By Ambassador Isabella Roeleveld
Photos Michelle Pittam
I think we can all agree that 2020 was equivalent to an unexpected OTB. Many of us started working from home and had to completely change our lifestyles. One less than ideal change was my increased icecream budget and waistline. A more positive change was the amount of people trying new activities. Whether it was trailing running, hiking or biking people were getting outside. This caused a major boom in the bike industry and trails saw more traffic than ever before. While it was awesome seeing people trade in their Netflix subscription for a premium Strava account, there has been some negative impacts. The most noticeable being busy parking lots and trails getting blown out quicker then ever before.
Now it’s 2021 and the snow is melting which means the bikers are back. This has been the busiest spring I can remember since I started mountain biking over 10 years ago. If you’re out on the trails and wondering how to give back, stop, drain a puddle, pick up some garbage, and enjoy the scenery. It also doesn’t hurt to look up your local trail association to throw them a couple bucks or sign up for a trail day.
This past year has made me realize how important community is and to enjoy the little things like this Kona Process 134. I am stoked that the bike shortage gave me the opportunity to try out this small on travel but big on fun 29er! This is a bike I never would have ridden otherwise because I thought 29ers were only for tall humans but I was very wrong. This new world has forced people to adapt, try new things and get resourceful. I am looking forward to this summer and all the adventures and new projects it will bring.
