ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996           TAG: 9602280043
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
COLUMN: Community Sports
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS

ENJOYMENT IS MAIN FOCUS OF MOUNTAIN BIKERS

In an area known for its natural splendor, most notably the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains, it comes as little surprise that mountain biking is experiencing a surge in popularity.

At the forefront of the off-road bicycling movement is the East Coasters-Backstreets Mountain Bike Race Team, a group of 15 riders whose primary goals are to introduce competitive mountain biking to the New River Valley and teach new riders the etiquette of the sport.

"More and more people are taking up the sport of mountain biking," team member Chris Pohowsky said. "People are finding it to be an excellent form of exercise as well as a way to enjoy the area trails.

His group wants to help, by putting on a few small local clinics on technique and trail maintenance. "It's important for us to teach people how to take care of the trails we ride," he said.

The East Coasters-Backstreets team formed officially a year ago, but Pohowsky said its roots are deeper.

"Originally the team was a group of people that just got together that enjoyed riding," Pohowsky said. "We're a diverse group of people that share a common interest in the sport."

The team competes primarily in races held within a four-hour drive of Blacksburg. Team members won two gold medals at the 1994 Commonwealth Games and first place in both the Veteran and Beginner classes of the 1994 Virginia State Series.

"One of the great things about mountain biking as opposed to other team sports is that it relies more on the performance of individuals," said team member Brian Bond. "When you're having a good day, then your performance helps the team, but when you have a bad day you don't pull everyone down. The team can still do well without you."

According to Bond, the allure of mountain biking comes from the unique camaraderie between not only team members, but members of rival teams.

"It's great when you're flying up a tough hill climb and a bunch of people are having to walk," Bond said. "People always encourage you, yelling stuff like, 'Go man!' and 'You're doing great!'. They all know how important encouragement is and how much it pumps you up to have people pulling for you."

At competitions, he said, "you run into the same people all the time and you see the same people in your group. It's like a little community."

Ashwin Amanna, a team member and California native, agrees. He also says that Virginia has a laid-back approach to mountain biking. Enjoyment is always a focus.

"On the West coast people take the sport so seriously - there's a lot of attitude involved out there," Amanna said. "I like it better here because the roots of mountain biking still exist, but people do it more for the fun of it. It's a much friendlier atmosphere."

LENGTH: Medium:   61 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Gene Dalton. Dave Reimer (left) and Chris Pohowsky are 
          two of the members of the East Coasters-Backstreets Mountain Bike 
          Race Team.