Michael Alvarado
Michael Alvarado, Professor & Breast Cancer and Melanoma Surgeon, UCSF
Some relationships begin unexpectedly.
Almost eight years ago, Michael Alvarado rented an ANGEL carbon road bike for four days in Girona. It was enough to start something that would go far beyond the bicycle itself.
Michael is a professor and cancer surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco. His professional life is built around precision, responsibility and focus. Cycling gives him something very different: time, friendship, exploration and, perhaps most importantly, quietness.
Over the years, ANGEL has accompanied him far beyond those first roads in Girona — including across the Andes in Chile — becoming part of experiences and memories that cannot be measured in kilometres.
For Michael, a bicycle built specifically for someone is not simply a product. It carries the hands of the person who made it, the intentions behind it and the places it will eventually take you.
This is Michael’s ANGEL Experience.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Michael Alvarado, and who is he when he's not in the hospital?
I am a professor of breast cancer and melanoma surgeon working at the University of California in San Francisco. Outside of the hospital I love to spend time with my family (wife and teenage son). We have two dogs that I take hiking. I love to cook and consider myself an amateur chef. I obviously love cycling and try to ride whenever my schedule allows it.
Cycling is both for my physical health and my mental health. Cycling is also something I share with my friends. It is a great way to spend time with my closest friends and share the experience with them. But cycling also allows me to escape my work-life when I ride by myself. It frees my mind and clears my head. It helps me recognize the world around me.
When did it stop being simply a sport to become something more important?
When I finished my medical training and started my first job as a surgeon. It became the outlet I needed to get my mind off of my patients.
What has cycling taught you over the years?
Cycling has taught me to slow down. It has taught me to take life one day at time.
About riding a bike
We want to understand what happens when you go out to ride.
What would a perfect exit look like for you?
The perfect ride doesn’t require a time restraint. It is open ended. I can take my time to get ready, and I don’t have to be home at any particular hour. It is a ride with my best friends. It is also in a new place on a cycling trip to explore new roads, new people and to enjoy the food and drinks at each stop.
What do you look for every time you get on your bike?
Enough time to enjoy it. I don’t want to be rushed.
After a day at the operating room, what do you find about the bike that you don't find anywhere else?
Quietness in my head. Peacefulness in my mind. It feels like an escape and puts a pause on any problems or concerns.
Do you think a lot while pedaling or is it precisely the moment when you get to stop thinking?
I have both types of rides. Sometimes I ride to not think at all. It can be very refreshing and calming. But I also ride my bike to get my creative thoughts moving. I can think through research questions or put together a lecture in my mind to help organize for teaching.
Cycling, to me, is freedom. Almost eight years ago, I was fortunate to rent an ANGEL carbon road bike from The Service Course in Girona. I fell in love with it in just four days. That experience became the beginning of my friendship with José and ANGEL Cycle Works.
In a market filled with big brands, what made you trust a small independent builder?
The communication was exceptional. I felt like ACW was featuring an artist as a frame builder. I could tell Jose was deeply committed to his craft. It felt very personal. Discussing my first ACW project felt like a partnership. I felt like I was joining a family
What did you find in ANGEL that you hadn't found in other bikes?
Honesty. Transparency. Friendship. Class. Precision. Trust.
If you had to start from scratch tomorrow, would you choose an ANGEL again? Why?
100% I would start with ACW again. The bicycles are exceptional, but the friendship and the experience has been the most important part.
If you had to describe your bike in three words, what would they be?
Precision, art, happiness
The cyclist
This is where the story really begins.
We don't want to talk about the teacher or the surgeon.
We want to discover the cyclist.
Do you remember when you started riding bikes?
During University when I stopped running competitively I took up cycling. 30 years ago.
What still motivates you after so many years?
The freedom, the camaraderie with my friends and the ability to explore.
What kind of routes do you enjoy the most and why?
I love a route that has both flat easy terrain and some climbing of mountains. I need a route that has something to see- a valley, a lake, a river, the ocean or even an open expansive desert.
When you finish an especially good outing, what feeling do you take home?
A sense of accomplishment and an incredible inner energy.
Why ANGEL?
This is probably the most important part of the whole story.
We are not looking for an opinion on a product.
We seek to understand a decision.
What does it mean to you to have a bike built specifically for you?
It makes me feel special- not on the outside but on the inside. It makes me feel like someone took the time to understand me and they created something that we can share moving forward.
How did you feel the first time you went out to shoot with your ANGEL?
I felt like I was flying. I felt an inner happiness. I felt proud and fortunate.
Is there any moment experienced with your bike that you remember especially?
Riding my Titanium Gravel Bike in the Andes in Chile
Do you think a bicycle can accompany a person for decades?
A custom bicycle can be there for a lifetime.
What makes a bike stop being an object to become something you actually want to keep?
My Angel is a piece of artwork. And I have taken it around the world. We have experiences together. I can look at it in the garage and appreciate that someone used their hands to build it and I can remember all the places we have been together.
Ownership
Here we want to close the conversation by talking about the relationship between people and objects that remain.
We live in a time when many things seem designed to be replaced quickly. Do you think a bicycle can be an exception?
I do think it can be an exception. It can be a partner for exploration. It can be a friend that helps you escape. It helps build memories. These things cant be replaced.
What does it mean to you to own something designed to last for many years?
It feels like an investment in happiness with the security of knowing it will always be there for me when I need it.
When you imagine your bike in ten or fifteen years, how would you like it to still be a part of your life?
I hope we are spending more time together!
If you could leave one idea to someone who is looking for “the ultimate bike”, what would you tell them?
Take the time to think about what is important to you. Investigate and research the people you will be involved with during the process. Because you want these people to be there in the future as well. Think of the bicycle as a work of art. Who will be your artist? What motivates them? Their motivation will be embedded in your frame, and you will hopefully share the same ideas and passion for the final project.
