I’m still dirt poor.

I don’t like to talk about my childhood much because it wasn’t the happy, care-free, wonder-filled years that every kid deserves. That’s what I’m trying to provide for my own kids. I’m sure every parent on earth wants the best for their children too. We’re all human. We all want the same things in life.

I grew up in a large family, and we were political refugees from a war-torn country. We were the lucky ones who left on a jet plane instead of a rickety raft boat. We actually landed in France first, but being so young I only have a handful of memories from that time in Paris. I tell everyone I’m from Brooklyn, because, well, I am. I love New York City dearly, it will always be my hometown. It’s also where I feel in love with dirt.

Richmond Hill was your typical middle-class small town, with the hustle and bustle of the big city a good long subway ride away. Over the decade we lived there, it changed, but if I went back now, it’s still pretty much a small town. We had a few grocery stores, a couple take-out joints, and a bike shop. But most of all, I remember the little patch of paradise called Forest Park.

My first mountain bike was a dull-red Giant. I don’t remember which model, but it didn’t matter because I got hit by a lady who ran a stop sign and it wasn’t functional anymore. I saved up all my nickels and quarters from odd summer jobs and got a shiny new Barracuda A2L with real Shimano parts! I loved that bike and we explored so many trails on a daily basis. It was the thing that kept me going through my high-school years (never an easy time for a shy, skinny, short kid). I couldn’t wait to run home after school to go ride my bike. I fell in love with mountain biking, and I still think the ‘Cuda had one of the best paint schemes of any bike.

In economic terms folks might consider us dirt poor. But my new love of the dirt made me feel like a million bucks. The rush of cleaning a section, or dropping down the one big hill (there was only one) without using your brakes. I rode with my brother a lot, and those were some great times I wish I could have back again. I’m waiting for my kids to get older so I can get them into mountain biking. I hope they go riding local trails together too.

These days we’re solidly middle-class, though that changes every year as the housing bubble continues in our local market. I have way too many bikes, a side-effect of being a bike-magazine-memorizing kid and a middle-age-bike addict with no other hobbies. I even got the 1992 Eddy Merckx Motorola team bike I lusted after for over 20 years! It’s quite a collection, and I can’t seem to stop myself. There are more ebikes in the quiver too.

Our kids get everything they need, and almost everything they want. I get to work from home most days and have dinner with my family most nights. Life is really great. I certainly can’t ask for anything more.

But I’m still dirt poor. I haven’t done a real mountain bike ride in at least 10 years. Maybe even 15. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. There’s this “first ever eMTB race” and you know we had to enter. Even though the Koben was designed for everyday riding, my mountain bike roots and Joe’s mountain bike history meant that the Koben has the strength and geometry of a mountain bike. We just added 1x11 gearing, swapped tires, and put on a suspension fork. Viola, an eMTB! I’m not sure how we’ll fare against the dedicated racing bikes from the other brands (and their professional paid athletes), but I know we’ll have a blast. I get to ride side-by-side with Joe Murray! That’s not just like seeing Michael Jordan playing pick-up ball at the park. It’s more like putting on a jersey and playing with MJ in a real game.

I’ll stop rambling now since we’ve still got to build another bike for Kelly. But I’m hoping Karmic is more than just a bike company. I’m hoping we can make people feel great, care-free and full of joy. I hope we can bring the Karmic Experience to more people, even if they are dirt poor.

Cheers,
Hong