back in biz!

the recent buzz in the world of two wheels, is the return of Eastern Woods Research. EWR broke through the mountain bike scene in the early to mid-ninties with a frame design with futuristic feel. long front ends, short rear triangles and aggressive angles gave the OWB, Original Woods Bike, a truly unique ride. especially on the technical rocky trails of eastern peeyay. luckily, i got to ride an OWB back when i was in high school and started laying my roots into the mountain biking scene. in all honesty, i never really liked mountain biking back then. i was more into the bmx racing/dirt jumping thing. way less spandex! none the less, i could not deny that the OWB felt like a bmx bike for the woods and i have always tried to mimmick that feel with every mountain bike i have owned since then.

moving years into the future, EWR is back and making current models of the OWB in the 26" platform, and on saturday i got to try out the much anticipated introduction of the OWB 29er. the OWB 29er has the signature EWR feel to what i remember from years ago, except with bigger wheels. very snappy and easy to ride through the tight and twisty, climbs like it should and the real feel of steel. a much nicer ride than the aluminum i am currently cruising on. the OWB is back and has been reborn with the option of the 29er wheels. swing on over to the EWR website and check out when and where jay and ken will be to demo one of these true american classics!

just a reminder!

rothrockin'!

what can one say about the trails in central peeyay except for, amazing! last weekends stoopid fiddy proved to be yet another reason why we all love to be enjoying the woods on two wheels. rain to clear out the stuffy dryness on saturday led the way for perfect trail conditions for sundays not-so-early start. the mountain laurels are in full bloom right now and probably will be for the next week or so, the cicadas were doing there mating dance, and the competition was stiff with some of my fellow single speed competitors mixing it up in the geared bike bizz. for the numbers on the day click here.

the trails were so good that i cruised back out on wednesday for another helping, but the weather was not so nice. cold rain and slippery trails were on the menu, but whatever man, that's mountain biking. road tripping and catching up with some friends is on the agenda for the next few weeks so don't call me, i won't answer. just kidding. love, peace and hair grease!

99 in the shade

"Well we got no choice, all the girls and boys.
Makin' all that noise, 'cause they found new toys.
Well we can't salute ya, can't find a flag if that don't suit ya, that's a drag.
School's out for summer, school's out forever, school's been blown to pieces!"

In the immortal words of Alice Cooper, school is out! It is pretty wild to toss your job asside for a while knowing you can go back in a few months. The heatwave of the northeast has been delivering some swampass conditions over the past week. It is unbelievable how hot it is and summer is still on the horizon! Speaking of northeastern PA, someone would fit in nicely with the locals around here. Everybody loves a little all night party!
A few weeks back, I ventured out to the Mohican 100. What a cool race! The trails, roads, and farmlands were very scenic and it is definitely an event to return to. As usual, there was also some fine folks to hangout with before and after the race to share in the experience. More can be read about the race here.
This past weekend the heat crept in and turned beautiful spring days into sweltering dehydration days. Saturday I lended a hand to a local rails to trails event in the booming metropolis of Hazleton, PA. The event was to promote the continuing project of the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. So far the have about 4-5 miles of the trail finished, and will continue to improve more of the trail over the years. I never knew how much it cost to create or refurbish old trail. It is quite a substantial amount of money for just a mile. The positive cycling vibe was definitely in the air and people showed up to enjoy the outdoors despite the intense heat.
As if Saturday wasn't hot enough, Sunday could have been even hotter! Arising early to coordinate a food and drink cache for todays adventures in long hot days in the saddle, I was quickly reminded of why one shouldn't mix Hoegaarden, Jim Beam and Jager! It was all for a good cause and hanging with and old friend. As planned, some of the Beaners, the Breaker of Kegs, and some local trail afficianatos rolled in for a day in the woods. It was hot, the rattlesnakes were out and about, and a much deserved dip in the Tank Hollow creek summed up a good thirty something mile day. Hopefully the heat will break a little for this weekends festivities. Until next time...