Are you obsessed with mountain bikes to the point where they're not just a recreational vehicle - they're a lifestyle? Does your life revolve around the next ride or the next upgrade? Have you bought a car, lied to a partner or changed jobs to accommodate your love for the bike? Do your nutritional choices, clothing choices, and entertainment choices exist only to support a training regime or a bike-related style?
I am embarking on a photo documentary project this summer with the intention of revealing life as we the bike-obsessed know it. I want to explore the devotion mountain bikers have to their sport; a devotion that turns an everyday object into an almost religious experience which dominates every aspect of living.
I am looking for volunteers in Eastern Canada and the New England states who would be willing to spend a day or two riding, talking and sharing their mountain bike obsessed existences with me. You must be willing to let me photograph you and your environment extensively, tape our discussions for later use as support material for the photos, and sign a release form saying that I can use any of the material I collect along the way.
The outcome of this project, if all goes as planned, will be an art show and a book. Here's your chance to show the world how much you love mountain biking.
If you're interested in participating in this project, please email me at
bikergrl@ecmtb.com and put "mtbproject" in the subject line. Let me know how old you are and how long you've been riding and describe some of the "evidence" that makes you obsessed.
Thanks for your help!
Cheerios,
Sue Earle,
Editor, ECMTB.com