Carter Metcalfe's severe Tourette's tics made it nearly impossible to speak—until he discovered that mountain biking, especially wheelies, could quiet his brain in ways nothing else could.
At 96 years old, Bob Hicks is still riding trails he helped open to mountain bikers. His work building NEMBA from a Boston club into a region-wide advocacy powerhouse is why New England has one of the densest trail networks in the country.
In this personal essay, Anne Lassere reflects on how mountain biking has reshaped her entire social world, replacing wine tastings and trivia nights with frozen night rides, alleycat races, and a community that shows up with home-cooked meals after crashes.