I love the sense of adventure that comes with cycling. Finding different and challenging surfaces to ride on, riding up gradients I didn’t know existed, exploring remote mountains and forests, carrying camping gear and food, and taking in views only a handful of people have ever seen. I just love riding my bicycle.
Another passion of mine is music. For me, there has always been a marriage between music and cycling. Music changes my mood, inspires me, pushes me to go harder, and pushes me to go further. I can’t even begin to count how many times listening to music has pushed me up a challenging climb or motivated me through an unruly headwind. At times, you’ll find me in the middle of the woods singing along as I pedal, which also has its bonus of making lots of noise in bear country! More times than not, I’m listening to my favourite band, Dave Matthews Band.
I love everything Dave stands for, I love the expression that’s associated with his music, and quite simply, I love how his music makes me feel. So, when I had the opportunity to design the look of my new 3T Exploro Ultra, I wondered how I could incorporate Dave Matthew Band. I thought about the iconic DMB logo, the ‘Fire Dancer’, which was apparently a drawing by Dave depicting what he saw in the audience at DMB’s live performances. From my understanding, it symbolizes a person letting go of burden and insecurity and showcasing their inner glow, and spirit. In a lot of ways, cycling draws a lot of similarities for me.
Naturally, the Fire Dancer logo needed to be front and center on the bike. As for the colours, Gold, Maroon, and Navy Blue, they come from one of my Dave Matthews Band hats/shirts. I just loved how the 3 colours work together and contrast each other at the same time. The hat and shirt display ‘Dave Matthews Band’ showcasing the 3 colours with several trees. Fittingly, the items are titled as the ‘Dave Matthews Band Wilderness T-Shirt/Hat’, which certainly bodes well for the connection to the 3T Exploro Ultra and getting out into the wilderness.
I don’t really need anymore inspiration to get on the saddle, I just love riding my bike. But the DMB theme of this bike, and its intertwining of cycling and music will certainly continue to inspire me to adventure and to see more of the world from the saddle. If you hear and see a cyclist singing along to #41, Dancing Nancies, or another DMB hit while riding up a mountain in the woods, it’s probably me. Don’t be shy to join me in singing or riding, or both!
