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Hans Jörg Rey aka Hans “No Way” Rey will need no introduction to anyone who has ridden a Mountain Bike in the past twenty five years. The GT Bicycles veteran has multiple World and National championships under his belt but it his consistently high media profile many will know him for best. Images of Hans’ spectacular mountain bike trials shows and adventures are amongst the most iconic in the sport and have graced numerous magazine covers and posters. Hans kindly took the time to answer 20 questions for us… 1) Retrobike: How's life in 2012? Hans Rey: Life is good in 2013!!! I'm still living the dream, I'm as busy as ever riding bikes and having fun. I would have never dreamt that I would have such long and good career. I try to stay...

Tom Warmerdam is the man behind the uber small scale frameworks that is Demon Frameworks. Making custom designs and now a signature series available at Mosquito Bikes in London, Tom's tiny workshop in Southampton, England has never known it so busy. Winning the 'Best Road Bike' category at the 2012 NAHMBS earlier this year has just gone to put Demon on the radar of the bike world globally and so I went down to sunny Hampshire to catch up with Tom and get to the heart of what he's all about. For more on the subject, this month's Peloton Magazine no 14 (out now) has a feature on the workshop tour I received when we hooked up recently. Retrobike: Hi Tom, tell us, how's business in 2012? Tom Warmerdam: Hello Retrobike. It's picking up...

In the latest of our industry interviews, we visited a small outfit in the south of England producing some of the best known British bike components of the last couple of decades, Middleburn Engineering. Chances are you will have come across their chainrings at some point over the years in your retro chainset buying experience, but there’s a lot more to these guys than just cogs...as we found out when we nipped down last month for a cuppa and a chat with Matthew Starey, head honcho at Middleburn. There is also a companion article to this twenty questions in this month's Switchback Magazine, check the Switchback issue 3 preview here. 1) Retrobike: Hi Matt, how’s business at Middleburn in 2011? Matthew Starey: Hello Retrobike...

If you’ve ever had a Royce hub or bb you’ll know just how high quality a British made bicycle component can be. If you haven’t been lucky enough to be a ‘Royce user’ I can highly recommend it. Even if just to see your own satisfied grin reflected in the shiniest of shiny finishes the bike industry knows. Here in our latest in the series of bike industry interviews, Retrobike goes behind the shutters of Royce Engineering down in the New Forest. And gets inside the very interesting mind of Cliff Polton, engineer, cycling and pedal car enthusiast and mouse trainer*, who has been at the helm of Royce Engineering for 20 odd years… * please see question 18. 1) Retrobike: Hello Cliff, how’s business in 2011? Cliff Polton: Phenomenal...

Bill Duehring was GT's Vice President and head of Product Development from 1985-1999. Bill joined forces with triathlete and bike designer Jim Felt and former GT distributor Michael Mehlmann of Sport Import in Germany to form the modern day Felt Bicycle company of which Bill Duehring now serves as President. Bill is still very active in overseeing all product development aspects at Felt 1) Retrobike: A bit about your background. Bill where did you grow up, formal education and where were you in the bicycle industry prior to GT? Bill Duehring: I grew up in Orlando, FL; I worked in my father’s bicycle shop in Winter Park, FL. in Jr. and Sr. high school. After High School I joined the Marines (long family history). After the Marines I...

The latest in our series of 20 questions with...features ace UK lens man Seb Rogers. With more than 12 years experience and over 100 covers to his name, Seb is one of the world's best regarded pro bike photographers. He's been there pretty much from the beginning of the UK bike publication scene and you've probably not only stared in awe at his biking pictures in your fave mags over the years but also read his articles and tests as well, in publications such as MBUK, Mountain Bike World and What Mountain Bike to name but a few. So, for a different perspective on the bike world, Retrobike asks.... 1) Retrobike: Hi Seb, what are you up to at the mo? Seb Rogers: Several things at once, which is about par for the course! I've got the...

..of Paul Componenet Engineering (nice parts since 1989) fame. 1 ) Retrobike: What's going on at the mo at Paul Comp? How's business? PP: Business is very good. We're buying new machines and expanding the building to meet worldwide demand. 2 ) RB: What do you guys get asked for most these days? Hubs? Brakes? Small plastic horses? (Love those product shoots.) PP: The Chain Keeper has been a huge success, and we have several new mounting styles in the works. The market for brakes and levers is still very good too. The Racer after a few years is finally getting some momentum. 3 ) RB: I know you are just stoked to be in the shop and working away at a project, but do you still find the time to ride enough? PP: I ride almost every day...

