From the Top

Building Rocket Espresso

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:42:35 GMT

Rocket Espresso is not a cycling brand per se, but it’s arguably the best-known coffee brand who are part of the orbit in our own little cycling world.

It’s only a recent phenomenon that cycling and coffee have gone hand in hand, and most cyclists have an appreciation for beautiful, mechanical, craftsmanship which Rocket does so wonderfully.

New Zealander Andrew Meo is the co-founder of Rocket Espresso and it’s no coincidence that the brand found its way into cycling. Andrew is a lifelong avid cyclist and his passion for coffee didn’t come until a bit later in his life...

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Building Ritchey

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:41:27 GMT

So much of Tom Ritchey's story has already been documented and I didn’t want to just do that again. In fact, I can’t do justice to telling Tom’s intertwined life and business journey in a reasonable length of podcast. But as it turned out, what came out of Tom during our interview ended up being so much better. At this point of Tom’s life I found him incredibly reflective on his experiences, with the benefit of years of hindsight and perspective.

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Building Cervelo

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:36:04 GMT

Indoor training has been around for longer than I can remember, but it was in 2014 when Zwift came along that it changed this market forever. It came into the world with bold ambitions, reimagined the space and what it could become, and has grown the market to a size that nobody could have imagined.

As far back as I can recall the earliest pioneers in the indoor virtual world space were the likes of Computrainer and Tacx - that would have been in the late 90’s, early 2000’s. But they never really delivered on the promise making indoor training much more enjoyable. They can’t be blamed for lack of vision or not trying - the technology wasn’t even there at the time. Social networks didn’t exist, multi player online games weren’t around, broadband speeds were slow and wireless protocols such as ANT+ and BTLE hadn’t been invented yet.

But, in 2010 when a gaming software developer in Southern California named Jon Mayfield began tinkering with his kinetic trainer and finding ways for it to communicate with a virtual world he built, he had no idea how big this would become.

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Building Zwift

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:33:31 GMT

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Building Castelli

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:31:30 GMT

You’ll be hard pressed to find a more iconic brand in cycling than Castelli. The company dates back to the late 1800’s to around the time of the first ever documented bike race.

There’s so much to Castelli’s checkered history but most recently an American by the name of Steve Smith came onto the scene in 2000. He had no Italian heritage, no real cycling industry experience, but he did have a love cycling. By his own admission, he wasn’t an amazing cyclist, technical innovation was where his interest always strayed so he could stay competitive.

Steve’s email signature says ‘Castelli Brand Manager’, but I always got the feeling from speaking with him over the years that he did far more than that. As I dug into his story deeper, he’s part owner of the business, steers the ship, and is ultimately the man who turned Castelli around into what we know it as today.

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Building 'Life in the Peloton' with Mitch Docker

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:28:28 GMT

Normally the theme of this podcast is the entrepreneurial journeys of people in the cycling industry who have had their ups and downs and have come out the other side.

When pro cyclist Mitch Docker announced his retirement I was in the middle of producing Christian Meier’s story, much of the background I got from Mitch’s podcast, Life in the Peloton. So it got me thinking about Life in the Peloton. Is it a business for Mitch? How did he start this? What makes him tick? Where might it go? Mitch is clearly a smart, talented and hard working guy, so why not document his story now at this point of his journey rather than 10 years from now?

Maybe I’m shoe-horning this into a theme where it doesn’t belong, but here’s my justification: Mitch Docker’s Life in the Peloton is arguably the best and most prolific cycling podcast out there of its kind. He’s flipped the traditional model of journalism on its head and he’s created something truly unique. Not only that – he’s stuck with it for 6 years now with consistency and he keeps making better.

For those not familiar, Life in the peloton is Mitch’s way of telling the world quite simply, what the life of a professional cyclist is like, and translates it everyone can understand. It’s not Mitch’s monologue and self-indulgent hour on-air. Quite the opposite. In this day and age of social media, quick likes and shares that serves as a self promotional tool, Mitch has opted to tell other people’s stories in long-form audio, that also reflects elements of his life. He has unique place in the sport to be able to do this, but also skillset as an interviewer, conversationalist, mastery of the podcast medium, and relatable nature that documents the sport like we haven’t experienced before.

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Building The Service Course

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:26:10 GMT

If you follow professional cycling and are attracted to specialty coffee, beautiful custom bikes, and boutique travel, then there’s no doubt you haven’t already come across Christian and Amber Meier’s businesses. The unlikely couple from Canada, of all places, embarked on a professional cycling career for Christian and settled in the once sleepy Catalan town of Girona. The two of them are the founders of La Fabrica, Espresso Mafia and Service Course which have now become institutions of Girona that people seek out.. Now, The Service Course boasts 4 European locations and includes some of cycling’s biggest stars as both investors and employees. Names like Michael Woods, Kasia Niewiadoma, Edvald Boasson Hagen as investors, along with Simon Gerrans as CEO. It’s a remarkable story that isn’t even close to being finished yet, so grab a coffee, trap in, and hear where Christian and Amber’s story started so you can follow where it’s going.

