We are unabashed fans of AttnKatDaley, she's a globe trotting free spirit that is pretty bad ass in all that she does. From repping bike brands like Geekhouse to "an Italian company" to her new gig at GT she makes all of it seem so damn fun. (Even though some of us know the real truth about life on the road.) But she smiles, gathers herself up and moves along to the next project. Aaaand it doesn't hurt anything that she is cute and funny and stylish (who doesn't love neon) and just generally fun to be around.
Which is why we sent her a note a while back that said "we should make some socks together" and from there we got the proverbial ball rolling. Bright colors were thrown around. Designs, so many designs (there weren't that many) and then when it came down to it - the fantastic You Got This lettering by her illustrator pal Chris Piascik. The resulting socks - and don't call them pink, that's "folk" thank you very much - are a magic combination made in unicorn heaven. See below.
Well, we decided to resurrect the Weekly What's Up with a few questions for Cait and some photos from that time we hung out with her at the Cyclocross World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. Why Worlds? Well, because we loved the portrait, never used some of the photos and well, it is cylocross season. So, if you look through the photos and think to yourself "well, that's weird" it's going to be ok.
Julie sent through the questions in her own brand of awesome and a special thanks goes out to Cait for taking the time out of her busy schedule crashing through the underbrush of California to answer them.
JK: Helloooo Cait, can you introduce yourself? Where are you from? Where do you live? What do you do? In general and at this current moment if you feel like.
CD: Hiiiiiiii guys! My name is Cait - I'm from Boston, but I live in Connecticut these days. I'm a product manager at GT Bicycles, lover of animals, co-founder of #partyjammin, and the type of person that regularly wakes up to multiple books in my bed.
JK: I saw a bunch of bruise on your legs? Would you better be crashing on mountain bike? On cyclocross bike? On road bike?
CD: I do have a bunch of bruises on my legs, always. I prefer crashing on a mountain bike or a cross bike because crashing on a road bike is a super bummer. I have gravel permanently embedded in my right leg from Baystate CX and Providence CX, so that doesn't help my leg modeling career (RIP).
Cait's new car. Look it says "C D" right there on the hood.
You raced with the skinsuit GEEKHOUSE, what is your affiliation with those geeky foxes?
Geeky, geeky foxes they are. Marty is the man behind the welding, my old boss, and one of my best buds. Katty reigns supreme organizing everything in my shop, my old roommate and also one of my best buds. The whole Walsh family is like my own family, really. I've raced for Geekhouse ever since I've started racing bikes. One of my teammates (robot) convinced me I should try cyclocross, so obviously, I just built up a custom steel bike two days before Gloucester CX and started racing. And while Brad works at Seven now, he's part of the Geekhouse crew forever.
Can you tell the story of YOU GOT THIS? Or not.
The story of "you got this" is also cyclocross related ... the New England CX scene is ultra supportive, and one of the things I'd always hear at the start line when we were all jittery with race nerves was, "You got this!" I liked it so much, I got it tattooed on my leg. So it was really a racing thing with a big heaping dose of PMA. Later, when I found out I had cancer and it felt like my life was crumbling around me, it was something that I looked at to keep me going when I wasn't sure where I was going or how I was going to get there. I made it out through the other side, and I'm even more convinced of the power of words. The tattoo is good reminder for me to keep trying, and I hope that it's encouraged other people to keep going, too.
ed note: You can read "What You Got This Means to Me" on Cait's Tumblr.
Atmo, I think you do GOT THIS. From personal style to bike esthetic, do you have some kind of plans to came out every morning full time cool?
Thank you! I do admit I spend a lot of time thinking about my sock game. My style is either black on black on black, or full out neon. Dresses and boots forever.
Do you like the socks? I know you do.
I love them! I really have to thank Chris Piascik again for drawing this for me. I never imagined I would end up making socks based on my tattoo, but here we are! It's freakin' rad!
Not Portland, but definitely cyclocross.
Do you want come to Portland hang out with us and race cyclocross?
YES! YES! YES! The most ever, really. I have actually never been to Portland but it looks like heaven to me.
Are you going to race cyclo cross? Like a lot? Like single speed.
I don't think much racing is in the cards for me this year because of work, but I will put on a skinsuit and ride around in a circle a few times this year.
Just so you know, people at the place you work have order your socks. You have fans. How does that feel?
Thank goodness you guys can't see me because I'm tearing up over here. It feels really incredible to have a community of people that support me, and I'll never really know how to say thank you enough.
Is it true that when you work for an Italian company you only have to wear pencil skirt?
100% true.
You really like unicorn, but you are also a total shredder and tough cookie. Do you think the world is ready for that?
Ha! The world better be, because I am here, and I came here to shred while wearing unicorn cycling apparel. Unicorns are majestic and beautiful, but they aren't afraid to charge ya with that uni-horn.
I’m just thinking about something link to it: It’s this pro surfer Coco Ho who said ‘’ I want people to embrace being strong. It is feminine and it is beautiful.’’
(What I want say, is that cycling industry is too packed with too much testosterone who take silly decision when it came to make and market products to a woman, It’s good to have you there.)
Thank you
Also, what’s up?
A few things: I'm trying hard to learn more than just the basics in Mandarin. I love languages, and learning a tonal language is a new challenge for me.
Instead of buying something pink this month, please consider donating directly to a research foundation, or reaching out to someone you know who is/has been ill.
My alter-ego name comes from my track racing days and New England legend Dick Ring kept calling me up by "Kat Daley." It stuck.
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Also, check out her profile and interview on Veloccio.
Speaking of "too much testosterone."