Community-Geared Cycle Shop Keeps Scotts Valley Cyclists Happy
Cycle Sport has built its business on community support and giving back.

Cycle Sport opened up for business in 1999. Andrew Cavaletto started working there when he was a senior in high school, ten years ago. Now Cavaletto owns Scotts Valley’s lone cycling gear store.

“I started out taking out the trash and building kids bikes. I moved my way up and had the opportunity to buy it, so I took the plunge,” Cavaletto said.

He was only 25 years old when he took over the business, and while the tough economy was a concern, he faced the challenge with open-mindedness and optimism.

“I figured, being 25 when I took it over, I’ve got time to fail and regroup from it if I have to, so I went for it. And, actually things have been going well,” he said.

Cavaletto “likes it all” when it comes to cycling sports, but downhill racing is his competitive passion.

Cavaletto, who attended school at neighboring San Lorenzo Valley High School, likes living and working in Scotts Valley, he especially enjoys the community feel and appreciates their loyal support.

“There’s a lot of people in Scotts Valley, but it still feels like you know everybody, especially at the shop. I’ve seen the same people coming in for 10 years now. It’s great seeing the kids grow up. You can get one-on-one with them. It has that small town feel, and I like that,” Cavaletto said.

Cycle Sport offers everything from kids bikes to hybrids for people who just want to ride around town, to road and mountain bikes. There’s something for every cycling style and a friendly staff to assist riders with their questions and needs.

Cavaletto said, we offer “any type of bike that you want whether you’re a beginning rider up to pro.”

Being a pro rider himself, Cavaletto has less time for racing now that he has the responsibilities of business ownership.

“It was great a few years ago because I didn’t have to worry about the shop. The shop takes up a lot of time,” he said. “I still go race and everything. I don’t get to train as much as I want to, but as long as I’m able to ride, I’m still having fun and happy.”

Nowadays, Cavaletto does four or five races a year, including the U.S. Open in New Jersey, Crankworx in Whistler, Canada and the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey.

The Sea Otter Classic “was a lot of fun, but humbling,” Cavaletto said.

In appreciation of community support, Cavaletto said he likes to give back.

“The community is super supportive. We do a lot of fundraising stuff, like the Mt. Charlie Challenge—a road ride for the Scotts Valley Education Foundation—and we donate bikes to schools,” he said. “Giving back to the community that supports us is a good thing.”

Cycle Sport is at 245 Mt. Hermon Road. The store is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sundays noon-5 p.m.

Mt. Charlie Challenge

Mt. Charlie Challenge - Saturday April 23, 2011

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
It is time to sign up for the Mt. Charlie Challenge Pledge Ride again.
The SVEF Mt. Charlie Challenge is a pledge ride to benefit all Scotts Valley public schools. Our ride will be Saturday April 23th. All funds raised go directly to SVEF to support district wide school programs.
Our event offers you a choice of 100K or 50K routes. Both rides start and end at Skypark in Scotts Valley. The 100K Metric Century (62 miles) climbs to the Summit, winds through wineries and beautiful redwoods, then travels through Corralitos, Aptos, Santa Cruz and returns to Scotts Valley.
The 50K Half Century (32 miles) has less challenging climbs and travels through the redwoods, has a rest stop at a vineyard, continues on to Aptos and returns to Scotts Valley.
Both routes offer beautiful scenery, ride support, lunch and refreshments. The rides are followed by a family luncheon at Skypark with great music.
Please see the registration form below or go to our website to print and fill out the Registration Form. Please review the release form so you can sign it the morning of our ride.
Time to get training! We will be sending out emails on available training rides. Training rides will start when the weather permits. Hope you can join us!

-Scotts Valley Cycle Sport will be at the event in the morning to help with any of your quick adjustments, fine tuning, and or if you just need to air up your tires.

-We also have bikes available to rent if you would like to do the ride on a new 2011 Specialized Roubaix or Tarmac road bike. There is nothing like climbing a hill on a 16lb road bike. It seems to just glide up the hill with ease. For the fearless there is the descent where speeds can reach 50mph. (You do have brakes and dont have to go that fast) If you are interested in renting a bike give us a call (831) 440-9070 and someone can help you set up a reservation.

Look forward to seeing you all out there.

29ers Gaining Momentum?

There have been more than a few times when I have seen a 29er and thought to myself, "what a circus bike! How can a bike with such big wheels be ridden aggressively?" All that changed when I spent a day actually riding a couple 29ers and kept an open mind toward it. I had to see, first hand, why these big wheels were gaining so much popularity.

I grabbed my shop demo bikes and headed out to some trails I often ride. I figured that would be a good way to judge how the bike handled and reacted on the descent. When I first hopped on the bike and started climbing the wheels felt big, but it pedaled with ease. Getting those wheels going was a little bit more work than on a 26" wheel bike, but once they were up to speed they were rolling fast. I was impressed with the way the bike rolled through single track and over logs. The bike seemed to carry momentum and wasn't disrupted by obstacles that would easily rattle a smaller wheel. Since the dirt has been a little dry lately, you can expect the front tire to drift on fast, flat turns, but the longer contact patch of the 29er felt stable and predictable.
For me, the climb and flat bits are just a way to get to the descent. I look forward to riding downhill and it seems we can never get there quick enough. At the top of the descent I was a little cautious because the bike felt so different (with less travel, steeper head angle, and bigger wheels). I was blown away, however, with how much fun it was on the downhill! I felt I had to pick the bike up a little earlier than my 26" bike to jump similar lines, but the bike felt amazingly nimble for its size. Cornering was also a slightly up wider for the turn seemed to make a smoother line that suited the big wheels well. Rolling over braking bumps was not nearly as rough as I thought a 100mm travel would have been. (I think carbon wheels helped on that as well)

By the time I made it to the bottom I was loving the bike and having to swallow some of my words and push aside some of my preconceived thoughts about a 29er.

A 29er is a great bike to have in the stable. I will always keep my 26" bike and love the way the bike rides through the rough, but the 29er has grown on me and I feel is bike that is here to stay.