Misrelate

It was a cool autumn morning and there had been a light frost during the night. I pulled on my cycling gear and went down to have breakfast. As I sat at the table eating it was still dark out the sunrise comes late in this part of the world at this time of year. I could see a magpie perched on the handrail of my back deck lit from the light of my kitchen. They are the early birds around here and stay all winter (even at -40). I wonder as I eat breakfast why they don’t fly south for the winter, if I had wings I would.

I head out to the garage after my breakfast and there is still a nip in the air as I take my bicycle out of the garage. The sun is just beginning to paint the eastern sky as I hop on my bike. The city I live in is blessed with a great park pathway system that follows the river through the city. I head down my street guided by the light of an orange sun rise and as I make the turn into the park a Jack rabbit hops across my path. This time of year they have already turned completely white but the snow hasn’t fallen yet so they stick out like a sore thumb.

I head down the ridge descending to the river and gaining speed. I before I reach the switchbacks near the river I see a coyote trot across the pathway and into the long grasses to hide, maybe one of those rabbits will make a nice breakfast for him. Into the switchbacks I go heading down to river’s edge and onto the bridge. The Canada geese on the river are gathering together for their big flight south. Many of them actually stay here all year and again I wonder why they don’t leave?

On the other side of the river I turn into the woods and remember my wife telling me that a black bear was spotted in this park further to the west, I hope it hasn’t wandered east! I keep riding through the woods and out to a clearing. The sun is low and bright in the east as I head south and back into the woods. I hit the brakes and slow down after coming out of a turn; a mule deer is off to my left only six feet from the path. I coast by not wanting to spook her, having her jump in front of me would be quite a painful meeting! I can see her breath rising from her nostrils as I pass. Wow, what a morning this has been! This is why I love to cycle to work.

I start making my ascent back out of the river valley; it is quite a grunt getting back up to the top of the ridge. The rest of my ride in is along residential streets so except for the occasional barking dog there is no more wildlife encounters. I get to my office building and start locking my bike up. As I pick up my backpack and head in I hear the chatter of a magpie from the top of a flagpole. I look up and give it a wave, who knows maybe it was the one who saw me eating breakfast.

Kevin Redmond is a senior design supervisor for a large engineering firm in Canada. He loves to cycle to work whenever he can. He also runs a consumers website called http://www.avoidconfusion.com it has some great deals on bicycles and accessories and other deals from A to Z.

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BMX bikes are a special kind of low bike, with smaller wheels than normal, that can be used for racing. They are designed to be very light weight but also very robust, as well as streamlined for speed. They are also known for being easier to perform tricks with than normal bikes.

BMX stands for bicycle motocross, which refers to the origin of the sport: children saw motocross races on the TV in the ’70s and wanted to emulate them. Since they had no motorbikes of their own, they used their bicycles to race around similar dirt tracks to the ones they had seen. Today the sport is notable for being one of the few sports that is taken part in almost exclusively by the under-10s. Although there are a few older professional BMXers, most good ones move on to other cycling or motorcycling sports.

Among children today, BMXes remain one of the most popular kinds of bikes around, even if they do not compete in competitions, and BMX magazines are some of the biggest-selling hobbyist magazines. This was a surprise to many, as the sport was considered pretty much dead in the ’80s and early ’90s, only to undergo a dramatic revival in the mid-’90s that is still going on now.

BMX is now one of the range of extreme sports like skateboarding and snowboarding, and similar tricks can be performed with the bikes to the ones the boarders do. The sport of Freestyle BMX was invented to allow BMXers to concentrate on doing tricks in skate-parks instead of racing, and has since arguably outgrown the popularity of BMX racing altogether - this is the style that the most famous BMX bikers, Mat Hoffman and Dave Mirra, compete in.

John Gibb is the owner of bmx guides, For more information on bmx’s please check out www.bmx-guides2k.info

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Visitors to Western North Carolina who are avid mountain bikers have a wide array of options when it comes to trails.

Close-by to Asheville NC cabin rentals are trails in the Pisgah National Forest.

The Pisgah National Forest includes trails at Bent Creek, Mills River, Davidson River, and the Coleman Boundary area, all within an easy drive of Asheville.

According to the Mountain Biking In Western North Carolina website, the Bent Creek trail is ideal for beginning and intermediate mountain bikers, as well as for family or group rides. While many of the Bent Creek trails are graded former roads and railroad beds, some sections have rocks, creeks and other obstacles sure to please a more experienced mountain biker as well. Bent Creek is also popular because of its proximity to The North Carolina Arboretum as well as to a small lake and family recreation area, and the fact that it’s only a few minutes drive from Asheville NC cabin rentals and other lodging in the city.

The Mills River area, roughly 20 miles from Asheville, has more mountain biking trails than any other part of Western North Carolina including two trails, Fletcher Creek and Laurel Mountain, that are particularly renowned for their challenges and distinct natural features. About 40 miles from Asheville, the Davidson River area is also very popular, not only with mountain bikers but also visitors of all kinds. The area attacts hikers, fishing enthusiasts, rock climbers, equestrians, and just about every variety of tourist.

Finally, the Coleman Boundary area is approximately a 30-mile drive for guests of Asheville NC cabin rentals. The area features waterfalls and streams, rock cliffs and diverse forests. It is popular with mountain bikers and equestrians, as well as rock climbers.

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