Praise For 'Profile Racing'!
- Nate Fegan
- May 9
- 11 min read
Updated: May 10
Introduction!
So, I am currently in the middle of building a 'Supercross Shine Dirt Jumper' from scratch, but my recent experience with Profile Racing, through this process, has left me feeling completely inspired to stop what I am doing and share this post!
[If you are in a hurry, you can simply Scroll Down to read **Praise For 'Profile Racing'**]
Backstory: My First 'Profile Racing' Purchase!
First things first, I am a long-time customer of Profile Racing. As a young kid, fortunate enough to have been earning a
weekly allowance, my first purchase from Profile Racing was a frame and fork set that I bought in order to upgrade my 'first real BMX' bike [which was a Mongoose Californian]. [See my 1980s photos & also take note my Profile “racing jersey” :)]. Life was pretty good!
I had learned about Profile Racing from local riders who were older and more in-the-know and from ‘BMX Plus’ and ‘BMX Action’ magazines!
The Broken Crank Arm That Brought Me 'Back To Profile Racing'!
Fast forward now to 2016 and to a time when I had decided to shift from mountain biking
back to BMX again [I had been trying to ride my mountain bike like a BMX bike and finally figured why not make the switch?]. This, to make a long story short, is when I ‘crawled out of a hole’ to discover that ‘Dirt Jumpers’ were even existed. So, I ended up buying and riding a ‘Haro Steel Reserve 1.3 Dirt Jumper' instead of the classic BMX bike that I had originally intended to purchase.
Now to the point: Within a year, my bike's left-side, Haro-branded, crank arm suddenly tore
completely in half. I certainly needed a set of replacement cranks, but I definitely did not trust going forward with the same cranks again [warranty replacement], so - while searching for 'what to do' - the name ‘Profile Racing’ suddenly popped into mind! I did a quick ‘internet search’ and discovered that, holy cow, Profile Racing is still in business! And, Profile Racing’s products are still made in the USA! What? I was stoked! Right away, I bought a Profile Racing ‘RHD Race Crankset’, and it felt really truly great to be back again!
Going All-In With Profile Racing!
Fast forward now to the time of this writing, and you will see that the following Profile Racing products have made it onto my current bike! [List includes Links to Profile Racing's Website!]
Plus, now that I am in the midst a 'Supercross Shine Dirt Jumper' build, I have purchased
![Profile Racing Stem [Helm]!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d54219_b24278367b7c403f8d067c295b1a8680~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_735,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/d54219_b24278367b7c403f8d067c295b1a8680~mv2.png)
even more parts from Profile Racing: my goal is to end up with two complete bikes [one main bike and a second back-up / guest bike]:
So, I guess that you can say that I am a bit of a fan! :)
**Praise For 'Profile Racing'**!
Even with all of the above in mind, I am 'not some great rider' and I am certainly 'not someone who is well known' by any stretch of the imagination. I am a just "a nobody"! This means that when I call the ‘Profile Racing Factory’ in order to ask for technical advice, I am going to be treated just like any other customer. Let’s talk about that for just a moment!
- In 2019 [warranty], after owning an RHD Race Crankset for almost three years, I had a question about a crank arm that wouldn’t go back onto the crank axle with ease. Profile Racing’s response was quick and effective. They suggested that I send my crank axle back to them, with a copy of my receipt, so that they could send a replacement. That was it. The replacement crank axle did the trick – and in short order, my bike was up and running again [no muss, no fuss]!
- In 2024 [a custom wheelset], I called the Profile Racing Factory to ask about having a
wheelset built around a set of Profile Elite hubs. I had been riding my Haro Steel Reserve dirt jumper for eight years without doing any upgrades, aside from replacing the broken crankset, and I had finally decided to splurge a bit to upgrade my riding experience! This phone call was the first time that I met and talked with Gus Lanzillota!
Who is Gus Lanzillota?
Gus Lanzillota is Profile Racing’s ‘Factory Team Manager’ – plus, he is a great Tech Advisor and more! This means, among other things, that on most weekends throughout the year, you are going to find him at the races along with Profile’s Race Truck & Trailer! [see video below]
Imagine being at a race and 'in need’ of a crucial bike part. Then, imagine walking up to the Profile Race Trailer only to discover that an entire factory's worth of American made Profile Racing parts are present and available to help save the day. And, imagine further that Profile Racing's Team Manager and Tech Advisor, Gus Lanzillota, is there 'going the extra mile' and treating you 'like family’ as he helps you out. That’s a great feeling! As just a regular customer, this is the 'Gus [and Profile Racing] experience' that I have gotten to know over the phone and through email! Thank you very much, Gus [and team]!
Back To 2024 [a custom wheelset] Again!
