by: Skylar Soko – PR PoconoOutdoors.com

When I found out my family had planned a bike trip on the Lehigh Gorge Trail, I was really excited as it was a combination of two of my favorite things–a Poconos Outdoor Adventure and family time.

When the shuttle arrived to pick us up at the designated spot, I was really excited and ready to get on the trail. I was hoping the ride to the top of the trail wouldn’t take too long. I was surprised at how quickly Tom, the owner of Pocono Bike Rental/our shuttle driver for the day, loaded all 6 of our bikes. On the way, the conversation in the shuttle was so fun and lively that I couldn’t believe how quickly the ride went! Tom was very knowledgeable about the town and trail, and gave us great ideas for our day. We laughed, shared stories, and by the end of the ride, I felt like I had made a new friend.

As for the Lehigh Gorge Trail, it was very well maintained and the scenery was beautiful. We even got to stop at a waterfall, which was awesome. A huge plus was the slight downgrade the trail had, making the ride super easy and relaxed. I liked interacting with the white water rafters–I think we added to each others experience! And some of the people in our group said they saw a rattlesnake.

The second best part of the Poconos Outdoor Adventure, after the actual bike ride of course, was the food. I was delightfully surprised by the options Jim Thorpe had to offer. Prior to the bike ride, I had some time to kill and got to explore the town by myself for a little. I was walking Broadway, when a bright purple storefront caught my attention; it was Purple Green Juice Bar and Cafe. To my delight, it was all plant based and had tons of smoothie options. It couldn’t have been more perfect, as I was looking for some pre bike ride fuel. After talking with the friendly workers, I decided on the mint matcha cacao smoothie. The best part was that they happily poured it into my stainless steel water bottle, as I am trying to cut out as much single use plastic as possible.

A smoothie before hand for just me was easy. Dinner was gonna be a little tougher. We have lots of different eaters in my family, meat lovers, vegetarians, and myself who follows a vegan diet. So for a restaurant to truly make the whole group happy, it had it check all of our boxes. We ended up going with what Tom had recommended for us, Stone Row Pub and Eatery. There couldn’t have been a restaurant better suited for us. There were plenty of options, great service, atmosphere, and mostly locally sourced food (which was a plus for me because this is something I focus on in my own lifestyle!) Did we enjoy the food? Let’s just say 10 hungry bikers entered the eatery, and 10 happy bikers with full tummies left! Also, side note, I HIGHLY recommend the sunflower seed hummus and samosas.

Overall, I would say that my Poconos Outdoor Adventure experience was a 10/10. I was so pleased with everything Jim Thorpe had to offer and how amazing Pocono Bike Rentals made our Lehigh Gorge Trail experience. I can’t wait to do it again.

To check out Skylar Soko’s website and social media pages including her popular healthy lifestyle YouTube Channel where you can see her video about her Poconos Outdoor Adventure Experience go to:

• YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdhLOR-79ASKj1IHht5LXw
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlightenedappetite/
• Website: https://www.enlightenedappetite.com/

Yoga and Biking in the Poconos with Nearme Yoga and Pocono Bike Rental

June 28th, 2017 – Lehigh Gorge State Park, White Haven, PA

A New TWIST is being added to the gentle curves and bends of the Lehigh Gorge Bike Trail  in the Poconos this summer and fall, Yoga on the Bike Trail. This new series presented by Nearme Yoga in cooperation with Pocono Bike Rental combines rail trail mountain biking in a relaxing forest setting with a 1 hour yoga class. To and from class you bike along a smooth well maintained trail, stopping at a river meadow, where your harmoniously guided yoga class will immerse you in nature.  Beginning this Saturday July 1st, and happening every other Saturday through October 21st, 2017.

“It is a familiar and instinctive way to practice yoga in nature”, says Nearme Yoga and NEPA Yoga Festival Creator, Chelsea Manganaro. “This new Yoga 1 Day Retreat like event provides a great opportunity to experience fitness of the mind, body and spirit in a unique way”, she also mentions.

Pocono Bike Rental owner Tom Williams states, “Nature is where we all came from. Yoga is a spiritual way to reconnect our ourselves to it and biking like any outdoor adventure sport makes that happen quite easily.”

