The Joy of Mountain Biking

The smell of the trees, of nature,

The shaded cover of the overhead canopy,

That feel of the first crunch,

As you transition from pavement to dirt

The rush of wind past your ears,

The blur of trees in peripheral vision,

Your mind & body focusing on the narrow singletrack ahead,

Left! Right! Lean back! Your instincts shout as you tackle the terrain,

Your fingers playing with the brakes to keep your speed in check,

That adrenaline rush as you hang time or smoothly tackle a rock garden,

The feel of your suspension compressing & elation soaring,

The pounding in your chest, your ears,

The burning in your lungs, your legs,

As you push through one more pedal stroke on the arduous climb,

Clearing the technical switchbacks while holding the tempo, "Left. Right. Left. Right,"

Leaning down onto your bars to provide more power from your core to your legs,

Or even standing up as you almost lose traction,

That screaming success when you've tackled a climb.

Aqil Zakwan