Ben Gelderloos | Guide & “Chief Nature Lover”
You can most often find Ben riding trails with a smile on his face. He enjoys sharing with others what he loves the most and bringing people to the amazing places to explore by bike in Santa Cruz. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Ben has guided and rode across the West but found a deep affinity for Santa’s Cruz’s loamy dirt beneath towering trees. He’s always got a redwood fact handy to share the wonder of this place with others. Bikes are all about exploring the natural world for Ben which he usually does with long bikepacking trips, fun-focussed trail rides, and long miles on a gravel bike. Exploring the forest and having a good time shredding are always the focus on a ride with Ben.
Mike Phillips | Guide & “Director of Good Times”
A true outdoor enthusiast, Mike loves everything about the wilds of our world. Curiosity has fueled his desire to explore… convinced there is something new and exciting around every corner. He finds amazement in the simplest of things, but once he discovered the mountain bike over 10 years ago…there was no turning back. Not only could you go further, the shear joy of carving through so many different terrains was highly addictive. To Mike, bikes are an awesome vessel to explore more of the natural world with like-minded people… creating a social camaraderie, connecting with nature and also getting a bit of that adrenaline fix. “It’s all up to you…you can go fast and focus purely on the sensations of flow and speed; or you can slow things down a bit and take in the surroundings…. or maybe a bit of both. Mountain Biking is an experience…each day can offer something new.” From the Pacific Northwest to New Zealand to Santa Cruz, the bike has been with Mike on nearly every adventure, and he’s always hungry for more!
Darrin Geahry | Founder/ Lead Guide/ Lead Instructor
From the dry and rocky trails of Arizona, to the loam of Santa Cruz and the native bush of New Zealand, Darrin has been an avid mountain biker for most of his life. He loves to play in the dirt… whether it’s competing in a local race, helping maintain and build trail, or getting out there to discover something new and unknown. Off trail, he enjoys the technical side… from body mechanics, conditioning and metabolomics, to frame kinematics and finding that elusive perfect bike fitting. Passionate about the outdoors, any free time he has is usually spent soaking up the sights and sounds of the forest. An epic day for Darrin: good food, fresh air, beautiful redwoods and putting some knobby tires to dirt!
Team Certifications | BICP L1 – Ride Guide and Fundamental Skills Inst. | Adult First Aid/AED/CPR | Wilderness First Aid