Go biking with Pocono Bike Rental; on the world famous Lehigh Gorge Trail, the #1 Rail Trail in America (as searched on RailstoTrails.org) to a beautiful serene mountain meadow alongside the Lehigh River and practice yoga with the amazingly talented instructors from Nearme Yoga (the hosts of the largest annual Yoga Festival in the NEPA Poconos Region www.NEPAYogaFestival.com).

See nature’s beautiful wonders and practice Yoga along the Lehigh Gorge Trail witness; the whitewater Lehigh River rapids, amazing waterfalls, scenic overlooks, unique rock outcroppings, quartz crystal deposits, historical landmarks and the 1,000 foot mountain walls of the Lehigh Gorge, offering unique, majestic and spectacular views! This unique one of a kind series is the only DCNR approved State Park Yoga and Biking Series in the State of Pennsylvania!

Yoga on the Bike Trail – Bike, Hike, Yoga and Connect…
Lehigh Gorge State Park, White Haven, Poconos, PA

Yoga on the Bike Trail combines mountain biking in the Poconos and hiking on the world famous rail trail with practicing yoga at a river meadow all for $49.95.

This one day yoga retreat in the Poconos consists of

• 11:00 AM start time (please arrive at 10:45 AM)
• Bike approx. 20-30 minutes to Yoga Meadow
• Practice Yoga for approx. 55 minutes during High Noon
• Bike approx. 20-30 minutes to lunch spot/picnic area
• Lunch (self provided) 10-15 minutes (pack in/pack out)
• Hike approx. 5-10 mins. to the Lehigh River and Lock 22 at Mud Run
• Bike approx. 45-55 minutes back, finishing at around 2:00 PM

Series dates and teachers

• July 1^st Happy Freedom Revive – Chelsea Manganaro
• July 15^th Midsummer Meltdown – Nicole Grasso Kreidler
• July 29^th Summer Sweat – Janet D. Martin
• August 12^th Jam along the River – Chelsea Manganaro
• August 26^th Back to School Recharge – Georgia Bone
• September 2^nd Labor Day Rejuvenate – Maya Kowalcyk (of Jim Thorpe Yoga)
• September 16^th Nature’s Refresh – Chelsea Manganaro
• September 30^th Fall Foliage Rebirth – Georgia bone
• October 7^th Fall Foliage Restore – Stacy Hein (of Jim Thorpe Yoga)
• October 14^th Fall Foliage Spectacle – Lauren Franko
• October 21^st Fall Foliage Finale’ – Chelsea Manganaro

Pricing: $49.95 – ($59.95 day of w/online registration)
With your own bike $29.95 – ($39.95 day of w/online reg.)
Lehigh Gorge State Park, White Haven South Access
Teachers subject to change, RAIN/SHINE or MAY be moved to Sunday
48 hours advanced reservations suggested, class size is limited.

For more information and to check availability call 570-899-5025 or goto: www.YogaontheBikeTrail.com

Nearme Yoga founder– Chelsea Manganaro has been practicing yoga for over 10 years. She opened her first studio in 2014 because she wanted to provide people with a sense of community in which she experienced while living in San Diego. She also has found that Yoga has changed her life, and wants to offer others to find that same journey. She likes to teach beginners the best, but loves a power class as well.

Nearme Yoga offers a state of the art studio featuring contemporary colors to soothe and energize, sometimes with a warm towel for after class, tea and plenty of parking. They supply blankets, yoga straps, chairs, and blocks and also have mats available for $2 to rent. There is a Boutique for exclusive collaborations, yoga accessories, performance apparel, and essentials.

Nearme Yoga has two locations – 700 Main Street in Moosic PA and 110 Terrace Drive Peckville PA 18447.

Pocono Outdoors.com d.b.a. Pocono Bike Rental.com owner – Tom Williams, operates as a marketing partner and service provider to several outdoor adventure companies and wellness based entities throughout the Northeast PA Poconos Region. Proudly providing Pocono Outdoor Adventures like Mountain Biking Tours and Mountain Bike Rentals, Whitewater Rafting, Hiking, Disc Golf and Outdoor Yoga Adventure Retreats. Also partnered with both for profit and charitable organizations to provide everyone the opportunity for outdoor adventure sports fun!

