Right here we’re, nearing the top of 2025. I do know, I can’t imagine it both. Publish-Halloween, many people are gearing up for the vacations. And the primary on the checklist is Thanksgiving. I like this vacation effective 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 couple of days whereas reflecting on our previous 12 months as a household. And, in fact, I take pleasure in consuming the “conventional Thanksgiving” dinner as nicely.
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 believed possibly I’d pen a thank-you be aware to the bike business. You understand, jot a couple 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 day-after-day. However, again after I began, touchdown within the business fully saved my life. And, leaping in with each ft 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 referred to as my dad for some recommendation, and he advised me, “Discover the one factor you like to do for enjoyable, and work in that business… you gained’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 totally infatuated with mountain biking, so I relentlessly went for it. Bike Business, 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 completed 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 have been untouchable. It was actually a implausible, 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 couple of.
In April of 2016, I discovered my residence right here at Bikerumor. And the staff that I work with right here is one of the best of one of the best.
It’s Concerning 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 facet of the bike enterprise. All of the manufacturers and other people I’ve labored for and with since beginning at GT have been so totally different, so enlightening, and simply as superb. Virtually each single relationship developed throughout my time within the biz continues to be going robust 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” checklist is nonetheless rising. It’s persevering with to fill with superb and exquisite individuals.
The Ardour
The shared ardour for bicycles on this business is infectious. It’s highly effective, and that energy is usually palpable. You may really feel it at bike occasions like Interbike again within the day or the Sea Otter Traditional, and the MADE Present as of late. It’s actually fairly outstanding.
This ardour might be discovered nearly in every single place 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 home on this planet. And the conclusion that the like-mindedness might change the world, if we let it.
I really feel lucky to be part of this curler coaster of an business. I 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 an entire 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 have fun 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 experience all of the bikes.
So, Thank You!
Look, I do know this wasn’t the put up you could’ve been anticipating, however I felt moved to put in writing it. I’ve been in search of a strategy to acknowledge not solely my journey on this fantastic business, however to specific my gratitude. I wished 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 wished 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, an enormous thanks to this loopy business for permitting me a house to be me for all these years.