Plan for Joy

    Rider Annijke Wade is reflected in puddles of rainwater while gearing up to ride trails at Grouse Mountain near Vancouver. British Columbia has made recent strides toward becoming one of the most adaptive-friendly mountain bike locations in the world.

    Plan for Joy The Transformative Power of Adaptive Mountain Biking

    Words by Tim Wild | Photos by Rob Perry

    The ugly, jagged rock face is soaking wet. Slimy, even. There’s no real line down, exactly, just a wealth of unappealingly rough choices that all start vertical and become lumpier as the slab curves out. The whole thing is swirling in freezing mist too.

    So, when Martyn Ashton plunges straight over the lip at full speed, feet first, without a pre-check or a second’s hesitation, we all hold our breath. He nails it. Whatever you think about adaptive mountain biking, know this: It’ll make your heart beat faster than a woodpecker’s beak.

    There’s a paradox here. In order to throw caution to the wind and ride like there’s no tomorrow, Ashton—and every other adaptive rider—has to plan carefully, for a long time. The forethought required to simply go for a ride is about as far from spontaneity as you can imagine.

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