Name: Jake Kovalchik

Email: jnk145@psu.edu

Hometown: Shavertown, PA (Wilkes-Barre)

School Year: Junior

Major: Anthropology

What Kind of Bikes do you ride?

 I ride a 2007 Salsa Ala Carte 69er 1x9, a 2004 Lemond Reno, and a mid-90s singlespeed Mongoose hardtail as a commuter. I prefer mountain biking and keeping it rigid.

Years Riding/Racing: Since I was 3, so 18 years

Favorite Ride: Riding in a snowstorm with my dad when I was 14 years old.

Dream Bike: I wouldn’t mind having a Surly Instigator…maybe this summer.

What was your first bike? A Raleigh Rampage from the 1980s that weighed about 50 pounds

Favorite Band: Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Best crash: Went over my bars at World’s End State Park once and exposed forearm meat. That was the bloodiest at least.

Favorite thing about PSU Cycling: How they asked me to be an officer…what a joke! Oh and there’s nothing like riding with a good group of people.

Other Interests: Four-wheel drive adventures in my Jeep, camping, hiking, fly fishing, listening to Neil Young, working on bicycles that aren’t broken and “Bike and Beer Fridays”.

Quote: “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World”…that’s all that really needs to be said I think.