Nichole Baker
Nichole Baker

Nichole
Baker

ADVENTURE / PHILANTHROPIST

I started riding bikes in 2007 and have been hooked ever since, combining my passions for humanitarian work, science/medicine, and cycling. I have a diverse background in science, having worked in academia, anatomic pathology, and recently shifted into public health. Right now, my team and I are focusing on breast cancer research and awareness in Uganda.

Bikes have always been my north star, where I feel centered and inspired. My best ideas and problem-solving moments come to me while riding in the high alpine. I've had the privilege to explore the world on my bike, enjoying long, tough adventures all over the world in the most remote areas.

My happy place is at home in Durango, in the San Juan Mountains, where I spend the summer and fall with my partner Payson and our trail dog, Rae.

Yeti bike of choice - why?
I'm torn between the 120 and 140! Living in the San Juans, both bikes offer the versatility and playfulness to make time melt away in the high country!
What is your first memory on a bike?
I have memories of riding my bike on the military bases where I grew up when I was a kid - maybe 7y. Its always made me feel free, even when surrounded by perimeter gates and guards.
Best feeling on a bike?
Finishing a climb that's taken a few hours and just starting the descent in the mountains. You know, that breath of relief to have finished the hard work, but also focusing in on the flow of rugged trail. It's the best!
What is your biggest source of inspiration outside of mountain biking? Why?
The feeling I get when I'm problem solving and working with my team in Uganda. When you're collectively working towards an objective and feeling progress in real-time, you can't help feeling energized to do more, even if you're all exhausted - that's when you know you're in the right place.
A word of advice to the groms
Be flexible - you can't know the exact steps you need to take in this big world - and when you think you do, you might miss magic around you.
Speed or Style?
ummm... both?
Top 3 riding destinations?
Camp Trail, Lake City Colorado. The Green Room trail, Derby Tasmania. South Island, New Zealand.

Accolades:

  • Dozens of medical publications and awards in the fields of vascular surgery & anatomic pathology.
Nichole Baker
Nichole Baker with a crowd of children during her work in Uganda.
Nichole Baker
Nichole Baker riding slick rock.
Nichole Baker riding through a large aspen grove.
Riders traversing a high alpine road.