Gerard
I've sold titanium, designed and sold cycling rags, was co-conspirator for Australia's first major MTB website, run mtb events, designed bikes, and was a GM and head designer for a famous but sadly now extinct mtb bike marquee; and after 20 odd years I decided riding bikes was more fun than working with them.
Today I pedal (boom-tish!) cycling t-shirts
Stuff I've written:
Reading Time: 6 minutesWay back when, somewhere in the dark recesses of the early 2000’s, there was a chap by the name of Tim Hopey who had a small company called… Hopey. While there had been numerous efforts before, Tim nailed the concept of steering dampers for mountain bikes, with a very low profile device that slotted into the steerer tube via the stem. Having come from a moto design background, I’d always thought the idea was valid so whacked one into my then bike. The difference it made to the overall handling of the bike was astounding and I kind of became…
Reading Time: 11 minutesYet, being a Nicolai, I knew that it just may not be my kettle of fish, so I was prepared to move it on if the fit was not right. As such, the below is a totally impartial opinion…
Reading Time: 9 minutesWas it possible to make Box Component’s already excellent Prime 9 system even better? Yes, it was.
Reading Time: 5 minutesA great interview from way back with Karl Nicolai conducted by our mate Nick Heywood when he was back in the UK.
Reading Time: 7 minutesAt some point in time I just decided I hated the idea of anything on my back when I ride.
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe backend had to be Boost because that’s what was needed. The front end, didn’t, unless I wanted it to be and did I want it to be? Did I need it to be?
Reading Time: 6 minutesPaired with the right chainring (duh!), you just don’t need 11 or 12 gears…
Reading Time: 5 minutesAnd hanging there, next to the Zen, it goaded me EVERY. SINGLE. TIME, I pulled the Zen off the rack until, finally, for some shits and giggles, I gave it another go; you know, just for the hell of it.
Reading Time: 6 minutesI am more than amused about my thinking at the time. Why?
Reading Time: 3 minutesI called him out on not being sharp enough, and his response was to be rude.
Reading Time: 5 minutesWhat better way to mark a sporadic comeback to writing about bikes, than to write about something totally foreign to many in this, the age of 12x gearing.
Reading Time: 11 minutesI, like many out there, have been riding for far too long and have always worked to the accepted basics of mileage establishes base fitness and targeted sessions build strength etc. etc. Nowhere, in all those years, did I ever hear or read anyone saying sure, 2 minutes a session is all you need.
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuite literally when this frame, a pre-production sample, was being welded up, frames for 27.5″ were already in production. That meant at least a year and a half prior, the ‘industry’ had already decided that the 26″ wheel was dead.
Reading Time: 8 minutesCycling with diabetes, with cycling being an aerobic activity and all, is high on the list of activities that don’t play nicely together.
Reading Time: 4 minutesTo all those young spuds out there, you probably have never known anything other than ‘grips’, regardless of the shape or form. But back in the early to mid 90’s when mountain biking was making its mark, using bar tape on your bars was not unheard of.
