Riding On The Other Side

Having been in the industry on an off since I started working, you’ve more than likely read something of mine, or used a product that I have helped shape or market and have never realised, so I was delighted when I was asked to be a contributor to Singletrack. So who am I?

Well, as of February I became an Englishman in America, a marketer, journalist and cyclist, who sells words and ideas to fund his adventures! However, there’s probably a few question that you want answered.

What type of cyclist are you?
For some this is simple; a downhiller, an XC racer, a roadie etc, for me the answer would have to be… yes!

I know that doesn’t really make much sense (don’t worry you’ll get used to that), but that’s my answer! When I started out, I was a downhiller, that’s how I discovered cycling, in at the deep end, but it wasn’t long before I found out about n+1! If it has two wheels, I’ll give it a go! So in a non hipster way (although I do have a new beard), I don’t like to conform to one label. I have raced BMX at an international level, downhill and 4x nationally, road and triathlon regionally and hit XC trails around the world.

So are you an industry insider?
I have been behind the green curtain and make regular visits there, but I don’t live there all of the time, I would say I am more industry adjacent!

How did you end up here?
For me writing and riding have always gone hand in hand, I started writing as a way of funding my races, getting free race entry in exchange for race reports, or a bit of cash to ease the pain of a weekend warrior’s wallet. One of the first sites I regularly wrote for, was UK-MTB, which combined with GoFar-mtb.com [It’s ok to click that link now although that wasn’t always the case – Ed], were precursors to Singletrack. My hobby quickly became a career, with journalism, brand manager and marketing manager roles across the industry. Now as my career has grown, I’m reconnecting with someone who helped get it started, for a title that has become iconic.

What can you expect?
Ramblings and rants from someone discovering a new country, new trails and new riding buddies, along with opinions formed over years of riding and working in the industry.

Happy trails!