Why I Love Riding Bikes

Adam soars down Stage 1

     If you know me, you know how much I like bikes. But it’s so much more than that. My love of bikes is a sense of wholeness, an idea of unity that pairs the poetic simplicity and serenity of a ride with the beautiful community that shares an incredible excitement for that simplest pursuit…

    But it’s not highfalutin. It’s real, gritty, gnarly. I’d say it’s ‘stoke-worthy’. This past weekend was a perfect example. The past two summers I’ve raced the West Virginia Enduro Series (enduro = several timed descents with mandatory climbs in between) and had a blast. The riding is top-notch gnar, downhills that truly push me and excite me. The conditions are never what I expect, adding another layer to the challenge. The other racers, though infinitely encouraging and fun, are fast. Further, my bicycle has always proven to be a challenge in and of itself: detached derailleurs, failed freehubs, busted brakes, and the scourge of flats tires are all added perils of racing. Yet, this is all of the fun of it. Every rider seems to come away glad to have put himself or herself through it. At the end of the day, it feels as though everyone belongs on the podium.

   This year, I was sad to miss the first race of the series and am upset that I must miss the remaining events as I will be in Bellingham, Washington interning for Freehub Magazine. Obviously, I’m incredibly excited to head out West to what is essentially my dream job, yet I can’t help but miss the action and camaraderie that I’ve found in these hills of Appalachia. That’s why I decided to go this past weekend to the Coopers Rock ‘Benduro’ not as racer, but as a photographer and a member of this racing scene.

    I was thrilled to document the event, knowing that I could capture the epic-ness of the race for my friends racing it. I travelled down to Morgantown, W.Va. with Nick and Adam, who did race and totally shredded it. We pre-rode half the racecourse the day before the event. It was wet and rowdy and I was able to scope out spots to shoot and we all got pumped for the next day’s racing. The weather was inclement, foreshadowing the rain, snow, hail and ultimate sunshine of race day.

Benji delivers his WVES sermon

Benji is a badass, sacrificing racing to put together these races. Although he does occasionally race too

Tim and Miracle lead the pack to Stage 1’s start

Greg sets off on Stage 1

I managed to catch Nick going pretty quick

Levi is the next generation and already shredding hard

This power line cut was wide-open fast

Kohl was among the few who hit the Stage 2 double drop during the race

Trevor likes pain

Father/son fun

rocks, rocks, rocks, rocks

Rhododendrons are synonymous with excellent mountain biking

Some had sick lines down the furnace drop

Some seriously badass women are among the W.Va. cycling community

Classically epic creek ford to finish the day

Angelica has raced the WVES since the beginning

Everyone pack in Benji’s truck!

The Athens crew, Team Smoke Wagon: low in numbers, high in stoke

    The race was awesome. Benji and John, who organized it all, are also some of the best shredders I’ve met. They never fail to put together an awesome course that shows off the incredible mountain-biking allowed by West Virginia’s beautiful mountains and terrain. Perhaps a best-kept secret, or maybe just an overlooked region, these Appalachian hollers are conducive to real old school downhill tied with pseudo-North Shore loam. (side note to mountain bikers: if you want an epic ride look no further than the North Fork trail or other W.Va. trail systems) All in all, these trails, to me, are quintessentially what mountain biking trails should look like. 

     Shooting the race was a breeze. As a rider myself, I know what the racers were looking for and had a few methods to make them look their best—it was also a much-needed crash course for me, with my internship doing exactly this kind of work dangling imminently.  Getting around the 22-mile race course was a chore, but it was fun and I gained a few companions along the way, equally pumped to be spectating.  

     I’ve never been more excited to edit a shoot. I’ve never been happier to share my images. They weren’t the best photos that I’ve ever made, but they mean so much to me. They represent a marriage of passions central to who I am. By combining the skills I’ve worked up to tell visual stories with my cycling experience, I felt I could lift up this community that has welcomed me by exposing their talent, trails and by capturing each racer in action. I submitted my write-up and photo essay to Pinkbike.com and was proud that they published it on their front page—less because of personal achievement and more so because of the community that I was able to expose and hopefully attract more to. 

     The West Virginia Enduro series may not seem like a big deal, but believe me it is. For the people who race it, it’s all the caliber of racing you could ever ask for. For those who haven’t raced it, it should be the next pursuit. I finished the weekend, wanting for racing, yet satisfied with the coverage I was able to produce as a single content creator. I can’t wait for my next WVES race. But I feel better leaving the area for the summer having covered at least one race, giving spotlight to what is still my favorite region to ride bikes in: my home.

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