MANCHESTER, NH – As hobbies go, some provide more thrills and spills than others. Ryan Levesque is an avid mountain biker, who can’t get enough of a good gravity trail – the bigger the drop, the better.
When he’s not working second shift as a Machinist 3 at Tecomet in Manchester, he’s probably on his bike somewhere, defying gravity on a downhill trail with plenty of twists, turns and jumps. (Watch his helmet-cam YouTube view of the Happy Hour trail at Highland Mountain Bike Park in Northfield above, set off by “I Disappear” by Metallica).
We had a few questions about why he rides and what he’s learned after spending the better part of the last decade freewheeling around New England:
Q. How many years have you been riding, and what was your first “cool” bike.
A. 10+ years, and a specialized Enduro.
Q. What’s your bike of choice for trails?
A. GT Fury World Cup.
Q. Best place to ride in New Hampshire
A. Highland MTB Park in Northfield.
Q. How many bones broken?
A. One, but not from biking; it was from skateboarding.
Q. Have you ever ridden competitively?
A. Nope.
Q. Biggest rookie mistake new riders make.
A. Being overconfident.
Q. Essential advice to avoid a fall on trails.
A. Stay on the wheels.
Q. What’s the most fun you’ve ever had riding?
A. Hitting the rock gardens on the trails.
Q. When you’re not on a bike, what other hobbies do you love?
A. Photography.
Q. How old is too old for mountain biking?
A. Don’t know, you’ll be the first to know when I find out.
Q. If there were a playlist for your typical trail ride, what would be on it.
- “In Dying Days,” and “My Fears Have Become Phobias,” by As Blood Runs Black.
- “Spheres of Madness” by Decapitated.
- “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica.
- “Boots and Blood,” and Digging My Own Grave” by Five Finger Death Punch.
- “Rock and Roll” by Rob Zombie.
- “Afterlife” by Avenged Sevenfold.
- “Get Out Alive” by Three Days Grace.
- “I Disappear” by Metallica. “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) by Metallica.
The list can go on for a while.
Q. Is there a notorious trail anywhere in the world on your bucket list?
A. Utah is one of the stops for Red Bull Rampage Signature Series. I’d love to go there as well as Canada, which is also known for it’s rough terrain.
