PART 1: Focus on the slice
The Giro Empire started as a one-off aero-shoe designed for Taylor Phinney to help him win the prologue at the 2012 Giro d’Italia, emulating the look of Nike’s mercurial soccer cleats, which Phinney loved as a kid. After winning that year’s prologue, he crashed in a road stage and destroyed his Giro Factor road shoes. Phinney wore the Empires after that, including on the podium after a stage, where his bloody ankle was photographed with the silver and neon green lace-ups. An icon was born. Why am I thinking about shoes lying in hospital bed in Zurich? More on that in a minute. First, let’s start with Andy Stumpf.
I don’t know Stumpf; I don’t think he even rides a bike. While in ICU last week though I listened to him on Rogan talk about SEAL training. Zwifting for hours seems soft by comparison. Being a SEAL takes you to the brink. The queen-stage is a five-day exam on two hours sleep. At this very moment I can only liken that to pulling a catheter out — twice — in a couple hours. I am sure there are better cycling analogies to apply here, but such is life currently.
The updated Empires caught my eye in September at Eurobike. At my request, Giro generously sent a pair and granted me interviews to supplement a larger product feature (which will follow in Part II). While other parts of life have recently taken over - COVID, worsening health, a spinal tumour - I haven’t been able to ride much. That will soon change; many now find themselves in this boat and I wonder how many are focusing on the pie - Twitter, news, survivalism Reddit’s, kids, freelancing (an undigestible and acidic slurry) - versus the slice - family, cycling and health (a critical holy trinity)?
Without cycling I wouldn’t have noticed something was wrong with my spine. I wouldn’t have pushed for a MRI. I wouldn’t have been reminded to slow down, focus on what matters, exert energy on things I can control and disregard the things I cannot. The slice.
The Empires are undoubtedly a design icon of modern cycling, rubbing shoulders with the Gabba, the Octal and a couple others. The above pic caught my eye several times while lying in hospital because of how much I can’t wait to ride in them and get back to things I can control. Cycling takes on a new, different dimension when you can’t do it. That’s recently been underscored, as has the generosity of people who support and read HNH - the slice I can soon focus on again; a piece of a much larger pie.
Next week I’ll start riding the updated Empires. Until then, iconic images continue to keep me motivated to focus on what’s important. Things that make me feel and think. Weather this storm similarly and you’ll probably be OK, too.