I’m Sarah, originally from “the bucolic part of New Jersey” where, when I wasn’t smashing tennis balls on the court, I was spending hours exploring bridal trails and hiking paths on a bike. Ultimately settling in western MA, I prefer to ride dirt roads, class 4/5 roads, and the single track of New England and Canada.

An inquisitive person by nature with a belief that routine is the enemy, I live for getting out into uncharted territory where I thrive climbing hills, hopping over rocks, and traversing gnarly terrain, whether it be farmland or the backwoods. I tease that if my surname wasn’t Hills, it would, undoubtedly, be Woods.

Cycling has helped me learn to be more self-sufficient and I have only needed a ride home once in 9 years of serious cycling. I have become unafraid of negotiating the male-dominated realm of the bike shop and I have learned to maintain my own bikes, the exception being…I don’t bleed brakes! A two-time stage 4 cancer survivor, I credit the bike with helping me rebuild my body while maintaining my sanity and teaching me an immense amount about myself, control, and limitations.

Though I’ve done some CX and MTB races, I am partial to riding any gravel anytime with my partner and cycling inspiration, retired Masters World and National Cyclocross champion Kathy Sarvary, as well as mountain biking with my son, Fisher. When I am not busy torturing my two Jack Russell Terriers, I spend time practicing my other passion for landscape, design, and building projects. Though, never straying too far from the bike or my fellow riders, I enjoy supporting local NEMBA and NCC chapter events, as well as volunteering for community projects such as Franklin Land Trust’s D2R2 annual fundraiser. I believe you are one ride away from a better mood!

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