Okay folks, I first met Joe Saling at the first Masters Track Nationals in Indiana 1985 in the days when you had to qualify to get there. Since then we have been in a few races together, ha ha… In my travels, however, Joe always comes up either in stories or in pictures. I think it is time for us to give him his due, and listen to what this great rider has to say about racing, life, and how the sport has faired over the years. Joe is in my age group, or one step up, but he is still fast. He beat me by two second’s in the 5OOm at NJ states. I’d say Joe Saling and Victor Copland are the ones to beat on any given day on this planet. Joe has won National titles in seven different disciplines (team pursuit, indivdual pursuit, points race, tandem TT, road, TT, and criterium) and he would love to make it eight. Joe doesn’t think national titles in 8 disciplines has ever been done before. He was second at cross Natz. in Baltimore a few years ago, and third in RI in Dec. He is hoping to get that one next year. Let’s listen in on the history lesson.

Enjoy – Campocat

JC Joe there is such a rich history with the Somerset Wheelmen, and I guess in your family also with cycling. Tell us how you got started on two wheels, what kind of bike you had back then, and how did people stop a fixed back then. Were there any other clubs you have raced for?

JS I live in the Somerville, NJ area and saw the tour of Somerville a few times. When I was a freshman in Somerville High School I went to Pop Kugler’s Bike Shop and said I would like to ride the race. I, like most locals, thought this race was the only one. I always wondered why I saw these bike riders training all summer long for one race. Pop not only loaned me his Schwinn Paramount, but he gave me a job in the shop. A shop that my wife, Dottie, and I eventually bought and operated for years. I trained with Bob and Bobby Yard, a father son racing duo from Flemington, NJ – their daughter/sister was Dottie.

My first bike, earned by working at Kugler’s, was a used Oscar Wastyn. It probably was a Wastyn/Drysdale by the time I got it as it had been repaired by Alvin Drysdale more than once by the time I got it. Oscar Wastyn was an early frame builder in Chicago who made Paramounts for Schwinn.

I have been a member of the Somerset Wheelmen for my entire career, which began in 1956.

JC When I first met you, you were having trouble with a certain rider from San Diego Cycle Club, named Zumwalt, how was that rivalry? Did the competition make you a better rider? I have seen Bob since, and he has a broken hip. I don’t see him at Nat’s any more, but the year I did he still did a 1:15 kilo with the broken hip and all.

JS Zoomer was a great rider, and had more speed than I was blessed with. The first time we met I was only thousandths of a second slower in the kilo than him. I was disappointed to lose by such a small margin but in retrospect it was really good to get close to him. I have to think this make me a bit better as it was a good boost to my confidence. I have not heard form Bob in many years. He was proprietor of Zumwalt’s Bike Shop in San Diego and, most likely, is still in business and passing his expertise on to new generations of bikies.

JC You would be surprised. I’ll see if I can get him to do a story. How has racing changed over the years, and how have the riders changed as you see it? Do you go in for this new carbon fiber mountain bike compressed frame stuff, or do you think it is a gimmick?

@##=#<1,L>@##=#JS The change most evident to me is the increased speed. A good 35+ race today is as fast and hard as a Cat. 1/2 race from 15 years ago. I credit better equiptment, better training and training methods. No I don’t think the carbon/aluminum/titanium stuff is gimmicky. The technology has added to the competitiveness of the modern bike racer.

JC What are some of the most memorable moments and accomplishments in cycling you could share with us? Were any of them at Kissena? Nestor Gernay told me about you guys having to carry hammers to the races at Nutley Velodrome because the nails were always sticking up out of the boards.

JS I had many memorable moments at Kissena from falling to winning. I think my most unforgettable moment was doing a Madison with Arnie Uhrlass just before he had a terrible speed skating crash that put his entire athletic career in jeopardy. I have a photo of us doing a pick-up and thought it was a picture of Arnie’s last race. Thankfully his competitive spirit won out and after a long period of convalesence, he climbed back as good as before.

