Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo – 2022

What in the world is Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo? A question that JB asked the first time he had heard about it three or four years ago. Selene Yeager, bestselling author, pro cyclist, and PA-native mentioned this Northeast PA event on a podcast where friends get together annually; embark on a 100-mile mixed surface tour of Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties; eat tacos; engage in shenanigans;...

Laurel Classic MTB Challenge – 2022

The Laurel Classic MTB Challenge - 2022 capped off a great weekend of riding in the PA Grand Canyon area (a/k/a Pine Creek Gorge)! JB kicked the early-September weekend off by riding the Lyman Run 25 Gravel Route near Galeton, Potter County, PA. Afterwards, he made the 30-minute or so drive towards Wellsboro, stayed the night on the east rim of the canyon, and hit up the Laurel Classic on...

Lyman Run 25 Gravel Route

Potter County, Pennsylvania. God's Country! And, the location of The Hub's Lyman Run 25 Gravel Route. The county is so aptly nicknamed because of its remote, vast, and largely uninhabited landscape. The Commonwealth owns over 40% of Potter County. Much of it reverted to the Commonwealth subsequent to the decline of the timber industry in the late-1800s to early-1900s. Fortunately for us, it is...

unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley – 2021

Like previous editions, unPAved of the Susquehanna River Valley - 2021 was a huge success. The mid-October foilage in central PA was like previous editions as well, exquisite. The Unpaved Hub's JB rode the 2021 Full 125ish mile route and describes the weekend below. If you are looking for specific details on what unPAved weekend is all about, check out The Hub's 2019 report. It provides more...

Public Lands Ride – 2021: Elk State Forest

As indicated in our series of posts on the Public Lands Ride - 2020 and the in-person Public Lands Ride - 2021, the event originally started in 2019 as an annual mixed-surface gathering hosted by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, PEC quickly pivoted to a virtual format, releasing several routes in various state parks and forests in western and...

Wilderness 101 – 2021

Editorial Note: This is the first entry in JB's Journal. The Journal is a recount of JB's adventures, event participations, and other musings. This installment is a race brief of his Wilderness 101 - 2021. The Wilderness 101 is the original ultraendurance MTB event. It takes place in beautiful central PA (CenPenn), near State College - home of The Pennsylvania State University! The original W101...

Laurel Highlands Gravel Routes Collection

We are thrilled to release the Laurel Highlands Gravel Routes Collection. The routes in this collection traverse The Hub's back yard and are near to where JB grew up, which is about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.  The focus of the collection is on the public lands of Forbes State Forest and its accompanying state parks, and the mountain and farm country surrounding them. The...

Road Apple Roubaix

Horse poop (a/k/a road apples), Amish country, dirt and farm roads, frigid temps, snow, and ice. If those things sound enticing, the Road Apple Roubaix (RAR) is for you! For JB, those things and many more have made riding RAR an annual tradition. It was his first ever gravel event back in 2017, and has served as the unofficial start to the cycling event season. Read on if interested in a summary...

Public Lands Ride – 2021

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) Public Lands Ride - 2021 marked the return of the in-person running of the event. If you haven't already, check out The Hub's write-up on the 2020 virtual series or the Elk State Forest route from the 2021 virtual series. A can't miss bundle of routes that show off Moshannon, Bald Eagle, Rothrock, and Forbes State Forests. The PEC Public Lands Ride...

Clear Creek – Cook Forest Gravel Route

The Clear Creek - Cook Forest Gravel Route traverses a plethora of sweet gravel and public lands on the southwestern end of the PA Wilds. JB was introduced to this area when he explored it as a kid with his Dad. He was reintroduced to it as an adult when he stayed with his good buddy at his hunting camp affectionately known as "Camp Mold". The camp was rough around the edges, but was surrounded...