Monday, December 14, 2015

DannyShane Launches San Francisco Pop-Up

San Francisco, California - December 10, 2015 - We are thrilled to announce our latest venture, a pop-up shop in the heart of San Francisco, in the Montgomery BART Station, with our friends from Walz Caps. Whether you're looking for a last minute gift or just want to check out some DannyShane clothing in person, we invite you to stop by and say hello.

City: San Francisco, California Location: Montgomery BART Station When: December Only! What: Awesome Cycling Gear from DannyShane and Walz Caps

You're invited, so stop on over if you're in the neighborhood! Here's a map to find us...

Happy Holidays from Your Friends at DannyShane

Saturday, December 12, 2015

DannyShane at Box Hill

Located in the heart of the Surrey Hills, bike shop and cafe Maison Du Velo are great friends and stockists of DannyShane. It is also where the DannyShane - Storck Race team spend most of their time! Maison Du Velo invited the DannyShane - Storck Race team to take part in their demo day and the boys jumped at the chance. Filmed at one of the most famous climbs in the UK, "Box Hill" is a Mecca for cycling and a regular training route for the team.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

The Great Sock Debacle of Coeur D'Alene

DannyShane Ambassador Jon gives us a glimpse at a super-fun event-the Coeur D' Fondo in Coeur D'Alene this past Fall. Despite the "sock debacle", we can see why this event is already on his calendar for next year!  

From Jon:

Every Fall I try to pick a couple of Fondos, put them on the schedule, and plan a weekend around them.  The past couple of years the "Coeur D’ Fondo" in Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho has been a top pick.  Let’s face it-who doesn’t love a fun weekend of bike racing, riding and Oktoberfest?  If you have never been to CDA, it’s a small town built on an amazingly beautiful lake surrounded by mountains.  The fondo has lots of length options including one that ends with a ferry ride/happy hour back across the lake to town.

New last year was the inclusion of a crit race on Saturday under the lights through the closed off downtown streets.  While I didn’t race it this year, it’s on the agenda for next year.  The course streaks by lots of outdoor restaurants and bars that are packed with people cheering, heckling and generally having a great time… I am IN!

Sunday morning I woke up early and went through my pre-fondo checklist… Bibs, Jersey, helmet, food, socks, shoes…wait, socks?? Did I really show up with two of everything but managed to forget 1 pair of cycling socks? After searching frantically, I gave up all hope and put on a pair of black dress socks. If I don’t have the right ones, they at least need to look the part and match it all up.  Due to the missing socks, we arrived a few minutes late and had to start in the back of the 800 person field. All hope of being in the front group was lost, but we decided the fun factor would be high as we could ride our own pace and enjoy the fall.  The event rolled out with a police escort through town, and we settled into a nice pace riding the near car-free roads.  We arrived in the little shoreline town of Harrison and found an amazingly well-stocked feed station that included egg/sausage/cheese burritos.  After eating one and tucking another into my jersey to eat later, we hit the roads once again only to find the route included sections that were totally car-free including a cool river crossing that was once a train track.  The final 20 miles served up a stiff headwind, but with the promise of Oktoberfest, we rode on.

After putting the bikes into the bike check, we settled in for a great afternoon of wandering the town and enjoying the food, drink and live music that the city had going on.

I am already looking forward to the 2016 version and more burritos!


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

TheChainLink.org Raves About DannyShane

Great big thanks to our friends at TheChainLink who recently reviewed a batch of DS gear:

"One of the companies we made a point to seek out at Interbike was DannyShane. This was primarily because in a sport that has often exemplified tacky design, we liked their aesthetic."

And, then...

"On top of that, DannyShane positions itself as an "eco-conscious company." What this means is that they seek out the most environmentally-friendly fabric materials available to them that meet the performance requirements of serious cycling. For the jerseys, this means they use a 50/50 blend of bamboo white ash and recycled polyesters."

Read the entire review here. Check out the Black Romer featured in this review here.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The Winter



DannyShane is proud to offer a line of thoughtful cold-weather gear for both on and off the bike.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

The DannyShane VeloNews Clothesline Review

From VeloNews: "The fabric itself is very soft and feels high quality, and Danny Shane’s claims of excellent temperature regulation seem well founded."

