Ibisians Interviewing other Ibisians Part I
Scot Interviews Hans

Q. Are you drunk?
A. Not as far as you know.

Q. Then I guess you’re not a real German?
A. I’m 50% Irish, but that doesn’t really get me out of this one, does it?

Q. Sprechen Sie Deutsches?
A. No, just a few words and phrases, for instance I know how to say “Germans are as dumb as bread, Deutches zin dumph vi brot”. I was told that is a popular greeting when first meeting.

Q. Where were you born?
A. San Francisco

Q. Siblings?
A. I have numerous half and step sisters and brothers. It’s complex.

Q. Coolest bike ride you ever did?
A. There have been so many! This one always comes back to me though – It was during a road race. We were flying along in a pack over rolling hills in the spring when the grass is still all lush green. We must have had a tail wind because were going 35 mph or so and it was effortless in the pack. An ultralight airplane was flying next to us with its red and yellow wings looking incredible against the green grass background. It was so beautiful it really burned into my memory cells. I think I must have been the only one who appreciated it, everyone was so serious, this was a race after all! Another time a huge goose joined our group of 4 riders and flew with us in formation for about a mile no more than 10 feet away. I don’t know, they’re all great in one way or another. Lots of great off road rides come to mind, like the times you feel like you can do no wrong pulling off two wheel drifts or riding really strong, other times it’s the scenery or some good company.

Q. Most exciting aspect of this Ibis thing?
A. A chance to make and ride the best stuff and work with like-minded people. It’s a form of self-expression, it has to come out.

Q. Any prior career?
A. Just bicycles for the last 28 years (yikes!) It started out in a bike shop assembling bicycles during high school. I got a job at Specialized when they had 12 people. Then we came out with some good tires and it got bigger, then we came out with the first production mountain bike and things really took off. When I left they had over 200 people. That was quite a learning experience. Later I worked for Kestrel, Veltec then Miyat
A. Then I was Keith Bontragers partner in Bontrager Cycles from ’89 - ‘93, then moved across the parking lot to be one of the owners and president of Santa Cruz Bicycles for 10 years. I tried to work in Silicon Valley once way back, and actually even got a job at a happening company, but when it came time to be a cubicle dweller, I decided that no matter what, unless I was literally starving, I wanted to stay with bikes.

Q. How did you get into riding bikes?
A. I loved it since I was about 8 when I got my first bike, a Raleigh 3 speed fold-up bike. My Grandma got it for me since my family had zero money. I kept trying to ride my Mom’s bike and it was WAY to large for me, so the folks conspired with my G-ma to set me up.

Q. Furthest you ever drove to ride a bike?
A. About 1400 miles each way, straight through solo, listening to the weirdest music.

Q. Furthest you ever flew to ride a bike?
A. To Italy, how far is that?

Q. Wife, Kids, Pets, Cars, Airplanes?
A. Married thirteen years to Carol, sold her her first bike then met again 8 years later and asked her out. Two kids, Lili and Cole, twins 5 years old) 2 slightly annoying cats Boris and Massimo (he’s 18lbs get it?), no airplanes.

Q. Fastest you ever went on a bike?
A. Drafting a tandem with a couple of cat 2 racers on it down hill…. 60mph

Q. Hobbies?
A. playing keyboards in jam bands, astronomy, source of grunt labor for wife’s garden

Q. Any questions for me, your interviewer?
A. What were you thinking when you rode over that picnic bench?

Q. Are you on parole?
A. No, I am not.

Q. Did you eat boogers as a kid?
A. Why did you have to go there?

Q. Were they your own?
A. no comment