I see cycling tech legend Jobst Brandt on his steel yellow bicycle on Highway 9 in Santa Cruz County from time to time, and the couple of times we’ve talked he’s very willing to share his strong opinions on just about any topic, whether it’s logo design, cog railroads, or bicycle jersey fabrics.
This old dude is a monster — he’s 75 years old and still rides his bike regularly from his Palo Alto home through the redwood stands of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Brandt doesn’t carry water or snacks on his epic rides, so he stops at the Fosters Freeze in Boulder Creek, CA for an ice cream cone before heading back home.
Ron @ Cozy Beehive had an in depth interview with Mr Brandt and is posting them up to his website in a series of posts, in which Brandt talks about his hobbies, his career with Porsche, why nobody needs to own more than one bike at a time, and even why his bike is yellow (it’s easier to examine the frame for cracks, he says). He also reminiscences about his visits with Sheldon Brown shortly before the Brown’s passing in 2008.
Cozy Beehive Jobst Brandt interview series:
Too bad it's not a video, or at least read in the voice of Werner Herzog.
If I can ever catch the guy maybe I'll try to get him on video sometime….
When I was in high school (I'd guess '87), I used his book to build up a set of wheels. It was so easy to follow his directions. I don't know if I got the tension right but that wheel set lasted longer than pretty much any set I've had.
There's a video of Jobst cycling on cycling.tv. http://theinnertube.cycling.tv/_Jobst-Brandt-on…
Nice; thanks Ron.