The problem of what to wear on a ride isn’t so much about choice, as finding what’s right for you. For guys who don’t wanna look Euro-pro wannabe, there are choices too. Enter DeathRow Velo – a company as much about attitude as it is about making kit for riding and racing that has style, and makes good fiscal sense.
After talking a length with company founder John Landino, it was clear his place in this world is not so far from our own – while we provide an alternative view of world of pro cycling, Deathrow Velo offers a line of technical riding gear for riders who prefer a look that’s more urban cool than trade-team chic, and who don’t need to impress by spending $400 on bibshorts.
Perhaps even more interesting is that DRV launched at the bottom of the worst recession many of us remember – and not only survived, but are booking orders well into 2010. Dumb luck, or cunning business savvy… whatever it was, it seemed like a good jumping off point for our recent interview…
While the fit is intended to be between Racer & Club-cut, my size small samples fit on the bigger side of my 5’8”, 140lb frame, with a longer body and sleeves than Euro-cut brands.
I asked company honch John Landino for a few ‘non-marketing 101ish’ words on what makes Deathrow cool:
“I totally dig the new clothing designs in today’s culture and we wanted bring that same street style to the bike. I spend over 15 hours a week training and racing and was tired of riding in my “father’s cycling clothes” especially when we just might be inviting girls to watch us race.”
PEZ: Okay the name… kind of a head scratcher, what’s the story behind it?
John L.: True story: I was on my way back from the Capital Region Race in Albany with a few of my teammates. I was crapped in the back seat on a summer day with a bunch of sweaty smelly racers on a 3 hour ride back home. Race was 62 miles and just a terrible course of climbing. I sat in and held my ground the whole race and with 1K to go was suffering but still had some juice left. Instead of hitting the last set of hills hard to get free of the pack (what was left of it) I drafted and when I was ready to go I got boxed in bad. Had to sit there to the line and finished 21st. I was furious with myself and on the ride home we were playing some hiphop music and I just blurted out “DeathRow Velo” in anger and ever since then have slowly worked on starting the DRV brand. It was very weird but since that moment in the car I knew I had to do this. Moral to the story: DON’T GET BOXED IN…sprint!!!!
DRV jersey's are made with Coolmax, and the short sleeve models come with a 3/4 hidden zipper.
PEZ: The brand is pretty new, you pretty much launched in the middle of a recession. How has the year been, and the brand been received?
John L.: Good question… as we launched in February and March was the economic low point, we were less than enthusiastic about sales until May, which is when we finally saw the hundreds of page views per day of our website, www.deathrowvelo.com, turn into good sales numbers. Even now as the winter is starting, the orders keep coming in, due in part to that cycling fashion void we fill; fun and aggressive without becoming novelty items. The responses from the consumers really validated our ideas, designs and fabric choices for cycling clothing at reasonable prices.
Shaun Dean, Clothing Buyer, at Sids Bikes NYC told me: “our customers love the edgy look and the quality is very high”. We attended InterBike East just in October and really began the first exposure with the retail segment which is how Shaun met us. What was very interesting is the shop attendees and some of the weekend consumers purchased enough DRV clothes to cover our costs for the trip. We had many comments like “this was the only thing I bought at the show” or “this was my find of the show”.
DRV bib shorts are made from 82% nylon plus 18% spandex fabric, and have a 9 panel construction with mesh breathable shoulder straps and silicone leg grippers. The padding is Coolmax Antibacterial Chamois cooling silica gel insert, which is designed to reduce the loads on the body by absorbing vibrations.
PEZ: Now that you’ve established a foothold in the clothing category, who is emerging as the DRV customer?
John L.: The DRV customer has spread between road, MTB and cyclocross riders. The rider age and occupations are just as diverse, from 55 year old engineers to teenagers whose parents are buying the kits for them. We do seem to have tapped into a segment of cyclists who were previously content to be unattached, as many of our customers apply to join our team as well: www.teamdrv.com. The common thread is a hunger for our unique designs and good quality clothes that don’t run $600 for a jersey and bib.
PEZ: The brand looks to have pretty strong roots in the North east. Is it available at retail in the midwest, or west?
John L.: Yes, of course we are based out of Ridgewood, NJ so the product exposure has been more acute in the NE. Our first foray into the retail space was at Interbike East just last month, and we plan on being at Interbike in Vegas next year. As of now we don’t have any retail outlets in the West or Midwest but hopefully that will change. Interested dealers can contact me directly from the website here.
The line includes jerseys (short & long sleeves), shorts and bibs, vests, jackets, skinsuits, caps, and arm & leg warmers (shown above).
PEZ: How do you reconcile your online store with retail shops - sometimes the two don't mix.
John L.: We plan on offering direct, 3rd party etail and retail procurement, as each sales portal must have access to consumers to purchase DRV products. We don’t discount on our website –as long as we adhere to this business approach we feel we can be successful, just as other industry suppliers have.
PEZ: The kit – where is it made?
