The Mid-Atlantic Ride Journal

For the love of the bike

PREFACE

Martin Fernandez

Martín Fernández

Dear Reader,

I proudly present to you the first edition of The Mid Atlantic Ride Journal, a digital publication that aims to highlight the people and places that make our community special.

I’ve been fortunate to have lived in various places in the Mid-Atlantic, from Northern Baltimore to Northern Virginia, for a little over three decades, and have experienced first hand how the cycling culture has evolved over the years. When I first started riding in the late 80’s, I never imagined how much cycling would become a part of my life.

My involvement with the Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) in early 1992 opened the door, and gave me the opportunity to publish multiple regional cycling guides. Publishing books about trails allowed me to experience, visit, ride, on and off-road destinations all across our region. Beyond finding new places to pedal, I have met some amazing people along the way. All of them eager and willing to share their favorite loops, local knowledge, and experience, showcasing the places where they live and ride.

The goal of The Mid Atlantic Ride Journal is to share those same experiences with you, as well as to introduce you to some of the people I have met along the way, hopefully in their own words. This online magazine’s mission is to motivate and inspire others to bike and discover the same joy and love of cycling we have in common.

I also hope you are willing to share your stories with the rest of us via this journal. If you have an epic adventure, a first ride in a new locale, a personal story to tell around your “love of the bike,” or simply want to share your particular expertise, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Contents


A Lasting Impact

Over the course of the last decade Ernie Rodriguez has served the Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE). Learn more about Ernie, his tenure as President, and his plans for the future.

Making Time to Smell the Fungi

Our friend Becky Barkett “will stop for Mushrooms.” She talks about her love of cycling, and how she makes time on every ride to appreciate the little things in the forest, the fungi.

Race Day Preparation

After a one year hiatus, the Quantico Epic is back this coming April 27, 2024.

The Quantico Epic is Back for 2024!

Endurance Coach Matt Eggleton talks about his race day preparation process and how you can envision, plan, prepare and execute a structured approach to racing.

Telling A Story

Regional cyclist and visual artist, Korey Hopkins, has begun to make a name for himself in the Mid-Atlantic. Learn more about the man behind the lens, and how he fuels his creative process.

My “NICA Why”

League Co-Director Jon Posner Looks back at the Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League’s 6th Season and ahead to the 7th…

Inclusion and Encouragement

Cathy Riedel on what she loves about the cycling community in the Mid-Atlantic.

Tips to Filter the Online Noise

Don’t Watch that YouTube Video Alone! Three tips from Harlan Price on how to filter the online noise and start learning how to mountain bike better.

Destination: Snowshoe

Geofrey Branco first headed to Snowshoe in 2019 to ski with a friend. Since then he’s made the trek to Pocahontas County and splits his time in his NoVA home and now his second home in Snowshoe, West Virginia.

The Off Season

Korey Hopkins talks about the benfits of putting the bike away for the off season and re-charging with other activities.

Colophon

Get inspired!

The Mid-Atlantic Ride Journal (T•MARJ) is an online magazine that will be published four times a year. Our goal is to share stories from riders, to inspire riders.

We are always happy to receive feedback, and learn about what it is you would like to see and read in T•MARJ

Editorial Team
Martín Fernández (Publisher/Editor)
Courtney Fernández (Managing Editor)

Contact Us
hello@ride-journal.com

An Initiative of

ISSN 2995-942X

How to Contribute to the Mid-Atlantic Ride Journal

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the Mid-Atlantic Ride Journal.

We’re always looking for rider writers, photographers, and illustrators who have a story to share; be it an epic adventure on one of our regional trails, a personal journey of self-discovery, or simply have an interesting story to tell.

We hope the stories you share on a bike or about a bike help motivate and inspire others to hit the trail, path, or road to discover the same joy and love of cycling we have in common.

If you want to contribute, but are unsure what to write about, here are a few suggestions:

  • Why do you ride? Why do you keep riding?

  • Is there a personal moment that defines why you ride?

  • What is special about your favorite regional cycling destination? Share details about your destination of choice.

  • What do you ride? What is special about your chosen cycling discipline?

  • Is there a yearly pilgrimage you make to a destination beyond our region? What’s special about it?

  • Is there a regional event that you look forward to? Why?

This journal is a labor of love, and not meant to be a money making endeavor, for that reason we are not offering any compensation for your submission, nor do we retain ownership of your work. You are just letting us borrow it so that we can compile it with other meaningful and inspirational stories. We recommend that if you will write something, that you stick to around 500 - 800 words. Not sure how long that is? Take a look at this sample: Riding Loudoun County’s Historic Gravel Roads.

We also can’t guarantee that your submission will make it to a later issue. We do guarantee, however, that we will read it and get back to you.

If you are good with the above, the first step is to reach out to us using the form below, we’ll go from there.

2024 Publication Calendar

  • Volume 1, #2 - Releases on January 9, 2024 (Drafts due December 11, 2023)

  • Volume 1, #2 - Releases on April 9, 2024 (Drafts due March 8, 2024)

  • Volume 1, #3 - Releases on July 9, 2024 (Drafts due June 7, 2024)

  • Volume 1, #4  - Releases on October 9, 2024 (Drafts due September 6, 2024)

Donate/Advertise

We are looking for potential advertisers to help us offset the hosting costs for the Mid-Atlantic Ride Journal. right now the magazine is hosted within “BestRidesDC.com” but we aim to move it to its own domain, ride-journal.com. If you are interested in helping us offset the cost of hosting please reach out to us directly. Contributions will be acknowledged in the journal as single full page ads.

Contributors

  • Becky Hunt Barkett

    Becky Hunt Barkett

    Haymarket, VA

    Quantico Mountain Bike Club, MTB Enthusiast.

  • Geofrey Branco

    Geofrey Branco

    Woodbridge, VA

    Snowshoe bike/ski Patrol, MORE Trail Liaison

  • Matt Eggleton

    Matt Eggleton

    Alexandria, VA

    U.S. Military Endurance Sports, Eggleton Performance Coaching

  • Paul Haag

    Paul Haag

    Stafford, VA

    Quantico Mountain Bike Club, MTB Enthusiast

  • Korey Hopkins

    Korey Hopkins

    College Park, MD

    Visual Artist, Photography, FPV Pilot

  • Jonathan Posner

    Jonathan Posner

    Baltimore, MD

    Maryland Interscholastic Cycling League Co-Director

  • Harlan Price

    Harlan Price

    Harrisonburg, VA

    Take Aim Cycling, PMBIA Level 3 Coach

  • Cathy Riedel

    Cathy Riedel

    Springfield, VA

    Team XXL, MORE Trail Liason