Ride. Run. Live.

Tea Time With Paul & Shane, Take 1

DeFeet welcomes company Founder and Chief Sockologist, Shane Cooper, as a contributor to the DeFeet Chronicles. You can learn more about Shane in his profile at right. Shane is a much greater fan of the spoken word vs. the written word. He is an artist, in many ways, and quite frankly does not like to be bound by the rules of grammar or even the English language, for that matter. Shane does not like to be bound by anything, in fact. Interestingly, we found that in preparing written materials for this site, that it was easier to carry on a written conversation than to make the Chief Sockologist sit down and make something come out. We all know that over time he will become more comfortable, and likely very adept, at doing that. So, please welcome Shane Cooper.

TEA TIME WITH PAUL & SHANE, Take 1

PW: Coop, it seems like commuting is one of your favorite subjects, anymore. You're nicer to be around. You're more confident in your own pants. You think you look good or somethin. Your bike could light the dark side of the moon. Are you a Battlestar Gallactica fan? No matter what you say, I know the answers to some of these things. Honestly, I think a stronger commitment to commuting to work by bike over the years has molded you into someone better. Maybe.

Left: Shane Cooper's vast commuting ensemble. Not a setup for the 'faint of wheel'. Also, very safety conscious.

SC: Funny you should ask...I do like movies with GladEators...what I have found about commutin is...its cool...I kinda look like PeeWee Herman...I have enough lights on my bike to be the ship in Close Encounters...I have a ring-a- ding bell to let unprepared walkers know I am whizzing past...they all walk on the wrong side...I think I will mace a few tonight....I now carry a Bear Spray for nasty hill dogs....yet to use it...but a nasty red neck bastard stared me down as he pull his 4x4 in front of my path yesterday...i swear he looked like a junk yard dog...had a collar on though. His bit would have been a gumming...as his teeth...the ones he still had were kinda grey and crumbling.... I like to ride in my Sugoi ShortShorts...keeps yer balls cool...I also dont wear a cycling pad...unless I am going for more than an hour. I think breaks are very important on a commuting bike...as mine weighs about 39lbs...remember my rack break in Germany? That made me take the strength of a frame to heart.

At left: Rednecks beware. Cooper is not kidding when he says he carries bear spray. This amount is enough for a sow grizz protecting her cubs. Should be enough to phase a lowdown, rabid red with a Union Jack on the roof. Only better placement than here would be on the helmet or attached to an arm band in the event of an encounter away from the bicycle. Never suprise a red or stare directly into their eyes. Cooper is considering wearing a bell, too.

PW: I'm not suprised you mentioned your boys. You should say 'boys', by the way. I've seen you looking at yourself in the mirror, appreciating how commuting has helped the optical illusion of your belly vs. another part of your anatomy. That's good. You should be proud. But, moving on, why do you have to attach so many things to your bike? That Co-Motion should be sub 30. The bear spray bottle is a really good idea, based on what you done learnt, yesterday.

Expanding on your rack problem in Germany for our readers: Shane and I rode our bikes to the Eurobike Show, every day, 10 miles each way. Doesn't sound like much until you factor in a trade show day in between. Full racks and bags. Part of our route was on dirt roads. Each day on the way home we'd have a prize for the winner at the top of the dirt part. It was a difficult section - fast, rocky, doubletrack straightaway into a 90 degree, off camber, 8ft wide left turn, then immediately uphill for 300 meters to the finish. This day, Shane stuck it hard into the turn, both wheels chattering, bags swaying. I thought I heard a giggle. Probably a wheeze. He had a 20ft lead on me coming out of it. I saw him stand up over his bike like a gorilla beating a monkey, and I knew he wasn't gonna let up. I had to give everything. My 30lbs of computers, chords, cameras, shoes and chocolates in my Ortleib panniers made it hard to move at all. Shane was flailing away like he was about to win Fleche-Wallone. I made it to his back wheel with about 50 meters to go. Right then, the rack mounts snapped off his (homemade by him, 'Cooper' brand) frame. His rack and pannier loads of crap landed on my front wheel. I barely stayed up, and with him dragging anchor, the stage was mine. I think that day the prize was 'laughter'. Or maybe it was 'Swiss vs. British Engineering. Who wins?'.

