BIG NEWS: Going back to work!

The ink is literally still drying- well, maybe it’s already dry- but I am SUPER pleased to announce (even before the press release lands) that I will begin my new role as the Marketing Manager for Focus Bicycles USA on Monday!

I’ve been watching the Focus brand since the first time I saw them at Eurobike, years ago. I’d heard of the brand, but never seen it before and was floored by the breadth of the brand even then. The bikes had awesome graphics, clean lines, and were clearly strong technically as well. Fast forward several years and they came to the US… and then they really caught my attention, as I was now competing with them!

I say this without my new Focusguy marketing hat on- the brand is impressive and has incredible depth. Road, tri, cross, MTB, lifestyle/ commuter, and even e-bikes… they cover it all. And well. As much of a race nerd as I am, I’m really excited to get to help Focus with the other categories in the product line, especially the e-bikes and commuter bikes. I have always been a huge proponent of bikes as a part of everyday life, so I can’t wait to help spread that word while also telling the stories of all of “our” incredible teams and athletes. 

Those of you who know me, know that I’m very passionate about cycling and the cycling industry. I hope that I can use that passion to really help grow the Focus brand. I’m excited to put my storytelling skills to work for the brand… and even more excited to work with everybody at Focus. I’ve known nearly every person in the US office for years and now I get to call them coworkers, as well as friends. 

So as of Monday, my lunch rides will actually BE rides at lunch. And you can expect Focus to start making a whole lot more noise… because you know I never shut up. 

Here’s to the next chapter of awesometasticness. Thanksgiving just took on a lot more significance this year. 

Tim 

Time changes stink… especially the BIG ones!

It’s nearly 3:00AM here in San Diego and we’re ALL still awake! The flight home was largely uneventful and Lily slept much of the flight in my arms because she has already outgrown the bassinet that EVA Airlines provides… just since January when she flew over to Taiwan with Ann and slept peacefully the entire way in the same bassinet! 

We were met at the airport by my best friend- Jim Becher- who picked us up in my car and then we met up with his lovely wife Josephine and adorable daughter Elsa and then Ann, Lily and I made the drive from Los Angeles back to San Diego. We got home around 9:25 and then I proceeded to La Posta for our “traditional” return-from-Taiwan meal of Mexican food.

And here I am… tapping away on the keys at 3:00AM…

I’ll be back soon with LOTS of pictures and more recaps of the show and the time with family in Taipei, but for now I am going to force myself to bed and hope for a positive outcome. 

Tim

More from Taichung…

Today is our last day in the factory here at Ideal. Tomorrow we will be heading to Taipei for the show and the true madness that is the beginning of the season’s multiple trade shows and events. The coin has been tossed and the game is about to begin…

Saturday Steven and I joined a small group ride and rode up Snow Mountain- it’s about 52km of climbing… but thankfully for my big arse, we “only” rode up 18km to the police station.

The climb rose up out of the city and up into an amazingly lush tropical forest complete with bamboo and ferns and tones of trees. The air was so moist that there were corners that had to be ridden very cautiously because the road was covered in moss. But oh how fun that descent was!

On Sunday we went out by ourselves and rode up another mountain/ hill that climbs out of town and has a velodrome that was built several years ago for the Asian Games. The track surface is teak to withstand the weather conditions- which I would imagine actually retains a fairly good grip when wet.

On the way out of the velodrome facility, I snapped my chain. We tried in vain to fix it with a couple of rocks and the help of a very enthusiastic local who was there at the sports facility with his kids. Even though he spoke no English he came running- literally- with a handful of tools to try and help. Just another example of the amazing friendliness of the people of Taiwan.

We coasted down the hill and with the help of more friendly folks, found a small neighborhood shop that had a 10spd chain that I bought and they installed for me with free labor. They were even Fuji retailers and were very happy to help out. I gave them my new business card and then they really poured on the service. Wiping down my bike and lubing Steven’s squeaky chain. Steven had banged his thumb trying to repair my chain and had bled a bit, so the store owner sent his wife next door to the ever-present 7/11 to *buy* bandages for his thumb- even cleaning his thumb with an iodine wash before letting him put the band-aid on!

