Me & My Bike - Neil Bridge

Happy Friday Neil! So, tell us a bit about your role at Rapha??

?I’m Operations Manager at Rapha New York. I started in 2015 and quickly found my feet within this detail-obsessed, design-led brand. We see riders from all over the world every day in NYC, and it’s amazing to watch the global growth of cycling year after year. Rapha’s influence on cycling culture has been transformative and it’s satisfying to have been a part of that for the past seven years.?

And how about your bike?

The bike pictured is my city lock-up. Out of my three bikes (Road, MTB & City), it’s the most touched. It’s a decade old, and on its third paint job. The steel frame was made by a British company but almost every other part on it was made here in the USA. I will never not have a single-speed bicycle in my life. The simplicity of them takes me right back to the first BMX of my childhood - focusing on what I can do with my body rather than fretting over the equipment.

That leads nicely onto my next question, how did cycling become part of your life??

I’ve ridden bikes since I was a toddler, but I’d say cycling really became my way of life when I first moved to London. I bought an old mountain bike within a few months of landing there, and rarely used public transport after that. The bicycle kept me fast, fit and punctual, but more than that it shrunk the city for me. Crosstown journeys that might daunt a pedestrian became easy and routine. Winding my way home to Stokey (Stoke Newington) after a photoshoot in Fulham would be an adventure full of skylines and street life.?

Can you tell us one of your favourite cycling memories?

?I lived in Los Angeles for a while, and my local bike shop put on a ride with Geoff McFetridge’s cyclocross team Mudfoot. It was called the Hump Hundo (the name related to 10,000 feet of climbing over 100 miles). I showed up because I’d been riding a lot and wanted to test myself, having never done more than about 65 miles. The ride took us from 500 feet above sea level to over 7,000. Literally riding in the clouds amongst fallen rocks, as if in space. It was probably the most exhilarating ride I’ve ever done, and a simple plate of chips (sorry, ‘fries’) on the way back down tasted like the greatest meal on earth.?

What a story! Finally, what is your favourite Rapha product and why?

Randonnée Shorts. I live in these things for six months of every year. Endlessly durable, practical and low-key. My only request is that we should make them in olive green every season.?

?Thanks Neil! And I’ll pass your note on to the Design Team haha!?