I first heard of mountain bikes in 1982 in the pages of a magazine called Action Now. I wasted no time in converting my 24" Mongoose cruiser with Suntour Mountech derailleurs & thumbshifters. Over the next 9 years a range of custom & off the shelf MTBs followed. Until, in 1991 I went on an extended off-road cycle-tour of the Top End and down the West Coast.

When I returned, I decided that I wanted a sweet dual suspension bike. It was 1992, so I ordered the then cream of the suspension market, a Mantis Pro Floater. Forward to 1995, one year after starting Dirt Works and the touring bike was out again for a trek from Cairns to Cape York.

Now it's 2011, I'm 46 and Dirt Works is 17. While I still dream of the open road, I'm content now. I'm very lucky in that I wake up every day and I just love to go to work. The people I work with are fantastic and the customers that we have are as addicted to bikes as we are. I love it.

The "quiver" has expanded too (along with the waistline). I've still got that original Mantis Pro Floater (still rideable too, now with Dura Ace/Pauls components thumbshifters), plus...a Fisher CR7 (with Yeti cro-mo forks and a WTB drop-flared bar), a very nice Salsa Fargo (in full touring kit), a very sweet Salsa El Mariachi Limited Edition full rigid singlespeed 29er, plus my new pride and joy: a Surly Pugsley...and...a nice "new" 1995 model Mantis Pro Floater that is the subject of an ongoing restoration project.

I recently rediscovered the fun of commuting and riding in general, and completed the Simpson Desert Bike Challenge in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (signed up again for 2011 too).

The short version: I'm 46 years old, with a wonderfull (patient) wife who lets me indulge my love of expensive bikes, I like both kinds of music, outback traveling and I want to ride more.