MEET THE TEAM
Store Team
Grant
Hometown: Centre Hall, PA
Experience: Grant started working here in 2002 and has been managing since then. Growing up, bikes were a mode of transportation for him, especially living in rural Pennsylvania. He continued to ride bikes even after he got his drivers license when all his friends stopped riding.
Favorite Bike: A 2016 Specialized Sequoia Expert
What do you do when you're not on the bike? He enjoys anything that gets him outdoors!
Ben
Hometown: Born in Erie, PA but graduated high school in Punxsutawney
Experience: Ben has been riding bicycles & repairing his own bikes since he was 8 yrs old, and has never stopped. His father was a mechanic, so it was easy for him to familiarize himself with wrenching. After he got his civil engineering degree from PSU, he decided not to pursue a career in engineering, and pursue a career in the cycling industry instead. He loves repairing bicycles and making customers happy by making their bikes work better whenever they visit. He is an avid mountain biker but also enjoys gravel and mixed surface riding, and some bike packing, and he loves riding his new backyard pump track.
Favorite Bike: Specialized Fuse
What do you do when you are not on the bike? When he is not on a bike, he enjoys tuning his bikes, and hiking in Rothrock, building his pump track, and working on mtb trails.
Sparky
Hometown: State College, PA
Experience: Sparky has been working at the shop since 2011 and has experience working at other shops 7 years prior to that. He has been riding bikes seriously since college.
Favorite Bike: "That’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite child, so I really can’t answer that."
What do you do when you are not on the bike? He loves to run
Larry
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Experience: Larry has been with us at the shop since 2013 and been riding since his childhood.
Favorite Bike: The Next One ...
What do you do when you're not on the bike? He enjoys working out, watching sports and buying sneakers to add to his collection. He loves to match his outfits with his sneakers. No day is complete without his coffee.
Cooper
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
Experience: Cooper has been working at the shop since 2015 and picked up the hobby of riding bikes around 12 years ago.
Favorite Bike: The 12-inch Specialized Kitty Hotrock
What do you do when you're not on the bike? She has 5 children and also enjoys playing competitive volleyball.
Adam
Hometown: State College, PA
Experience: Adam has worked here since 2015 and has been riding bikes since around 2013. He has raced with Penn State a few times.
Favorite Bike: Specialized Epic Evo
What do you do when you are not on the bike? He is pursuing a degree from the Penn State Schreyer Honors College and loves to make fancy cocktails at home.
Tara
Hometown: State College, PA
Experience: Tara just joined the team helping us out with IT support and will be making her way to the sales floor as well. She picked up biking 11 years ago and hasn't looked back.
Favorite Bike: The Specialized Rhyme with plus-size tires
What do you do when you're not on the bike? She loves hiking with her dogs, cooking, and practicing yoga.
Marcin
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Experience: Marcin has been working the shop for nearly a half a year. He has been riding and building road bikes since the age of 14. Now has begun exploring other riding styles ... hard not to do working at a bike shop!
Favorite Bike: Cervelo S5
What do you do when you're not on the bike? He likes to write and record music. He also enjoys his engineering studies.
Frank
Hometown: Joliet, IL
Experience: Frank has moonlighted at the shop since 2013. He started racing bikes at Penn State and helped organize the Penn State road race in 2012-13. Now he has gone full enduro.
Favorite Bike: Endpoint Coffee Grinder
What do you do when you're not on the bike? He loves spending time with his wife and dog...maybe a hike or a trip to the dog park. Traveling in his adventure van and drinking craft beers are free time fun for him as well.
Jutta
Hometown: State College, PA
Experience: Jutta has 3 years of begging for food and wrestling.
Favorite Toy: Kong
What do you do when you are not at the store? She chases birds and hunts.
Piper
Hometown: Centre Hall, PA
Experience: Piper has 4 years of begging for food and wrestling.
Favorite Toy: Jutta
What do you do when you are not at the store? She disassembles sofas and plastic water bottles