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The Kate Strong Interview

At Velosure we deal with all kinds of bike riders and this week we caught up with Kate Strong who won her age group at the Long-distance Triathlon World Championships. No biggie for an athlete who has dedicated half a life to sport but how about winning gold after just over a year from her first marathon. She has a great story that anyone with a day job trying to compete at an elite level will resonate with.

PB: Hi Kate. I know it’s really hard to fit into a couple of sentences who you are and what you do and what made you take up triathlon but can you try so I don’t have to.

KS: Hi Paul. Well, I took up triathlon in 2013 as I realised this had been a dream of mine for quite some time and today was the best day to start, so I did! In triathlon, I am 2014 World Champion for my age-group in long-distance triathlon (that’s 4km swim, 120km cycle and 30km run) and Australian AG National Champion for 2015 in Standard distance triathlon (1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run). Who I am now: I am a coach and mentor to businesses in the food & fitness industries.

PB: So you’re Welsh but you’re an Aussie?

KS: I’m Welsh-born and Aussie trained. I’ve dual nationalities and choose to compete in green & gold for the time being.

PB: So at the time you won your World Championship you were working full time. We all know they don’t give those things away. What advice can you give to our readers about working and training? Is it more about quality than quantity or just getting in and doing the hours before and after work?

KS: I was working insane hours: I owned a guest house and restaurant and worked long hours seven days a week. I had many justified reasons not to train so setting a realistic timeframe and goals was foundational to my success. We are all guilty of over-promising and under-delivering and if we fall into this trap too often, we’ll burn out, fall ill and lose momentum. I also strongly recommend listening to your body and eat close to whole-foods. What this means is whilst training, if you feel flat and are under-performing; then stop. Take a break (for ½ hour/one day) and return refreshed. You’ll get a lot more out of the training session. Also avoid processed foods - eat as close to ’natural’ as possible. This reduces you overloading your body with toxins and working harder to get rid of this waste and also keep you in peak performance for training.

PB: Have you done any bike racing or are you a through and through die hard tri girl.

KS: I’d love to mix it up and complete a single-disciple competition! I adore triathlon and it will also ways stay close to my heart, but I also like other sports and competitions too. If you know a good bike competition for me to enter, I’ll be there!

PB: You mention that you’re a vegan. Was that a choice to help with triathlon?

KS: I am a vegan - though prefer to say I follow a “whole food plant-based” lifestyle. It was not a conscious decision to avoid animal products, I just found that by reducing and eventually eliminating my dairy and then meat consumption, I was training harder, quicker and stronger. Plus my recovery was quicker and I slept better, so it was a no-brainer for me to continue this lifestyle.

PB: So you’re back in Wales now-I won’t ask you to compare the weather but where’s the best place to ride.

KS: I love cycling along the south Welsh coast near Llantwit Major and Cowbridge. It’s about 30km from my home and loads of gorgeous windy British roads, stunning views and the compulsory fields of sheep!

PB: I hope you have a mountain bike and use it!

KS: I do own a mountain bike and went mountain biking in the French Alps over summer. I’ll be looking forward to discovering the Welsh hills in the New Year.

PB: That sounds like a great plan. Thanks for the chat and we look forward to following your progress in triathlon.

Have a look at our new blog on our website: https://velosure.com.au/blog/kate-strong-interview

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The Scott Sharples Interview

Our own Paul Begg got to catch up with Mountain Bike legend Scott Sharples in between death-defying hill bombs at the legendary Kamikaze Downhill at Mammoth Mountain. Here’s what Scott had to say about life in California and his career as a Down Hill pioneer.

PB: You’ve had lots of jobs in the cycle industry. I can remember you were a BMX racer and Freestyler, a pro Downhill Mountain Biker for Diamond Back, Haro and Trek. You coached the Aussie Downhill team and took the first group of BMX riders to the Olympics, you’ve spent time at Specialized, Intense and Felt. Have I missed anything? And what are you doing these days?

SS: “I’m now the Marketing Manager at Bell Helmets, up in Santa Cruz, and loving it.”

PB: So what’s a day in the life for you at Bell?

