David Epstein- Peddling to Team President

Listen to David Talk about Cycle Racing

David Epstein is the President of the Low country VW Cycle Racing team, but his journey to that position began on the soccer field.

David is 51 and with his wife of 28 years, has parented two grown children.  He’s president of Southern Components, a custom millwork, cabinet and window sash company.

David had always been athletic.   As a student he played golf and swam.  Later he moved to the fierce, high impact competition of the soccer pitch.  He played front striker and left side midfielder.  Both positions called for a lot of running and pivoting.  The injuries piled up until an ACL knee injury resulted in a Doctor’s recommendation to find another sport.

David had already been cycling for five years, using the long breaks between soccer games to explore the areas he was visiting.  He had his wife enjoyed cycling and often ran into cycle racers.  He became interested.  With the Doctor’s ultimatum, he hung up his cleats and picked up a bike.  Cycling was interesting and looked safer and more fluid, easier on the body.

It hasn’t all been easy.  The competitive spirit which pushed David on the soccer pitch didn’t go away.  He rides fast in the Master’s races and, like everyone who likes to be up front, sometimes finds himself running out of room.  In a circuit race like the one held in I’On, up in York in 2006 he got squeezed into a corner by the pack, went over a fence and azelia and into someone’s yard, landing on his shoulder.  His “bike was fine.”  He dusted off and finished the race.  David says, “If you race you will spill.” David says there’s a lot of adrenalin when you race and the endorphins kick in after.

As President of the team, he leads a group of people, “that are really driven.”  He’s excited about the growth of the team and the many new riders that are coming up.  A bigger, more competitive team can make an impact on issued like bicycle safety and promoting bicycling as a mode or transportation in the Lowcountry.

Being President means running meetings and budgets, but also participating in the practice rides where the team hones its skills and helps new riders improve.  Cycle teams race cooperatively, with members working together to help a team member win while other members of the team may protect their position.  With all the action happening in the tight tolerances of mere inches, timing and accuracy are critical as is communication.  David helps pull all this together while working with sponsors.  It’s a big job for a growing team.

David says, “I love sports, I love people and you take the good with the bad.  It’s about health, fitness and new attitudes.”

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