X-Factor
I am at the point in my riding career where I feel like some kind of wizened levitating cycle philosopher. Like Yoda, but with more coffee on board, a slightly better grasp of the English language, and smaller ears. I can understand where bike packers and cycle tourers are coming from, and kids pumping their BMX tyres up at service stations bring back hazy memories of hot summers and a misspent youth.
But, as you get older it’s true that the more you know, the more you know that you don’t know; you know?
In fact, there are many things I know a lot less about now than I did previously. Like bottom bracket standards, the usefulness of fork offsets and the need to upgrade to the latest and greatest every year. I know less about what’s happening in the top and mid-field of the World Cup than I used to, almost nothing about competitive road cycling, and I have far less to talk about when it comes to my spoke-count and handlebar sweep.
This isn’t to say that I don’t know anything, perhaps that I have been around enough to see the cycle of product and innovation evolve, and in many cases come full circle, and now riding is less about stuff and more about experience. More about why we do it; the experience, the stoke. Not that stuff can’t be fun; I would be lying if I said I was a diehard single speeder on a 26” Specialized Hardrock with rigid forks from 1994. No… in fact that sounds pretty crap to ride compared to the technology and advancements that modern bike technology brings. But instead of spruiking the stoke of material stuff, of fitness prowess and gold-medal achievement for the racer types, we can evolve to spruik the stoke of experience.
How many people do you know that just don’t like exercise? Well, while most of my friends have been gathered through mountain biking and sport, there are definitely a few friends and many work colleagues that don’t do any outside time. Sure many people dream about getting fit, but they stay as ideas, stagnant without action.
Trying to get fit by running on pavement is like trying to lose weight with diet shakes; it’s effective, but hard to maintain in the long term due to the lack of love and investment in something that—for most people—is quite dreary.
You know what’s not dreary? Mountain biking. For the new rider who doesn’t do sport or exercise, merely being out in the bush can be a transformative experience. Mountain biking is no piece of cake. There is pedalling to be done and technique to be learned, crashes to endure and scars to earn. But if approached from the start in the right manner, getting people outside and sharing the stoke of experience can be a transformative force in people’s lives.
Sharing the stoke is key to growing our sport. Growing the number of stakeholders and riders generates more force with which to push new trail developments, better events and general cycling infrastructure.
And it’s not just infrastructure, bike lanes, trails and advocacy. It’s the personal feeling that comes from whooshing through the air, clearing a technical section, and the endorphins from pushing yourself to the limit and achieving what you never thought was possible. The people endlessly starting and stopping their gym training diet shake regime and pavement pounding can be introduced to what is more than just an activity, it’s a way of life!
Kids often hold the answers to complex problems. Kids don’t ride bikes to shed calories, to put out watts or to be in with the corporate crowd. Kids ride bikes purely because bikes are fun, and that is something we can all learn from.
My daughter is 6, and has been staunchly antibikes for a good portion of her life. No pressure there; she can do what she wants and be her own person (evidence of this was allowing her to do ballet lessons…UGH!). When she decided all of a sudden that she wanted to do some bike races and ride EVERY WEEKEND, I was so excited for her. As bikes have been so integral to developing my own confidence, strength and sense of self that I am overjoyed she is stepping up to the challenge and will be gifted these traits in time. She has truly boarded the stoke train, hopefully for years to come.
So what are you doing this weekend? Perhaps get a non-sporty person out in the bush and #sharethestoke