Read the entire review from VeloNews here.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Thumbs Up from Bicycling.com

From Bicycling.com: "Wearing a kit splashed with sponsor logos or hi-vis colors isn’t the only way to stand out on your group ride. DannyShane weaves its distinctively styled jerseys from a combination of polyester and Bamboo White Ash (BWA) fibers. BWA, the company says, embodies many of the natural performance characteristics of polyester—breathability and wicking properties—but is naturally derived, and therefore creates less of an environmental impact."

Read the entire Londonderry Cycling Jersey review here.

Monday, October 5, 2015

DannyShane is "Subtle with an Impact"

DannyShane's new 2016 collection caught some eyes at Interbike 2015 last month and received some well-deserved recognition from Bicycling. From Bicycling Magazine:

"Danny Shane’s apparel can be described simply: subtle, with an impact. Using retro-inspired colors and lines, the brand has put together jerseys in classic cuts with patterns like houndstooth, plaid, and stripes that stand out without screaming “look at me!” The brand chars bamboo to a fine white powder and adds it to its fabrics to make them more eco-friendly, breathable, and filter more UV light..."

To read the rest of the article, please click here.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

A DannyShane Original: Snowbridge



DannyShane combines classic styles with rich patterns and the latest in tech fabrics. Try the Snowbridge.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The Heart of DannyShane, Part II

As part of an ongoing series, we hope to feature some stories and people that speak to the spirit of the DannyShane brand. This month, we have decided to kick off this project with our own founder and CEO, Shane Hunt. We would absolutely welcome your stories of unique adventures on the bike. In case you missed Part I of the Heart of DannyShane, you can see it on our blog.

As always, don't forget to visit the site and see what is new at DannyShane.com.

Austin has such a vibrant cycling community. How does it influence what you are doing at DannyShane?
ShaneHunt: I was born and raised in Texas. I grew up on a working ranch in Eastland County,TX. [We had] pigs, cattle, peanuts, a pecan orchard – it was a colorful life. Whatever we made, we sold. We sold to local grocery stores and peddled peaches beside the interstate – a pickup truck with a sign on the side of the road. I found out early on that if I believed in what I was selling, I could sell it. We spent days selling peaches, moving irrigation pipe, working in the peanut field, but it never felt like work. It was more adventure than work.

My dad passed away when I was young. My brother and I moved to near Cisco, TX to live with my grandparents. That gave us an introduction to music. I learned guitar, brother Zach the banjo, and my cousin Jeff the piano. We toured in central TX, playing small venues. I found that even while being a musician, if you are creatively oriented, then you have those creative skills. Even then, I was waiting for my chance in life to do something creative. I’ve been CEO of a few companies since, but DannyShane is now the outlet to use that creativity, so much of which has been influenced by my Texas roots... And Austin, of course, is an amazing city, too.

We love the story about flying 36 hours on an airplane in a DannyShane shirt.
Shane Hunt: I met David Love, CEO of PaliGap, a hard and soft goods distributor in the UK, at Interbike a few years back. He noticed our Bridge Polo. He called it beautiful and interesting. I could tell he was a size medium, so I took it right off the mannequin and gave it to him. He flew out of Las Vegas back to Bristol later that day. It is like a 1.5 day trip. Shortly after, he sent me an email thanking me for the polo. He said he slept during most of his travels in that Bridge Polo – it was very comfortable. He said when he stepped off the plane, the polo didn’t smell bad, didn’t look bad, and had no wrinkles. He got off the plane, after 36 hours, looking and feeling fresh as if he just stepped out of the house. I realized then that even cyclists occasionally like to look like a million bucks! Now, I use the story all the time to talk about the benefits of our bamboo fabric which is, actually, quite amazing.

