Two Wheel Freedom | A Mountain Biking Documentary

What does freedom mean to you? To me, freedom means choosing your own path. Choosing what you want to do, where you want to go, and who you want to be. It's about having the autonomy to achieve whatever you want in life. To me, freedom means having the opportunity to be 100% you. For me, mountain biking isn't just a form of exercise. It's a way of life. My wife often tells me that I'm better on two wheels than my own two feet. She's not wrong. Yeah, that's definitely true. His feet are like heat-seeking missiles. He can't really walk in a straight line, but he can, you know, pop a wheel on a bike. So I don't know how that adds up, but. I'm an Iowa boy through and through. Grew up on a farm in Southwest Iowa. My dad's a farmer. Went to Iowa State University, go cyclones. And then I somehow made my way to Minnesota with my girlfriend, now wife, and the land of lakes, forests. Loved it. And now we made our way to Arizona, the desert. And we love it here, but what's next? I don't know. It's an adventure. I always thought it was funny during my dad's speech at our wedding, he was talking about how Michael was always crazy adventurous with his dirt biking and, you know, riding down mountains on a bike and how he always thought I was nuts that I just decided to move across the world to New Zealand. And, you know, he got a picture of me just bungee jumping one day and now he was just tying it all together, being like, are we all surprised that these people are just moving to Arizona? And I think that's just kind of how me and Michael like to be. We like to, you know, just kind of act on our ideas and we like to, you know, make ourselves maybe uncomfortable in a new scenario, but that's just how we like to live our life. And now we love it here. We have the best time. We hike, bike, we do everything outside. It's been really, really fun. I was six years old. I got the school bus one day and saw the coolest machine ever. My first dirt bike. Riding it for the first time, I remember riding it through the grass in the backyard and the sound was murder. It was the first time I truly felt adrenaline rush and I was addicted. A few years after I got my first dirt bike, my little brother and I started racing motocross. Spent many years racing. Smiling through my helmet, I knew right there this would become a big part of my life. And then college came. The motocross days came to an end and the Harley days began. My Harley brought a whole new meaning of freedom to me. It took me places that I would have never gone without it. I rode through forgotten towns, golden farmlands, and ripped through canyons. Summer of 2016, I smoked a deer in my Harley and shattered my elbow. I was doing about 40, 50 miles an hour, getting onto the highway and a deer darted right in front of me. Couldn't do a thing about it. Didn't hit it. And I just went right over the bars of my Dyna and landed on my elbow. Shattered his elbow, needed some physical therapy. And I worked at a physical therapy office at that time. So I was just a technician, but he was coming in about once every other week. And we would chat a little bit while he was there. I remember the day I was discharged. I'm like, Oh no, I didn't even see her this day. I was like, Oh, I got to find her. I got to get her number. And I, she was just nowhere to be seen. So I like left with my tail between my legs. I'm like, Oh, it's over. I lost my chance. So I made a very bold move and I followed him on Instagram, but it paid off because he messaged me on Instagram a week later. Oh my God. No way. So my buddy Riley, dude, the girl I'm digging on followed me. Like, Oh hell yeah, bud. I was so stoked. And uh, yeah, I messaged her back and the rest is history. The first time we went on one of our first dates, I will never forget. I used to watch the Vikings games at an Omaha bar by myself, rogue, only Minnesota Vikings fan in the bar, had a Jersey on everything. These poor bartenders pitied me, put me in the corner of the bar, turned one of the TVs on, let me watch it. Well, one day Michael wanted to come and I said, that's fine, but I will be watching the game. And he came, was a little bit too chatty. And I quite literally had to tell him at halftime, Hey, this is great and all, but the game's on and I'm watching it. And you know, I'm happy to chat afterwards, but this is very close. And he learned quite quickly. I took it very seriously. The life of a Minnesota Vikings fan is not an easy one, but he did, you know, grab a hold with both reins. He was a hundred percent in, he learned football. It was awesome. Took him a couple of years, but, and now he's a big Minnesota Vikings fan. He loves the twins. He loves the wild. I think that's so fun. He did not really like sports a ton before we started dating, but now sports are like a huge part of what we do together. So I think that's really cool. I never mountain biked until I met Michael. I used to bike all the time