In the August issue (click on picture of current issue, top left):
Our Side Of The Bay.......................................................................Page 6
A Cycling Tale Of Two Ferries.........................................................Page 10
Little League Of Mountain Biking...................................................Page 12
Bicycle: The Art Of Cycling.............................................................Page 14
Trispokes........................................................................................Page 16
Singletrack.....................................................................................Page 18
Family Cycling................................................................................Page 20
Behind Bars...................................................................................Page 24
Calendar of Events.........................................................................Page 26
My Bike Shop.................................................................................Page 30
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Little League of Mountain Biking
by Pat Childers
Fifteen riders line up for the sixth race of the mountain bike series. They chat with each other as they wait. It’s the usual talk, bikes, trails and Pokemon cards. That’s right Pokemon, this is the 10 and under division of the Northern Virginia Youth Mountain Bike Series, perhaps the fastest growing age group category in local mountain bike races.
Not content to watch their parents or older siblings’ race, these young trail mongers decided that they wanted in on the action. Three years ago there were only 13 youth riders of all ages participating in the mountain bike races at Wakefield Park. Now there are over 35 racers in the 10 and under category alone, over 125 racers took part in the seven race youth series in 2009.
The Race Series which is a joint effort between Potomac Velo Club (PVC), Trails for Youth (www.trailsforyouth.org) and Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) is designed to introduce more kids to mountain biking in general and teach them good sportsmanship. While the races are quickly becoming the little league of mountain biking there are some interesting twists.
For more, click on picture of "currrent image" top left.......................................................................................
Bicycle: The Art of Cycling
by Ron Cassie
ron_cassie@yahoo.com
Your Caption Here
"I do more cycling when it’s not 100 degrees," said Mark Cottman, following the opening of his one-man show, Bicycle: The Art of Cycling, at his new Federal Hill gallery in Baltimore July 15. "But I have been bicycling all my life."
Cottman, 51, has been bicycling all his life and remains a committed daily bicyclist, running errands, traveling between his studio and gallery, and grocery shopping by bike, but he hasn’t been an artist forever.
An architectural engineer by profession, Cottman picked up a paintbrush later in life. Initially, began exploring art as part of the Maryland Mainstreet Program architectural team, spending two years working in computer aided design. Eventually, he found computer artistry less than fulfilling, and started painting.
Of course, he did possess some drawing skills, given his education and professional background. But as far as painting goes, Cottman is completely self-taught, now equally comfortable with acrylics, watercolors and oil pastels.
He describes his painting as "colorful, vibrant and a little but funky." It’s expressive and evocative.
"I’m not trying to draw or paint things as realistically as possible – I am trying to create a feeling, capture the emotion," Cottman said.
For more, click on picture of "currrent image" top left.......................................................................................