Conversations with Brock Benson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brock Benson.

Hi Brock, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started wrenching on mountain bikes in 1995. My first bike shop job was at The Bike Shop in Grand Junction, CO, back when the mountain bike boom was first happening in the Grand Valley. I ended up at Tompkins Cycle Sport, which became Ruby Canyon Cycles, and I worked for the first owner of that operation as well, before moving to Denver, CO in 2010.

Once I moved to Denver I started working for Turin Cycles downtown on 7th and Lincoln. I did that until I got burned out. Customer service in the inner city is different than customer service on the Western Slope, and as the Service Writer I got a lot of face-time with the public at large. Lots of likes and lots of yikes.

Mountain biking is different on the front range as well. Having been raised on a ranch that ran cattle in the West End and owning property on the Uncompagrhe Plateau, I can say with great accuracy that I was spoiled by the number of single tracks I had access to. growing up. And then spoiled again by what that translated into once full suspension mountain bikes arrived on the market.

Fast forward to the pandemic and suddenly it was time to pack up the bikes, leave the city behind, and move back home to the West End and live on the Uncompaghre Plateau. I was born in Nucla, CO, and my family, like the rest of the community, was built on coal mining, hunting, and ranching. On top of the mining and the ranching, we also ran a hunting and outfitting business called ‘Muleskinner Outfitter and Guide Service’.

We took people hunting for deer, elk, bear, and lion back in the 80s, and it’s the memories of our life on the mountain that brought me home. Only now there is nothing left. My family all passed away, the ranch is gone, the mining is gone, and there is no outfitting business. It’s just me and my dogs, and the mountain. And my memories. And the ashes. The graves. I have my partner Troy who supports everything I do and makes my world turn.

I also have my son, Beck, who is coming home to help me rebuild that life that was abandoned so many years ago. I also have a community, that has also lost a lot, and has seen some very difficult times, and I am blessed to be welcomed home with open arms. As a gay man, moving to a conservative rural community, I was trepidatious and ready for a fight. I’ve never been more wrong about anything in my life.

Once I arrived and became reacquainted with the members of this community, the people that are giving the West End life, it was clear to me that I had been called home for a reason. To help this community climb out of the ashes of a burned-down mining industry. And they are well on their way to building the foundation for a sustainable economic future for the West End.

You see a guy name Paul Koski has been living in the West End for over twenty years, and he was the president of the West End Trail Alliance, which has been making tremendous strides in trail development and access to the backcountry for the West End. Combine that with the cyclists that are moving here, like Tim Tait who has founded the West End Gravel Rush, and is himself, an epic endurance athlete, as well as other cycling families that are moving here from Moab to live the lifestyle.

All of the things that make an area great to go mountain biking in were in place, we just needed one thing. A bike shop. So my partner Troy bought me one of the last remaining commercial buildings available on Main Street in Naturita. It was an old liquor store that had been sitting vacant and boarded up for twelve years. It was also full of all of the leftover liquor, if you know anybody that needs a cheap merlot or a bottle of Yellow Tail from 2006 please let me know.

The building has a cool old-west vibe to it, which fits perfectly for the brand that we are building out here. We are located between Telluride and Moab but we are very thin on services and resources. It feels like stepping back in time when you come through town, so to see a bike shop is rather shocking to a lot of people. We don’t even have a decent restaurant, how can we have a bike shop? Well, we have a lot of cyclists in the West End.

It’s especially attractive to gravel riders because of the myriad of empty back country roads we have around here, and the expansive views that make the West End such a breathtaking place to be. Also, Paradox Cycle is doing a lot to grow the cycling culture in the West End. I’ve been open for less than a year but I’ve already received enough grant money to successfully launch the Paradox Cycle Trade Skills Program and the Paradox Cycle Apprenticeship Program. Here’s how the programs work.

I receive a truckload of recovered bicycles donated from the Telluride Marshals department, and anyone else who would like to donate a quality bike to the program. I then apply for grant money to supply the students with tools as well as time and materials to teach the classes. The students then receive a donated bicycle and are taught to rebuild and repair it themselves.

They leave the program with a working bicycle and the knowledge and tools required to maintain it. I have been fortunate enough to receive support from local organizations; the West End Pay It Forward Trust, the West End Economic Development Corporation, as well as The Beanstalk Foundation in Denver. These generous contributions help me keep the lights on in the winter while still filling my shop with students and creating more informed members of our cycling community.

Any of the leftover bikes that are donated are then fixed up by the students and Paradox Cycle gives that bicycle to a young person in our community that needs a bicycle but whose family can not make a bicycle a priority in their budget. I just ask the more fortunate members of our community to help pay the bill for bikes that needed to be repaired, so that we can get more kids on bikes in our community. The social circle of Paradox Cycle is made up of the most generous people in this country.

The outpouring of support I receive from social media platforms is staggering. People are watching, in real-time, how cycling affects a community and the positive impact it has on kids and people who just need a little help getting on a bike. The simple joy of riding a bike is starting to spread through the West End and I’m extremely proud to be a part of that.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think my biggest challenge is the fact that I’m mostly a one-man show. Troy carries a lot of weight behind the scenes, but as far as gutting that old building and putting a bike shop in it, that’s been all me. On top of the construction, I’m the sales guy, also the mechanic, the shipping and receiving guy, as well as the special order department, and let’s not forget the entirety of the customer service department is also me.

My apprentices help me clean and I’ve had some electrical help, but all of the blood sweat, and tears have been mine. It’s what I fill the jacuzzi and swimming pool in my backyard with. I think it’s worth mentioning that I’m also the Director of Performing Arts for Nucla Jr Sr High School so I have to go direct students every Monday through Thursday afternoon at the high school. I wear a lot of hats and every hour of every day counts.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
On top of being the only bike shop game around as well as teaching school, I’m also one of the best DJs you’ve ever heard of. I”ve been spinning vinyl for twenty-three years as well as digital mixing. I specialize in house music but I will play your wedding if you need a great DJ. You can check out my sound here. https://www.mixcloud.com/BrockBenson/

I also write and produce a podcast about the history and culture of the West End of Colorado. It’s called WEcast and you can find it on Apple and Spotify. Here’s a link.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wecast/id1605268451?i=1000547932942

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I learned the value of lifting people and fighting for your community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paradoxcycle.com
• Instagram: @Paradoxycle
• Facebook: @Paradox Cycle