INTERVIEW

Regroup People: Lead Tech Anthony

In a new mini-series profiling Regroup people, we talk to our Senior Service Technician, Anthony, a mechanic who breaks with tradition by being friendly and approachable.

WORDS

Regroup staff

PHOTOS

Regroup

Over the next few weeks, we'll be shining a light on the Regroup team, the folks who make our wheels sing, our videos pop and our coffee hot. First under the grill is Anthony, our Senior Service Technician, who was reluctant until we teased him out of the workshop with the promise of a new, even slippier chain wax.

Like his fellow wrenchers, Anthony is a man of few words. Yet, unlike many of his bike brethren, he’s also sunny and optimistic, an enigma who doesn’t shoo us out of his space when we make outrageous requests (we’re looking at you, Adam). Instead, he figures it out and, in the process, delivers impeccable work.

Hey Anthony, thanks for talking to us.

It’s my pleasure.

To kick things off, tell us about your path to the bike and the bike business.

My path was multi-layered. I remember building up my first BMX cruiser when I was around 7 or 8. I rattle-can spray-painted it yellow and black – I still have that bike somewhere.

Not many people have held onto a bike since childhood.

Yeah, that’s probably true. I had a few bikes as a kid and made a lot of cherished memories. But when I think about it, I didn’t really get into bikes until I was about 18, when I came to the Polytechnic campus of ASU out here, studying to be a Mechanical Engineer. I didn’t graduate, but I did three and a half years. Some life issues I had to attend to pulled me away, and I never made it back. Anyway, while I was there, I went to a work-study initiative called the Bicycle Co-op, where I could work on my bike, with the cost borne by a portion of my tuition fees. If you were an active student, it didn’t cost anything to keep your bike in good shape unless you needed some major work.

So the Co-op was your gateway to get into bikes, proper?

For sure. It was a real learning experience because I got to work under the guy who started the program, who was an incredible technician. I don’t know whether he got his version of a bicycle degree, but he was a consummate professional. And pretty much everything passed through the shop – quill stems, old-school integrated hubs, one-piece cranks, cantilever brakes, the works.

Those technologies are a world away from what we might consider a modern bike, but I'm guessing they gave you a solid grounding that set you in good stead.

100%. The wide-span experience I got at the Co-op helps with day-to-day problem-solving here in the Regroup workshop. You develop a mechanical sympathy when you’ve seen, worked on, and fixed so many types of technologies, taken some of those disparate parts, and made something out of them. I rely on that experience daily here at Regroup when we’re creating a dream bike or working on a tune-up or upgrade in the workshop.

What bike were you riding back in college?

A steel, early 70s Volkcycle frame with Gen 1 6000 level Dura Ace, friction shifters – all of that. The name suggests a German origin. It was a unique bike, though, with a quality steel frame.

Having seen your incredible Mosaic GT-1, I get the feeling you have an affinity for metal machines.

Absolutely. The Volk started my love affair with Chromoly steel bikes and the realization of how capable and adaptable they are. It informed a lot of my thinking and choices when I came to build my Mosaic GT-1 and my appreciation of what you can get from steel, aluminum or the Mosaic’s titanium frame. I like to see that craftsmanship.

Did you make any significant changes to the Volk?

Yeah. I cold-set the rear triangle and put a quick release x 135mm on it so I could run some of the more modern hubs coming out then, with the better engagement and sound everybody liked. Over the years, that bike transformed so many times, from a city thrasher with shorty bars to the road and drop bars to a capable long-distance commuter and even a gravel bike, as I could squeeze 32 tires in there.

I have a theory that unless we tinker with the things we buy, they don't stay with us. I learned that with my Pegoretti, which I've slowly upgraded over a few years. Along the way, those changes seemed to make it more 'my bike' than when I first got it.

I think that’s true. Even if you only change the bar tape, customizing your bike changes how you see and experience it for the better.

After college, you started working professionally in the bike industry, right?

Yeah, that’s right. My buddy looped me in on a role as a salesman at a bike shop. That wasn’t my forte, but it was a job. I enjoyed talking to people and helping them find the bike they needed rather than the one they wanted. I was too fond of people to sell anybody a bike I knew wouldn’t be good for them.

You didn't sell your soul.

I don’t think I could do it any other way. Anyway, I didn’t stay too long in that role, as I got the opportunity to wrench for the same company when a spot opened up. But there was a nice blending of the front and back of the shop, as I got to speak to customers and help them with their problems. I wasn’t tucked away, as most mechanics are in bike shops.

How and when did Regroup come into the picture?

Well, COVID came along and everything changed. As everyone knows, bikes were in high demand, and that changed my work day. I became a machine, or felt like it, punching out several bikes day in and day out, and I lost my reason or will to carry on with the role. I wasn’t talking to anyone. I felt like a robot.

That sounds intense.

It was. Anyway, soon after, I met Regroup’s founder, Adam, through a friend who introduced me to the Regroup social ride, which I’d enjoyed a few times. It turned out that he was looking for a mechanic, and soon enough, I went for a test day, loved it, and they seemed to like me, which sealed the deal. I admired what the brand was doing, its customer-focused ethos, the care I saw at all levels, in sight and out of sight of the customer and, of course, the amazing bikes it was putting out and the new relationships it was creating. It felt like a special place, and it still does.

I hear on the grapevine that you blew people away.

I brought my best spanners. Joking aside, I was attracted to the idea of using my whole skillset, setting a tone and being appreciated. I also got to chat with the clientele and appreciated their taste and aesthetic.

You've been with Regroup for a good while now. Can you walk us through your usual day?

My day usually revolves around doing as much as possible for our clients. For example, we have a lady who competes in high-end triathlon events, so we do a whole range of services, from optimizing her ride, suggesting upgrades that might help her towards her goals, regular maintenance, to even packing her bike up before

That's awesome.

We’re very direct and approachable, which helps us create those relationships. I’m not hidden away; I remember your name and bike, and without sounding too confident, I care about doing the best job and helping you achieve your goals for yourself and the bike.

It's been a pleasure chatting to you, Anthony!

You too, Pete!