After that, we headed out again to finish our interrupted ride and stopped for a short lunch. Once on the road again, we climbed back up the hill to the velodrome to finish our intended route… only to find that the road we had been on just 2 days before had been completely cut up for repair! So we had to go back down the hill we just climbed so that we could take an even longer climb back into town. The hills here never stop and come one after another… for ever and ever.

So we rode along the rim of the city before dropping back down to the main road to the hotel… and the favorite part of our all of our rides- chasing the swarming mass of scooters! I’ll have to find a way to get video one day- GoPro perhaps- of sprinting in the scooter traffic. If you don’t know what I’m talking about… just imagine countless scooters swarming through the streets with no apparent regard for traffic laws, lanes or signals… and us sprinting in among them. IT ROCKS!

After all the riding, we got out for some touristy stuff and visited the area called “Art Street”… more on that to follow. Now it is time for another meeting here at the factory.

Ciao- for now!

Tim

Checking in again from Taichung…

It’s been a great visit so far and I am am still very happy to be here and working with this fantastic bunch of people. Man, I have gone from one great company to another in my cycling industry career and I am feeling mighty blessed right now.

Just a couple of pictures to share this morning before I leave for the factory again. More will follow, but these are a few of the first ones I’ve taken with the company’s camera (Canon G12) and I am still fumbling clumsily to learn how to use it… it’s WAY smarter than me;

More later… now it’s off to the factory.

Tim

Sorry it’s been a while… again…

Back in Taiwan now and very happy about it!

It’s been a year since I was last in Taiwan and I arrived this morning for the next 2+ weeks. Got in and got to the hotel in time for breakfast and a shower before heading in to meet my new partners in Taiwan at Ideal. I am here now with Steven Fairchild, one of the best Product Managers in the industry. The factory and offices here at Ideal are really amazing. I’m so excited to be getting started here and beginning this next chapter in my career.

Received my new business cards today… and I have to admit that I was totally geeking out when I got them… my name in Mandarin! I’m official now and I officially love it.

Tonight, if things fall into place (and if my bike is ready), Steven and I will try to get out for a bike ride. THAT would be awesome! I’d love to stretch the legs after being on a plane for 14+ hours. AND we’re looking to ride tomorrow morning as well… if the bike is ready.

The flight over was uneventful and mostly painless. I managed to sleep a little this time- I normally sleep very little, if at all, when I fly. Getting about 4hrs of sleep is actually a lot for me and I’m glad I did. Watched a few movies (Black Swan was “dark”… ugh…) and read a little. The flight was half empty in my section of the plane so I had the row almost to myself- just one other person on the other end of the row. Nice!

We arrived in Taipei a little behind schedule, so I actually ran into Steven while I was waiting in line at Customs- he was supposed to arrive almost 2hrs after me. He and I then grabbed our bags and hopped on a bus for a short ride to the High Speed Rail and then a 38 minute train ride that would’ve taken 2hrs by car (and we somehow seem to have a problem accepting the viability of rail in the US). A short cab ride from the train station and we were at the hotel in time for the last few minutes of the breakfast buffet. A quick shower- which was LOVELY- and we were back in a cab for the drive to Ideal.

It’s been a whirlwind several hours and multiple time zones covered… but I’m super excited to be here and to be getting into my new roll in earnest.

I’m going to “try” to post some pictures as much as I can… I’ve even been handed an awesome Canon G12 to snap pictures and video on behalf of our marketing team while I’m over here.

THIS IS GONNA ROCK!

Tim

And the weekend comes to a close… with no ride.

I haven’t ridden since last Sunday, when I was in Philadelphia and riding the glorious roads along the Delaware River. Got back to San Diego and got busy with work and then the rains came back. Looks like rain is going to be a part of this week too, especially the weekend… great. 

The good news is that I’ve got the punkin with me almost all the way until I leave for Taiwan on 3/7. It’s great to have this time with her now since I’ll be gone for 2.5 weeks on this first trip to Taiwan for ASI. She’s a wonderful companion and I’m very proud to be her daddy.

Today we got to hang out at my mom’s for a bit for a small family brunch. As always, it was great to spend time with them- I come from a family where gatherings are a common occurrence… and I like that.