in my neighborhood, but that was just like road bike neighborhood kids stuff. But Michael taught me to mountain bike. I'll never forget the first time we went to a mountain bike trail in Minnesota, not a Schwinn bike from who knows where Walmart probably. And it was not built for it. And it was very difficult. And it only took me a couple of weeks to be like, I'm going to get a mountain bike so that I can keep up with you because this is pretty fun. And it was awesome. I remember the first time I went mountain biking, the adrenaline and excitement hooked me from the first time my tires hit the dirt. It was a new challenge. A lot of people mountain bike for fitness, stress relief, and various other health reasons. I myself, mountain bike for the adrenaline rush and the sense of freedom it gives me. 5 p.m. Sedona bound, much needed. While city life isn't all bad, I often find myself craving to just pack it all up and go on a spontaneous adventure with my wife and dog and enjoy the great outdoors for the weekend. To get away from the concrete jungle, the city lights and the sound of traffic. Being out in mother nature in the middle of nowhere, exploring new places is always such a great middle of reset for us. There are even days during the week when I want to go mountain biking after work, but I just dread sitting in traffic to get the trail head. But once I get there and start pedaling, I'm always reminded why I love doing this so much. Other than hiking, I've never been able to find a way to immerse myself in nature. Whether on top of a mountain in a lush forest or under the hot sun in the middle of the desert, the pure exhilarating freedom of just being out there on the trail, soaking all in one pedal stroke at a time is what I grew to love. Having the freedom to enjoy the great outdoors is such a valuable part of my life now. Due to today's technology, I believe the younger generations don't truly know what it's like to be free, to be less involved in the fake digital world and be involved in the world around them. Growing up my friends and I were constantly outside playing in the dirt, riding bikes, exploring. We should encourage kids to explore on their own and yes, let them get in a little bit of trouble. Kids, teenagers nowadays are too engaged on their tablets, video games and phones. We don't need that digital t-tox and that solution is the great outdoors. To the kids of today, I want to say a quote from one of the best movies ever made, The Sandlot. I want you to get outside into the fresh air and make some friends, run around, skip your knees, get dirty, climb trees, hop fences, get in trouble for crying out loud. Classic. Mountain biking can be such a rad experience for people of all ages, whether you're a kid or an adult, there's always something completely exhilarating about riding a bike and pedaling away to freedom. They call it two wheels therapy for a reason. There'll be a moment when you'll be riding and what have you got going on in your life? Any problems you may have? Oh, you got to do this, or you got to do that for a few seconds or the whole ride itself. You might think, wow, that was something. I'm going to remember that for the rest of my life. Or how fun was that downhill section? Can I hit that turn harder? For that rare moment, all your problems are gone. Those special moments where you can leave the dullness of daily life behind and pull your troubles away and feel that incredible sense of independence, of freedom. And to me, that is very therapeutic and meaningful, whether it's the scenery, the wind in your face, or just being active. It's easier to let things go and get on with life. Look where you want to go and stay focused on the positives. Bike at the speed of life and enjoy every second of the ride. I hope you can find those things that help guide you through life. If I had to give someone one piece of advice, it would be that life is way too short to be boring. I would just go out, take risks, live life to its fullest and you'll never have a regret in your life. I know wherever I go in life, two wheels will guide me. Freedom is a fundamental human right. You must be free in order to explore and grow. Not every day we'll have growth, but just like in life, you have to take the good with the bad and make the most of it. Mountain biking is a lot like life. You crash, you get frustrated, you might get rained on, you might run into a cactus, but you succeed, you improve, you push your limits. And then maybe you crash some more, but you're constantly learning. And those lessons extend far beyond the trailhead. When life seems like a no-win situation, sometimes all it takes is another try. You just got to give her the beans and hold on for the ride. My life has been on two wheels and I can't be more thankful. Because when I'm riding, there's no time to think about anything else. It's about being in that moment. No other worries in the world. And to me, that's freedom. All trails lead to banquet.