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.  

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!