Our staff is perhaps the most eclectic mix of people to be found in working in a bike shop. We come from different countries, speak a variety of languages, have a breadth of past experiences, but share a common passion….cycling.
SCOTT MCAHREN: Store Owner
For the last 25 years, Scott has worked in and around the outdoor and bike business. He held jobs in just about every facet of the industry, including, mountain bike guide, sales, management and even mechanic. As our faithful leader, Scott has provided the vision for his store and has always known what Freshbikes could be before the door was ever opened.
JASON "J-WA" WALDER: Store Manager
With over 14 years of industry experience, Connecticut native Jason (aka J-Wa) has worked in just about every position found at a bicycle shop. He is a former semi-pro mountain biker, CAT 3 road racer, and sports and fitness catalog model. He is a master mechanic, certified fit specialist, worked for Cannondale's demo and product team and with many US and international pro cycling teams (including Lampre Caffita, Siemens Mobile, Volvo, Bear Naked, HealthNet, and Sobe) before coming to the area to manage FreshBikes in Arlington. He believes Freshbikes is more than a hobby shop; it is the perfect place to do what you love while building a career and gaining valuable skills and experience.
"THE GREG" THOMAS: Technical Director
Dubbed "The Bike Whisperer", The Greg's specialty is solving bicycle mysteries. Have a strange noise coming from the bottom bracket? The Greg will know why. Having worked on bikes professionally for about 14 years, Greg is certified through the Specialized Tech Masters Course, in DT Wheel Building, and as a Body Geometry Advanced Fitter. He rides mostly mountain bikes, and claims that "whatever The Greg happens to be riding at the time is the lightest and blingest mountain bike there is." He appreciates that the Scott gives him the freedom to get the job done the best way possible, and feels lucky to be able to use some of the best tools available.
CURTIS PIPPINS: Service Manager and Mechanic
The newest addition to the Arlington team, Curtis comes to us from Winston Salem with 14 years of experience in the bike industry. With a wicked combination of totally pro mechanic abilities, and both willing and able to articulate his knowledge with clients, Curtis has been a great addition. While serving our clients with certifications from Mavic, Shimano Di2, Campy, SBCU, and Park Tools, we are also able to rely on him for insight on sale sales or product level as well. He is a former store manager, fitter, and service manager at other shops, Curtis is happy to be here and considers Freshbikes to be 'the most pro shop he's ever worked in.
ALEX MANENTE: Master Mechanic
Having spent a few years working as an auto mechanic for Cadillac, Alex has always enjoyed working on high-end products. He began his career as a bike mechanic over ten years ago, and is certified by Specialized through the Tech Masters Course. He has worked as a support technician for Race Across America and the Shenandoah 100. As a long-time friend of The Greg, Alex loves being able to work alongside his friends, with the best products, and in a fun atmosphere. Regarding Freshbikes bike shop, he says "there is no place like it."
BRAD COPELAND: Mechanic,
Brad is a self-proclaimed bike addict. He debates with himself about whether his addiction to bikes is rooted in the unrivaled joy he gets from riding itself, or in his lifelong obsession with high-performance and cutting-edge bikes and parts. His love of bikes began when he first rode a bike with no training wheels. It was immediate, and it didn't take long before Brad's bike lust escalated far beyond just riding them. He has ridden competitively since he was a kid, and has spent the past 18 years coveting high-end bike parts. He began racing XC mountain bikes at age 11 and had some success as a junior in the Southeast in both mountain bike and road racing. He also began working as a mechanic in a shop at 12, mostly to help support the habit. Brad says, "To this day, I remain fascinated by the precision and mechanical harmony of high-performance bicycles. That's why I love my job so much."
MIKE DAVIS: Operations Manager
If you see a beat-up old white Nissan truck with a Marine Corps sticker in the rear window, you can bet to find Mike present at Freshbikes. He was never actually a marine, but he has done everything there is to do in a bike shop, from working as a mechanic, on the floor in sales, in the back doing inventory management, and now as a partner at Freshbikes. Mike races for cycling team Squadra Coppi, and can also be found racing mountain bikes, cross cycling, or as a triathlete. Mike came to Freshbikes because he felt it was the "center of the DC cycling universe," and where else would a cyclist want to be?
CLOVIS ANDERSON JR.: Service/Fitting Manager,
Bicycle Fit Specialist, Certified Mechanic, former Olympian and Pan American Cycling Champion Clovis Anderson Jr. is certified from UCI (International Cycling Union) as a cycling coach, specializing in track and road racing. He has had classes with the Spanish Professor Jose Luiz Algarra , a former Miguel Indurain (5 times Tour de France Champion) coach and Polish Eddie B. (former U.S. track team, Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemond coach). With these instructors, he had had classes about fitting on all cycling specialties: track, road, time trial (triathlon), mountain bike and for casual riders.
Clovis is certified as a cycling mechanic from Cannondale, Park Tool and Finish Line. As a Professional Cycling athlete from 1980 to 1992, and in the bicycle business since 1992, Clovis has an encyclopedic knowledge about bicycles.
DANA STRYK: Fitting Specialist and Director of Human Resources,
Dana has been riding recreationally since childhood, and has been road racing since 2007 and recently added a hardtail to her growing collection of bikes. A former professor at George Washington University, Dana left teaching to run her own consulting business, and began working at Freshbikes in the fall 2008 and discovered working in a small business provided the opportunity to test some of the economic theories she taught for many years, as well as surround herself with dream-inspiring bike products. Dana is a Certified Personal Trainer and Specialized certified fit specialist. If you visit the shop with a canine companion, you will meet her in a matter of moments as she ignores everything to greet your dog.
PAUL HOOVER: Manager, FreshBikes Bethesda and Fit Specialist,
Paul earned his master's degree at the University of Virginia in teaching, focusing on kinesiology and biomechanics. During his time in graduate school, Paul honed his fitting skills by developing professional relationships with the UVA Gait Analysis Lab and UVA Orthopedics. Research during his graduate career mostly pertained to human performance in the world of endurance sports, particularly running and cycling. He also worked for five years in a local shop where he focused on Specialized Body Geometry Fitting and Retul Motion Capture Fitting. When it comes to fits, Paul believes that 'the more challenging, the better' as this gives him an opportunity to integrate his knowledge of the human body with bicycling performance. Paul was drawn to FreshBikes because of 'the level of expertise and product he gets to work with everyday'.