Help Fuel Global Change

The Benefits of Mountain Biking, and the Events of the Summer

Bicycling has such a wonderful innocence; maybe it’s the memories of this often childhood activity - the remembrance of who taught you how to ride a bike or the freedom it symbolizes as transportation long before one can legally drive a car. 
Anyway you slice it, bike riding is cool and fun whether cruising the neighborhood, competing, or seeking new adventure on your local trails.

Local mountain bike racer Pat Wallace has a unique perspective on two wheels: “I’ve been riding bikes since I was five, and it’s a pretty universal blend of leg burn, fun and always rewarding for every level and age.”


 You are invited to immerse yourself in this passionate community of people who heart mountain biking. Whether you’re a novice or a professional there is a place for you. (See the article on local outfitters and make a point to stop by and feel the zing around bicycles.) Find a local race and come experience the sport and the lifestyle. Get inspired to commute to work or just drive less for no other reason than it’s good for you, good for your wallet and good for the environment.

Try a multi-sport race, The Dirty Duathlon on June 10 at Holiday Valley, challenging competitors to a 4-mile trail run and 10-mile mountain bike ride. Next up is the Raccoon Rally in Allegany State Park June 30-July 1, a biking festival with road and mountain biking, kids races and more!


 Wanna build your endurance? Come out every Wednesday Night for the Race Series at Holiday Valley to benefit the Training Center youth programs. Not long enough? How about 6 Hours of Power on July 15. At the end of July, celebrate your new-found aerobic capacity with the Ellicottville New York Mountain Bike Festival, and in October another opportunity to pedal in the Fall Festival Mountain Bike Race. One of the newest race series is in Sprague Brook, New York … find out more about all these events at www.wnymba.com.

Lance Armstrong’s book is titled, “It’s Not About the Bike” … maybe his next one might be, “It’s Not Just About the Bike.” The bike is the vehicle to connect with something greater than yourself … community, the environment, health, fiscal fitness and the pulse of the present! 
Perhaps HG Wells said it best, “When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”