About
Maklin Bikes
A content hub built around everything we ride, build, and race. Trail reports, custom builds, bike reviews, and race recaps — all from the same shop that services and sells these bikes every day.
The
Story
Steve and Lynn Hamlin own and operate Maklin Bike Shop in Scandia, Minnesota, northeast of the Twin Cities between Stillwater and Chisago Lakes. Steve came from an engineering background, spending 15 years between automotive, heavy equipment and the motorcycle industry before opening the shop. Lynn runs the front of house, customer communications, and most of the administrative side.
The shop carries Cervélo, Santa Cruz, Niner, Bianchi, TIME Bicycle, Salsa, Jamis, and Moots — alongside a full service department. Steve and Lynn ride everything they sell, rotating through bikes every season or two so they can give customers a real answer when someone asks what something actually rides like.
Their two sons, Kyle and Reid, are regulars in the shop and have been racing since they were young. A lot of the race reports on this site involve all four of them at the same event.
Maklinbikes.com is where the content lives — trail reports with real parking and trailhead info, custom builds with the full story of why things were spec’d a certain way, and bike reviews that come from actual miles on the bike rather than a press release.
Four Sections, One Perspective
Bike Reviews
Bikes we’ve personally built and ridden. Some are full ride reviews. Some are first looks at new models coming into the shop. We’ll tell you which is which.
Custom Builds
Builds we’ve done for customers or for ourselves — with the parts list, the reasoning behind the choices, and the story of how it came together.
Trails & Routes
Trail reports with real trailhead info, parking, maps, and Strava links. A lot of these trails don’t have a good existing info page — that’s why we write them.
Racing
Race reports, results, gear setups, and what we’d do differently. From local MN MTB series races to 100-mile epics and fat bike events in January.
Visit Maklin Bike Shop
Scandia, Minnesota — northeast of the Twin Cities. Full service department, high-end bike brands, and people who actually ride what they sell.