Ultra romanceInterview

"Does Ultraromance really exist?" We often say that as a joke because of his mysterious but wonderful lifestyle.
All jokes aside, There were still so many things that we didn't know about him which is part of his charm. We sometimes enjoy imagining what it's like to be him or what it's like to be around him.
This guy also has a lot of names. Poppy, Bolty, JB, The Bennedict, Ronnie...and the list goes on.
In order to shoot a YouTube video talking about Ronnie, we interviewed him.
It was a very fun interview so we wanted to share it to the world. Enjoy!

(November 2021)

- Hi Ronnie, I heard you're now settled in Connecticut, could you tell us why?

My wife Arya and I both grew up here, and our rather large families all live within 15 miles of us.
We are on a 300 year old farm in the hilly woods of the lower Connecticut river valley. My workshop is in a 300 year old barn were we also warehouse Ultradynamico tires.
It is a very quiet place that stays relatively mild in the winter months due to it’s proximity to the coast. Year round riding season and no one to have to share the trails with. I have been riding these rubbly roads for 30 years, they are where I draw my inspiration for authenticity from.

- Where is the best spot/location by bike?

I am overly partial to my home riding in New England. The deep hilly woods of the northeast hold within them so many secret meandering roads and overgrown paths.
You can really lose yourself in the blanket of green, but then the leaves fall, exposing giant granite formations and old farmsteads and grave yards lost in time. The district 4 seasons keep things interesting.

- Are there any places that you would like to go by bike?

Always dreaming of getting back to the Mediterranean countries for the food food food.
Thats a big motivator in where I like to ride my bike. The Dolomites will likely be our first International trip back when this is all over.

- How many bikes do you have?

At any given time I have 20 bikes.
15 are nearly functional, but only 8 are totally functional lol.
I do a lot of parts borrowing from one bike to another… my workshop is a mess… been fiddling around with bikes like this since I was 12. Old habits die hard I suppose.

- Any favorites?

I have favorites for the moment, but they never last long as favorites before i change something out, or move onto another concept entirely.
One of the primary things I like about bikes is that one’s tastes and riding style evolve over time. I am constantly changing, so the bicycles I ride are too.
My current favorite is my “purple haze” 1992 S-works M2 Durlcan with the prototype crust “uncle Ron’s orthopedic back bars” and MARS 26 x 2.2.

- Do you have any plans to get a new bike? Or are there any bikes you've been eyeing?

A Peter Weigle or Brian Chapman would be my dream bike. Maybe someday…. That aside, I am always designing new bikes and parts for Crust Bikes.
Matt gives me a lot of artistic license and and outlets for ideas since the beginning. The evolution of the Romanceür is a perfect example. Lately I’ve been into aluminum bikes for lightweight ATB trips. The fat tubes and lighter weight are a lot easier on the hands and back when the inevitable bike hike up a mountain or through a swamp presents itself.
So be on the lookout for a bike designed with minimalist “overlanding” in mind.

- Why did you start making tires rather than other bike components?

I release most of my other bike parts through Crust Bikes, but wanted to do tires with my long time best friend and tire snob Patrick.
The other bike parts I design through Crust are: the romanceür, the towel rack handlebars, the to be released uncle Ron’s ortho back bars. I do wool and leather chamois shorts through Team Dream, and a number of other soft goods through my own brand Ronsbikes.com.
The bulk of my income is the fab’s chest and fanny pack line…. Hoping the tires pay off some day, but those molds are expensive!

- If you could make any bike components, what would it be?

I am in a fortunate position to be able to make and test any bike part I want. I m constantly designing and testing new ideas, and have a team of friends who are able to make those ideas into physical reality.
Keeps things exciting for sure! The bike industry doesn’t have to be filled with electronic shifting and the latest bottom bracket standard.
Happy I can make a living steering clear of that!

- I heard that you were a bike racer earlier in your life, but now you are more focused on the cultural side of cycling. Could you tell us how that shift happened?

I grew up in Connecticut (New England) in the 90’s during the big mountain bike boom. I was hooked at age 12, and started racing when I was 15. I got into road bikes around the same time and started racing those also.
I always thought that the racing bike and how fast you could go determined how serious of a cyclist you were. It wasn’t until about 12 years ago that I fully realized the potential of the bicycle as a curated and inventive lifestyle cultural platform.
Instagram came a few years later and allowed me to share those ideals and build my brand into what it is today. I personaly don’t think very highly of social media for a number of reasons I won’t get into, but it did allow folks like me to build alternative business models that I will forever be grateful for.
I am however moving back towards blogging ronsbikesblog.com.

- What is “Wooly Mammoth”?

“Team Wooly Mammoth” was the road racing team that Patrick of Ultradynamico and I co-founded back in 2004 in Austin TX.
We grew with the scene there and had a great time bringing Eurocentric racing culture to an otherwise boring landscape of mediocre kit design and club teams. Our kits were all white and see through if it rained on us. Very sexy… We had a few write ups in Velo News back then that I thought would be the pinnacle of my cycling career… we raced and trained hard with the hopes of being stylish euro pros some day.
Little did I know that all I had to do was ride around with my shirt off on a basketted touring bike to get on the cover of Bicycling magazine in 2015. Shortly thereafter I was paid by Specialized to be a professional bike camper for a few years. Those times have come and gone, and I am quite happy to work entirely for myself and promoting my own products.

- Any plans of coming back to Japan?

I visited Japan right before the pandemic and had such a wonderful and memorable time with the Blue Lug crew that I said I would come back twice a year!
Still waiting for that next window to open, but Japan is a country that holds a special place in my heart.

- What does a “bike” mean to you?

An extension of my body and personal style.
Humanities finest achievement in it’s simplest form. wholistic heath machine in the form of functional art.