Faculty Biking Clique Forms

Kelsey Moss » Business Manager

Numerous Century High School faculty members have incorporated bike riding into their daily routine as a means of trasnportation.
     “I try to ride three to four days a week,” sophomore guidance counselor Sean Hembree explained. “My ride is a minimum of 30 miles round trip, 50 minutes in the morning and usually at least an hour going home.”
     Many pro’s come out of the choice Hembree makes every morning and afternoon. “It is nice to save on gas and car-related expenses. My wife and I are very environmentally oriented, so biking fits into our desire to eat locally, eat organically, cut back on our carbon footprint where we can, and fit in some exercise every day,” Hembree said.
     Traveling to work is not the only thing for which Hembree uses his bike. He uses his bike to pick up produce, go to friends’ houses, and travel to fun spots just to hang out. Besides the economic plus and physical benefits, Hembree loves the thrill he gets from riding. “It's always fun, and it helps you remember what it's like to be a kid; that's an important feeling for adults to recapture every chance they get.”
     Special Education teacher Dennis Champney uses his past to reinforce his life today with bicyclying. Three to four days a week Champney can be found on his bike riding to school. His commute is about 14 miles, but that does not faze him. “I have always loved bicycles. I used to race mountain bikes in college and was president of our mountain bike club/racing team at Towson University,” Champney stated.
     Biking has always been a part of his life; when he was younger he raced BMX, which led to street style and ramps. Tragically, that ended. “After numerous knee injuries I was forced to give up the 20-inch BMX bikes and turn towards Mountain Bikes,” Champney said.
     Because his life is very busy, biking is what helps him keep in shape and keep up his hobby. He said, “When I ride to school, I get the cardio that I need while fitting it into my schedule. Driving is fine, but it is easy, and you can not enjoy the open air.”
     Social Studies teacher Ryan Melhorn is also one of numerous teachers at CHS to enjoy biking. Over the summer, Melhorn and Technology Education teacher Dan Rosewag would meet every Wednesday after summer school and ride together. Once school began, Art teacher Jeff Sharp accompanied them either after school or on the weekends. Social Studies teacher Jeff Holzman is also in the group.
      “We go mountain biking at Patapsco State Park in the Avalon Area. The trails are very well known in the area. You also get to learn a lot of history while riding there as well,” Melhorn stated.
     The group began when the teachers realized they had similar interests. “It started when we all found out that we enjoyed mountain biking and the outdoors. Instead of riding by ourselves, we decided to ride together. It is a great escape from the daily rat race and a great stress reliever. It also provides a great workout while having fun at the same time,” Melhorn said.
      Sharp enjoys the competition from his co-workers while biking. He said, “It is a lot of fun to get out into the trails. Mr. Hembree rides real hard and is sometimes hard to catch. Melhorn also rides hard and Rosewag is fearless. All in all, a great group of people to ride with.”