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Reflections
What draws us to bikes? The same can be asked of coffee. While we may love the fitness that comes with mountain biking or the pick-me-up that coffee delivers in the morning, what ultimately draws us in is the lifestyle. The "scene," the friendships and camaraderie, events and races, and the overall culture of mountain biking is what we want and love to be part of. It lands us in a "tribe" or family.
I find that spending a day at the coast is what it truly takes for me to slow down and rest. On my mountain bike day trips and outings I feel as though I’m fighting against the clock. Get up early, pack up my bike and gear, drive to the trailhead (usually a 60-90 minute drive), hope the crowds aren’t too insane (which is why it’s essential to leave early), ride hard, pack up, and then head home (stopping for a meal on the way back). When I’m on the trail it’s about going fast. If it’s a loop or specific route I’m usually then trying to beat my previous times. But a trip at the coast? I just sit and watch the waves …
I like to create and start things. Maybe it's because I started off university studies as an art major. Art is about creating from scratch. A blank canvas is where it begins. However, I'd say that for me even beneath the surface of all of this is a natural curiosity. I like to create and start things because I'm curious.
I feel as though I'm always poking and prodding topics that, while they are near and dear in the world of coffee and bikes, don't always garner the most attention. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people talking, writing, and doing these things. They just don't snag the headlines like when Trek releases a new frame, Marzocchi drops a new fork, or the latest happenings in the DH World Cup. Don't worry, no conspiracy theories harbored here and like you I love reading about all the latest happenings in the mountain bike world.
It's hard to explain, but there is something magical about the Pacific Northwest. Of course, that's a very American term because when we lived up in British Columbia for a couple years it would more or less be considered southwest Canada, but anyways ... you get what I'm saying. No one really knows or has explicitly defined what the PNW is as far as geographic boundaries. My hunch is that it starts somewhere in northern California and follows the coastline all of the way up to southeast Alaska. Pretty much wherever there is lots of rain, fog, and dense forest (with lots of loam) there you'll find the Pacific Northwest.
Long before I ever had my first sip of beer I knew about "beer muscles." Actually, come to think of it, I vividly recall when I was 4 years old sneaking a sip of my Dad's Old Milwaukee (maybe it was Schlitz) when he stepped of our the truck to pee while we were driving along the back country roads (for obvious reasons). But we know what beer muscles are. In a sense they are that inflated ego and sense of invincibility that comes when too much beer has been consumed.
