“I love the opportunity to have a conversation shoulder to shoulder,” says Twilio regional vice-president Kristen Pimpini of his cycling habit.
First memory of riding a bike?
I got my first road bike when I was 11 years old. Over the summer holidays, I would ride near my grandparents’ beach house down on the Mornington Peninsula [in Victoria]. At one point, I got as far as Sorrento, not realising I had gone 40 kilometres. I had to ring Mum at the payphone to get picked up.How many bikes, and how do you know when you have too many?
I have five bikes in the garage – a road bike, a bike on the trainer, a mountain bike, a cyclocross bike and a single-speed bike. One can never have too many.I had my dream bike in 2012, a Look 695 Special Edition. I sold it to pay for air-conditioning for my house.Kind of riding? I am inclined towards road riding, mixed in with mountain bike rides just for the opportunity to ride with my three kids. As a middle-aged man, there is something immensely rewarding in unleashing my inner child in the dirt.Pick a goal, build a training plan from there and make sure to stay consistent. I would also highly recommend using technology such as heart rate monitors, power meters and apps like Zwift.
Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen, both Paris-Roubaix champion cyclists who duelled many times. I think they could share some incredible stories.I don’t believe you can ever be too old. A good friend of mine is in his early 70s and he continues to ride 300 to 400km a week. He is a real inspiration to me.Favourite piece of cycling gear?Due to COVID-19, we had to cancel a trip to Belgium in 2020 for the Paris-Roubaix. It is still on the bucket list, and I hope to be able to go in the near future.