The world often changes without us noticing right away. Hindsight is the lens through which we identify when something new had started. Only then do we appreciate its significance. Many years ago in New England I was exploring the woods in an area that was somewhat off the grid. I heard a rumor that people used to ride mountain bikes there so I wanted to look for signs of old trails. After several trips I finally stumbled upon what can only be described as an illegally built freeride park. It was full of high jumps, wild rollers, daredevil skinnies and a ten foot high wooden berm. It had long since been abandoned with no sign as to who the builders were or if they would ever come back. The nails had rusted, the wood had grayed and cracked. The story of how it all came into being might be lost forever. That was the world before Strava. The internet has changed the way we shop, date and do business. It has also changed the way we ride. Or more specifically, it has chang...

They say it takes a village to raise a child, well it takes a small army of tough volunteers to build a good trail. Construction has begun on the first mountain bike specific path in Myakka State Forest . The forest has 8,500 acres of pinewoods and wetlands which are connected through several dirt roads including north and south loops. There is a great deal of potential space for off road exploration. Work on the "Palmetto Trail" has been going on since the beginning of 2014. The Sarasota County Off Road Riders (SCORR) have already sent a handful of teams into the woods with challenging results. It is challenging because the Palmettos are fighting back! Even a large crew of experienced builders must push hard to make headway through this area of new growth forest. Armed with some serious weapons, they tag, chop, dig, cut and rake one yard at a time. It can be a grueling slog. To access the new build, riders must park at the north entrance just off East Rive...