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Guests: Mark Norstad; Colleen Kelly Alexander
Mark Norstad might just be the most important frame builder’s supplier anywhere and I have a lengthy conversation with him this week.
Mark started Paragon Machine Works in 1983 – since then, it moved from his parents’ basement with just Mark as the only employee, to a small 1,000 square foot shop, then up to 2,000 and now it’s 8,000 square feet and 10 full time people.
Manufacturing everything from bottom brackets and lugs to custom dropouts and cable stops, Mark believes it is important to serve both the hobbyist as well as the established builder.
We also talk about his induction in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and his broad and deep commitment to bicycle advocacy.
My second guest is Colleen Kelly Alexander. Her new book, “Gratitude in Motion: A True Story of Hope, Determination, and the Everyday Heroes Around Us” takes us into Colleen’s life – from the early days of her Dad’s bicycle shop to the horrific crash that crushed her from sternum to thighs when a freight truck ran a stop sign and rolled over her – with both sets of wheels.
She spent 5 weeks in a coma and endured at least 29 surgeries. Yet, today, Colleen runs, rides, and speaks about what keeps her indomitable spirit buoyant and forward looking.