All about the GRIN Factor

Mountain Biking is a true passion which began with actually two riding experiences in 1998, one ride with my kid brother and another ride with a great friend at the camp grounds in Ellicottville. Both rides on loaner bikes happened within weeks of one another and they were a real eye opener as to how much the technology of a bike had changed since the days of the monkey bar, banana seat set-up. Fat knobby tires, cool front suspension, 27 gears and strong rim brakes that actually worked were the norm for the late 90’s. Beside the bonus of getting to know my brother again it was the beauty of the forest, the songs of birds, the rustling of forest animals and the fresh air that was a huge wow factor and clincher. This experience was certainly a change from the 9 to 5 ride in the financial community of downtown Toronto. Since then I have been driven to learn as much as possible about the mechanics of bikes, ride as many places as possible and share the passion of the sport.

Taking bike mechanic courses in 2000 was the beginning of the education process and it has been on-going and continued to as recent as a trip to the US to study with a Master Wheel Builder. In the years between I have built mountain bikes from the frame up to suite the body type, terrain type and budget of the rider. Bicycle repairs, fork rebuilds, drive train upgrades have lead to a very rewarding and loyal client base.

It is truly an awesome feeling to see the grin on a clients face when they get their new custom built or repaired bike. The grin factor really gets kicked up a notch when the eyes sparkle and there is passion and pride when talking about their recent riding experience. Northern Spokes is all about the grin factor and re-discovering what a finely tuned wheel set and bike can do for you. .