PATH LESS PAVED: OCATE, NEW MEXICO, Anthill’s latest Shimano Originals short film, shows us how an open-mind can help us find common ground in the unlikeliest of places. It’s this mindset that led lifetime cyclist Alex Morgan to gravel riding, and how he leads a fulfilling—if unconventional—life where the plains meet the mountains.
Alex isn’t limited by the restrictive definitions of a single discipline. Whether it’s experimenting by building his own downhill frames complete with 29” wheels ahead of the curve or working less so he can ride more; Alex won’t be confined by social norms.
Alex shows us how a life without set limits can produce the most rewarding circumstances. When preconceived notions and stereotypes fall away, new possibilities and connections open up. After moving to New Mexico in 2018, Alex’s bike-driven lifestyle might have seemed a million miles apart from his new neighbours'. You might think, what do a gravel rider and a rancher have in common? Turns out, quite a lot. One chooses a bike while the other chooses a horse, but the outcome is the same: freedom, adventure and the endless terrain of New Mexico.
Follow Alex at @nmgravel to learn more about the New Mexico Fire Relief benefit ride he has planned for Fall 2022.
Written, Directed and Produced by Anthill Films
Director: Matt Butterworth
Editor: Matt Butterworth
Producers: Scott Jewett & Daisy Maddinson
Cinematography: Matt Butterworth and Lear Miller
Sound Design: Jo Osborne
Colourist: Gary Shaw
Graphics: Catkin Pritchard
Photography: Kevin Fickling
