18 Miles Per Hour

18 MilesPerHour is about riding through the world instead of just passing it by.
WHAT YOU FIND WHEN YOU GET LOST. Get Lost. No really, go on, get lost…literally. Well, just a little bit lost.  When was the last time you rode somewhere unfamiliar? Unknown? Without the aid of a guide or GPS? I’m not suggesting we all go off into the wilderness and end up so lost that we go all Bear Gryllis and start licking goat’s eyes for a drink. But lost enough, by going to unfamiliar places where you are unsure which trail to take, or even lose the trail altogether. The last few summers I’ve spent time with the family up in Utah. And each time I’ve gotten lost. Accidentally and not terribly lost, but lost enough to get a little…well actually, quite nervous. Lost enough to start wondering how long my water would last. Enough to realize I have nothing but the lycra I’m in (definitely not be warm enough for a night outdoors) and definitely lost and turned around so much that I’m reduced to gazing at the sun and my watch to try and estimate my rough direction.  That said, on each occasion optimism and remaining calm seem to win out. Like a lot of you, I’ve occasionally flicked through survival manuals…just in case. But what was more interesting was the acute increase in my perception and sense of nature. It’s a wonderful thing. See, it makes me realize how detached and really unaware of my surroundings I usually am – even on a bike. Getting lost demands you start paying attention. Whether it’s straining your ears for the sound of creek, or distant road. Searching the field looking for broken grass that could be a marker to the trail that was meant to be there. It always feels exhilarating and liberating. Okay, fair enough, not while I was lost, but when I did eventually find my way home and was safe enough to reflect on my little adventure from the other side. I know that there are many back-country riders that may scoff at my own little crusade into the wilderness. But the good thing about ‘just a little bit lost’, is that it’s relative to you. If your lost is a new suburban trail, a point to point in Southern Utah, or a week bike-packing the Great Divide. That’s great. Just go that bit further, to the place where you get just a little bit lost, and a fair bit nervous. Expand your envelope just a tad.   Oh yes, one more thing: just remember to tell someone where you are heading, how long you think you’ll be.  Hey, if you’re gonna go get lost there’s no need to get others worried as well. - Rhys

WHAT YOU FIND WHEN YOU GET LOST.

Get Lost.

No really, go on, get lost…literally. Well, just a little bit lost. 

When was the last time you rode somewhere unfamiliar? Unknown? Without the aid of a guide or GPS? I’m not suggesting we all go off into the wilderness and end up so lost that we go all Bear Gryllis and start licking goat’s eyes for a drink. But lost enough, by going to unfamiliar places where you are unsure which trail to take, or even lose the trail altogether.

The last few summers I’ve spent time with the family up in Utah. And each time I’ve gotten lost. Accidentally and not terribly lost, but lost enough to get a little…well actually, quite nervous. Lost enough to start wondering how long my water would last. Enough to realize I have nothing but the lycra I’m in (definitely not be warm enough for a night outdoors) and definitely lost and turned around so much that I’m reduced to gazing at the sun and my watch to try and estimate my rough direction. 

That said, on each occasion optimism and remaining calm seem to win out. Like a lot of you, I’ve occasionally flicked through survival manuals…just in case. But what was more interesting was the acute increase in my perception and sense of nature. It’s a wonderful thing. See, it makes me realize how detached and really unaware of my surroundings I usually am – even on a bike.

Getting lost demands you start paying attention. Whether it’s straining your ears for the sound of creek, or distant road. Searching the field looking for broken grass that could be a marker to the trail that was meant to be there. It always feels exhilarating and liberating. Okay, fair enough, not while I was lost, but when I did eventually find my way home and was safe enough to reflect on my little adventure from the other side.

I know that there are many back-country riders that may scoff at my own little crusade into the wilderness. But the good thing about ‘just a little bit lost’, is that it’s relative to you. If your lost is a new suburban trail, a point to point in Southern Utah, or a week bike-packing the Great Divide. That’s great. Just go that bit further, to the place where you get just a little bit lost, and a fair bit nervous. Expand your envelope just a tad.  

Oh yes, one more thing: just remember to tell someone where you are heading, how long you think you’ll be. 

Hey, if you’re gonna go get lost there’s no need to get others worried as well.

- Rhys

  1. 18milesperhour posted this