To compliment Hailey Moore’s Shop Visit with Rodeo Adventure Labs, we’re sharing the people—and bikes!—behind the Denver-based company. Rodeo is known for going all-out on custom builds and paint schemes for its customers, but the staff bikes pictured here might be some of the most expressive we’ve seen from the brand yet.
Stephen; Founder
I’ve heard myself called “bike dad” from time to time here at the office. That might describe my role best at Rodeo. My main role is the founder of the company and the associated responsibility of managing, planning, and keeping it all pointed in a direction. My favorite job around here is riding, photographing, and writing. If I could do that full time I would! Also rewarding: Doing customer service and helping people configure and design their bikes one at a time. It’s time-intensive work, but it is super fun to go down the bike nerd rabbit hole when planning a bike build.
My industry background is non-existent before Rodeo, but I’ve been genuinely obsessed with bikes since Jr. High School, and that was plenty of inspiration to start Rodeo with.
The bike in my photo is my personal Traildonkey 4.0 (TD4). The frame is the first pre-production rideable prototype, so there are tiny details that were added or subtracted from production frames. I like to ride the prototypes indefinitely, in order to put as many miles and adventures onto any “chassis” as possible in the name of testing. This bike is on its third livery / paint job. I use this bike as my road bike and gravel bike with different fork and tires, but the way it is shown here was how I built it to race at Leadville this year, and the suspension fork, which is borrowed from Cade, was the chef’s kiss that made that day so much fun.
Drew; Director of Product
Like anybody else at our small company, jack of all trades describes me well. Predominantly the Director of Product, I also have my hand in design, customer service support, upholding our brand standards, and making sure toilet paper is well stocked. The most energizing part of my job is seeing the fruition of what started as a moment of curiosity, filtering through our talented team, and becoming a real-world object. That magical moment when an idea becomes something you’re holding in your hands for the first time.
My Flaanimal 5.0 Titanium is one of the first pre-production prototypes with some minor differences from the final version. I frequently get bored and need to repaint, rebuild, and just tinker with all my bikes so we’re looking at the second paint design and fourth build style. This particular one stemmed from a design I did for a customer inspired by vintage Japanese motorcycles. I mashed that together with some classic Fender guitar colors pulled from the Tyler Bryant ‘Pinky’ Strat and the result is a Shell Pink frame with gold anodized logos and a bragger’s rear triangle so people don’t forget we’re looking at a ti frame.
Aside from my love of bikes, you can frequently find me grasping onto my lifelong love of soccer through coaching and watching The Premier League on weekends, playing guitar with the finesse of a caveman, and almost constantly listening to music.
Chef Coco; General Manager & Mechanic
I’m Chef Coco, the general manager and the mechanic that assembles each bike build. I’ve been recently dubbed “the doorman”, as nothing gets in or out of Rodeo without me knowing about it. I make sure every customer bike is safe, performs well (despite our clientele’s penchant for thorough modification), and—most of all—looks good at the group ride. I keep tabs on all parts inventory, handle warranty repairs, and field technical questions. I also run the bar, so please ask me what’s on tap. I’m also on reddit sometimes, /r/rodeolabs.
People wonder how I have a decade of experience as a mechanic yet I barely look like I could have a driver’s license. My wrenching started when I was 15 at Epic Bike and Sport in Kansas City, MO. Shout out to Mark, Joel, Scott, and Jeremy; they launched me to where I am today.
My Ti Flanny is built around my resistance to all things roadie and aero. I refuse to purchase anything that may make my commute easier for me unless it’s a bag. I want my bike set up such that I can decide on a whim to take a treacherous, perhaps-technically-trespassing path. I also have some inner bug to try unconventional parts or setups for the sake of trying them. My favorite part of riding is finding a route nobody knows exists and then showing my in-group the secrets later; this can get me into troubling situations sometimes.