SS: “I wake up in my shack in the redwoods, very buried in the redwoods, there’s no chance of getting woken by the sunlight.  I ride to work through the redwoods, on single track, then not a bit of road for the last bit.  I spend the first part of my morning checking the news and activities in the cycling world.  Then I dive into my pool of emails.  Swimming around in them for the remainder of the day. Chasing riders for content, making sure we are getting the coverage that we pay for.  Making sure riders are safe, and wearing updated helmets, that haven't been smacked on the ground too many times.  I spend a bit of time with the creative team, working on new designs, and PD going over product feedback, and how to make a better product.”

PB: So you work with all the Bell athletes on road and dirt?

SS: “Yep, I work with BMX, race and freestyle, ramp dirt etc.., I work with all mountain bikers, all road riders, crib racing track cyclists, gravel riders [whatever that is], and all forms of road cycling.”

PB: Who’s you favourite athlete?

SS: “Bryll (aka pro cycling couple, Bryn Atkinson and Jill Kintner)”

PB: What’s you favourite event and why?

SS: “My favourite race??  Hmmm, to watch??  MTB DH World Champs, its always exciting.”

PB: Do you get involved with the design process? How much input do the riders have in bringing a new product to market?

SS: “I do get involved in the design process, I am the liaison between the riders and the engineers, I push the point hard when I see reason for it.  We have a great team of Industrial designers and engineers.  The Bell lineup is pretty advanced.”

PB: What¹s the latest and greatest at Bell?

SS: “Latest and greatest that I know of can’t be spoken about.  The latest on the market is MIPS all the way through the lineup, its not only the people that can afford the most expensive helmet that deserve an added layer of protection. We even do kids helmets with MIPS.  The best thing to hit the market from Bell has been the Super 2 and Super 2 R, with the detachable chin bar.  Both versions offer so much protection, considering what we do on trail bikes, we need something substantial on our heads.  Bell Super 2R offers it.”

PB: There are lots of bike brands in Santa Cruz. Does it get tricky keeping secrets?

SS: “It is, there are loose lips, plus we see things being tested in the field. Santa Cruz Bikes do a very good job though.”

PB: I know you ride to work on some killer trails. Can you describe the riding in Santa Cruz so we can be really jealous?

SS: “Giant redwoods, my ride is through forests full of trees over 70 meters tall. On nice loamy dirt, with natural jumps and berms, mixed with off camber drifty runs, and then you end up overlooking Monterey bay...”

PB: What do you miss about being a long way from home?

SS: I miss my friends, my family, hamburgers with the lot, the beaches, coloured money, writing the date with the day first,  not having to explain my jokes, Pavlova, not causing a traffic jam when I walk across the road, not tipping.

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The Grant Kaplan Interview - Giant Store Sydney

Today we had the pleasure of catching up with the Managing Director and owner of the Giant Store in Sydney, Grant Kaplan. We had a chat about how he got his start in the cycling world and what he’s up too at the moment!

Velosure: What is your name?

GK: Grant Kaplan

Velosure: Where did you grow up?

GK: Born in South Africa, raised in Sydney.

Velosure: What do you ride?

GK: I’ve got a Giant TCR SL 0 and a Giant Trance Advanced 1

Velosure: Where do you ride?

GK: I ride around the Eastern Suburbs and then mountain bike around Sydney when I can.

Velosure: So how did you get into Cycling?

GK: Look i’m not a competitive cyclist, I got into it because before I got into the bicycle industry, I worked at the University of Sydney and needed transport so I got onto a bike, that was 20 years ago! Just really enjoyed it and it grew from there.

Velosure: What are you up too these days?

GK: In terms of?

Velosure: Day to day operations.

GK: Oh, that's a tough one, look I just sold the Maroubra store so now i’m whollly and solely dedicated to Giant Sydney. We are also building and developing our cycling club, which is an affiliated Cycling Australia Club. Besides that, just constantly improving and renovating and developing the store and building an awesome community base.

Velosure: What’s your favorite part about being amongst the cycling community especially in Australia?

GK: I guess getting to see the new products but most importantly getting to interact with people, friends and getting to ride with people I like. Just basically enjoying the social aspects of owning a bicycle store.

Velosure: What’s really exciting you at the moment in the cycling world?

GK: Look i’d probably just say the advancements of the technology, where cycling is going and generally the pickup of cycling by non-cyclists. There are a lot of people getting on bikes and commuting these days, it’s becoming far more socially acceptable. I remember when I was riding to work 15 or 20 years ago and when you saw a cyclist you would wave at them. Now there are too many too wave at. I’m excited that cycling is becoming mainstream. As a side note, I am very happy with the trail building for mountain bikes that is happening around Sydney.