Gonna be in Taiwan for a few weeks and fortunately I will get to ride my new bike while I am there. AND… getting the same bike to ride and race here in San Diego too… and looking forward to it! I’m really, really looking forward to getting the chance to ride in Taiwan too. I’ve only ever done one event there- not that I’m racing on this first trip over- so I am excited to get out and ride while there. I can’t wait to get out and explore more of the Taichung area. I already think of Taiwan as my second home, so I really want to learn more about it and become more self-reliant there… even considering getting a scooter. 

This first trip to Taiwan will also serve as the return trip to San Diego for Ann and Lily. Needless to say, I’m very excited about it. For about the 5th time in a row, the Taipei Show happens to be on my birthday, so I’m looking forward to spending another birthday with my Taiwan friends and family. There’s constant talk of changing the show dates, but I admit I’d kinda miss this new tradition. The show ends on Saturday 3/19, so I’m looking forward to having a late birthday celebration with Ann and Lily and Ann’s family… *my* family. 

And now it’s time for a little more quality time with the punkin. Movie and popcorn… sounds like a winner.

Tim

Wow, been a few days… again…

I tried to write a synopsis/ wrap-up to my time in Philly while I was still there… but I got distracted by work. Go figure… 

The 8 days in Philly were awesome! I am truly amazed by the level of talent in the company and the amazing amount of work already being done by my coworkers and the entire company. Coming from a much smaller company, now being a part of something much larger is pretty impressive… and pleasantly frightening. Listening to talk about the GEOX team with the Fuji folks, then listening to Kestrel Brand Manager Steven Harad talk about being in the wind tunnel with a couple of his athletes, or the fact that I’ll be working with Joe Breeze… it’s enough to make a bike geek a little lightheaded. 

On top of the bike geeking, I’m working with some great people who are just cool for being who they are. I’m genuinely happy to be working with this team of folks and had a great time getting the chance to hang out a little bit. In about 2 weeks, I’ll be traveling to Taiwan with many of them- and will be in Taichung for a week before the show in Taipei to meet and work with my new partners there… and I get to ride my bike while I’m there too! My coworker Steven Fairchild has already gotten the ball rolling to get me set up with a bike to keep in Taiwan so I can ride when I’m in Taichung… since that’s gonna happen a lot. AND since Steven is an avid racer too, I’m looking forward to getting the chance to do some events while I’m there in the future. 

I’ll have to put together a post introducing everybody individually… maybe I’ll sneak pictures of them on my next trip to Philly and then write up a little something… exposing them to the world. But until then, I just have to give them all a sincere and heartfelt “thank you”!

I got back into LA just fine with a non-stop 6hr flight from Philly. It was smooth sailing- aside from the exceedingly chatty seating companion I had, who told me nearly every detail of her life. In exceptional detail. The officially endorsed Best Friend, picked me up from the airport and we had some great Vietnamese food for dinner before heading to his house so I could get my car. After spending a little more time than planned setting up my “new” MacBook Pro (Jim’s old one), I was finally on the road back to San Diego… at 4:ooAM! The good news is that my car was having some crazy electrical problems that had me terrified the whole way home so I had NO Problem staying awake for the 2hr drive! The electrical system seems like it is going to fail again- the engine computer was replaced about 3.5-4yrs ago, at great expense and frustration. Now, I am an even bigger member of the cult of Mac… with 2 different iPhones, several iPods and now the MacBook… I’m thinking it’s time to dig out my old black mock-turtlenecks. I don’t yet feel any smug superiority, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. 

Last night was also Katie’s Alice in Wonderland play at school. I have a history of missing nearly all school-related activities, whether due to being unable to get out of the office or from being out of town for work, so each event I can get to is an amazing gift. I’ll have to post a couple pics and maybe a few snips of video too… because it was WAY above the normal level of cute. I only wish Ann and Lily could’ve been here as well- I know they would have enjoyed it too. My mother and step-father came to the play as well… and my son even made a cameo appearance! It was an amazing night for family and a reminder of why I get out of bed each day… it’s for them. 

It’s dumping rain here now, which I find very ironic considering how nice the weather is in Philly right now… so it’s gonna be an indoor weekend. Maybe the punkin and I will get out to see a movie… when not getting caught up on some overdue cleaning. AND… it’s been 2 weeks since we recorded the last Spokesmen, which means we’ll be recording tomorrow morning and I’m really looking forward to it (don’t forget to supply me with some good tips for the show).

And now it’s time to enjoy the weekend… each and every one of yous-guys/ gals!

Tim