I’ve always been a pretty hardcore technical rider, and I like going fast, so you’d naturally think I must ride a bike with 400mm front and rear travel, wear every pad possible with a full face helmet, and Toulon your name is “Bruh”. Until recently most of that would be true. I’m an adult and know everyone’s name is Dude.
I got to a point where things just stopped scaring me, which I guess meant I wasn’t thinking about consequences. That realization, and the fact that I missed mountain biking for mountain biking’s sake have triggered a bit of a change in my riding style. I don’t look at bikes the same either. While my Stumpy Evo Alloy just sits there, I’m looking at my fully rigid Farley trying to figure out how to last a few more miles before things start to hurt, or where I can stash another piece of gear. How much food can I hold. How much weather can I account for? Is my tent too heavy? Does it leak? Shit! I’m a bikepacker!
It’s not an age thing, and I do still ride the Evo, but I’m more chill now. I don’t care about PR’s. I’ve never had a KOM, so I don’t know or care what I’m missing. I think it was more a bike identity crisis. I’ve been riding and a bike nerd since I was 5. I’m 54 now, and bikes are pretty much part of my DNA. For me, this is like a career change or deciding you like hip hop after 30 years of listening to metal exclusively. It’s not a small change. It does however very successfully do the thing a bike is supposed to do and that’s make me ride it. I logged more miles lat month, than I did the whole year before. I’m happier, healthier, and I get to see a lot more of Pisgah because I’m going further and slow enough to see things.
This might not be for everyone, but sometimes you just have to change it up. It doesn’t have to be bikepacking. You could grab a road bike or a dirt jumper. Just do what makes you ride.
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