Closed For Renovations!

Dear Kryptonite Fans, Loyal Readers, Accidental Visitors,

Thanks for stopping by our Unbreakable-Bonds blog. We're currently closed for renovations...what, is that a collective mumble about it being about time???

You deserve to see something cool and worth the read here, so off we go to do our project. Stop by again soon and look for a new coat of paint, a couple new pictures on the wall, etc. Cheers!

eine kleine cycle-roman

Shame on us (me)...been quiet for too long. Caught up in the flurry of work activity that always seems to occur right after the holidays. But, couldn't let another day go by without sharing a great story about a lock that just wasn't going to let go! Forgive me while I get totally predictable and trite and say "now that's an unbreakable bond!" From our friend, JMW in London, England...

What music would we use to accompany display of this little story!?

Elsewhere, ghastly wars, flung in everyone's conscience; other ghastly wars kept away from our guilt glands; all around us, a collapsing economy - and we choose to spend 15 minutes on THIS?

A cycle has been obstructing our pavement - it has been there for about a fortnight like this - single pedestrians can readily step round it but those wheeling a pram might find it more awkward; this is the second cycle in recent months, fixed to this post - the previous bike disappeared leaving a massive locked chain at the foot of the post; the present one is in a rigid position.

A jack for lifting cars has been inserted into the D-Lock and expanded, intending to force the D-Lock apart; indeed, it has bent - but the car-jack is now rigid and so is the position of the whole assembly. This is why the bike can not be moved, as things are ...

It does not take too much of an effort - with a wrench - to force the car-jack to fold back, and so to remove it and allow the bike to be set straight.

We have now set the bike straight. It has suffered one cut brake-cable, and scratches to the frame. We do not have time to knock on local doors to find the owner - who might be far away, and this bike itself stolen . At any rate, it is now less obstructive to users of the pavement.

The battered, bent but undaunted (kryptonite) D-lock continues in place to do its job.

Kids Don't Do This At Home

After my beloved fixie went missing from campus a few weeks back, I decided to invest in your company. I got your lock in the mail today, and I'm afraid that it needed a little personal touch. I hope your not offended with my 'upgrade' - but I just couldn't run around campus with a stock'er - even if it's just the lock. JSM, Lincoln, NE

J, we'll just ask everyone to cut us a little slack for language that's a little saltier than we normally use here, because we probably all have to agree that if we're really truthful, we'd say the exact same thing if we were in your shoes!

PS - We're happy to report that the police found J's bike at a local pawn shop and he's going to be reunited with it today!

Bond Broken

Be forewarned that this is one of those stories that will really crank off many of our readers... its a story about an occurrence that's just wrong, wrong, wrong....but it does highlight the importance of being sure you're careful to use the right type of security for your bike or motorcycle, considering the value of your stuff that may need to be replaced, not to mention the vehicle when its stolen. I do have to say, these two have a much more generous attitude toward the thief than I would have had!

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/Home/story.csp?cid=126107&sid=1&fid=1

A Word From The Ladies

OK, so you already heard from Jody Perewitz about the great time had at Scuderia in San Francisco recently. Well, Nicole Roesch also had a few things to say about the event, most specifically that she was really impressed by the enthusiasm and knowledge that the women who joined them for the evening already had about motorcycles - not the least of which was the fact that the fashion trends really do start on the West Coast ladies....there was no question about the strength of the bonds these women shared with their bikes! The ladies gave her some great websites that Nicole has already bookmarked for her own reading pleasure and thought you may want to know about them too...so here they are, enjoy!

www.carlaking.com -- a book of Carla's riding adventures on a Russian sidecar across the US. Thanks, Carla for donating the book for the raffle!
http://www.nebcom.com/noemi/moto/sbl.sbl.html -- a list of motorcycles that accommodate the 'vertically challenged' rider!
http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/ -- Web site resource for finding a perfect 1st motorcycle
http://www.dangerouscurvesm-c.com/ -- organization of family-oriented, female motorcycle riders

Happy Birthday Little Blog

So...a year ago today we set up this blog. Nearly 280 posts later, here we are. Like the very first post, I struggled this morning to be prolific (and giggled at myself trying). Instead, I decided to look back at that first post and see what I had planned for the blog and see how far we've come, or not.

We haven't done nearly all of the things I thought we would with this blog. Time got in the way, in some cases - there just never seems to be enough time to do all of the things you want to do. So, while we had some great Unbreakable Bond stories, we didn't have as many as I'd want. The ones we did were great stories. If you missed some of them, please go back and read them. I want to do more of them in year 2. Look for more soon.

I also wanted you to get to know more about the people here at Kryptonite - not just me, but the passionate folks who work here. Did we succeed there? I don't know - you tell me. Somewhat, I think, but a struggle I've had, until recently, was getting some other folks here to blog. It took longer than I thought (surprisingly, they are shy, which I never would have imagined...ever!), but now they are participating more and more and, if truth be told, I think they are actually having some fun doing it. Shhhh...don't tell them that, though. While that took longer than I'd like, I think we are up and running there now and you'll hear from more than just me more often than ever before. C'mon, y'all have to be bored with me sometimes, right?!

