I have over 40 years of BMX and Mountain Biking experience. I got into BMX in 1980 and from that day forward I have been into many different forms of riding. I got my first mountain bike, a Cannondale, in 1987. Mountain bikes were not built like they are today and I basically destroyed that thing. I started racing mountain bikes in 1994 as well as continuing the race BMX. In the 2000s I was a hardcore singlespeed mountain biker and I started doing gravel endurance events in addition to the mountain biking and BMX riding I have been doing.
Single Speeding in the Black Hills South Dakota!
My early days of BMX were a combination of BMX racing and freestyle riding. I didn’t have enough money to travel to all of the local BMX races, so I did a lot more dirt jumps and flatland trick riding in the 80s. These were the days that my skills on a bicycle became dialed. Having a strong background in BMX is what made other forms of cycling seem pretty easy for me to get into and thrive in.
Riding Flatland in 1987 on my Haro FST!
Recently I decided to start a YouTube Channel called Shad Life. I realized I have a lot of information to offer to others and YouTube is a great way to get that content out there. I really enjoy creating videos and sharing my passion for the different types of riding I like to do.
My goal is to share the knowledge I have gained over the last 40 plus years with others and hopefully help them enjoy cycling as much as I do.