Bike|August 2016

A Test of Mettle in Rural New Zealand

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MASOCHISM IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MOUNTAIN BIKING.

Pushing beyond one’s own perception of his or her mental and physical limitations reveals a side of ourselves we rarely see, the depths of which can only be plumbed by sinking past the point of despair and clawing back to the surface. Often, it takes months of being removed from such a trying experience for a sense of satisfaction to replace the wounds, for the mental strength gained from such perseverance to reveal itself. When that happens, the plans inevitably start percolating to do it all over again; as mountain bikers, we simply can’t resist the pull of pain and the pleasure it eventually leaves in its wake.

This story is from the August 2016 edition of Bike.

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This story is from the August 2016 edition of Bike.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.