What do a student doctor, a high school student, business man, teacher, IT specialist, blacksmith, woodworker, and photographer have in common? A love for the outdoors and mountain bikes. Always looking for the next adventure/endurance ride, this crew set out to take on County Route 30. This is a route littered with obstacles that would prove to test mental and physical endurance to the limits. This road has been used by the people who settled this area years ago as well as logging companies and mining companies that have both ceased operations for the most part. It is roughly a 14 mile stretch that begins in Nicholas County and snakes through the hills ending up in Dundon, Clay County. The reason for the ride was to try and spark interest in mountain biking and to prove that it is not just for the young but for all ages.
The ride began with a one mile down hill that claimed one rider and one bike six minutes into the ride when he attempted a 22 foot jump off a rock. With the rider checked out and given the all clear and the busted bike in the truck, the remaining group continued on through creeks, over rocks, stretches of mud, brutal up hills, and high speed down hills. It was an epic ride and just surviving it would prove to be a daunting task. All participants finished the ride wet, muddy, sore and with a few bruises but had a ton of fun and are ready to go again. Mountain biking is a physically demanding sport and a great way to get fit if you want to lose a few pounds and tone some muscle. It can also help to relieve the aches and pains in the knees and lower back while having much fun. The crew is planning another ride that will be the ultimate test of a biker’s guts and grit that will span over 20 miles of insane obstacles to ride through. There will be an announcement made when the ride is to be, and all mountain bikers are welcome to join in the fun. It is time to get out and enjoy the outdoors this summer.
