I worked at Our Community Bikes \(a shop in Vancouver that sells used bikes and has tools and workstands for rent\) from 2003-06\. I had lots of good and weird times there.
95% of the customers were alternative folks, mostly nice people with a smattering of genuine freaks. One day a guy comes in and says he's looking for a bike and that it'll be his first bike in something like 5 years. "Oh really," I say, "why five years?" He explains that he was mountain biking on the north side Burnaby Mountain \(which has cliffs up to roughly 100' high\), before they put the fences in \(at said cliffs\) and he inadvertently rode over one of them, breaking many bones and ending up in coma followed by years of physio and rehab at GF Strong \(a head injury clinic\). He was so thrilled to finally be at the point where he could consider riding again. He test rode a couple of bikes then purchased one rode off on it.
I feel something like you did, Dave, as I contemplate the relatively minor injuries I've suffered while riding in comparison to his life changing experience.
April 16, 2018, 8:44 p.m. - Jonas Dodd
I worked at Our Community Bikes \(a shop in Vancouver that sells used bikes and has tools and workstands for rent\) from 2003-06\. I had lots of good and weird times there. 95% of the customers were alternative folks, mostly nice people with a smattering of genuine freaks. One day a guy comes in and says he's looking for a bike and that it'll be his first bike in something like 5 years. "Oh really," I say, "why five years?" He explains that he was mountain biking on the north side Burnaby Mountain \(which has cliffs up to roughly 100' high\), before they put the fences in \(at said cliffs\) and he inadvertently rode over one of them, breaking many bones and ending up in coma followed by years of physio and rehab at GF Strong \(a head injury clinic\). He was so thrilled to finally be at the point where he could consider riding again. He test rode a couple of bikes then purchased one rode off on it. I feel something like you did, Dave, as I contemplate the relatively minor injuries I've suffered while riding in comparison to his life changing experience.