European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Biking Europe racing no Hor the faint of heart Riding a fat tired Mountain Bike up Steep Hills and through narrow pulleys is challenging enough. But throw in some Nasty weather and you have the makings of a True endurance test. Ninety eight Hardy american Canadian and German Mountain Bike enthusiasts braved the weather on a soggy saturday morning in May for a 20-Kilometer race that was part of a tournament that will wrap up later this summer. One of the winded finishers Peggy Hughes a Dodds teacher from ram Stein a Germany had t done much Mountain biking before but was persuaded to give this race a try by her companion air Force capt. Keith Frede also from Ramstein. Quot it was All a learning experience for me Quot she said. Quot every time i saw one of those Long grass covered Hills i would say to myself of no plus the mud gave this race a whole new dimension Quot Hughes admitted. Quot mostly  both made the finish line in 2 hours and 19 minutes. Racer Wolfgang Langlotz checks the gears on his Mountain Bike before the Start of the race. Another racer who found himself slipping and sliding his Way through the course was army sgt. Sean Stribling. He finished first among the americans participating in the race with a time of 50 minutes 3 seconds. Quot this 20-Kilometer course was 10 times tougher than the track i Rode at Kaiserslautern Quot he said. Mountain biking As a sport has become increasingly popular in Europe according to Dennis Nichols one of the race Orgaz Iners for the Baum older event. As a result look for More races through the rolling Hills and across the wide Plains in your neighbourhood. Your local outdoor recreation Center has information on Mountain Bike races in your area. Want to try Mountain biking but Don t want to buy a new two Wheeler just yet most rec centers rent Mountain bikes by the Day weekend or week. Prices Range from around $5 per Day to $12 a Day depending on the individual rec Center. Left an exhausted cyclist inches his Way Uphill. Above a mud covered Bike at the end of the race. A competitor quenches his thirst at the end of the race. Text and photos by Jim Derheim staff photographer 10 stripes Magazine Juty 4, 1991