Passion. We promised passion and we delivered. Whether it was Bobke talking about the Tour Day France, Dave Perewitz talking about protecting his motorcycles after breaking down, Craig building his motorcycle or me ranting about cycling (me, rant? nah...)...you got passion. There is no shortage of passion here.

The responses I've gotten, for the most part, have been very positive about this blog. Not everyone agrees with everything we post, but that's the point! But, what I want to know now is...what do you want to know? What do you want to see in year 2?

Do you love hearing about Rob's snowmobiling? Eric's hiking? Want to know where the Bobber project is at? Do you want me to rant away about the state of cycling ('cause, don't kid yourself, I can...for days, just ask my Spokesmen cohorts!). What do you want to know more about? Let me know - either here in the comments or via email
donna(underscore)tocci(at)irco(dot)com

Until then...thank you for giving us a chance. Thanks for the encouragement and the new friends I've made along the way. Thanks for having a different opinion and expressing it. Mostly, thanks for coming back and continuing to read.

We will all work hard to make sure that we give you multiple reasons to keep coming back to our little blog. Until then...maybe I should go look for a cake.....yummmm.....happy birthday little blog....

Happy New Year!

So, it's the end of the year....a time for reflection and looking ahead, right? Ok, I can do that...

2007 was a big one here at Kryptonite. We started a transformation of our brand, which was quite time consuming, but fairly successful. We tripped up a few places - the new stickers weren't such a big hit. Street stencils? What were we thinking there? Total bust. But, the posters were received very well (who doesn't like penguins?!). The outdoor campaign with billboards and ads were good.

Being involved with the bicycle valet programs was fantastic! We also loved placing bike racks in cities around the country. We hope that both of these programs assisted, and will continue to assist, cyclists in these cities.

2007 was also the year that we caught up with the rest of the world and totally revamped our website. It seems like a hundred years ago that I was cramming to get copy and photos to our agency so we could put up the site in just over 6 weeks. I'm not kidding....soup to nuts in just over 6 weeks. I never want to do that again! Don't get me wrong, creating a new site from scratch is a blast! Doing it in 6 weeks is a complete stretch. We had a few growing pains in the beginning and we are still adding to the site, but all in all we love it and hope you do, too.

Then there was this blog. It's still not what I want it to be, but it's an evolving process. I think it's a good start. Thanks to everyone who has given us feedback and supported this effort. Personally, I'm quite thankful to you all. And to those who shared their Unbreakable Bonds, thank you. We couldn't have asked for a better group of people to share their stories.

The products in 2007 were pretty darn cool, too. How about that oval crossbar on the Evolution series 4? Sweet, huh?! And then there was the complete cable redesign. Yikes! That was a lot of work, but so worth it.

Team Kryptonite grew by one this year when Nicole Hoffman signed on with us. And Jody Perewitz became an 'unofficial' Team Kryptonite member. Both represented us well at events and races and even blogged their thoughts here when their schedules allowed.

Our internal team grew, too, with the addition of our regional managers. We're happy to have them aboard!

There was much more, but hey, these are just the highlights.

So...2008...what will that bring? So much stuff, I can't even tell you....ok, I can tell you some, both professional and personal.

Products - yup, there will be new products. First up are some products for the motorcycle market that dealers will see at the Dealer Expo show in February. That's right around the corner, which means we need to kick some butt with a few things to get that all worked out in time. But, we will. We work well under pressure.

There will also be some upgrades to a few products that will be hitting sooner rather than later. Big and bad, I promise you!

We're also in the process of working on something that will dazzle you. That won't be until later in the year, but I'll keep you posted as we move along with that project.

Marketing - it isn't official yet, but there will be some major news to announce probably in the next month between us and.....ok, I can't tell you that, but it will be big. Huge. You'll know as soon as the ink is dry on the contract. I'm so excited, but I can't say just yet because, well the ink hasn't even hit the paper yet. We're working on it. You will be the first to know, of course.

We are also looking to support bike valet programs again this year and place bike racks in some more cities. We are already working on getting this program together and have identified cities that we'd like to work with on this. As soon as we know more we'll let you know.

The website will continue to evolve. Soon (January, I think) we'll add some new functionality to the site which will be very different for us. We'll also have some new folks telling their stories on the front pages - I'm working on that right now. I'm going to try to keep up with the website changes a little more frequently this year, too.

As I mentioned, the blog has had a good start, but I'm not totally happy with it. Life happens and I've slacked on getting some more Unbreakable Bonds stories, but I've got a few folks that I'm going to have do this at the beginning of the year...and if you want to share your story, please send me an email! Share your story, c'mon this is a partnership here....I give...you give...c'mon..share.

What else would I change? Having more people from here contribute. Aren't you sick of me yet? Seriously. There will be more participation from the sales team and some other folks here. Really. There will. You'll also hear from Team Kryptonite some more.

