SVCC was built from the ground up with a unique perspective on how to best serve cyclists. We are focused exclusively on road and triathlon bike product sales, although our fitting and training services are popular with mountain bikers as well. We don't do BMX, or cruisers, or kids bikes. We take a comprehensive view of how to help athletes of all ability levels improve their cycling performance and enjoyment, combining expert services based on decades in the sport with only the finest products available.

Karl Etzel, Co-Founder and GM

Karl left the corporate world to start SVCC in late 2007, after 2 decades bike racing and several years of coaching. He shared the frustration of many cyclists who find standard bike shops often staffed by people who know less about the sport than their customers, and decided the time was right for a studio in San Jose that would combine the best in service and product sales. As a frequent business traveler he also spotted the market for high-end bike rentals and tailored the BikeConcierge service around the needs of Silicon Valley's business travelers. In past career incarnations he's designed nuclear reactors for Navy submarines, worked in product marketing in the semiconductor industry, and handled software partnerships in the health care IT space.

Alex Wheeler, Co-Founder and Personal Trainer

Alex has worked in just about every major MTB suspension company out there (Fox, Rock Shox, X-Fusion) and has ridden road and mountain bike for many years. At X-Fusion he sponsored Karl to race on the 24 hour MTB scene, beginning the relationship that led to the founding of SVCC. In early 2009 he stepped away from day to day operations at SVCC to obtain his degree in Sports Medicine and became a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. He remains an owner of SVCC and currently focuses on building the training and conditioning side of the business, working with clients to address issues of balance and stability off the bike.

Liza Rachetto, Personal Trainer

Liza obtained her BA in Sports Medicine from Whitworth College in Washington and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. She has vast experience in group exercise and boot camp leadership, having led corporate wellness and training programs at VMWare and the Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Hospital in Boise. She's raced at the elite level with Team Tibco, Subway, and Sugar CRM, has directed development teams for USA Cycling in Europe, and completed the Ironman Triathlon three times (including a trip to Kona).