Greg began mountain biking in 2005, and since then, the pursuit of singletrack has taken him around the world. While Greg first started adding trail reviews to Singletracks in 2008, his career in mountain bike media officially began in 2010. He started writing for Singletracks in 2011 while simultaneously finishing his formal secondary education in writing and publication. Greg has the distinction of being the first employee that Singletracks ever hired, and he went on to serve for seven years, including five years in the Editor in Chief role. After a six-year hiatus, Greg is back at Singletracks, serving in the Managing Editor role.
While Greg has reviewed innumerable mountain bikes and products over the years, his true passion lies in writing about mountain bike trails and destinations. Greg has ridden over 8,000 trails and visited 21 countries (and counting). He recently spent four years traveling full-time, including two spent living in a camper van with his wife, Christine. In between epic trips, he now resides in Durango, Colorado.
Author snapshot
MTB Background and expertise
- Riding experience: Primarily trail and enduro, with experience including endurance XC, bikepacking, downhill, and gravel riding.
- Mountain biking since: 2005
- Number of trails ridden: 8,000+
- Number of countries visited: 21+
- Current stable: Pivot Switchblade V3, Pivot Vault, Scott Big Jon
Education and writing experience
- Bachelors of Arts, English: Writing and Publication, University of North Georgia
- Other publications: Strava, FATMAP, Dirt Rag Magazine, MTB Project, Hiking Project, GearJunkie, Outside 365
I was cruising around the Interbike showroom floor, late for yet another appointment, but the Wilier Triestina Jaroon+ stopped me in my tracks. This mountain bike, while of questionable real…
Having earned a coveted spot on our list of the 5 Most Innovative Mountain Bikes of 2016, I knew that I had to get on the Pivot Switchblade to see if the bike…
Photo by Sergio Barboni. Taken in Italy. Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief…
The DrTray hitch rack, an all-new offering from Yakima, is designed to eliminate bike-on-bike banging and damage during transport by allowing both of the trays on the hitch rack to…
Every time we turn around another high-dollar, boutique full suspension mountain bike is being announced by a major bike brand. So when a reputable brand announces an all-new full suspension trail…
Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Zach White. With every piece of gear that I carry with me on the mountain bike, my first question is: “how packable…
Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief for Singletracks.com, any opinions expressed in this column are his alone…
Photo: Alex Strickland / Sea Otter Sea Otter, arguably the largest cycling festival in the world, has just announced that it will be adding a new Sea…
While the mountain bike media is constantly reporting on the latest trends and the newest products, adoption of these new products in the real world is often much slower than you'd…
During my visit to Sun Valley, I happened to randomly bump into a marketing contact of mine—Adrian Montgomery—at the top of the ski lift on Bald Mountain. Naturally we went…
It's not often that we get the chance to truly review products over the long term. I mean, 2-3 months is pretty standard, but what about really long term? What about,…
Gone are the days of one or two dropper posts monopolizing the entire market. While ebikes may have been the main trend on display at Eurobike 2016, after spending some time…
Rumors have been swirling for months now about the first drivetrain release from Box Components. While mountain bike drivetrains have been primarily a two-brand-show for many years, Box thinks that…
A small village on the French side of the Pyrenees. Riders: Juan Garcia and Jordi Bonet / MTB Dreams Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular…
Internals of a Pinion Gearbox, the most common gearbox on the market. Gearbox transmissions have been designed for use on mountain bikes for years now, but…
Yeti has just released their first ever 27.5 plus-sized mountain bike, the SB5+. Based on the popular SB5, the 5+ has very similar specs, but sports a slightly steeper head…
RST has just launched a brand-new Inverted XC/Trail fork, dubbed the “Rebel.” Available in travel lengths from 80mm all the way up to 140, this model can definitely cover a wide…
Locating information about RST products online is difficult. Back in 2014, we published a sneak preview of a new fat bike fork from RST, dubbed the "Renegade," that was supposed to…
Bike legal singletrack in the foreground, and the now-off-limits Wilderness off in the distance. Sun Valley, Idaho burst onto the radars of many mountain bikers in the worst way possible: by losing…
