On September 14, 2016

Uncaging the human spirit

By: Matt Baatz

I remember what hooked a lot of us into mountain biking in the early 90s. The sense of freedom of riding a bike, multiplied by mastering daunting terrain in beautiful natural settings, yielded exponential results. The payoff was nothing short of the liberation of mind, body and spirit. The side benefit of working yourself into incredible shape was just a matter of course and rarely the point.
Festivals and races abounded. The community felt so accessible that at any given race you could hobnob with the virtuosos of the sport, the living legends. The Overends, Furtados, Tomacs and Sydors of the world were just regular people with superhuman skills and lung capacities.
So, unlike many other sports that tout narcissists as role models, to reach the pinnacle of mountain biking practically required that you stay down to earth. There are pompous cliques in every bunch, but it seems like the ones who ride mountain bikes are only trying to compensate for their mediocrity.
Races have always been an integral part of the sport, starting with the legendary repack contests down Mount Tam. (Mount Tam is in the hills outside of San Francisco where some of the pioneers of the sport raced down the fire roads on mountain bikes that they fabricated themselves. Without them and those races, mountain biking as we know it wouldn’t exist.)
From the beginning, competitions were more about camaraderie and adventure than determining a pecking order. This is the spirit with which we approached this year’s race.
“Winners” will be celebrated but quickly forgotten. The intent will be pure adventure, fun, connecting with a great community, and un-caging the human spirit through challenge and communion with nature.

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

Tips to maintaining your bike

September 27, 2024
Staff report So, you bought a mountain bike. Well done! You’ve now got a few epic rides under your belt. Excellent. But now you wonder how to best protect your investment and keep it rolling like new.  While there are many expert bike mechanics around locally that can help, here are a few basic things…

Agency of Trans awards $7.19m in bicycle and pedestrian grants

September 27, 2024
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced Sept. 12 the awards of approximately $7.19 million in grants to municipalities for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvement projects. The combination of construction projects and planning grants will benefit cities and towns statewide with improved transportation connectivity and safety, tangible economic benefits, and additional transportation options for commuters,…

Tour of Pine Hill park: Go clockwise for an extra workout; go counter-clockwise for fun

September 27, 2024
By Shelley Lutz, Pine Hill Partnership board member  Pine Hill Park in Rutland City is one of the original trail networks in Central Vermont and is a must-stop on any mountain biker’s itinerary. The wooded park is 275 acres with 18 miles of mostly singletrack trails dotted with seven unique bridges. If you are an aerobic…

Peninsula Trail and Loop, a scenic tour in the Aqueduct Trails

September 27, 2024
By Ada Mahood, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Peninsula is a trail that is perfect for beginners and intermediates riding in Woodstock. The scenery is quite amazing, especially in the fall. It starts up a short hill, then over some roots and up a short technical part before ending in the mossy lands of the Peninsula…