Speaking of Team Kryptonite...we'll officially be adding a new member in the new year. That should give you a hint as to who it is. And, we'll be starting some new programs with two of the Team Kryptonite members. I can't wait to share all the details with you soon (February).

Oh, and there will be weddings....at least two that we'll share with you in the new year (one maybe very, very soon).

We've got a few other things up our sleeve for the new year, too, but I'm still working out a few of them. One I'm so psyched about I'll be telling you before I've got it all done, I'm sure. I won't be able to contain myself. It's not quite on par as the partnership deal I mentioned, but it will be cool (I hope).

So, that's a lot of stuff...without really saying too much, right? I know, I know, I'm teasing a little bit, but some of the things aren't finalized yet and 1) I don't want to jinx anything, I'm superstitious that way and 2) we really can't say something about partnerships and such until they are signed.

However, I can tell you some things that I, personally, am hoping to accomplish in the new year.
- Lose weight. I watched several people here drop pounds like they were going out of style and then there was Susan Perewitz who made a fabulous transformation over the summer. Truly, they are all inspirational. Tomorrow, I start. We'll see how it goes.
- Chalk the roads again! It's been way too long since I chalked the road at a pro race. But, it's not a professional goal. This year, I have a personal reason to get to a race, chalk the road and cheer on my friend Tyler who will be back in the peloton where he belongs. When the schedule comes out I'll let y'all know which race I'll be at. I'd love to meet some of you on the roads.
- I WILL participate in more Spokesmen podcasts. I'm very thankful that my fellow Spokesmen have been so patient with me and my crazy schedule. I feel embarrassed to even say that I'm part of that group because I didn't make many of the episodes this year, but I've got a new headset, no shortage of opinions and I'm ready to go.
- I'll start blogging again over on my blog. I let that go when we started this blog, but I've always got a lot to say and not all of it is work related...my opinions have been bottling up now and it's the right time to start again for me personally. Don't know if I will have retained any interest there, but we'll see. I know that Masiguy has started to video blog (bravo!), but that's not something I'll get into (I have a face for podcasting and blogging!). So, yes, the new year will bring more Tidbits from me.
- I started contributing to the new Plog (Perewitz blog) this year, but only once. You'll see more from me there, too.
- Get a camera again. I lost mine at Interbike in Vegas and I've missed taking photos both for the blog and personally. I'm looking for a good sale and I'll pick one up. You'll start to see more photos here then...like sneak peeks of new products etc...
- And....I'll ride this year. Really ride my bike. Not just one little jaunt around the neighborhood. I'll get back on in the spring (c'mon it's snowing here and I'm not big into riding and freezing...I am a fair weather rider, get over it). You'll hear all about my trials and tribulations here about that, too.

So, that's it from here for now. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support this year. We all appreciate it more than you know.

From all of us...to all of you...happy, safe new year!

Fearless Bike Riding 101

This morning I got an email with the title, "Danger, proud Dad moment." I knew it would be a photo of a writer friend's kids, but didn't have any idea what I would find. I had the biggest grin on my face when I saw this photo --

This is Freya and she is not even three years old! She's got the training wheels off and away she goes, with the just-in-case adult support right behind her (notice the pink shoe).

She doesn't seem to be slowing down at all, which isn't surprising since her dad is an accomplished rider himself. I think this may just be the start of a serious unbreakable bond between Freya, her bike and her cycling dad.

Bravo, Freya, Bravo!

Bob Roll's Unbreakable Bond with Cycling

Bob left for the Tour "Day" France yesterday, but he left behind his first blog post for us. He'll be checking in here a couple of times from Le Tour so check back often for first-hand accounts of his observations as he travels throughout France this month.

Without further ado....Bob Roll....in his own words...

Freedom is just another word for two-wheeled self-propelled nirvana. Freedom is a word often used but frequently misunderstood. As a teenager, it meant the liberating feeling of being able to go just about anywhere without being driven in a car. On my bicycle, as I rode past the gridlock, I felt as if I was flying. And since then the bicycle has become the perfect extension of my desire for an understanding of freedom.

Even so, in my wildest dreams I could never have conceived of the level of freedom I’ve been able to find. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area I saw the rural orchards and pastures converted into sprawling suburban blight. As the sprawl devoured the farms, the traffic became insane. I had to find a way to navigate a new and alien landscape choked with traffic. The bicycle became the perfect vehicle and filled me with incredible glee to fly past the people sitting idly in their cars.

I could never have envisioned in those early days how far the humble two wheeled machine would take me. Apparently, whatever instincts drew me towards the bicycle must have been fairly accurate and I have been lucky enough to ride my bicycle all over the planet. I also have been able to race all over. Mostly I lost, but a few times I actually won along with my 7-Eleven and Motorola team mates. Most notably, I was a member of the first American team to race in the Tour “Day” France.

