Early days of my BroomWagon Podcast 🚌, 2015, just try to visualise it: a young(er) Calamaro locked in a red room without windows, located in the offices of a famous startup in Brandeburg.
A BroomWagon 🚌 Podcast Dream
One microphone, one computer, a stool and a crazy idea: talk with the incredible personalities that populate the cycling world and and have fun scouting topics and events of passion. One of those last ones? The Tro Bro Leon, an adventure race in Bretagne on a terrain that resambles a Godzilla version of the Paris Roubaix. I wanted to ride it, I wanted to watch it, I wanted to talk about it. Whom with though? With the person that visibly caracterized that awesome race: Dan Craven aka Dan from Nam. I tried everything I could to have him on the other side of the phone line, but it was not possible, and I carried on with other project.
Dan Craven and Stefano: second try
Now flash forward to phase #2: it is 2022, my first time at Bespoked London where I walk through exploring the British custom bike community, where I celebrate my last episode of a miniseries with Josh Ibbett, and were Dan is presenting for the first time in the European soil his project Onguza: custom steel bikes Made Out Here in Omaruru, Namibia. I finally met Dan and we spent one full evening on an afterparty sofa, off-records-discussing projects, materials and riding bikes. We ended the talk promising to restart the conversation, but next time on the broadcast stream of a BroomWagon.
The dream come true
Life went through though, we haven't talk since that day when, following my dream of a quiver killer, I posted on social media a photo of my road bike announcing listing it to be sold. Many messages hit my mailbox (but nobody really interested on buying it) and between them also a special one:
Dan 🐐: But the real question is, Stefano, what are you replacing your red bike with?
Calamaro 🦑 Ah, awesomely asked question Dan. I don't know yet, but it has to be comfortable for gravel and capable for road. And with a metal frame, I really want something for life.
Dan 🐐 I know what you mean Stefano, I absolutely know it.
Calamaro 🦑: I know you do. Anyway, how is Onguza doing, and, would you be in for jumping on the BroomWagon 🚌?
Dan 🐐: Yes Stefano, I think it is time.
A few days (and a bunch of fantastic videos, exclusively provided me by Dan) later, that moment finally arrived. 2 hour of chatting about life, branding, cycling, dreams, piglets, Tro Bro Leon and Onguza. Honestly, if the BroomWagon 🚌 stopped at that moment, I would be feel incredibly gratefull and accomplished for this inspiring piece of experience I put live a few weeks ago. Here is the full episode, I hope you enjoy listen to it at least as much how I enjoyed spending time on the mic with this incredible human being called Dan Craven.
