General Cycling Discussion - Karma, Karma, Karma, Chameleon...

Karma - as loosely defined here:
"Karma n. The cumulative effect of a person's actions and conduct, having direct results on that person's future experiences. Good actions beget good Karma, bad actions beget bad Karma." From the bikeCOLORADO MTB Dictionary (http://www.bikecolorado.com/bc/resultsfastFacts.cfm?alid=188&letter=K&table=FastFacts).

About a year ago I was at a local trailhead (Colorado Springs, CO) getting ready to ride. My buddy and I started talking with these guys that had all these Rockshox Boxxers laying on the ground. One was suited up to ride, the others were in street clothes. Come to find out after chatting - they were Rockshox engineers out field testing some new Boxxer configurations on a local sick-o DH trail (short but sick). It was HOTTER than a pistol. One of the guys mentioned that they'd been out there testing for 4 hours and had run dry on hydration. I gave the lead engineer my Gator Aid. We swapped business cards and my buddy and I started our ride.

So - a few months back, I buy a Giant AC Air Lite. And the Psylo SL starts leaking recently. I take it to the shop, get an RA number to have a warranty rebuild done on it. I live in Colorado Springs - Rockshox is IN Colorado Springs...but the service dude on the phone (actually a SRAM tech in Chicago) says I'll have to mail the stinking thing in and wait for them to mail it back! My office is literally 100yds from the Rockshox front door! Then I remember! Tada! I dig around, find the business card - and give the Product Development Engineer at Rockshox a call. "hey man, remember me? and can I ask you a little favor?".

The guy says "no problem...as a matter of fact, we'll rebuild it better than stock for you"! and we'll call you on your cell phone when it's done so you can pick it up.

What's the point? Any investment in Karma points you build up on the way through life, might just (and usually do) come back to benefit you when you least expect it.

See someone in need on the road/trail? Help them out! See some trash on the trail/road? Pick it up! etc, etc, etc.

What's YOUR Karma story?

That's pretty cool story, and quite convenient you are practically across the street from their offices.

BTW I thought Karma was bad stuff and Dharma that was the good stuff. But I digress. Your point is well understood.

Can't say I've got anything quite as interesting to add. I usually give right away to bikers who are climbing on the trail, carry as much trash as I can out almost every ride, say hi that sort of stuff. Maybe some day it will start to catch up. Then again maybe it has but I just haven't realised it.

I give out tubes and gear regularly, and expect the same of other people if I'm ever in need. I came across a couple of guys who were running tubeless and had a flat. They were riding 5000 dollar bikes with the new Mavic Crossmax SL wheelsets, and yet didn't have a tube :rolleyes:

Anyway.. I gave him a tube, and didn't want anything in return, but when I arrived in the parking lot I found 5 bucks under my windshield wiper. Hopefully whenever I'm in need of parts somebody else will come to my rescue.

Originally posted by stiffee_shane
That's pretty cool story, and quite convenient you are practically across the street from their offices.

BTW I thought Karma was bad stuff and Dharma that was the good stuff. But I digress. Your point is well understood.



Karma is defined as the wage of sin. There can be no good Karma. Dharma is defined as either one's duty in life (as in, a righteous life) or as the cumulated whole of the Buddha's teachings. Either way, Dharma speaks to one's responsibility to live a just life, lest you subject yourself to Karma.

whenever i help out - when they thank me i always say 'not a problem....you'd do the same thing for me, right?'

i've come up on car accidents (a few years ago before EVERYONE had a cell phone) and pedalled up to offer assistance and to allow them to use my cell i was pedalling with -

growing up in big cities my whole life, i always felt that a helping hand was the difference between making city living great and easier or making it intolerable.

When I was 14 my best most hottest girlfriend ever dumped me and really broke my heart. I was destroyed.

I plotted, schemed, stalked.

15 years latter, I married that same girl and make her life miserable every day of her life!

She really should have made better choices in life!:D

Karma can work in strange ways.

Greg...

Now thats karma ;)

And now for the finishing touch...Rockshox called. Less than two days after turning it over to them, it's rebuilt and back in my greasy little hands!

About 7-8 years ago I worked for a fortune 500 company. We hired a new guy to handle our phones (IT - Server related). He was going to school and working full time at the same time. I was the only one in our department who really tried to help him with his work load and balance his classes.

Well, I left the company for 3-4 years to chase the good contractor pay for while. In late 1999 the company I was at was re-locating to Missouri and I wanted no part of that. So, I sent a e-mail to the HR dept. of the fortune 500 company inquiring about openings. They said they had 1 opening. I went to the fill out the paper work and do the interview and the receptionist tells me they have had quite a few people apply for this position.

I sit and wait for my turn, and when I walk into the managers office guess who is behind the desk.... The same guy I had helped 7-8 years ago. We spent the entire interview catching up and then he asks me when can you start! I still work for him and I wouldn't want it any other way. Oh, by the way, he got his masters degree in Business Administration.

Thats to bad, you work for the guy you trained. How does that feel?

Originally posted by Greg

15 years latter, I married that same girl and make her life miserable every day of her life!

She really should have made better choices in life!:D


Greg, I always new you were one strange dude. I guess that's why I like you. :D


I make it a point to be friendly, kind, and offer assistance to anyone who looks like they might need it. I also stop and move things out of the road that look like they are or will obstruct traffic - large boxes, tree limbs, garbage cans, car bumpers, large pieces of metal. I hadn't thought of it in terms of karma, dharma or whatever, but I have often gotten special treatment from vendors, etc., who had no reason to do so - call to try to buy spare parts, and they send them free, that sort of thing. It's nice, but I would do the other stuff anyway. Just the way I was raised, I guess.