I piled on the miles from Manhattan to Milan. I pedaled everywhere I could and after so many thousands of miles I’ve never lost the feeling that I was flying. To this day there is no feeling quite like the simple pleasure of a bike ride. In fact, I get ridiculously grumpy if I don’t ride. My dreams have evolved over these years but one that I still hold closely to my heart is to always be a cyclist. What a fantastic ride!

My Unbreakable Bond with Speed

by Nicole Hoffman

I didn’t always have such an attachment to speed. I mean I really enjoyed riding my pink “Huffy” as a kid and I went to my dad’s hydroplane races quite often, and I really loved to hang out with the guys and their dirt bikes and 4-wheelers in high school, but I couldn’t have predicted my attachment to riding motorcycles.

Dad and me at boat races

I know exactly the moment I fell in love. I was 21. It was my first time – one Friday night in Daytona Beach. It was a tradition of sorts to ride every weekend with a group of friends. We made no plans really, we just all showed up. This night was my night to show up riding solo on my new Honda 600 F2! We always rode in groups, and of course some had better riding skills than others. Well, let’s keep in mind this was my first time. I got left behind the group because I was so overly cautious about everything – braking, accelerating, turning, stopping and putting my feet down (that would barely touch!). As I approached an intersection the light turned yellow, I panicked. I locked up the rear brake and went sliding sideways through the intersection (I was alone, thankfully…imagine the embarrassment??). I gained control over my bike and caught back up to the pack…okay, so I didn’t actually do any catching up, they waited for me. I told no one of my story…I was keeping that excitement to myself because I knew they would never let me keep riding that night, afterall we had all night to ride yet!

I was scared nearly to death over my little stunt, but the adrenaline – it was intense! It was that moment that taught me that I can handle this, not really the bike, more the fear. It was that very moment that I started pushing past any fear that I had about going fast, going further into the turns on a race track or just pushing past what I never thought possible. The more I practiced and the more I raced, the more I wanted to keep pushing my limits.

My first year as an expert racer I really pushed. I think I “fell down” (that’s what we call it, we don’t “crash”) about 3 or 4 times in that many races, and previously I hadn’t fallen down but once in a season. I learned where the limit was, maybe where my skill limit was, or the bike set-up for that greater speed and cornering. And there lies the challenge in racing...it’s fine tuning the bike and suspension, it’s developing your skills as a racer, it’s the mental aspect of pushing past that fear. I say this because so many people ask me “isn’t it scary to race at Daytona?” My answer is usually “not after the first time.”

I suppose I do have a bond with speed, it is in my blood and goes back generations in my family. But the bond has really been in the camaraderie of the sport, in motorsports actually. I know that the friends my grandfather had, and my dad has, usually stemmed from racing. It’s quite a family. And I am so happy to be a part of it…hopefully for a long time to come! So if you are near Elkhart Lake, WI on July 8th, come out to the SunTrust MOTO-ST race. You will have a blast. And make sure you come say hello to the RightsforBikers.com Team.

Racing, Trash Talking & Bonding All Go Hand in Hand

We have a lot of great distributors worldwide, but none longer than Outdoor Gear Canada. They are our 'neighbors to the north' and just true friends and partners. When we started the Unbreakable Bonds series, it was only natural that we ask them to participate. Rob White jumped at the opportunity, but he wanted to wait a few weeks until one special event that bonds him to cycling each summer. His story, in his own words is below....

My name is Rob White, I am the VP of Sales for Outdoor Gear Canada (OGC). We have been distributing Kryptonite products in Canada for the past 30 years.


Although I have many unbreakable bonds with cycling the one that stands out for me is the unbreakable bond I have with the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice.

First off, I do not consider myself a bike racer, but I have been in my share of races over the last 3 decades. Most of my riding is done solo. Usually first thing in the morning on the quiet country roads that surround my home.

During the summer months there are dozens of worthy races to take part in, but far and away my favorite is the 24 hours of Summer Solstice in Albion Hills (one hour north of Toronto). This is the largest 24 Hour Race in North America with more than 2000 racers participating. Since the inception of this race OGC has been a keen sponsor as well as competing as a corporate team. Although we are always looking for a top 10 finish, the real race is between the members of our own team. Who will be hot, who will be not and who will go home with bragging rights for the next 12 months?

This past weekend (June 23 & 24) marked the 10th anniversary of this legendary race. Not only have we competed in this race for the past 10 years but our team has more or less stayed the same. The team members are a mix of OGC sales reps, family members and friends. Although we are very supportive of each other's efforts there is always a fair amount of trash talking that goes on prior to the race (I must admit to being a bit of a ring leader in this department).

Although I like to compete with everyone on our team there is always a couple of team members who I like to focus my attention on. This usually begins in the fall with me serving them notice on my plans to destroy them at next years event. This sort of trash talk never goes unanswered and it isn't long before the game of cat and mouse begins.

There are several different approaches to this game. Some like to keep their cards close to their chests and simply let their riding do the talking. Others prefer to try to psyche out there competition, this includes commentary on training tactics, talking up big rides, weight loss and anything else you can think of that might get under your victim's skin (the psyche out is one of my specialties).

