Friday Profile: Tony H

He is known to some as Matt. But to the FGBC, he is known as Tony H, Vice President of Style. Starting with the shoes--the foundation of an outfit--all the way up to the eye- and headwear that present a vital opportunity for ornamentation, Tony knows that what you wear says a lot about a man. Come to think of it, the rest of us know that too. It's just that we're slightly less proud of what it says about us. And his quiver of bikes is a moving lesson in cool, as recherché as they are pretty. Tony is a living testimony to the truth of the fact that form always trumps function. Take, for example, the time he showed up at Birch for the Bring a Friend Event a couple of years back on a singlespeed cyclocross bike. A good choice for the fans, to be sure, but not exactly fitting for the rigors of the course at hand. By the time the poosher puked on the double camel and I wrecked my thumb on the descent that followed, Tony had given in to the belligerent terrain and turned his energies to the more gentlemanly task of beautifying the broom wagon. It is fair to say that his sartorial sensibilities have increased the stylistic quotient of the FGBC in a way that is simply immeasurable. We may be exactly what we are. But Tony has taken it upon himself to show us what we might be. We can't wait to see what new kit intitiatives he has in store for us. We can only hope that he will leak some information on his latest line at the Spring Ride next weekend.

We didn't so much recruit Tony as he recruited us. Out of the blue, he showed up one day in the comments section of the FGBC Blog and shortly thereafter joined us in person on a Tuesday Night Ride. Others have tried and failed to feel at home amid the sometimes unconventional practices of the FGBC. But Tony seemed as comfortable as the broken in Brooks saddle he likes to ride. It didn't take long before he took the lead in coordinating the order for the sweetest wool jersey in the world. His contributions to the FGBC have been noticed and much appreciated. The Secretary has been overheard boasting that it is the nicest piece of clothing he owns. He even wore it to the staff Christmas banquet a few years back. Tony comes to us from the Big Smoke. And he hasn't exactly taken to the rather more frigid climes typical of the Peg City. But come spring, he can be counted on to unveil a new set of wheels whose finishing touches he has spent the winter getting just-so.

Having done a handful of license-optional races over the past few years, the 2009 season marks the much anticipated debut of Tony on the Manitoba race scene. We can't wait to see how he performs. If nothing else, the races will be all the more elegant because of his presence. In addition to riding real bikes, Tony also loves him some vicarious racing. He has never failed to take part in the always titillating, yet often underappreciated, opportunity known as the FGBC Cycling Pool.

Did you know? Tony likes his books fine and his nuts warm.