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We caught up with Certified Pre-Owned customer Simon P. to ask him about his new bike and how he made his dream bike a reality by trading in.
Let's start with the important stuff first. It's new bike day! Tell us about your new Certified Pre-Owned bike.
The new bike is a 2018 Focus Mares and I’m in love with it. Light, stiff, and quick off the mark! It has the components and setup I want for a pure cross racing machine. The only problem now is I really have only myself to blame now if I’m still slow! I can’t wait to christen it with dirt for the first time!
Ok, now tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm originally from New Hampshire, but currently a Geology PhD student at CU Boulder (studying ice caps and glaciers in the Arctic). I've been in Boulder for almost 6 years.
What type of riding do you enjoy?
I originally got into cycling racing road bikes in undergrad. Since moving to Boulder I’ve quickly started collecting more types of bikes and discovered that bikes can take you to all sorts of places and are wicked fun in the process! I raced for the CU cycling team for several years on the road and it was that community that really encouraged me to explore all the different types of riding. In particular, I’ve totally been bitten by the cyclocross bug over the past few years. I’m still working my way up the ranks, but the style of riding and racing is both painful and exhilarating. Best of all, the community of racers is really a family and makes cross something so much more than just racing.
What was your old bike? How long did you have it? Why did you decide it was time for a new bike?
I had a 2014 Jamis Supernova Elite which I loved and, at the time, was a significant step up from my previous cross bike. I raced it for three seasons here in Colorado and loved it. The more I raced it, the more I realized the specific features of a racing cross bike that I wanted. It had an old 2x10 set up which didn’t have enough low end for some of the steeper grassier climbs or deep sand pits; plus I never even used the larger chainring up front. The remaining components were all older, heavier types which were not doing much except slowing me down (more than usual of course).
Why did you decide to trade in your old bike with us? How was your trade-in experience? Would you do it again?
I had thought about just upgrading the old bike, but to go from the 2x10 to a 1x11 would have required a whole new drive train and a new wheelset at the minimum, and add in new brakes and it just made sense to just upgrade the whole unit (plus the old frame was a strange mix of thru axle and QR, which was tough to find parts for). I had it posted online for a time with no takers. Then saw my dream bike online at The Pro’s Closet. I used the Sell/Trade form and got more than I was expecting! The trade in process towards a new bike was quick and easy and I walked out of the store with a brand-new bike that day. Piece of cake! The staff I worked with (Maggie and Charlie) were incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and efficient during the whole process. Overall, it was a great experience and something I will definitely consider when thinking about my next upgrade.
Want to be like Simon? You can turn the bike you have into the one you want by starting with a quote on our Sell/Trade page here.