I haven’t been shot or fallen off a cliff yet, so I’m not slowing down on that approach anytime soon. This old thang is custom painted to resemble the poster for the under-appreciated holiday: Bicycle Day, which itself represents an infamous bike ride taken by Dr. Albert Hofmann in 1943. To me, bikes are fundamentally about the link between perseverance and freedom; a smooth sea never made a true sailor.
Adam; Paint/Finishing Technician
I’m a paint and finishing technician in our “customization lab.” You’ll find me rocking out to music while painstakingly working on pumping out rad bikes with made-to-order Cerakote paint jobs, decals, and anodization. Have a crazy idea for a bike that isn’t boring? Challenge accepted.
I’ve been on the outskirts of the bike industry for a bit over a decade while guiding mountain bike trips, handling fulfillment, buying, and marketing. I have an art and design background and have been biking ever since I was a kid. I always loved customizing my bikes with accessories and colors, so a few years ago I began learning how to paint them via internet surfing. I set up a large camping tent in my backyard as a spray booth, bought a vinyl cutter and some rattle cans, and went for it. Rodeo was kind enough to give me a shot at taking my painting to the next level, so I quit my boring corporate job and chased my passions. I can honestly say I’m now HAPPY to go to work every day!
I just started painting my own Flaanimal 5.0 and I’m only on color number one out of six. So, you’ll find me posing with our rescue story bike, the “All Rodeo.” We took a damaged frame from… another company… that was destined for the landfill and repaired it with fresh seatstays. Moreover, we used it to test a prototype sliding dropout design. I’d say that’s clever use of a dumpster find. We repainted it, of course, adding our tongue-in-cheek logos and then built it with a little extra flair. This bike completed a lap around the North end of Florida during our recent Rodeo Roundup and continues to prove itself on group rides, coffee runs, and even mellow singletrack.
Pancho; Wheelbuilder
Pictured is my Flaanimal 5Ti fresh from the morning coffee ride. You’ll find a familiar Rodeo design in the pine tree seat-tube treatment and scallop details that draw from the early days of general aviation. The Thermos rides aboard a rack that I brazed together out of garage scrap. It should be noted that no shift cables were harmed in the assembly of this bicycle.
I am the primary wheelbuilder here at The Lab, so if you got a custom wheel from us, chances are I had my hands on it. Additionally, I support our engineering efforts by building prototypes, welding fixtures and generally messing with things. Forty years in the bike industry makes me older than the dirt on my Mezcals.
Brad; Lead Painter
Artist from birth, movie geek and cycling industry lifer. For more than 30 years I’ve been privileged to call the cycling biz my home. From sales and service, to marketing and design, all the way to hand building carbon fiber, titanium and steel frames. I’m now landed in the most natural of fits in the paint department, passionately helping people turn their bike visions into reality.
Although I enjoy all disciplines of cycling, I’m happiest when whatever bike I’m on has it’s wheels in the dirt. A customer and fanboy before employee, my Flaanimal Ti is one of the most fun bikes I’ve owned. Usually found with knobbies and some sort of coffee brewing in mind.
I am fluent in the languages of Star Wars and Blade Runner, with a little Alien and Indiana Jones on the side. My playlist is almost exclusively 80s alternative, New Wave, Goth, Punk and movie soundtracks. I dress in costumes more often than most, create replica movie props for fun, and consume coffee at a rate that makes others jittery.
Cade; Engineer
I started at Rodeo about two years back as a mechanic while I finished up college, after which I moved into the role of Engineer. Now I help develop new Rodeo products and manufacturing processes. My favorite part of the job is “product testing,” aka going riding to see what works and what doesn’t.
My Traildonkey 4 setup changes almost daily. The only thing that seems to stay the same is the flat bars. It’s typically tailored for long days in the saddle, which has been my preferred riding style this year. I’ve made the rounds through lots of cycling disciplines over the last couple of years: I started with XC mountain biking, moved into an enduro / DH phase, and then somehow ended up getting into ultra distance rides and races.
If you want to read more about Rodeo Adventure Labs, check out Hailey’s Shop Visit, in which she does a deep dive on the brand’s origins and hears from founder Stephen Fitzgerald on how it has weathered its first decade.
