Dave at the 2011 Paris Brest Paris
Full Name: David William Reid
DOB: 2-28-77
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165
Occupation: County of Santa Cruz Analyst (GIS)
Bikes: Steel Rock Lobster with Kirk Pacenti Lugs (slant 6) & Steel Caletti TT machine
Strengths: Long Ass Rides
SW- Who gave you the nickname Super Dave?
DR- My understanding is that came from Ron Amen following a Saturday Ride back in the day when I was waring a backpack and putting a lot of power to the pedals.
SW- Is cycling more of a sport or a lifestyle for you?
DR- It has become more of a lifestyle. I had the lugged Rock Lobster and Caletti made because it feels right to me. Some folks enjoy having 14 pound bikes and I have enjoyed getting back to the roots of it all with the Steel Wül movement we have created.
SW- What was harder, Hawaiian Ironman or Paris Brest Paris?
DR- (Laughs),......oh boy. I would say that physically the Ironman was harder due to the heat and insane wind. Mentally, I think PBP is harder due to sleep deprivation of riding 750 miles in 3 days. At PBP it is more of a "I want this to be done"and the Ironman has a "I can do this, I can do this" phenomenon. In my second Ironman, Damara said that I smelled like burnt flesh. I essentially reset my thermostat by virtue of heat exhaustion. At PBP I suffered from numbness in my hands.
SW- Is it true that you and Damara built a carbon neutral home?
DR- Yes. It is a zero fossil fuel house and is carbon positive considering our solar roof powers our home and two thirds of my in laws home. Damara and I helped Santa Cruz Green Builders build it.
SW- Describe a perfect day in Santa Cruz for Super Dave.
DR- It would start with any one of my favorite breakfast eateries that Santa Cruz is famous for and eat a nice hardy breakfast. I would definitely pedal my bike perhaps an Alpine loop or some variation of Big Basin to the coast over dirt that we have been enjoying lately. Finish the day with a great home cooked meal with fresh veggies from the garden.
SW- What is the most memorable sporting moment of your life?
DR- I think it would have to be when I finished the Hawaiian Ironman in 2000. I loved the whole experience. The family was there, crazy winds, I had no idea what I was doing, and I had a great time with the whole adventure.
SW- Greatest accomplishment to date?
DR- Building our home and staying married a collective accomplishment!
SW- Do you come from a family of endurance athletes or is this something that the Reid kids initiated?
DR- My father played college football and my mother was athletically inclined however she grew up in a generation that did not support female athletes. My oldest brother is a ball sports guy and about 10 years ago he got his Vo2 measured and it was the same as mine and I grew up doing endurance sports my whole life. I suppose that Vo2 numbers are going to have a genetic connection.
SW- What is your all time best road boogie?
DR- There are a handful of epic rides that I did in Europe with the crew that come to mind. There is one that stands out that I did with Mike Moore and Sean Co. We were in Italy at the north end of Lake Gardia riding to Simione to check out the Giro TT with the intent to pedal around the lake (Lake Tahoe style). We got about half way down this mountain in heavy rain to check out the Giro TT. We ended up going through these insane tunnels with no light on gravel roads and you could not see anything. We were about two thirds up that side of the lake roads and it was getting dark- the sun was going down and we had like 15 miles to our destination when we came across a Road Closed sign. There was barbwire across the road and over fences. We tried to push our bikes through the barb wire and Sean was on the rivet already and we realized that we are not going to make it. We run into a guy who says if you pedal 10 k to the south you can catch the last boat back to town. We timetrialed our way back to the boat launch and eventually made it back to the hotel late that night and had a wonderful dinner. Riding up Alpe d' Huez with 9 other guys was very memorable as well.
SW- Steel or Ti?
DR- Steel, powdercoated for durability. Ti has it virtues in Santa Cruz due to the salt air but I like the fact that builders have a little more artistry with steel.
SW- With your background, education and experience allot of folks think that you should run for a seat on the County Board. Would you ever consider this?
DR- Huh,...(laughs) I am passionate about finding ways of making a difference in my community - and if an opportunity arose to make a difference I would certainly consider it.
SW- As a Geologist, what is your favorite ride?
DR- I would say that knowing the geologic history of California and having the opportunity to ride from Santa Cruz to Yosemite (Gren Yosemite Boogie) is the best geologic ride - checking out the different road cuts and all the changes along the way and ending up in Yosemite which is an absolute meca for geologists.
SW- San Benito or San Mateo County?
DR- I would have to say San Mateo considering I know it better and spent more time riding there, however, Highway 25 through the Pinnacle's to Peach Tree rd south is not to be missed.
For the record:
I was chatting with Dave's father in law a few years back and I remember he was describing Dave to someone at a party and said, "I seriously could not have custom ordered a better son-in-law, as a matter of fact, I would have missed half of his attributes and character. "
What Dave omitted from the ride in Italy was that we were all hung over from my previous birthday night celebration and Dave ended up pulling at the start of the ride for something like an hour. Once we got to the closed off road section Dave seriously considered swimming to get a cab. I briefly thought about free soloing a rock section but decided that was as good of an idea as Dave swimming.
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