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Jason ElhardtWhere do you live? - I’m lucky enough to be living in the best bike city in the nation: Minneapolis.
Favorite food? - I once told my mom that I wanted to be a waffle when I grew up. I guess that make my favorite food maple syrup. It goes with everything!
Which of your bikes is most noteworthy? Why? - This is a tough one. I love my Salsa Chili Con Crosso (Clif bar team issue) but my custom Mondonico was made just for me and it fits like a glove. My PK Ripper was my first love but my 7-11 team issue Huffy (by Serrotta) was the bike I always wanted. My vintage Schwinn tandem is a great ice cream getter but my ’37 Western Flyer is dripping with class and style. I guess they are like kids- I love ‘em all for their distinct personalities.
Most memorable moment on a bike? - Another hard one- Maybe the district TT championships and qualifying for the ’92 Olympic Trials or it could be flying down the Col d'Aubisque in Spain after an epic ascent. If I had to pick one memorable ride, it would have to be the 2003 Bike Messenger World Championships where I met my sweetheart.
Why do you ride? - I love the freedom it provides. As a kid, riding was my way to explore, challenge myself, and just downright fun. The bike has never lost that appeal for me. In the years since my first BMX bike, I’ve been a bike racer, mechanic, commuter and advocate. I can’t image not riding!
What do you do in your free time? - I’m a bit of a fanatic about XC skiing and a total coffee snob. I even roast my own beans.
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros? - Totally DIY.
Tell us a story about one (or more) of your co-workers - Losing Matty B in the Frankfurt airport was classic. Not unlike Tom Hanks in "The Terminal," I’m sure that guy could happily survive anywhere!
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Jay Seiter
Where do you live?
- I live in the heart of Boston close enough to Fenway Park to hear “Sweet Caroline” from my living room during the 8th inning .
Favorite food?
- I would have to go with ice cream. Cherry Farm Creamery in Danvers, Mass. is a required stop if you are on the North Shore! Mmmm M&M Ice Cream!
Which of your bikes is most noteworthy? Why?
- If I had to pick just one of my bikes, it would be my 1999 Specialized Stumpjumper. I’ve owned this bike longer than any other in my arsenal, and it represents the core of my cycling personality. Though I’ve transformed as a rider over the years, from a young freerider hucking off the biggest drops I could find, to spending endless hours riding every object I could find in the diverse landscape of Boston. And I’ve progressed from hitting one jump at Fenway to hitting every jump, and from racing downhill in the beginner class to rising to the semi-pro level. My Stumpjumper has represented the one constant: I still love going out for a trail ride more than any other type of riding. My Stumpjumper isn’t my main bike by any means, but it always finds a way of keeping itself as one of my favorite rides.
Most memorable moment on a bike?
- My most memorable moment would be the first time I ever rode a bike. I think I was about six and had been wanting to try riding without training wheels for as long as I could remember. One night I had a dream that I was riding down our street. It felt so vivid and real that the next day I had my dad take my training wheels off and in a surge of confidence I just hopped on and rode all the way down the street! I haven’t stopped since! This is how I remember it at least…
Why do you ride?
- I ride my bike to enjoy nature, spend time with friends or loved ones, challenge myself, escape from life, think about life or forget about life, explore new places, push the limits of my fitness and skills, and have an awesome experience pretty much every time.
What do you do in your free time?
- When I’m not riding, you can likely find me doing something outside. I love taking long walks/hikes with my girlfriend, Christine, in Boston or many gorgeous wooded areas found in New England. Growing up near the ocean, I have always loved being around the water either at the beach or other seaside spots. I was captain of my high school golf team and still play as often as I can and love to get in nine holes on a beautiful spring or fall afternoon after the crowds have thinned. I also enjoy freshwater fishing and camping, which brings together many of my outdoor interests. Back indoors I enjoy good music, thought-provoking movies, or working on design/engineering projects (nerd alert!).
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros?
