Friday, January 24, 2014

Why I Ride

Do you ever question why you ride?

Over the last year I questioned my riding a lot.  Is it selfish to spend so much time on a bike?  What's the purpose?  Should I be spending that time and money to help others instead?  For me those are pretty tough questions, but over time I've come to believe more strongly than ever that riding is definitely one of the things God made me to do.

When I was first racing there was a strong sense of trying to prove something, trying to prove that I could be somebody.  But that was 15 years ago and that kind of teenage motivation is long gone.  Sure I've done well at some races and got some attention for my riding.  We all seek the approval of others whether we realize it or not, we even keep tabs on how many facebook likes we can get from last weekend's podium pic... But mountain bike racing is the opposite of a glamorous sport and that hasn't kept me going.    I surely haven't kept riding to make money.

I ride because God gave me a gift and we're called to make the most of the gifts the Lord has given us.

I ride because God has blessed me in so many amazing ways through racing.

I ride because I have faith that the Lord still has plans in store for me that are greater than I can even imagine.

It only takes a couple minutes of looking back to realize that riding is one of the most meaningful things I do with my life.  Of all things it was a Texas A&M Cycling Team Pub Crawl where I met my wife Beth.  Racing was something for my family to do together and brought us closer together.  All of my best friends I know through racing.  I'm healthy!  I've been able to travel to countless beautiful places on my bike.  The busier my life gets the more riding brings balance to my day.  And I'm starting to see more and more opportunities to help others through riding...

So why do you ride?


Thursday, January 16, 2014

Stage21 Custom Bike Builder for Cannondale and Pinarello

Check out the cool new bike builder page by Stage21!  You can get exact weights and price quotes for custom builds on Cannondale & Pinarello road and mountain bikes.

http://bikebuilder.stage21bikes.com/