Editor's note: This story first appeared in 83 Degrees in 2010.
The Alafia River State Park in Hillsborough County is a premiere destination for mountain biking in the Southeast U.S.
The
State Park has been awarded Epic status by the
International Mountain Biking Association. Each trail in it has a color-coded designation: green for the easy trails up to double black diamond for trails that are extremely difficult.
Unicyclists Jason Dominic, John Moriarty, and Ed Francavilla meet up on the trails occasionally because they all share the same enthusiasm for mountain unicycling. A larger group of trail enthusiasts called the
SWAMP (South West Association of Mountain Bike Pedalers) builds and maintains the trails.
The images included in this video-photo slideshow for
83 Degrees were taken from a ride on North Creek, a well-rounded trail with a good amount of technical challenges.
The accompanying music was provided by Dave Decker of the band "Watson." Decker also co-owns
AJ's Bikes and Boards in Valrico.
Frank Rodriguez is a filmmaker who owns Mighty Fine Design Co. in Ybor City in Tampa and often bicycles around town. Comments? Contact 83 Degrees.
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