Complete Skinwall line Maxxis has expanded their line of Skinwall tires with the addition of the Ikon. Previously, the Skinwall design was only available in the Ardent and…
-90° Rocky Mountain is jumping on a wheel/tire size bandwagon that Trek pioneered with the launch of the Farley Fat Bike back in 2015: 27.5 fat. While…
After 12 years with IMBA, Mike Van Abel, currently serving as the Executive director, has resigned. His resignation has been accepted by the board, and will be effective September 2, 2016. “Mike…
Rider: Ray Gadd "Sun Valley's brand is high-speed riding on endless, well-maintained trails," commented Adrian Montgomery, the Executive Director of the Wood River Bicycle Coalition, as we rode up the chairlift at Bald Mountain.…
Imperial Gulch trail. Rider: Ray Gadd. If you visit Sun Valley, Idaho in the summer you will see a lot of three things: multimillion-dollar mansions, range upon range of mountains, and endless…
According to the Bureau of Land Management, the wire found strung across a trail in Fruita, CO was not a booby trap. Rather, according to a Facebook post distributed by mountain bike…
Photo: NBCOlympics.com Nino Schurter of Switzerland and Jenny Rissveds of Sweden, both sponsored by Scott Sports and riding the new ultra-lightweight Spark, both took gold at…
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness. Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief for Singletracks.com, any opinions expressed in…
Unfortunately, we have two acts of trail terrorism to report this week, to remind our readers to stay safe and alert while out there on the trail. Both of them come from…
Specialized has totally revamped their acclaimed Enduro model for 2017, with slacker geometry, shorter stays, a suspension overhaul, and the full SWAT treatment. As far as the geo, the head tube…
Factory Build. All photos courtesy of Intense Intense has just announced an all-new trail bike: the Recluse. With 140mm of rear suspension featuring a proprietary I-Box…
High School Mountain Bike Championships in Novato California, 2013. Photo by Karl Nielsen Photographywww.karlnielsenphotography.com Over the course of the next five years, Trek Bikes is "pledging…
Photo: Devon Balet When I first saw the press release from Scott about their new Spark and Scale lines, my eyes immediately went to the big,…
Photo via bike.whistlerblackcomb.com Vail Resorts has acquired yet another internationally-renowned ski resort: Whistler-Blackcomb. In a $1.1 billion (US) deal, expected to close this fall, Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Resort (and…
Test riding the new SRAM 1x12 mountain bike drivetrain.
Photo via Pix11 Broadcast Trail booby traps have been discovered at High Mountain Park Preserve in Northern New Jersey, and officials are asking local trail users…
Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief for Singletracks.com, any opinions expressed in this column are his alone and…
The Chunk in action. All photos courtesy of Terrene. The tire industry is known to be cost-prohibitive, due to the significant costs for tire molds, tooling,…
Photo from the Camp Tamarancho Flow Trail Facebook Page A spike strip constructed from rusty metal screws was recently discovered "less than a mile from the White Hill…
The rumors have been swirling for months, but it's been confirmed: PricePoint.com is going out of business. PricePoint has been one of the premier sources of online mountain bike parts in…
Photo: Colton Lock Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief for Singletracks.com, any opinions…
Woodsmoke 29+ XO1 in Warm Red.All photos courtesy of Salsa Cycles.Photography by http://www.scottharaldson.com Salsa Cycles' annual product launch event, dubbed "Saddle Drive," is currently taking place…
Collegiate Peaks Wilderness Area in Colorado, with some very bikeable trails located in this beautiful valley. Photo taken on a backpacking trip. In response to the…
Photo courtesy of Rio 2016 If you can brave the Zika virus and reports of rampant crime and corruption, tickets are now on sale for spectating the cross…
My main ambition for 2016 was to challenge my personal limits by getting started bikepacking. While a torn ACL and subsequent rehab has slowed my roll substantially, I've still been working…
Photo: Alan Mckinstry "A Northern Irish mountain biker found fishing line strung between trees on trails at Cavehill Country Park yesterday," Dirt reports. The mountain biker in…
Would a mountain bike ruin the Wilderness nature of this image? I don't think so. (Taken while backpacking in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness.) Editor’s Note: “Over a…
The new Trail Pistol. All photos courtesy of Guerrilla Gravity Guerrilla Gravity (GG) has just announced a brand-new mountain bike in their line, dubbed the "Trail…
You can rest assured that you won't be left wanting at any of these epic East coast mountain biking destinations.
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