Dustin Brady is the Marketing Manager at Shimano and has been there in some capacity for over 20 years. He has been RCC’s point of contact for over five years. But it wasn’t RCC finding Dustin, it was the reverse.

Dustin learned about RCC and sought to create that relationship. He would coordinate Shimano donations and follow along via social media. He would make a larger donation in 2021 and was a central figure in RCC being selected for a Shimano Originals Film. We were able to catch up with Dustin recently to get more details as to why and how this all came together.

How many Shimano Originals do you make each year?

I would say on average maybe three a year.

Shimano sent Anthill Films to make a Shimano Original film about RCC in September 2021.

How many Shimano Originals in total have been made?

Honestly, I don't know top of mind. We have been doing Originals for 5-6 years. We produce a lot of videos, but the ones that get the Originals title are approximately 3-5 per year.

Is there a goal with each film?

It’s about telling the best stories in cycling and about getting more people on bikes.

So when I looked at what the RCC was doing, It is very much in line with Shimano values. Bicycles are an amazing tool for countless people from all over the world from different situations … And when I see what the RCC was/is doing, this is an awesome story. It just feels right and we just wanted to tell that story for the world to see.

How does the RCC Shimano Originals compare to what you thought going into it?

It was more rewarding than I thought it would be. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to personally interact with the RCC youth members … and when you watch the video, it hits you on all fronts and you just see so much better what the RCC is doing.

How did you first hear about Richmond Cycling Corps?

I wouldn’t have learned about RCC had I not married my wife who had a sister that lived in Virginia. My Sister-in-law Karin Eanes has kids whom had participated in the NICA league. I share many of the videos we produce with her for her perspective as a parent & as an individual not in the sphere of the bike industry for a different view on things ... And in many of the conversations she has a good understanding of the various types of things we like to do, and she had given me a heads up that Shimano needed to check out the RCC, that what was going on was very cool and they could use some support.

What were your first interactions with RCC?

RCC had no idea I was watching or looking. I started by liking the Facebook page and just checking out what was going on, what the equipment situation was and I determined that I would be able to help as the end of the year approached.

In January 2017, RCC received new hardtail race bikes, shifters, brake levers, carbon wheel sets, and top of the line shoes. It took a semi-truck to deliver it!

It was just prior to the CNN Heroes nomination for Craig (Craig Dodson, RCC’s Founder and former Executive Director). I was able to get Craig’s # and we had a chat where I got a better idea of the program.

RCC was never asking for anything. Here you are doing what you do, not asking for anything, and just doing it. Maybe you are asking locally. Or just more humble. But you had no idea I was watching or looking.

We made the first donation in product support in late 2016/early 2017.

What happened between 2017-2021?

Things went quiet for several years. The RCC isn’t needy and I was really more surprised that nobody followed up with me after making that initial donation asking for more. I was still following on social media and I started seeing photos of racing again and in those posts I saw shoes being used from 4 years ago. I would talk to Karen and ask what is going on there. She would say they are still racing and using the same stuff you got them before.

So how did conversations start again in 2021?

I finally reached back out. I was impressed with the RCC that you were going to do what you do whether you have support or not. And I was still seeing your top performers racing on aluminum bikes and thought, maybe they need more help. And maybe that is my subconscious reason for my support. To me, the RCC’s humbleness I think makes you that much more deserving.

And thats when you send us those crates of bikes, helmets, shoes, etc. Did you know how impactful that would be for our programming?

I had an idea. I was looking at what was going on on Facebook. You were making it work with what you have. But, I knew when I was looking at the equipment being used, I knew instantly I could help. Because I know what equipment can do. I understand the incremental efficiency of a Pivot carbon frame, a Shimano SPD pedal and our top of the line Hyperglide+ drivetrain can do for an athlete. A well ventilated Lazer helmet or a properly fitted Shimano shoe. .

So we get a shipment in May 2021, what's the process that makes that happen?

The timing was extremely lucky. We generally prepare months in advance for something like that and I had allocated the parts in the budget prior to the shortages in the industry because of the pandemic. If I were trying to find all those parts just a few months after when it actually happened, it would have been way more difficult. Timing just worked out well with a bit of luck.

Our youth took on a whole new level of confidence showing up in the next race when they had new everything. Not only did everyone look great, but they got better just by having top of the line equipment. How different is the equipment today versus five years ago?

Lighter wheels, I know, will technically make anyone faster. I know our new Hyperglide+ drivetrain will make a rider faster with smoother shifts up and down the cassette. Our brake system with superior modulation gives confidence … all of these parts combined just make for a better ride experience, that's simply what Shimano does.

To add to that, Shimano’s corporate tagline is “closer to nature, closer to people” and how I break that down and what that means on the product side is: we are designing products that are so intuitive and seamless that you don't think about the product, you think about the moment you are in. Especially in racing, you are thinking about pedaling up that hill as fast as you can rather than thinking about what the bike may or may not be doing.

How does your work with RCC correlate with your day-to-day responsibilities? Is this a typical thing or something different for you?

So I’d say it’s more typical than not typical. There are many deserving programs but it’s very difficult to support all, so in that regard, the RCC receiving support was not typical But when it comes to the product donations for the RCC, we take the same approach as we do in other promotions where we have a discussions with our regional lead Stephen Keller who in our conversations gave overwhelming support for the RCC. From that point, we do our normal budget and inventory checks to see what is possible and go from there.

In regards to the video we produced, I’d also say our work process was typical. To be a Shimano Originals video, the main determining factor is to be one of the best stories in cycling. We have a group of people who help predict/choose the ideas we believe can be a Shimano Originals. We chose the RCC as one of those stories, but even then it’s not a guarantee when we get the final video it will still pass as an originals … but as we believed, the RCC story is one of the best stories in cycling and has our “Shimano Originals” naming.

Anthill Films came to Richmond in September 2021. They interviewed youth and staff, filmed practices around the city, and traveled to Stokesville Campground to film NICA races.

How does Anthill Films fit in?

Sometimes the best ideas start as chicken scratch on a paper. We often share ideas and develop promising ones. This development process goes on for months.

Thankfully they are experts at what they do. We work with them for many of our projects. We also work with other video producers but we have a very long and trusted relationship with Anthill. We have been working with them for roughly 20 years and have sponsored every one of their films.

I know when they go on a project, they are professionals and they are going to capture what we want. They know what we want and what we care about and the stories we want to tell. It is a good partnership, we know how each other works.

And when it came to the importance of the RCC video, I knew Anthill would treat it properly.