Nol van Loon: Fat Pigeon

Happiness is success… and adventure will lead the way

Nol van Loon is an exceptional individual, in a world where there are far more exceptional people than we give credit for. Every now and then we simply need to press pause, to reflect and let people like this young man from the Netherlands inspire us to seek adventures.  Describing himself as a ‘troubled teenager’, in truth he was simply building a character that is filled with strength and determination; and it’s this inner power that has helped him on many cycling and ultra exploits, such as the renowned “H’Ardennes” gravel bike tour In Belgium, which he and a colleague completed in recent years, riding and bike-hiking through atrocious weather.

Ultra-events such as the “H’Ardennes Gravel Tour” test you mentally as well as physically, and in completing them, as Nol says, you complete yourself by adding new strength to your character. His thought process is always based on the premise that ‘the show must go on’, and he sets goals that test him to the limit, and which help to test the reliability of some of the finest cycling brands in the world too. After all, if you’re hiking ankle-deep in mud, in the worst weather possible and you literally can’t see anything – well, you can’t simply rely on physical ability alone.

Adventure isn’t a word – it’s who we are

Yes, Nol is a born adventurer and one of the unique people who set out to test their mental and physical limits on a bike. Talking with him, his passion for life is obvious - alongside his desire to explore the rich tapestry of humanity that still exists in the world, if we’re prepared to ride into the unknown and to turn our wheels onto the hidden trails. For in truth, it’s on these adventures that we learn about who we are as people, and Nol knows exactly what his own limits are and who he is; but more importantly, he knows that ultimately, success in life is simply the ability to be happy – with adventure helping him to find the way!

Even the relentless 4 days of the “H’Ardennes” gravel bike tour didn’t break him – although it took 2 months for him to recover mentally. No, it helped to inspire him onwards and into more adventures with his growing media company, Fat Pigeon, where he and his colleagues use their exploits to help brands such as Lake cycling shoes to explore their own possibilities and to inspire others, through the creation of amazing video and photographic content. However, Nol isn’t just a storyteller or an ambassador for life, he’s an inspiration for all of us to get out into the world and to explore our own possibilities – to seek out excellence.

Life is a journey

We are all of us, different people at different times in our lives. For a man who grew up in the Netherlands, he still found adventures in the hills, often visiting his grandparents home in the Ardennes, where he’d go off mountain biking, hiking, camping, chopping logs and living free in the hills. However, life changed in the most dramatic and tragic of ways, when he lost his mother to cancer, aged only 16, and then, suffered multiple brain surgeries when he was aged 18. Either of these events alone would test the best of us - and they tested Nol.

Thankfully though, the seemingly smallest of things can help to change our stars, and when a friend of the family mentioned the renowned Alpe D’Huez charity bike event, that they had chosen to ride on behalf of Nol’s mom, he and his dad decided to do the same ride themselves the following year. On the day itself, Nol rode up this iconic climb 4 times, and not the required 6 – albeit still a huge achievement – he felt disappointed and as though he was just a messed-up kid. However, in 2011, seeing the event once more and realising that he wasn’t there, he thought to himself, “shit, I should be there!” and he went all out, training properly and riding it successfully in 2012 - and he hasn’t stopped since.

He joined a cycling club and began racing; finding his level by initially racing with others such as Mattheau Van der Poel, before heading down to the Gran Fondo’s and amateur races, which were more fun and more exciting. Then, university and several overseas internships provided this cycling explorer with numerous trips abroad, inspiring him to travel more and more with his bike – and Fat Pigeon was borne. Today Fat Pigeon works with world-leading brands and tourism organisations across the global cycling community, riding and inspiring others to find their own pathway in life, through adventures on 2-wheels.  

Building relationships in the cycling community

For Nol, the Fat Pigeon media company is about building relationships that allow him to develop these and to continually explore the limits that we all have. It’s about inspiring each and every one of us to press that pause button and to say “Hey, I’d like to do that,” or “Wow, I’ve been for a gravel biking shoe that can take on such a trip and keep my feet comfortable all day long!” Yes, he’s one of those remarkable people who tests Lake cycling shoes to their limit, so that when you put them onto your own feet, you can be sure that they’ll give you the performance and comfort that Lake have been renowned for delivering for over 40 years.

Thankfully, his work also means that he gets to create trips of a lifetime, such as a journey to Tanzania with his girlfriend in January 2024. Describing it as one of his best adventures ever, he says that it was something that you couldn’t really plan – you had to simply develop it as the journey progressed. Some days they had luxuries such as great hotels, whilst on other occasions they crashed in the homes of villagers, who gave up their own beds for Nol. He says that “You learn to appreciate the good stuff and life even more!” Nol tells me that on one day, he thought “How are we going to survive!” when suddenly he was joined by a villager who’d gone away to bring back a full dinner in a pot for them!

A vital lesson that Nol has leant from experiences such as this, is that you should always follow your heart, because things can change in an instant – sadness and sorrow can be temporary if we try to remain positive. It’s this positive outlook on life that has made Nol and the Fat Pigeon team an invaluable partner for us here at Lake, as he helps to take our message – and our cycle shoes – to a growing global cycling community.

Riding with Lake on his side

His favourite Lake cycling shoe is our CX20R. It’s a cycling shoe that offers a very lightweight, breathable and extremely adjustable upper that is available in 3 widths and in a women’s specific size range too. Utilizing Clarino microfiber, mesh, laces and Lake’s Handmade CFC 3K carbon fibre sole, this cycling shoe that can really do it all - from hot days outside to indoor riding in winter. Laces also give the CX20R the ultimate in adjustability.

For gravel riding, he finds that he prefers something truly robust, such as our all-new MX239G, which is just released and which Nol will be using on future inspirational adventures. After all, it’s feedback from him that has helped our chief designer, Hutch, to create gravel biking shoes like the MX239 Gravel, that can take the strain out of ultra-events and keep your feet comfortable and performing. 

If you’re looking for inspiration for your own 2-wheeld adventures, or you just want to be inspired to find your own journey in life, then take a look at Nol’s trips around the global village and let this fascinating Dutchman inspire you to find your own route in life – by bike, of course, and with Lake looking after your hard-working cycling feet!