Bill Street is a Mechanical Engineer by trade and a Pro Cyclist at heart. He discovered his passion for cycling at an early age while completing his cycling merit badge in Boy Scouts, and he's been inseparable from his bikes and the great outdoors ever since. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he rides for Kühl's Pro/Elite Cycling Team.
What makes you a Kühl Kid? How do you live the Mountain Culture?
Growing up I lived on 40 acres of forest and spent a lot of time outside enjoying it. This still holds true today, and I love going on adventures and exploring new areas, all while pushing my limits physically and mentally along the way.
What's your most memorable adventure?
What was supposed to be a standard mountain bike training ride on a spring break trip turned out to be so much more. To make a long story short, 8 of us ended up riding for almost 7 hours (semi lost for a couple of them) in the heart of Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina with no less than 15 icy stream/river crossings along the way. We still joke and reminisce with a smile about that crazy day in Pisgah.
If you could adventure anywhere in the world for a week or two, where would you go?
British Columbia during the summer looks amazing. I wouldn’t mind exploring the trails around the Swiss Alps either.
Who inspires you?
My coach (Brian Matter) is a huge inspiration to me. He’s an amazing athlete, coach, husband and so much more. Helpful, kind, a family man, straight talker, passionate, driven, teacher, pep talker and humble are but a few of the great words to describe Brian.
What's your favorite piece of gear?
My Pearl Izumi thermal track jacket (black). It was the very first piece of cycling clothing I got as a Christmas gift, and I still love it and wear it to this day 15 years later!
What’s your worst habit?
Sweet tooth. It’s not as easy habit to kick, but it’s more of a guilty pleasure than bad habit.
What song makes you most stoked to play hard?
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
What’s your favorite food and drink after an adventure?
Some Mexican food (Al Pastor or Chorizo Tacos with some fresh salsa and guacamole) and a great Belgian beer like a Leffe Blonde.
What’s hot/what’s not?
Hot is my morning cup of tea. Not hot is my hands and feet after a February base ride in Wisconsin.
What's the worst injury you've sustained from adventuring and how did you recover?
Thankfully no broken bones (that I know of) up to this point. I did manage to two bulged discs and a pinched nerve in my lower back from a bad mountain bike crash over 7 years ago. It was not a surgery case and required countless hours of core strengthening exercises and rehabbing to get it back to a normal state.
What the fastest speed you’ve ever gone under your own power, assisted by gravity?
If I remember correctly it was 56 mph on a decent in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.
What’s your favorite thing about Kühl?
Kühl’s attention to detail, bill board free styling and incorporation of great technical features in their products is what makes them so great in my opinion.
What’s your favorite piece of Kühl clothing? How do you use it?
Picking just one isn’t easy. I would have to say it’s my new Spyfire Down Jacket that I wear almost every day in the never ending winter of Wisconsin. I really love my KÜHL men's jeans and wear them just as much as my Spyfire Hoody. They’re both so comfortable, have great attention to detail with tons of great features, and allow for unrestricted movement as I push the clothing and myself in every way possible.
If your best friend already had your favorite piece of Kühl gear, what would you recommend to him that functions just as well playing outside as it does in the bar at the end of the day?
The Kuhl Konquer SS is a very versatile men's shirt. I wear it for hikes and keep it on for post-workout dinner on the town. Its blend of wrinkle and odor resistant materials keeps you looking as good as you did when you started.
