David & Erik Kalviainen: Twin Engines. One SISU Spirit. 🇨🇦
From Canada — David in Sudbury and Erik in Waterloo — the Kalviainen twins prove that distance doesn’t dilute brotherhood.
Fraternal twins. Five minutes apart at birth. A lifetime of sport. And now, a shared obsession with cycling that keeps them connected across provinces and seasons.
Born Competitive
Erik won the first race — technically. He was born four minutes ahead of David.
David, however, came “flying feet first.”
That detail tells you almost everything.
They’re fraternal twins, fiercely competitive but not in a bitter way. Competition has always been family currency. Whether it was soccer, track, or riding “The Loop” as kids, pushing each other has simply been what they do.
It’s not rivalry.
It’s tradition.
The RiderS: Similar Numbers, Different Weapons
David describes himself as an all-rounder with a serious sprinting engine. With a track sprint background, his 1–2 minute and pure sprint power is elite — his Strava labels his sprint power “National Star.” His strengths show up in mountain biking, gravel, fat biking, and punchy efforts.
Erik, coming from a middle-distance track background, prefers efforts in the 1–8 minute range. He’s more of a punchy diesel than a pure sprinter. Where David explodes, Erik sustains.
Their numbers often look similar. But the differences are subtle — and fascinating.
One thing they agree on: neither of them is shy about suffering.
David
How Many Bikes Is Too Many?
David owns seven bikes:
Road – Winspace T1550
Gravel – Scott Addict
MTB – Canyon Neuron
Fat Bike – Rocky Mountain Blizzard
Flat Bar Gravel Commuter – Octane One Grid
Single Speed Commuter – Elops 500
Indoor – Tacx Neobike
Erik keeps it streamlined at five:
Zwift bike
Road
Gravel
MTB
TT
Canadian winters demand options.
Growing Up on Gravel Roads
The twins grew up in rural Northern Ontario, surrounded by gravel roads and short punchy climbs. Bikes weren’t a sport at first — they were freedom.
They rode BMX bikes in the 80s, hardtail mountain bikes in the 90s. They built jumps. Rode to friends’ houses. Used bikes as transportation.
They even loaded their bikes into a boat, motored down the lake, and shortened the ride “into town” by an hour.
Their proving ground was a 10km gravel route simply known as “The Loop.”
As kids on BMX bikes it took close to an hour.
Today? David can ride it in under 20 minutes on his gravel bike.
Winter rule growing up:
No bikes from November 1 to April 1.
Now? Year-round riding thanks to Zwift and fat bikes with studded tires.
Erik’s proud of this gravel TT segment - https://www.strava.com/segments/26084796
Zwift Changed Everything
Cycling didn’t become a true sport for them until their 40s — when COVID hit.
Erik, the tech early adopter, joined Zwift first while recovering from a running stress fracture. He was already familiar with the Finnish concept of SISU and was drawn to the branding and philosophy.
He recruited David.
David was skeptical.
Then he went deep down the rabbit hole.
Zwift became more than training — it became connection. The twins live in different cities, but now they race together weekly.
Pain Caves, Canadian Style
David converted his attached garage into a family rec room and pain cave. Tacx NeoBike. Apple TV. Big industrial fan. Silence for races. Music for workouts. Radio banter for TTT.
Erik rides from a finished basement gym next to his kid’s indoor soccer area. Spotify for hard efforts. YouTube for Z2.
Coffee?
David: morning coffee, then black tea or cold brew before riding.
Erik: before — “I need all the help I can get at my age.”
Race time?
David: 7–9pm works best.
Erik: prefers midday but races ZRL in the evenings.
Motivation: Different Angles, Same Drive
David is self-driven. He chases personal improvement first — though once the race starts, competitiveness takes over.
Erik is analytical. Data-driven. Curious about tactics. Obsessed with fighting age-related decline. He enjoys getting comfortable being uncomfortable.
When setbacks hit, Erik reframes them:
It’s not about absolute performance — it’s about where you are right now in life.
That mindset keeps things moving forward.
Highlights & Humility
Erik’s proudest moment? Winning the B category race at SISU Club Championships last year — streamed live on YouTube — after hitting a ghost at the perfect moment.
But bigger than any single result:
Picking up cycling at 42 and reaching a high level.
Cycling has taught him humility. There’s always someone stronger. Drop the ego. Focus on your path.
Why SISU Racing?
For Erik, the SISU name resonated immediately — Finnish heritage, resilience, grit.
He joined first.
Then brought David in so they could share the sport across cities.
What keeps them here?
The team.
ZRL pushes limits like nothing else. The tactics. The team aspect. The ZRL Discord channels where strategies are debated and dissected.
The Club Championships feel “local” in the best way — like racing friends, not just avatars.
And yes, they’ll both be lining up again in March.
David enjoying new kit day!
Gravel, Snow & Shared Identity
Zwift keeps them sharp. But real life still calls.
David’s passion leans heavily toward mountain biking, gravel, and fat biking in Northern Ontario’s rugged terrain. Erik mixes road, gravel, and time trial work while building durability for longer efforts in 2026.
Their long-term goals aren’t flashy.
Stay healthy. Stay durable. Keep improving.
David
SISU in the Family
Does Zwift come up at family gatherings?
Of course.
Their family thinks it’s weird. A little odd.
But they also think it’s amazing that two middle-aged twins in different cities can still share a sport and push each other forward.
That’s SISU.
Erik
Finish the Sentence
“SISU Racing is…”
Erik says simply:
“…a welcoming Zwift racing team.”
For the Kalviainen twins, it’s more than that.
It’s a bridge across cities.
A continuation of childhood competition.
And proof that some engines — especially twin engines — just keep running.