About Us
OUR MISSION AND VISION
Routes Outfitter exists to empower people towards wellness in the outdoors.
Routes Outfitter strives to be a relevant and meaningful brand of stores and more for outdoorists (riders, runners, hikers, and more…)
Our focus today: grow within the Pikes Peak area - providing products, services, and engagement to help grow the area’s culture and offerings further and wider. We desire to play a significant catalyst for growth in access, participation, and stewardship in Colorado Springs and the areas around this awesome outdoor-recreation-rich city.
OUR VALUES
People - We value all relationships with the people around us
Play - We value outside and sport, and the wellness that comes from both
Environment - we are stewards of the world we live in and participate with
Community - we value diversity, inclusion, compassion, celebration, and connectedness
Spirit - we promote joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and responsibility
OUR STAFF TEAM
Jason Mezey - Owner & General Manager
From: Denver, CO
Outdoors: Biking, Running, Snowboarding, Skiing, Hiking, Paddle Boarding, Camping, Marveling…
Spotlights: loves Mount Herman trails in Monument, CO, finished an Ironman 70.3, started biking & running seriously at 30 years old, and has podiumed in DH with a broken rib.
Ric Sieben - Associate General Manager
From: Iowa (CO for last 40+ yrs)
Outdoors: Biking, Hiking, Fall Leaf Peeping…
Spotlights: 20+ countries visited, loves safaris in East Africa, brilliant & patient bike technician, favorite post-ride eats: Walter’s 303 Pizza or Broken Bones BBQ
Nate Van Noord - Store Lead / Blog Curator
From: Detroit, MI
Outdoors: Running, Biking, Hiking, Backpacking, Open Water Swimming, Pickleball, Hooping at the Park…
Spotlights: led backpacking trips with Eagle Lake Camps in CO for many summers, finished an Ironman, involved in local trail running groups, loves connecting with everyone who walks through the door of Routes.
Luke Perez - Store Lead / Bike Tech II
From: Germany (CO for last 20+ years)
Outdoors: Biking, Climbing, Camping, Surfing…
Spotlight: degreed dietician and personal trainer, traveled to Peru to become a certified yoga instructor, spent twelve months traveling the Pacific Coast in his van, intellectual and avid reader on a wide range of topics
Andrew Mortenson - Experience Specialist / Bike Tech I
From: Colorado Springs
Outdoors: Biking, Camping…
Spotlight: grew up a highly competitive figure skater, house sat for a friend in exchange for his first mountain bike, loves to ride all the techy stuff at Palmer Park, his sweet pup Shadow follows him everywhere - including to Routes.
Sam Cavin - Experience Associate/Jr. Tech
From: Texas (Monument last 10 years)
Outdoors: Biking, Camping, Skiing…
Spotlight: straight A student at Palmer Ridge High School, hopes to be a bike engineer someday, races XC MTB for Highlanders (local high school composite team), and finished top 30 three years in a row at DH Nationals for age group.
Ben Goodman - Experience Associate / Jr. Tech
From: Okinawa, Japan
Outdoors: Biking, Camping, Skiing, Lacrosse…
Spotlight: favorite book is the Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bike Repair his parents gave him for Christmas, races XC MTB for Highlanders (the local high school composite team) and the Routes Gravity Racing team, looks up to his dad for his determination - including when working on bikes.
Cy Knowles - Experience Associate / Jr. Tech
From: Minnesota
Outdoors: Biking, Skiing, Hunting, Wake Boarding…
Spotlight: races XC MTB for Higlanders (local high school composite team), favorite ride spot in The Springs is Cheyenne Canon for the descents, and favorite memory is whale-watching from the beach in Maui.
Ethan Werechky - Experience Associate / Jr. Tech
From: Monument, CO
Outdoors: Biking, Hiking, Camping, Hammocking
Spotlight: races XC MTB for Highlanders (the local high school composite team), an avid gravity rider, favorite ride in town is Captain Jacks and post ride meal is the elk at The Bistro on 2nd.
Kier Eastvold - Experience Associate/Jr. Tech
From: Kenosha, WI
Outdoors: Biking, Skiing, Fishing, Hiking, Camping, Outdoor Photography
Spotlight: nearing completion of his private pilot’s license, races XC MTB for Highlanders (local high school composite team), completed many 2-week backpacking trips with Eagle Lake Camps in CO, favorite post ride meal is the catfish at Momma Pearl’s Cajun Restaurant
Chris Copeland - Bike Tech III
From: Rochester, New York.
Outdoors: Biking, Climbing, Camping…
Spotlight: first got into mountain biking at age 14 when he won a Huffy in a raffle at a minor league baseball game, worked at multiple bike shops in New York, gets most excited in life when he’s bombing down a trail with his buddies hootin’ and hollerin’ the whole way.
Hannah Brothers - Experience Associate / Jr. Tech
From: Monument, CO
Outdoors: Biking, Camping, Cross Country Skiing, Geocaching, Hammocking…
Spotlight: a freshman at CU Boulder studying Aerospace Engineering and doing Air Force ROTC, completed the Gold Award as a Girl Scout, raced XC MTB for Higlanders (the local high school composite team), most inspirational person in her life is her former mountain bike coach, Christine.