The side effect of all of this posturing is the simple fact that if you are going to "talk the talk" you are going to have to "walk the walk". This means logging lots of miles and doing everything you can to stay in shape. I find this very motivating and try to use it to my advantage.

When the 24 Hours of Summer Solstice finally arrives the trash talking stops and it is time to show the team what you've got. The 24 hour race is a relay race, so everyone has to wait their turn. If you happen to be the 7th or 8th rider you have to wait most of the day before your turn comes up. For me this is the most difficult part of the race. As the hours go by the lap times start to come in and you begin to see what you are up against. Before long my turn comes up and I am off to the transition zone to wait for our next team mate to come in from their lap. Then I hear our team number and then my name and I know it is now my turn to take the baton.

Forget about taking it easy on the corse, it's time to drop the hammer and give it everything you've got. It's time to check into the house of pain. As the minutes tick by your legs and your lungs burn like never before, but there is no time to ease up on the pedals. Instead you have to put your head down and push on. By the time you hit the 5 KM to go mark you are almost delirious but there is no time to slow down, instead you have to reach deep down inside and give it everything you've got. Towards the end of the lap your legs are screaming and you feel like you are about to blow, but you have to keep pushing until the end. Finally the finish line is in sight and you know the madness is about to end. As you cross the line your next team mate takes the baton and heads off on another lap.

Although you can barely stay on your feet, there is still no time to rest. You have to boogie over to the timing tent to check your time. That is when the truth is told, How have you done compared to your other team mates as well as your own past efforts? Then it's back to the camp site to share your lap time with the group and to start preparing for your next lap.
In the end you would think that the most important part of all of this is who had the fast lap times and who did not, but that is not the case. The best part of this race is simply getting together with good friend for a fun filled weekend of riding. The "unofficial inter-team competition has had one great side effect. We are all in better shape today than we were 10 years ago when this race started!

Thanks Kryptonite for letting me share my unbreakable bond story, but I better get off my key board and head out for a ride, next years 24 Hours of Summer Solstice is only 361 days away.

Cheers,
Rob White

Bonded Together

by Jody Perewitz

I have been around the motorcycle industry my whole 24 years of life. Just because you are born into something doesn’t mean that you are going to like it, but in my case, I love it!

At an age as young as 5, I was riding four wheelers and dirt bikes. I was defiantly a tomboy. I played with my older brother Jesse and his friends more than my own. As I got older I guess I grew out of the tomboy stage but I never lost my interest in riding.

Honestly I had never ridden a motorcycle until I was about 17. I had always ridden dirt bikes so I had no doubt I could do it I just never tried. The whole Perewitz family was in Daytona one year and my brother just randomly said, “Hey you want to ride my bike?” Ya sure I’ll give it a try. I rode it a couple of miles and came back with bugs in my teeth because you couldn’t get the smile off my face! From that point on my bond with motorcycle has only grown to be as strong as a “New York Fahgetaboutit”.

Tossing Goodies to the Crowd at a Perewitz Bike Night - Summer, 2006

I work now full time for the family business. I have a Bachelor Degree in Political Science that will, hopefully, be useful someday. But for now the best education I can get is with motorcycles. The whole motorcycle world has become like an extended family. We go to shows all around the country and I look forward to the different people at each place.

I have a few different bikes now of my own and also have gotten involved in building a few around the shop trying to learn as much as I can. I have a different variety of motorcycles myself. I have to say my two favorites are my 1963 Panhead and my Buell Firebolt. The Panhead is a classic that gets all the older generation looking at it because they can appreciate what it is and my Firebolt gets younger generations.

As you can see my passion is with motorcycles; this is where Kryptonite comes in. They have been endorsing my father for about 2 years now and I have defiantly formed a bond with their products and, most of all, their employees. When I go somewhere with my bikes I know that they are safe because Kryptonite is protecting them.

While I am writing this I am realizing that motorcycles are what many of my bonds with things started from. I have a bond with my brother for letting me ride his bike, with motorcycles, my job, my father, the motorcycle industry, and those great companies like Kryptonite that provide an excellent product. I defiantly have some unbreakable bonds that only get stronger!

Signing on with Kryptonite

by Nicole Hoffman

This week was monumental, huge! I officially signed an endorsement deal with Kryptonite locks, an Ingersoll Rand company. You might ask, “Why is this such a big deal?” Well, this is why….I have been fortunate enough to have opportunities come my way over the past few years (not by mistake, I can assure you that) – I have a position I have always dreamed about at NASCAR, I am involved in a new motorcycle roadrace series I feel was made just for me -- but this one is different. It’s not just about sponsorship of my roadracing efforts and Kryptonite supporting the costs associated with it.

This is more about fit and relationships. The relationship we have already built in the short amount of time will surely equal success for both parties. I am thrilled to have the chance to be associated with a leading brand in the portable security market and I hope that through my efforts I can provide yet another marketing outlet for the Kryptonite folks.

