U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a Weight Weenie?

[uraqt]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-kerry- ... 1433105684

From what I have seen on line he has had that bike least from 2004, he is a 6'4" so it's most likely a custom bike...

C

[sawyer]

Hope he makes a speedy recovery.

It is cool that he's a serious road bike enthusiast who clearly thinks his kit through and knows a bit about it. Not a weight weenie though, or an aero weenie for that matter

I wouldn't want a Serrotta under any circumstances but perhaps it's custom, it's American, (was) a local business etc. It's had some thought put into it, that's for sure ...

Are they carbon clinchers? I was hoping he was on tubs. Still - he's obviously spending time looking at his bike and thinking it through. Check out the orange matching helmet!

Castelli socks and leg warmers. Black socks would be better here John!

Surprised he's not on SRAM to make it all yankee-doodle

Matching Serotta bottles!

Wonder if Cyclefit were involved with that front end?

All joking aside, hope he is ok and back on the bike soon

[fromtrektocolnago]

Serrota's don't do it for me, but I like what Ken Bedford is doing these days. Firefly does some nice Ti and Ti-Carbon bikes as well, but I don't imagine either ride as comfortably as what they did under Ben.

[swinter]

Who's riding next to him? . . . Seem like his domestique, ready to hand over his bike in case of something happens.

It's got to be his Secret Service Agent or the equivalent State Department bodyguard.

[jo.k]

Pretty sure that qualifies as domestique

[Tomstr]

I wish mine would be armed too

[HammerTime2]

Who's riding next to him? . . . Seem like his domestique, ready to hand over his bike in case of something happens.

It's got to be his Secret Service Agent or the equivalent State Department bodyguard.

Think of it this way. that Kerry rides increases job opportunities for amateur-level professional (i.e.,getting paid to ride) cyclists. Not only do they have to know how to shoot, they have to pack heat (a serious not so light weapon) and still be able to keep up with Kerry. There were also such jobs under George W. Bush, but that was MTB, not climbing and descending cols in the Alps.

Who's riding next to him? ... Seem like his domestique, ready to hand over his bike in case of something happens.

More like, "ready to hand over his life" if something happens.

[fromtrektocolnago]

Doesn't work that way. When a President or a secretary of state decides to ride a bike, horse or engage in some sport, the secret service are expected to provide protection. To that end a call goes out to all secret service men to see who has the skill or is willing to learn. With Reagan they were sent to take horse-back lessons. Not everyone cut the mustard so to speak, but they eventually found enough members who received and passed training. They do not recruit new cyclists to join the secret service.

[HammerTime2]

Doesn't work that way. When a President or a secretary of state decides to ride a bike, horse or engage in some sport, the secret service are expected to provide protection. To that end a call goes out to all secret service men to see who has the skill or is willing to learn. With Reagan they were sent to take horse-back lessons. Not everyone cut the mustard so to speak, but they eventually found enough members who received and passed training. They do not recruit new cyclists to join the secret service.

You misinterpreted my remarks and perhaps don't understand dynamic economic evolution. The net effect is as I described, even though the first level short-term mechanics of the recruitment process may be as you describe.

[HammerTime2]

Doesn't work that way. When a President or a secretary of state decides to ride a bike, horse or engage in some sport, the secret service are expected to provide protection. To that end a call goes out to all secret service men to see who has the skill or is willing to learn. With Reagan they were sent to take horse-back lessons. Not everyone cut the mustard so to speak, but they eventually found enough members who received and passed training. They do not recruit new cyclists to join the secret service.

You misinterpreted my remarks and perhaps don't understand dynamic economic evolution. The net effect is as I described, even though the first level short-term mechanics of the recruitment process may be as you describe. Over time, as more and more people needing protection ride at an athletic level, the secret service will have to recruit athletically capable agents (strong cyclists or those with demonstrated athletic ability), even if it takes a while until they have received enough training to be serve on a security detail.

So yes, if you want to become a secret service agent and are a strong cyclist or other athlete (for instance, runner), highlight it prominently in your application and resume.

[fromtrektocolnago]

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2004-0 ... ain-biking

"We do train agents in mountain biking," said Special Agent Ann Roman. "But we don't get into specifics about the training that we do, for obvious reasons."

The Secret Service maintains a list of agents and their athletic skills, said William Pickering, a special agent based in Los Angeles whose duties have required him to ski alongside President Gerald R. Ford and boat near the elder George Bush when he was vice president and president.

"If we don't have the skills for it, we will train," Pickering said.

[boysa]

They're not secret service. State Dep't Diplomatic Security.

[fromtrektocolnago]

where does it say, it wasn't the secret service who rode with him?

It's always the secret service, to the best of my understanding..

Kerry’s cycling habit didn’t even stop during his 2004 presidential bid, when he remained a regular customer at Belmont Wheelworks, a well-regarded bike shop a few miles outside Boston. Wheelworks co-owner Clint Paige said the store also helped to set up bikes for Secret Service agents who were assigned to cover then-candidate Kerry.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/john-kerry- ... 1433105684

[swinter]

boysa is probably correct. when Kerry was a candidate for the Presidency, he would have had Secret Service. As Sect'y of State, it is State Dept. gig.

[boysa]

Because he's the Secretary of State, US Department of State Diplomatic Security protects him. Secret Service handles Presidents, and by extension, candidates for President in the general election, but that ends immediately after the election.

Now, if this picture is from when he was running for President, then it would have been Secret Service. But if it's during his tenure at State... it's DS.