Thank You, Andy

Andy is leaving Airdrop Bikes for bigger and better (well, bigger anyway) things. We're going to go back to being a three-man brand, but we're also stoked for Andy.

For the last couple of years, Airdrop has been a four-man brand. Well, four-man and two-dog, to be precise. Me (Ed), James, Andy and Craig have done everything ourselves; from designing the bikes, buying the parts, building orders and looking after customers, to marketing, finance, taking out the bins... you get the idea. When we say we're an independent brand, we really mean it.

Now, after pulling a 6 year shift on the tools, Andy is leaving Airdrop.

Back in 2019, Airdrop was just me and James, working out of the old (cold) workshop on Alderson Road. We had the Edit v2, the Bitmap and the Fade, which was still new. We were only selling 10-15 bikes and frames per month, but the two of us were struggling to do all the work. In secret, we were developing the Slacker, hoping to get The Slacker Project launched soon.

About that time we got a text from a dude called Andy. He had been working at Vertigo Bikes in Queenstown, and prior to that he'd done a few seasons in Whistler. Andy was planning to move back to the UK, and he needed a job. As the crew at Vertigo were all good friends, he got in touch with James to see if we had a job for him. Which we didn't.

It's worth understanding that then (as now), we basically had no money. I think I was paying myself £12k a year and eating porridge twice a day to stay alive. We sublet a desk to Joe Bowman (Steel City Media) to help cover the rent. However, I did have big plans for Airdrop and had to admit, we needed the help. So we asked Andy if he'd like to drop in and have a chat.

Meanwhile I did some digging. James assured me that Andy was sound, and I'm pretty sure he wanted a bit of help in the workshop. I called Pang at Vertigo and he just told me Andy was an absolute GC* and I needed to employ him.

So Andy turned up for a chat and basically... didn't chat. I did most of the talking, which was kinda weird. He'd driven 7+ hours from Perthshire to visit and then didn't have a huge amount to say. It was my first experience of Andy's efficiency in communicating. But at least he was there, which counted for something. By interrogating him I figured out he was a sound guy and pretty much would come and work for me if I asked him to. With what James had said and with Pang's backup I took a punt and offered him a job. He accepted. And then told me he couldn't start for another three months.

What I didn't fully understand then, and to be honest I don't fully understand now, was why on earth anyone would move from New Zealand to Scotland, and then from Scotland to Sheffield, just to come and work in a damp, mouldy old workshop for a company nobody had ever heard of. If Andy knew, he wasn't saying. But he must have seen something in Airdrop that made him do it. And I'm glad he did. Because he turned out to be every bit the GC Pang had promised, a hard worker, a great mechanic and a good friend too. Andy almost singlehandedly motivated and organised our trips to Ard Rock, Tweedlove and Steel City DH. During Covid lockdowns, he spent long periods working on his own in the workshop to make sure everyone got their orders. He shared his skill and experience with us on the dark arts of suspension tuning and servicing, wheel building and more. And he just got on with it all quietly and carefully, always doing things well. Especially holding bikes for me to photograph.

During the last six years, we had a tonne of good times together, especially at his Wedding to Emma. The speeches had a surprisingly high Airdrop content, which helped me understand how big a part of his life Airdrop had become (thanks for that Rab).

If you're one of the 2000 (ish) people who have bought a bike or frame from us since 2019, there's a good chance you've had some dealings with Andy. Maybe you've called the workshop and he's answered, or he's helped you out via email, or he's built your bike for you. I suspect if you have, you'll have found him to be quiet and unassuming, but thoughtful, intelligent, kind and extremely diligent. There are few more capable bike mechanics out there in the world. And if you've ever seen him ride a bike then you'll know that he absolutely rips. Everyone he's smoked in the SDA over the years can attest to that.

What that all means is that Andy is very much a part of what Airdrop has become; he didn't just work with us, he put his life and soul into it, as we all have. And even though he's leaving now, the part of Airdrop that is Andy is going to stay. If you're a regular in Wharncliffe you'll still be seeing him around, busting out more laps than most.

Andy's off to be head mechanic for Axess Racing on the Downhill World Cup (or whatever it's called nowadays). I don't think he wanted to leave, but when an opportunity like that comes up you have to grab it, and we're stoked for him. He's got friends there too, and it's a chance for him to really push his skills in a race environment. In a way it's a sad time for us because nobody has ever left Airdrop yet, and we're gonna miss Andy. But my overall feeling right now is gratitude that we got to work with him for such a long time.

We're not planning to replace Andy even if we could. Maybe one day we'll need a bit of extra help, or the right person will come along just like Andy did. But for now, we're going to go back to being a three-man brand with just myself, James and Craig. In these difficult times, there's a lot to be said for being a small and independent brand, and we intend to keep it that way.

We got lucky getting Andy in the first place really. He'd have been a brilliant addition to any company in the industry, but for reasons best known to himself, he chose Airdrop. He's helped us to make it what it is today, which I hope is something good in the world. With his departure, some things are going to change (more on that later), but most things are staying the same. We're still committed to making the best bikes we can, finding the best customers to ride them, supporting them and hoping they spread the good word about Airdrop. And above all, we still remember what bikes are all about: good times.

So thanks for everything, Andy.

*If you don't know what a GC is, google it. Just don't use image search :-)