"I wanted to become a World Cup mechanic."

Danny, you're considered the most famous biker in the world. Are you bored of interviews now?
No, not at all. As long as they're not boring questions (laughs).

Which question do you get asked most often?
(Reflects) I think how I deal with fear. Injuries are also a popular topic.

Your web videos have achieved a total of over one hundred million clicks. Have you ever thought about why?
Funnily enough, I only recently discussed this. I think my first videos were simply different and new. There were already some really good trial riders, but nobody had integrated tricks into their runs yet. In my first clip, I rode through the city and balanced on sharp fences or jumped on telephone boxes - things that people who have nothing to do with biking can relate to. I think that goes down better than hopping around on Euro pallets.

But now you're jumping from one Euro record to the next on your drop & roll tour.
That's right. I've always wanted to roll around with my own team. With a big bus and trailer. It feels like being on tour as a music band. You're also closer to the people. So we're whirling around right in front of the audience instead of just on the screen.

A good six years have now passed since your first web video "Inspired Bicycles". Have you ever wondered what your life would have been like without this video?
To be honest, no. But I'm sure I'd have just as much fun as I do now. I was working as a mechanic in a bike shop in Edinburgh at the time and was thinking about applying to be a World Cup mechanic - so I could have travelled the world on my bike.

But now you're travelling the world as a celebrity. Better, right?
Sure, there's something to it. But I always had fun working as a mechanic. It was a good time with good friends.

How has your life changed?
I travel a lot and see the world. That's new. At home, on the other hand, little has changed. I live in Glasgow in a small flat and still hang out with the same friends. That's important to me.

Your diary couldn't be fuller. At events you are passed around like a trophy. Does that suit you?
It's part of my job. I enjoy performing at events with my Drop & Roll team. But I couldn't do that every weekend. That's why time at home is important to me.

Your fame has opened many doors for you, you even visited the Playboy Mansion. Were you able to take a look inside the infamous grotto?
(Laughs) No. I was busy hopping over hedge bushes and Playboy bunnies on my bike. But the video wasn't my idea. It was quite nice, but it wasn't the highlight of my career.

But what?
One of the best moments was shortly after my video success in 2009. I was organising a bike show with Martyn Ashton and Hans Rey, Steve Peat, Greg Minnaar and Brian Lopes were in the audience. All these guys, who I'd previously only known from magazines, were now watching me ride my bike. I still think that's cool today. Or recently, when I had a drink with actor Bill Murray at the Laureus Awards ceremony - things like that are funny and special.

At bike events, you can't get two metres away without someone wanting to take a selfie with you. Do you ever say no when you're in a bad mood?
I never say no. That would make me feel bad. After all, that's the first personal impression the person has of me. But of course I'm also in a bad mood sometimes and don't feel like it. If I were to say no, people would quickly say: "What an arrogant guy."

What have been the downsides of your career so far?
Injuries. I've had minor and long-term ones. Most of them didn't happen during extreme stunts, but during seemingly simple things. For example, I broke my collarbone when I was riding a pump track - how stupid is that!

Do you have to bite your lip in pain when you get up in the morning?
No. Many people wonder how I can jump from a height of three metres to a flat surface on my unsprung bike without my back exploding, but that's usually not a problem. It's different when I'm on a plane for a long time - even the comfort seat in business class doesn't help much.

Have your videos made you a millionaire?
No, not for a long time yet. Incidentally, that's also one of the questions I'm often asked.

YouTube star Danny MacAskill

Danny MacAskill was born and raised on 23 December 1985 on the Isle of Skye in north-west Scotland. He later worked as a mechanic in a bike shop in Edinburgh. At some point, he made a video with friends in which he playfully rode through the city on his bike. In April 2009, the clip "Inspired Bicycles" was uploaded to YouTube and reached 350000 clicks within 40 hours. Today it has over 36 million. The start of a great career. www.dannymacaskill.co.uk