A little story time (and a confession) from me, Jim, Outer Shell co-owner and the far-less-creative half of our "corporate leadership team". As some of you may know, raising kids and running a small business (my "3rd child") both take a ton of time and energy. If you've been listening to our podcast, every week when we review our recent rides, I rarely have much to report in the way of extended periods of time on 2 wheels.

I'm not complaining at all though! I feel incredibly blessed and grateful for how I get to exist in this world, and I do still manage to get out and ride regularly.

That said, under pressure to maximize my fph (fun per hour) during my limited riding opportunities, I've been opting for the electric *gasp* mountain bike pretty much every time I get out. In the back of my mind though, I can never quiet the voices reminding me it's a "cheater bike" for lazy riders, and the feeling of riding a rolling cone of internalized shame.

Fast forward a bit, and now I'm wiping literal cobwebs off this beauty.

My Hunter CX bike has been through so many builds/iterations over the years and when I stashed it at work last spring it was deep into its roadie era. Slick-ish tires and drop bars, but I kept the Paul Klampers and wide range Shimano XT 1x11 drivetrain. I threw some flat pedals on it to circle around our parking lot and it just felt so fast and responsive, it instantly put a huge smile on my face.

Since the school year started, I've been trying to get to know some of the other parents at my older kid's new school. Lo and behold, there aren't many enduro-emtb dads to be found among them, though there seem to be plenty of roadies. It's been a good long while since I've thrown on some lycra, but here's to rekindling familiar joy and making some new connections.