Earlier this year I started up this series of posts on local businesses here in Boulder...businesses circulating in an around the cycling industry. I did the first one with The Pro's Closet and now am bringing you the second in this series with a company and a more importantly a person near and dear to my heart: Bobby 'Bring The' Noyes, owner and creator of RockyMounts bicycle carrying systems here in Boulder.

GREG: So Bobby, tell me a little bit about the genesis of RockyMounts. When did you start up this franchise and what was the inspiration?

BOBBY: Every bike shop i worked at, i always ended up as the "rack guy", for better or worse. After listening to customers complaints about the, literally, two choices they had in racks, I set up shop in my garage on 34th and Baseline. It was pretty ghetto at first selling them out of the trunk of my car. Money was tight, so I kept my bike shop job and tried to sell them in my free time.

GREG: What inspired you to move away from the stove-top black color schemes the ‘other’ roof rack makers are still to this day rolling out and offer such a variety of colors and patterns? Further, how are these designs actually created/applied on your racks?

BOBBY: It was purely by chance. We sponsored the CU cycling team, and made them some yellow ones. They came out pretty cool, and riders started asking for them, so we obliged. We have our powder coatings done out in Platteville, CO, by a good ol' boy we refer to as Smokin' Joe. Watching him spray powder smokin a Kool Menthol earned him the name. The printed patterns are done in Denver by a Kolorfusion the patterns are printed on fabric, wrapped on the aluminum trays and baked on. Most of their business is doing Mossy Oak Camo on Polaris ATV, but they manage to sneak in a coupla bike racks.

GREG: Talk to me about bicycle advocacy here in Boulder, Bobby. You are ALWAYS involved and donate so much of your time to ensure cyclists can…well cycle! In your opinion, what is the most important issue cyclists face here in town and in the region?

BOBBY: Boulder has always done a good job with transportation for cycling, but they have never completed the mission and left the sporting component off the table. The wind has been changing, and city officials realize how big a factor we are. The Parks Department especially has been fantastic to deal with lately. When we first asked for facilities, they asked us why we could not use the bike path. Now, we are working on a full blown bike park on the north side of Valmont. Although it is not a done deal, we should have an announcement in early July.

GREG: What kind of changes have you seen in the bike industry all these years have been immersed in it?

BOBBY: The bar keeps getting raised. Through both people's passion and down right greed, last year's designs must constantly be improved. Most for the better, but some for the worst.

GREG: OK, so lastly, Bobby: Slipstream or 7-11? Who’s cooler?

BOBBY: That's a tough call, i would like to see a Cage Match to decide it. Andy Hampsten/Davis Phinney vs. Christian Vande Velde/Jonny Coln, loser buys small house coffees at Amante.

Bobby, thanks my brother.

When you drive around town, nearly every roof is covered with an array of reds, cammo's, yellos, blues etc. When you see a stove top black rack, it's noticeable....and then you see that they are not RockyMount racks!

Make your region colorful and bring some of those back home! Visit the store www.RockyMounts.com and get some PRO racks for your rig...but as Bobby says:

Use 'em ONLY if you absolutely, positively can't ride there...