12/31/2016
We've zeroed in on a few of our most avid mountain bikers here
at the store to learn more about their most prized possession:
their bikes. Read on to find out what styles they ride, what custom
pieces are they love the most, and their favorite parks and
trails.
Santa Cruz Tall Boy LT (2015)
Type: Trail Bike
Owner: Will
Maxwell
What do you love about this bike?
It's a great all-around bike that can do anything and go anywhere.
It has a dropper seat post with a trigger to adjust the seat while
you ride, so you can adjust for uphill or downhill riding. It's got
a carbon frame, making it super light - only 26 pounds.
What parts of this bike are custom?
The entire bike is custom; I bought the frame with the fork and
added every other piece, all from different brands. The most
significant of these components are the handlebars, the cranks, the
29-inch I9 wheels, and the SRAM X11 drivetrain.
What is your favorite spot to ride?
The Wilton Town Forest is my favorite local spot, but overall,
Highland Mountain in New Hampshire.
What will be your next purchase for this
bike?
It's perfect! It needs nothing.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I spend about a half hour a week cleaning, tuning, and making
minor adjustments. I ride a few times a week so I always try to
make all the necessary adjustments to keep it in good shape for the
next ride.
How long have you had this bike and how many miles have
you ridden?
I built it in September of 2014 and have put about 200 miles on
it.
Cannondale F29 5 (2014)
Type: Cross
Country
Owner: Evan
Tobey

What do you love about this bike?
It has a lockable fork; when unlocked it gives full use of the
front suspension, but I can lock it when climbing to stiffen the
suspension and climb more easily. The Lefty fork also allows a
tire/tube change without removing the wheel.
What parts of the bike are custom?
Nothing is custom; it is very enjoyable right out of the box and
ready to rip!
What will be your next purchase?
I'd love to get a fat tire bike next, such as the Specialized Fat
Boy, so I can ride in the woods year-round.
What is your favorite spot to ride?
Locally I like to ride Bennets Farm State Park in Ridgefield, but
overall my favorite spot is Ascutney Mountain in Vermont.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I spend about an hour a week making adjustments.
When did you get this bike and how many miles have you
ridden?
I got it in September 2014 and have ridden about 300 miles.
Foundry Auger (2014)
Type: Cyclocross
Owner: Mike
Horton
(We don't have this bike in stock, but a very similar bike that
we do carry is the Cannondale Super X.)

What do you love about this bike?
I love that I can ride this bike to work but also use it on gravel
and dirt trails. (Although they have dropped bars like a road bike,
Cyclocross bikes are made for trails and races on flat-to-rolling,
off-road terrain). It has disc brakes, a high tire clearance, and
an all-carbon frame, so it's super light.
What parts of this bike are custom?
I added new handlebars, stem, and saddle to give the bike a better
fit and make it more comfortable.
What will be your next purchase for this
bike?
Nothing! It's complete and doesn't need any additions!
What is your favorite spot to ride?
The Housatonic Valley Rail Trail in Trumbull.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I give my bike a weekly 20-minute check-over to make sure
everything is tuned up and good to go.
How long have you had this bike and how many miles have
you ridden?
I've had it since October of 2014 and I've put around 2,000 miles
on it.
Specialized Stump Jumper 29er Elite FSR (2015)
Type: Trail Bike
Owner: Shane
McCabe

What do you love about this bike?
The full suspension is great; FSR is Specialized's patented full
suspension system. One of its key features is an inertia valve that
senses the movement of the trail but not of the rider, which
reduces pedal bob. It has 29-inch wheels which help the bike keep
its speed up.
What will your next purchase be for this
bike?
The next addition to this bike will be a new wheel set; I would
love to get Stan's Flow rims with Chris King hubs.
What parts of this bike are custom?
The bike doesn't have any custom parts... yet!
What is your favorite spot to ride?
Huntington Park in Redding.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I haven't had this bike long enough to need to do any work to it,
but it took about an hour and a half to build.
How long have you had this bike and how many miles have
you ridden?
I got it in April of this year and have put around 80 miles on it
so far.
Specialized Demo (2014)
Type: Downhill
Owner: Eric
Gance

