humility on wheels

Mountain biking seems like an appropriate stress-reliever to an awkward week. After visiting an ATM to purchase two 20 cent crackers at a gas station in order to “buy” air for my deflated tires, I arrived at the trails.

There, two middle-aged men (for some reason, seemingly overweight middle-aged men are incredibly speedy, the Discovery Channel should document this phenomena), informed me the trail was fast due to recent rain hardening the sand.

As they departed in their SUV, one said, “Have a safe ride.”

I hooked up my ipod, threw on my Camelback and headed for the trails. It was complete bliss: speed, exercise, nature and music. Before heading up one of the steeper hills, I promised myself I wouldn’t get off my bike, a sign of defeat in the world of mountain biking. (Pride?)

That’s when my chain snapped. Violently.

Standing at the top of the hill, two choices diverged in a wood. I estimated I was 1/3 into the trail: to go forward would be more difficult, but to go back would signal defeat. I lowered my seat to the bottom, and discovered a number of new, fun mountain biking techniques:

1. The Bobsled Bicycle: Biker must run alongside bike until reaching suitable ground speed, then hurling oneself onto the bike to coast as far as possible.

2. The Scooter Skip: By lowering the seat, biker can use his or her legs as leverage points, turning the bike into a scooter (of sorts). This technique works best after employing techniques #1 and #6.

3. The Slow Jog: Securing the handlebars with one hand, biker must concentrate on not hitting his or her shins on the metal pedals. We’ve all been kicked in the shins, it hurts.

4. The Angry Sprint: Biker must convince oneself they don’t hate running (mind over matter), and sprint as fast as possible until he or she gets too tired and implements technique #5, remembering, after all, it was the tortoise who claimed victory over the hare.

5. The Jaded Walk: Despite (frustrating) knowledge that biking is five times faster than walking, the biker must admit temporary defeat in order to catch one’s breath and/or take big gulps of water. Most useful when implemented going up hills.

6. The Elated Decline: Biker can proceed as normal down hills, temporarily forgetting about broken chains, ecstatic with the few moments of exhilarating speed while utilizing gravitational forces.

A half-hour after losing my motor, I stopped in my tracks, silenced by natures’ beauty. Tall, thick, aged trees covered by beds of green moss surrounded me, while a slow, winding river was coated with an eerie, foggy mist. Natures’ choir included singing birds, crickets, and calming water.

I stood there, eyes feasting, ears perked, breathing it in, and wondered if this pause was the reason I was stopped. When our plans are halted, we move so fast and anxiously to get to the destination we think we need. Unfortunately, in our panic, we often fly by the most beautiful things.

After this epiphany, I was daydreaming while coming down a hill toward a wooden bridge (The Elated Decline). Without warning, I lost control, and flew head-first over the handlebars. I absorbed the fall with both my wrists (a no-no when falling, take it on the forearms, son), and found myself prostrate to the earth on the other side of the bridge.

Standing up, bending my wrists and thankful they were working, I looked back at my bike, hanging vertically on the ledge of the bridge, the handlebars dipping into the stream. I thought about plans, expectations, pride, frustration, angry sprints, falling and humility, and realized they are all parts of a beautiful journey, and not a destination.