There is a lot of writing about adventures in far away places, using only the finest of bicycles and camping equipment.

This is not that kind of writing.

Currently, I live in North Philadelphia. Philly has many virtues, one being some noteworthy and well used mountain bike trails. However, this isn’t about that either. This particular article, much like this blog, is about finding the hidden treasures and carving out something from the routine, easily forgotten or taken for granted.

Off Richmond Street, is a small network of singletrack that is really nothing special, though its paths hide some truly great concrete ruins (e.g. fertile graffiti grounds), as well as a wharf. Mostly, the locals and a few homeless are the only ones to take advantage of this, and honestly, the on-going construction probably makes it seem inaccessible to the casual observer. It’s a pretty fun little ride. How many MTB trails do you get to see street artists at work, as well as a place to get some sun near the water?

The equipment I used for this short adventure: The Gravity Deadeye 3” fatbike, converted to a 1×8 configuration (more on how to do that, and a review later). The photos for this entry were shot with a Samsung NX100. The reason I mention all of this is… none of this equipment is unattainably expensive. In fact, one could have a substantial adventure using little more than this and that’s the point. Arthur Ashe said, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” I think there is true nobility in that idea. This blog, while it will certainly review items and offer “how to” articles, will hold to one philosophy over all others: Run what you brung.