Early in my racing “career” I remember those who got me into the sport, those who supported me every step of the way and helped me to learn. I have never forgotten them. I am also fortunate that the list grows each day. From my friends I hung out with around Daytona Beach that taught me first how to ride a motorcycle, to my friends at NASCAR, to the amazing folks at Kryptonite for believing in me and my ability to help promote their products.

I race because I love this sport, motorsports in general. I have a passion for speed and for bikes. But more importantly than that, an affinity to the people involved in this sport, the camaraderie. About as passionate as motorsports fans are, the ones who compete are even more so. We all race because we love being involved and being a part of “it”. Krpytonite is no different. That is where we fit – forging an unbreakable bond!

Bob Roll, Dave Perewitz, Nicole Hoffman, & Jody Perewitz Join Unbreakable Bonds Blog

My friends who work in offices remind me often that I work in a couple of pretty cool industries. Because of that, I get to meet some very interesting people and have a lot of fun. Today is one of the days that I know I’m pretty darn lucky to be where I am and get to tell you all this good news.

Although we only started this blog less than two months ago, we are already kicking it up a notch. Remember, I promised that it wouldn’t be just me writing here? I wasn’t kidding. I know you don’t want to hear from me all the time – that’s no fun. I’m happy to tell you that not only will the internal Kryptonite gang be writing here more often (yes, you will everyone!), but we are adding 4 other folks to our blogging crew. They will each be doing a post about their unbreakable bond to the industry they are in so you get to know them a bit and then they will write about a variety of topics. They are free to wax poetic about anything cycling and motorcycling related – and maybe a few other things, too. We’ll just have to see what they come up with.

I’m not playing favorites so we’ll go alphabetically by first name….

Bob Roll’s in the Kryptonite House. Yes, he is. Bob’s going to be writing before, during and after The Tour DAY France. Ok, during the Tour DAY France he’ll be calling in to me while he’s crazily driving between stages and I’ll type them out for him (all his words, just my typing). Some could call it ‘cheating’, but I call it getting the red hot scoop! Don’t worry, it won’t be all racing related, though, because you can hear his thoughts on that during the coverage on Versus. He’s probably going to talk about some of the observations behind the scenes, too. Oh, I can’t wait!

Dave Perewitz is on board, too. The King of Flames has been in the motorcycle industry for so long and knows so many people I can only imagine what he’ll write about here. I love going to his shop to visit and seeing celebrity bikes before anyone else – hearing what the paint will be or what custom parts will be added and why. By the way, if you are in Chicago this weekend, join Ruben Brown’s Charity Ride. Yes, Ruben Brown of The Chicago Bears (Da Bears). Dave’s built him motorcycles and he’ll be there with Ruben for the ride, too.

Nicole Hoffman is the newest member of Team Kryptonite (look for her soon on the main website). Although we haven’t officially announced our partnership with Nicole, she’s going to be our next Unbreakable Bonds profile (stay tuned next week). We are pumped to have not only a road racer on our team but a woman road racer…how’s that for cool?! She also works for NASCAR – talk about bonding with me right away! Yes, I’m a NASCAR fan. Get over it.

Jody Perewitz is going to be writing with us, too. Jody was born into the motorcycle industry, but she has very different observations and thoughts than Dave. We wanted to get the woman’s perspective on the rallys and motorcycling, in general, too. Jody hits almost as many events as her famous dad and knows all the same folks he knows. She’s also helped to build custom bikes and is in the process of another one now. And, shhh….don’t tell anyone…but she’s learning painting techniques now, too….

That’s our new writing team. Are you as excited about this as I am? Ok, I’m partly excited because I won’t be writing as much (I know, I know, you are happy about that, too). But, I’m also excited to read what these guys and gals write about myself. Between their writing and the non-stop Unbreakable Bonds profiles, I think this is going to be the place to be this summer for some really interesting reading.

Bonding with Kevin Dillard

Kevin Dillard and Kryptonite have a bond all our own. Kevin has kindly provided some of his photography for our brand website and even this blog (see photo to the right...it's a Dillard original). We thought he'd be a perfect person to ask about his bond with cycling.

He didn't send us a picture of himself - like every good photographer, we think he likes to stay behind the lens, but you can see his work on our site or on his. (Update: our apologies to Kevin...he has another photo site, too - check it out here. The photos are very cool.)

Here's Kevin...telling us about his bond to cycling.....

I'm a former messenger. 2 years ago I started as an agent that processes documents for companies that want to do business overseas.

My First bike; I can't really remember my first bike, but the really good one that I saved up for was a 10-speed Atala. It was red and white and beautiful. It cost $500 and worth every penny. I felt like a real racer on that bike and it started me on my love of cycling.

My bond with cycling is that it has made me a better person, I feel free when I'm riding. I feel free to talk to people I might not have. Cycling is the only reason I started photographing. I would do an alleycat, and saw this amazing group of people, of every race and gender just hanging out.

