CT: EXPOSED BY A STRAVA KOM

[Flasher]

So hard to imagine people getting away with this kind of nonsense, 5 minutes on Google should get you found out!

[spud]

^ agreed. any of the claims he made about guest riding PR should have immediately set every alarm bell ringing. Perhaps part of his genius is knowing to never say something like that to an actual racer, and knowing his audience very well.

[Mocs123]

People like this just don't know when to stop embelishing. If he'd just said he came in 5th during the 1993 Austrailian Time Trial NC, you'd probably never be able to prove him wrong, but top 3 in a World Championship - easier to find records on - even from '93, and to be honest, would that be any less impressive to the folks coming in and out of his shop? Even if he'd just left it that he was a retired pro and came in 3rd during the '93 World's it's doubtful if anyone would have ever found out and maybe he thought that would give a boost to his bike shop (not that most people care if they are buying a bike from a retired pro or not) but making up a fake pro team and getting an invite to ride PR at 42 after being retired for years is crazy bold. How would you ever think he wouldn't get caught?

Either way it's sad for everyone involved including Clark, who obviously felt some need to be something more than he was - a nice guy running a bike shop, and his womens team, who I for one question his intentions behind creating. I guess they did get a free Colnago out of it despite being paid for by Clark out of pocket (or at least the shop's pocket).

People like that don't seem to realize the pain they leave when their lies get exposed and the house of cards falls in. I hope Clark is able to get the help that he needs before more people get hurt by his lies.

[AJS914]

This kind of lying isn't logical. A logical person would think 'don't lie' or 'maybe a little white lie' won't hurt anyone or 'if I stop now and stop mentioning these crazier things' I'll never be caught. But this guys brain obviously needs to keep uping the lie for no reason. He makes up more lies, he has replica bikes fabricated, etc. The fake Italian team and Paris-Roubaix thing was completely uncessary. What cred did that get him? Did it help him sell more bikes?

A person like this must love the thrill of living on the edge of maybe getting caught.

[Karvalo]

Either way it's sad for everyone involved including Clark, who obviously felt some need to be something more than he was - a nice guy running a bike shop,

Did we read the same article?

[Mocs123]

@Karvalo - "nice guy" meaning he was likeable charismatic guy and not necessarily a good person. My intent was to say that he could have just been a likeable guy that owned a local bike shop and was involved in the local cycling community rather than an Ex-pro, 3rd Place JR World Champion, Pave Specialist, etc.... that owned a bike shop. Obviously he was disatisfied with just being that likeable bike shop owner and went to go to great lengths (and expense) to fabricate an former life.

I mean most of us frequent local bike shops and have relationships with the owners of those shops and I am sure 95% of those owners never raced professionally, much less podiumed in a World Championship. Sure most of them have probably been involved in cycling in one way or another their whole life (as I'm not sure anyone owns or works in a bike shop for the money) but not that the World Tour levels, and we still buy things there. Did pretending to be an ex Pro get him that many more sales?

I am not condoning what he did, and I'm not saying he's a victim, but he obviously has some issues that he needs to get help for.

[Karvalo]

Obviously he was disatisfied with just being that likeable bike shop owner and went to go to great lengths (and expense) to fabricate an former life.

Again not sure if we read the same article. It's not just the bike shop. He did it before to be a Fortune 500 CEO, he did it afterwards to be a firearms instructor, he's been doing it for his whole life. He didn't do it because he suddenly wished he was someone else, he did it because this is who he is and always has been.

[TobinHatesYou]

Either way it's sad for everyone involved including Clark, who obviously felt some need to be something more than he was - a nice guy running a bike shop, and his womens team, who I for one question his intentions behind creating. I guess they did get a free Colnago out of it despite being paid for by Clark out of pocket (or at least the shop's pocket).

People like that don't seem to realize the pain they leave when their lies get exposed and the house of cards falls in. I hope Clark is able to get the help that he needs before more people get hurt by his lies.

He doesn't give a shit about the community he built around the shop. He gives a shit about Nick Clark. The shop was an accessory to his fake persona, not the other way around.

[spud]

^ Truth. To "embelish" your accomplishments to build a rep in the cycling world (low yield) is the definition of long haul/short slide. At least with the CEO gig, he made some $ out of it, rather doubt he made any real money in the bike shop. This dude is flat out crazy.

[Karvalo]

A shop with high end brands in an affluent community that attracts that many people to its group rides? There is good money to be made there.

[tymon_tm]

rather doubt he made any real money in the bike shop

why?

why selling high end stuff in an ever growing market is supposed to not to turn a profit? afaik bike joints, especially those that focus on expensive toys and form some kind of community around them, make their owners sort of rich. when you think of how much price tags have gone up in last decade, and the fact the 10k+ bikes are not a rarity anymore, such shops simply M U S T be successful

[Mocs123]

Perhaps you're right, but I know where my LBS owner lives and what he drives and I certainly don't get the impression that he's getting rich. (Shop started in 1973 and he bought it in 2002). I mean he has a house and a serviceable vehicle, but it doesn't scream making a ton of money. Of course it might be a bit more of a blue collar shop selling Cannondale, Scott, and Salsa bikes and Perl Izumi clothing. One of the other two shops in town (Giant, Cervelo) has been in the same strip center for 40 years and it looks like the building needs a facelift. The last shop we have in town (Trek) is in a nice new trendy buidling downtown, but it's not locally owned.

[AJS914]

I think the profit from a high end shop is overated. Very few markets can support high end shops where $10K+ bikes go out the door on a daily basis.

I've known many shop owners over the years and none were what I'd call rich - not rich like a cardiologist or a lawyer with a successful practice. All were middle to upper middle class though and didn't sit at a desk all day.

The high end shop near my house went out of business because they stuck to the high end road bike market when times were changing. They were carrying a lot of inventory with lots of unsold frames hanging in that shop. This owner looked down his nose at mountain bikes and kids bikes and his business model finally fell flat on its face.

[Herb5998]

wild read, and great article. That behavior seems quite similar to some of the other "scammers" who clearly made up their backgrounds to fake it until they made it, or to move up into a new social/financial circle.

The false claim of military service and experience is really awful...

[tymon_tm]

I think the profit from a high end shop is overated. Very few markets can support high end shops where $10K+ bikes go out the door on a daily basis.

I've known many shop owners over the years and none were what I'd call rich - not rich like a cardiologist or a lawyer with a successful practice. All were middle to upper middle class though and didn't sit at a desk all day.

The high end shop near my house went out of business because they stuck to the high end road bike market when times were changing. They were carrying a lot of inventory with lots of unsold frames hanging in that shop. This owner looked down his nose at mountain bikes and kids bikes and his business model finally fell flat on its face.

sure, there's also a matter of perspective and life goals. what's the best word to describe someone who can achieve those material goals without borrowing money, secure their kids' future, keep on smiling on a daily basis and ride his damn bike whenever he or she wants to? from my POV that's wealth. I believe you don't really need millions of any given currency sitting on bank account, or a posh car to call yourself just that.