I've had a few injuries mountain biking. Nothing truly severe thank The Bike Gods! One of my person metrics for a good ride is getting into a good flow and riding in control. I don't give myself much credit for surviving by pinballing down some janky tech if I was just along for the ride. That means slowing down from my absolute max speed so I have enough reflex time left to dial in some style and hit the lines I want. Going 10% slower probably doubles my safety margin and doesn't really change the exhilaration of being fast on the bike. I won't win any races on my mountain bike where tenths of a second count, but I do hope to win the long game and be pedaling my bicycle on techy singletrack when other people my age are picking out their sweet new Kashima/AXS electric inline mobility scooters and cruising the gravel bike paths.
May 12, 2022, 6:05 a.m. - Vik Banerjee
I've had a few injuries mountain biking. Nothing truly severe thank The Bike Gods! One of my person metrics for a good ride is getting into a good flow and riding in control. I don't give myself much credit for surviving by pinballing down some janky tech if I was just along for the ride. That means slowing down from my absolute max speed so I have enough reflex time left to dial in some style and hit the lines I want. Going 10% slower probably doubles my safety margin and doesn't really change the exhilaration of being fast on the bike. I won't win any races on my mountain bike where tenths of a second count, but I do hope to win the long game and be pedaling my bicycle on techy singletrack when other people my age are picking out their sweet new Kashima/AXS electric inline mobility scooters and cruising the gravel bike paths.