Cycling - Another Best Ride

Hashtags rule our fast-paced lives these days and with mountain bike season in full swing, a few that are dominating posts in my Twitter and Instagram feeds are #exploremore #anotherbestride #goplayoutside. The inspiration for today's post comes from MEC and an Instagram photo they posted recently with an awesome quote that unfortunately doesn't fit in a catchy hashtag. It goes like this: "Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." Makes you stop and think for a moment, doesn't it?

In a world where we are forever connected, most things we do can be summed up by a clever #hashtag and we track our rides on Strava it's important to slow down sometimes and take in the beauty of the mountain bike trail which is usually just a blur in your peripheral vision. A challenge, I suppose. Better not record this one on Strava, it'll hurt your averages!

I recently had the pleasure to ride at the Mono Cliffs Provincial Park which is a section of the Bruce Trail that extends from Niagara to Tobermory. It's a beautiful area with several, flowy single track loops that get a lot of traffic from local trail riders. For me though, it's about so much more than that. See, I grew up riding these trails and after being away for several years, I found myself stopping regularly at some of my favourite spots just to take in the view and that smell you only get deep in the forest on a sunny day. Out comes the iPhone - snap, snap, snap...OK, keep riding...stop, iPhone snap...repeat.

Every ride is #anotherbestride for a different reason. After this one, I got back to the car and felt invigorated by a mellow ride and a collection of photos that aren't going to win any awards but show that there's a lot out there to see if you just log out, forget about pace and remember that #yolo. Seriously, sit on the side of the trail and feel the beauty and wonder of what surrounds you. Can you even believe that plants can grow out the side of a huge rock?!

Happy trails!

PS. for the record, my rides are not always this introspective! I love to log a fast ride and rip a burmed corner but once in a while, you need to stop, breathe, take it all in and maybe take a picture (even if it is with your smartphone)! For more like this, follow my iPhone adventures on Instagram!