SC: Yes true...my Mac G4 was on my rack...so I did some damage to my love (no pun intended). I was going like 32 mph out of that turn...my rack shut me down to 2 mph in 1 second....I had you fair and square...I think you used your Swiss army knife to hack off my 9 year old Cooper frame lugs...there is no way my welds failed!!!! Just like the Swiss...stories full of holes.

PW: Just stick to knitting and stay away from welding torches. I do say, let's stay on course. Tell us a bit about what commuting means to you. Physically, and (sigh), emotionally.

SC: Damn Swiss...never can take a stand...neutral as taupe...

Ok, Commuting has opened my eyes to many new things...
1. I dont have to exercise if I ride my bike 13.5 miles to
work...takes 53 mins...takes me 25 mins in Audi. 800 feet of hills
each way.
2. I dont fill my gas tank up except once per month.
3. 500 miles per week saves me 20 gallons of gas @ 3.00 per gallon
60 bucks per month
4. I see things...foxes, turtles, pocket books, pornos (not so many
any more- thanks to the web)...sometimes a monkey wrench.
5. I am hooked...there are so many cool products to get...I have
the MOONSHINE Topek HID...I would be lost with out it...My nice
Rack by SURLEY...my new for my birthday Ortlib packs.
6. One less car
7. Smelling other folks dinner
8. Looking in windows at night...
9. 44 yrs old and looking like 43!
10 fitting into 34 new Lucky pants...only to find out they are cut
big...Dooo

PW: Once again, it's been great having a tea with you, Shane. I can see that we're gonna have many more conversations down the road. Keep the rubber side down on that commute, and keep that 43 yr. old package good'n tight. Way to keep it real. Cheers.

Looking at Cooper's dash, it's obvious that he is a man of the sciences. Note the personal weather station. Cooper feels it's a 'must use' instrument in his product testing procedures. Bar-end mirrors are positioned to point right back at him, allowing unobstructed view of either side of his profile at any time.

D's 6pac of Q's: Fleet Feet San Francisco's Brett Lamb

Anyone who has been to San Francisco could attest that it is one of the great cities of the World. Merely mentioning the name conjures instant images of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz, steep stairstep roads and trolley cars. San Francisco leaves it's mark on you in one way or another every time you visit. Many people go to San Francisco on business. If you're an athletic person that wants to keep workin' it in this city by the bay, it can be intimidating. For travelers with limited time, running is the best option.
Shane Cooper, right, and Brett Lamb, owner of Fleet Feet San Francisco

Brett Lamb owns Fleet Feet Sports. Located at 2076 Chestnut St. (@Steiner), his store is in the ideal location for running or walking. Just a quick hop on foot away from Fisherman's Wharf, the Marina, and running paths with unobstructed views of San Francisco's landmarks, Brett knows it's all about location. He actually wrote the brochure about running routes in San Francisco (available for free at his store). Forget to bring your shoes or shorts? Fleet Feet on Chestnut is the place to go.
The San Francisco Running Route brochure. Available at Fleet Feet San Francisco.

Last week DeFeet stopped in to say hello and catch up with Brett and some of his employees. Here, Brett sits down, scratches his scruff, and answers the D's 6pac of Q's.

Q: Tell us, what does the combination of San Francisco and running mean to you?

A: We are very lucky to have what we have in San Francisco as runners. The weather is amazing year-round, the scenery is beautiful, and we are surrounded by hundreds of thousands of like-minded fitness enthusiasts. There are so many options for the San Francisco runner. We have world-class events in our own backyard like the Nike Women’s Marathon. We have a paved sidewalk that runs from the SF Giants ballpark around the perimeter of the city, over the Golden Gate Bridge and into Marin County without having to cross a street or worry about traffic. You could literally run twenty miles without having to stop. Golden Gate Park has infinite amounts of trails to run. If that’s not enough, there are practically more gyms with treadmills than there are Starbucks. There is never a reason not to take a run in San Francisco. I grew up in Oklahoma and didn’t have a ton of options with my runs. I remember running the same four mile loop with my dad nearly every weekend for years. Now when he comes out to visit me we can pick a different route every time.

