Meet Julius Berith: The Story Behind Au Bloc

If you found your way here from a social ride or social media, welcome back. You likely already know the short version. If this is the first you're hearing of Au Bloc, welcome to the community.

Alright, so… quick story.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with bikes. My sister says that at eight years old, my dream was to own a bike shop.

Then life did what life usually does. I ended up in tech consulting, the kind of job that fills every hour on the calendar without ever asking what you actually want. My wife and I started a family. Cycling did not disappear, but it definitely moved to the back seat. Early morning group rides, the weekend century or three bridges with MCC. Every once in a while I would sneak off to Unbound or a local gravel race just to remember what it felt like to really push myself.

Here's something else worth knowing about me. I am not a stock rider, not even close. I stand six foot four, taller than most frames are designed for out of the box. In my early twenties I was hit by a car while out riding, and the back injuries from that crash have stayed with me ever since. Between the height and the injuries, I have spent most of my adult life fighting equipment that was never built with someone like me in mind. That fight is exactly what turned into an obsession with geometry and fit. I do not see fit as a luxury extra. I see it as the difference between riding through pain and riding for the next thirty years.

And just so we're clear, this is not some dad bod rolling up to daycare pickup on the cargo bike. I still race. I still chase group rides I probably should not be chasing. The competitive streak never went anywhere, I just couldn’t focus as much on cycling as I thought life allowed.

Until 2022, when I got laid off from a soul sucking corporate America job. My wife looked at me and said, “this is your chance to find something you truly love to do.”

So I joined Above Category, arguably one of the best bike shops in the world, as their Sales Director. I got to be part of some of the most incredible bike builds and stories of my career there, including a build for Bob Roll that I still think about today (Thanks again, Bob).

In 2025, we moved to Austin for our family and my wife's work. Since then, I've fallen in love with the cycling community here. Between the breakfast club, the driveway series, coffee rides, and training rides, there's nothing like it. I made more friends riding in my first two months in Austin than in two years in California.

The more I rode here, the more I realized Austin does not get the credit it deserves. There are over two hundred active cycling and running groups in this city. The riders here are some of the best I have come across anywhere, yet the cycling industry sometimes writes Austin off as a hippie town full of casual enthusiasts. That reputation could not be further from the truth. Austin cyclists are simply different from the rest of the cycling world, different enough that most big box brands do not quite know what to do with them.

When we hosted the launch party for Au Bloc, we held it at a barbecue restaurant with a Michelin star. I cannot think of a better metaphor for this city. Austin cyclists want the good stuff. They want craftsmanship, precision, the real deal. But they want it without the pretentiousness that usually comes attached. They like nice things and they deserve nice things, they just want those nice things served up friendly and approachable instead of stiff and exclusive.

That's the gap I saw. Austin did not need another shop pushing the same stock frames and generic sizing charts at people who do not fit them. It needed a studio that takes fit and craftsmanship completely seriously, without taking itself too seriously.

So I decided to pursue the dream. I went out on my own and opened a bike fitting and consulting studio. I love helping cyclists optimize their position for comfort and performance, and building beautiful bikes that tell their story. The name is Au Bloc, a French cycling term for going all out, full gas, maximum effort.

We’re about six months in now and I couldn’t be happier with the response so far from the Austin community and beyond. We’ve got some exciting things planned and some gorgeous bikes delivered that I can’t wait to share with you here, along with what I've learned about fit, builds and design, one story at a time.

Or if you're ready to talk about your own fit or build, book some time with Julius.