With the 2020 winter season ending short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the summer months quickly approaching, we know the local trails will soon be the most sought after place to recreate. Here at Stio, we have a creative commute challenge all summer to encourage our employees to ride their bikes. To help you create the best looking kit for time spent in the saddle this season, we caught up with Stio Ambassador, Rob Aseltine to see what he's rocking.
Rob hails from New England but now resides in Utah, making the most of what the Wasatch Mountains have to offer. Often reaching 100 days per year on snow, Rob now claims to spend even more days on his mountain bike. "Being able to hop on my bike and hit the trailhead from my garage is the main way I've been staying sane during the quarantine," says Aseltine. “The trails invigorate my soul, satiate my need to explore, and calm my body's anxieties through exercise. Additionally, it allows my mind to be clear, categorize thoughts, and enable space for creative ideas I can use at work.” Last summer, through his company Blueberry Island, Rob produced daily content and videos for Trust Performance from Crested Butte, Colorado to Santa Cruz, California and tested a plethora of Stio gear in the process.
Mountain Biking
I always start with my go to, the OPR Shorts. These men's mountain biking shorts come in a variety of colors and are comfortable to wear all day long whether at the desk or in the saddle. I absolutely love how water just beads off them so you also don't get super soaked after a quick blitz through a leftover puddle.
Next, I'm looking at whether the temps will be above 60 or below. If below, I toss on a Divide Tee and layer on the Men's Second Light Pullover. Most of my mountain bike rides start in the valley and gain 2 or 3,000 feet on mountains or ridge-lines and this is the perfect combo to block the wind and allow your body to disperse heat.
60-75 Degrees and I'm going to rock anything from a single Divide Tee LS to another single layer like the Hagen Trail Shirt or the Eddy. Those are great because you can rock them to a meeting or to tacos and margs after a ride.
Anything warmer than that and I'm wearing the Icefloe Tech Tee to stay cool.
Office Commute
Brisk mornings while exercising beg for the Alpiner Jacket. Rarely do I need to toss on anymore to stay warm. Underneath, I'll rock a regular tee and swap that out for a fresh Eddy shirt I've packed in my bag.
Fortunately, I have the luxury of wearing shorts for my work but if I can't or it's too cold, the Rivet Canvas Pant is my go to. They look good, have a gusseted crotch for added mobility, and have just enough stretch to remove discomfort while riding my bike.
Since the "stay at home" order started, Rob mentioned that many more people are taking to the trails and some folks aren't being as thoughtful of personal space needed to be safe during this time. "It appears that people have disregarded some of the CDC guidelines or believe they have some sort of immunity once they are outdoors in the mountains, which is absolutely not true." Here's a few tips to being courteous and mindful of others while using the trails.
Six feet. If riding with a partner, maintain it. Some trails are narrow and passing another user within much less space is inevitable. If you can, pull off in a better section of trail and let the other user pass to keep distance. If you must pass, acknowledge the other user from afar and be sure to breathe away from each other or into your sleeve as you pass. You could also wear a buff on your ride or run if you don't have too much trouble breathing through it.
Let advanced users pass. Nobody wants to be downwind and looking at a strangers behind for longer than they have to. Be conscious of who’s behind you, not just in front of you. If we're practicing distancing, not everyone wants to shout ahead at the person up the trail and they might not be close enough to see you have earphones in.
I know my dogs are cute, but please don't come up to pet them. Particularly during these times, not only are you likely encroaching on my six feet of space but you could possibly pass the germs to my animal's coat where then I could contract them.
Getting out of the house and pedaling a bike is one of the best ways to relieve stress or tension we're all feeling right now. Because we're still not in the clear fighting the Coronavirus, please let's all be considerate of others and keep it mellow on the trails while having fun out there.