My name is Matt Miller and I love mountain biking!
I grew up in the family bike shop, and started building, repairing and selling bikes when I was 10 years old in Nazareth, PA, USA. I started MTB racing in 2001, which led to a long pursuit at being a pro racer. During this time, I raced for and co-managed the Giant Mid-Atlantic Off-Road team, focusing on XCO and Enduro. After a few years struggling for my big break, I decided to go to university to study Exercise Science so I could learn how to train more effectively.
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I was a better scientist than a racer. I completed a Master’s in Exercise Science and was president of the Graduate Exercise Science Club. I worked as manager of the Human Performance Laboratory at the university, and was able to to be part of and assist in all kinds of experiments - from training interventions to nutritional supplements
Around this time, I started coaching a number of athletes in XC and the new sport of Enduro MTB. One of my first athletes was then teammate, Seamus Powell, and we went on to win 5 USA National Championships together while he raced on factory teams in the Enduro World Series.
My interest in the physiology of MTB grew into an obsession. I was offered a position at Massey University and moved to New Zealand in 2014 to pursue my PhD focused on researching MTB descending performance.
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I worked as a Lecturer of Exercise Science from 2014-2019, where I taught topics such as Applied Sports Science, Sports Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Muscle Mechanics. This role allowed me to focus on all kinds of MTB experiments and research, and to explore this new idea of measuring braking on MTBs. Surprisingly, nobody had measured braking on MTB before.
In 2019, I left my full-time university position and focused on developing BrakeAce alongside coaching rad athletes. BrakeAce is the world's first brake sensor and app combo. It shows you where and what you can improve on MTB trails, which is the first sensor and app of its kind!
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Another project I am passionate about is educating athletes and coaches alongside Dr Will O'Connor. We run a free podcast called the Performance Advantage Podcast, and we have a number of endorsed sports science courses such as Fundamentals of Mountain Biking with a Power Meter & Using Sports Science to Train More Effectively. Together we developed the Introduction to Exercise Science for Endurance Coaches for TrainingPeaks University.
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I still live in New Zealand and love nothing more than rooty, rocky trails!
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