
Crew leader
Branham Snyder

Branham grew up in Mexico and now lives in Bellingham, WA. With a background of working in bike shops, he has great mechanic skills and loves to teach others. He's also a local coach for the program "Vamos" which helps underprivileged kids get an entry into the sport. Branham will be leading community events in the Bellingham area around bike mechanics, helping with trail building projects, and advocating for more community outreach at his shop with events that help connect the newcomers with the veterans.
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CoachNICKNAME
El MexigringoFOLLOW BRANHAM
How would you describe yourself?
I'm a keeps-his-head-down hard worker AND the class clown at the same time! "Work hard, play harder" fits me like a glove. Growing up in a clash between Mexican and American life, feeling like an insider and an outsider just about anywhere I am; this informs much of my desire to rope others into what I know to be the best sport on the planet. Biking has always been by far the best outlet for my energy, both helping balance my own internal needs, and allow me to share myself with others. I've been attached to biking since such a young age that I don't even remember when it piqued my interest, it has always been just as natural as breathing.
Using my experience in various areas of the biking world to help steer my local biking scene in what I know to be a healthy, welcoming and productive direction. This means ensuring that newcomers and veterans alike feel welcome and essential, and that they have room to progress and contribute.
The first rule of fight club is that you don't talk about fight club ;)I think that my favorite place to ride around here is in the hills between Bellingham and Mt Baker.
When I'm not bouncing around for races and party rides between Washington and Montana and Canada, I'll be in Bellingham working hard and playing harder. The community events I'll be hosting w/ Rocky Mountain will be my first time out at the front of the pack ever since moving to Bellingham. I'm giddy to get back to my rhythm of "leading the charge" the way I was able to in Montana before the pandemic. Beyond that, I'll be helping with trail building projects both public and secret, coaching kiddos intermittently, wrenching full time, and advocating for more community outreach at my shop with events that help connect the newcomers with the veterans.
Listen to those around you and those within your community, not big-picture industry chatter and social media buzz about X, Y or Z. It's your job to build up and strengthen your local riding scene, not copy and paste what's going on somewhere else. You'll be the most effective, connected and respected when you respond to local needs with personalized solutions and concentrated efforts.Relating specifically to wrenching, know this: Anyone can be a good mechanic, but great mechanics are those who actively seek to build relationships with the people whose bikes they're repairing. I've found that to be the best way to build trust within your local circles, and it also helps keep you from burning out on wrenching!
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