Steve Delay, the owner of swd racing passed away today, he will be greatly missed. This is off the swd racing forums Friends, At 2:11pm today, February 25, 2008, Steve passed away. He was with his family and friends and it was peacful and gentle. Please hold your calls, but feel free to eMail me directly at [email protected] and I will be happy to put together a book of eMails for Jennifer and Steve's parents. Thank you on behalf of the family for your thought, prayers, eMails texts and the outpouring of love and thoughts. Dave! Bowman
I am not really too familiar with the DH race scene. But after I looked him up I remember an article about him in MBA a few years ago. Seems like a really good guy that did a lot to get young riders out there on his bikes. I'm sure he'll be missed. Some old info. in 2004 about SWD. Local custom mountain bikes creating buzz by Geneb <geneb_altbmx@[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Oct 20, 2004 at 08:05 PM *** Local custom mountain bikes creating buzz *** Modesto, CA (AP) -- 10/20/2004The hottest extreme mountain bike company in Modesto isn't really a company, at least not yet. It's more of a tribe or a movement, according to the philosophy of Modesto native Steve DeLay, creator of SWD Racing's unique, custom-made steel downhill mountain biking frames that have captured the attention of riders both in the Valley and around the world. No matter what you call SWD Racing, Steven Wesley DeLay, or Short White Dude if you prefer, has become one sought after "mountain bike chopper." The 5-foot-2 DeLay thought his initials would be a good name for his bikes, but they were soon mistaken for an acronym of some of DeLay's defining characteristics. But the affable Downey High graduate laughs at the new nickname. He's just thrilled to have the interest of riders from amateurs to sponsored professionals. Ever since Mountain Bike Action magazine published a profile of him in September with his cell phone number, DeLay has been overwhelmed with hundreds of calls, some from as far as Europe and Asia. He can't believe the surge in interest. "Quite a few of them say, what's the deal? I gotta have one of those,'" DeLay said. He's currently working on six bikes he expects to be done with in December. DeLay charges only for the materials of each individual design, and his bikes cost less than a $2,000 to $3,000 mainstream model. Turning SWD into a company is looking more and more possible, DeLay said. The image of SWD holds a strong appeal for serious bikers. Gary Hudson, owner of Cycle Masters in Turlock, says the image of SWD appeals to the mountain biker mentality. "Mountain bike people like to have something that's a little different than what everybody else has. (SWD) is not so corporate and that's how the whole mountain bike spirit is," said Hudson, who enjoys his new SWD bike on weekend rides. "You can get exactly what you want and don't have to settle for what's given to you," he added. And it doesn't hurt that SWD riders win high-profile races. Matt Nascimento, a Cycle Masters employee, won a USA Cycling National Championship at Mammoth Mountain in September. It was just his second race ever on his SWD bike. DeLay's wife Jennifer took second place in her class riding her SWD bike at Mammoth. Nascimento, 19, was a veteran BMX rider before discovering downhill this year and talks about his collection of eight bikes like cherished friends. At Central Catholic two years ago, Nascimento posed for senior pictures with his bikes to give to his mom. "I love bikes so much. I have to be on pedals a certain amount of time each day," Nascimento says. But his SWD bike is special. "I love it. It's the bike I'm most proud of out of all of mine right now, easily." DeLay, 39, has worked nights at Modesto's Velvet Grill for the last 19 years, leaving his days free for bike rides, and more recently for building bikes in his shop in Modesto. He works roughly a 40-hour work week at the Grill and estimates he spends another 40 at the shop. "I'm a 3-4 hours a night sleeper," he said. Jennifer DeLay works for MCI in Riverbank, but that's just her day job she says. "SWD is like a second job," she says. "Mrs. SWD" created and maintains the tribe's Web site, http://www.swdracing.com She also does all of the office work that keeps the SWD gears in motion: writing invoices, keeping track of customers and answering e-mails. "I'm like HR," she says. SWD grew out of necessity when mountain bike frames became too big for Steve's body and he decided to put a lifetime of exposure to car and bike racing and building into use. DeLay's father Wes, the W in SWD, is a veteran "hot rodder" and taught him how to work in the shop. He still helps out with welding. The difference between DeLay's designs and the mass produced models, however, is SWD's signature single-pivot steel design. A single-pivot bike is easier to maintain than the more common multi-pivot structure. Manufacturers prefer to use aluminum because it is lightweight and inexpensive, but steel responds better to use in downhill riding. The steel proves its worth on a ride, the happy customers from Cycle Masters say. On a SWD bike, the ride is dramatically smoother and quieter. That's the kind of difference that gets the SWD riders excited and makes downhill pros whisper that they'd rather be riding a SWD bike. "I will guarantee you right now that these are better than most bikes out there," Nascimento says. "On a ride, none of the other bikes coming down the hill are as quiet as these, I guarantee it. All you can hear is tires and the ground." Steve DeLay won't have to look further than Cycle Masters for testimonials if the tribe/movement makes the transition to a business/company. If he does decide to make his second job his only job, DeLay says ideally he'd make between 50 and 60 bikes per year, the workload of a "boutique bike maker". For now, the leader of the movement is focusing his attention on his growing tribe. "I'm forging out a nice little niche." Geneb...Wenatchee,Washington-USA All Things Northwest in BMX! ***** Gene`s BMX ***** http://www.genesbmx.com
