When did you drop the brakes from your bike?
I’ve been riding track bikes for about four years now. I never had a track bike with a brake on it. I think it is easier to just learn how to ride correctly from the start. Like if you start skating pushing mongo it’s going to take you that much longer to learn how to push the right way.

What was the hardest part about adjusting to a fixed gear?
When I started riding I was living downtown on the top of some really big hills. The hardest part was getting comfortable on taking the hills with speed. The learning curve was really fast for me because I had no choice. I know how bad it looks to walk your board down the hill and there was no way I was going to be that dude on the bike, either.

What kind of bike are you riding right now?
I have an ’80s Ciocc track frame that I got from Mike years ago. I kept building new bikes over the years, but I always go back to my Ciocc. I recently built my dream set of wheels for it (Campagnolo Atlanta rims to Campagnolo Sheriff stars). It took me over two years to find all the parts for the build that were in decent enough shape.

What is your favorite city to ride your bike in and why?
I would have to say my favorite city is SF because of the hills. I also enjoyed Tokyo because of the hecticness. From skateboarding you get fond of finding lines and hidden holes in traffic. On the bike you can find the same lines and just charge at them a lot faster than on a skateboard.

What effect did skating have on your biking?
I’ll always ride a skateboard. I have been on the board nonstop for 23 years. Riding the bike definitely helped my skating. I think my legs got stronger. It might be like cross training—who knows?

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