I relocated to the Gunnison Valley in January of 2008 after living in the suburbs of Chicago for most of my life. I graduated from Western State College of Colorado in December of 2010. Since then I have been obsessed with riding bikes. I reside in Crested Butte, Colorado, a beautiful and quaint mountain town in south-central Colorado.
Ever since I graduated college I have soaked in the mountain life. Skiing in the winter and biking in the summer. After riding bikes recreationally for a couple of seasons, I realized I was extremely motivated. I decided I wanted to do more racing and attempt some bikepacking races. In 2012 a friend and I toured the Colorado Trail in 10 days, completely self-supported. This really sparked my interest in bikepacking. After that I decided to take a stab at the Arizona Trail Race 300 the following spring. It was a crazy and difficult race, and I told myself I would never do something like that again. I had some classic bikepacking amnesia and I started to crave it.
After my first bikepacking race experience things got a little out of hand. Bikepacking and bikepack racing became a priority. In January of 2014, me and my partner Lindsay Arne launched a website called Bikepackers Magazine. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a regularly updated online publication where we created a resource for adventure cycling. We realized how many awesome bike bag manufactures, routes, and tips there are in this sub industry of cycling, and we wanted to create a lasting resource.
Lindsay and I recently married after nearly 10 years together. I can’t imagine a better partner, friend and riding buddy. We had an extremely busy summer, dedicating most of it to friends and family, a change to my norm. It proved to be a great time to appreciate what I do in the saddle and helped me focus on life and racing. I’m excited and eager for the future.
When I’m not in the saddle I love to take photos of the beautiful landscapes the Crested Butte area has to offer. I also really enjoy sipping on a good IPA, watching my favorite team the Chicago White Sox, and hanging out with my lady Lindsay and our dog bowie. If you are ever in the Crested Butte area give me a buzz!
Cheers, Neil