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By NIKKI PARKMUAHS ReporterHis bicycle moves swiftly down the road. He rounds the comer, squinting as the sun appears over the mountain. He has the school in sight. Rocks fly up from underneath his back bike tire as he pulls into the parking lot, ready for another day of teaching classes and grading tests.Students aren’t the only ones arriving to school by bicycle at Mount .Union Area High School. Science teachers Howard Kirsch and Rob Ohawk have traded their parking spaces for bike chains.“I started riding my bike every day in late May so I figured riding to school would be a good way to keep up the exercise,” commented Kirsch.Kirsch, who lives in Shirleysburg, approximately eight miles from the school, rides his “specialized” mountain bike four or. five days a week, avoiding days with heavy rain and snow. He plans to ride his bike throughout the school year as long as he still has good traction and room to get off the road.To avoid an accident, Kirsch has decked out his bike with a headlight, flashing tail light and reflective tape.“The shortest amount of time it took me to get to school from my .house was 21.5 minutes. I had a pretty good southeast wind. My longest time was 43 minutes. I was on my !way home driving into the same wind. ,1 average about 30 minutes,” commented Kirsch.Kirsch stated, “After the long ride, I usually feel exhilarated, but sometimes I’m just plain tired.”Ohawk, who lives in Alexandria, has a more challenging ride. During the school year, he makes the 20-mile .trip four or five days a week by bicycle. On average, it takes him about 1 hour and 15 minutes.1 “When I commute to school, I usually take a road which runs beliind the prison to Smithfield, From there, I“BIKERS” ROB OHAWKAND HOWARD KIRSCHride through Huntingdon and pick up Route 522 by Car Care”This may seem like a long ride to those who are not avid cyclists. But to Ohawk, who says a typical trip is 50 or 100 miles, this is just a leisurely ride.Although this is the first year Ohawk has ridden his bike during theregular school year, he has been biking to summer school for several years.“After riding all summer, it got to the point where I didn’t even drive a car. I just figured that since I’m already biking everywhere, I’ll ride to school, too. I’ll probably give it a break at die end of October and start again in the spring. There is no joy in riding a bike in January,” Ohawk commented.Ohawk also tries to avoid traveling in the rain.“Although it can be refreshing and fun during the summer, riding in the rain is not enjoyable when you have to buy your own gear. You quickly learn that water and mud are not yourfriends. “‘Road pizza’ (dead animals) and ‘road apples,’ from horses, tend to make wet asphalt icky,” stated Ohawk,Being the bicycle connoisseur that he is, Ohawk knows a little about bike safety,“You need to wear glasses. Most of the time you’ll hear about the need to protect your eyes from UV rays, but I think dirt and insects are far more problematic. You should also wear a helmet. About 10 years ago, I was in a ( bike shop and heard a customer say that he didn’t need one. I showed him the bike I brought in and the remains of the helmet I had on at the time. He left with a helmet. A collection of lights can also be helpful. Although some drivers can’t comprehend that the bright, shiny thing driving along the side of the road is a human, you’ll still be able to see and avoid any obstacles, such as rocks, branches or dead, furry animals.”Ohawk also stresses the importance of staying hydrated while riding.“Something which can be easily overlooked is water. Always make sure you have enough to drink during your ride. I carry at least two bottles during the summer, and I may fill each of them up three or four times over the course of a long ride.”Ohawk also offers this advice to those who wish to take up this hobby, “Don’t think you have to spend $3,000 on a bike to start riding. Ninety-nine percent of the human population would never derive any benefit from a Dura-Ace component package and a titanium or carbon fiber frame. Start small and work your way up as your skills improve. If assembled correctly, a Wal-Mart bike will do just fine for short rides.”Ohawk urges others to consider riding.“If you think that the price of gas is too high, think about commuting to work or to complete those little errands around town,” he concluded.
Newspaper Details
The Daily News
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Nov 04, 2005
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
PA, USA 11 Aug 2020
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