- I’ve always been a tinkerer and at least believed that I could fix my own bike. As a younger rider, I tackled many issues myself and despite learning the lessons the hard way more times than I’d like to admit, it has given me a pretty decent skill set to fix my bikes. As I became an engineer, I began to actually understand more about how things were designed and was able to set up components more analytically with less trial and error. Considering that the typical path into the cycling industry is through starting in a bike shop, I would say I am a bit atypical. Though I spent about six months working at Bay Road Bikes in Hamilton, Mass., I was on my own to figure out most of what I know today.
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Jeff Bramhall
Where do you live?
- Watertown, Mass.
Favorite food?
- Lebanese
Most memorable moment on a bike?
- First – winning a bike race, nothing huge, a cat 4 cross race at Waterville Valley this past year, but it was the most transcendent experience for me. So much hard work paid off in that moment.
Second – Being with some really incredible teammates on an extremely challenging ride in New Paltz, NY. Watching the range of emotion and the sheer will involved in pushing our limits as individuals was really humbling.
Why do you ride?
- I ride because bicycles saved my life. I was a hyper-obese teenager who was told to expect a heart attack by age 25 if I didn’t make a drastic shift in my life. That drastic shift was that I stopped eating meat, eggs and dairy and that I got on a bike. In the ten-plus years since, I have lost almost 150lbs and gone from near death to fit. And I owe it to bicycles.
What do you do in your free time?
- I ride, read, cook, and lounge. I also moonlight as a writer as the Media Coordinator for the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series and Cycle Smart International.
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros?
- Depends if I want it done quickly or done well. I’m not much of a mechanic, but I can fake my way through most things.
Tell us a story about one (or more) of your co-workers
- Sadly, being relatively new here, I don’t have a lot of stories about most of the folks. But I’ll tell the story of how I met Matt Simpson and how we came to be good friends:
Matt was hosting a team training camp out of his house in New Hampshire. Being new to the team, I hadn’t met more than a couple people on the squad and we were rolling out with a group of almost 30 people. Matt, being the consummate host was shuttling himself front to back of the group, instructing the front on the route and encouraging the rear. Somehow, he managed to successfully herd cats for three hours through the hills. From that point on, we’ve been good friends, on-and-off teammates and now coworkers.
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Jim HaleWhere do you live?
- In a quaint burg in The Great State Of Maine
Favorite food?
- My friends would say "Maine blueberries" but my favorites are filet mignon and spicy pad thai.
Which of your bikes is most noteworthy? Why?
- My Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel. It was handcrafted in the USA! One of my best friends gave it to me, and it’s the nicest bike I’ve ever owned.
Why do you ride?
- Because of the sense of freedom and adventure it provides. Plus, my two German Shorthair Pointers need to get their exercise and they love MTB trails.
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros?
- I do whatever I can and beg for help from colleagues.
Tell us a story about one (or more) of your co-workers
- Bert Low can eat more food than any other human being I have ever met and yet gains absolutely no weight.
Anything you care to share about yourself?
- I truly believe cycling can change peoples lives.
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Keith Cardoza
Where do you Live?
- I live just outside of Boston, in Medford, Mass.
Favorite food?
- Anything with Nutella. Seriously – put a peanut butter/banana/Nutella milkshake in my hand and I’m a happy guy.
Which of your bikes is most noteworthy? Why?
- Without question, my Surly Long Haul Trucker, "Large Marge." We have been through a lot together, but she just keeps on rolling. Everything from commuting, grocery shopping, to loaded touring, light off-roading, or brevets, Marge is always there for the long haul. After three paint jobs, a frozen seatpost, and countless rain/snow storms, the LHT is still as reliable as the day she was built up. I’m forever thankful to the folks at Surly for dreaming up such a tough/versatile bike.
Most memorable moment on a bike?
- Two moments have defined cycling for me. I borrowed my brother’s road bike for the 2004 Great River Ride. The East River Rd climb in Chester, Mass. was the first time I ever found good rhythm while climbing. Ten minutes and about six hundred feet up, I was hooked on road biking for good. The second moment was in the opening miles of D2R2 two years ago. At the crest of the first climb, we passed a farm house in the early morning mist. Outside under a giant oak tree, a guy was rocking out on the bagpipes around 7am in the middle of nowhere. The bike has created some truly defining memories for me over the years that I would have never experienced otherwise.
