I've loved mountain biking since I was a teenager. My first "nice" bike was a used hardtail that I rode as hard as I could, I knew at this point I wanted to save for my dream bike and I did. Three years later I bought a Santa Cruz Nomad. A bike I could ride my trails on as well as go to bikes parks. I was in love. After some time on the bike I realized it was a little too small for me(I was on the cusp of sizes) but it wasn't the worst so I accepted it.
Couple years later I suffered a horrible injury, a broken femur. When I finally healed I could only ride "hard" for about half hour before my leg would hurt to much. I accepted it and took what I could, enjoying those half hours as best I could. After some years it was discovered my leg hadn't healed properly and was still broken. Explained the pain I was in.
New surgeon says, gonna fix you right up and it'll be good as new. I was ecstatic, the thought of getting my life back as it was, was the greatest gift I had ever gotten. Immediately my mind turned riding and how good it would be too ride again, like I did.
At this point my old Nomad was long in the tooth, upgrading seemed pointless with so many new standards in the industry. That, coupled with the cramped cockpit I had endured led me to one thing, I deserved a new bike!!
It was my rehab project, I selected the frame and all the parts individually, building it up over the winter. I was on cloud 9.
Until I went back to see the surgeon. I wasn't healing. Turned out the bone was shattered so bad the blood flow was impeded and would never heal. That led to two more surgeries over two years, with delays.
Finally, the light is visible. I can start walking in a little bit and by the time spring rolls around I'll be able to ride. I am beyond excited to throw a leg over my custom new bike, a Santa Cruz Bronson.