Ok guys, I thought you may be interested in this interview I did with Rein Stolz at Skyway last year initially for Clint's Mag for MK16.
Makes some very interesting reading for Skyway fans so here it is.
Enjoy 😏
Steve.
1.) Name - Rein Stolz
2.) D.O.B - 3/15/1955
3.) Hobbies/Pastimes - Fishing, Golf and “tinkering”
4.) Job Title - Vice President - Engineering
5.) Years at Skyway – 36+ (March 1980)
6.) How did you first get into designing bikes/parts and what was the path that led you to Skyway?
After graduating high school in 1972, I was immediately hired by a major U.S. Toy manufacturer, L.M. Cox Manufacturing. They developed an “Engineering Apprentice” program where, during my 2 years with them, I was assigned to the various departments that are related to any “New Product Development”. I first spent 2 months in the “Returned Goods” department evaluating product failures. I then spent 3 months in the molding department to learn and understand the injection molding process first hand. I was then moved to the “Model Shop”. Keep in mind that in the early/mid 1970’s, there was no “Computer Aided Design” (CAD) or “Computer Numerical Controlled” (CNC) machining. Any product with a 3D shape first had to be handmade from clay or other medium and then cast in a rigid material so the shape could be machined into the steel mold cavity using a manual process referred to as “Pantographing”. I was then transferred to the “Mold Making Department” where I not only learned the Pantograph process but everything else it took to create an Injection Mold. From there I moved to the Engineering department where I learned both mold and product design.
All throughout this apprenticeship, I was surrounded by and taken under the wings of some of the very best and most highly respected designers, engineers, mold & model makers of the time. This was incredible in and of itself but COX also paid my college tuition and allowed their engineers to help me with my studies.
After leaving COX, I worked for a small company that manufactured Data Terminal Keyboards. Bear in mind this was the beginning of the personal computer. Before I joined the company, they were primarily making keyboards for desktop calculators (handheld calculators were not yet in vogue). I was the first person they hired while forming a team whose sole purpose was to focus on Computer Keyboard design. The 2 key customers I consulted with and ultimately developed keyboards for were The TANDY Corporation “Radio Shack” and Hewlett Packard. While I was at HI-TEK, one of the plastic resin salesmen who called on them also called on a company called SKYWAY. He told me this company was new to injection molded products but had developed a “really cool plastic bicycle wheel”. He informed me the company was looking for a product designer so they could add to their line and build the company.
In March of 1980, I made the 600 mile move from my home turf in Southern California to what I refer too as the “Great State of Northern California” to assume the position of SKYWAY’s Director of Engineering.
7.) Are you surprised by the recent resurgence of Old School BMX over the last few years?
I’m a little bit surprised, as we sit here today. I say “a little bit” because there has been a lot of recent interest in many vintage companies and industries but I am surprised SKYWAY is a target of that interest. If you asked me back in the 1980’s if, when we were developing all these now iconic products, I thought there would be interest in them 15 years into the new millennium I would have laughed. This is evidenced by the fact we have very little physical memorabilia at the plant. Back then, when a product was finished and in production, it was time to clean the desk/workbench, wash the drawing board, calibrate the drafting machine, throw out the prototypes and start the next project. Social media, especially the SBMXAS, has allowed us to meet and make a lot of new friends who share a common interest.
8.) What is the product you are most proud of designing/producing?
Of course the T/A and Street Beat lines are unique and functional products we are proud of. Personally, every wheel, from our 4” casters to the 24’s are very special. Not only did I have major input into the product design but I had the primary responsibility to design the molds that produced them. Mold design is 1 part Art, 1 part Engineering, 1 part talent and a handful of luck. I am proud that virtually every wheel mold we made, in our tool room, produced sellable product at the very first sampling.
9.) What product or design are you solely responsible for creating that made it to production and are there any that didn't but you wish they had?
None! First, I am not an “idea” type of guy. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night and say “Wow, what the world needs is a ________”. My expertise is being presented with an idea and developing it into a viable product or shoot it down. In my opinion, any successful product designer who claims to be solely responsible is not being realistic. I
I rely heavily on our marketing department and consumer input. I also rely on the expertise of the raw material suppliers to help develop formulas, materials and processes to suit our design criteria.
As for the second part of your question, every product we deemed viable was developed and brought to the market. We do have a couple of designs, non bicycle related, sitting on the shelf waiting for the right conditions.
10.) If there's one BMX product from another manufacturer that you wished you'd have designed what would it be?
Probably the original REDLINE “Flight Cranks” developed by Linn Kasten. Like the Tuff Wheel®, “Flights” were a revolutionary departure from what had always been the way things were done.
