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Day 2 of ‘Taken By Two Wheels’: Trailblazers of the North

Long before mountain biking became an Olympic sport, a small group of North State trailblazers experimented with what a bicycle could do on rough trails and old mining roads. In Day 2 of A News Cafe’s cycling series, “Taken By… Continue Reading

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Trail Etymology 101: How Did ‘Couch’ & ‘Taco Stand’ Get Their Names, Anyway?

Before Whiskeytown National Recreation Area gave official names to all its trails, local mountain bikers coined descriptions for their favorite park rides. These homegrown names – monikers such as the Gas Can, Couch, Recliner, Ice Box, and Satan’s Crack —… Continue Reading

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Blazing the Trail: North State Riders Played an Early Role in Mountain Biking

The relative newness of mountain biking as a sport might come as a surprise to some. Thirty-plus years ago, the concept of taking a knobby-tired bicycle on dirt trails was just starting to gain ground. A lot of that ground… Continue Reading

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Age is Just a Number: Redding Octogenarian Still Tears Up Singletrack

At 81 years of age, Earl Bydalek hasn’t really grasped the concept of slowing down. Well, maybe just a little. “I just had a hip replacement at Christmas,” he said. “I’m still riding, but more conservatively.” Bydalek, who moved to… Continue Reading