Many decisions in life are easy. The answers are simple and there are generally right and wrong choices that are glaringly obvious.
Then a dilemma rears its head and, all of sudden, you have to decide which awesome opportunity gets brushed off.
The easy decisions kind of make themselves, but when that dilemma hits it feels like a no win situation. It can’t be avoided, we have to miss out on something good.
The Mount Washington Bike Park opened up last week and we were lucky enough to be invited up the day before it opened, so I sacrificed the regular Thursday night ride. Jon and I had a great night of full speed DH. (OK, lets be honest, it was closer to half speed, but we’ll get there soon enough)
It was an exciting start to a big year of DH riding for me. I had a new fancy full face helmet, a new Specialized downhill bike and I even managed to throw myself off a couple of big drops after the warm up lap.
I was definitely slower than I’d hoped, but each run was faster than the last, and I’m pretty stoked to have a season’s pass this year. The goal is to go at least once a week all season and I’m really looking forward to vast improvements. Skipping Thursday night trail rides so I can DH is an easy decision.
At the end of the night, as I was dropping off Jon at Swicked, we met up with the regular Thursday night group enjoying their post ride beverage at the shop.
Listening to the details of their epic Snowden ride and hearing about all the trails they rode, including many of my favourites, I felt envious.
Suddenly my “easy decision” turned into an ugly dilemma.
I love trail riding and climbing up the steep terrain of the Snowden Forest. The dry rocks and roots are amazing in the summer and pedaling as fast as I can for three hours, either chasing my buddies or trying to stay ahead of them, is what I look forward to all winter long.
I have also been missing DH riding lately and I crave the days of lap after lap after lap of high speed down hill tracks. Jumps, huge berms, and the big drops become second nature after a few weeks of practice. The mix of fear and adrenaline created by ripping down tight single track on the edge of control, keeps me feeling young.
I think back 15 years when I was without responsibility. No dilemmas then, I would just ride every day and do everything.
These days I don’t have seven days to ride. Between work, family and what ever life throws at us, I can barely fit in two good rides each week.
So, what do I do?
DH all summer, build up my skill and speed, but lose my endurance, or do I concentrate on trail riding? I’ll be fitter and still have lots of fun, but if I don’t sharpen my down hill skills now, they may be gone forever.
I guess I can’t have it all, but as I sound this out, it’s looking more and more like a situation with no down side.
I’m James Durand and I’m Goin’ Ridin’…