I’m Mike Storm, the owner and founder of Intrinsic Flow here in Bellingham and I love mountain biking! I have spent the last 20 years doing it and despite short departures, I keep coming back for more. There is simply nothing that makes me feel like I do riding. 

I’ve been riding mountain bikes for over 2 decades now, I spent half of that (my crazy unfettered twenties) riding cross country. I did not ride steep downhill trails at that time and most importantly, I did not jump. It wasn’t until I was approaching 40 that I really decided to put in the time and learn to jump. I bought a full-suspension bike to replace the hardtail I had and I proceeded to jump off anything and everything. It was fun…for awhile anyway. Or rather, it was fun until I sent myself to the hospital three times in two months. It was at this point that I decided that the trail and error method I was using was not sustainable and I really needed to find a better way. What followed was close to a decade of slow progress where I went down several dead ends and watched a number of friends develop much more quickly than I did. Eventually I learned, but it was way harder than it needed to be. 

I feel I have a unique insight into the difficulties of adopting an entirely new set of skills as an adult. I also understand the challenges in working to undo years of bad advice. By the way, here’s some, "When the trail gets steep, just get behind your saddle!” Like a lot of things in life this is an oversimplification. I spent years struggling to turn on or after steep terrain. There really wasn’t a place to go to to be taught to mountain bike at that time. There is now. If any of this sounds like some of the struggles you’re going through, OR if you would like to avoid all of the unnecessary grief of doing it the hard way and then trying to fix it, I would love to guide you on a journey of rapid development. Give me a call (or email). Let’s talk about how. Thanks! 

-Mike

OK, now the informative part:

Originally from Charlotte, NC 

Currently living in Bellingham, WA

Father to the world's most adorable daughter 

Riding mountain bikes for 21 years 

Instructing for 10 years. 

Building trail for 10 years. 

Co-Founded Piedmont Area Singletrack Alliance

IMBA certified Level 2 Instructor

Pusher of all things WMBC

Volunteer Coordinator for Civic Field Dirt Jumps in Bellingham, WA

Organized Rebuild of Civic Field Dirt Jumps in 2012

Builder on Grasshopper Trail on Galbraith Mountain 

Photo courtesy of Tanya Storm.