Often times what happens early on ends up setting the trajectory of our lives or at least influencing us in some way. That first time you picked up a basketball and you were hooked. That first time you borrowed your neighbor's hockey stick and it somehow just felt right. That first time you listened to someone masterfully play the piano and you immediately begged your Mom to sign you up for lessons. That first time you remember riding a bike (banana seat and baseball cards in the spokes). As they say, first impressions are everything.
Mountain biking is so much more than a good workout. If that's all we were looking for we'd be satisfied with spin classes at the gym. Instead, it is about community. About our squad(s). Mountain biking is just as much (or more) about a lifestyle and a people than it is about simply a sport.
Since I lead this startup known as Loam Coffee I'm always watching and paying attention when it comes to branding, marketing, social media, and the like. I'll read articles about these subjects and even the nuances from how branding is done in North America compared with Latin America and so on. With that in mind I feel as though I've become kind of good at "seeing through" marketing to decipher what brands are really trying to sell and promote.
It hit me recently that I share a lot of commonalities with my sons in terms of how they grew up and what kinds of entertainment was available. While I'd say that having an Atari or Commodore 64 is a far cry from amped up PCs and Xbox systems at the core they are the same ... gaming consoles. While Fortnite is a vastly better gaming experience than playing Frogger or Pitfall on Atari there are more similarities than differences. I remember hot and humid summers after being outside all day coming in the house to game. Same concept, but what has drastically changed is technology. However, I didn't enjoy the experience any less than my sons do now.
The same with mountain biking.
As much as people roll their eyes when someone of an older generation begins the sentence with, "back in my day ..." instead we should actually pause ... and listen. No, the "good old days" weren't better in every way imaginable. I still won't part with my iPhone, wifi, and the ability to stream the UCI MTB downhill World Cup. And yet, we need voices of wisdom to speak into our lives and remind us.
I normally ride alone. Usually my outings are spontaneous and are times to disengage, reflect, and unwind. That's why out on the trail I have time to think about post-ride burritos, ponder new single origin coffees we want to introduce, and more. Yesterday was no exception. By lunch with my bike loaded along my sons and their skateboards we took off for Hood River. Actually, our destination was right across the Columbia River from Hood River in Bingen, Washington.
