Gravel cycling, perhaps better explained as mixed surface riding, is one of the fastest growing forms of cycling. The sport is poised somewhere between road cycling and mountain biking. Most routes incorporate unpaved dirt and gravel roads, hence the term “gravel.” When the Pennsylvania Environmental Council wanted to advance a reginal understanding of the sport, […]
placemaking
WV TRAIL: Building a West Virginia Trails Movement
Not all states have a statewide trail advocacy organization. West Virginia was among those without a statewide body until 2020, when a working group of trail leaders gathered to discuss common challenges. Their intent was (and remains) “to build a West Virginia trails movement.” Within a two year period, they achieved nonprofit status and raised […]
Connellsville Nature-Based Placemaking Project: Cultivating an Outdoor Culture in a Longtime Trail Town
A community can check all the right boxes as a trail town and still need help in connecting to its trails and outdoor assets. Cycle Forward worked in Connellsville, Pennsylvania to help improve its connection to the Great Allegheny Passage, foster an outdoor culture, and lead hands-on placemaking projects. Dates: January – October 2021 Client: […]
Are we Hungry for Thriving Communities?
In her memoir, Hunger, Roxane Gay writes of romantic relationships, “…it’s a shame that the measure is what is not so bad instead of what is thriving and good.” That insight caught my attention because it’s true for so many people. No doubt, we all have friends or family members who stay in relationships that […]
Rebel Rebel Float Trip
Whiskey, kayaking, and the music of David Bowie are all things that I enjoy. But it would be fair to say that I’m not an aficionado when it comes to any of them. I add mixers to the whiskey, don’t even own a Bowie album, and kayak just once or twice a year. So how does […]