Since the day I left Iraq, I’ve been trying to find my way to that golden highway that leads to the mystical American Dream. Unfortunately, that road has had its share of potholes.

In March of 2006, an IED blew up in my face. It was only through luck that I managed to walk away without a scratch. But ever since, that day has found a way of wedging itself in between me and my life.

I spent nearly six years in an unshakeable state of constant stress, anxiety, and depression. My health and relationships suffered immensely. It was only after I started cycling that I really began to feel alive again. With that renewed joy for motion I shopped for the best mountain bike tires on Tread Hunter and rode into the forests.

Iand  found beautiful things in nature, both to look at and to challenge me. Slowly, hope began to return.

It’s been a long road, and it’s only going to get longer. But, as long as I have my bike that I carefully chose from the best mountain bike comparisons and reviews – I’ll enjoy every uphill mile of it.

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Ryan R. Nolan is veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, an avid cyclist, and an aficionado of bulldogs and Charlie Brown. He is a graduate student in the Creative Fiction program at Johns Hopkins University and is currently writing his first novel about war, social awkwardness, and machine gun puberty.