Mountain bikers start early in Granby

GRANBY, Mass. (WWLP) - The mild winter is allowing bikers to hit the trails, and riders are taking advantage of the warmer temperatures.

There are dozens of bike trails in Hampshire County, but riders have noticed an increasing number of mountain bikers heading to Bachelor Street in Granby. That is because the lack of snow cover is allowing more people to hit the trails and ride their bikes.

22News stopped by Competitive Edge Ski & Bike, on Route 9 in Hadley, where riders say the mild winter has been the buzz around the cycling community.

“There still a lot of people riding,” said Jeff Cronin of Competitive Edge. “There wasn't a whole lot of snow out there and it never got too muddy since the snow didn't melt. Everything gets washed away once all the snow melts.”

Nick Rufe of Shutesbury has been out riding his bike early. “I just took off from the woods Wednesday. There's a lot of trees down near me and there's still some snow on the ground near the shade, but on Bachelor Street area they cleaned up the mess from the October storm, so we've been riding there,” Rufe said.

Cronin told 22News that riding season doesn't start until mid-March, and that is when they see an uptick in the number of customers coming into the store to buy bikes or accessories.

For a list of trails in your area, you can visit massbike.org