11.) What was your most favourite or memorable time period with Skyway?
All 36 plus years. To this day, I honestly look forward to going to work each and every morning. If I had to narrow it down, the early days, early 1980’s, was probably the best. A growing industry, new challenges and new products begging to be developed.
12.) Did you, or do you now own a BMX?
By the time BMX came around, I was already riding/racing motorcycles so as a kid, no. I never had a BMX bike. I guess by virtue that I am one of the owners of a BMX company, I think that qualifies as owning a BMX <grin>. I do have one 24” and one 26” T/A prototype my daughter and I ride.
13.) Can you describe what is was like for a company like Skyway to experience the decline of BMX in the late 80's / early 90's?
We were very fortunate to have been farsighted back then. The founding partner, who hired me, had the foresight to venture into other industries. The very first wheel & mold I helped develop was the 16” Tuff Wheel®. Before completely submerging myself into BMX product design, I managed and traveled with the SKYWAY BMX team from late 1980 through 1981, learning as much as I could about BMX. During that time, I was instrumental in designing the world’s first plastic molded wheelchair wheel. Our marketing department also was very successful in getting our 12”, 16” and 20” wheels into the lawn & garden industry so as sad as it was to see the decline in BMX, we were pretty well positioned in other markets.
14.) What was the story of the trailer full of Streetbeats found a few years ago and is it possible there could be more gems hidden away in a forgotten place?
We had 3 obsolete shipping containers in our “backyard” where we would store obsolete parts, machinery and miscellaneous stuff that was in the way but still had value. After many years of putting stuff in those containers, they filled up. Realizing we had no idea what was in there, especially WAY in the back, we decided it was time to go through them. That’s where we found the cut, mitered and ready to weld T/A tube sets.
We did uncover the original “Tuff Wheel® I” mold tooling buried in there with the tubing. Those were and are pretty much the only hidden “gems” we found and don’t expect any more “barn” finds.
15.) What do you like to do to unwind when you're not hard at work designing for Skyway?
My family and I love taking advantage of all the things Northern California has to offer, house boating on Lake Shasta, fishing for trophy Trout on the upper Sacramento river, golf and maintaining my yard. About 6 years ago, I completed my dream “Mancave/Shop”. I build a 2 story 630sq.ft. shop with a 630sq.ft. bonus room above. When I’m not outdoors, you’ll find me “tinkering” in my shop doing all types of woodwork.
16.) What new Skyway products can we expect to see in 2016/2017?
There is nothing new that I can mention that hasn’t already been made public. I’m really excited about the new Street Beat. Some of the modern components and changes in geometry have posed some intriguing engineering challenges. These have also been a challenge for our tooling and manufacturing process but we are working hard get it done right.
The 26” Cruiser Frame and Fork are testing extremely well and we have had nothing but excellent reviews about its looks, handling and overall design.
And of course there is the 26” Tuff Wheel®. As I mentioned earlier, wheel design and designing the mold to produce them is my real challenge and this big guy has been just that, a challenge. There are too many hurdles we have had to overcome to mention here but as the wheel size goes up, the loads, demands and customer expectation also rise by a factor of at least 3. The design target gets smaller and it’s much harder to hit the bulls eye. The 26” Tuff Wheel, by virtue of it’s size, is pushing the limits of our molding machines so special attention needs to be given to the strength of the mold.
17.) And finally, TA or Streetbeat???
Hummmmm, that’s a tough one. Since you won’t let me answer BOTH, I’ll have to say the T/A. It was my first F&F design and working with our race team on the geometry was a blast! That and hooking up with True Temper to develop the Totally Aero Dynamic tubing and Mike Konle of Champion Racing Frames for the welding was the ultimate in collaboration. BUT the Street Beat is right up there. Marrying the T/A tubing with Freestyle geometry was fun. The project name for the Beat was “Grasshopper”, primarily because the look of the seat stay platform. While the initial design was on my drawing board, it looked like a grasshopper, at least to me, so that’s the working name I gave it. In my opinion, the 88’ Beat was the best looking bike, by any manufacturer, of all time. Paint over chrome with diamond knurling and awesome graphics and color choices, all of which I had very little to do with, makes it my all time favorite bike.
You asked about the origin of my email address. When we first got hooked up to the internet in the mid 1980’s, email was at a premium. Most internet accounts came with 2 free emails and we decided the two who needed the connectivity was our sales and engineering departments. sales@skywaywheels.com was a no brainer but, and I can’t exactly remember, we used “engine@skywaywheels.com” rather than “engineering” either because it was shorter or we were limited to 8 characters or both.
Cheers Rein.
Thanks and Speak soon Steve.