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Building 7Mesh

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:22:36 GMT

In this episode we speak to the three co-founders of apparel brand, 7mesh.

Getting into the cycling apparel business could now be one of the lowest barrier to entry segments in the industry. Anyone with an Instagram account and some design ability can directly access factories in Italy or China and create a clothing ‘brand’ these days, and it’s incredibly tough to cut through in this crowded market. That’s not to say some don’t break through and create legitimate and worthy businesses this way – I know firsthand a few who have. And this low barrier to entry has enabled some wonderful brands to get started and flourish. But because of this it is a crowded market now, and it’s tough to discern who are doing great work and innovating, and who are just pumping out disposable fashion.

Every once in a while however a new brand comes along with people from a track record of success, expertise and you just know they’ll be around for the long haul.

From the moment I first discovered 7mesh a few years ago I knew this was one of those brands in its infancy.

For those who don’t know, 7mesh are an apparel brand based in Squamish, Canada who make some top quality clothing made for the demands of mountain biking, gravel and road.

The three founders, Tyler Jordan, Ian Martin and Calum Davidson aren’t three random people who got together to do a passion project. They were three early staff members and integral to the success of outdoor clothing juggernaut, Arc'teryx.

Tyler was the CEO, Ian was Design Director, and Calum was the Director of Supply Chain – and all were (and still are) nuts for cycling. They were also great friends in their days at Arcteryx and were having fun, pushing boundaries, and getting shit done.

But as the saying goes, all good things come to an end and as the three oversaw tremendous growth in the business they all gave everything up to go off on their own and create something from scratch.

To tell the story of 7mesh, we need to get to know Tyler, Calum and Ian in their early days at Arctaryx …

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Building Curve Cycling

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:20:26 GMT

If you live outside of Australia or if you’re not familiar with the whole bikepacking or adventure racing scene chances are you may not have heard about the small bike and wheel brand called Curve. It’s run by a few mates of mine here in Melbourne Australia and started way back when I was first starting the cyclingtips business and we were all similarly young, ambitious, and blissfully ignorant. So needless to say I’ve taken a keen interest in the growth of the Curve business throughout the years.

It all started in around 2010 when Curve’s earliest founder, Steve was working in a bike shop and got asked all the time for wheel upgrades. At that time the only thing available for after-market carbon wheels were basically ENVE, Zipp, and a few others which were a major price leap from high-end alloy wheels. Steve started asking himself why a more accessible carbon wheelset wasn’t available, so he started looking around the internet at sites like Alibaba, and eventually found an agent in Taiwan who could connect him directly with open mould carbon wheel manufacturers. He ordered some, tinkered with them, ordered some more, and eventually came up with some wheels he quite liked and was using Jesse as his guinea pig.

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Building Giant / LIV

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:16:59 GMT

You could very well argue that Bonnie Tu is the most powerful woman in cycling, although she wouldn’t think of describing herself that way. She’s best known as the face of the LIV brand she created back in 2008, but more than that she’s the Chairperson of the largest bike brand in the world: The Giant Bicycle Group. What does that mean? Quite simply – she runs the entire show.

Giant Bicycles is a $2.1B per annum publicly traded company that produces millions of bikes per year, not to mention being the manufacturer for a number of other largest most reputable bike brands in the industry.

Giant was founded in 1972 – that’s 48 years ago, and Bonnie was one of the founding shareholders and as you’ll hear, very influential in many of the companies foundations and pathway during its history.

This is the growth story of Bonnie Tu and not necessarily the story of Giant Bicycles or LIV. But they’re so intertwined that it’s hard not to tell one without the other.

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How Matt Keenan Found His Voice

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:13:14 GMT

As we continue our theme of individual icons within the sport, in this episode we hear the story of Matthew Keenan - a man who is slowly but surely becoming the new voice of cycling, taking over the highest job in cycling commentary just three years ago when he and Robbie McEwen replaced Paul Sherwin and Phil Liggett as the host announcers for the Tour de France.

The word passion can often be used as a shortcut for people to describe how strongly they feel about something, but true passion, the kind Matt Keenan demonstrates for cycling and commentary, is built in increments - decades of it - ensuring everything he does goes towards what he’s trying to achieve.

For those who know Matt personally, they’ll tell you that while he's never short of words, he’s incredibly humble and deflects away from talking about himself. His story from aspiring pro cyclist, to local venue commentator, all the way to now being the Tour de France’s anchor commentator is surprisingly well documented, so in this episode, I reached out to various friends and people who influenced Matt throughout his career to add some other perspectives.