Tell us about your bike.
Shane Hunt: My current bike is an FP3 Pinarello. It is a classic. It is a few years old. I was lucky to find something timeless when I bought it from a racer on the Team San Jose cycling team. The bike was a perfect fit. I have had it for five years. I have descended and hit 60 mph on it. I rode it on a five-day, 523 mile trip from Amarillo to Crested Butte with seven other guys. Riding through Taos and Wolf Creek Pass, we climbed over 35,000 vertical feet in those five days. We would hit 50-60 mph on those descents. I could spend some money and get a lighter model. But, I'm loyal to this machine, so it will be my bike for a while. It even has the DannyShane colors, so it's easy to coordinate with our designs.

Thank you, Shane.
Shane Hunt: My pleasure. I'm always glad to talk about the brand and look forward to hearing updates from our customers each day on Instagram, Twitter, and the like... so keep 'em headed our way with #DannyShane.

Got a great story to share? We'd love to hear it. Email us at cary@dannyshane.com. If your story is selected, you can count on the opportunity to grab a free DannyShane jersey.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Crash + Bamboo White Ash = No Rash!

We're always pleased to hear from our customers.  Everyone has individual reasons for loving DannyShane gear. Jon, our customer below, loves it for several reasons-one being crash and rash resistance!

I'm going to place an order but wanted to let you know that both my son and I have found your gear to be of impeccable quality, classic design (style works over time), and surprisingly durable. Colt's a college student, on a budget and a 'live simply' devotee; in other words he has a limited budget and wardrobe. He has worn the Danny polo A LOT including during a recent trip to Europe. I wear mine to work at Boise State and when I ride. A local bike shop employee stopped by our table at Chipotle the other day to ask where I got the shirt. My enthusiastic response prompted my wife to say afterwards, “You should tell those guys what your think of their product…and probably be their rep”. Not sure about the rep idea. I'd be interested to discuss how I can help, but I wanted to at least write this note.

Here's an example: Yesterday morning I was with my buddy doing one of our favorite mountain bike loops when I misjudged a sandy downhill turn and went over the bars, fortunately able to tuck and land on my right shoulder. My Danny Shane polo took the brunt of the impact and ensuing downhill slide to a stop in sandy/gravel. I should have taken a photo of it, but both my wife and I thought for sure we'd see a hole in it once the dirt got washed out. Unbelievably, it doesn't even have abrasion marks. I'm 59 and have hit the deck often enough to have ruined plenty of jerseys (and had a shoulder repair surgery), so when I say it is unbelievable that the polo isn't damaged it comes with some data points to back it up. Great gear!

I'll get my order in for Colter, and we both send our thanks. (By the way, he's a Material Science Engineering senior at the University of Utah so he's very impressed with the white ash fabric from a science point of view as well).

Warm regards,
Jon G.


Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Heart of DannyShane, Part I

As part of a new, ongoing series, we hope to feature some stories and people that speak to the spirit of the DannyShane brand. This month, we have decided to kick off this project with our own founder and CEO, Shane Hunt. We would absolutely welcome your stories of unique adventures on the bike.

Tell us how DannyShane got started.
Shane Hunt: Cycling is a beautiful sport with beautiful hardware. I understood that mindset as a cyclist myself but everyone was wearing the same stuff, either Nascar-looking or boring gear. The gear didn’t connect with the beautiful, performance bikes I saw. I wanted sophisticated and style-forward gear. I thought to myself “I have the design skillset. I am the target customer. I love the mental and physical benefits of cycling.” So, I made a few designs. Others liked them. I saw interest. Mark Killeen, now CEO of Full-Turn Direct, told me to use these new fabrics he was starting to see. He told me he loved the design strategy but that there was no sustainable natural fiber in the cycling world. I started to work with embedded bamboo charcoal. These are fibers used in golf clothing. Golf clothing uses the latest technology, is lightweight, and offers incredible performance. Bamboo allows the fabric to breathe like cotton, rapidly wick moisture, provides ultra- soft comfort, and is anti-static along with being sustainable. These performance characteristics are in the weave and never wash out. So, I had it right there... a 1-2 punch, an innovative fabric and bold, innovative sets of designs; DannyShane was born. That was 2009.

