Bike For Your Life

5 Pages 1151 Words

Countless times I’ve stood over my red and white K2 mountain-bike at the top peak of a mountain. Staring in awe of the miles of downhill trail that lay in front of me. It must be something about the crisp cold air that that you can’t seem to inhale enough of, or the rush of adrenaline that I know will come over me when I race down the root and rock infested deer trails. All the dangers of speeding down a mountain at 40mph disappear in the last seconds before I strap my helmet, and mount my bike. Some people look at downhill biking as crazy or even stepping on the edge of stupidity. All of that is probably true, and that’s why downhill biking isn’t for the faint of heart. When you fall, you fall hard. And if you ride hard, you go through expensive parts like a runner goes through water. You have to want to live on the edge. The thrill of speed is the reward for all of your efforts.

It’s the middle of June and even in my bed I feel the intense heat from the outside. Just looking outside made me sweat. I see all of the birds resting in the trees trying to escape the immense heat. But not even the temperature could get me down now, today holds the perfect conditions to spend a day at the trails. The sun was beating down from high above. Absolutely no clouds can be seen over the endless cornfields and farmhouses I see out my window. The cornstalks ripple and wave like a green ocean from the slight breeze that later in the day I would be thankful for. I was already excited because I knew in a few hours I would be racing some friends at top speed down a mountain. I nearly tripped out of bed from my excitement. I rummaged quickly through my dresser to find my customized rainbow jersey with 12 time World Downhill Champion winner, Caroline Anne-Chauson’s, name embroidered on the back in giant blue letters.

I pick up my phone to call my biking buddy Joel. Joel is the only person I know that shares the same passi...