I’ve known and worked with Matt in various capacities for 10 years now and have always looked up to his professionalism, his knowledge, and his relentless, but patient pursuit of his craft.

This is his story.

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The Story of Legendary Cycling Photographer Graham Watson

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:03:56 GMT

This week we continue our theme of individual icons within the sport. This time we speak to Graham Watson, the most prolific cycling photographer in perhaps the world. Like other pioneers of their professions, some might argue that it was easy back in the day and there were more opportunities.

But everything is obvious in hindsight, and as you’ll soon hear from Graham, it was anything but easy. I’m a big believer that you make your own luck to open the next door, and that’s precisely what Graham did over the 5 decades he covered the sport. And whoever came up with the saying ‘nice guys finish last’ certainly hasn’t met Graham.

Now, today’s episode is slightly longer than the rest because there’s no way I can do justice to Graham's remarkable 40 year career in an hour. So buckle up and get in for the ride with a man who has documented cycling's most historic moments.

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The remarkable story of Phil Liggett

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:01:57 GMT

Over the next few episodes of From the Top I switch gears to speak to iconic individuals within the cycling industry to better understand how they got to where they are. First up, I speak to Phil Liggett about how he got his start in commentating, how he met Paul Sherwin, how he’s been doing since Paul’s untimely passing, his relationship/fallout with Lance Armstrong, and the cutthroat nature of his position at the top of his profession.

Liggett is undeniably the most recognisable voice in cycling and has brought the sport we all love into the mainstream through his ‘Liggetisms’, descriptions of chateaus and his dulcet tones with co-commentator the late Paul Sherwin.

Many enthusiasts say that Phil is long past his prime and should retire. There’s no denying that we’re in a new age from when Phil started commenting before many of us were even born, and the media landscape is a very different place now than it was then. But Phil has witnessed and called so many of cyclings most significant and historic moments and made us all jump out of our chairs with excitement, and you have to thank him for being part of those memories. Personally, I bookmark my years by who won the TdF in that particular July, and Phil and Paul’s voices are part of that.

Phil is now 76 years old and has been commentating since the late 70’s. Think about that. His impact on the sport and his pioneering role has been tremendous. These days while he might get some details wrong while calling the race in front of millions of people, I call tell you firsthand through many interactions with him that he’s still sharp as a tack. And while as much as you don’t want to hear it, his commentary isn’t really for you or me, the hardcore cycling fan - it’s for the people who immerse themselves into the Tour de France once a year, and they still love him.

From starting as an aspiring pro bike racer, to a journalist, to commentating with the late Paul Sherwin for 33 years, now in the twilight of his remarkable life and career. I sat down with Phil to hear how he got started, and some of his struggles along the way.

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Building Skratch Labs

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 23:00:37 GMT

So many of the businesses we’ve discovered in this show have been ‘happy accidents’ so to speak, and Scratch Labs embodies that very same organic build and hustling spirit. Founded by two longtime friends, Allan Lim and Ian McGregor as both were sidelined from the sport, they both described themselves as initially too ‘lazy’ to actually sell their ‘secret drink mix’ they were making for pro cycling teams at the time. But as one thing led to another, they found themselves in their kitchens making their products, mixing drink powders in paint shakers, and throwing pizza and beer parties with their friends to fulfil orders.

In an absolutely crowded market of nutritional products, these two, with no business experience were able to work their way to become one of the biggest little brands in the sports nutrition world.

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Building Apidura

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:58:47 GMT

Apidura is a brand you may not be familiar with if you haven’t ventured into the world of bikpacking, touring or adventure racing, but they’re pioneers in rackless bike bags category, and support the community of ultra cyclists and bike packers. They’re a brand at the heart of this rapidly growing community and are enabling a whole new wave of this type of cycling.

Tori Fahey is the founder of Apidura and never set out to create a business out of her homemade packs and bags. She did it to satisfy her own needs with how she loved balance her hectic life by doing long rides, tours and adventures.

What I find inspiring about what Tori has done with Apidura is not necessarily the business she’s created (although that is pretty remarkable in its own right), but the foundation she’s build the company on, and the values she holds and follows through with. She’s been outspoken about consumerism and the culture of seasonal discounting. She is conscious she’s building about the footprint the business leaves on the environment. She focuses her resources on making their products better, rather than new colorways or seasonal changes. She made a deliberate choice at the start not to be a growth led business, but to be a product led. That’s one thing to say when you have a hobby business, but something completely different when you have employees, a supply chain, and a customer base who depend on you.

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Building SRAM

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:56:20 GMT

SRAM is credited with having three co-founders, but Stan Day is the man who planted the seed. And you could very well are argue he’s where the brand’s culture and values stem from. At least that’s what I got out of speaking with him in this episode while listening to his polite, humble and understated approach when sharing his story.

