Mountain biking is an extremely diverse activity and whether you are
leisurely rolling along smooth gravel trails or careening down steep
muddy goat paths, it is an exciting and fulfilling way to experience
the outdoors.From the Explorers Club Biking Chair...
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There has not been a biking
activity within the Explorers club for some time, although
according to Explorers Club lore it once existed. Sometime
in the middle of the 2007 I decided to
revive the activity with a focus on mountain biking. I have
been an avid hiker since I could walk, so that's where the
majority of my outdoors expertise lies, though I've also
been biking for quite some time. However, it is only
in recent years that I've been adequately inspired to tear up
the trails on a bike in a mud all over your body, sweat
dripping down your face, bloody shins kind of way. I hope
that as Biking Chair I will learn more through both
experience and the expertise of others and that my passion
for the activity will serve to draw more folks into the
outdoors.
-Josh Caputo (jmcaputo@andrew.cmu.edu)
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Biking Destinations
Depending on your level of fitness and what your mountain biking
goals are, you will choose a different destination. There are many
local county and city parks (the most local of which are Schenley
Park and Frick Park) in the area that one can bike in. I have found
blazing along the gnarly and hilly trails of Frick Park to be a
thrilling ride even after many visits and Schenley Park is good for the
occasional leisurely jaunt, but for longer and more explorative
rides, it is necessary to drive out of Pittsburgh for at least 30
minutes or so. There are a few nice
county
parks and many state and national parks and forests referenced
on the hiking page that offer
biking trails.
Biking Gear
The Explorers Club now owns and maintains a Novara Aspen mountain
bike which has been rigorously tested in Frick Park. This bike is a
great opportunity for those who are interested in biking but either
don't have a bike or have a bike unfit for off-road use. It is
important to only ride a well maintained bike, designed for off-road
use, in order to avoid potentially severe bodily injury. Similarly,
an undamaged helmet is essential, so the Explorers Club has three
differently sized biking helmets. The Club also owns a hydration
pack, gloves, multi-tool, spare tubes, and floor pump. All of this gear is located in the
storeroom and, as per
Explorers Club policy, must be checked out and returned by an
Explorers Club officer.
Note: If you are wearing one of the Explorers Club biking helmets
and it withstands a heavy impact, such as you falling on your head
while on a trail, you must inform an officer of this upon its
return. A helmet's effectiveness in protecting the wearer is
significantly decreased after such an impact and the Explorers Club
will purchase a new helmet.
Bike Checkout
As mentioned in the above section, the Explorers Club owns and
maintains a mountain bike. In addition to the general gear checkout
rules, there are two stipulations with bike checkout.
- You must email the biking chair (and cc the biking list)
before checking out the bike. Please give advance warning of
your plan to checkout the bike; 24 hour notice is ideal.
- The bike cannot be checked out for more than two days
without permission from the biking chair.
Shops, Online Resources
Pittsburgh Pro Bicycles
- Bike shop on Forbes Ave., right in Squirrel Hill
Dirty Harry's - Bike
shop in Verona, PA
MTBR - Excellent mountain biking
resource with reviews of products, shops, trails, classifieds, etc. |
