Hari’s Adventures and catch up on all things Trash Cat!