Some winter mornings, while riding in Cornwallis Road’s new bike lanes, I can smell Counter Culture Coffee roasting those fairly traded coffee beans two or more miles to the south. The same still air that pools summertime ozone over the region’s largest employment hub wafts the unique smell of coffee beans expanding in heat, releasing their caffeinated oils. Whenever I ride through one of those invisible, aromatic clouds, I breathe deeply. Problem is, I can also smell the exhaust from the surrounding cars at every intersection. No doubt, on-road cyclists are more vulnerable to their environments than drivers. It’s not […]
Column: Could the Triangle be the next mountain biking mecca?
DURHAM — OK, OK, we don’t have the steep slopes or off-season ski resort infrastructure of British Columbia or West Virginia. Even in the state, we’re at a bit of a disadvantage. Western North Carolina already boasts the world-famous Tsali and Pisgah trail networks. You might think it’s unlikely that folks will come to the Triangle just for some off-road action. But, consider some other unlikely mountain bike destinations… the 33-mile Womble Trail in Hot Springs, Arkansas or the Alafia River trail network in Brandon, Florida. Both have earned the distinction “epic rides” by the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), […]