I’ve been riding bikes since I was two.
That’s 45 years. For many years I rode bikes as my main mode of transportation around the neighbourhood, I raced for about 10 years, spent a bunch of time just trying to stay fit, a few years pretending to be a free rider jumping off cliffs, the odd challenge from a buddy to ride enormous distances just to see if we could do it, a few adventures strictly for exploration, and a bazillion rides with friends just to hang out and pedal through some trails.
For me biking is, and has always been, just about having fun.
From an early age, the fun was always the goal. Jumping over my Dad’s car wasn’t about anything but adrenaline and smiles.
Racing downhill was competitive for sure, but really, hanging out with a bunch of buddies and riding as fast as possible makes for an amazing weekend, win or lose.
Doing a seven-day mountain bike race isn’t about winning for 95 per cent of the participants and definitely not for me, it’s just about exploration, adventure and friends.
I look back and see how cycling has shaped my life, my family, my career and I laugh at how lucky I am.
My whole life is basically based on fun. How sweet is that that?
I often get asked if I am a mountain biker, a roadie, a commuter etc.
I honestly love all kinds of riding, but when it comes down to it, if there are no goals to achieve, no training underway or big races coming up, the mountain bike gets pulled off the hook every time, because its just so much fun to rip through the trails, jump over logs and carve some loose corners.
Throw in some downhill, a bit of air time or some technical trails, and the the fun factor doubles.
I’m not trying to convince everyone who reads this to create a life around cycling, but who couldn’t use a bit more fun in their lives?
Have you hit the mountain bike trails lately?
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’
