David Berning's Cycling Passion
David on ride-marshal duty at Lymphoma charity ride
You may know David Berning as an innovative hifi amplifier designer who developed the technology behind all of Linear Tube Audio’s products, but David is just as passionate about cycling. He has ridden over 375,000 miles - a distance that could take him to the moon and back, with just 65,000 miles remaining. For long periods, David has gone without owning a car, relying solely on his bicycle.
Among many other long-distance endurance cycling feats over the years, David has qualified for and completed multiple Paris-Brest-Paris rides, the oldest continuously run cycling event in the world and the grandfather of randonneuring. In 1987, he completed the grueling 750-mile ride in an impressive 77.5 hours, stopping only to sleep after 38 hours and for fog at mile 650.
Combining Passions: Cycling and Electronics
David has also found ingenious ways to combine his two passions of electronics and cycling. On a visit to David’s house in 2022, he showed off a DIY build of a human-powered TV, DVD player and headphone amp. He designed and built the gearing setup and all the electronics - even the bicycle stand is custom made. The setup thoughtfully includes a fan, also powered by the rider. The faster you go, the more cooling wind you get!
Cycling-Inspired Product Names
All that to say, David loves cycling very much. So, when we were developing our latest products and kicking around name ideas, honoring David’s passion for cycling was an idea that quickly gained traction. We compiled a list of cycling-related terms and chose two we thought were appropriate for our new headphone amp / preamp (Velo) and DAC (Aero):
- Velo: French for "bicycle"
- Aero: Short for "aerodynamic," denoting design or form optimized to reduce air resistance and drag
We are proud to use cycling-inspired product names to pay homage to David Berning's remarkable achievements and lifelong devotion to the sport of cycling.