Take a Hike

For the past couple of years, there have been two questions in the back of my mind, both dealing with my ability to ride long term. The first asks if it’s time to back off on the risks I’m willing to take in my cycling. The second asks what I would do if I could no longer ride bicycles.  Both of these, if I’m honest with myself, are a reflection of the fact that I’m not getting any younger, that my body has taken a beating and suffered several injuries.

The first question—is it time to lessen the risks I’m willing to take?—deals with the fact that I’m just not as young as I once was. Injuries come more frequently now, they take longer to heal and are building one on top of the other. My body aches all the time. If I want to continue cycling for the rest of my life, I need to mitigate those injuries and pains.

Initially, my ego resented this consideration. In fact, spending the summer of 2017 riding in Squamish, BC, my technical riding ability improved greatly. Letting go of my ego, however, I am now willing to apply a more conservative risk assessment when approaching obstacles, even walking features I may have once have ridden.

The second question is the big one; what would I do if I could no longer ride bicycles?

My whole life revolves around cycling; who I hang out with, where I live, even the jobs I take are ones that allow me to ride. My entire identity is defined by cycling. In 2016, when I broke my right foot, I barely rode all summer. I’ve seen friends forced off the bike for months/years at a time, others unable to ride as they used to because of injury. The affect can be demoralizing, debilitating and socially isolating. I need to change it up, find other ways to stay fit while going on adventures. To this end, I have begun hiking more.

Last week I hiked my first 14’er. While one of the easier 14,000’+ mountains in Colorado, at 14,433’ Mount Elbert is the tallest peak in the State. Led by local climbing legend, Jon MacManus, and his wife, Ricky, I had an incredible day achieving something I’d never done before. Sure, that night my foot needed ice and ibuprofen, but I felt like I’d discovered a whole new world.

Yesterday I rode my bike for about 13miles until I reached one of the oldest Douglas Fir trees in the State, known as Grandfather. Sitting under those massive bows, I removed my helmet, changed my shoes and went for a two hour hike. I saw things I never would have seen had I been on the bike. The pace was slower but the experience was just as rewarding.

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I have plans to hike more this winter, including some multi-day hikes. I will also canoe more, trading lessons with my river-guide friend, Billy, who wants to become a better mountain-biker.

With all this talk you may be asking “is Alex getting soft, is this the end of Bowlingbybike?” Absolutely not. I’ve just come to accept that I’m getting older and need to make more conservative risk assessments if I’m going to ride for another 40years.

I’m also accepting the fact that maybe there is more to life than cycling, that there are other ways to stay fit, meet new people and explore the world around me.  Maybe getting older ain’t so bad after all?