Dear Star Fury,
Yes, I named my bike. Taken from an episode of My Brother, My Brother and Me, where the McElroys read a Yahoo Answer about “Warrior Cat” names, it’s been a tradition for my bikes to be christened with a “Warrior Cat” name.
Star Fury was the mountain bike I bought after I broke my collar bone one summer in Asheville, NC in 2013. My first thought while I was walking out of the hospital, after I was told I had broken my clavicle in five places and was going to need surgery, was “Man, I can’t wait to get back on my bike.” And obviously it wasn’t my lack of skill that caused me to crash and break my body. OBVIOUSLY it was my entry level mountain bike that held me back. It’s hard to get sarcasm across in text, but please know that is sarcasm.
Of course, I turned to Adam, best friend and future co-host of Passion Fruits Podcast, for suggestions on a new mountain bike. He suggested this Specialized Carve hardtail, and I snapped it up. I used it to shred my local trails in Greensboro, to rip it up with Adam in the DC and Charlotte areas while he was living there, and to get rad in Western NC. This became the bike that launched my passion for cycling. I used this bike to learn how to maintain my bikes, how to set up tubeless tires, and how to install new parts. It pushed me to ride harder, faster, while still getting rad and having fun.
It was a no muss, no fuss, mountain bike. It took me anywhere I wanted to go, and put smiles on my face while doing it. Some of my favorite rides were on this bike. I upgraded to a sweet, full suspension mountain bike a couple of years ago, and sold Star Fury to a guy who said he was going to get back into mountain biking after he hadn’t ridden in a while since having kids. I hope it has inspired him to ride as much as it inspired me.
Thanks Star Fury. For all the memories.
Luv, Daniel
Passion Fruits Podcast 