There are so many things we have to accept as we age. Many of which are out of our control. You know, like getting older.
Just the other day I jumped on the scale and realized that, although nothing in my life has changed much, I’m ten pounds heavier. I threw the scale out.
If I haven’t shaved in a few days I see a lot more grey than I should. I shave more often now.
And, without some regular stretching and bike riding, my joints seize up.
I don’t like any of these changes, but it is what it is and I just have to accept it.
Changes around us are also constant. Science, technology, and a drive for advancement seem to throw change at us every day.
New phones, cars that drive themselves, and countless other gadgets that I don’t totally understand. I like them, but I find it can be frustrating trying to figure it all out on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s just easier to use my old phone than accept the benefits of an updated version.
In my world of bikes, the big change happening these days is the electric assist mountain bike. These are full on mountain bikes that we have seen for 30+ years, but now there is an electric motor that assists the rider when pedalling.
You ride it exactly like your normal bike, but you go faster with less effort.
There is rampant debate on the pros and cons of this advancement. Personally I have been on two great e-bike rides this year and I am torn.
The old man in me says, “Baaah, just get on your bike and work hard. We ride to stay fit and throwing a motor into the equation is just lazy, damn millennials!”
The young part of me realized that both these e-bike rides were tons of fun. Instead of looking for the easy way up the mountain, we rode straight up the technical trails.
In the allotted time, we also managed to ride twice as much single track when compared to a normal ride, and I was exhausted at the end of these rides. Sure it’s easier, but we rode further and faster on heavier bikes, so the energy output was similar.
In the end I am still going to ride my regular mountain bike. I like human-powered riding, but as my schedule gets tighter and life gets busier, maybe an e-mountain bike will allow me to ride more single track without ignoring my kids, or skipping out on work.
Time is at a premium for almost everyone I talk to, and we all want to squeeze in more fun. Maybe the younger folks are onto something with all these changes.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…
