Meet Neil Hannum

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neil Hannum.

Hi Neil, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
A little history starts back in 1991 when I raced the “Road Apple Rally” in Farmington, NM and while speaking with someone involved in the event, he mentioned that he had ridden from Farmington to Durango using the Backroads.

In late April of 1992, three friends of mine and I reversed the idea and rode from Durango to Farmington starting a tradition. I have done a variation of the ride every year since, sometimes more than once and sometimes skipping due to injuries. So, for basically 30 years, I have had different stories with different friends through the years as we toured the majestic landscape of Northern San Juan County through Kiffen Canyon, also known as the Aztec Jungle, on to Farmington.

30 years later, my business partner, William Farmer, who represents a new generation of cyclist have started the company Aztec Adventures to entertain the cycling community with a variety of cycling events and adventures featuring San Juan County, New Mexico.

We have currently just finished our fourth event, Holy Grit, a Gravel-style cycling event with the start based out of Wines of the San Juan in Blanco / Turley, NM.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
So far, the challenges have been to make sure we have asked all of the landowners if we may cross their property. Properly fill out the required requests for permits from multiple jurisdictions.

Get attendees to sign up early so we can anticipate sale revenue and get event products and merchandise ready in time for the event.

Spreading the word further than the local community so the rest of the community feels the economic impact of such events. This will then bring in additional support.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My educational background and part of my career has been a focus on the commercial arts working in-house for action sports companies or having my own design firm branding has been a big part of my career.

Now with “our”, my business partner is William Farmer, new venture Aztec Adventures. I have been applying all of my branding and marketing experiences to this outdoor recreation company we have started. This has allowed us to become a clear leader in the industry in a very short time.

Together we have been able to look at what we are producing from different ages and geographical locations, as that William is from Farmington, New Mexico and I have lived most of my life in Durango, Colorado.

The company is building a bridge between the two communities with 2 wheels as the common denominator.

Here are some YouTube clips that relate to what we are doing.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
The environment and how we need to treat Mother Earth. I realize that I am not perfect but would like a better avenue to follow to help the planet start to recover.

Working with youth cyclists has been very rewarding and helping the future of America integrate the cycling community into the fabric of society.

I really enjoy the arts and the cultures where they emerge from.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aztec-adventures.com/
• Instagram: @aztec_adventures
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aztecadventures01/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_5Z4tmqDS45skTap4_gAZg 

Image Credits
Neil Hannum – Aztec Adventures