Rider Bio - Aaron Snyder

We'll post some of the vital stats on our riders in the next few weeks, starting with our team captain, Aaron Snyder:

 

• Racing Age in 2012

○       25

• Height/Weight

○       5’11” – 155lbs

• Hometown

○       State College, PA

• Job

○       Mechanic / Wrench at Freeze Thaw Cycles, State College, PA

• Favorite Trail

○       The ones that require flow, focus, and skills and invoke adrenaline rushes, inspire smiles, and promote a general feeling of happiness. The trails in Eastern / Central PA usually do the trick.

• Favorite Race

○       I’m a bit partial to the Transylvania Epic Stage Race. The stage racing format is starting to take off, and for good reason! TSE showcases the best  mountain biking that Pennsylvania has to offer over 7 days. The riding is hard, the climbs are long, and the rocks are big. It’s the kind of riding that I learned to ride a mountain bike on.

• Best Race Result

○       5x Pennsylvania State Champion

○       4th 2012 Transylvania Epic Stage Race

○       5th 2012 Shenandoah 100

○       7th 2011 BC Bike Race

• Mountain Bike Advocacy

○       Skills clinics / coaching

○       Trail work

• Glasses

○       Right now I’m stuck on the Neuro Toxin. When I’m not smashing the pedals the Otto is my choice.

• Shoes

○       Shimano M315 MTB Shoe- Fully heat-moldable plus massive airflow. I forget I have them on.

• Other items you ride with

○       Before I walk out the door, I always grab my Genuine Innovations Air Chuck, a spare CO2 cartridge, and a handful of Raw Rev Bars.

Bike:

• Frame/Size

○       SCOTT Scale 29 RC – Large

• Fork

○       X-Fusion Slide 29 RL2 120mm- The best suspension you’ve never heard of!

• Headset

○       Ritchey Pro

• Front Derailleur

○       SRAM XX

• Rear Derailleur

○       SRAM XX

• Shifters

○       SRAM XX

• Brakes

○       SRAM XX World Cup, 180mm F, 160mm R

• Crankset and gearing

○       SRAM XX – 39x26 gearing (perfect for a 29er) – Covered with clear tape from www.Crankskins.com

• Handlebar

○       Ritchey Pro Carbon Flat Bar – Wide and stiff. What else do you need?

• Grips

○       ESI Racer’s Edge – By far the best grips available.  Look at any of the photos of racers in World Cup events and most are using these grips.  There are many reasons why.  They reduce hand fatigue from vibration, are grippy even when wet, and don’t spin on the bars.

• Stem

○       Ritchey WCS C260 90mm – It’s a new design this year that prevents overclamping lightweight carbon handlebars (and it’s only 103 grams)

• Pedals

○       Crankbrothers Candy 3 – Super light weight with plenty of float. I like the extra stability of the larger platform. Paired up with the Crankbrother Shoe Shields they are top notch.

• Saddle

○       Fizik Tundra 2 K:ium

• Hubs

○       Stan’s 3.30 Ti

○       Carbon/Ti skewers

• Chain

○       KMC X10SL – Gold

• Cassette and gearing

○       SRAM XX – 12-36 cassette – Lightweight and durable

• Rims

○       Stan’s NoTubes Gold 29

• Tires

○       Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 Snakeskin w/ plenty of Stan’s NoTubes sealant! Flat-free in 2012!

• Total Bike Weight

○       19.5 lbs