And couriers dress like no one else; they have their own style. It had to be photographed. Couriers are the only group of people that looks good getting ready for a race.

So, my bond with cycling has led me to a new career path, photography.I'm bonded forever to anyone that loves to be on 2 wheels.

Photo by Kevin Dillard for Kryptonite

The Amazing Shrinking Man & His Bike Bond

When we started this blog, one of the first people to welcome us to the blogosphere was Tom Stormcrowe. We checked out his blog and were blown away by his story. We asked if we could reprint part of his story for our Unbreakable Bonds profiles and he readily agreed. He even added an update just for us at the bottom. If there is anyone who has a bond with his bicycle, it's Tom. He's certainly an inspiration to many.

Here's Tom's story, in his own words....

Why Cycling?

What is this attraction I have to a contraption made up of tubing, with two wheels made basically of tensioned wire and an alloy hoop? I suppose, first and foremost, it's probably responsible for a large part of the progress I've made in the last 13 months. A bit over a year ago, I was basically just about dead! I had reached the end of what my body could handle, physically at least. Due to a metabolic disorder called Empty Sella Syndrome, I had gained a truly amazing amount of weight and was to the point that I required supplementary oxygen to function. If you've been following my blog, this will be old information if you started reading me when I started. The link above is to a medical article on Kallman's Syndrome, a symptomatic offshoot of Empty Sella. This may help you understand a bit more. I warn you, though, the writing style is, shall we say, a bit obtuse!

At the peak

At my peak weight, I had blown up to 581 pounds, and was literally unable to walk more than 50 feet without crushing chest pain and shortness of breath. I had to use a wheelchair to go any further. I underwent bariatric surgery to alleviate the weighht problem, which has been successful. I am now down to 241 pounds 13 months later. That's right, 241, I weighed today! There were risks to the surgery, but I was trading a life in hell for a chance. That officially gives me a 340 pound weight loss in 13 months and a fraction!

Why Cycling?

This brings me to the point of this article, why cycling? Well, that's both a simple and complex question. The simple part, first, I guess. My knees had so much damage from my weight that it plain hurt to walk! Imagine if you will, weighing 500 pounds and having your knees popping and grating every time you took a step. Imagine having your knees feel like there was sand in the joint grinding away each time you walked. Kind of hard to do, right? That's why I resumed cycling, aside from the fact that cycling also burns more calories than walking. It's low impact, and doesn't stress the knees so much if you have a good fit on your bike. I'm not saying it was easy to get started either. First, I had to figure out how to carry oxygen safely. My provider, Lincare provided me with a backpack sleeve to use while riding. This turned out to be just what I needed.

When I resumed cycling, after a 25 year absence, it was like an old friend came to stay, I rediscovered my passion for it. My family thinks I'm a tad bit fanatical, but my returning health tells me that while I may be a fanatic, this is a good thing. I am now 340 pounds lighter, as I said, off the oxygen completely, off the cardiac and blood pressure medicine, and feeling pretty good. It has required a commitment to very hard work to get as far as I have, and it isn't easy! If you have an obesity problem, believe me I know how it feels, been there done that and got the size 8X T-Shirts to prove it. The problem can be beat though, with a commitment to changing your lifestyle. Diets don't really work, for the most part, long term.

When you diet and cut the calories too far, your body goes into famine mode and starts conserving fat. You start burning protein instead, and this isn't really a good thing. Keep the protein intake to about 1 gram per kilo (2.2 pounds) body mass to prevent this, and keep the fluid intake high! Without enough calories and water, the fat burning machine in your body doesn't work properly.

When you exercise, like on a long ride, follow these guidelines:

* Drink about every ten minutes, whether you are thirsty or not

* Consume about 300 calories (kcals)/ hr to prevent the "Bonk" (This is when your blood sugars drop and you start feeling really crappy, and often you can't even think straight.

* Carry some Gatorade or other sport drink to keep your electrolytes balanced. You need sodium and potassium for proper muscle and heart action.

How do I Burn the Fat?

The Answer is actually quite simple! Increase your activity, there's a whole world out there for you to experience. Don't waste your life sitting in front of the TV eating junk!

Here is a site to help you plan your riding sessions:The Bicycle Speed and Power Calculator

The bottom line is that for me, cycling has truly helped me get much thinner. I would likely have gotten here anyway after the surgery, but I wouldn't be as strong and I wouldn't have had as much fun! Each gain in endurance and new mileage milestone has given me a sense of both wonder and accomplishment. The feeling of triumph after my first tour this year was just incredible. All I can say is get on your bike and ride! The rewards are unimaginable.

Reprinted from April 18, 2006- The Amazing Shrinking Man, by Tom Stormcrowe ©2007

Updated for May 31, 2007
As I look back at this article, I think back to where I was, wheelchair bound and on Oxygen, and compare it to today, and I am truly thankful for the benefits cycling has brought into my life. My last weigh in was 215 pounds, giving me a total weight loss of 366 pounds and I am going to live to a much riper old age. Given how it has affected my life, all I can say is if it's an obsession, it's a healthy one!

