Ode to Mountain Biking

There's something amazing about flying through the forest on a bike.

Perhaps it's because it reminds us all about our Star Wars Fantasies; those speed racers that zoomed between the redwood groves in Return of the Jedi. I love the rush it gives me, when I'm standing up and leaning slightly forward, clenched and sturdy, as my bike shudders and rolls loosely over every gravelly and muddy ditch and bump. I love how I can feel the variation of the earth beneath me; I can feel my body sink into the feeling of a soft, smooth, sandy curve of a trail- loving every second of it's uninterrupted speedy bliss. It's the only time where I don't feel frumpy, short, or slow. The only thing that limits me are my fears. Most of the time, when I've let go of these fears, I'm rewarded with an adrenaline pulsing finish to that steep gravelly or twisty drop of a hill behind me.

I love the reward of a down after an up. I love smelling the forest in my skin afterwards, the contrast of the mud speckled on my skin. I love how reliable my bike is, a sexy metallic hardcore bitch who won't let anything get in her way. I can feel her yelling at me when I stop and decide to walk a part because I'm too scared. Every time I ride her she's yelling "Stop being a pussy! Who cares if you fall! Just give it a try!" I love the never ending contrast of the green canopies and their earthy red bottoms. When I'm biking through the forest, I'm biking through an oil painting of the trees and meadows. It all blurs past but burns awesome imprints in my mind. It pushes me forward, to see the next corner, and the next after that.

I love mountain biking.

For me, it's a new love. I'm still getting acquainted with these feelings. It's terrifying. I don't know my limits. I limit myself far too much. I have all these expectations. But, nonetheless, it's a love I now cherish- a blooming romance with my mountain bike and I.

Here is a video Chris took on the bike coops helmet cam (Austin, who came to town, is riding in front looking like a badass)... these are trails that are currently too hardcore for me! They look like so much fun!

This trail is called Magic Carpet