Problem Attic. Insert witty tagline here.

Lessons from Mountain-Biking

Few people may know this, but in the days before I was “lazy computer geek Matt” (or “cunning productive fox”) I was “slightly lazy but does a lot of mountain-biking computer geek Matt.” Those days are back! I am, once again, mountain biking with a vengeance, and also with a slight lack of common sense. Anyway, here are some of the lessons mountain-biking has taught me.

• The approach to a problem has a massive impact on the outcome. Too fast into a problem? Over the handlebars. Too slow? You won’t have enough momentum to make it through. Weight too far forward—no traction. Weight too far back—no steering.

• Elegance is often a mark of skill. Elegance isn’t about being showy, or clever. Elegance is when you see someone make something look effortless; when it looks like they didn’t have to even try. That takes skill. Also, your bike will last longer.

• Flash gear doesn’t make a good rider, but it can help a good rider. If you don’t know what you’re doing, a flash bike, or better suspension, or more gears, won’t actually help. (More rope to hang yourself, in fact.) However, these things can make a crucial difference to someone with the experience to make use of them. I have a suspension lock and toe-clips, but clipless pedals aren’t worth my while yet.

• You’re going to fall off. If you can’t handle this, one of two things will happen. Either the first time you fall off you’ll give up, or you’ll never challenge yourself at all, and never improve. And hey, scars are fun!

  Actually, this has been an interesting one this time around. I look at things I used to ride down and think “NO WAY! I must have been NUTS!” Also, I don’t really want to damage my new bike—my last bike I fell off and broke it the first time I rode it. But there’s stuff I want to do, so at some point I’m probably going to fall off and hurt myself.

• Practice makes perfect. Chances are, if it’s at all difficult, you’re not going to get it first time. Try, try again. Fall off, get up, stem the bleeding, wait for the cast to come off, get on the bike, and try again! (I’ve never actually broken any of my bones yet; it’s been all flesh wounds so far.)

• And finally: Enjoy it! I mean, if it’s not fun, what’s the point?