Dave Mitchell started mountain biking in 1986 with a group of friends, and they became the core of the Canterbury Mountain Bike Club. The search for epic adventures started early and continues to this day, and has included a 26-day off-road traverse of the South Island riding tracks and trails as close to the Main Divide as possible, as well as multi-day trips in many other countries of the world.

He regularly contributes articles to a range of different magazines and also produces an annual mountain bike calendar of his photography.

Dave lives in Christchurch with his partner Ditte and their dog Tinker.