So I’ve been hitting the trails much more this last month. Unfortunately it has been on my bike and not running, which pretty much means I’m going to get shelled at my Xterra trail race this coming weekend. So here is my attempt to rationalize and sing praise to the sport of mountain biking. My heart is that of a roadie, yet mountain biking is just too much fun to let go, and here’s why:
First, mountain biking culture is much more open and inclusive than roadie culture. I suck, yes elegant language for my half-completed advanced English degree, at going downhill. I have the typical roadie problem; I get to the top first, but everyone and their elderly mother is waiting for me at the bottom because I take so long on the way down. In fact, I’m pretty sure my brakes are often glowing red and smoldering with heat. Even considering my aversion to gravity and steep gradients, everyone I’ve gone riding with is super cool and stoked that I’m out on the trail.
Second, even though I have a strong affinity for spandex and matching kit, I’ve found that wearing “baggies” can be comfortable. And now I don’t look like some pro dude who can’t ride on the trail worth a shit. Baggies are pretty freakin’ awesome at keeping my skin on my body too.
Third, mountain biking is linked more closely to drinking. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s synonymous. So it enables and nurtures my inchoate love of the microbrew. Hell, this should probably be my first point if numeric value is commensurate to importance! I now understand why Yakima incorporates a bottle opener on all their hitch style bike racks.
Fourth, when you crash mountain biking, it’s almost exclusively your own damn fault. No more going down in thirty-man pile ups because some self proclaimed badass decides to attack, fades out and chops someone’s wheel which in turn takes down everyone around them. Oh, and I tend to fall a lot on my mountain bike, so at least I know I can’t blame anyone but myself. This keeps me honest with myself and my skill assessment.
Fifth, mountain biking is much more interesting when you manage to forget you’re redlining at 201 bpm on a punchy climb and look around at the beauty of the natural world around you. It’s a strange dialectic to enjoy the sublimity of self-inflicted pain in beautiful landscapes. In fact, my buddy Ryan and I saw a mountain lion cub this last weekend. Even though this cut the ride short, it was totally worth it.
Finally, mountain biking and beer… You get my point. Get a mountain bike and get out on your local trail, even if it is a flat fire road.
