Still the Same: A MTB Story

By Tanner Stephens and Drew Boxold  

Arrival in New York

Drew Boxold and Tanner Stephens stand in the cold shadow of the airport pickup at LaGuardia, waiting for their old friend Wiley Kaupas. As the long day of travel from California starts to settle in, the growl of an overworked muffler echoes through the terminal pickup lane. At the far end of the chute, a well-worn BMW e30 with one working fog light rattles its way toward them.

The car, sporting a few burn marks from previous misadventures, pulls up hard against the curb. Wiley jumps out in his familiar all-black uniform, greeting his friends with a huge smile and hugs. Some things change over the years, but moments like this feel exactly the same.

Despite some doubts about the car’s roadworthiness, the crew wastes no time loading up. Tanner heaves his bike bag onto the roof and straps it down while Drew packs his camera gear into the back. With bikes, bags, and too much equipment squeezed into the aging sedan, they roll out of the airport and head toward Wiley’s place in Brooklyn.

The Plan  

With a rare window of free time, videographer Drew Boxold and photographer Tanner Stephens flew east to New York to meet up with Wiley, explore the city, and squeeze in a weekend of riding at Mountain Creek Bike Park and Thunder Mountain Bike Park. The goal was simple: break away from routine, ride some bikes, and see where the weekend leads.

“Wiley and I met in college at the University of Colorado Boulder as freshmen on the mountain bike team. We were both racing downhill and wanted nothing more than to do it at the highest level. That meant traveling to random mountain towns across the U.S., and even Europe, chasing races together.”  
– Tanner Stephens  

The Bikes

Wiley and Tanner had one criterion when choosing a bike for the trip: it had to be a fun, bike-park-ready rig that could handle anything they threw at it. The obvious choice was the Ransom.

Mountain Creek bound  

Tanner and Drew wake up early and head to the local bodega to grab a few breakfast essentials before building up their bikes and helping Wiley patch the e30’s newly discovered exhaust leak. With the quick repair done, bikes strapped securely to the roof rack, and more vintage camera gear packed than any rational person should own, they roares out of the city and heads for Mountain Creek in Vernon, New Jersey.  

The two-hour drive goes surprisingly smoothly, and Wiley entertains everyone with a story of when this very car actually caught fire while shooting a music video earlier in the year due to a leaky fuel line leaving the aforementioned burn spot on the hood. Wiley assures everyone that this morning’s repairs were top notch and he’s now a bit more careful with the mechanical integrity of the vehicle.  

Drew, Wiley, Tanner, and their reluctant friend, the e30, roll safely into the parking lot. Talk came easy with friends in those pre-ride moments. Tanner tells stories of having raced Mountain Creek nearly 10 years ago and the stoke builds.  

“It’s closing day at Mountain Creek, and the park is absolutely pumping. Fall time is in full effect with beautiful weather and perfect dirt. Immediately we’re both laughing as we hit the jump trails and dive into the pocket of every berm. These are the moments I’ll never forget from riding with friends.” 
– Tanner Stephens  

After a full day of riding, filming, and too many dumb jokes to count, the car is packed. But before hitting the road, someone decides there’s time for a few celebratory donuts in the parking lot. The old e30 is more than willing to oblige, and the four friends spin a few solitary circles in the empty lot, their bikes clinging to the roof.

Content with their tire-squealing mission, they roll onto the main road. But the parking lot might still have the last laugh.

“We paid the price with a flat tire. We quickly opened Wiley’s ‘garage’, aka the trunk, unpacked all our gear, dug out the spare from the depths, and pulled out a floor jack and a box of tools. The blown tire was down to the cords, and honestly, it’s a miracle we made it that far.”
— Tanner Stephens

Even when things go wrong, it’s the crew and the shared experience of the day that keeps you going.

Destination: Thunder Mountain  

After heading back to Wiley’s place, getting some sleep, re-grouping from the trip to Mountain Creek and securing some fresh tires, the crew once again head out of the city. They point to the e30 north watching the city skyline as the sun sparkles between the buildings. Next stop Thunder Mountain in East Berkshire Massachusetts.  

With 180 miles completed from Brooklyn to Berkshire and within sight of there destination a car rattling clunk stops the forward momentum…  

“I crawl out from the cramped backseat to see Wiley already underneath the car pulling something out. He yaks out the entire exhaust system laughing. That loud noise was the last bracket holding up the exhaust and it finally gave up after over 30 years of service.”
— Tanner Stephens

The group decides that’s a problem for the next day, or maybe the day after a few laps at the bike park, and pushes the car into the driveway of their rental house.

After some creative problem solving and a bit of morning MacGyvering, the car is once again ready for the journey to Thunder Mountain. With gear loaded, bikes on board, and everyone stoked to be mobile again, the crew rolls into the parking lot ready to ride.

Full Circle

After two days of riding and filming, the crew is spent. The sun slips behind the mountains at Thunder Mountain, and they squeeze the last shots of the film from the fading light, not quite ready for the day to end.

For Tanner, the trip feels like a full circle moment. Years earlier, he and Wiley were college freshmen at the University of Colorado Boulder, chasing the dream of racing downhill at the highest level. They spent countless weekends driving to small mountain towns across the country, loading bikes into cars and heading out with little more than a plan to ride.

A lot has changed since those days. But the reason for the trip still feels the same: good friends, good trails, and the simple joy of riding bikes together.

“Driving back into the City after a weekend away is a strangely familiar feeling. It reminds me of the weekends spent away racing then heading back home late to return for class or work on Monday morning. Always feeling luck we are able to share these moments because of bikes” 
— Tanner Stephens

Sometimes you just need to step away from the everyday routine and see where the road leads. Getting out of the city is only the beginning. From there, it’s about chasing new trails, good riding, and the moments that come with it. Check out one of Tanner’s previous backcountry adventures in Canyon Ridge. 

Thanks to: 

Tanner Stephens | Photography | Production | Riding  
Drew Boxold | Videography | Editing  
Wiley Kaupas | Riding | Specialty Auto Mechanic