Beyond the Ride is our love letter to the people who make mountain biking better. This isn’t a series reserved for sponsored athletes or the folks in power at bike brands (although we’re excited to cover those too). Instead, it’s an open invitation: Do you know someone who’s working to make mountain biking better? Nominate them here. We want to highlight the local ripper, the policy wonk who works with land agencies, the mechanic who saved your race, and the organizer who put it on. This is for the advocates, the storytellers, the builders, and the coaches.
Gabriel Amadeus Tiller was nominated by Bike Mag by a few folks for his work with the Oregon Timber Trail and general commitment to the cause of helping others spend time outside, on bikes. His response when we reached out about this feature was "I'm honored," but we'd like to throw it back that the feeling is mutual: we're honored we got to chat with you and share your story with our readers, Gabriel!
Name, age, current place of residence?
Gabriel Amadeus Tiller, 44, Mill City, OR
What do you do (specifically related to mountain biking)?
I'm the executive director and founder of the Orogenesis Collective. The Orogenesis Collective is a nonprofit that's dedicated to: 1) the creation and stewardship of a contiguous singletrack trail through the western ranges of the North American continent, 2) the education and fulfillment of its users, 3) and the vibrancy and longevity of communities and landscapes they pass through.
What this means is that I get to meet and work with some of the coolest people and organizations on the west coast. I can't tackle such a large project on my own, so we rely on solid partnerships with other orgs and are working to identify overlapping priorities and where we can work together. The best part of my job is the people, hands down.
What's been the bike-related highlight of your year?
Completing a three year restoration project of the 3,000 year old Klickitat Sisters Trail in Packwood, WA. I can't thank all the volunteers who've worked their butts off to make this happen enough! This seventeen mile trail hadn't seen much, if any, maintenance in the past twenty years, and it's incredibly remote and hard to access. It's as close to a wilderness experience as we can get on bikes, and it has stunning views, big old growth, and some verrrry steep grades. One day last July we hiked twelve miles with chainsaws and brushers to cut out the last remaining middle section. Our Stewardship Campouts aren't usually this strenuous, but we often try to focus on the more remote trails that aren't maintained by local orgs—which can lead to long days swinging a hoe or chainsaw. The swimming holes make up for it though!
If you could leave any impact on mountain biking, what would you like to be remembered for?
At its face value, Orogenesis is a very long bikepacking route. But what it really is, is a life altering experience for anyone who rides all or part of it. It is a tool for strengthening bonds between friends, making new ones, and challenging oneself mentally and physically. It will change your relationship with, and understanding of, the natural and social landscapes surrounding it. If I have one takeaway from traveling and scouting sections of the route with friends in Washington, Oregon, California, and Baja it is this: the trails it uses are stunningly diverse, scenic, hard, and rewarding. I'm so excited to share it with the world.
What, outside of mountain biking, makes you excited?
Other modes of travel that immerse me in natural places - backountry skiing, packrafting, hiking, photography, and trail building. But I also have a creative itch that needs scratching, I dabble in welding, fabrication, woodworking, sewing... a never ending list really!
What are your goals for the next year?
Do less, better. I have a tendency to take on too much, and my mental health can struggle with this. I'm trying to set achievable goals, filter out the noise, and celebrate my successes. Oh yeah, and ride a big chunk of Orogenesis next summer.
What's the most exciting trend in mountain biking you're seeing right now (and how can we help it)?
A growing interest in trail stewardship is especially exciting - your favorite trails didn't just grow from trail fairy dust. They need your love, sweat, and hopefully not too much blood. I think the biggest barrier to more people getting into trail stewardship is the 'good ole boys' club. A lot of groups develop really strong bonds while working together (which is awesome), but this can unintentionally be alienating to people trying to learn and become part of these communities. Being aware of this problem and focusing on making new folks feel welcome goes a long way. If you'd like more women, LGBTQ, or racialized people to get involved; hosting events specifically for these folks is a less threatening stepping stone for them to join your organization.
What's the worst trend you're seeing right now (and how would you fix it)?
The yuppifying rampage-ification of the sport. Media is mostly to blame - selling more expensive bikes generates more revenue and athletes hucking themselves off cliffs is way cooler to watch than what the rest of us mortals call mountain biking. But these trends are so short-sighted, they exclude giant swaths of prospective customers who either can't afford it, or can never see themselves doing the 'mountain biking' they see on YouTube.
What's your trail of choice right now (and why?)
That's a hard one. I don't like to ride the same thing over and over so my favorite trail is usually the next one that's new to me. I like raw, rugged, steep, technical backcountry trails, and luckily all 5,000 miles of Orogenesis are chock full of em.
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