I was chasing a pro career, training 20+ hours a week on top of a full-time job. Then an Achilles rupture turned into a life-threatening infection: five surgeries, months in bed. Within a year of leaving the hospital, I crossed the finish line in Kona. Slower, but free.

Back on the bike, one question kept nagging me: why does everything in cycling look the same? Ardei is my answer. No investors, no big team. Just bold kit designed in Denver, tested on real roads, for riders who don't want to blend in.