Our story
Like all good businesses, it started with an idea and a decision to do things better than what’s out there.
John and Lars Thomsen founded Trail Head Cyclery in 1997 with the vision of creating a bike shop unlike anything else in the Bay Area. To provide the mountain bikers within our community with a dependable shop with top notch services, products, and professionalism; something that was simply lacking in the bay area. This is exactly why John and Lars began Trail Head Cyclery, to cater to the true needs of mountain bikers and all cyclists. A bike shop that not only carried the best bikes, components, and apparel, but also has a dedicated staff of passionate riders with in depth knowledge and experience to make the best recommendation for customers.
The father-son duo began with the philosophy of doing things the right way and that a bike shop should extend past its brick and mortar. To give back to the world-class trails that surrounded the shop, be an advocate for mountain biking in the bay area, support local racers, and to share their passion for mountain bikes with every customer that came into the shop.
22 years later, the same quality and philosophy continues to live on at Trail Head Cyclery.
What started as a humble beginning in a little shop within the Cambrian Plaza (San Jose, CA), has transformed into an acclaimed bike shop known to be a mountain biker’s heaven. Over the past two decades, Trail Head Cyclery has evolved from a cozy lil’ shop, to it’s famed Cambrian Park location, and has now settled in it’s best location yet. Located right in the heart of Cupertino, a beautiful shop that reminds you of a cabin up in the Santa Cruz Mountains that has been optimized to be a modern bike shop. We love it here at our new shop!
Our New Shop
The next chapter in the Trail Head story
In 2018, Trail Head Cyclery had a tough decision to make. Our home since the start, Cambrian Plaza, was up for redevelopment. Instead of closing up shop, we decided to find a new home for Trail Head Cyclery and it became a blessing in disguise. Now nestled in the heart of Cupertino, our new shop has allowed us to modernize the Trail Head experience and fill our shop with nothing but the best. The combination of our new lay out, our upgraded mechanic bays, and the mountain-cabin feel when you walk into the shop are all part of exactly what we envisioned when we set out to build a new home for Trail Head Cyclery. We are proud of the new shop, we love the new community we have embedded ourselves into, and most of all, we are ecstatic for Trail Head’s future at this location. We have big ambitions for this location and we hope you have a chance to be a part of it all.
“Here’s the truth. I want to see Trail Head Cyclery continue to grow and support the cycling community by providing a core shop that riders trust. Trail Head Cyclery is truly one of the last bike shops; a full service shop built and staffed to not only sell and build bikes to the highest standards, but to perform repairs and upgrades daily.”
Our Crew
Meet the people that make this shop so great
Lars Thomsen
Founder, Owner, and Shredder
Since his youth, Lars has always had a passion for riding bikes. He was fortunate to grow out of his BMX bike right when the mountain bike revolution began around 1984. Growing up in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the small town of Los Gatos exposed him to some amazing trails to explore. The natural tendency to explore and his desire to take chances were always two strong suites since Lars’s youth, this made mountain biking a perfect match for his personality. Lars also spent his formidable years rowing for the Los Gatos Crew Club, this is how he ended up joining the UC Santa Barbara Crew in 1990. During his studies, Lars worked in Velo Pro Cyclery while training hard as a collegiate rower. This fortuitous combination sparked Lar’s passion and took his riding skills to a whole new level.
Once he graduated from UCSB, Lars and his father John founded Trail Head Cyclery in 1997. The beginning of his lifelong career in mountain bikes. Lars is also family man. The father of two boys who also share a passion for cycling and husband to his wife Karen. Over the years, his passion for riding and sharing his love for mountain bikes has only grown. All these great years later, he’s still riding hard and taking chances.
Mike Diamond
Favorite bike you ride:
Oldfield Cycles custom built Polo bike
Favorite place to ride:
Anything steep and rowdy
Dog’s name:
A puppy named Cash
Cooper blanks
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Specialized Stumpjumper ST 27.5
Favorite place to ride:
Whatever’s open
Favorite food:
Ramen, duh
Scott Czarnopys
Favorite bike you ride:
1976 Swing bike (google it) Or 19’ Specialized Stumpjumper
Favorite place to ride:
UCSC
Favorite movie:
Léon: The Professional
Lucas Martines
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Transition Patrol
Favorite place to ride:
The sidewalk
Tapatio or Cholula:
Habanero mango Cholula
Dave weber
Favorite bike you ride:
Rock Lobster cyclocross bike
Favorite place to ride:
St. Josephs (back in the 90’s)
Favorite beer:
Pliny Elder from Russian River
Lance Howard
Favorite bike you ride:
Yeti SB5 (The lunch ride)
Favorite place to ride:
UCSC
Favorite Trader Joe’s snack:
Savory thin mini crackers and caramelized onion cheddar cheese.
Jason rahlwes
Favorite bike you ride:
The one I ride the most
Favorite place to ride:
Flow Trail
Favorite Salsa:
All the salsas
Daniel munoz
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Specialized S-Works Epic
Favorite place to ride:
Saratoga Gap & Skyline trails
Gnarliest race ever done:
Breckenridge 100…
Tu Nguyen
Favorite bike you ride:
Specialized Pitch
Favorite place to ride:
Coyote Creek
Hobby:
Ghost hunter
charlie rausch
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Specialized Crux
Favorite place to ride:
Ridge trail at Russian Ridge
If you could ride anywhere:
Rotorua, New Zealand
Zach martines
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Transition Patrol
Favorite place to ride:
UCSC
Are you faster than your bro:
Yup.
Brian Penkoff
Favorite bike you ride:
2018 Specialized Sequoia
Favorite place to ride:
Monte Vina
Favorite holiday:
Christmas
Reggie Caselli
Favorite bike you ride:
Felt F1
Favorite place to ride:
John Nicholas
Something rad:
OG photo editor for Thrasher Mag.
jake fergason
Favorite bike you ride:
2016 YT Tues
Favorite place to ride:
Carlmont
Biggest huck:
Mega at Carlmont
kevin horstmann
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Transition Patrol
Favorite place to ride:
UCSC, or Squamish.
Beatles or Zeppelin?
both.
Eric Balfus
Favorite bike you ride:
2018 Transition Patrol
Favorite place to ride:
Santa Teresa County Park
How many years racing:
20+ years
Connor Link
Favorite bike you ride:
2019 Transition Sentinel
Favorite place to ride:
Pacifica
Flats or clipless:
Flat pedals all day.