SRAM all started with Stan taking on a triathlon challenge back in the 80’s and thinking that there has to be a better way than this whole down-tube shifting method. Twist-shift was his answer and he was able to convince a few friends to leave their good jobs, move across the country and start a business in Chicago and sell their better way. But as successful as the company is now, it certainly didn’t start out that way. If it weren’t for one pivotal moment, SRAM might have been only a side-note in our cycling history books.

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Building Silca

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:54:02 GMT

Josh Poertner isn’t your typical cycling industry personality. In fact, he’s not your typical anything. He’s one of those people that when you meet him, you’re taken back by a man who is filled with enthusiasm, curiosity, positive energy, and intelligence that really makes him stand out from most human beings.

These days, you may associate Josh’s name as the man who reinvented Silca, the Italian tyre pump brand founded over a hundred years ago. But as with most of these stories, it was far from a straight path, and anything but easy. He started as a keen and talented cyclist, who later became a brilliant engineer who got his feet wet in motorsport and later went on to be an enormous influence in making the Zipp wheel brand what it is today.

Josh’s story is nowhere close to being finished and dare I say we’ll see so much more from him and Silca in the next decade and more.

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Building Zipp Wheels

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:48:29 GMT

Zipp is an indisputable icon in the wheel business and they have a long history of innovation. They were one of the very first brands who though about wheels differently and pushed the envelope to what wheels are now today.

An engineer by the name of Leigh Sargent is the founder of Zipp way back in the late 80’s, but it’s a gentleman by the name of Andy Ording who was Leigh’s first employee, bought the company outright in its early days, and built Zipp during its formative years.

Zipp now belongs to SRAM and its family of products and continues its legacy of innovation, but the origins of this pioneering brand started over 30 years earlier.

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Building Wahoo

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:45:53 GMT

Most businesses we've spoken to so far have had relatively straightforward journey, but Wahoo Fitness is not one of those who fit that mould. Chip Hawkins is the company’s founder and believe it or not, the Wahoo business started off in, well you’ll probably never guess it….boat docks. That’s right, floating boat docks. But it was a good business with interesting problems that Chip loved to solve. Chip is an engineer, and entrepreneur, a tinkerer, and most importantly someone who loves to throw himself neck deep in fixing problems to make something better - and and it usually starts, only himself and his own needs. Chip’s story is one that proves that if you see a problem and you care enough to solve it for yourself and maybe a few friends, there’s likely a market out there for a business to take shape. And as Chip points out and believes, the most important thing is that you have to try.

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Building Strava

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:42:32 GMT

Strava has become ubiquitous in over 50 million athlete’s lives and is arguably the most relevant social network to anyone who loves to sweat.

Michael Horvath and Mark Gainey are the co-founders of Strava who have been lifelong friends who quite literally changed how we interact with our cycling in both real life and with each other online.

The reason I was so interested in hearing Michael and Mark’s story was not only because they’ve created an amazing brand and product that most of us use, but the went about it in a very different way than most of the companies you’ll near in this podcast. Creating Strava wasn’t their first trip to the rodeo. Were experienced successful knowledgable entrepreneurs they, they made some very deliberate decisions early on about the foundations of the company that have taken Strava to where it is today, and into the next 20 years.

But there are many similarities too. It started from nothing but a single idea and only passion fuelling the fire, and as you’ll discover, creating Strava hasn’t been the straightforward journey that you might think about when you log on every day.

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Building Canyon Bikes

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:40:43 GMT

In this latest episode of From the Top I'm thrilled to give you an exclusive first look at the remarkable story of how Roman Arnold founded and built Canyon Bikes to where it is today. Listen to the remarkable story of how Roman started cycling as a way of competing for recognition and approval from his father among his three brothers. He started from humble beginnings, got his hands dirty, educated himself, and grew Canyon to be one of the largest cycling brands in the world.

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Building The Sufferfest

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:37:09 GMT

In this episode I speak to The Sufferfest founder David McQuillen about how he went from working in the Swiss Banking industry, to creating one of the largest indoor training platforms in his spare time and later selling the business to Wahoo Fitness.

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Building Rapha

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 22:33:08 GMT

Rapha has been one of the most innovative, aspirational and disruptive businesses in cycling, and Simon Mottram is the mastermind behind the brand. Rapha began from a single concept: Mottram's feeling for road cycling, and how he wanted it portrayed.

From a single jersey that wasn't even ready in time for the company launch, he built Rapha into the darling child of cycling brands. It inspired an entirely new market of 'micro apparel brands' and showed many others of the cycling industry the power of storytelling. Here's Mottram's story of how he started this remarkable business.

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