In times like these, and by that i mean Eurobike, Frostbike, Interbike-times. Everybody is showing off thier new stuff for 2017. Well, as i were saying, in times like these it’s easy to forget why we ride.
Don’t get me wrong, i love getting the news on all new gear and bikes. But sometimes it’s just to much. A gazillion wheel sizes, hub sizes, frames, inovating oval dubbel butted self gearing e-bikes plus carbon drive extravaganza is coming out of my ears. Do we get so caught up in tech and new stuff that we forget what it´s all about?
Last sunday we went riding. Just at the local spot with some nice trails, a couple of jumps and a fireplace by the slope. We packed some burgers, threw the kids bikes in the car and off we went. After we set up camp and got a fire going we just played around on the trails. No hydro backpacks, strava or garmin. Just pure fun on two wheels.
And there it is! The answer to why we do this. It´s actually really simple. Because it´s so damn fun. Because we can do it together regardless of age or skills. Having the latest bike with the most optimal geometry and the latest smart suspension optimized for exactly this kind of trail wouldn’t have made this day any more awesome. What could have made this day more awesome is more people. More friends, more kids bouncing around, eating burgers and climbing trees, more bikes, more fun.
I really like bikes. I like new stuff and i like the inovations that makes the bicycle even more awesome. But, i like riding more. Very few times, when i think back on an epic ride, it´s not the bike i sat on that makes the memory. It´s the friends i shared it with. It´s the place my bike took me to. Perhaps we need to relax and just go ride.
The trails is right out there, waiting. Go ride!
(Inter bike 2016 starts Sept 21, can’t wait!) 😉
Bike life in Swedish Lapland 