What do you love about this bike?
This bike is made to perform on steep downhill runs. The rear
shock is by Öhlins and is a crossover from
motocross; the suspension is easily tuned to the rider's size,
riding style and track.
What parts of this bike are custom?
Everything! I started out with just the frame and added all the
other components. I just ordered a new set of 26-inch wheels from
Industry Nine; staying with 26-inch wheels for hitting big jumps
and drops in the bike park. While most downhill bikes come with a
1x9 drivetrain, I put a 1x10 on mine.
What will your next purchase be for this
bike?
My next addition to this bike will be new Bladerunner pedals from
Deity, which have excellent grip.
What is your favorite spot to ride?
Highland Mountain in New Hampshire.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I spend about an hour every two weeks making minor adjustments and
tuning.
How long have you had this bike and how many runs have
you done?
I got it in November of 2014, and I've ridden about 45 runs.
Specialized P1 Steel (2010)
Type: Dirt
Jumper
Owner: Christian
Friberg

What do you love about this bike?
I love that it has a rigid fork and not a suspension fork. Apart
from being more technically difficult to ride, it's also faster
than using a suspension fork.
What parts of the bike are custom?
I have grips from Specialized and a seat from Nice.
What will be your next purchase?
I'm thinking about getting a downhill bike, most likely a
Specialized Demo.
What's your favorite spot to ride?
I like riding at Highland Mountain, but I spend more time riding
the pumptrack and dirt jumps that I built with my friend in his
backyard.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I periodically adjust the chain tension and true the wheels, but
apart from that it's bulletproof!
When did you get this bike and how many miles have you
ridden?
I got it in the summer of 2011, and this is my fifth season riding
it.
Santa Cruz 5010 Carbon S (2015)
Type: Trail Bike
Owner: Greg
Newkirk

What do you love about this bike?
It's a light travel bike, so it doesn't have too much travel for
cross country riding, but it's still nimble enough for technical
terrain. It's got a dropper seat post that I can adjust while
riding, and I can also adjust the rear suspension depending on the
terrain. The rear suspension is the Fox Float CTD, and I can switch
between climbing, trail, and downhill.
What parts of this bike are custom?
Nothing yet!
What will be your next purchase for this
bike?
I plan on getting carbon handlebars and carbon wheels to make it
lighter, and the wheels will also help make it stiffer.
What's your favorite spot to ride?
Huntington State Park in Redding.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
It's too new! I haven't had to work on it at all yet.
When did you get this bike and how many miles have you
ridden?
I got it in April of this year and have probably put about 50
miles on it.
Specialized Demo (2013)
Type:
Downhill/Freeride
Owner: Will
Maxwell

What do you love about this bike?
It has long travel, which is great for downhill; the Cane Creek
double barrel shock and Rockshox Boxxer fork provide more than 200
mm of travel. The drivetrain has a narrow-wide chain ring with a
SRAM XO rear derailleur, which allows the bike to be ridden without
a chain guide.
What parts of this bike are custom?
Everything is custom; I started with just the frame and added
every component. My favorite addition to this bike is probably the
LG 1+ crank set from E13; they're purpose-built for downhill and
very resilient.
What will be your next purchase for this
bike?
New 26" wheels from Industry Nine.
What is your favorite spot to ride?
Highland Mountain in New Hampshire.
How much time do you spend working on your
bike?
I work on it after every ride for about 30 minutes.
When did you get this bike and how much have you ridden
it?
I got it in the spring of 2013 and have gotten three great seasons
out of it so far.
Our bike shop staff is a team
of dedicated experts who can help you find the perfect mountain
bike for your style of riding. We sell top brand mountain bikes,
from cyclocross to park bikes and everything in between. Our
mechanics can help you customize your bike any way you want, and
are always here whenever you need a tune-up or a
repair.