A strange twist of events in the mid 1980’s found me leading mountain bike tours in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. I couldn’t believe it, I was a guy from Pennsylvania who got paid to ride my mountain bike. I wanted to ride year round, but the frozen snowmobile trails around Telluride could only take me so far. So I moved to Flagstaff, Arizona. Then for most of the 90’s I raced, managed a bike shop in Flagstaff, and lived in a tent to support my habit.

In 1999 I got called up to the big leagues and was offered a job with Trek as the Eastern Demo Representative. For five years I had the luxury to ride trails all over the East Coast, as well as build relationships with riders and shops throughout the region. As a well-traveled rider, people often asked me where the best trails were. I always felt they were right underneath my wheels.

Another big part of the job was to travel around the region leading clinics to bike shops on suspension repair and maintenance. Fox, Manitou, Rock Shox were all on the agenda. After Trek, I went on to start Litespeed’s first nationwide demo program, the Dream Bike Tour in 2003. I’ve talked to thousands of riders over the years and learned firsthand about what they expected from their suspension systems.

That’s why I started Suspension Experts. Now I’ve got the opportunity to work in the industry that I love, while staying close to the trails of Western North Carolina.

Thanks for reading.

Kevin Booth
President • Suspension Experts