ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

In 1985, my brother and I entered a bicycle race in our home town of Bedford, Pennsylvania.  I'd bet the only reason I entered the race in the first place was because Jake did....back then he was significantly more into these types of events than I was.  Honestly, I have no memory of the race (let alone the outcome). It wasn't until I found an old pic of me (dressed in very 1980s sweats) standing on my tip toes over my Huffy Omni 10-speed bike that the vaguest memories of even being there came back to me.   12 year old me prior to my first bike race.  It looks like the staging area was the old Bedford Primary School on  South Juliana Street -- October 1985 My younger brother, Jacob Raymond -- October 1985 Fast forward more than twenty five years...to 2007, 2008, and 2009...a three year period in which I was really into mountain bike racing.  It seemed like Mark, Glenn, Mikey, and I had a race almost each week during the Spring and Summer ...

I almost titled this post TRAIL ADVICE but decided against it.  Far be it from me to consider myself some sort of expert who ought to offer cycling advice to anyone.  As far as I'm concerned, there is no right or wrong to anything when it comes to mountain biking.  Everybody has their own preferences and opinions in style and gear. So whatever works best for you..and feels best to you...is what you should do.   I will, every once in a while, offer some basic tips to people who are interested in biking (especially mountain biking) for the first time.  I think that, after 25 plus years of riding, I can at least do that.  These tips have nothing to do with what kind of bike to ride, how wide your handle bars should be, or how high your saddle should be.   The tips I sometimes offer tend to be more generic and grounded in the overall experience as opposed to the technical side of riding.  So...if you are interested in mountain biking for th...

I'll admit that I've spent a lot of the winter window shopping at the bike shop.  Fortunately for me (and my wallet) there really isn't anything major that I need to purchase this year for mountain biking.   Currently, I'm three years into a four to five year commitment with my bike (which I still love).  Likewise, no new helmet this year...I can't yet seem to part ways with the florescent green helmet I purchased in 2017.  I'm at the point where a new pair of mountain biking shoes wouldn't be unreasonable...but besides the typical small stuff that needs to be replenished (CO2 cartridges, orange energy chews, and a few extra tubes) I think that I'm pretty much set for Spring riding. The snowy hillside and low sun angle make for a cool background in this pic.  My Stumpjumper on the trails behind the Hershey Medical Center.  No need to replace it yet!  -- February 16, 2019 It's February in Pennsylvania...statistically, the coldest and sno...

 January and February tend to provide a lot of sleet, rain, snow, ice, and bone chilling weather here in York County, Pennsylvania. For sure, not ideal conditions for biking...but, I made a commitment to opt outside as much as possible in 2019...and I'm sticking with it. Conditions and time have kept me from heading to the local county parks to mountain bike.  Likewise, gravel and rock salt have kept me (for the most part) off of my road bike.  Still, as I came to realize last winter, I have plenty of  OPTIONS  to get out and do what I love to do. I took advantage of  the extra couple hours of daylight and rode my mountain bike along and around the train tracks in Manchester, PA after school let out early in anticipation of a pending snow storm. -- January 19, 2019 An Arctic blast hit the northeast late last month.  The first "snow day" I had this school year wasn't for snow...it was for the downright frigid temperatures.  Temps so cold...

I first heard of REI's  #OptOutside initiative back in November.  GUNG HO BIKES , the bike shop at which I work, followed  REI 's lead and decided to close its doors on Black Friday to host a series of rides.  What a great idea...encouraging more and more people to take a break from the stress of everyday life, disconnect from screen time, and enjoy time outdoors...reconnecting with nature and spending time with family and friends!   The three inches of snow that fell overnight might keep me off my road bike...but it won't stop me from opting to be outside! -- January 13, 2019 The new year is a time for new resolutions.  Typically, I don't make them...but this year, at the suggestion of my wonderful wife, Robin, the two of us have one.  We are going to try to commit to doing 52 hikes in 2019.  That's at least one a week for the next year...and, as of right now, we are three for three:  three weeks in and three hikes in ...