WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?

I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.

- ADAM SCHRAM

I grew up surrounded by fervent mountain bikers in central Pennsylvania, I toed the line with gaggles of aspiring pros in junior races near Lancaster, and I watched Penn State's cycling club expand from a dozen members to hundreds in less than a year. Now, I split my time between the avid roadies who live near Bicycling's office and the quirky, resilient city riders of Philadelphia, where I live. At a glance, these communities don't have much in common beyond a love for bikes, yet I've loved being part of all these communities just the same.

So, what gives? How do scenes like these form on their own without some sort of blueprint for success? Is it infrastructure? I've seen mountain bikers form a community next to 10 miles of trails just as easily as others did next to thousands. Is it an abundance of cyclists? I've seen riding groups form in towns with populations as low as 3,400. Does a local event bind the community together? Most years, my college's cycling club had to travel to other states just to race.