Q: You're a young, good looking guy and a business owner. You have big hair and so do some of your employees. Is this a Bay Area retro movement?

A: I can’t speak for all of the Bay Area on the retro movement, but I’m not afraid to wear button-down with a butterfly collar to work if the mood hits me. A fellow Fleet Feet owner once asked me if we had a dress or appearance code in our store, and of course I said we do. I think any good specialty retailer should take pride in their appearance and presentation. Our dress code is as follows: Hair length must be Robert Plant or longer, otherwise we’re not interested.

Q: In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing running, today?

A: Excellent question. There is a growing trend to really push the envelope with new technologies and products from the vendor side. Brooks and Asics both came out with new types of mid-sole rubber in the last 18 months. Their products are becoming lighter, better cushioned, and more durable as a result. Nike is making a big push with their Nike+ technologies in both footwear and apparel. I’ve always felt like the snowboarding industry and the cycling world were the most cutting edge with new products and options for their participants, but running is right there with them now. If you had asked me two years ago if I thought it would be possible to go on a run, listen to any song in my entire music collection, hear how fast I’m moving and how far I’ve gone at any point, and even have Lance Armstrong congratulate me at the end of my run I would have laughed. But today it’s a reality, and just the tip of the iceberg.

I think it is important for retailers to continue to demand these types of advances from the vendors we work with. Runners and walkers deserve the very, very best products that are available both in technology and fashion. It’s really easy for a manufacturer to make an average product, but best ideas are still out there. The better the products that we as runners get to use, the more fun running will become, and the more people will keep enjoying our sport.

Q: What's the hip spot in the City to go for a post run beer, some schnizzle schnacks, and maybe.. oh, a martini.

A: There are too many great spots to just mention one…but I do have a few favs. In the Marina District (where our store is located) there is a great little bar/restaurant two blocks down called Bistro Yoffi. The bartender makes a mean vodka martini and a meaner margarita. Five nights a week they have live jazz music from some fantastic local artists. Another great spot for something a little different is Bissap Baobab in the Mission District. The cuisine and drinks are all West African. They use hibiscus as a mixer for a lot of their drinks and have an amazing menu. If I’m ever on death row…this will be where my final meal will come from! One more worth mentioning is Rohan’s in the Richmond District. On the surface they seem like a lot of other bars in the City, but this one mixes all of their drinks with a rice-based drink similar to vodka, only sweeter and lighter. It’s probably best to take a cab to this place; the drinks go down pretty easy.

Q: Have you seen any rock stars, recently?

A: Actually, yes. The singer and the axe-man from The Levitators paid us a visit last week on their way to a show in the North Bay. I’ve never caught one of their shows but hear they are huge in the Carolinas. Their sound is something of a hybrid between early Janet Jackson, Limp Bizkit, and a little Tom Jones. I’m looking forward to their next California tour; I hear that Green Day will be opening.

Q: Your staff is incredibly friendly, knowledgable and helpful. How did you pull that off?

A: I am truly one lucky guy. I have the best team in the industry. I definitely did my homework prior to buying my store, and spent a lot of time planning out the flow and roles of my team during the transition from the previous owner. I really admire companies like Google and Zappos for their HR focus, and would love to be able to replicate that on some level. They both do a great job of creating an environment where everyone feels respected and valued; and their benefits are amazing. (free meals, dry cleaning, day-care, pet grooming…etc, all available at both companies for the employees) In retail it is hard to offer the same type of compensation or perks as a software company, but I do my best. All of my full time employees are eligible for free health care after they’ve been with me for six months. I also keep them in a fresh pair of shoes every three months, free lunches on weekend shifts, free race entries, quarterly dinners with their spouses/significant others, and they get a great deal on running products to boot.

