The Fix Junior Team, your 2007 Mountain States Cup champions. That’s Lee beaming in the foreground. Finally, about 18 years ago, Lee was in the Palo Alto Theater with a bunch of Silicon Valley millionaires, watching the movie Whale Rider. This movie is all about fate. In it, a Maori girl is destined to become the king of her tribe — which is not an easy thing! As the story unfolded, Lee started to cry. Was he honoring his fate? No, not yet. By the end of the movie, Lee was bawling uncontrollably, and that was it. He went to work and quit. Going from six figures to zero figures overnight is pretty stressful. As fate would have it, Lee’s old riding buddy Brian Lopes called to say hi. Lee said he wanted to write the definitive how-to book, and Brian said, Sure, I’ll do that with you. And the first Mastering Mountain Bike Skills was born.
After MMBS came out, Lee decided mountain biking deserves a curriculum like skiing and other “real” sports. Using all of his riding, communication and design skills, he began to design a teaching method. And he began to teach it. Lee has written for numerous magazines and published seven more books, and he has taught thousands of beginners and pros; men and women; kids and retirees; XCers, trailriders, enduro racers, DHers, BMXers and roadies. Pretty much anyone who wants to Ride and Live better. As skills director for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), Lee wrote the training manual, created the curriculum and trains high school coaches all over the U.S. Lee loves to ride, but his true passion — and purpose — is helping other people ride. Teaching is the fullest expression of his physical, mental and emotional abilities. It’s what he’s made to do. Every time he runs a class, he’s as nervous — and stoked! — as the first time.