Your designs are unique and distinctive. Where do you find inspiration?
Shane Hunt: I don’t have a design degree. I am not a Manhattan-based designer, but I knew I wanted to create enduring, classic styles to last long beyond fads... not loud, modern abstract, or replicated retros. The core culture of the DannyShane brand is "Modern Classic," futuristic, beautiful, classic, enduring with a little edge. There are elements of danger, beauty, and spirituality in cycling. As I've traveled to 11 countries in the last 24 months, I've kept my eyes wide open for designs that represent those elements and bring that spirit to the fore.

A lot of people connect with DannyShane styles, though the brand is certainly not for everyone. What I like is that people can’t be indifferent to DannyShane. Some people love it, can’t get enough of it, and it is part of their lifestyle. Others say, “I can’t wear that. It’s cool, but not for me.” You can’t be everything to everyone. And, our group of devotees is growing because our designs are truly unique. Take our plaid designs, for example. Plaid has been around for centuries. It is not a look that will come and go, but our take on it is really distinct... and different from what you'd expect to see on the back of a cyclist.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Reader Response to "Heart of DannyShane"

We were thrilled to receive this response to our recent profile of DannyShane founder, Shane Hunt.

I enjoyed reading the first article of The Heart of Danny Shane. It was spot on about my reaction to the first time I saw a DS kit - retro but not, classy, timeless, unique, stylish, tasteful, bold but subtle, colorful but subdued. I recently saw a DS jersey on a cycling gear website and it struck me as so attractive that I decided I had to finally hunt down a kit. I eventually went to your website and found exactly what I wanted - the Blue Performance jersey and matching bibs. I splurged and bought two full kits because I knew I'd be wearing them often!

I wore my kit for the first time 2 weeks ago on our weekend ride with about 25 riders, we've been riding together for about 14 years. Needless to say Shane's observation of cycling clothing was quite accurate - the group's clothes ranged from a local bike shop's full kit replete with a dozen brands plastered all over (though it's fairly nice looking) to at least one rider whose ensemble (I use that term loosely!) was a mishmash of brands and colors that was striking in its harlequinesqe look.

I felt as if I was wearing black tie and tails to a Halloween costume party! In spite of differences in fashion tastes, everyone in the group is really nice and always willing to help out if you get into a spot of bother.

Not to belabor you with a long story, I'll share two reactions with you. As I got out of my car to get my bike ready, the woman in the car next to me stepped out of her car and when she turned to me to say hi, she let out this expressive "WOW" , then "I really love your kit, it's awesome!" Of course I had to tell her all about it - the brand, the plaid design background and a bit about the fabric. I think I may have made a convert out of her...

Then, after the ride I stopped at my local bike shop to have my bike serviced. As soon as I walked in the door, the owner and one of the shop guys had the same reaction - " that's a really nice looking outfit! I like that!" "Who makes it? Where'd you get it?!" "That's quality fabric I can tell just by looking at it!" As before I gave them the whole rundown on DS, the fabric, the styles, and how much I loved everything about it now that I'd finally ridden in it (though I did spend a fair amount of time admiring it in my mirror after I first got it). I was hoping the owner might decide to carry some of the DS line.....

Well that's it. I've ridden in my DS kit a couple more times and it's proven to be perfect for hot days (mid 80's) and for long stints in the saddle (4-5 hours, 60 miles). I'm ready to get another couple kits, I'm really partial to the Huntley jersey and bibs, I love to have the jersey look echoed on the bibs. I'd say about 70% of the folks who've commented have been favorable and the rest haven't quite gotten it, but that's ok. The only thing that counts is that I love wearing it, I feel unique in the group, and it makes a statement that I may not be the strongest rider in the group but darned if I'm not the best looking. I like to say (about myself): "if you can't be good, you can look good!"

Thanks again for sharing the Heart of DS, and to DS for creating a perfect cycling look.


Sunday, March 1, 2015

BWN Reviews the Rigby and Mabry Polo

From Bike World News: "DannyShane has you covered for all occasions. Their jerseys and bibs will keep you cool, dry, and comfortable, without being a billboard, and their polo shirts will keep a cyclist covert in the pub or the office. With the eco-friendly materials, and great styling, what more do you need?"

And... "The Mabry Polo has been one of my favorite items of the test. It has made its appearance in the office during the week and on casual Fridays and some weekend assignments."

Read the entire review from Bike World News here.