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
Shimano has just quietly announced a new rendition of their low end Deore drivetrain, the new Deore M6000. With this new tech Deore is more capable than ever before. While no single…
RockShox has just announced improved models of their Pike, Lyrik, Revelation, Yari, and RS-1 suspension forks. Pike The performance of the Pike has been improved, while also shaving 150g off its weight. Travel…
Getting paid to ride mountain bikes in Moab. Photo: Aaron Chamberlain Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is…
The 2017 Spring Outerbike saw a 30% increase in attendance over 2016, which is a big accomplishment for Western Spirit! Unfortunately, the number of vendors didn't keep pace with the increase in…
Suspension options for our mountain bikes are ever-expanding, and while Cane Creek's initial offering and the latest from MRP might get most of the buzz, one brand that needs to be…
Photo: Spot While cruising the Outerbike venue I spotted a seductive-looking carbon frame with smooth lines, an understated but attractive paint scheme, and snappy-looking geometry from…
After a fantastic day of shredding aboard YT's Jeffsy trail bike, I knew I needed to sample the longer-travel Capra enduro bike for myself. An Outerbike shuttle to the top of Mag…
All photos from RockShox RockShox has finally--finally!--released a 1x remote for the fully-hydraulic RockShox Reverb dropper post. This 1x remote features a push feeling identical to…
MRP's newest fork, the Ribbon, is a literal head turner thanks to its reverse arch design. According to the MRP website, this is an "outcast arch design with forward-facing weight reliefs to…
Rider: Greg Heil. All photos by Ross Bell "Necessity is the mother of invention," as the ancient saying goes. I'll add a second layer to that proverb:…
Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Wil Matthews YT Industries is one of the brands giving online, direct-to-consumer mountain bike sales a good name. With the availability of…
Uphill flow. Rider: Greg Heil. Photo: Nathan W. Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in…
Photo used with permission of DrunkCyclist.com. Editor's Note: This account contains strong language and violence. Reader discretion is advised. According to a first person account published…
IMBA Epic Monarch Crest, Salida, CO. Photo: IMBA For years, receiving an IMBA Epic designation for your local trail or trail system was a badge of…
Skier: Greg Heil. Photo: Tom Gordon Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written by Greg Heil. While Greg is the Editor in Chief for…
If you rode the first top 10 mountain bike destinations, congrats! Hope you enjoy the next ten trails (and breweries) just as much.
Photo: Wil Matthews Michelin is an absolutely massive tire company. On a global scale, Michelin nets €21 billion per year in revenue, and last year this French behemoth…
Photo: Scott Anderson 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…
While you can purchase a fat bike at Walmart for just over a hundred bucks, I don't recommend it
Cane Creek has just released their first-ever suspension fork, exclusively for 27.5" wheels: The Helm. According to Cane Creek the Helm is designed for "aggressive trail, all-mountain, and enduro riding," and…
Gore Apparel has recently introduced a new technology that they refer to as "Thermium," and I've been testing an entire kit of fat biking outerwear that utilizes the new technology. Here's…
The Gore ONE Windstopper pant features a 100% polyester Windstopper fabric exterior with an 86% polyester, 14% Elastene liner. Here are all the features, according to Gore: Zip pocket on back…
These gloves sliced through the cold winter air similarly to my heavyweight downhill ski gloves, but since they're designed specifically for biking
Smith's Forefront helmet with its unique Aerocore construction (featuring Koroyd) has become one of the most recognizable and widely-used enduro helmets on the market today. And for good reason: the performance…
Mountain biking in the Cairngorms, close to the H+I Headquarters in Inverness. Photo courtesy H+I. If you look up Inverness, Scotland on a map, it looks…
Marcel Hagener and Simone Maier, Red Bull Defiance Adventure Race, New Zealand. Photo: Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column…
A spike booby trap found at Buffalo Creek in Colorado. Photo: Tim Fishback We've reported about trail booby traps many times in the past, and often the argument has arisen…
Photo: Interbike Utah legislators have been in the hot seat in recent weeks, with many proponents of public land, including both advocates and industry members, viewing…
Rider: Darren Berrecloth filming for "Where the Trail Ends." Photo: John Wellburn / Red Bull Content Pool Editor’s Note: “Over a Beer” is a regular column written…
All photos courtesy of Salsa Cycles Salsa has just launched the first-ever full suspension 29+ mountain bike: the Deadwood Sus. We have postulated before that creating a…
Photo: Chris Gibbs The competition in our #TrailTales contest was fierce, with stories of high adventure (and misadventure) submitted from all corners of the globe. The…
Photo: Greg Heil Riding in wet and muddy environments can quickly decimate your chain lube, clogging up your drivetrain with mud and dirt, creating chain suck,…
If you've been paying attention, you might be a bit confused right now. "Wasn't Dave Wiens just elected to be the chair of the IMBA board?" Yes, yes he was. "In what…
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…
Trail: Little Rainbow, Salida, Colorado. Rider: Scott Link. Photo: Greg Heil As Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow and predicts 6 more weeks of winter, I find…
Photo: Chris Daniels 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…
Collegiate DH racing. Photo: Jesse Palmer, via Flickr Creative Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/jp3d/ As a 17- or 18-year-old in your senior year of high school, you're now faced with one of the toughest decisions…
Mountain bikers should carry a multi-tool, spare tube, and an inflation device with them at all times. These items are non-negotiable, because mountain bikes break. A lot. The problem with most multi-tools is that when…
Not only will Lenzerheide have played a significant role in the World Cup for three years running, but they've officially been awarded the 2018 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships.
Photo: BC Bike Race Congratulations, you've made it through a long, long week of work! You've slaved away for the man, working to put food on…
Photo: Enduro World Series 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…
Here in the US, "lift rides" and "backcountry" are two mutually-exclusive terms. But in Europe, they don't have to be. On my second day riding in Switzerland we used a pair…
Have you ever heard a friend tell you a tale of an epic trail, and knew that you just had to go and experience that mountain bike ride for yourself? That's exactly how…
A proposal has been put forth that mountain bikes be allowed on a historic trail in the Alleghany National Forest: Tracy Ridge, in Pennsylvania. The USFS conducted an environmental assessment about the fitness…
9:zero:7 has just launched two all new fat tire bikes: the Tundra, and the Squall kids fat bike. Tundra The new Tundra is "an all-rounder built for anything you can throw at…
In his early 50s, Micheal Woodruff still sends bigger jumps than I'm willing to attempt. (Note the distinguished gray beard poking out beneath the chin guard.) …
Guerrilla Gravity (GG) has just released the 2017 updates to their popular Megatrail enduro rig, and has announced the addition of an all-new Megatrail SS model to their lineup. All-New Megatrail…
Monarch Crest Trail, Salida, Colorado. Photo: Scott Anderson Featuring thousands of trails all around the world, the Singletracks trail database is your first stop for MTB trail…
1
