Musings from a mountain biking addict on the ebb and flow of riding

by Sarah Hansing

Being separated from your bike results in persistent frowning. Photo: Candice Covello / Epicenter Cycling

First, the good news: I can still fit in my cycling kit. I know it may seem like a small victory, but I was skeptical at best, and very very grateful for elastic and lycraโ€™s stretchy qualities.

Prior to today, it had been over a month (33 days, to be exact. 792 hours, if you want to translate it into how it felt) since I had gotten to pedal my mountain bike on some real live honest to goodness singletrack. Because life happened. The same way it happens to us all: ย First, the holidays and the family time and expectations and over-commitments I make. every. single. year. Maybe I help โ€œcelebrateโ€ this most joyous of seasons with an extra drink, or a cookie or three more than I would usually have. And maybe there is also cake involved.

Then comes the New Year! Huzzah! I resolve to get back on my bike starting Jan 1, and ride my way to health and happiness and fitness…ย Except the stupid alarm clock that goes off on January 1 can just shut the hell up, because I have some un-celebrating to do, before I even think about going for that epic ride I planned.

Next comes the sickness. I mean that in the most literal of ways. Itโ€™s cold and flu season, and many of usโ€”myself includedโ€”were blessed with the sniffles and snarfles and coughingโ€ฆ all of which translate to a lot of soup, a lot of sleep, and not too much motivation to get out there.

But thenโ€ฆ Oh glorious day! Enough energy to pedal! Perfect dirt! Blue Skies! Only grossing out my riding partner a teeny bit with my residual coughing and hacking! Today was not a graceful day for me, necessarily. Strava gave me those new token โ€œgood jobโ€ ribbons that all participants get, and I have nothing to really brag aboutโ€ฆ except the fact that I was so happy, I got caught belting out a song and giggling as I rolled down the trail. Probably more than once. Fine. At LEAST 4 times.

Iโ€™m happier than Iโ€™ve felt in 792 hours, and it feels fantastic!

Which brings me to the great news: Mountain biking will ALWAYS take you back! Even if my cycling kit DIDNโ€™T still fit, my bike still thinks Iโ€™m pretty. Even if Iโ€™m pedaling slower, I still get to ride the trails. Itโ€™s okay to suffer a little (or in my case a lot) more on the climbs. Itโ€™s okay to breathe a little harder than youโ€™d like, and move a little slower than you prefer. Because the joy is always there outside, waiting for you to come find it and maybe sing it a song or two.

Hooray Bikes!

Welcome back, smile!

Welcome back, smile!