Our Story
My name is Shawn Gentry and I've been in love with riding bikes my whole life. Since I was old enough to reach the pedals of a neighbor's “10 Speed” (but not while actually sitting on the seat) I've been riding everything on 2 wheels. In1993, I bought my first Mountain Bike, a Cannondale M500 from Bicycles East and hit the trails, mainly those at Poplar Tent Road and ones long-gone from UNC-Charlotte. I eventually rode every trail system in Charlotte, NC and have continued to explore further to: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Uwharrie, Pisgah, Dupont, Arizona, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and many, many others...!
Fast forward over 30 years, I am the proud father of a very athletic 18 year old daughter, Matilda who I've been coaching since she was 6. She now races in Pro Downhill and Enduro and many other local and regional races where she is often on the podium.
Following Matilda’s first successful season with the Charlotte Youth Cycling League (CYCL), I volunteered to become Assistant Director of the league, helping league Director, Jamie Conger with a multitude of tasks to help grow the league, more than doubling it in size.
As part of CYCL, I organized Skills clinics for young riders and started collecting training and certifications which have now made me an accomplished, highly-knowledgable, safety-minded mountain biking skills instructor and guide, as you can see in my listed qualifications. This sparked a fire and made me realize I had found my calling. I am now one of the most-qualified mountain bike skills instructors in the region with a huge number of clients, including adults looking to advance their skills, 8 year old beginners, retirees looking for a new challenge, and everyone in-between.
Summer 2018 marked the beginning of a new chapter in my career, going "all-in" to turn my passion for mountain biking into a full-time job by launching CLTMTB. I look forward to meeting you, helping you become a better rider, and having a lot of fun. See you on the trail!
Shawn and Matilda at the conclusion of the Start 2 Finish 2021 Winter Short Track Series. Both placed 2nd for the series, Matilda raced 14-18 yr old Junior Girls category as a 12/13 year old, and Shawn raced in the Single Speed category.
EXPERIENCE
2,000+ Riders Coached
3,500+ Hours of Instruction
QUALIFICATIONS
GSMBC Certified Coach
PMBIA Level 2 AIR
PMBIA Level 2 TRAIL
PMBIA Level 1 MTB Instructor/Guide
http://www.pmbia.org/
BICP Level 2 MTB Instructor/Guide
https://icp.bike/
NICA Level 3 Coach & Team Director
Myers Park MTB Team
https://www.mpmtb.com/
NOLS Wilderness First Responder
https://www.nols.edu/WFR/
NOLS Adult & Child
CPR, AED, & Airway Management
NOLS Epinephrine Auto-Injector
Red Cross Adult/Child CPR & AED
http://www.redcross.org/
Small Group Dynamics
Team-Building Initiatives