Robert Aseltine grew up chasing mountains near Sunapee, New Hampshire, but it was Park City that finally caught him. After college, he settled in Salt Lake City to pursue a skiing career in the outdoor industry. Then came marriage, the itch to start a family, and a pandemic that finally gave him the push to leave the office behind.
"We pulled the trigger and bought our first home in Park City," he says. "We are dog people, skiers, bikers, and love the immediate access to recreation any day of the week."
That same restless energy shaped his business. As a former executive at a leading ski bike manufacturer, Robert saw an untapped opportunity: getting more people onto the snow, faster and easier. "I wanted to make the ski bike rental process easier and reduce the barriers for allowing people to slide on snow during their visit to Park City," he explains.
Today, Harwood Ski Bikes does exactly that, welcoming beginners on Park City's wide, forgiving slopes — along with Woodward, Brighton, Powder Mountain, Sundance, and Snowbasin, all of which now allow ski bikes.
The reaction, Robert says, is nearly universal. "They are surprised with how easy and intuitive it is, and by how much fun they have." He's especially moved by riders working through physical, emotional, or social challenges. "Helping someone push beyond their own perceived limits is the ultimate reward."
Away from the shop, Robert and his wife are raising two young boys and two labs, splitting time between the PC MARC, Willow Creek Park, and mountain bike trails. A former professional freeskier who once starred in ski films for the Cottonwood resorts, he's traded the spotlight for something quieter — though his optimism for Park City's future burns just as bright, from smart growth to the 2034 Olympics on the horizon.