What do you do in your free time?
- When I’m not rolling around on two wheels, I like to get out of the city. I love spending time outdoors with my girlfriend, Julia, hiking or backpacking. In the winter, I hit the slopes as a two-planker. When I’m not off getting lost in the wilderness, I like to catch up with family and friends over some good eats in and around the Boston area.
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros?
- Five years ago, I couldn’t do much more than fix a flat. Now I have a room at home dedicated to working on my bikes. For better or worse, I’m a DIY guy. A lot of times that means I spend more time reading and talking about how to fix the bike than actually fixing it. To me, that’s one of the great gifts of cycling – the endless learning.
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Matty Bracken
Where do you Live?
- I live in West Roxbury, Mass., but in Bostonian speak, that means I am just six miles from Fenway Park and the Red Sox. Since Fenway is the center of the universe it is best that I relate my household location from its epicenter.
Favorite food?
- I love thin crust pizza, plain cheese. Growing up in New York, the test of any great pizza-maker is plain cheese, forget all the toppings. Pizza is all about the crust and fresh ingredients. Boston pizza stinks, but over the past ten years some pizzerias here are stepping up. I like the Upper Crust Pizzeria located on Centre Street in West Roxbury. Relaxing atmosphere and good 'za.
Most memorable moment on a bike?
- Mountain biking in the George Washington National Forest down in Harrisonburg, Va. GO JMU Dukes!! As a former Madison grad I lived all things cycling back when mountain biking was a new scene in the mid 80’s. My trusting Team Comp Fat Chance and I were inseparable. Every weekend at least 10+ of us would meet up at my friend, Sue Rippy’s, house on Garber Ave and head out to the wilderness. I was a lucky person to live in the Shenandoah Valley all those years and have the opportunity to taste mountain biking at its best.
What do you do in your free time?
- Most of my “free” time is taken by my lovely wife and beautiful daughter. Can’t believe I am a dad. Being the youngest of ten children never thought it would be my time to take care someone else. It is the best thing I have ever had the pleasure of doing, besides getting married to my lovely wife. Cycling has always been a way of life for me and I feel tremendous support from Alyson and Madelyn to continue to enjoy my time on the bike.
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros?
- I am a do-it-yourself kind of person. My life started in the industry 20+ years ago as a pro wrench for the Mavic Neutral Support Program. I have too many tools, but only one bike. I collect memories, not bike parts.
What about your coworkers?
- I like the multi-faceted background of my co-workers and support them for being who they are.
Don’t let your obsession kill your passion - sometimes as you ride - it is nice to pull over and enjoy the view and realize where you came from and realize that it is best to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.
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Matt SimpsonWhere do you live?
- LIVE FREE OR DIE STATE of NEW HAMPSHIRE
(See link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX7nQrCgALM) a MUST see link...better than the original...)
Which of your bikes is most noteworthy? Why?
- Any bike with a Power Tap! But seriously, after the 2010 Rodney "incident" no bike could match my Custom Zanconato Cycles – Mike is A-Bomb, what a guy, what a talent (Belgian tie-in HUP HUP!) But I do like my IF Binary Code Ti-Planet CX, oh, and there is also my IF SSC Road Bike, it too gets love.
Why do you ride?
- To breathe - period, end of sentence.
Most memorable moment on a bike?
- Podium both days at G-STAR my first year of racing, winning Amesbury CX. But none would be even noteworthy without the riding of the first ever RONDE DE ROSEY (google Matt Roy). But seriously, most memorable? Hmm,... Morgan Territory and Mt. Diablo the same day in Nor Cal.
What do you do in your free time?
- Chil-axing with my three little girls, spending some time on my oldest daughter’s skateboard mashing it up, digging our bed time stories, most of all music. We dig Rug Tum Tugger!
Maintenance: DIY or leave it to the pros?
- Tinker but don’t dinker... besides I got my boy Matty B in the hizay to aid!
Words to live by:
- Pay it forward, be kind, live simply, care, all will be good.
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