I ride for my life in so many ways. It used to be to quiet the noise—the forced focus of riding was the only thing that could drown out all the darkness that swirled in my mind. Having events on the calendar gave me something to look forward to when days were rough, and it kept me focused on improving myself. Then I found the community, and my perspective grew.
My Pops was a pro racer for decades, so we always had bikes around. I was bungee strapped to gas tanks at an early age and took my job as the mean dog kicker very seriously when I graduated to the back seat. I took the controls for myself around age eight, and it’s been a mess ever since! It was mostly country kid chaos until I was able to travel and see some destinations for myself in my 20s, and that’s when I dove all the way into moto and MTB life. Bikes, man, they’ll save your life and ruin it at the same time.
Years later, I’ve wound a path through the industry and all over the country. Now I look at my life, and it’s no longer about fighting the demons. The best friends I’ve ever had have all come from two wheels, and the overwhelming majority of my greatest memories involve bikes. Now I live my life based entirely around those two wheels and the joy they ignite. I’m a nomadic trail builder and skills instructor, as well as an occasional racer. I spend my days in the riding destinations we used to read about, and I get to contribute to the sport that has done so much for giving my life healing, focus, and health.
Two-wheeled human power is my favorite type of riding these days. The injury cycle of the moto racing wore me out. Now I like to eat clean and ride dirty, spinning my pedals all over the planet. Although, I did just snag up a Gas Gas trials bike and TW200 that I’m looking forward to playing with.
Rides I’ll never forget… there are thousands at this point. I guess I’d have to say a key memory is actually a sequence of memories involving Moab and the Whole Enchilada trail system. It took me several years to get there the first time. I had an entire wall full of articles, maps, and pictures from Moab—my vision board. It was up for at least two years before I got there. Then I finally shotgunned out on a solo trip, and it was absolutely unforgettable. The nerves, the mechanical issues, the nerds that I shared a shuttle with all make it a story I love to tell on its own. But then, I went back again to share the magic with some special people. Then I went back and bro-tripped it. And then I blasted through the night to get there and spend some days alone in the desert during a difficult chapter. And then I got to share it with my Pops a couple times. And now I swing through a few times every year with my lady and pups, always crossing paths with someone familiar through the bike world. That combination of memories and growth through the years is something I not only will never forget, but I hope to keep adding chapters to. Oh, and there’s the time I did the whole run on mushrooms and set a PR that took me two years to beat.
I love the northwest (Squamish, Bellingham, Revelstoke, BC) and the dynamic terrain it offers. So much quality nature and next level trail building makes the entire region a pop quiz of everything you know how to do on a bike. It took me 12 years to get to BC. Injuries canceled multiple trips along the way, and life tried to derail me a few times. That kind of build-up carries some weight, so to finally arrive and be immersed in the best riding I’ve ever experienced was glorious. Whatever your skill set, you’ll need all of it and more up there! Get ready to do things you didn’t know you could do, and slip into a flow state like never before! But there’s also Tasmania, but I promised to not hype it up. It sucks, don’t go there.
I ride for my life.
Passion for riding guided me into a life that I absolutely love living. I used to ride to save my life, then I rode to escape parts of life, and then I rode to feel a sense of life. Now I ride for all of this and more—past, present, and hopefully in the future. I ride for my life.
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1 Comment
I know that guy. He was a rider from day one, and never slowed down. Even when injured he only thought about when he could ride again. Good job! Enjoyed the story.
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