Dear Bike Industry: Thanks a Million

Here we are, nearing the end of 2025. I know, I can’t believe it either. Post-Halloween, many of us are gearing up for the holidays. And the first on the list is Thanksgiving. I like this holiday fine enough. That is to say, I don’t subscribe to the cherry-picked narrative of a harmonious harvest feast between Pilgrims and Native Americans. But I do like having a full house, with all my kids together in one place for a few days while reflecting on our past year as a family. And, of course, I enjoy eating the “traditional Thanksgiving” dinner as well.

All that being said, 2025 also marked my 30th Anniversary in the bike industry.

So, I’m not going to write about Thanksgiving per se. Instead, I thought maybe I’d pen a thank-you note to the bike industry. You know, jot a few words down about the one thing that I am simultaneously grateful for and take for granted.

I overlook my gratitude for this job every day. But, back when I started, landing in the industry completely saved my life. And, jumping in with both feet was the result of the one good piece of advice my father gave me.

“My dear, find what you love and let it kill you…” – Charles Bukowski.

It was the first part of June 1995, to be exact, and I had just quit one and started another dead-end job. Two weeks into the new job, I already hated it. I called my dad for some advice, and he told me, “Find the one thing you love to do for fun, and work in that industry… you won’t work a day in your life”.

I’ve been in love with the bicycle since I was very young. At the time, I was utterly infatuated with mountain biking, so I relentlessly went for it. Bike Industry, here I come.

That advice pretty much changed my life and my trajectory.

A month later, in early July, I started my industry journey at GT Bicycles. At first, it was a surreal experience. Working for a major bike manufacturer was like nothing I’ve ever seen or done before. It was both fun, super casual, and serious as a heart attack, all at once.

At the time, GT Bicycles ruled the roost. We were untouchable. It was truly a fantastic, life-changing experience.

After GT Bikes, I bounced around the industry working for some iconic brands like Bellwether, S&M Bikes, and T.H.E., to name a few.

In April of 2016, I found my home here at Bikerumor. And the team that I work with here is the best of the best.

It’s About the Relationships (and the bikes)

After I entered the business way back in ’95, it didn’t take long for me to absolutely fall in love with every single aspect of the bike business. All the brands and people I’ve worked for and with since starting at GT have been so different, so enlightening, and just as amazing. Almost every single relationship developed during my time in the biz is still going strong all these years later.

And now, being on the “media” end of the business for that last 10 years (April ’26), I’m finding my “contact” list is still growing. It’s continuing to fill with amazing and beautiful people.

The Passion

The shared passion for bicycles in this industry is infectious. It’s powerful, and that power is often palpable. You can feel it at bike events like Interbike back in the day or the Sea Otter Classic, and the MADE Show as of late. It’s really pretty remarkable.

This passion can be found just about everywhere in the bike industry, quite literally. It’s a feeling that we’re all in this bike world for one simple reason. We love the bicycle. That’s it. We love the simple art of this two-wheeled invention in all of its forms.

That’s a powerful feeling; The feeling of finding your place in the world. And the realization that the like-mindedness could change the world, if we let it.

I feel fortunate to be a part of this roller coaster of an industry. I love what I do, and I am very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given. It’s helped shape who I am. I know, there isn’t a whole lot of money to be made working in this industry, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re all here to celebrate the bicycle. To introduce new people to cycling. To be ambassadors to others about cycling. To encourage and take care of eachother. And, most importantly, we are here to ride all the bikes.

So, Thank You!

Look, I know this wasn’t the post you may’ve been expecting, but I felt moved to write it. I’ve been looking for a way to acknowledge not only my journey in this wonderful industry, but to express my gratitude. I wanted to say thank you to everyone I’ve worked with in the past and present. To say thank you to all the brands I’ve been involved with, and, more recently, to those brands that have trusted me with their stories.

And I wanted to say thank you to the Bikerumor readers and bicycle lovers. I’ve said it before, you guys are the wind beneath our wings.

And lastly, a massive thank you to this crazy industry for allowing me a home to be me for all these years.