Judge Not ... and RIP

Fully Rigid, 7/21/23

A lot is being said about what is now a nationwide story of the San Diego mountain biker who died in our local desert while being part of a rider group aiding a hiker group that needed assistance, all of whom got caught up in a tragic situation that could have been a whole lot worse than it was.

Let us remember, first, that the human spirit of compassion thrived, that people like you and me, hopefully, chose to act in goodness. It matters.

Let us be empathetic and sympathetic.

Whoa to the talkers who have answers, even though they were not there. Whoa to the ones who say this or that or whatever it is that people say in judgement.

Of course, there are lessons to be learned. We’ll learn them in due time. In the meantime, give people space and time so they can mourn, so they can process, so they can reach an understanding for themselves and for/of the people they love.

And always remember that we’re all a bonk, a bad crash, an on-trail heart attack, or a bout of rhabdo away from possibly ending up dead while doing what we love.

Rhabdo? I’m going to post the link again to my experience with what I thought might leave me dead on the trail:

https://mtbeer.substack.com/p/psa-rhabdomyolysis

Grab a beer, sit back and read on.

Rest in peace to all mountain bikers we’ve lost while out riding/enjoying the trail …

Fully Rigid is a monthly column by James Murren about Mountain Biking Issues within the Mountain Biking Community.