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ONE thing you can be sure of when you pick up the phone to order a Bike Friday - there's a deadly serious cyclist on the other end who's an expert in at least one facet of our two-wheeled world. Our newest face, Brent Carwile, comes with impeccable 'muddy league' creds, having scored a prestigious scholarship at the Lindsey Wilson College in Colombia, Kentucky, to - get this - study cycling!
"It's treated like a varsity sport there," says Brent. "Cyclists on the team are awarded with scholarships and compete at division one nationals every year."
Young Brent is not old enough to have any interesting baggage to gossip about here, so let's stick to his impressive achievements so far. First, his scholarship required him to train and race for the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference, where he competed in 5 states and 7 race series, winning overall in 2003. He became the State MTB champ in Indiana and Kentucky and turned Pro in 2004.
More than just a muddied face, he'd held Cat 1 in road racing since the age of 17. The Sea Otter is a gruelling series of road and MTB races held in Monterey that attracts competitors from all over the world. Out of 95 starters in 2003, he won the 36-mile MTB Expert race, "a 4-day stage cross country race over single track and fire roads."
In 2005, he was the 5th American and 16 overall in the Pro time trial. He is currently sponsored by east coast mountain bike brand Jamis. Not bad for a twenty-something, impeccably polite young man from Indiana.
How did he come to cross the continent and live in Eugene, especially since he had never heard of Bike Friday before?
"My coach, Chuck Long, lives here, and the lifestyle is great. The terrain and rain stop me from becoming too soft," he says. "I saw this ad for a position at Bike Friday, and thought, wow, neat!"
Brent is in the process of designing his personal Bike Friday, a privilege granted to every new employee at the company. He'll probably choose a Pocket Rocket Pro or Air Friday to compete in road events, thus protecting his mountain biking sponsorship with Jamis.
After all, a Bike Friday is the travel bike you have in addition to your other bikes, right Brent?
"Yes, except for those who write to me and say, now that I have my Bike Friday I don't ride my [insert expensive bike brand(s) here]anymore.
Email Brent: brentc@bikefriday.com
For more information, follow this link http://www.bikefriday.com/bf/salesteam.