Inside the Garage Where Mountain Biking Legends Are Born

Jennifer Miller · 2026-09-21

You know garages. Some smell of fresh paint and neatly organized toolboxes. Others smell of gasoline and lawnmowers. Then there's Wade Simmons' garage. It smells of chain lube, fresh tires, and pure mountain bike history. It's a place where stories are told and adventures begin. Let's pull up a stool. An old Rocky Mountain bike rests between two work stands. Next to it sits Wade's motocross bike, a pair of skis, and boxes packed with spare parts. A workbench is covered with a hundred bolts. Or maybe a thousand. Only Wade knows where they all belong. We're looking for an 8 mm Allen key. "Just help yourself," he says, pointing towards the bench. You get the feeling that this is a place where, for years, people haven't just repaired bikes. They've dreamt up ideas, shared stories, and planned their next big ride. It's a workshop, a clubhouse, and a launchpad all in one. ### The Morning Ritual on the North Shore Wade belongs to Rocky Mountain much the way maple syrup belongs to Canada. The "Godfather of Freeride" is also the social glue that holds the entire North Shore riding scene together. More than anything, he's just a genuinely down-to-earth guy. After crashing at his place following a ride, there's an early knock at the door the next morning. The crew starts rolling in: the photographer, the videographer, and Rocky Mountain's product managers. These are the people who spend mornings on geometry charts and afternoons thrashing test bikes through the dirt. We do one last tire pressure check. Someone adds two clicks of rebound damping. Another is hunting for his helmet. Meanwhile, Wade is watering the garden. His dog, Luna, wanders casually between the bikes as if she's seen hundreds of mornings just like this. Nobody mentions when we're finally going to leave. Yet fifteen minutes later, everyone is clipped in and ready to roll. Just another Friday on the North Shore. ### Where the City Meets the Wild Vancouver has two faces. The Pacific Ocean lies right on its doorstep, while mountains rise behind the city. In between, you'll find one of the densest rainforests we've ever ridden. People here head out for a post-work ride in places others travel halfway around the world to experience. Few places blur the line between city life and wilderness so effortlessly. One minute you're on pavement, the next, the moss takes over. The tarmac ends, and the adventure begins. ### The Birthplace of a Brand The Rocky Mountains lie hundreds of miles to the east. Rocky Mountain Bicycles, however, was born right here. It started in the basement of a Vancouver bike shop in the late 1970s. Three friends began modifying their road bikes with wider tires, flat handlebars, and tougher components to tackle the brutal North Shore trails. In 1981, that passion project became a brand. Legend has it the name came to Grayson Bain while looking out an airplane window at the snow-covered peaks. More than four decades later, Rocky Mountain is a true icon. Through turbulent times, one thing never changed: the North Shore remains the ultimate proving ground for their bikes. ### Why This Community Matters What makes the North Shore special isn't just the terrain. It's the people. It's the fact that mountain biking here has never stopped being a community. It's built on a few key things: - Shared passion for the ride - Respect for the trails and each other - A culture of innovation and testing - The understanding that the best ideas often come from the dirt It's a place where product managers are also test riders. Where a legendary athlete's garage is the weekend meet-up spot. Where the line between work and play doesn't really exist. Tools rattle, pedals go on, and a track pump hisses in the corner. Then, the driveway empties. The crew disappears into a maze of cedar trees, rock slabs, and wooden bridges. Another day, another ride. Another chapter in the ongoing story of North Shore mountain biking.