Some mountain bikers are all about competition. They register for all the WORS and NORBA races. They track their points religiously and all they talk about is their races. The social aspect of mountain biking is more appealing to me. I enjoy the camaraderie that riding with a group through deep forest singletrack and back country fire roads brings.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy an epic ride and will push it until my legs and lungs burn. Gotta burn off these holiday meals somehow. After all, I rediscovered biking for exercise after being bored out of my skin walking in place on the treadmill at the health club. I raced BMX when I was a kid and placed 141 in the Wisconsin ABA when I was 14. But these days I compete more with myself than against other riders.

A typical route around Rock Cut is about 12 miles. It takes me a little more than an hour. The next ride I’ll try to beat that time. John and I ride Espenscheid, a 3-mile loop, twice in a lunch hour. The first lap sets the time. The second lap we race the clock and try to beat the first time.

But mountain biking for me is about being on the trails, especially with friends. I like riding in new places, shooting video and photographs. I subscribe to Trails.com. I read the bike magazines for articles on interesting bicycling excursions. Last summer I rode some great singletrack at Standing Rock in Stevens Point, WI. The PASTA crew has done a great job in my home town. I met Dennis for a weekend of camping and riding at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, MI last July. Someday I’d like to ride at Moab, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Grand Illinois Trail, a 500 mile loop around northern Illinois from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. A section of it includes Rock Cut State Park and the bike path that runs just 2 blocks from my house.

Dennis is planning a winter trip to Ray’s Indoor MTB in Cleveland for his bike club in Traverse City, MI, in January and I’ve been invited to join them. I suppose if you live in Traverse City in January, you expect to drive 8 hours for a place to ride indoors.

I plan to ride the NITE ride in Chicago next summer. 2000 bikes ride the closed streets of downtown Chicago at 2am. That should make for some great video. Dennis raced the Ice Man in Traverse City last month. We’re submitting our names for next year’s Ice Man., also for the Fat Tire Festival in Chequamegan next September. Admission for both is by lottery that opens in January, so we have to commit pretty soon. I may be strapping on the competition helmet again next year already. I better get in shape.