Customer Spotlight: Dean Kennedy
Every REEB we build is unique. Some are wild, some are rugged, and some take our bikes to places we may not have imagined. Dean’s is one of those.
When we heard he lined up for the Lake City 50 the highest-elevation one-day mountain bike race in the U.S. on his REEB SST, we knew we had to find out more. What drove him to take on such a brutal test of lungs and legs? And how did his custom SST handle the thin air and endless climbs?
We reached out, and Dean shared his journey in his own words. From the unique details of his build to the adventures it’s carried him on, his story captures exactly why we build these bikes.
Grab a cold one, settle in, and enjoy Dean’s ride report—it’s a good one.
Certain cycling brands develop certain reputations within this vast hobby, and REEB is no exception. An outfit putting together small-batch rowdy metal machines for ripping Front Range singletrack, they wear their influences in the brand itself, being “Beer” spelled backwards. As an avid cyclist in Colorado spending some formative years mountain biking near their home base in Lyons, they were a brand I always knew but never thought much of, though at no fault of REEB. The truth is, I never considered myself part of the clientele. I will be the first to admit I wasn’t raised bombing down Colorado mountains. I was born where it was flat and didn’t start riding until I was in college, and even then, it started as an easy way to commute. And when I did finally put rubber to dirt, the twisty, root-strewn single track barely needed more than a cheap hardtail for a good time. My history is littered with XC and Endurance experience; a far cry from the promotional material usually associated with REEB.
As evidence of my ability to sit for long hours at a time, this is me in 2011 at the end of Tour Divide.
But through the years spent chasing the latest carbon fiber XC wunder-bike that would make every other bike in my quiver obsolete (Until the next year’s model dropped), I grew weary. Like others of my age in this industry, we watched the big companies drip-feed incremental angle updates to our favorite bikes with frustrating consistency throughout the 2000s and 2010s. I eventually sold my two full-suspension bikes, a 140mm trail rig (68 degree HTA was considered a trail bike in 2016) and a 100mm twitchy XC setup, and began riding and racing a single speed hardtail while considering my next move.
There were a few things I knew I wanted. I wanted modern geometry. I wanted a flex pivot. I wanted 120mm of rear travel at least. And I wanted it to be light.
What I didn’t want, however, was a steel bike. Or at least that’s what I thought.
When a close friend and evangelical supporter of metal bikes heard my requirements, he immediately sent me REEB’s latest press release. “It checks every box you have, and it’s F**kin’ dope.”
He wasn’t kidding, either. This thing is dope, especially sitting at the top of Kenosha Pass.
At first glance, he wasn’t wrong. I loved the lines, the design, and the thought put into the frame. The emphasis on longevity, the use of space-aged 3-d printing tech, and even the colors made my heart skip a beat. “But, it’s steel. Won’t it be heavy?” I replied, dejected.
“Don’t be such an XC nerd.” was his retort. The more I read about the bike, the more I couldn’t shake how the lines and angles spoke to me. At this point, I was no slouch on the descents. And I was itching for a bike that could keep up, as I was already at the end of what my XC hardtail could safely handle. In the winter of 2022 I placed my order. I would be in the first batch of frames coming out of Lyons, an early adopter of the platform if there ever was one. However, unlike others whose preferences were more gravity-fed than my own, I didn’t set out to build a short-travel trail machine.
Pikes Peak shuttle days are fun, but I’m pedaling these hills way more often.
My inspiration for the parts selection was simple: Unlock speedy descending while not sacrificing my endurance background. And thus, I began my journey of turning a remarkable trail bike into a do-everything slacked out endurance rig. Much to the chagrin of my friend. From the integrated RSL handlebars to the carbon cranks, from the single-piston brakes up to the titanium saddle rails, my SST eschews the trends of its littermates. And in the end, did I accomplish anything worthy of note?
Absolutely.
After-work single track sessions at the foot of Pikes Peak were only one of the things this bike was made for.
Armed with two wheelsets, a simple switch to bigger tires and wider rims turns the bike into a remarkably capable trail rig. The 130mm Fox 34 is a great compromise between the super-racey 120mm XC forks and the more trail-worthy longer travel forks. From drops to jumps, tables to tech, chunky tires make the bike more than capable for anything I am willing to risk. As a coach to a high school team, it’s more than enough to keep up with the fearless rippers on twisty, steep, rooty Colorado singletrack.
And for big days where the goal is type two in nature, a wheelset swap drops the weight of the bike to a blisteringly svelte 27 pounds. While certainly not the lightest race-bike on the trails, this is my weapon of choice for races such as the Lake City 50, which climbs over both Cinnamon and Engineer pass, topping out higher than even the fabled Leadville. Because what goes up must go down, and I prefer it to be fast and fun when gravity kicks in.
An SST in an unnatural habitat: setting off on the Alpine Loop during the Lake City 50.
For the uninitiated among us, the idea of mixing both steel and rear suspension seems superfluous Steel is the realm of single speed hardtails, ridden by luddites who couldn’t recite their head-tube’s angle if their lives depended on it. Yet, one descent on the SST will shatter any preconceived notions. This bike is smooth. The smooth ride quality mixed with a short, playful travel makes for a bike you can’t help but want to throw around. This is a bike that makes even your staunchest spandex-clad pedal-turner kick off his heart rate strap and start eyeing up every side jib and double the mountain
has to offer. And if you’re yet convinced of the ride, there is always the egoist aspect of owning a hand-welded. Colorado-raised mountain bike: No matter where I’m riding or with what group, if there’s an intersection or trailhead where like-minded dirtheads gather, the SST has never not turned heads. The SST stands tall among the litany of modern carbon trail bikes, proudly shunning the trends and trappings of the modern mountain biking era. It has a quiet confidence on the trails that betrays the rear travel numbers.
In the end, I have been exceedingly satisfied with my decision. The SST is a bike I have taken anywhere, from shuttle days to alpine pedal fests, tricky town singletrack to lunch loops. Whether you’ve got an hour to burn after work or the whole day ahead of you, the SST is the bike for the job.
Raise your saddle high, endurance bros. The SST is a bike that can do it all.
BIKE CHECK
Frame: REEB SST, Large
Rear Shock: Fox Factory DPS rear shock
Fork: Fox Factory 34 Grip 2, 130mm
Cockpit: Trek RSL integrated trail version (Cut to 780mm)
Saddle: WTB Rocket, Titanium
Rear derailleur: Sram XO mechanical 12 speed
Rear Cassette: XO 10-50
Cranks: Stylo Carbon Sram DUB BB, 30t chainring
Brakes: Shimano XT single piston
Rotors: 180mm Galfer
Dropper Post: Bike Yoke Divine
Pedals: Crank Brother Candy 7
Grips: ESI Chunky
Wheelset: DIY Carbon , with either Vittoria Peyotes or Maxxis Forekasters
Extras: Silca titanium bottle cage
