PHOTOS/ SARAH LEONARD
Jon David Wright, Fairbanks,
Alaska, senior, rides through
the Lawrence River Trails.
SADDLE UP
Lawrence is Kansas' premier spot for two-wheeled, off-road adventures
by Matt Elder
Sweat drips into the eyes of Jon David Wright as he picks himself up from the creek bed in which he's unwillingly landed. Calloused hands wipe away dirt and brush after he lifts his 29-speed Trek mountain bike back to its upright position. The limb Wright attempted to grab before tumbling backward lies on the ground nearby, an unspoken reminder that Wright almost left Clinton Lake State Park without a scratch. Almost.
A rush of adrenaline led Wright, Fairbanks, Alaska, senior, to barrel through the dry creek bed. Some might have called his attempt brave, but Wright calls it routine — just another obstacle on the park's 25 miles of single-track mountain bike terrain he'd ridden dozens of times before.
Wright relies on mountain biking as an adventurous and fast-paced alternative to running to stay in shape. But for Lydia Krebs, attraction to
"IF I DON'T FALL OFF MY BIKE AT LEAST ONCE DURING A RIDE, I'M NOT PUSHING MYSELF TO GET ANY BETTER." LYDIA KREBS, 2006 GRADUATE
the sport began while she was preparing to take the state bar exam. Krebs, 2006 graduate, used mountain biking as an excuse to get herself outside when she'd been spending too much time studying indoors.
Krebs rented a mountain bike from Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, 802 Massachusetts St., and went to the Lawrence River Trails near downtown Lawrence with several of the store's employees for her first ride. She was immediately hooked, she says, and returned to the store the next day to buy a 26-inch bike of her own.
Dan Hughes, owner of Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, says that new riders like Krebs should plan on spending
$300 to $500 on an entry-level mountain bike. If the rider budgets $100 beyond the price of the bike, they should have everything necessary to be trail-ready, he says.
Since she began riding, Krebs has placed second in two local mountain bike races. More importantly, Krebs says she's excited to have a competitive outlet, other than her career, in which to push herself.
"I'm proud of my bruises," she says. "For me, if I don't fall off my bike at least once during a ride, I'm not pushing myself to get any better."
It's possible for novice riders to begin mountain biking in Lawrence without all the bumps and bruises Krebs and Wright
have sustained. For many, the safer (and less painful) route is also worth traveling.
"People aren't always seeking the line of most resistance," Hughes says. "They're coming up to the 4-foot ledge and thinking,'Wow, I'm going to take the trail to the left instead,'even though it isn't going to result in them being in a Mountain Dew commercial."
Krebs has had to get used to riding primarily with male bike enthusiasts since her first visit to the riverfront, even though she continues to recruit female friends as riding partners. She's used to meeting people who are intimidated by the sport at first, but she encourages everyone — especially women — to try it out. Now, the same student who spent her undergraduate years at nearby Baker University on the dance team is content to spend her time trudging through the mud.
"It's unfair that women get placed in one of those 'you can't.' Krebs says." Either you're a girly girl and you like to dress up or you're a tomboy and you like to get dirty. I can go either way."
Lawrence and the surrounding area offers more than just the best handful of trails in the state for bike enthusiasts. Rob Pennell, owner of Badger Cycles, has been building bikes from scratch for the past two years. Originally constructing frames and forks as a hobby, Pennell's now sells his handmade pieces through www.badgercycles.com to riders across the country. For Pennell, there was no better place to build bikes than Lawrence.
"The people here are great," he says. "You can ride around town without having any issues and you can ride your bike to hit the trails as well. This is cycling heaven in my opinion."
NEARBY TRAILS
Lawrence River Trails
— This 9-mile loop near downtown Lawrence is a good place for novice riders to begin.
Clinton Lake State Park
— Clinton Lake offers two interconnected trails for bikes and hiking that offer moderately technical terrain. Riders can expect short, steep climbs over rocks, tree roots, creek beds and bridges.
Perry Lake State Trails — Located 30 minutes outside of Lawrence, the Perry Lake trails are for experienced riders. The lake's 15 miles of looped, single-trackterrainprovide a competitive level trail in northeast Kansas with fast, rocky terrain and climbs steeper than those at Clinton Lake.
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