I am departing Saturday on a 700+ mile tour, and am riding this year in Tour de Cure to raise funds for the American Diabetes Association as well. You can view my Tour de Cure webpage for more information.

Bonding with a Bike as a Boy

Last week we kicked off our Unbreakable Bonds series with a story about a father and his son bonding over motorcycle riding. Today we continue that series with a profile of a brand manager at our fabulous UK distributor, Madison.


Here is Andrew Wagerer in his own words....


When I was a child in Toronto I was given my sisters yellow hand me down to learn how to ride. Then as I got older a garage sale landed me an Orange single speed road bike with a coaster brake that I thought was great. As I outgrew that one, my dad took me to the local department store and we picked out a lovely grey 12 speed with 24 inch wheels. I wasn’t interested in the BMX bikes that were dominating the market those days.

The day it all happened was when I swore at the school bus driver for being unfair. The resulting banishment from the school bus at 12 years old put me on my bike as transportation. It’s funny that the banishment was for only two weeks but I kept riding the bike every day, whatever the weather. I discovered how fun snow can be on a road bike and was hooked, never looked back.

I was saving up now for my first real road bike from a proper bike store; no more pretending. I bought that bike at 13 then added a mountain bike to the collection all from my work packing groceries. Realising that speed on the road and that cars were slow I favoured the road bike. Started to learn mechanics and had some fun with spray paint to see what different coloured bikes looked like.



After a few years, a few thefts - where I learnt how important a lock was - and a few new bikes - where I got my favourite bike, a 1993 Bridgestone RB-2 which I love so much and still use today after 50,000 miles - high school ended and I thought what better way to spend a year off then to be a courier in Toronto and with my savings travel Europe.

After that, I started University and when the first summer came around I hounded my local bike store till they hired me. I studied and worked summers in bikes, moving into the workshop till I was in charge after Uni had finished. I hit a brick wall in the industry and couldn’t move up, so my girl and I decided to move to greener pastures and travelled to London, England where I became a bike store manager and then was hired to be a brand manager for a distributor which is where I am today - looking to the future and not sure where it’ll take me, but I definitely know how I’ll be travelling.

Father & Son Bond

We want this blog to be a place where people talk about the bonds they have with cycling, motorcycling, skiing, snowmobiling and anything else action sports related. We want to hear from people, in their own words, why they have such a bond to these sports.

Today, we kick off a series of profiles of people and their unbreakable bonds with bikes, motorcycles, ATVs etc. We’ll profile people that work here, partners of ours and people we meet through the blog, at events and out on the road. It will be an ongoing feature here.

In his own words, meet Scott…..

As an accounting manager for Ingersoll Rand, I sit in an office all day so on the weekends I love to be outside as much as I can. For me that’s being on my Yamaha YZ250F along side my 15 year old son, Bryan. Sharing my passion for motocross with him is just a great thing for me.

My love of motorcycles started when I was a kid. I enjoyed them, but my parents didn’t like them at all. If I wanted to do anything with motorcycles I had to pay for it myself. I had to earn money for the motorcycle, parts, racing, for everything. When Christmas would roll around there weren’t any gloves or helmets as presents. I had to get a job and earn everything on my own.

As a kid, I enjoyed the mechanical side, too. I’d like tearing into mechanical devices and figuring out how they worked. I’d buy an old motorcycle and fix it up. The resulting mess was also annoying for my parents.

When I got older I became more responsible. I went to school, got married, had kids and put my love of motocross aside. About 6 or 7 years ago a friend called and wanted me to go to Baja with him on one of these extreme motocross trips. He’s an adrenaline junkie like me. I went with him and decided that this is what life is all about. This is why I work so hard. I went out and bought a motorcycle. There was a local motocross track near my home.

My young son, Bryan, would come and watch me ride at the track. He started to get interested in riding, but his grades were suffering. We made an agreement. If he got all B’s I’d buy him a motorcycle. For 2 years he was known at the track as the kid without a motorcycle. I felt bad, I wanted him to enjoy motorcycling as much as I did, but I held on to our agreement. I wanted to teach him the value of working to achieve a goal.

Bryan

Now that he has the motorcycle, Bryan has to keep his grades up to continue riding. He also has to pay for half of everything – if something breaks, he pays half. He has paid half for his current motorcycle. It took him over a year to save the money for his half. This is my way of sharing my passion with him and instilling some valuable lessons as well.

Riding also allows me to stay in touch with my son in ways that we wouldn’t otherwise. He’s into hockey, too, and there are a group of dads and sons that are into both hockey and riding. Fathers and sons travel to tracks and ride together. Last year a friend let us use his RV, and we took a group trip for 8 days riding different tracks in different states.

Fathers and sons

Riding fuels my passion and helps me bond with my son.

Scott B Seibert
Adrenaline Junkie and Father

Scott and his son Bryan