Thinking back, I can recall some of my first memories involving a mountain bike. My initial one was a Huffy, purchased with money saved from a paper route. It took me all summer to save up, and when my dad and I went to our local hardware store to purchase it, it was the beginning of an amazing sense of freedom.

The sense of freedom and fun that bikes provide.

Mountain Bike: You, as my first one, allowed me to pedal to school and soccer practice. I had this amazing feeling of self-sufficiency and control, all from my ability to move myself across town under my own power. As I got older my idea of freedom expanded and soon, I was pedaling you five miles to my best friend’s house on summer days while my parents were at work. Instantly you, my mountain bike became a vehicle of perpetual freedom and joy.

Mountain Bike: When I was 15, I began working in a bike shop, building and repairing bikes. With my new job came a new mountain bike, a 1998 Specialized RockHopper; Richey steel frame, front suspension and eight gears in the back. This was freedom! Soon we were taking on adventures I would have only imagined a few short months back. Riding in deep forests and mountains surrounding my town, I began to truly appreciate what you, a simple mountain bike brought to my life.

Mountain Bike: As I packed up for my first year of college there was no question that you would be coming with me. I continued riding in any spare minute school allowed. As a photography student, I dreamt of traveling the world, shooting and riding you, my mountain bike, in all the iconic places. Slowly, my camera became the catalyst for work and travel and my lifelong love of mountain biking cemented itself within my life. I accomplished my dreams and now have the great fortune to call mountain biking part of my job.

Mountain Bike: Then a time came when I didn’t have the one thing that I loved as much as anything in my life – mountain biking. My passion was stolen from me, or so I thought. A bad wrist break and several failed surgeries left my right wrist fully fused and never again able to bend.

I can remember looking past my outstretched legs, watching as my parents walked out of sight towards the waiting room of Vail Surgical Center in Colorado; the assistant drew up the Versed from a vial. This medication would in essence wipe my mind clean of what was about to happen. The anesthesiologist continued to prep my neck and shoulder for the nerve block to be implanted in my shoulder.

As I watched the assistant flick a full syringe, clearing it of all air bubbles, everything suddenly rushed down on me like the crash of an exploding building. Every emotion and feeling came to light. Every compressed pain was suddenly felt and what was about to happen fully set in and one question came to mind; will I be able to ride my mountain bike again?

Mountain Bike: By the time a year passed I could barely remember what it felt like to ride. The rush, the joy, the freedom; all the things we love. From the day I crashed, you were parked, sad with two flats and bars still crooked from the impact. I would go to the storage unit from time to time, simply to sit and stare. Most times it ended in tears.

Mountain Bike: After 500 days away I fell in love all over again. Funny how soreness and pain feel good when it’s caused by riding. Being on you brings me joy again, but the important lesson was that it’s not about the mountain bike but the joy and experiences it provides. The deep belly laughs and uncontrolled hoots of joy. While my love for riding mountain bikes has only strengthened, I have also learned the valuable lesson of enjoying the little things.

Colorado mountain biking - all seasons are rideable.

To say my mountain bike has shaped my life would be a bit of an understatement. From a very young age bicycles and a mountain bike provided me with a vehicle to explore my neighborhood and town. Later in life it provided a means to explore the world.

Mountain Bike: I am truly thankful for everything in life you have provided me. From the new experiences to the people and the places; my mountain bike defines freedom in my life.