The tangled web


During my recovery a friend who was also in to the Hot Rodding scene thought I'd have some fun customizing an old road bike. He didn't know that his idea would provide the spark that would get me back in to cycling.

I slowly returned to the sport of cycling, first road riding and later mountain biking. My desire to race was gone, instead I just wanted to ride and it didn't matter if it was slow or fast, long or short. From that point on I decided that I would never ride unless I really want too. I would refuse to be pressured to ride, if I didn't feel excited about the prospect I just didn't do it.

I was introduced to mountain biking in an odd way. I came across an old fat tire bicycle from the nineteen fifties with a coil spring for a front shock. I took the old bike for a ride behind my parent's house in South Jersey, where the woods ran between the townships. Considering how basic the bike was I still had a lot of fun. At the time I remember thinking, "that mountain biking must fun". I couldn't get that sensation out of my blood, so I bought a mountain bike to see if I would enjoy it. My first mountain bike was a Trek 830 with front shock. It must have weighed 35 pounds. Since 1997 I've been riding a Cannondale Super V. I've got almost seven thousands miles on it.

The marriage fell apart, as it should have years sooner and I continued to mountain bike. I met somebody new, remarried, still love mountain biking, and life is great.

I was inspired to tell this story after reading the below that was emailed to me. Take it away "Kona Boy".

Obsession

By: "Kona Boy" from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Mountain biking. We enjoy it right. Why do we enjoy it? When I first began mountain biking, I remember how every trail was a new experience, how every hill climbed was a great accomplishment. I loved to ride with my friend who introduced me to the sport and get together with more friends for an epic Sunday ride. That was enjoyable.

Sometime into the season, things changed. I never realized it. My best friend never realized it. We would ride nearly everyday, often hard. We thought we enjoyed this. Our bodies were saying no but our mind was saying yes. Why did

The copyright of the article The tangled web in Mountain Biking is owned by Joseph Pucci. Permission to republish The tangled web in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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