April Showers Bring Spring “Cleaning”

In the world of mountain biking, there is a term called “cleaning”. This term describes when a biker is able to complete a tough obstacle on a ride without having to stop, walk the bicycle through or use their foot for support. As a biker puts their foot down it’s called a “dab” and originated from the sport of motorcycle trail races. Each dab was counted as a point against you and the person with the lowest number of dabs was the winner. If you were able to make it through the entire course without using a dab, it was considered a clean run, hence the term of cleaning.

Being able to clean a section can seriously save you time and energy as opposed to hopping off and back on each time a spot gets difficult. However, there is no shame in both utilizing a dab or walking through. It can take a lot of practice to be able to completely clean a difficult ride. Once you are able to accomplish cleaning though, it is such a great feeling of accomplishment. St. George News has a fitting metaphor for how mountain biking can translate to real life. “Problems are unpredictable, and it’s up to you to figure out how to get up, over down or around them. Life is a technique that takes time to build. Even when you have to get off and walk, you get back on and try again.”

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