Riley S (Riles)

I never grew up on dirt bikes or anything like that, but when I was in 3rd grade, one of my friends introduced me to the world of mountain biking. And boy, did I fall in love! From a young age to a fully grown mid-20-year-old, I've been riding bikes in almost every capacity - BMX, mountain bikes, road bikes, you name it. I even dabbled in unicycling for a bit (not recommended, unless you're a glutton for punishment and enjoy getting razzed by your buddies).

But my real passion was always racing, I loved the competition. I started racing in high school and a little bit afterward in a number of different disciplines. I was super grateful to have the opportunity to travel to some really rad places with some of my closest friends, but after years of competing and traveling with my trusty two-wheeled steed, I decided to hang up the race plate. I knew I still wanted to be in the bike world and be around like-minded people who share my passion, but wasn’t too sure how to achieve that. Plus, my mom said I needed to get a real job.

So I started working in retail at a few different bike shops while going to college. I worked my way up to a manager position, but I soon realized that wasn't enough for me. I wanted more than anything to work remotely, so I could bike all day and still get paid (don’t tell Josh). That's when I discovered email marketing. I mean, what could be more exciting than creating emails about bikes? (Don't answer that - but no, seriously, I love it) I worked at a few different marketing agencies and gained experience over the years, but deep down, I always wanted to write emails about things I was passionate about and products I used myself.

And that's when GritShift came in. I was SO hyped. I mean, you're telling me I can stop making emails about perfume, skincare, and any other random products and start making ones about E-Bikes? Ummm yeah, I’ll do that; thank you! I jumped at the opportunity, and they gave me a chance, and the rest is history.
Nowadays, I own not one but four bicycles and plan to add an E-Bike to my collection soon. My current fleet is as follows: Trek Fuel EX (Enduro bike), Trek 920 (aka the Bikepacking Bike), Trek Allant 7s (which is electric, baby!), and last but not least, my almost ancient 1978 Pinarello Treviso. I'm stoked to see a lot of the same brake and suspension systems that you find on the E-Motos we sell because a lot of them started out as downhill mountain bike components. Things like the Fox 40 and Hayes Dominion brakes are all systems I've maintained and repaired way too many times to count, thanks to my time as a bike mechanic. Tinkering and repairing my rigs is a form of therapy for me whether it's playing with my low/high-speed compression or doing a full-on rebuild to get it working like new again.

 

I want to give ya'll the best experience and provide as much value as possible with our emails. I enjoy getting people out of the house and out riding, and my hope is that my emails do just that for you. So there you have it, folks - a boy, a bike, and a dream come true 🙂 Cheers!