About
Beautiful bicycles.
Since 2011, our goal has been simple: to empower clients of all athletic abilities to reach their maximum potential. We’ve created an inviting, personal shopping experience designed to put you on a beautiful bike. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a competitor striving for the podium, we’re here to get you rolling on the bike of your dreams and keep that bike rolling for years to come.
Our team
Elizabeth Whitfield Sharpe
Owner
Since a young age, Liz has had a taste for sports: tennis, swimming, ballet. But it wasn’t until she tried her first triathlon in 2007 that she fell in love with a sporting lifestyle. Since then she’s participated in many multisport and cycling events, including sprint to Ironman distance triathlons, multi-day bike rides, time trials, hill climbs, and full distance aquabikes. She is inspired and motivated by women who overcome obstacles and never give up. In 2010 she had the experience of a lifetime when she was a top fundraiser for Make a Wish Foundation and met Chrissie Wellington.
James Sharpe
Owner
James began bicycle racing in 1983, and his love for the sport has taken him all over the world. He has been able to achieve what most only dream of doing—turning his lifelong passion into a career.
James spent ten years with the Trek Bicycle Corporation and worked through the ranks of this renowned American bicycle company. Beginning as a team mechanic, he honed his skills with some of the best riders in the country. For most of his career at Trek he focused on brand development and US brand promotions. His tenure coincided with the development of the Women’s Specific Design (WSD) movement in the late 1990s.
Charles Van Atta
Fit Specialist
Charles is a 25-year veteran of the bike industry and has a professional bike fit experience spanning 20 years. He stands with a limited few in the world of bike fitting carrying the credentials as a “Certified Master Fit Technician,” honing his skills at the prestigious Boulder Center for Sports Medicine.
Before joining the Denver Fit Loft, Charles was a Biomechanics Tech at the Center for Sports Medicine staff starting in August 2011 assisting Dr. Andy Pruitt, PAC, in medical bike fitting.
Charles has spent the last 10 years as the lead cycling biomechanist at the CU Sports Medicine and Performance Center’s Cycling Biomechanics Lab in Boulder, Colorado. He has consulted in the design and building of hundreds of custom bicycles based on his refined fitting process. A bachelor’s degree in engineering and years of experience as a bicycle mechanic has broadened his perspective on solving most bike fitting challenges.
Charles has always made time on two wheels a part of his life. Soccer, cross country, and distance track running were his athletic focus in his younger years. He discovered mountain biking after college and has competed in numerous endurance mountain bike and other cycling events over the last two decades.
John Phillips
Manager
John has over 20 years experience in the outdoors industry as an elite athlete, fit specialist, coach, and shop manager. From 2001-2012, John competed as a professional cyclist, triathlete, and duathlete. Racing has taken him all over the globe to places such as Denmark, France, and Tobago. Memorable performances include beating George Hincapie in his first pro bike race, and 13th at Powerman Zofingen in Switzerland. Now, John rides mostly for fun, joining morning training rides in Colombia, enduring long gravel and road rides with friends, and aspiring to do L’Eroica in Italy.
He has over 15 years experience as a fitter and is a Certified Master BG FIT Technician by Specialized. He has optimized bikes for many beginner athletes to Hall-of-Famers. As a coach, his athletes’ accomplishments range from completing in their first race to winning World Championship events. John’s vast knowledge of bike technology combined with his attention to detail makes him a master at selecting the right equipment for his clients. He enjoys learning about the most avant-garde cycling technology just as much as he loves reminiscing about the historical 1956 Giro d’Italia.