For this weeks customer spotlight, I was able to talk to local rider Matt Swift and get to know a bit about him and his passion for cycling.
First off, lets get to know a little bit about Matt himself!
“Hey name is Matt Swift. I am 36 years old and I grew up in Florence, MA. I enjoy gravel/road/adventure cycling. I work at Newbury Comics in downtown Northampton and I play guitar in a band called Corrode. I like to cook vegan food and listen to records.”
Matt first got into cycling around 2005 but didn’t dive deep into it until around 2015. His first bike was a Specialized Allez which is where his love for cycling really began to grow. Cycling was Matts choice to help with stress, anxiety and just to get outside, which helped immensely. I think that is something most of us can relate to, cycling is a great outlet for many things!
In 2019 Matt began to get into longer rides and really started to use his bike to explore new places. However he quickly realized there were lots of places where the road would end and his current bike couldn’t quite handle the gravel trails and dirt paths. What Matt did next was the only reasonable thing any of us would of done, get another bike! He ended up grabbing a 2020 Kona Rove NRB, which opened up a whole new world of riding for him. He was now able to start exploring those dirt roads where the pavement ends and the real fun begins!
Getting a gravel bike was the perfect choice for what Matt wanted out of riding, getting dirty and exploration. Matt also really enjoys taking photos of whatever catches his eye during his rides, being able to get off the beaten path with a gravel bike has led to some really nice photos. As someone who follows Matt on instagram, I really enjoy the photos he post during his rides.
Matt also recently finished his longest and most memorable ride to date, an awesome 70 miles of gravel and road. The ride consisted of the 2020 NCC solo gravel route and some of his own route from home to where the ride begins. Another reason this ride was so memorable for Matt, it was the day that Trump was voted out. His ride ended riding into town hearing all the cheering and celebration from everyone downtown, who could of asked for a better end to a ride!
Matt also recently picked up a Apidura Expedition saddle bag from us, which has been an awesome addition for longer rides and the changing weather. The Apidura bags are perfect for storing the extra layers he may or may not need during rides. With the weather changing everyday here in New England, having a saddle bag is the smart choice to have because you never know when it will randomly start snowing or when the Sun will show its face. Matt also picked up some Portland Design Works fenders, which is much needed with the constant change between rain, snow and slush.
It was awesome to touch base with Matt and get to know little bit more about him and his bike. If you see him out there be sure to give him a (socially distant) hello!
If you’d like to be a part of our customer spotlight series, feel free to email allennohobike@gmail.com and lets make it happen 🙂