Born in Waldorf, Maryland, Brad Simms has been riding BMX for over 15 years. As a professional athlete, Brad has traveled with his bike to over 100 countries, teaching himself to ride everything that crossed his path—and now on a mountain bike, Brad plans to broaden his all-terrain capabilities.

"I have a ton of respect for the mountain bike community," says the two-time X Games medalist, Brad Simms. "Riders like Fabio [Wibmer] and Thomas Genon, Jack Moir, Braydon Bringhurst, and Tahnée Seagrave—each year, they seem to find a way to take things up another notch. You can’t help but be inspired.”

The 2020 NORA Cup BMX Rider of The Year and the 2020 Vital BMX Rider of The Year sat down with Canyon to answer some questions.

1. Tell us why you chose the Spectral 27.5 as your first mountain bike?

The reason I chose the Spectral 27.5 is because it seemed right at home for me. I want to ride trails and do some street tricks, so it only made sense to ride something with smaller wheels—easier to spin and maneuver. And it’s aesthetically perfect.

2. What would you consider your strengths on the bike?

As for right now, since I am so new to riding mountain bikes, I would say jumping and spinning.

3. Any weaknesses you're actively working to improve?

Improving my mechanical skills.

4. What can the world expect to see from you now that you’re riding mountain bikes?

You can expect to see me ripping trails, creating new content in unusual parts of the world, and bringing back my old jumping tricks I used to do back in the day.

5. Where are you most excited to ride this year and why?

Hopefully the world reopens because I'm excited to ride Revolution Bike Park in the UK.