Velosure: What are the one or two items you would recommend that an everyday cyclist “must have”?

GK: A good set of lights and a good helmet. Also a good pair of socks.

Velosure: Thanks for your time Grant!

GK: No worries.

Be sure to go check out and give a follow to Giant Sydney located on Clarence street in the heart of Sydneys CBD!

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Liam Kelly Interview

Today we had a chance to sit down and have a chat with respected Sydney bike store owner, self-proclaimed cycle nut and business man Liam Kelly about his start in the cycling world and various other velo-centric topics!  

Velosure: So what’s your name?

Liam: “Liam Kelly”

Velosure: Where abouts did you grow up?

Liam: “Melbourne, down south.”

Velosure: What bike do you ride mostly?

Liam: “Road Bikes”

Velosure: Any specific brand?

Liam: “Um this week I am riding a De Rosa!”

Velosure: Where abouts do you ride?

Liam: “Mainly I do a lot of riding in Centennial Park because it’s continuous and there is little in the way of environmental distractions and on the weekends I always either ride down to the national parks or up to the national parks.”

Velosure: When did you realize that cycling was going to be an integral part of your life?

Liam: “I’ve always had a bike, I think my first ever purchase as a kid was a bicycle. I bought my own bikes by saving up. When I was about 13, maybe 14, I went and bought a road bike from Europa Cycles and it was a Colnago. That was about 38 years ago.”

Velosure: And that’s when it all clicked?

Liam: “Yeah yeah, it cost a lot of money back then, it cost around the equivalent of $15,000 today.”

Velosure: What are you up to these days?

Liam: “I’m up to a couple things actually, I’ve got a couple bike shops, sort of moving out of retail and back into a direct to consumer model and then I’ve got a software business in the education space and finance industry.”

Velosure: What’s your favorite part about being amongst the cycling community especially in Australia?

Liam: “I’m really privileged to ride with a group of guys that are all..ya know..cyclists, instead of golfers. They’ve been riding since they were kids, they’re less inclined to worry about the fashion and are just really passionate about the sport. Being around people who are around the sport and being around people who were born into the sport is the best thing about it because it allows you to communicate and ride with up and coming young stars as they’re 14 or 15 right through to guys who are veteran world champions who are 74 to 75.”

Velosure: Yeah just a group of like-minded individuals.

Liam: “Yeah it’s the only sport, with the exception of maybe golf, where you are effectively handicapped on the same space. I can ride with a young guy and keep up with him or I can ride with a guy who is 75 and he can keep up with me.”

Velosure: What’s really exciting you at the moment in the cycling world?

Liam: “Electric Bikes. If you look at human-powered bicycles, they have reached their limit. While we can make them lighter and do a few things, there really isn’t much more you could do to a human-powered bike. The great future of cycling is all about enhancement, basically being able to use a bicycle and extend its range and use beyond sport. The technology of passive and active safety in bicycles hasn’t even begun to exist and it’s the most exciting part of it.

Velosure: What are the one or two items you would recommend that an everyday cyclist “must have”?

Liam: “That’s a really hard one. Ultimately the thing that defines a good bicycle is not its wheels or gears but actually how it fits you. Get fitted to your bike, that’s my number one recommendation. Having a bike fitted to you takes 75% of the danger out of riding a bike. My second recommendation would be to service your bike often, make sure all the moving parts are in good order, keep it in check.”

Velosure: Awesome tips, thanks for your time mate!

Liam: No worries.

Be sure to go check out Liam’s stores Bike Lab at Entertainment Quarter and Bondi Bikes & Boards on Oxford Street, Bondi Junction.

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Specialist in cycling insurance   As cycling enthusiasts, Velosure offer standalone insurance for both bicycles and riders designed specifically for the cycling world. If you love riding, we can help ensure it is always a part of your life.   Whether you’re racing, training, commuting or travelling overseas to ride we provide the cover that allows you to turn the pedals with peace of mind.   We live and breathe riding. You can get a quote or take out a policy right here on this web site. Or give us a call. We’re always happy to talk about riding. - See more at: https://velosure.com.au/#sthash.oi506nwj.dpuf