So, in this part of the story - you might recall - I have just phoned the Profile Racing Factory to inquire about building a wheelset around a set of Profile Elite hubs, and I have met Gus Lanzillota for the first time. My first impression was that I was talking with someone who was 'not in a rush to get off of the phone', was clearly intelligent, knew the products inside-and-out, and who was going help me 'purchase my dream wheelset' directly from the factory. If you can understand this feeling of knowing that you have just connected with 'top-level customer service', then you might also understand how surprised I was when Gus recommended that I contact a custom bike shop named Wheel Street [a truly great shop owned by a long-time Profile Racing employee that was, unfortunately, wiped out by two consecutive floods] in order to make my purchase!
I remember thinking that I wanted to buy directly from the Profile Factory so that I could throw as much support as possible behind Jim Alley and his promise that 100% of Profile Racing’s Products will always be made in the USA! With that last statement in mind, I’d like to shake Jim Alley’s hand and express my great respect and appreciation!
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The Oldest BMX Company?
Check out Profile Racing’s history as probably ‘The Oldest BMX Company’ still in business
and with the original owner still at the helm: https://www.profileracing.com/about-profile/history/
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But, to continue, as I learned from a recent conversation with Gus, independent bike shops who stock, sell and help to market Profile Racing products are in fact a very important part of the total equation that keeps Profile Racing alive and well for all to benefit and enjoy! So, supporting Profile Racing 'through direct sales' and supporting Profile Racing 'through great retailers', such as Powers Bike Shop, just serves to strengthen both sides of the same great coin!
As it turned out, Gus had sent me to a truly great custom bike shop [Wheel Street], where I was also treated like family, and I had my dream wheels built by Casey who did a fantastic job! [see photo below]
- In April of 2025 [time for a frame upgrade], I started to get serious about swapping my
Haro Steel Reserve frame with something much lighter in weight. This is when I started talking with Bill Ryan, owner of Supercross BMX [another great experience]. Once I had decided to go forward with Bill’s 'Supercross Shine dirt jumper frame', I entered into the planning stage of the build. To make a long story much shorter, I was going to need some adapters from Profile Racing in order to adapt my front '20mm/100mm Profile Elite hub' to fit a front suspension fork that called for 15mm/110mm hub instead. [see photo]
- With that said, in May of 2025 I called the Profile Racing Factory and spoke briefly with Matt Coplon [Profile Freestyle Team Manager, Profile Sales Manager, Awesome Freestyle Rider, & More] who suggested that I send an email to Gus Lanzillota who was out supporting a race at the time. Matt, in our brief conversation, treated me like family as well. Are you noticing a theme here? We have all experienced companies that treat us very professionally, which is all that I really ask for, but Profile Racing seems to have an old school vibe that I miss, in this modern life, and that many people don’t yet know that they are missing [in modern life]! In a recent conversation with Gus, I learned that at Profile Racing this old school way of doing business, and of treating people, traces all the way back to the owner, Jim Alley!
Following Matt Coplon's instructions, I sent an email to Gus [asking for tech advice] and
went back to researching and ordering parts for my Supercross Shine dirt jumper build. I was thinking that Gus would likely respond to my email at some later point, keeping in mind that he was at the races with the Profile Racing truck and trailer. However, just a short time after sending the email, my phone rings and it’s Gus, from Profile Racing, asking how he can help! What? I can’t imagine that every email and every phone call gets answered this quickly, but that properly routed emails and phone calls do get answered just as soon as possible means a lot!
At one point I even asked Gus, because the quality of his help seemed ‘too good to be true’ [compared to calling a company and having to navigate through an automated operator only to then 'tell your story' to multiple operators before finally finding a person who can hopefully provide you with an adequate answer] if we - the general public - were allowed to just contact him directly for answers to tech questions? The answer he gave was [paraphrasing] “Yes, this is a big part of what I do here.”
That is awesome! Here, just below, is how you can contact Gus Lanzillota, directly, to get answers to your Profile Racing tech questions!
Easy Access To Tech Support @ Profile Racing!
When working with Profile Racing, the customer does not have to be in the dark when seeking technical support. We are invited to contact Gus Lanzillota [‘Profile Factory Race Team Manager’ and 'Profile Racing Tech Advisor'] directly by phone [727-391-7370] or email [Gus@ProfileRacing.com]!
Talented & Hardworking!
Something else stood out while talking with Gus. I learned that the owner, Jim Alley, has a knack for assembling a truly great team with members who are often multi-talented in addition to being extremely hard working. I also learned that this list of talented and hard working team members includes Jim’s daughter, Justine, and son, Corey, which means that Profile Racing is a family run business! With all of that said, I get the distinct impression that Profile Racing’s continued success is made up of [a lot of] 'time, intelligence and effort’ that extends well beyond just a “9-5” mentality! Profile Racing is made up of outstanding people who, each day, are going 'above and beyond' in order to bring top notch 100% American made products to enthusiastic riders all around the world! I believe that Profile Racing is a great American, hard working company that is truly worthy of our unwavering support!
