After 5 years as the Bicycle Expert at the A2 Wind Tunnel working with tons of different brands and athletes Mike Giraud is going to work for Blue Competition Cycles as as the Product Development Specialist. He checked in with slowtwitch to talk about his new responsibilities.
Slowtwitch: It appears that quite a few things changed for you since we last saw you.
Mike: Yeah, that would be putting it lightly. The past several weeks have been a pretty hectic time, between wrapping things up at A2 and trying to get up to speed with Blue. Then trying to keep the news under wraps has been a challenge in itself. Fortunately it’s only about three and a half hours from Mooresville to Norcross, so going back and forth on the weekends trying to find a place to live hasn’t been too bad.
ST: Are you moved already?
Mike: Not exactly. I’m in the process of closing on a house in Georgia and getting my current house in North Carolina sold. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point, so it’s exciting.
ST: So what are you doing at press camp?
Mike: We all thought press camp was a prefect opportunity for a couple of things. First, was to make this announcement about my new role with Blue. Over the past several years I’ve been growing my knowledge of aerodynamics and the interactions between athlete and product. I’m looking forward to using that knowledge to help grow the Blue brand. The other important reason for me to be at press camp is to really familiarize myself with the brand and all the models they offer. Blue makes a lot of bike models that I haven’t had the opportunity to work with first-hand…it’s not too often I get to test a mountain bike in the wind tunnel. What better place to learn about all of them than listening to Chris Pic and Chance Regina discuss each of them with the media.
ST: With the variety of tasks for you at Blue can you actually get a title that describes your position accurately?
Mike: I’m sure I will be wearing many hats here at Blue, and I don’t think we could fit them all onto a business card. My official title is “Product Development Specialist” and my primary goal will be working on the design and testing of bikes and related parts along with Chris. I’m sure I will be also working with the Blue sponsored athletes on their set-ups and getting them dialed in for races. Allowing these athletes to have individual support like this will provide them with a great advantage over their competitors and I’m look forward to providing them with all the help I can.
ST: Will be assisting MTB pros at Blue too, or is your expertise mostly required in the road / TT / tri arena?
Mike: I'd say most of my work will be directed at the road/TT/tri area, but I certainly wouldn't be opposed to helping any of Blue's athletes whenever I could. We'll see how the Aero Mountain Bike goes and take it from there.
ST: Talking about aero, the last 5 years you spent at the A2 Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, NC as the cycling expert for the Aerodyne crew, but word has it that despite moving on to a new job in another city you'll be back at A2 at somewhat regular intervals.
Mike: A big part of my job will be development and testing. A2 is obviously a facility that I’m more familiar with than any other. I look forward to having the opportunity to benchmark other facilities, but I’m confident that A2 is capable of providing some of the best data for testing purposes so I’m sure I will be using it quite a bit as needed.
ST: Will it be strange to be on the client side at the tunnel when you return?
Mike: Absolutely! I’m not sure how it will feel when I do come back for that first test. I have definitely run many tests of my own over the years, but sitting on the other side of the desk will be a new one for me. I can’t wait.
ST: In your previous job as a mechanic for various Pro teams you traveled quite a bit. Is that something you'll do now again with Blue or will you be more stationary in Norcross?
Mike: First, let me say that I don’t think there are many jobs that require the amount of travel as a Pro team mechanic or other team staff. With that said, I know I will be doing some traveling for Blue, but nothing too much. The occasional trade show or expo, test sessions, key races venues, and factory trips. I’m actually really looking forward to getting to some new places that my past travels haven’t taken me.
ST: 2012 stuff is pretty much in the can already for your new employer. So will that mean that all thoughts now go towards 2013?
Mike: I’m sure a lot of the 2013 stuff is already in the works as well, but there still may be some stuff I could add there. It’s more likely that it won’t be until the 2014 model year that more of my ideas or designs will be seen. I think the model line that Blue currently has is really strong and it gives me a solid platform to work from. They have done a fantastic job with their products for a company that you could argue is still relatively new compared to some that have a long heritage in the cycling industry. This is one of the things that attracted me to Blue as a company I wanted to work with. They aren’t afraid to take chances and I believe that their designs show that.
ST: With all the updates to triathlon bikes and aero road bikes recently, do you think we have reached somewhat of a plateau or do expect that to move even more so forward?
Mike: I think there is still plenty of work to be done. As things evolve, we learn more and more and are able to continue to merge many of the parameters that were once considered to be so different from one another. For instance, years ago, no one ever considered an aero bike to be one that was really light-weight or had a comfortable ride quality. Now we’re seeing aero road bikes that are weighing in under the UCI legal limit and being ridden for 200k+ stages. I think there’s a long way to go before we hit a plateau.
ST: Why then do you think so many bikes currently seem to look alike?
Mike: With the current rules and guidelines of the UCI, it really limits how radical you can get with the frame designs. It’s a little unfortunate that this is what really drives the designs in the industry, but the old NASCAR saying of “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” holds true in the cycling industry as well. As triathlon as a sport continues to grow, I believe we’ll see more and more bikes built without worrying about the UCI guidelines. This is where you will start to see some of the innovative ideas from the designers in the industry.
ST: Is Blue concerned with UCI legality or can we expect some more radical designs?
Mike: I think we will have a nice blend of both. Blue certainly has a big impact and focus in the tri market, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t concerned about providing road cyclists the best bikes we can within the UCI guidelines as well. As the brand continues to grow, the diversity in models will continue as well. I know I’m looking forward to putting to use some of the ideas I’ve had for some time now so I think the future at Blue is pretty good.
ST: Will you return to Charlotte Motor Speedway to finally go sub 20 in that 10-mile TT?
Mike: I hope to return at the next event being it will be held on a Saturday night. If I can keep the training somewhat consistent and with the help from my new bike, I'm hoping I'll at least set a new PR, but we'll just have to see how things pan out. I am really excited to get a Triad SL set up and show off at the speedway.
ST: Maybe you guys can convince the folks at Road Atlanta to host something similar.
Mike: I think it would be great to get something like that going at Road Atlanta. It would be a really challenging course, but I think it would be a big hit if we can get it together.
ST: Anything else we should know?
Mike: Well, first I really want to thank everyone at Blue for believing in my abilities and giving me this opportunity. However, I also would like to thank each and every one of the athletes I have worked with over the years, because I have learned a little something from every one of them along the way. I’m looking forward to taking that knowledge and applying it to designs moving forward. Last, but not least, I want to thank everyone at A2 & Aerodyn Wind Tunnel. They took a chance and believed in the vision I had to create a bicycle-testing program despite the fact it seemed so foreign to them at first. I wish them the best of luck for the future. I’d also like to pass along my new contact info to everyone being it wasn’t possible before I left A2. My new e-mail will be MikeG@RideBlue.com.
