Happy trails: Turning biking into business

Now, in addition to his work at RAR Marketing Group, he has started 4 Points Mountain Bike School and Guides, whose goal is to introduce newcomers to the sport and new people to Stowe’s trails.

The business has already begun attracting customers, Sokoloff says, despite the rough and muddy conditions at the start of the season.

Sokoloff has been biking since the 1980s, and learned to mountain bike in Vermont. Initially, he had to travel all the way to Brownsville to use the legal trail system there.

In the winter, Sokoloff was part of the ski patrol at Stowe Mountain Resort, and mountain biking was growing in popularity among the patrollers, despite the lack of local trails.

Traveling all the way to Brownsville was cumbersome, so Sokoloff took things into his own hands. Over time, he aided in the design, financing and construction of more than 50 miles of mountain bike trails throughout Stowe.

The availability of these trails has been a major factor in the sport’s increasing local popularity.

Sokoloff sees mountain biking as a healthy social event that allows for big thrills in a relatively safe and controlled environment. He aims to continue growing the sport, and his new business, by making it easy for people to get into mountain biking.

For example, neophyte mountain bikers may be reluctant to spend money on a tour guide. So, Sokoloff offers free opportunities for beginners to get instruction and see if they enjoy the sport.

In June, Sokoloff worked with Stowe Mountain Resort to hold an event where anyone could mountain bike at the Touring Center for free. The mountain supplied bikes and helmets for free. However, participation was disappointing, with only six people arriving.

Sokoloff and the mountain hope for a bigger turnout at another free biking event Aug. 8. Another will be held in September; details will be on stowe.com. To register for the event, people can email Sokoloff at Rick@4pointsvt.com at least three days before the event.

The events are open to adult and teenage bikers of all skill levels. The mountain is seeking state approval for its own trail network, Sokoloff said, and wants to promote interest in the sport. In a nod to beginners, it envisions trails that are wider and more forgiving than most local trails. Those conditions should be ideal for people Sokoloff is just now introducing to the sport.

Sokoloff is also offering guided tours or lessons to riders who are already into the sport, with individualized instruction that could help improve skills.

His 4 Points program offers four levels of service.

• The least expensive option is a group lesson costing $65 per person and requiring only two or more participants. Group lessons are for beginners who want to learn the basics. Sokoloff assigns one guide to every six riders in these group lessons to keep instruction personal.

• A private lesson costs $99 for one rider, plus $30 for each additional person. These lessons can be tailored to the group and vary in difficulty, depending on the skill level of the participants.

• The mountain bike guide service costs $120 for a group of up to six, and the guide will choose trails based on the collective skill level of the riders.

All these options are for two-hour tours, but more time can be added to the mountain bike guide service for $50 per hour.

• The final option is Bike + Brew Tours; it requires at least four people and costs $189 per person. It includes three hours of mountain biking, lunch, and tours of three to four local breweries. Sokoloff’s wife, Marina Meerburg, sometimes helps guide these tours. After the mountain biking, Sokoloff or one of his guides transports participants to the breweries and lunch in his 12-seat van.

Many of the guided tours are on trails Sokoloff helped create, including the trails at Trapp Family Lodge, Cady Hill Forest, Sterling Forest and Adams Camp.

For information: Rick@4pointsvt.com.

Chris Pelletier is an intern at the Stowe Reporter.