You know those moments when you see something and instantaneously say “I’ve got to have one!”? That happened to John when he came into our shop a few years ago. His attention was captivated by a specific Jack Kane triathlon bike displayed on the wall. It was at that moment, John would later tell Jack and me, that he realized a Kane was going to be his “last” bike when he turned sixty…. but who wants to wait for a new bike?!! He knocked three years off. My phone rang in November and John said he was ready to go.
John and I got down to business. Every rider we work with receives an initial email with basic fit and size questions. From there, fit questions evolve from the feedback we received. John had been riding a Cervelo P2SL and was comfortable with how it rode. So our goal, naturally, was to improve upon that. We talked about the types of races he’d be doing and how he trained. We took into account that as we get older, our bodies are more susceptible to fatigue from road vibration and bumps in the road. So with the budget John provided us, we maximized where we used carbon for comfort. Comfort, which he told us, was one of his main objectives with this bike.
The sought after Jack Kane signature
When we first started talking designs, John wasn’t quite sure what he wanted. That’s always totally okay. My first step is to recommend checking out our numerous galleries and guiding me on designs and colors he preferred and ones he wanted to avoid. Once we understand a rider’s preferences, we can help guide them along. It’s about collaboration. We started spit balling designs. There were two “must-haves” — he wanted the Jack Kane signature on the top tube and exposed 3k carbon. We went back and forth with mock ups and different color patterns. We discussed color placements, how colors worked with each other, and what would look good years from now. Ultimately, it came down to keeping it simple, sleek, and something that would be timeless.
John with his lighter and faster steed.
The weekend finally came when John picked up his bike. He set our new record for distance driven to pick up a Jack Kane. It was in excess of 800 miles. AWESOME!! We can’t solely take credit for the bike bringing him to our shop because he has a son in the Marines stationed locally. It worked out flawlessly. Jack fit him and then John went off for a thirty mile ride along Emerald Isle & Atlantic beach. Talk about the perfect plan. His complete bike with SRAM Rival and pedals weighed only 18lbs 09oz.
Jack and I work with riders across the country so it’s always great when there is an opportunity to meet them face to face. Thank you, John.
Jack Kane Bikes is a jack-of-all trades bicycle company. Jack has been in the industry since 1973. We have our own line of aluminum and carbon frames that are painted in-house. We also specialize in painting other bicycle brands. Finally, we're a carbon fiber repair shop.
