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Susan Krebs Mr. Smith...thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures. Funny how it just seems like yesterday, where does time go? The world needs more teachers like you.

By Mark Freeman Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — Doug Striley deftly steers his mountain bike down the steep switchback trails above Britt Gardens, focusing on what's immediately ahead of him but unaware of what might lie a few feet away. The lantern on Striley's helmet illuminates enough of the trail that he and other night riders can pick their way through the forest during a weekly training run unlike any daylight road-ride or spin-class session. "It's kind of magical," says Striley, 40, of Medford. "I know, it sounds corny. But it's like going out in the woods, having fun, being a kid. "It's a great way to stay focused, and it lets all the stuff you've had to deal with all week just fall away." And Jana Jensen's warm concoction of kielbasa, cheese and rice waiting back at her Cycle Analysis shop in Jacksonville sure helps take the edge off, too.

That's the lure of these Wednesday-night rides on Jacksonville-area trails for Striley and a cadre of cyclists who spice up their winter training with backwoods night rides that include a happy ending of a warm meal at the bottom of the hill. Every Wednesday at 6 p.m., riders congregate at Jensen's North Fifth Street shop for a two- to three-hour ride that has become a fixture in the local mountain-biking community for the past 15 years. From late spring through early fall, that means a twilight spin through the Britt trails or on nearby John's Peak. But from late fall to early spring, when darkness descends early, that means pedaling with an altogether different aura cast by illumination from lights on handle bars and helmets. "You're certainly more concentrated on the trail as opposed to riding during the day," says Brian Prechtel, a recent Night Rider rookie. "It's almost like riding it for the first time."

Night Riders Mountain bikers brave Jacksonville-area trails after dark on weekly rides that end with hot grub at Cycle Analysis March 11, 2011 Tom Keller leads a group of cyclists up a trail through the Britt Woods on a recent Wednesday night. Photos by Andy Atkinson "Now it's known as 'Toothless Joe's Trail,' " Jensen says. Cyclists like Striley and Prechtel say the night rides are good winter additions to their training regimens as they prepare for spring mountain-bike races. Prechtel uses his lights while cycling on his commute from Talent to Medford and only recently stumbled onto night trail riding. He's since added more night rides, on which he sometimes stumbles across deer and other critters normally absent from view in daylight rides. "You have this great light on your helmet from which they can't hide," he says.

Night Riders Mountain bikers brave Jacksonville-area trails after dark on weekly rides that end with hot grub at Cycle Analysis March 11, 2011 From left, Tom Keller, Cordino Longiotti, Doug Striley and Dan Murrin climb up a trail through the Britt Woods on a recent Wednesday night. Striley says the night rides are unique enough to get him through the winter blahs. "It's easier for me to get on my bike and train with a few guys who keep me motivated," Striley says. "The gym makes me crazy." And some warm food to stick to his ribs after the ride is a great ender, too. "After riding in 30-degree weather, we get to eat dinner, B.S. and talk about how cool it was coming down that trail in the dark." Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 541-776-4470, or e-mail mfreeman@mailtribune.com.

Shop-sponsored rides weren't that unusual when Jensen opened Cycle Analysis 15 years ago and scheduled Wednesday-evening rides, she says. At first, she began offering cyclists popcorn or cheese-and-crackers when they returned to the shop. That eventually morphed into soups, chili, salads and other "gut-warming stuff," like rice and kielbasa dishes she creates beforehand and keeps warm at the shop. Summer rides lure a few dozen riders at times, but the winter runs are normally trimmed to about a half-dozen hardcore riders, she says. "What can I say? I love to cook," Jensen explains. For night rides, Jensen requires helmets and lights. Mountain bikers can outfit themselves with high-output LED lights for their bikes and helmets for around $100, she says. While Jensen stresses safety on the trails, she admits she's had to drive a few cyclists to local emergency rooms over the years. In one case, local cycler Joe Davis lost a tooth when he crashed a few years ago in ignominious fashion.