Mountain Biking as Inspiration

My new yellow bike, in Scotia Range during a recent ride

When I was 17 I had a horrible road bike crash. I was racing a friend and as we rounded a sharp curve, we converged, locked front wheels, and we both went flying over our handlebars to belly flop onto the pavement. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I sprained my pelvis and forever messed up my left knee. Fast forward an undisclosed amount of years to present day, and I have almost given up on bike riding altogether because of the lingering physical effects of that crash.

But this summer I took a chance and invested in a mountain bike. I love bike riding and I've missed it tremendously, resorting to swimming laps when my old injuries kept me off of my road bike. I'd known for years that mountain bikes are designed differently from road bikes and I was intrigued by the possibility that such a bike may be more comfortable for my messed up hip and leg. Thanks to working with the sharp folks at Mount Nittany Wheelworks, I found a bike that fit me. And it's been a wonderful discovery. I can ride relatively pain-free and I'm absolutely loving the scenery along the way (The photo above is from a recent ride in Scotia Range, right near our house).

I'm still learning technical skills and other nuances. But since August, I've traveled over 200 miles on my new bike. We are fortunate to live a short distance from the Scotia Range as well as many beautiful forest areas in central Pennsylvania and it's been a fantastic opportunity for me to scout out new, secluded locations for my landscape paintings. I travel pretty lightly when I paint outside, and I'm exploring the idea of taking my stuff out on my bike to work outside. As the height of fall colors approaches, watch what develops.