I have been riding bikes all my life. Since I was a little kid I have found that, for me at least, bikes are the best way to escape reality and find myself. I haven’t always come back from my rides in one piece, but I have never had a bad ride!
My childhood life was spent working at bike shops all over the San Francisco Bay Area, Oregon, and Hawaii. I started learning when stiff chromoly forks were the standard. I wrenched on every kind of bike there is. Over the years, I rode for fun and competition as a mountain biker, triathlete, road racer, marathoner, and swimmer. My first mountain biking race was the 5th Sea Otter Classic, way back in 1996. I was never a very good racer, but I did have a pretty good time!
Professionally, I have chased the Creator’s dream. I have worked for some pretty high-level design firms and corporations over the years, developing marketing materials in print, online, and in video. Since I loved to ride, and my passion was for broadcast and movies, I naturally migrated to a place that allowed me to bring the two together.
That’s where this YouTube channel came from.
My first uploaded video, from November, 2019, was a ride down the Flow trail in California’s Soquel Demonstration Forest. My narration was quirky, the ride was bumpy, and I had a freakin’ blast.
I began uploading videos because I wanted to record my rides and travels for my future generations. I wanted my kids, grand kids, and whoever came after them to know what their crazy old grandpa was up to and what the world looked like back when there were trees.
It was fun shooting, editing, and learning the ins and outs of the YouTube universe. As the years went by, I bought better equipment, spent more time editing, and recorded better voiceovers. Things were looking better on the channel and, while I wasn’t actively seeking out subscribers, they were slowly starting to trickle in and I didn’t mind it one bit.
I started meeting people who ran other channels. MTB Rad Dad asked me to be on his show, I popped up on BKXC’s channel once, and I had the pleasure of becoming friends with Mark and Joey at The Segment, Mia at the Women’s MTB Network, and Johnnie at Mountain Biking Q&A.
The friends I have made over the years have become some of my favorite people and best riding buddies. They have made my life a richer and more inspiring place. I feel so lucky to know them.
In 2024, last year, I was able to drive across the USA. I rode in no less than 22 states, including Hawaii, and I got to see a wide variety of climates, terrains, and cultures. America is an amazing place. I hope that we will be able to enjoy it this way forever.
Looking back, I realize that I may not be able to have another year like that. I rode hundreds of miles and experimented on some incredible tech. But I’m not getting any younger, and the rides get more difficult every year.
Plus, that much travel wasn’t cheap!
Starting in 2025, I’m going to step back a bit from the pressures of finding a weekly place to ride and topic to cover. I’m going to focus more on informational content and a bit less on the riding.
My videos will be taking on a more informative tone, shooting a lot here in the Spokesman MTB studios. I’ll focus on tech, maintenance, and riding practices. I have a whole list of topics to cover, and I hope you will find them informative and enjoyable.
That doesn’t mean that I will stop posting rides! If I find a story to tell; if I find myself on an adventure or get to ride with a fun and exciting group, I promise you’ll hear about it.
I’m not done riding, I’m just not going to push myself as hard. But don’t worry, there are plenty of challenges out there, and I can’t wait to find them and see if I am up to the task.
The content I put out will be released a little less often. I just completed my first video using this new format, it will be released on March first, and it took over a month to make. But I’ll be refining my shooting and editing process as time goes by, and I’m hoping to be releasing one or two stories every month as soon as a few months from now.
In the meantime, I hope I can count on your patience and understanding as I grow into this new format. Please tune in and watch, and let me know how you feel about this change of pace. I’m always looking for topics, and I’m hoping that this platform will be a place where my lifetime of cycling knowledge can help others to enjoy the sport more.
Once again, thank you for watching and for being a part of the adventure.
Now get out there and ride!
