When Kevin Gnagey says he's doing "a little riding," you have to pin him down on what he means by "little."
On one day this winter, it meant three hours to cover 15 miles through Gambrill State Park. "Of course, there was 3 inches of snow on the ground," says Gnagey, explaining that he usually rides 25 miles in about four hours.
To Gnagey, manager of Horizon Cycles in Cockeysville and an avid mountain biker, the past few months have been the off season. During that time, the 27-year-old Cockeysville resident has prepared for the mountain bike season by going to the gym three times a week to work on his upper body and lower leg strength, "nothing really cardiovascular, just muscle training." He also rides once or twice a week, and if the weather is really bad, he'll ride a road bike on pavement.
As the weather warms, he prepares for serious biking by riding four to five times a week.
"Riding with full-time work can be tough, but you have to stay motivated and stick to your program and make the time for it."
If he's readying himself for a race, he'll do a lot of long, slow rides to build endurance, then focus on sprinting to build up to top speeds. But he's not particularly serious about racing, or his times: "I'm out there for the fun of it. It's always been a lot of fun, ever since I was a kid."
If you want to feel like a kid again, Gnagey can suggest some trails:
Easy: The North Central Railroad trail is flat, easy and fairly crowded, so Gnagey takes it only once a year -- 20 miles from Cockeysville to Pennsylvania, then back. The 16-mile trail network in Gunpowder State Park, between Harford Road and U.S. 40, is also "pretty easy," as is the 10-mile Western Maryland Rail Trail, 40 miles west of Frederick in Fort Frederick State Park.
Easy-to-moderate: Loch Raven Reservoir is a great spot for all types of riders. Two popular trails there are the Seminary Trail, at the corner of Dulaney Valley Road and Seminary Avenue, which is an easy-to-moderate trail of seven or 15 miles, and the 10-mile Merryman's Loop, a trail with steeper climbs, at Dulaney Valley Road and Jarrettsville Pike. One historic feature of that trail is the tiny Merryman family graveyard.
Advanced: Gambrill State Park, six miles northwest of Frederick, offers 12 miles of advanced trails, including rocky ones. But the trail system that's No. 1 with advanced local bikers is at the Avalon area of Patapsco State Park, near Interstate 95 in Howard and Baltimore counties. There are 30 miles of trails at that site. (An easier, smaller trail system is at the park's McKeldin area, where Baltimore, Howard and Carroll counties meet.
Easy-to-advanced: Susquehanna State Park in Harford County offers 12 miles of scenic trails for mountain bikers, and the Fair Hill Natural Resources Area in Cecil County, with 75 miles of trails, also is open to bike riders.
Web sites for winter cyclists
* Ice Bike bills itself as the Internet's "Home of the Winter Cyclist," and the guide to all things two-wheeled and frozen. It's got everything from pictures of guys riding their bikes in circles around the South Pole to mind-numbing debates on rechargeable batteries. http://enteract.com/~icebike/ default.htm.
* Iditasport is the ultimate Extreme Game, a 320-mile bike race in Alaska. In the winter. There's a shorter, 100-mile sport version for those who aren't up to a four-day pedal through the dark at 40 below. http://www.iditasport. com.
Pub Date: 03/14/99