If you’ve come across him while out riding, chances are he’s waved!
Vegan since 1990, Dave’s interest in cycling really excelled in 1994 when a friend took him mountain biking for the first time. Dave was hooked. There was a lot of hike-a-bike and bushwacking, and scrambling over rocks and roots, there were scrapes and bruises, and for someone who had no sporting background, it was a total thrill! Dave got himself a decent 26″ hardtail, and was on the trails several times a week, immersing himself in learning about the sport, reading every magazine and book he could find, and enjoying the times on trails with friends.
Dave got into racing in 2003 when a mountain biking friend finally got him to visit the velodrome, and he found the racing there irresistible – it was short and fast, tons of variety and a huge amount of strategy, and Dave hasn’t looked back since.
The following year Dave started getting involved with the Greater Victoria Velodrome Association, becoming a board member, and welcoming roles like race organizer and instructor of Learn To Ride/Race clinics (an introduction to track riding is important.)
From there Dave immersed himself further into the cycling world, establishing the Victoria chapter of OrganicAthlete (to promote a vegan message, and demonstrate that being vegan and competitive are not at all mutually exclusive, a common belief at the time), and committing further to road riding and racing, time trials, and in 2007 his first cyclocross race at a Cross on the Rock (having no idea what cyclocross was!)
Finishing on the podium is always nice, and Dave has had his fair share of top finishes, with numerous victories on the track (his specialty) including four Provincial Championship titles in 2019 (most proud of the gold medal for the Omnium!) In other local riding, he’s seen top placings in races like the old Bastion Square crit, and many podiums in the local VCL (Victoria Cycling League) series, including some Top 3 Overall finishes on the series. Dave has also finished near the podium in the very competitive Cross on the Rock series, and has the distinction of being the 3rd ‘Most Reliable’ finisher in the series (with zero DNFs over 60+ races). While it’s usually not really about the victories, it’s still nice to see the training pay off!
Friendly and outgoing, Dave has always had a passion for helping people out, and getting them into the sport (and experiencing many different cycling disciplines!) From the track Learn To Ride clinics, to cyclocross clinics, to simply chatting with friends on how to improve, to helping out riders on weekly group rides, Dave is a keen and active observer, and willing to lend a hand so everyone has a better experience. Always eager to learn, Dave’s always got his finger on the pulse, reading a wide range of articles and chatting with his peers, and incorporating what he learns into the program. Just as he pushes to improve himself on the bike, he works just as hard to increase his knowledge in the area, and hopefully pass that on to you!
Coaching is a continuation of the road Dave has already found himself on, and is looking forward to really digging in and getting the most out of your efforts! Each ride counts, and is an opportunity for improvement, good times, and memories.
After all, each day it’s really just about the ride.
