Every story starts somewhere, and my introduction to mountain biking is no different. In this case, it started in the mid 90’s with a Giant Yukon. I was probably a junior in high school. This was a fully rigid frame if I remember correctly, which at the time, was still not uncommon to see. It sounds insane these days of course, but then again I was a lot younger and my body could handle a lot more trauma!
Like a lot of kids, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I mostly did street riding to get around, with just a handful of trail rides. That’s all it took though. I loved it! Just due to other sports and things in life going on, I actually never got too deep into it at this stage in my life though. I rode the bike for utility, took it to college, and had it stolen. That was the end of my first era of (almost non existent) mountain biking.
Fast forward to about 2003, and got my next mountain bike, a Giant Boulder SE. It had a tiny spring fork (maybe 80mm), 26 inch wheels, and V-brakes. Pretty basic, but a common setup for a budget bike back then. I wasn’t targeting Giant as a brand by the way. I didn’t know anything about brands back then. It was just a coincidence.
So I started to get more into trails, and even tried to take this thing on Hunter Mountain. They had some trails at the top of the mountain, and coming down, but it was not a proper mountain bike park. More like a ski resort that set up just enough trails to get some extra cash in the summer.
My one big memory is bombing down the final exit trail way too fast, and it went over a ski left exit ramp. I nailed the side of that ramp, launched a few feet in the air, and landed on completely flat ground. I didn’t actually know anything about jumping, so it was just a hard landing. My wheels were crooked afterwards. Good times.
Once again, that bike became primarily a commuter bike. To and from the train, stored in my little apartment. Not much actual contact with dirt. But still, the love was there, just hidden away temporarily. It wasn’t until I moved years later that I stumbled into some proper trail riding.
A bunch of life happened. Marriage, kid, and a big move out to the suburbs of New Jersey. I had the bike, but basically didn’t touch it for years. It was literally stuffed in storage, flat tires and all. Then, after getting deeper into the school system and meeting a bunch of parents, I literally stumbled into a conversation at some school event with several dads I had met.
They are talking about bikes, and how they ride all around our town. It’s just then, after living in the town already for 6 years that I learned it’s surrounded by rideable trails! I mentioned how I have an old bike, but I’ll get it ready and join on a ride. I had no idea what I was in for.
I went riding with two guys from that group. One on a much more modern hardtail. The other was on a carbon dual suspension Ibis Mojo HD3. I had no idea what I was getting into. I was thinking about tires on dirt. I was not at all prepared for the non stop brutality of New Jersey. Just rocks, roots, and pain. I legitimately thought they were going to have to call an ambulance for me at one point. This was the moment when it hit me. I kind of hate this, but I kind of love it still, and I need to get my 39 year old out of shape body back on track.
Lots of riding, lots of pain, lots of learnings go by. About a year later, I get my third mountain bike. A 2018 Cannondale Cujo 2. Another hardtail, but with disk brakes, 2.8 inch tires, and a 120mm fork. Basically, it was a rugged cross country bike capable of trail riding. I loved that bike, and still do. I rode it exclusively for another 4 years, until I felt it was holding me back.
Just this year, I pulled the trigger and got a 2022 Devinci Django. My first full suspension! 140mm up front, 120mm in back. It was magic. Less pain, more speed, more control. As of this writing, I’ve now had 201 rides across the last three bikes (probably only missing the first one or two), covering over 1570 miles.
I know for some of you that’s nothing in a 5 year span, but for me, it was a break out from the downward slope of age. I used to play lots of sports, was pretty lean, etc. ‘Adulting’ caught up with me, and we all know what happens. I’m happy to say that at 45, I’m in way better shape in most ways than I was at 39. I’m also completely inspired by the crew I found, with almost all of them being older than me and completely shredding it.
I’m officially sucked in at this point, even more than ever. I have dreams of winning the lottery, not needing a day job, and just fixing up bikes. For the time being, I’ll have to keep at the normal 9-5 with my occasional early morning ride, and a longer one on weekends. I’m looking forward to the next 1500 miles. Along the way, I’ll share some thoughts, learnings, and ramblings with whoever stumbles across this blog. See you on the trails!