mis·ad·ven·ture (noun)
meaning: an unfortunate incident; a mishap.
Like you, I’ve had more adventures on my bike than I can count, from mountain biking to gravel riding to a few races here and there over the decades. But do you know what? Most of the memories of those rides are hazy. They don’t always come to the front of my mind quickly. But you know what I vividly remember? All of the misadventures.
I worked as a hiking and mountain biking guide in southern Arizona for some time. One trail system, in particular, I counted that I had been on over 600 times. That’s over 600 bike rides and hikes with hundreds …. no, thousands of people. Do you know what stands out? You guessed it.
I recall the dude showing off in front of the ladies who went over his handlebars into a massive patch of prickly pear cactus. Of course, he didn’t have his shirt on. Another guide and I spent seemingly forever picking out cactus spines from his back with tweezers.
I remember riding in the early afternoon in the intense heat of the Sonoran Desert, feeling a bit sluggish from the heat. I was overheating and had to get down the trail fast. My motor skills were rapidly declining, and I fell into prickly pear. My whole right leg was covered in cactus spines. After futilely attempting to pick out cactus spines in between leg hairs and plucking more hair than cactus spines, I decided that was the day I would shave my legs. I got home, snuck my wife’s razor into the shower, and began hacking away like an explorer forging deep into the Amazonian jungle with a machete. I learned about razor burns that day.
I could go on about riding a night lap at the 24 Hours of the Old Peblo race in a torrential downpour when my lights went out. Or the time I sliced my leg open and still had to pedal back to get to my car and then the emergency room. I have stories. You have stories. While in the moment, what’s happening sucks. However, these become the best stories and most meaningful memories after time.
Life is shaped by adversity. We’re hardwired to remember and easily recall the pain and hardships. That’s why we need more misadventures. No, I’m not talking about true tragedies. Those just hurt and linger. But we need more misadventures. They’re easy to remember and sometimes become turning points in our lives.
A blown ACL in college was the only reason I got into mountain biking in the first place. Destroying a derailleur in a 30-mile XC race only 5 miles into the race turned into an impromptu pizza party with family and friends after I turned my bike into a single-speed. I pedaled the next 10 miles to a little mining town where the next checkpoint was (and a pizza joint). Or that time is getting chased by a skunk … or … you get it.
We can’t plan misadventures. At the moment, we are frustrated or despondent they are happening. However, in the end, they become our most extraordinary adventures …
