MTB & Hiking Gear Reviews
Since 2016, our mission at Tyres and Soles is to provide fair and honest gear reviews. Along this journey, we’ve had the pleasure of testing and reviewing gear from some of the best brands in the industry, big and small.
We are always looking to work with new and interesting brands that have a story to tell, and we want to help share that story with the wider world.
Outdoor Lifestyle
We’re not just about gear reviews. From seasoned mountain bike racers to weekend warriors and adrenaline junkies, we love hearing your stories and sharing them with others.
We hope our reviews help you when choosing the right gear for your next purchase, and we hope the stories we share inspire you to get outside and experience the wonders of the outdoors for yourselves.
The Team
We are truly thankful for our core and guest contributors, who have made Tyres and Soles what it is today and continue to add
Jason Lorch
Chief Editor
Born and grew up in Wales but am now a fully-fledged Aussie. A passionate mountain biker, hiker, and general nature addict. I’m also a bit of a muso and enjoy a good craft beer every now and again (probably too often).
I hope what we do here at Tyres and Soles will inspire people to get out there and experience the natural wonders that surround us all.
Richard McGibbon
Chief Photographer
I am an adventure and alternative sports photographer based in Sydney. I shoot people in motion doing sports such as mountain biking, trail running, surfing, and free-running and I love it. I am happiest when I am behind the camera.
I’m the co-founder of Outer Image Collective, a photography company that specialises in covering events such as mountain biking, adventure racing, and trail running races.
You can find more of my work at Richardmcgibbon.com
Sam Clarke
Photographer
An outdoor enthusiast, camping, exploring, mountain and dirt bikes- this little black duck doesn’t like standing still.
A lifelong mountain bike rider, I now spend my rides watching my kids develop into little shredders. I am also a passionate photographer focusing on sports, landscape, and product photography.
Dan Greenwood
Contributor
Passionate mountain biker, trail builder, advocate, husband, dad (not in any order!) I’m Sydney-based but my heart is in the big mountains. Three years in Queenstown NZ, riding and learning taught me what goes into building epic trails and riding communities. This knowledge now goes back into one of Sydney’s most popular MTB trails, Mill Creek.
I’m also a brand ambassador for Specialized bikes and a general MTB gear frother who’s stoked on building and riding trails and always up to share the adventure (and a beer!).
Dr. Jeremy Adams
Contributor
Dr. Jeremy Adams has a Ph.D. in sport psychology, is a registered psychologist, and director of Eclectic Consulting Ltd. He divides his time between mountain biking, working with athletes and other performers, executive coaching, and private psychology practice.
In past lives, Jeremy has been a principal lecturer in sport and performance psychology at a university in London, a senior manager in a large consulting firm in Melbourne, a personal trainer in Paris, and a scuba instructor in Byron Bay. He’s also the author of a textbook on performance in organisational management, a large range of professional and popular articles, and a regular blog about the joys and perils of being human www.eclectic-moose.com.
Gaby Mayo
Contributor
Beers, Bikes, Climbing, and an unashamed tech nerd. Born and raised in Sydney, I was hucking off brick & ply ramps and breaking my arm before I was 7, which led to an interest in all things outdoor and all things exciting.
After a bit of forced time off through the early 2000s, I was drawn back into MTB in a huge way with the Sydney freeride scene of the late 2000s and haven’t looked back since.
The biggest drawcard to all of the amazing outdoor activities we have is the places and people and the thought of being able to share this with my daughter as she grows up!
Mel Hayes
Contributor
I am a Sydney-based mountain biker, trail runner, bikepacker, beginner skater, wanna-be climber, and all-around adventure Mumma. I love being active outside and also being super creative, so naturally, I found a passion for action-adventure sports photography. After experiencing so many gorgeous places that my outdoor adventures have taken me, I really wanted to share that beauty and enjoyment with the world.
Luke Dean-Weymark
Contributor
Born and raised in the Blue Mountains, my teenage years we spent in the bush, building trails, gnarly dirt jumps, and eating my fair share of dirt on my Mongoose BMX. After a decade hiatus, in 2019 I was bitten by the bike bug (hard) and have been hooked on bombing single trails on my Intense Tracer and launching off anything that will provide even the smallest amount of airtime!
I’m the co-founder of a Sydney-based pr/marketing agency called Compass Studio and a huge lover of nature, photography, and getting my hands on the latest and greatest MTB gear and putting it through its paces.
Jaime Black
Contributor
Writer. Rider. Photographer. I started I’m out riding fire trails as a kid, then discovered ‘freeride’ and set my sights on gravity MTB. Later found MTB photography and followed the national circuit for a few years before joining the family business as a hydraulic fitter.
Now I spend my free time learning, training, and trying to push my limits to break into the slightly above-average amateur class. Find me on a trail or road bike, running trails, in the gym, or smashing a Zwift ride any day of the week.
Hannah Porteus
Contributor
Han Porteous is a Sydney-based personal trainer and founder of Shift Wellbeing and #PARKSWEAT. As an adventure junkie, she is a big believer in making movement fun and focuses on finding balance in life meaning being fit and healthy can be both enjoyable and sustainable.
This combination has led her the to Ultra Trail community and most weekends you can expect to find her out hiking or running, Sydney trails with a handful of friends, and a tonne of enthusiasm.
Matt Pass
Contributor
I personify the weekend warrior. Stuck behind a desk for 5 days a week, waiting for the weekend to touch down so that I can get outdoors and into nature, whether that’s on a mountain bike, hiking, or just throwing my swag down in a secluded spot.
English born and raised, a globetrotter, but living in Sydney for over 20 years, there is nowhere that feels more ‘home’ than the Aussie bush.
Natalie Rouse
Contributor
A Kiwi who (like most other kiwis) now lives in Sydney. I caught a love of the outdoors from a young age, and over the years have thrown myself with varying degrees of enthusiasm into sports like orienteering, trail running, adventure racing, triathlons, and more recently mountain biking. You’ll find me most weekends out and about on the local NSW MTB trails, mostly squawking excitedly about Australian wildlife.
Ian Ganderton
Contributor
I’ve been playing outdoor games all my life. Afflicted with Activity Attention Disorder I fall very much into the jack-of-all-trades category. I can describe myself as a kayaker, climber (lapsed), and snowboarder but mostly a mountain biker nowadays.
Work has been a bit like play and I have worked in virtually all aspects of the outdoor industry including retail, manufacturing, instruction, and expedition leadership.
I’m very happy that I seem to have sustained, if not increased, my passion for the outdoors and my enthusiasm for playing the games over time.
Looking for Talent!
Are you a budding adventurer wanting to share a story? Have you wanted to write for an outdoor magazine but weren’t given the opportunity? Well, we are looking for contributors right now, so drop us a line if you would like to write for us. If you have a story that needs telling, then we’d love to share it.
Contact:
- Email: info@tyresandsoles.com
- Leave a message on our Facebook page.
- Leave a message on our Instagram page.
