Joe Dioslaki

Pedal Montclair: What do you ride? 

Joe:  For trails its my dream bike, the Scott Spark RC World Cup Evo.  (Thanks Lou and Andrea!)

Pedal Montclair: Favorite places to ride? Why?

Joe: In this general area I love Steven’s State Park, Port Jarvis, and Hartshorne, but my favorite would be the local trails, which are practically in my front yard. Mills Reservation, Cedar Grove Reservoir, West Essex Trail, Hilltop Reservation.  Day or night, I can be on those trails in minutes.  (A big thanks to all of the local trail builders!)

Pedal Montclair: Where would you go on your ultimate biking trip? 

Joe: Whistler, Bentonville, MOAB. I hope to ride these sometime…soon!

Pedal Montclair: Advice to any newcomers? 

Joe: The learning curve is steep, give it a month or two and you’ll be hooked!  The riding community is very helpful, and last but not least; Join a shop ride and learn from the pros!  

Pedal Montclair: Who's your favorite rider? 

Joe: It’s whoever I’m riding with at that moment.  Most often it’s the Diesel Crew, but there are many more.  

Rob Babboni

Pedal Montclair: What do you ride?

Rob: My daily driver is a 2020 Scott Genius. A Santa Cruz Chameleon for when I want to get back to basics, and a Scott Ransom for big days at Mountain Creek and other scary places where I need a little extra travel to keep me safe.

Pedal Montclair: Favorite places to ride? Why?

Rob: Stephens State Park, where the air is clean, the squirrels are friendly, and the downs are always longer than the ups.

Pedal Montclair: Where would you go on your ultimate biking trip?

Rob: I love riding in the Northeast where we have lots of good dirt, rocks and roots. Keeps things interesting and encourages good bike handling skills. The grippy black dirt and flowing trails of Northern Vermont are a dream. Probably the top two places on my list are Moab for varied terrain and scenery, and anywhere in the Pacific Northwest so I can ride LOAM.   

Pedal Montclair: Advice to any newcomers? 

Rob: Start small, ride at your own pace but keep pushing yourself to progress. I’ll steal the Kingdom Trails philosophy “Ride with Gratitude” which for me means appreciating the green spaces we ride our bikes in, keeping the trails friendly, and doing what you can to give back. Oh, and join a local shop ride. It’s a great way to meet other mountain bikers and connect to a cool community.

Pedal Montclair: Who's your favorite rider? 

Rob: I love watching Amaury Pierron crush a race run. The sheer strength and precision are mind-blowing -  gapping entire sections of trail and putting the wheels right where he wants them. I learned to jump mountain bikes in my late 40s and it still feels terrifying at times, so I enjoy seeing riders who love to be airborne like Paul Couderc and Hugo Frixtalon. Those Commencal edits always make me want to try things that I probably shouldn’t…

Nina Machnowski

Pedal Montclair: What do you ride?

Nina: I currently ride the Pivot Mach 4 SL for marathon mountain biking and the Pivot Vault for collegiate races!

Pedal Montclair: Favorite places to ride? Why?

Nina: Some of my favorite parks include Mahlon Dickerson Reservation and Allamuchy North.

Pedal Montclair: Where would you go on your ultimate biking trip?

Nina: My ultimate biking trip would be to South Africa because I would love to ride on the same trails that are in the Cape Epic!

Pedal Montclair: Advice to any new comers?

Nina: The cycling community is so awesome! Don't hold back from joining local group rides or exploring new trails. A tip of mine would be to always bring EXTA NUTRITION on rides - even if you think you're just planning on going for a "quick spin." Running out of fuel is not fun!

Pedal Montclair: Who's your favorite rider?

Nina: My favorite riders would have to be Chloe Woodruff, Rose Grant, Sofia Gomez Villafane, and Keegan Swenson - AKA the Stan's/Pivot Pro Cycling Team!

Aaron Thall

Pedal Montclair: What do you ride? 

Aaron: Trek Superfly SL & Santa Cruz Hightower 27.5+  

Pedal Montclair: Favorite places to ride? Why?

Aaron: Wawayanda State Park- Technically Challenging with a great mix of flow and speed and with the added spice of an occasional bear encounter.  Blue Mountain - Blue is what mountain biking is all about. Every inch of trail utilizes the natural features to perfection. From the technical Monster DX trail to Rambler and the steep rock face drops.

Pedal Montclair: Where would you go on your ultimate biking trip? 

Aaron: Scottish Highlands and bike from bothie to bothie with a bottle of Balvenie in my pack!

Pedal Montclair: Advice to any new comers? 

Aaron: My advice to new comers is to get a bicycle that fits your intended use and has room for upgrades. Also, find a group ride to join but don’t worry about keeping up, use the time to watch the better riders and pick up some pointers.If you’re stoked after the ride you’ll want to come back for more and when you have that passion for riding your skills will follow.

Pedal Montclair: Who's your favorite rider? 

Aaron: This is a tough one, I admire so many, but the cross country riders are my favorite. Julian Absalon, now retired, was always a favorite. My two favorite riders are currently wearing the rainbow stripes as World Champions, Swiss maestro NinO Schurter and the USA’s Kate Courtney!  

Chris Albanese

Pedal Montclair: What do you ride? 

Chris: Pivot Mach 429SL – I take advantage of its versatility.  Right now I have it set up as a 27.5 PLUS and loving it, insane fun! Come race season I’ll convert to a 29er race weapon!

Pedal Montclair: Favorite places to ride? Why? 

Chris: I grew up riding Ringwood A LOT! Ringwood captures everything I love about riding…being challenged, super techy with lots of climbing.  It never disappoints!  More local to Montclair, I love riding “south of 280.”  It’s an amazing place to get good mileage in, you can string together really nice loops and you don’t feel like you’re in NJ! 

Pedal Montclair: Where would you go on your ultimate biking trip?

Chris:  I have two, BALI and SQUAMISH BRITISH COLUMBIA – BOOM!  

Pedal Montclair: Advice to any new comers? 

Chris: Get out there as much as possible and get hooked!  You’ll quickly find that mountain biking isn’t just a sport or hobby, it’s also a way of life!  If you start young, you can take the riding adventure with you your entire life.  I made the mistake of taking a hiatus when I got in to more competitive sports but I never lost the love for it!  It’s more than just a physical activity, it’s the ultimate therapy for me!

Pedal Montclair: Who's your favorite rider? 

Chris: This is a bit of a throwback – Hans Rey.  As a child I would watch his videos all night long, I was totally enamored by his ability and what he did on a bike. I wanted to be exactly like him minus the ponytail.  Trials riding was a major part of what I did as a kid, he doesn’t know it but he taught me a lot! Countless hours were spent at Montclair State University practicing, I attempted to mimic everything he did and all of it transfers over to trail riding.  Positioning on a bike, balancing and steadiness on trails. Thanks Hans!