Life in Motion
At the ripe ol' age of 40 (in 2011), I decided to make a change. I wasn't in the best shape physically and my cholesterol level was slowly creeping up. During a trip to Best Buy with my good friend JP Chaban, I stumbled upon the movie "300"! I said "I'm going to ride a bike till I look like one of these MFs!" Sadly til this day, I do not have a six pack but I gained something much more...a healthy hobby!
A few days after my epiphany, I borrowed a mountain bike from my good friend, Wally. Along with a couple of friends, JP and Jocel, we began to ride light trails around the Bay Area. We rode two to three times a week after work and on the weekends. Our friends slowly noticed our posts on social media and before we knew it, we had a few more folks within a month riding alongside us! It's so funny and amazing at the same time how we all started! We had no clue how to make use of our gears, how to dress properly and how to pace ourselves! We would be so gassed after pedaling for ten minutes, but our passion for riding pushed us to persist. There's so many stories to share of how people's lives were positively affected, which we intend to share through this website!
After countless falls, scratches and bruises, we are still going strong! Meeting more riders and making new friends at every trail we hit! It has been a true blessing to rediscover biking all over again. As a kid, I...we did it for fun. Now, it has been more of a lifestyle! Being on the trails has been a time of meditation for myself. You can feel every breath, every part of your body working...and your mind pushing you to do more. There's no greater feeling than to reach the peak of any mountain and to be rewarded by the view that you worked so hard for with only your body and will. Then the payoff...bombing downhill!
Mountain biking started as a hobby but has now become a lifestyle and a true passion that we share. Sparta stands for overcoming your personal battles, struggles and limitations...whatever they may be. We ride to inspire and motivate.
- Jay Marquez, Founder of Sparta