Amundsen Portrait | Ronnie Romance

Ronnie, Ron, Ultra Romance… whatever you call him, he is hard to miss. Between the vintage bikes, bushy beard, short shorts, and thick sweaters, his romantic and self-governed life is indicative of simpler times. We spent the day chasing Mr. Romance around Lyme, Connecticut – the Capital of “Nutmeg Country” – to see if we could taste the freedom he so eloquently speaks of…


Can you tell us a little bit about your earliest experiences on the bike? Did you know from an early age that you wanted it to be a part of your life long-term?

I grew up in a small town where you could get anywhere you wanted on a bike.  So, from an early age (like most kids of my generation) it was the ticket to latch-key freedom.  I would ride to school with my friends each morning, and then hit the trails on our way home.  It was the early 90s, and the first mountain biking boom in the US was in full swing.  The aspirations for the cool boutique parts in the magazines, and emulating the neon clad dirt heroes within the pages consumed my brain.  I couldn’t focus in school — too busy thinking about riding.  So yes, I think I knew from about age 12 that this was going to be my life.

We understand you’ve lived in several places across the USA, but what is it about Connecticut’s “Nutmeg Country” that brought you home?

I never thought I’d end up back here, but family has a way of drawing you back in…  I don’t think we’d be here if it weren’t for the pandemic encouraging us to settle down from our life on the road, but I can’t complain.  Both my partner Tenzin’s family and mine live nearby, and we found a dreamy old farmstead to put roots down in.  I am reminded every time I point my tires out of the driveway how good I have it with the timeless beauty of the roads, trails, and architecture in our quiet corner of the historic Connecticut river valley.  We still get out for a few months of the year, but home really feels like home these days.


How do you feel the aesthetic and culture of New England has impacted the way you view cycling and bicycles themselves (in the context of hyper-technical biking trends)?

Good question. There is certainly a correlation between architecture that is intentionally built to withstand the sands of time and the way myself and others in our area approach our bicycle builds.  It is a Yankee (New England local) cultural indicator to repair over replace, and this adage is evident nearly everywhere you look around here.  The hyper technical stuff just stands out like a sore thumb when the backdrop is a ribbon of a farm road lined with rubbly stone walls (Connecticut has over 100,000 miles of stone walls).

Who is “Ultra Romance”, are he and Ronnie one and the same?

Ultra Romance is a moniker I have been using for a few decades now, and I suppose it comes from my days as an aspirational glam metal singer/professional wrestler.  Ronnie just sounds fun as the civilian name of this character.  So yes, Ultra Romance and Ronnie are one and the same.  Maybe one day I will make it as a glam rocker yet!  Maybe Norway is my calling?


How has your relationship with music influenced your creative flair when in the saddle? Any particularly inspirational artists?

Absolutely.  Riding and listening to music go together quite well in my opinion — especially on long rides where the rhythms really enhance the pedal stroke.  For me, it is doomy slow and sludgy metal in the grey winter months, and more bluesy Black Sabbath type stuff in the summer.  Some favorites of mine are Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, Agalloch, Fluisteraars, Floor, Pallbearer, Dio, Om, Dawnbringer, Opeth, Pagan Altar…

Can you speak to the early history of cycling, when the objective was simply getting out into nature? How does this influence how you view the activity contemporarily?

I feel it is important to explore all levels and layers of cycling — I consider myself a “wholistic cyclist” who likes to dabble in a little bit of it all.  Racing is great when racing is great, camping is fun too — but yes, I tend to lean more on cycling as a tool to connect me deeper with nature.  Sure, I can go out and do that on foot, but you are able to cover far much more distance on two wheels – while still traveling at a pace that lets you absorb your surroundings.  This is no doubt how the earliest cyclists used the bicycle — the fitness and defined leg muscles are an added bonus.  

We talk a lot about the importance to “Play Well” (in the spirit of a child), how have you managed to maintain a playful energy throughout your life and what is the importance of that to you?

I have always been a little averse to growing up.  I had a good gig on a charter fishing boat for 16 years that kept me away from “serious work” though my mid 30s, and always tried to stretch the dollar as much as possible to keep me from having to spend my days earning money.  It worked out for me and I was able to slowly transition my recreational lifestyle into a way to earn a living over the last 10 years.  I pinch myself often, but I suppose it’s the playful outlook mixed with a financially frugal lifestyle that made it work.  Happy it did!  Part of being playful is not really having a backup plan!

In Norway, we have the philosophy of Friluftsliv, do you identify with this? If so, how does it manifest in your life?

I think there are a few throughlines between being a Norwegian and a Yankee — I happen to be both!  The concept of ‘leave little trace’ while looking to nature for design (both life and physical) is the path of least resistance.  I think we’ve pushed against big ‘momma nature’ enough and are now fully realizing that… so hopefully more folks aspire to live like Norwegian Yankees!


What does an ideal “day in the life” look like for Ronnie Romance?

Up around sunrise in Hadlyme, CT.  Make coffee on a Hario V60 pour over (very important) and start the oats on the stove.  I read up on bike websites in a chair in the sun while I sip my coffee and open emails while eating my oats. 9-3 is spent on emails, product design, customer bike builds, and media stuff.  Once 3 rolls around I start getting ready to ride and usually head out until 6 or so.  Then I make some sort of bean-based dish for dinner and play chess or watch some bike racing while eating said bean dish.  Maybe a short walk after dinner before my push-ups and core workout stretch routine right before bed.  The first and last thing I eat each day is dark chocolate.  Divine 85% is my favorite brand.

If you had to spend each season, for one year, in a different place – what would those four locations be, and why?

Mmm, that is nice to think about.  Winter in the Sonoran Desert, Spring in the southern Sierras, Summer in the Rocky Mountains, and Fall in New England of course!  I am lucky to have that be a near reality for me.  The desert of southern Arizona in the winter is magical.  Sunny warm days and crisp nights.  Lots of riding and sunbathing when you most need it! The Southern Sierras of California tend to dry out early in the spring after the winter rains have made everything vibrantly green.  Wild flowers and wild water.  Snow capped peaks.  I sight to behold!  The Rockies in the summer cannot be beat.  The trails are ripping, and the weather feels climate controlled.  Fall in New England is what fall looks like in many people’s minds for a reason.  The leaves put on the most magical show right before it all comes tumbling down into the grey winter.  Then it’s time to head to Arizona again!

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