Born to Ride

ill Jamison likes to disappear into the desert.

He leaves behind his Phoenix, Arizona, home and travels north, past Scottsdale, until it's just him, miles of rolling desert, thousands of spiny cacti, and a mountain bike. "It's really beautiful out there -- a winding, single track," says Bill, 27, describing one of his favorite mountain-bike trails. "You just go out there and disappear for about three hours." The trail is just one of about 25 that Bill, a software engineer and former motorcycle racer, has listed on a website he created in June 1995 to cater to Arizona mountain bikers. "It's become a focal point for riders in Arizona," he says, describing the site's popularity. "It just kind of snowballed, and it keeps growing."


	On the evening of February 8, Bill Jamison, 27, rides in the desert near Scottsdale, Arizona. Bill is webmaster of a site devoted to mountain biking the southwestern state. (Photograph by Paul F. Gero)

In addition to trail descriptions, the site offers links to weather sites and information on local accommodations, where to rent bikes, training tips, and race results. He has also posted personal writings about himself and mountain biking. The site has attracted attention from people all over America, he says, recalling how a Michigan mountain biker used the site to plan his Southwest vacation. Often, Bill will meet up for a ride with those passing through. "The site gave me a lot of appreciation for how big the World Wide Web is," he says. "It's made a lot of friends for me, that's for sure."

http://www.primenet.com/~bikeboy/az_mtb.html