Meet our Founder, Jim Jensen
Jim grew up on the family farm in Illinois surrounded by agriculture and small communities. During his youthful days, you would find him and his trusty, two-wheel horse, his BMX bike, galloping fast and jumping over hills of fertilizer and fresh-tilled farmland. His parents could never keep up with him even when the dinner bell clanged.
As Jim entered adulthood, he traded his bike for a four-wheeled adventure to the Valley of the Sun. He found himself immersed in the professional work-life where it wasn’t unusual to spend more time in the office than at home with his family. Jim took up mountain biking as part of a work-life balance experiment. Little did he know that he’d soon be a co-founder of a now 1,350 member mountain biking club in the East Valley: The SanTan Shredders.
His mission, at the time, was to help others experience the joys and the health benefits of zipping around the trails on a mountain bike. That mission became more focused when in 2016 death came knocking at his door. A true scare. The doctors credited his active lifestyle to keeping death away. However, they did discover he had a rare blood disorder they said would put an end to his biking days. Jim refused to give up his bike. Instead, he took a deep breath and he decided to take his biking to the next level; to earn a professional instructor certificate through BICP and ACA.
Nowadays, Jim and his club are passionately committed to creating, enhancing, and protecting quality mountain biking opportunities throughout Arizona by improving rider skill levels, organizing inclusive events, and promoting responsible and safe mountain biking practices that evolve and inspire his local riding community.
You’ll find Jim and the SanTan Shredders on local East Valley trails and riding off, like kids, into the sunset.
