Right here we’re, nearing the top of 2025. I do know, I can’t imagine it both. Put up-Halloween, many people are gearing up for the vacations. And the primary on the record is Thanksgiving. I like this vacation high-quality sufficient. That’s to say, I don’t subscribe to the cherry-picked narrative of a harmonious harvest feast between Pilgrims and Native Individuals. However I do like having a full home, with all my youngsters collectively in a single place for a number of days whereas reflecting on our previous yr as a household. And, after all, I take pleasure in consuming the “conventional Thanksgiving” dinner as properly.
All that being mentioned, 2025 additionally marked my thirtieth Anniversary within the bike business.
So, I’m not going to put in writing about Thanksgiving per se. As a substitute, I assumed perhaps I’d pen a thank-you word to the bike business. You already know, jot a number of phrases down in regards to the one factor that I’m concurrently grateful for and take as a right.
I overlook my gratitude for this job daily. However, again once I began, touchdown within the business utterly saved my life. And, leaping in with each toes was the results of the one good piece of recommendation my father gave me.
“My expensive, discover what you’re keen on and let it kill you…” – Charles Bukowski.
It was the primary a part of June 1995, to be precise, and I had simply give up one and began one other dead-end job. Two weeks into the brand new job, I already hated it. I known as my dad for some recommendation, and he informed me, “Discover the one factor you like to do for enjoyable, and work in that business… you received’t work a day in your life”.
I’ve been in love with the bicycle since I used to be very younger. On the time, I used to be completely infatuated with mountain biking, so I relentlessly went for it. Bike Trade, right here I come.
That recommendation just about modified my life and my trajectory.
A month later, in early July, I began my business journey at GT Bicycles. At first, it was a surreal expertise. Working for a significant bike producer was like nothing I’ve ever seen or finished earlier than. It was each enjoyable, tremendous informal, and critical as a coronary heart assault, suddenly.
On the time, GT Bicycles dominated the roost. We had been untouchable. It was actually a unbelievable, life-changing expertise.
After GT Bikes, I bounced across the business working for some iconic manufacturers like Bellwether, S&M Bikes, and T.H.E., to call a number of.
In April of 2016, I discovered my residence right here at Bikerumor. And the staff that I work with right here is the most effective of the most effective.
It’s In regards to the Relationships (and the bikes)
After I entered the enterprise approach again in ’95, it didn’t take lengthy for me to utterly fall in love with each single side of the bike enterprise. All of the manufacturers and folks I’ve labored for and with since beginning at GT have been so completely different, so enlightening, and simply as wonderful. Nearly each single relationship developed throughout my time within the biz remains to be going sturdy all these years later.
And now, being on the “media” finish of the enterprise for that final 10 years (April ’26), I’m discovering my “contact” record remains to be rising. It’s persevering with to fill with wonderful and exquisite individuals.
The Ardour
The shared ardour for bicycles on this business is infectious. It’s highly effective, and that energy is commonly palpable. You may really feel it at bike occasions like Interbike again within the day or the Sea Otter Basic, and the MADE Present as of late. It’s actually fairly outstanding.
This ardour may be discovered nearly in all places within the bike business, fairly actually. It’s a sense that we’re all on this bike world for one easy purpose. We love the bicycle. That’s it. We love the easy artwork of this two-wheeled invention in all of its kinds.
That’s a strong feeling; The sensation of discovering your house on the planet. And the conclusion that the like-mindedness may change the world, if we let it.
I really feel lucky to be part of this curler coaster of an business. I really like what I do, and I’m very grateful for the alternatives I’ve been given. It’s helped form who I’m. I do know, there isn’t a complete lot of cash to be made working on this business, however that’s not why we’re right here. We’re all right here to rejoice the bicycle. To introduce new individuals to biking. To be ambassadors to others about biking. To encourage and maintain eachother. And, most significantly, we’re right here to journey all of the bikes.
So, Thank You!
Look, I do know this wasn’t the submit chances are you’ll’ve been anticipating, however I felt moved to put in writing it. I’ve been in search of a solution to acknowledge not solely my journey on this fantastic business, however to precise my gratitude. I needed to say thanks to everybody I’ve labored with prior to now and current. To say thanks to all of the manufacturers I’ve been concerned with, and, extra lately, to these manufacturers which have trusted me with their tales.
And I needed to say thanks to the Bikerumor readers and bicycle lovers. I’ve mentioned it earlier than, you guys are the wind beneath our wings.
And lastly, a large thanks to this loopy business for permitting me a house to be me for all these years.
