Dan Milner photo from Lavaredo
Dan Milner a bit weary from the road less traveled

Dan
Milner

Adventure/Photographer

Dan Milner is no stranger to some of the wildest corners of the World, adventuring in search of stories armed with bike, camera and a British wit. He's been pedalling mountain bikes since the year Yeti was born, but despite a rich, colourful journey woven through every aspect of the bike industry, he still has to yet master the simple wheelie.

HOMETOWN
Posettes, Chamonix.
NICKNAME
Milnog
FAVORITE TRAIL
Lupra Trail Nepal
FAVORITE SB
140
WHAT I ALWAYS ORDER FOR THE TABLE
Homous (whether you want it or not.)
BIGGEST RISK TAKEN
Photographing a mountain bike trip to North Korea.
FAVORITE VINTAGE YETI
ARC. Damn those one-piece curved stays make me go weak at the knees.
WILDEST ANIMAL ENCOUNTER ON TRAIL
Polar bear.... (If you count a split board skin track as "trail".)
FAVORITE USE FOR THE BICYCLE TUBE
Holding the netting over my blackberry bushes.

Accolades:

  • Finisher Transalp 5-day Race 1993.
  • Finisher Cristalp Race 2000.
  • Managed to make my relationship survive a year of bike packing around Argentina and Chile in 1996.
  • Bikemag Photo of The year 2003.
  • Instigator, photographer and survivor of 3 decades of ambitious and pioneering bike expeditions including to Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraqi Kurdistan, Lebanon, Russia... and more.
  • Average 250 pages in print per year.
  • Subject of Yeti Cycles' Photovagabond movie.
  • Subject of Nikon Photography campaign.
  • Ambassador for Yeti Cycles, Shimano, FOX, Maxxis, Fstop packs & Alpkit clothing.

Dan Milner's SB140 next to a message from the locals
Two riders dart through a lush forest
Bike loaded on a tailgate in Bhutan
Dan Milner and a beat down truck
Dan Milner's camp site
Dan Milner checking his watch, which indicates an elevation of 4310m
Dan Milner next to a couple local villagers on a horse
Dan Milner with his bike on his back and snow cover peaks in the background

Dan’s Kit

Dan Milner's SB140
Dan Milner's SB140
Dan Milner's SB140
Dan Milner's SB140
Dan Milner's SB140
Dan Milner's SB140

Kit Details

With so many unknowns dictating my adventure trips, I spec my bike to handle anything (and carry me through anything) whatever those unknowns throw at me, while keeping an eye on saving weight wherever I can — so long as it doesn't compromise reliability and the ride. After all it's great to ease the grind of shouldering a bike over 13,000ft high passes in Russia, but that strategy falls flat if components fail or the bike can't boss the rock gardens that line the descent on the other side. And here’s a secret: The SB140 is way more adventure-capable than Yeti let on. Adventure? Yep, the SB140 already knows. To lighten my photo pack while riding I throw extras like the EDC tool, spare tube and some water onto the bike, and when building , I leave cable housing and brake hoses a little longer than most people to make it easier to whip the bars off and pack my bike for flights. And that simple mudguard? Oh that keeps all that yak poop out of my face. Poop equals sickness and time on the toilet instead of riding.

  • Frame: @Yeticycles SB140 / Medium, Turq Series
  • Shock: @fox DPX, 140mm rear travel
  • Fork: @fox Elite 36, Boost axle, 160mm travel. Custom build.
  • Crankset: @rideshimano XT M8100, 1x 12 speed, 30t chainring, 170mm
  • Cassette: Shimano XT M8100 10-51 t, 12 spd
  • Shifter: Shimano XT M8100 / 12 spd
  • Chain: Shimano XT M8100 12 spd
  • Rear derailleur: Shimano XT M8100 SGS 
  • Brakes: Shimano XT M8100 levers with M8120 4-piston calipers.
  • Wheelset: @mavic_mtb Deemax Elite, internal width 30mm
  • Tires: @wildenesstrailbikes Vigilante, 2.3 tough/fast rolling rear, 2.5 tough/high grip front, both tubeless.
  • Headset: @chriskingbuzz dropset 1
  • Stem: @raceface Turbine R 35, 32mm long, 0 rise
  • Bars: Race Face Next 35 Carbon, 20mm rise, 760mm wide
  • Grips: @dmrbikes Deathgrip, thin, soft
  • Seatpost : Shimano Pro Koryak 150mm drop
  • Saddle: @crankbrothers Mallet E-LS
  • Tool: @oneupcomponents EDC tool
  • Gear strap: @backcountryresearch mutherload strap, Colorado Flag, tube & @chimpanzeebar energy bar
  • Mud Guard: WTB
  • Bottle Cage: @blackburndesign