I was born in Lake Charles, LA and grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. Being a city slicker, I didn't regularly experience the joys of outdoor life until I joined the Air Force, after high school. While in the Air Force I served at Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, TX and Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ as a computer technician. I caught the off-road bug in Tucson when I met Rick Webster and Jody Campbell. After one ride in the majestic Catalina Mountains I was forever hooked!

I wasn't able to purchase a rig however, because after my enlistment in the Air Force was up I moved back to Chicago to live the life of a poor student. I graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in Computer Science and then went to work for Dell Computer Corp in Round Rock, TX.. We moved to Indianapolis a few years later and there we purchased our son his first dirt bike (a Honda XR50). We couldn’t let him have all the fun so my wife and I purchased ATV’s for ourselves, and the rest is history. We're both now ATV fanatics and we sneak out every chance we get.

Now that the whole family is involved my favorite things in the world are getting out with them and watching them bury their machines up to the fenders in mud. Our family motto is that if you don’t get stuck at least once, then you aren’t riding hard enough!

I began writing for 4X4Review in 2005 as a way to learn more about the sport and pass on what I have learned to others. In addition to informative reviews on ATVs and related products I will be writing articles that appeal to fledgling off-road enthusiasts who need advice and guidance on getting into the sport. I believe that there are a lot of people out there who want to get involved with off-roading but don’t know where to begin or what to ask. I want to help get them on the right track.

In addition to off-roading, I also enjoy camping, cooking, photography, hiking, home theater and driving or riding anything with an internal combustion engine.

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions - mbatchelor@4x4review.com