Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Staff Profile: Keith Heffernan


Keith Heffernan is one of our ace mechanics in the Medina store, and started at Century Cycles in 1998. As was reported here already, Keith recently had his life turned upside down when he lost his bikes and most of his other possessions in a house fire. He is a past expert BMX racer, with several national titles under his belt.
Here he is with his new Diamondback Scapegoat bike that was donated to him by Raleigh/Diamondback.
Q. What do you like about working at Century Cycles?
A. I don't dread going to work, ever. It doesn't feel like work, it's just like hanging out with friends all day, which is where I always want to be.
Q. What is your biggest accomplishment on a bike?
A. That would be my BMX race wins.
Q. What was your first bike?
A. I will always remember my Powerlite P-38, which was my first "good" race BMX bike, but my very first bike was a fixed-gear Kent with 16-inch mag wheels. A three-year-old on a fixie; how cool was that?!?
Q. We usually ask what is your favorate bike, but I guess with the donation that Diamondback gave to you, that's a moot point now, right?
A. Yeah, I'm still overwhelmed and grateful about how cool they were, and the CC staff for helping to make it happen.
Q. What is your favorite ride or trail?
A. Vulture's Knob in Wooster has always been my favorite; it's just such a great race course. I love it for the technical features and the jumps, and it has some sections that really work to my strengths to let me make up time on other riders.
Q. What is the question you get asked most often in the store?
A. There are lots, but one common question is how to shift gears.
Q. What one piece of advice do you with you could give to every customer?
A. Buy more than you need; don't try to get out cheap. I'm not saying this to try to sell; I know from personal experience that if you try to go cheap, you will be disappointed and will pay later.
Q. What is the best piece of cycling advice you've been given?
A. Learn your body and how it works. This can be valuable for both training and racing; like, you can know when you're at your max heart rate without any kind of monitor, or know how long you can sustain a sprint.
Q. What else do you like to do when you're not cycling?
A. I've always liked motorcycles, and still enjoy riding one.
Q. What three words describe how you feel when on a bike?
A. Free, clear, whole

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