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Our Story

EAT, SLEEP AND BREATH MTB

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. 

Fast forward to now, 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 decades, Trail Head Cyclery has evolved from a cozy lil’ shop, to it’s famed Cambrian Park location, and has now settled in its 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!

The 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.

Exterior Store front of Trail Head Cyclery Cupertino CA
Interior of trail head cyclery with bikes
Inside of trail head cyclery with bikes and accesories
Inside of trail head cyclery with bikes show room
Inside of trail head cyclery with bikes and components
Inside of trail head cyclery with suspension components
Inside of trail head cyclery bike service
Shop owner Lars Thomsen

About 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 Lars’ 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.

MEET THE REST OF THE CREW

THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS SHOP SO GREAT

We have a dedicated staff of riders at the shop who are passionate about all things cycling. They are a great group to be around, whether it's just talking bikes and hanging around in the shop, or out on the trails or road. These folks embody Trail Head Cyclery's values and bring the shops passion to life.

It's not just the great products and services that makes Trail Head Cyclery one of the best bike shops in the Bay Area, it's the great people that work here. A group of riders who seek to share their passion for bikes with others.

EXPERIENCE TRAIL HEAD CYCLERY FOR YOURSELF