Well, we did it---the around-the-lake ride we'd been planning and anticipating for weeks. On Sunday, six of us ended up partaking in the day of grueling climbs, leaf-strewn descents, and all-around good times. It couldn't have been a better group---a fun and tight-knit bunch of like-minded individuals. For some, it was a harder ride than …
Around the lake…almost.
This was written in June 2013, but never posted. I just found it in my drafts and thought it would be timely to share, as I am planning my second around-the-lake ride for next weekend. Riding a bicycle all the way around Raystown Lake seems like no small feat. To go all the way around …
Bicycle Times Photo Shoot.
This is old news by now, as I've been a little bit backlogged on some bloggage, but oh well. A few weeks ago I spent a few days camping, riding, and hanging out with folks from Bicycle Times magazine, who were in the area to do recon and gather promo footage for Adventure Fest, another cool …
Pike 2 Bike — Riding the Abandoned PA Turnpike.
I have a certain love for exploring abandoned man-made things. I think they are fascinating---rusty metal, crumbling concrete, smashed windows. The ruin, the decay, and most importantly, nature once again taking over. One of the coolest "abandoned stuff" experiences I've had occurred yesterday, when my friend Jeff and I rode our bikes along a section …
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Ride guide.
Yesterday, I did my first "ride guide" gig for Rothrock Outfitters. Though I've been riding mountain bikes regularly for a couple years now, I know most of the trails in the area, and I've done plenty of river guiding and have helped lead group rides a few times in the past, I was nervous. I …
Riding new trails around Jim Thorpe.
The weekend began with a driving excursion east, mountain bikes spilling out the back of my Ford Ranger, and an eclectic musical mix that included Adele and Barry White spilling from my speakers. I took us the "fun route"---one that minimized highway time and maximized miles on back roads---my general road trip MO. At the …
Earning breakfast.
This morning, I gave up my day to sleep in to meet my friend Marci for an early bike ride. Coffee mugs in hand, music in the background, we drove the quick commute to her parents house, where we would begin our ride. The plan was to ride from their place in Williamsburg to a …
The moment when the sun shines through.
It began in frustration, perhaps even a tiny bit of anger. Mostly at myself, for things undone, feelings unjustified. I pedaled out of town, determined not to come back until I felt better, until the burning of my thighs and the pounding of my lungs and the wind upon my face had fixed whatever it …
Broken.
About an hour after this photo was taken, I found myself lying in the middle of an alley, curled up in pain, hyperventilating, my elbow screaming, Evan standing over me, telling me to get out of the street. It had been a simple curb ride---nothing out of the ordinary or spectacular that had caused some …
This is why I ride.
Thunder rumbles in the distance, but the sun is still shining. Every now and then the wind gusts, the leaves rustle. Maybe the storm is finally headed this way. But then it is calm again, with only the buzzing of insects and the faint noise of a motorboat speeding down the lake to disturb the …
helena kotala 