Welcome to the latest in Retrobike's 20 questions series. This month the spotlight falls on Charlie Kelly (aka Repack Rider), a man who genuinely needs no introduction. Retrobike: Hi Charlie, how’s life? What’cha up to? Charlie Kelly: I have a piano moving company. My daughter is about to start her second year at the University of Oregon, and I am still married to my first wife, named Mary. I work a lot, and most weeks I can only get out on the bike on Sunday, so I try to make it count. Fortunately I have some great places to ride. RB: Ok, many will know you from the early days of MBUK. How did that MBUK connection come about back in the late eighties? Through FTF? CK: I don't remember how I got started with MBUK, but I was friends...

Next up in the twenty questions series is an interview with Ross Shafer of Salsa Cycles fame. Enjoy! Ross Shafer at work Retrobike: Hi Ross, how's life? Ross Shafer: Howdy Auggie, life is quite grand all considered, I’ve got a dream wife, an awesome home in the country, a talented son who actually took my advice (imagine that!) to follow his heart instead of other’s expectations and is just beginning his career as a tattoo artist, a bitchin’ new job, I’m playing guitar in a great band with an awesome songwriter, and after 40 years of wanting to do so I’ve finally taken the plunge and am learning to play the pedal steel guitar! Oh yeah, I’ve still got all my hair and it ain’t even gray yet! Just call me lucky! RB: What's your...

Following on nicely from DrS' RC-100 BoTM victory we have 20 questions with Adrian Carter of Pace Cycles, one of the leading lights of the British MTB scene. Adrian Carter with early proto RC100 from about 1988. Note the 24in rear wheel and drum brakes. The bike also had the first threadless headset (bored out Shimano 105 road headset) fitted with one-piece steerer tube stem. Retrobike: Hello Adrian. 1) RB: Ok, we've all heard stories about tubes not rolling off workbenches, box section strength and cartoonists saying they're easier to shade... why were they really square section then? Adrian Carter: Nope not heard those stories and no one ever made fun of square tubes that I can remember. Actually we used box in some frame areas...

Welcome to the first and almost certainly last in our self-penned 20 questions series (16 in this case). This article features retrobike's #1 skip monkey, bin raider and angle grinder operator, the one and only Legrandfromage. Legrandfromage, recently. 1) Legrandfromage: so, who the hell are you to be doing a '20 questions' thing when all you do is wind up people on the site by finding 'stuff'? Legrandfromage: I thought it was a funny idea... I live near a recycling centre that has provided some fantastic stuff that people simply throw away. And I dont get out much. 2) LGF: whats you best find? LGF: In terms of value - a broken Macbook Pro - sold for silly money. In terms of 'I'll keep forever' theres been some Campagnolo...

Second in the retrobike 20 questions series is a man who will need no introduction, Keith Bontrager. If you really need one check out his entry in the MTB Hall of Fame. Keith building in the garage 1980 Retrobike: How's life? Keith Bontrager: Life is pretty good, though complicated sometimes. Nothing surprising I guess. RB: Keith, what is the mtb holy grail? KB: This is one for Gary F. He's best at that kind of question. RB: And what is the mtb holy fail? KB: Getting too carried away with the mtb holy grail. RB: Desert Island Discs Scenario - one luxury. Bike or corkscrew? Or something else? KB: Bike, as long as there isn't too much sand. I have lots of ways to get a cork out of a bottle besides a corkscrew. RB: Wine. Bike...

Welcome to the first in (hopefully) a series of industry profiles, features and interviews of various mountain Biking VIP’s. People that have been there through the ages, observing, commenting on and sometimes defining the times we all now refer to as the halcyon days of our sport. In the first of Retrobike’s ‘20 Questions* with…’ series, we are proud to present an interview with the creator of everyone’s favourite mountain biking sheep, Mint Sauce. To those of you not aware of Jo Burt’s colourful and imaginative mountain biking timeline, check out the website dedicated to our woolly little friend, his chums and their seminal comic strip at www.thisiswhy.co.uk. *Retrobike reserves the right to make 20 Questions with… less...