March 18, 2024

Balance:

Embarking on a sweet singletrack trail, feeling the cool wind on your face, and navigating the twists and turns in front of you, mountain biking isn’t just a sport, it’s the essence of fun and freedom. Our lives are dominated by the hustle of work and paying the bills. What better way to find balance in life than by rolling through the gifts nature gives us on two wheels

Ripping the local singletrack last night was a blast. The trails were virtually empty which was slightly odd since the weather was excellent and there was no wind. Perhaps it’s simply because it was Sunday and everyone that works Monday through Friday was done with their weekend. In any case I was in the zone. I’m getting right to it, no hyperbole, the scene was epic. The recent rain has made trailbuilding much easier. A local digger has made new trails all over the place. Smashing through the new trails I realized they have become much smoother which makes the moment much better when you’re riding for the flow in my opinion. The sun was setting (check the @BicycleWords instagram for a photo) and the temperature was perfect. For the first time this year I didn’t need to wear knee-warmers! I’m old school when it comes to keeping my knees at the proper temperature. Legend has it that old road riders in Europe wouldn’t ride with bare knees if the temperature was under 65F. Well, yesterday was 66F so there you go!

While I was in the zone on a trail called Panorama it became apparent that the balance of work and play was very much happening at that very moment. I had spent most of the day coding a new feature for my drone business website and now I was dodging coyote poop and yucca plants and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was the best way to wrap up a busy day.

Loose Screws:

The modern bicycle is one of the most simplified contraptions of locomotion. In fact, bicycle design for the most part; high pivot full suspension bikes I’m looking at you, has been so refined that a single tiny component failure can render a bike useless and unrideable. Cars and trucks can be missing major parts and still run and get you to point B. But bicycles are by their very nature a completely different beast. I saw this in full display while watching a recap of a brutally difficult bikepacking race in Namibia. The race leader was having a problem with his rear derailleur and he dropped a small screw into the sand while trying to fix his bike. He searched for hours and couldn’t find the screw. His bike was down and he had to improvise quickly to try and regain the lead of the race. He was able to source a screw from his Garmin mount and get underway. Eventually he was able to catch the leader and win by 17 minutes. The simplicity isn’t a flaw, it’s a feature. With that I encourage everyone with a bike to check up on your nuts and bolts and make sure things are snug, but not too snug! You’ll have way more fun riding home rather than walking. Enjoy the week and shred some trails near you.

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Peace,
Paul

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