Profile Racing’s Extended Impact!
Recently I purchased some American made clothing from a company in Texas – and, included in the package was a graphical outline of the 'extended impact' that just one American made purchase has on an entire interrelated web of people and jobs that ‘touch the overall process’ of bringing just one American made product to the consumer. The positive impact that purchasing just one American made product can have on our family of 'friends and neighbors' can be quite extensive! Now, imagine our ability to multiply this effect with more and more 'made in America' purchases! I have an appreciation for this whenever purchasing, and riding with, Profile Racing products in a way that just puts 'even more icing on the cake'! Thank you, Profile Racing!
To The Entire Team [Past & Present] At The Profile Racing Factory!
Behind Profile Racing’s rich history of providing top-notch products for countless numbers of enthusiastic riders all around the world, there is – and has been - a great team of 'behind the scenes' individuals whose names are not likely to “make it into the magazines". The way I see it, you are a big and important part of this great story that we are all celebrating together! And, whether we know it or not, every time we jump onto our bikes and 'enjoy the thrill' of yet another great ride, we have you to thank for it... Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
More About Profile Racing & Its Products!
Did you know that the first Hutch BMX frame and fork were made by Profile Racing?
I learned this from Jim Alley's video series called "From The Dungeon", and I have learned a lot more, from Profile Racing's fantastic Youtube Channel! It's something to be treasured! Check it out:
Thank you for reading, celebrating and for becoming part of Profile Racing's great American success story! And, thank you, Jim Alley, for being a pioneer in so many fantastic and impactful ways!
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Fun Update: Profile Racing Responds!!!
On the day that I finished writing this post, I sent a link to Gus [and team] at Profile Racing. Soon after, I was pleasantly surprised to receive not just one, but two very appreciative responses: one from Gus and another from Jim Alley's daughter, Justine Siragusa, who is Profile Racing's Operations Manager! All I can say is that it was a great honor to receive their responses, and that Justine's words [printed by permission below] let us all know that Profile Racing, through and through, really is a truly great company!
"Hi Nate,
Wow—thank you so much for your incredible email! Reading your story was both humbling and inspiring for all of us here at Profile Racing. Your passion for BMX and dirt jumping, your appreciation for American-made craftsmanship, and your loyalty to our brand over the years truly mean the world to us.
Hearing how our products have played a part in your journey—from your first BMX upgrades in the '80s to your current Supercross Shine Dirt Jumper build—reminds us why we do what we do. We’re especially grateful for your recognition of our team members Gus, Matt, and everyone behind the scenes who are deeply committed to making sure every rider gets the quality and support they deserve.
We’re incredibly proud of our Profile Racing team—past and present. Their dedication, knowledge, and willingness to go the extra mile represent the heart of our company. Whether it’s tech support over the phone, help at the track, or precision work in our machine shop, they embody the spirit of what Profile Racing stands for. Your kind words about them mean more than you know.
You captured the spirit of Profile Racing perfectly: we’re a family-owned business built on hard work, integrity, and a genuine love for the cycling community. It's letters like yours that make all the effort worth it, and we're honored to be part of your riding story.
Please keep us posted on your builds—we’d love to see photos of your finished bikes! And don’t hesitate to reach out anytime you need anything.
With sincere thanks,On behalf of the entire team at Profile Racing
Justine Siragusa
Operations Manager"
For More Content, Check Out The Following Posts!
How To Build A 'Supercross Shine" Dirt Jumper From Scratch!
https://www.natefegan.com/post/how-to-build-a-supercross-shine-dirt-jumper-from-scratch
DJ-BMX Riding Over The Age Of 50!
https://www.natefegan.com/post/dj-bmx-riding-over-the-age-of-50
Nate's Weight Loss Challenge: Simple, Effective & Free!
https://www.natefegan.com/post/nate-s-weight-loss-challenge-simple-effective-free
'Haro Steel Reserve' Dirt Jumper Build w/ Made In USA Parts! https://www.natefegan.com/post/haro-steel-reserve-dirt-jumper-build-w-made-in-usa-parts
DJ & BMX Micro-Adventures - A Video Series! https://www.natefegan.com/post/dj-bmx-micro-adventures-a-video-series
DJ & BMX 4 Fun & Fitness! https://www.natefegan.com/post/dj-bmx-4-fun-fitness
The BMX Spirit Of Freedom & Adventure - Keeping It Alive & Well! https://www.natefegan.com/post/our-bmx-spirit-of-freedom-adventure-keeping-it-alive-well
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