Joshua Farr owns a bicycle team called the Volcano Cycling Club. It took quite a few starts, stops and track stands, but “Fish,” as his friends call him, has finally found his sweet spot.
Farr was born in Vallejo and moved to the East Bay in 2006. That’s where his twisty story begins. He says the first major step happened when he bought a fixie and started exploring the roads in Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda. Eventually he met some other people who also road bikes. Then he got a job at a bike shop. He attended Interbike. He built bikes in his studio apartment. He worked for a startup. He fell in love with bike industry. He shot video. He “threw” some races. He started a social media company. He worked for a bike messenger company. He held some shindigs. He made photographs. He attended Interbike a couple more times. Then he lost his job at the start up and the bike thing kinda fell apart.
In an attempt to find his spot within the bicycle industry again, Farrar hooked up with Tobie, from Wheel Talk Road, at the end of 2013 and they decided to go all in and start a bicycling team that became the Volcano Cycling Club. By the end of this past season, the team had grown to 30 road racing members.
“2014 was just incredible,” Farr says. “Every race was an amazing experience. We went everywhere.”
As team owner, Farrar, fills water bottles, shmoozes the sponsors, and works on building family amongst the team.
“I’ve never seen so much happiness,” says Joey Curtaz, owner of Pursuit Bicycle, a sponsor of TVC and longtime friend. “It’s the start of such an awesome cycling group. He spends effortless hours. He is as kind-of-heart and genuine as they come.”
Farrar attended every single race of the season and it’ll be the same down the road.
“We’re making it happen with what we have,” Farr says. “I invest as much time in them as people, as I do as cyclists.”
I asked what his biggest hope is for the next season.
“In 2015, success looks like we continue to have the success we had in 2014. And I want to draw a salary. I want to be able to say this is my job,” Farr says.
He realizes, however, that earning any kind of real money is a big step for year two. So even if it takes a little longer, he’s fine with that.
“My parents taught me that if you have a dream, than that’s what you’re supposed to do,” he says.
