Being an election year I thought I’d travel to Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell, Obama city  and a country founded by a bunch of white guys whose kids today are juxtaposed as they listen to what seems like awful new country and bad rap today or worse yet; they watch American Idol and play video games with little bike riding.  I mean say something with your music or just tell a story like Immortal Technique or Clutch. Imagine if your bike tires could talk or sing, the stories and music would fill your MP3 player or the shelves in your library even if you aren’t an avid cyclist. They have been taking you places since five years old and many tires have been retired (worn out) and some have gone flat. I mean how sweet is it to get on your bike and go…wherever and whenever you want. That freedom is a way of life so the stories have to be as animated as the journey. When I am 90 I will go into my local shop and look for a Fisher Tricycle- that is how much fun I have on my Fisher.  I hopped a plane for Philadelphia to find more such animation. It is always painful sucking down the half filled Nalgene (made in USA) out of spite of the TSA guards at the airport who want my chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) container.  (You can take a big glass bottle of corked wine, but no open water. Can you say “Lobbyists at work?”)  I take the steel stead Fisher Ferrous 29.  (made in USA thank-you very much). The node and the wink at the NWA folks and the bike fly’s free this time - no $90 one-way. Running no tubes in tires that require tubes is not a good idea in the Wissahickon. Start here. The 1,800 acres of Wissahickon Valley Park are part of Philadelphia’s 9,200-acre Fairmount Park, one of the largest city parks in the world. She is rocky as the toughest relationship. She smells of Vancouver, British Columbia with towering trees and relentless climbs. There is single track too!  She is in the city but natural enough like a good piece of sweet corn needing no butter or salt (aka bring any bike you wish).  She will take your soul if you are not careful.  Chad at Human Zoom was kind enough to bring the tire situation to my attention as he almost lost an ear drum when the non-tubeless tire blew off the rim during inflation…so I ride it on the “Wiss” anyway…and I flat on this sick rock infested downhill, it is getting late, dark and I have no tools.  I flag this guy down coming the opposite way and I am greeted with “You’re famous. You are on the 29er team. My buddy is on it in Pittsburgh. Travis Saeler.” Jesse Kelly was this guy. I guess the 29er logoed jersey gave it away.  Jesse lends me a tube, but no levers; I use sticks to get the tire off. We ride together as brothers as any mountain cyclist who is in need helps the other. He is riding a Dos-niner (not a Fisher but we will accept that as he is out there doing it daily-I saw him the next day on the trail as well).  We are riding and now he flats. I think Bike Mag in 1993 said, “anyone who prefers road cycling to mountain biking obviously prefers exercise over adventure,” and I could not agree more.  As for the Wissahickon bring tools and a smile but do visit it on your mountain bike, it rates 10 out of 10, it is a gem. I think they have a little road race there too in Philadelphia which might be fun to watch going on in June. Between Jesse and Chad, I am sure I met Philly’s finest.  Peace and thanks brothers and genesisters. - Dan k.

Observations, Trails
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