The Weekly Rider - Nick Stillwell
Nick Stillwell is the La Velocita Weekly Rider! Cyling has been a journey to better health, new friends and a longer life.
Nick talks to La Velocita’s Mike Boudrie about why he loves to ride.
Photography - Jeff Curtes (www.jeffcurtes.com)
Name: Nick Stillwell
Lives: Melbourne Victoria
Dream bike: BMC Team Machine Di2, Pinarello F8 Di2 (N+1)
Favourite local ride: I live two blocks off Beach Road so it’s number one by default – outside that I love a ride with the Rapha crew and the boys from Soigneur.
My current cycling goal is: Some more racing this season and to work on my climbing.
When I am on the bike I: love the time either by myself or with mates. The comradery of cycling has been a great experience for me with so many people encouraging me on my cycling journey. Just over 2 years ago I was 110+ kgs now I’m around the 76-77 kg level.
How did your love for bikes come about: My dad had ridden roadies when I was young and I would have been 9 or 10 when I had my first proper road bike. I then lived in the USA and raced some BMX during high school graduating to mountain bikes during University in Colorado.
I then didn’t touch a bike for a number of years until about 4 years ago when my mate Bill got me back in the game. Then I really ramped it up a couple of years ago as my weight had blown out and my health was suffering.
Share a cycling memory: Just recently I had both my worst and best day on the bike during a weekend away with the guys from Soigneur. I have done a number of ride weekends with them and have always ended up in the sag wagon. I was working hard to get myself to a point I could complete one of their rides.
A couple of weeks ago I made it through 153k’s, 1600 meters of vertical and over 6 hours riding without getting in the car – it was tough mentally and physically. I have to really thank Jason from Soigneur and my buddy Jay for getting my through that one!
I love to ride because: I truly believe that cycling has saved my life or at least dramatically extended it. I love being fitter and rolling fast with a big bunch of good riders.
I find it hard to start the day without getting a ride in – the whole process sets me up for the day; up early, stretch the legs, talk smack with some mates, have a coffee then get some work done. Riding makes me a better father, husband and, I feel, a better person.
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Cycling fashionistas. Lumiere have built quite a following with their patterns and palette.
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I headed back to Melbourne for Day 4 of Aussie kit week, and spoke to Pedla's artist-in-residence Marcin. He has a different and fascinating approach to designing cycling kit and you can see that in their designs. I dig Pedla and I dug it even more after talking to Marcin.
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Day 2 of Aussie kit week features John Polson from Black Sheep. This Queensland brand has grown incredibly fast in a short period.
We believe Australia's cycling kit industry is the best in the world. We are spoilt with so many great brands producing quality kits. We wanted to run a campaign highlighting just how much passion and talent there is behind the Aussie kit industry so we reached out to some of the top quality people behind the brands to find out what makes them tick.
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Perhaps this is something I should have done sooner. It's the why behind La Velocita. Why did it start, why the name, why the approach, what's your background, why, why, why. People have been asking me these questions a lot recently, so here it all is...
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This particular bike has been built to an impossibly high standard. I met the owner, the bike, and the builder so I could tell the story of this sublime machine. To protect the owner’s privacy, I refer to him as Mr LMA (Luckiest Man Alive) for reasons that will be very obvious.
Meet Griff; one of SA’s up and coming triple threats