2024 marks 15 years of good times and great bike rides with our partners at Endless Biking, Darren Butler and Kelli Sherbinin. This husband-and-wife team has dedicated themselves to sharing the magic of the North Shore through guiding and making it more approachable to ride through coaching. Both aspects of the business were welcomed and scarce in the early days of mountain biking in North Vancouver. To celebrate this awesome partnership, we sat down with Darren and Kelli to learn more about the early days of Endless Biking, the ‘Shore and the wild ride along the way.
How did you get into mountain biking? Do you have stand out early memories?
K: "A friend in Nelson introduced me to it back in 1993 when she lent me her dad’s bike, and I was instantly hooked by the adventure. The hard climbs, access to nature, the feeling of the wind in your hair as you navigate singletrack—it felt like an amusement ride that was different every time. It provided fitness, a fun community, and so many life lessons that still resonate today: like looking ahead, rolling over obstacles, staying present, using positive self-talk, and finding the motivation to get fitter to make it all more fun."
D: "I got into mountain biking after leaving my dream of a pro hockey career behind, thanks to a good friend who introduced me to the sport. My first MTB race happened by chance—I was at a bike shop in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, picking up some gear when they invited us to join a race. We were reluctant at first but decided to give it a go. It was an XC race, and we had no idea what to expect, so our strategy was simple: catch anyone in front of you. What we didn’t realize was that different classes were doing different numbers of laps, so there was always someone ahead! I ended up posting the fastest lap times of the day, even faster than the pros. That led to another race, this time in the pro field, and soon I was traveling across Canada, doing Canada Cups. Eventually, I came out west and never left—I loved it and fell in love with all the possibilities!"
How long until you both decided to go into business together to create Endless Biking?
D: "It took about four years to come together. Kelli and I met in 2000, both coaching, doing advocacy work, and community development while we were racing. I had moved into freeriding and was getting film, photo, and competition opportunities. But in 2002, while filming for the TV show “Drop In” and the movie “Riders Anonymous”, I suffered a career-altering injury. That forced me to reassess my direction. After stepping away for a while and retraining in multimedia, web development, and design, I realized how much joy mountain biking brought me and that I wanted to share that with others. I got back into coaching, and Kelli was still coaching for The Dirt Series, Red Bull, Cycling BC, and others. In 2004, we decided to start Endless Biking as a way to build careers in mountain biking while also creating opportunities for others to safely discover this amazing sport. It also gave aspiring riders a chance to find employment while riding and racing, making a career out of it. We were living in North Vancouver at the time, and the North Shore was intimidating—scary and hard. We wanted to create opportunities for people to get out onto the trails and experience the incredible benefits of mountain biking. It had such a positive impact on our lives, and we wanted to share that with others."
How did Rocky Mountain become your bike partner?
D: "We’ve always liked the idea of supporting local. Our region has always been unique—tough on bikes and gear—so we looked for a partner with a full lineup of bikes who was committed to their own backyard, here in BC, and could build bikes to handle the type of riding we do! Working with Wade Simmons early on gave us some exposure to the brand, and since we had friendships with some of the Rocky Mountain engineers, it allowed us to work a bit more closely with the company, which we always appreciated."
K: "Supporting local was important to us, and we had connections with several Rocky Mountain athletes like Wade Simmons, Andreas Hestler, Thomas Vanderham, and Geoff Gulevich. Getting to know the riders helped us better understand the brand’s culture."
What is it about the North Shore that drove you to build your business here?
K: "We were driven to create our business to help people navigate the challenging terrain of the North Shore with more skill and knowledge, reducing the risk of injuries."
D: "At the time, the sport had very few access points. There were some skills camps, but most were for women on select weekends or for kids during summer. We wanted to create something that made mountain biking accessible to anyone, at any time—regardless of age, ability, gender, or background."
We heard Darren may have competed in Rampage one season… Is this true?
D: "Yes, true story! I competed in the first-ever Red Bull Rampage in 2001, and, along with Wade Simmons, I was one of the first riders to descend the course from top to bottom! I received the Golden Shovel Award, along with Mike Kinrade, for our efforts in prepping the course and establishing some of the main lines for the event. I was getting ready to return for the second year, but a life-changing injury in late summer 2002 derailed those plans."
What year/model bike was your first Rocky Mountain?
K: "2010 (Flatline, Element & Slayer)."
D: "1994 Rocky Mountain Equipe and 1998 Rocky Mountain DH Race."
Mt. Fromme or Seymour?
K: "I like them both for different reasons, but I’d probably say Seymour because it’s lower in elevation and greener."
D: "Seymour—for the greenery, year-round access, and diverse riding options."
What’s your favourite way to finish a ride?
K: "Beer & swim!"
D: "Oooh, I love a cold beer and a dip in a swimming spot!"
Just a few blocks away from Rocky Mountain’s Research and Development Centre in Vancouver, the Endless crew frequently stops by or joins us for some shuttle laps. Most recently, we teamed up for a trail work day to celebrate our long-standing partnership.
We’re super proud to have them aboard our bikes and can’t wait to see what’s next.
Here’s to 15 more, Endless Biking!
Photos: Ethan Reynolds & Sebastien Berthiaume
