The Bakery: My Mom is the Bob Barker of Mexico

My mom is the Bob Barker of Mexico. If your dogs aren’t spayed or neutered, she will get on her bike and hunt you down. Truth.

Ten years ago my mom started rescuing dogs in her village in Mexico. Five years ago she got a bike and a friend, and now rescues dogs in the surrounding towns. LaRae and Donna may seem like your average Mexico living, cruiser bike-riding, margarita-loving, cookie-making moms, but they’re not.

At the age of 56 my mom discovered biking when Fibromyalgia stopped her from participating in other activities. I helped her pick out a sweet pink cruiser bike, suitable for her retired life in Mexico. Within a few months she started asking for a better seat, then a mirror, then a computer to track her mileage. Mileage? Really? She was riding upwards of 20 kilometers a day, sending me photos from the middle of cow herds, mud puddles and new spots that she had once thought were much too far to ride to. One of her favorite stops when she comes home now is my local bike shop. Her most recent acquisition was a basket, but not one of those trendy wicker ones, nope. Mom needed a basket with support, one that can hold a lot of dog food, or a dog when needed.

The Bakery: The Trail You Have Loved and Lost

As mountain bikers we have all had a 'Big Ed' in our lives, that trail that was a secret or not-so-secret-but-not-so-legal gem. You loved it and then you lost it. This is a eulogy for all of the trails that have been taken from us too soon.

Big Ed touched all of our lives in my neck of the woods. From the first rumors we heard of his inception, we had big plans for his future and our future rides. The countless hours that the builders contributed to creating Big Ed were out of dedication to their vision. Their work built a beautiful resource that we all came to love.

Through all our seasons he was there for us. At times he required a helping hand; some new rockwork here or a ladder there, but he never forgot our actions in those times. Big Ed always repaid our kindness with the loyalty characteristic of a good friend. He was there for us on the best days and more importantly on the bad days; days when we just really needed to get out and ride our bikes.

The Bakery: For the Love of Independent Bike Shops

Six years ago I showed up on the doorstep of my local bike shop and sheepishly admitted that I had broken up with my boyfriend before I had learned to fix my own bike.

Six years later I probably spend a little too much time there. I have been known to show up at their Christmas parties and the coffee place next door gives me a staff discount. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your name, or some variation of it. They hassle you and high-five you. They give you hugs and lectures about not taking better care of your ride. They are family.

They are so much my family that I have introduced boyfriends to my dad before I have taken them to my bike shop. True story.

The Bakery: The Power of Not Giving a F*ck

Be more like a skateboarder–that’s the latest life advice I have been given. Apparently I need to take a page from skate culture and learn how to not give a fuck. Mountain bikers are just too caring.

In an attempt to embrace these new words of wisdom and learn how to not give a fuck, I recently asked a friend who works in the skate industry to teach me.

He didn’t show up, because, clearly, he doesn’t give a fuck.