Bay Area biker known for viral stunts seeks to rekindle region's mountain biking legacy
Marin County is believed to be the birthplace of mountain biking. Now, a local rider is trying to carve out trails despite some pushback.
For 26-year-old Teddy Hayden, gravity isn't a law. It's more of a suggestion.
"I definitely get scared sometimes," he said. "I'll drag myself across a feature that I have to commit to, to the bottom and maybe that decision was questionable."
Hayden is a San Francisco-based biker and content creator whose viral videos drop viewers' right onto his bike, making them feel every descent and heart-stopping turn.
He's not riding some remote trail. Hayden is turning San Francisco's streets and parks into his own course.
"I've seen some of the most incredible things on a bicycle and it's just a great way to experience the world," he said.
Mountain biking is shifting into high gear. According to the National Interscholastic Cycling Association more than 25,000 kids signed up for rides and races in 2025, up 35% in just the last four years.
"Mountain biking makes you feel very free and connected to the world but through the medium of this strange machine that we have," Hayden said.
This sport is not for the faint of heat. Hayden's bike seems to float pulling off stunts that look more like choreography than cycling.
"You'll probably fall and maybe break a wrist or sprain an ankle or something in your career of being a mountain biker," he said.
But danger isn't the only challenge. In the very place where mountain biking was born, the sport is now facing pushback. Despite its rugged beauty, the city's transportation code prohibits riding bikes on city streets, and many of its best trails come with a no trespassing sign for riders.
Hayden is working to change that
"Sometimes you get in trouble, sometimes you'll get a ticket," he laughed.
Rachel Lloyd, a mountain bike coach and former racer, said the secret is to not overthink it. But that can be easier said than done.
Because while gravity maybe just a suggestion for Teddy Hayden but for the rest of us it's very much a rule.
