Don't Be A Hater

RECENTLY I HAVE BEEN DOING SOME RIDING WITH MY YOUNG BLOKE. HIS EARLY RIDING CAREER SUFFERED A MAJOR SETBACK IN WHAT WILL BE FOREVER KNOWN AS “THE GREAT NUT CRUSHING INCIDENT”, WHEN A SMALL ROLL OVER RESULTED IN NUTS MEETING STEERER. TIME IS A GREAT HEALER, AS THEY SAY, AND I AM PLEASED TO SAY THIS DEVASTATING INCIDENT HAS BEEN OVERCOME WITH THE YOUNG BLOKE MAKING SOME BIG STEPS FORWARD IN TECHNIQUE AND CONFIDENCE. IT’S A GREAT FEELING GETTING OUT AND RIDING TRAILS WITH HIM AND HAS HELPED ME REMEMBER WHAT RIDING IS ABOUT. WE ROLLED OUT AT THE END OF A FUN TRAIL AND HE HAD A HUGE GRIN ON HIS FACE, “THAT WAS FUN!!”

 

The look of sheer joy on his face and that statement got me thinking. As adults with busy, complicated lives it is easy to get caught up in the hype of marketing and the constant barrage of technology, that it is easy to forget why we ride in the first place. I see guys getting worked up trying to get their Strava started, or losing their shit because their latest and greatest 1 x 12 drivetrain with 56 tooth bail out ring isn’t shifting properly, or worse still bailing out on a ride because “they are not feeling it today” (which usually means they just got their arse handed to them and cracked the shits). I find it a little sad that it took the innocence of a child oblivious to all this external crap for me to remember what it’s about. It should be fun. We should be riding whatever makes you feel like that 12 y/o grinning his head off.