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Reflections
Living in the Pacific Northwest there are endless mountain biking destinations. Whistler is the one on the top of everyone’s list and from there we work down the list. Thrown in there are all kinds of regional favorites from lift-assisted bike parks to free ride trail systems and more. From Portland one can hit all of these within a day. So why do I keep going back to Bingen?
Life is full of decisions. So often we focus on the big … the macro. What job or career will we embark on? Where will we move or relocate to? Which kind of house or home will we move into? While those are big, punctuated in between are even more decisions to make … the micro. Hit snooze for an extra 9 minutes? Ride this trail or that one? Brew coffee with an AeroPress or pourover? Red flannel or green flannel? Ride the singlespeed or trail bike?
Winter means different things depending on where you live. Winter in the Sonoran Desert is vastly different than winter here in the Pacific Northwest. While many lament the low-hanging clouds, gray days, and constant wetness it’s a season I look forward to. Plus, there’s no better time to drink coffee than now.
Social media is both freeing and haunting. It’s freeing in the sense that it is fun, playful, and of course … social. You get to share what’s going on in your life with friends, family, and strangers alike. We also get to keep tabs on people from afar. That family member you haven’t seen in a while or that friend who moved overseas whom you now see in person once every few years. Social media opens the door to share our lives with others.
But it haunts us.
2019 was a big step forward as to living deeper into our vision, mission, and values. Also, it was a year leaning more into our brand and identity … who we are, who we’re here for, and where we’re going. As oddly as it sounds, we’re finding our voice and growing comfortable in our own skin as a company.
I’ve come to see mountain biking as the bridge between urban and rural … city and wilderness. Due to sheer population density most mountain bikers live in a city whether large or small. What that then means is the continual travel from the city to the backside of nowhere to ride. We leave the comforts of city life … access to amenities, services, and the pulsating rhythms of constant activity … to replace with the quiet remoteness of a trail.
