The 3 Rules of Mountain Biking

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Eric Lin, a longtime fixture in the San Francisco tech scene has recently made his home in Seattle to work with HTC. Long before he found a way to turn his lust for technology into a job, he worked in bike shops and outdoor outfitters. This really was just an excuse to play with more affordable gadgets, and get paid to spend time outdoors. Now, Eric is more likely to be found riding one of his many bikes through the city streets rather than mountain trails. He has also shifted his athletic interests to less gadgety sports like kickboxing, crossfit and urban mischief.

Eric’s story started in a park. His friend was supposed to just point his mountain bike down a small hill, and ride. He was completely afraid, and panicked. He also landed in the bushes. As soon as he stopped laughing, he knew what had happened. Mountain biking is a lot of little movements. However, if you tell them one thing, they will usually remember it. Their first mantra was “Fear is the biggest mind killer” from the movie Dune. It’s big and bold, but it doesn’t explain anything about mountain biking. So, they went back to the drawing board.

Next, they decided to try “You will go where you look”. Point your eyes to where you want to go, and that’s where you’ll end up. Watch where your points of opportunity are, not where your obstacles are. This can also be applied to business. The first thing you learn to do when you’re learning to riding is not to look down, or you will crash. Another thing is not spending too much time looking where everyone else is going. You’ll end up going down their path, instead of our own.

“You will do what you believe” is a positive version of “Fear is the biggest mind killer”. Really, mountain biking is about committing to your actions. There were a lot of speakers at Gnomedex who didn’t know what would happen, but they took a leap of faith that their endeavors would work out. You have to believe the entire time. A lot of people panic freak out in the middle, and have the worst accidents of their lives.

Relax, dammit! When you tell people to relax, it’s the one thing they don’t do. If you say to them “relax, dammit!”, it turns into a joke and makes them actually follow what you’re saying. Remember that what you’re doing is supposed to be fun, not just an effort. Keep your wheels rolling. Let up, keep yourself moving. Stay on your course, even if it’s a little bit scary.

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