Like I said, I’m a lucky guy. My fiancée, Kim, works in a corporate atmosphere and helps me see our business from an employee’s perspective. I take a lot of her anecdotes about her work environment to heart. It is definitely my job to keep my staff happy and motivated. If I can do that, our customers will have a great experience with us every time. It doesn’t hurt either that all of my employees are wonderful people, well educated (all are either college graduates or currently in school), have an athletic background, and totally believe in our customer-service driven business model. Turnover in retail is very common, but my hope is that our employees can find a home at Fleet Feet – San Francisco as long as they want to be here.

Love, Cycling, Nature, and the 69er.

Like all relationships, the way we feel about and practice a sport changes with time. Sometimes a sport done with extreme passion at the absolute limit ends up being a short-term relationship. Other sports weave their way into our lives so thoroughly that they can never be undone. Even when we are doing a different activity, the sports that have woven their way into our lives are part of our very fabric. There was a time when I thought my own relationship with cycling had come to a bitter end. Cycling to me was like a partner with whom the deepest, most powerful experiences had been shared over decades. Childhood love that stayed together until the apogee of my own physical peak. Just beyond that, she left me for younger, stronger mates. With the perception that no higher climax would ever be achieved, we parted. For years, we left each other alone. I would see her out on the roads, riding with groups of people. On the Tv, all over the World, sharing her undeniable triumph and grueling dark side. At times it was hardly bearable.

Suddenly, she was there again. She had dramatically changed form. Gained weight, added curves. I had gained more. She rode slower and more comfortably. She was a Bianchi Milano. We started to see each around town and spend some quiet time. We pedaled easy through the park, to the cafe or the grocery store. Sometimes at night we'd go to bars. In the winter we'd pedal through cold, Othello storms. Slipping, falling, laughing. Sprawled out on the ground in a panting heap of twisted metal, ripped clothing and bruised bone. We watched flakes tumble from a wickedly gentle sky. Reacquainted, we had had begun to feel again. We were sharing.

Of course, there were parts of her that I could not experience again. She is much too great for me to have all to myself. I'm ok with that, now. Astonishingly, parts of her continue to be uncovered. Layers upon layers. Depths I could not explore during the decades when all I cared about was flogging her for performance and results. Like a young man subconsciously swayed by looks alone, I knew nothing else. Finally, I could examine her differently. There were silly things, too. Things I had always found rediculous. Stupid, even. Singlespeeds, for example. The fact that singlespeeding was even part of her seemed akin to Salma Hayek confessing an affinity for guys like Newman on Seinfeld. An absurdity that, even if true, could carry no weight.

I thought that I would never need to see that small part of her that is singlespeed riding. This Spring, while the crisp North winds warmed and sun-drenched lava flows melted the snow carpeting my single track labrynth, we experimented. She beckoned me. I don't know exactly how she got me there. It had something to do with trust, dare, or possibly boredom. I don't remember. It doesn't matter. She offered a flickering spark, intentional or otherwise, that could flare my imagination into the forest fire of emotion that we once shared. This time, she came in the form of a Trek 69er. An oddball shape only a lover could find orgasmic. One orb much larger than the other, thickly shouldered, sloping into a tight, flat-hipped, wild boar-like fanny. Oh, but how she can dish it up, now. She's making me ride harder than ever through the most heinous rock gardens of our dirty eden. This time, experience pays spades higher than raw power. Smooth, well-timed precision is the only path to complete arousal. Anything less, and nothing is extracted but penalty.

Our act is a private one. The sound of my strained breath above her tenuous, clawing rubber is all there is. Everything is quieter on a singlespeed. Deer, elk, and the lone badger are often senseless to our approach. The sheer flight of our liquid wheeled dance shocks nature into an adrenaline bloated retreat. An explosion of snapping branches, pine cones, granite and flying soil. It would be naive to think that this is how it will always be. We've been through enough to know we are also part of this cycle. To try to make each other stay the same could only lead to another long period of seperation. It is what it is, today, and today only. Love, cycling, nature, and the 69er.