Same Hill, Different Ride: A Lesson In Perspective

Here’s a fun number: the average e-bike weighs around 60 pounds. Which, as Michael recently found out, feels more like a small appliance than a bicycle when you’re pushing it uphill under your own steam.

Michael was out riding with his father-in-law, who’s discovered a new lease on biking life thanks to his e-bike. Years of knee pain had taken the fun out of rides—until the electric assist brought the joy (and the hills) back within reach.

Michael, on the other hand, still gets a strange thrill from grinding up inclines the hard way. So naturally, he insisted on riding the 60-lb metal beast without help. That lasted until he watched his father-in-law cruise ahead like he had a tailwind. Michael gave in, turned on the assist, and... yeah, the ride got easier. But it also felt like something was missing.

Different Riders, Different Roads

That ride stuck with him—not because of the scenery, but because of the subtle lesson it delivered: just because someone else is enjoying the ride differently doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Or right.

His father-in-law was getting exactly what he wanted out of the experience: freedom, comfort, joy. Michael was searching for effort, challenge, that satisfying post-ride ache. Neither of them was wrong. They just had different goals.

It’s the same with life—and with money.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison. Someone retires early, someone else buys a vacation home, someone else is saving aggressively for university while you're prioritizing travel or time off. But your goals are yours. The only measure that really matters is: Is your life aligned with what you value most?

Your Ride, Your Rules

Whatever path you’re on, the goal isn’t to keep up with someone else—it’s to enjoy the ride you chose.

“Comparison is the death of joy.” – Mark Twain