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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The DannyShane Experience (2014)

From Michelle: Michelle recently received her DannyShane kit - not long thereafter we received some kind words and just had to share: "It’s awesome. Fit, colour, comfort everything. I wore it once myself (out of pure excitement) and then gave it to someone else to enjoy for a photo shoot. They looked so great in it I had to let them have it. It will be appearing on the cover of an online publication this week." More from Michelle: http://instagram.com/MissMotivate

From Mike O.: "What I really liked about the jerseys is that they are really premium and at a better price point than Rapha."..."There aren't really any negatives to the design itself but like all jerseys they are prone to Velcro glove snags."..."I get a lot of head turning when I've worn these jerseys here in Georgetown on my 1-2 hour rides. Keep up the great work."

From Emily Zinn: "Perfect for: The rider who likes lush fabrics and minimal branding with some personality. Why I love it: It doesn't have many bells and whistles, but fits and lives up to everything it claims. Silky against your skin, super wicking and just the right mix of funky and wearable, DannyShane's bamboo-based apparel is the new addition to my hand-wash pile so that I always have my favorite plaid kit on hand when needed." To Read More from Emily Zinn, visit: http://girlbikelove.com/2013/08/girl-gear-dannyshane-desert-mcqueen-cycling-jersey/

From Wade Burch: I just wanted to thank you for the generosity, it was for sure an awesome surprise. I'm a bit taken back by the thoughtfulness and also by the jersey fit too. I would say its probably the nicest piece of clothing I own (I'm serious!) and defiantly the nicest jersey if ever worn. The fit is as clean as the look, it's just dead on. I'm not sure what the future holds with the team kits, but I know for a fact if we don't pursue a relationship with DS, we will have a subpar kit. The Danny Shane kits are nothing short of fantastic. Thank you so much again, I'm truly flattered by your kindness.
*Wade Burch is a cyclist living and racing out of Lansing, Michigan. Wade is an accomplished cyclist with appearances at State Cyclocross Champinships (1st) and UCI Masters Cyclocross World Championships (23)

DannyShane Lausanne Review @ BikeRumor

From BikeRumor: "That said, the Bamboo White Ash fabric does a good job at pulling moisture away from the skin and the Lausanne is not any less comfortable that much lighter jerseys I own with similar fits. Though it’s a bit sacrilegious to get such a nice jersey dirty, I find that the Bamboo White Ash fabric does a good job at keeping me dry and the funk at bay, even under a big day pack, and it doesn’t seem as pill- or snag-prone as other high end fabrics."

And this: "Though I’ve been shifting to looser jerseys as temperatures head above 80 degrees, its look, fit, and construction have quickly made DannyShane’s first effort my fall and spring favorite."

To read the entire review at BikeRumor.com, click here.