With loads of saddle time under his belt, from an early age, Reserve Rider Support's Steff Andersen brings a lot to the table in the shape of his encyclopedic knowledge of all things bike-related. Looking to upgrade your existing setup and need to know the correct hub spacing? Need to know whether the brakes your cousin gave you fit on your new Reserves? These questions and more, Steff's got you covered. Beyond his professional capacity, Steff's a genuinely good-natured dude, more or less innately wired toward the best possible outcome whenever/wherever he interacts with people. Lucky for us, we got to share a typically chill Steff interaction, below are the results.
Q: Tell us about yourself, where were you born?
A: I was born and raised in Aptos, which is about 15-20 minutes south of Reserve's headquarters.
Tell us something cool about your hometown.
Aptos is an amazing place right between the ocean and Niscene Marks State Park, which is filled with redwoods and close to several riding areas where I can explore on the bike for hours. These is also never a shortage of coffee shops to hang out at afterward. My favorite is Norma Jean's. It’s been around forever.
Do you have a nickname? If yes, how’d you get it? If not, make one up that suits your character.
People traditionally shorten my name from Steffen to Steff.
What brought you to the bike industry?
I started racing around 12 to 13 years old and wanted to make working with mountain bikes a career. When I got to high school and started racing for NICA, it just so happened that multiple parents of other riders on the team worked in the industry. One of them worked at Santa Cruz Bicycles and I asked for a job, The rest is history. That was in 2013, I’ve been with Santa Cruz / Reserve for almost 12 years now.
Garage check: What bike are you riding, what wheels are on the bike, and who built them?
I’m riding the new 2025 Bronson 5 and a flat bar Stigmata. I’m also into motorcycles, so I got a Husqvarna FC250 and an Aprilia Dorsoduro.
Since the aluminum Reserve wheels were released, I’ve been running them with DT 350 hubs. The wheelset is reliable and durable which is what I want out of a wheelset.
What kind of riding do you typically do? Mountain, gravel or road?
I like to do it all. Mountain biking is for sure the main focus, but gravel and group rides, with a couple of stops in between during the summer months when the dirt isn’t as good, is great to keep things fresh and not get too burnt on doing one thing.
What is your favorite trail or favorite place to ride?
Home is my favorite place during the winter months when the dirt is good.
What’s your favorite thing about working for Rider Support?
Keeping riders on their bikes has always been great, I know being off the bike for whatever reason sucks, and trying to get people back on the bike as fast as I can is amazing.
Any cool stories from working in Rider Support you’d like to share?
We assist in warranty claim for all riders from everyday riders like ourselves to many of our pro athletes. It great to help get all types of riders back on the bike.
Do you use a headset, hold the phone in your hand, or rest it on your shoulder when you’re on the phone with a customer?
I use a headset full-time because I’m primarily a keyboard warrior. Sometimes I hold the microphone in my hand though if I don’t need to type any details.
What’s your go-to email signature? Are you a “Sincerely”, “Hugs and Kisses” or “Respectfully Yours” kind of person?
I’m a “Cheers” person.
What occupies your time when you’re not helping riders and shops get the most out of their Reserves?
I like to ride everything on two wheels, not just mountain bikes, and both on and off-road motorcycles. As I said earlier, I have a off-road Husqvarna I get to ride with friends and we have a pretty big group of people now both in and outside of work that ride street bikes together in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
I’ve been trying to find some new things as well not bike-related. I've been trying to build a coffee table and get into surfing with friends that don’t ride. I will try and get a few ski trips in too this winter.
Rapid Fire Questions
Beer, wine, cocktail or seltzer?
Beer
SRAM or Shimano?
SRAM
Carbon or aluminum Reserves?
30|HD aluminum
Coffee, tea or Red Bull?
Coffee
Almond, oat or cow milk?
I like black coffee.
Linoleum or carpet?
Wood
Thick or thin grips?
Thin
RockShox or Fox?
Honestly love both, it's been mainly on what travel bike at the time. I’ll go back and forth.
Seinfeld, Friends or Rick & Morty?
Friends
I9 or DT Swiss?
DT Swiss
Puppies or kittens?
Puppies
Describe your perfect day.
Red Apple eggs benedict in the morning followed by a big ride with friends.
What is your special power?
Long-term knowledge of Santa Cruz models.