The track with the ever loosening nails or screws was actually in Branchbrook Park in Newark. It may have been the smallest board track in existence and Francois Mertens, who had ridden several pro six-day races, helped create a whole new generation of board track racers. I consider Francois the most knowledgable and complete bike racer in the US during my career. The Madisons on the Branchbrook Velodrome were the epitome of bike racing and I enjoyed teaming with stars like Allen Bell and Francois.

JC You have been a promoter and announcer, is that job like all others in cycling not by choice, but by necessity?

@##=#<2,R>@##=#JS I was in Portland at the Alpenrose Velodrome for the Nationals many years ago and, during individual pursuit qualifying, saw that here were a fair number of spectators in the stands and no commentary. I asked if I could explain the event to the fans, was given the go-ahead and became a bike race announcer! I have enjoyed announcing almost as much as racing. Among my announcing jobs are many National Championships, Pan-Am and Olympic Trials, the 1987 Pan American Games, the Tour of Somerville, The Tour de Toona and the 1986 World Cycling Championships in Colorado Springs.

I have been involved, with Dottie, in promotions for years. This has been to assist my club with finances and also to give riders the kind of events I would like to compete in. Neither promoting or announcing is by necessity but out of the pure enjoyment they bring me, not to mention a few bucks for the announcing.

JC How do you see the commitment to junior development, does your club put an emphasis on it, or is it seen as a hopeless cause? Also, how are your young team time trial partners doing, can we expect to see them on the boards soon?

JS I certainly cannot see junior development as a lost cause as I have been hired by the NJ Bicycling Association to coordinate a U19 Development program in NJ. There are a few clubs in NJ that have had very successful junior recruiting and racing programs and we hope to spread the expertise throughout the state. The NJBA U19 Development Committee is committed to doing just this.

I assume that, when referring to my young TTT partners, you are speaking of my four grandsons. I call them my pursuit team of the future. My first national championship was in team pursuit 1973. NJ was the first team to topple Southern California from the top shelf of the podium! So this event holds a very dear spot in my heart and I would love to see my boys giving it a go. You can dream can’t you?!

JC Last year Brook Wilson got two gold medals at Masters Nationals against stiff competition. Have you been teaching her any secrets? I’m always amazed at riders coming up like that and doing well without the benefit of a strong team. Well, she probably could have used some help in the points race. I know when you and Pat were riding on the same team, it was pretty much a given everyone else was riding for third place.

JS Brooke is a very talented rider and has gotten most of her help from Rod Murray, a USA Cycling Elite Coach. I consider myself a coach that specializes in basic skills. It seems to me that most camps and programs seem to skimp on the basics such as pacelines, cornering, etc. In my years of coaching at the Walden School of Cycling I honed my ability to help newcomers learn the basics and help experienced riders spruce up their skills much like the baseball players do in spring training.

JC Fundamentals is like the foundation of a building and I’m gald to hear you say that. I hear tell you lapped the field in a race on Long Island? Can you tell us what happened there?

JS I don’t think I have lapped the field in Long Island many times. Bill Booney, Francois and myself did it in Wesbury once and I was so shot at the finish that when Francois (Cooney had already dropped us) began to turn left at the first turn of the bell lap I thought he was swinging off and continued through the end of the home straight and off the course!

JC This one is for you Joe. I’ll shut up and you can say anything you want and maybe you can add, how does the future look for cycling in your eyes and can we expect you to be racing another twenty years at least? Thank you Sir, for this interview it was an honor.

JS I don’t know about twenty years from now but I hope to continue for several more years. I thrive on competition and have been blessed with a little more ability than most of the geezers I have to compete against. It is great fun for me and I enjoy training almost as much as the racing. I have said I will continue as long as I am a factor on the local training rides and so far they still know I’m there. Thank you for the opportunity. Push hard and Pedal fast!