John L.: All DRV products are made in Asia; our manufacturer produces cycling clothing for many other best in class brands. This was key in our vendor selection process, as high quality is at the core of who we are and what we are trying to accomplish. We are very lucky to be working with them, as large or small orders are filled quickly and shipping from Asia now can range from 3 – 7 days to us.
Prices range from US$79.00 for jerseys, up to $110.00 for bibshorts – affordable for most budgets.
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
As the final Madison got underway the arena was packed to the rafters, all the talk of Six Days in crisis forgotten for now. The finale was ... More....
Six Day racing comes to Berlin for the 99th time on Thursday, 28th January, 2010 with the great tradition of winter track racing in Germany in a ... More....
American Classic spent the last couple of years reworking their line up and the 420 Aeros are the latest to leave the bench. Take a look at the new ... More....
A couple years in the making, Pez head up to see arguably the top custom builder on the planet. We hit Serotta's NY shop, take a peek at their ... More....
You’ve still got today and all of tomorrow to ‘git ‘er done! Your holiday shopping that is… and armed with the complete set of 4 gift guides ... More....
If the stocking's not full - somebody's not doing their job. Good thing we're here to help with a big ol' bag full of the kind of stuff we'd love to ... More....
Winter riding is almost upon us - except for you lucky Aussies - and that means less riding outdoors. But with an indoor trainer and a Netflix ... More....
Many ergogenic aids, both legal and illegal, have been touted as the magic bullet that will improve cycling performance. What about something that ... More....
Having goals is one of the important first steps in achieving your dreams. They can be small goals or they can be big goals, but without them you’ll ... More....
Is cycling your religion, or at least one of them? If so, you’re not alone. Many people define themselves as “spiritual,” even if they don’t practice ... More....
Post-Giro Roadside: I love Scotland; but there’s no Gazzetta in the morning, most of the coffee tastes like John Wayne brewed it beside the ... More....
Sunday July 20th 1969; that’s 40 years ago now but I remember it clearly as the day that I first became aware of professional bicycle racing – I was ... More....
Roadside Recap: As we make our merry way through the rounds of the PEZ Looks Back, Ed is up for his retrospective on the Tour that was. As the ... More....
Coming on four years ago, Saul Raisin was one of THE big things in US pro cycling. Top 40 in a hard Tour de Suisse and mountain king at the Tour de ... More....
The last time we spoke to Garmin's Steve Cozza was after the 2008 Paris - Tours; where he produced another solid performance from a consistent and ... More....
Just about to start his second season with Cervélo - thanks to strong Classic rides and his first Grand Tour finish, in the Giro - Englishman, Dan ... More....
In October, nine-time Tour de France rider Frankie Andreu announced that he would be Director Sportif of the Ohio-based KENDA Pro Cycling p/b ... More....
With so many (too many?) others looking back to best-of-2009 or decade highlights, why not look ahead? A new decade beckons, after all, so who better ... More....
We first talked with Lostende Bike Tours owner and avid cyclist Allan Reeves about his Pyrenees Cycling Challenge, from the Atlantic to the ... More....
So, riding in Texas is mostly flat, with only tumbleweeds and armadillos to avoid right? Well, not exactly. You see, Austin is situated in what’s ... More....
Roadside St. 14 When you start each new Giro you understand you’re a year older. You feel a stranger to the village approach and for a moment ... More....
Professional cycling has, over the years, attracted only a few documentary film makers. A few, such as Jorgen Leth’s “A Sunday in Hell,” have even ... More....
I’m just digging out from a few days at the BMC training camp, and while I won’t be reporting on doing Jaeger-bombs and Redbulls with Cadel & George, ... More....
Race report: Alejandro Valverde stayed upright to seal his Vuelta victory – the first Grand Tour win of his career. On such a short stage, ... More....
Race Report: Today David Millar won his 5th stage in all his Vuelta’s, he was given one of the swords that Toledo is famous for along with the ... More....
The loss of Franco Ballerini is not one that will be forgotten anytime soon. The sport's best are at a loss and two of the greatest riders of our ... More....
Updated! Hallelujah, they're racing in Qatar, and I just got back from celebrating with every other New Orleanian on Bourbon Street. There's ... More....
It was a dark Sunday morning in Italy when the news services announced that Franco Ballerini, ex-professional, former dual Paris-Roubaix winner and ... More....
The maracas shake, 'Cara mia, mine !' blasts from the PA. Bang! The little cannon fires and the hall fills with smoke. Yes, this is the right place, ... More....
When the K-Mart Classic of West Virginia stormed through the state in the mid-90s, it opened awareness as to just how great the bike riding is in ... More....
After riding the final 17 sectors of Paris-Roubaix yesterday, and typing to you with still swollen, sore, and blistered hands, I understand to my ... More....
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/amclass/amc420alarge.jpg",900,698);)
![](javascript:showpic("http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/photos/tech/serotta/meilarge.jpg",2000,1244);)
