Madison Matthews

Misty sunrise light
Owls in the autumn night
Mountain bike delight

While I have to admit that I had some help with this haiku, it summarizes some things that really got me excited about mountain biking in the first place. I grew up on two wheels, and have memories from a very early age of being in the garage and looking at my mom and dad’s bikes, thinking how cool they were and all the places you could go on them. My dad and my grandfather were both into road riding, and I’m thankful to have grown up in an environment that encouraged getting out and adventuring. I’ll always remember the first “real” mountain bike rides that we did. At the time they felt like all-day adventures, and really got me hooked on mountain biking. A few years later my dad and I both decided to enter a mountain bike race as a way to get to see new trails in a different part of the state – without having to worry about figuring out where to go or getting lost. That day turned into roughly a decade of focusing on racing and chasing that dream. It brought a ton of good experiences, lessons, and memories. A few of those memories were coming down to Harrisonburg for some of the races here, and being blown away by just how big the mountains were.

Madison Matthews

I grew up in State College, Pennsylvania – a town known for Penn State University. Rothrock State Forest is only a few minute pedal from downtown and in my opinion is home to some of the coolest technical singletrack in the east. It was the perfect playground to grow up and I credit that terrain for developing the style of riding that I most enjoy. A few years ago I came down here to camp and ride the area that Harrisonburg locals refer to as “up north.” Fort Valley is an incredible place and I was blown away by the trails and the scenery. Shortly after that trip, I graduated from college with a degree in welding technology and had the freedom to go anywhere. I found a welding job and made the move to the Friendly City. After getting to know more of the amazing people in our local riding community, I quit that job and started as a mechanic at Shenandoah Bicycle Company in 2020. The SBC family have helped me make this town my home. I’m excited to explore more of what this area has to offer, from riding and hiking, to rock climbing, and dusting off the skis to chase snow in West Virginia.