Pocono Bike Rental serves the general Poconos area with multi day doorstep bike delivery and repair service. Primarily a bike rental and VIP Shuttle Service at the Lehigh Gorge Trail in White Haven and Jim Thorpe, PA.

Media Contact:
Nearme Yoga – Chelsea Maganaro – Phone: 570-840-3220
Pocono Bike Rental- Tom Williams- Phone: 570-899-5025

For booking information: www.YogaontheBikeTrail.com

We have extended our fall foliage biking tours until the middle of November due to the unseasonably warm weather.

This is the current Fall Foliage conditions according to the Pocono Mountains Visitor’s Bureau which we are a proud member of since 2015. The pictures below are from the Northeast US Fall Foliage Report according to the Fall Foliage Network in which we are proudly a leaf spotter for!

Week of Thursday, October 27, 2016 – Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Northern: The northernmost color zone encompasses northern Wayne and Pike Counties. Cold weather and rain have brought down most of the leaves in the region. Full color is at 100% with 10% of the leaves on the trees. This region is past peak color.

Central: The central color zone encompasses southern Wayne, Pike and northern Monroe Counties. All of the region has gone through significant changes this past week. Some areas are still showing a broad array of colors. Many of the trees lost their leaves last weekend from the strong winds and rain. Some of the Oaks are still hanging onto their green leaves further to the south, but will change very soon. A good place to view the foliage, this week is on Kunkletown Road from Saylorsburg to Little Gap. Full color is at 95-100% with 40-60% of the leaves on the trees. This region is past peak color.

Southern: The southern color zone encompasses southern Monroe County and Carbon County. Heavy rain and strong winds brought down some of the early fall colors, but the Oaks will continue to show color. As the early players in the fall color fall to the ground look for the color of many Oak trees to be the major component on the mountainside. There are many different colors displayed by these trees such as orange, red, yellow, and even when the bright color goes away, they will hold on showing a russet brown for several weeks. Look for Chestnut Oak and Red Oak on the ridge tops to show the best colors. There will also be some pockets protected from the wind, which will hold on to the early colors as well. Get out and explore the county to find some of these hidden gems. If you get out early enough, you can get some pictures with the heavy forest on the ground. Full color is at 70% with 50% of the leaves on the trees. This region is past peak color.

$19.95 Poconos Fall Foliage Tour – VIP Shuttle with Bike Rental!

All inclusive Trailhead drop-off VIP Shuttle Service with bike rental for a scenic Poconos Fall Foliage biking tour down the NEW D&L Black Diamond Trail from Glen Summit to White Haven, PA is just $19.95 each! (Big savings of $10 off our in-season rate.) Book here now!

All Pocono Bike Rental Shuttles depart and return to our White Haven location unless otherwise noted such as fall foliage tours. (Fall Foliage Bike Tour Shuttles without Pocono bike rentals are $20 from Jim Thorpe @ 5:00 PM or $15 for all other shuttles locations and times with a 2 person minimum.) 

To reserve a custom (not listed on our schedule), VIP shuttle pickup/dropoff time, there may be a $10/person additional custom shuttle and same day booking fee. (2 person minimum.) Please have a major credit card ready and fill out our easy to use PayPal shopping cart below (PayPal account unecessary) or call 570-899-5025 today and speak to one of our adventure specialists!

We are a proud member of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau and useful Fall Foliage peak season information can be found on their site here. Get up to date Fall Foliage Peak information by subscribing to our Blog/Newsletter below at the bottom left of this page to receive our Fall Foliage weekly updates!

More Poconos Fall Foliage info from the PA-DCNR:
The DCNR Penn’s Woods Fall Foliage Webpage
Why Do Autumn Leaves Change Color?
Penn’s Woods Fall Foliage Interactive Story Maps

Some of our activities need to be reserved well in advance and are subject to availability. For more information and to find out how to make a reservation (as the weekends can sell out quickly), you can contact us daily at: 570-899-5025 or use our contact us form. Same day booking fee of $5/person may apply to all last minute (within 24 hours) reservations at our discretion. Pocono Bike Rental is located at: 322 Main Street White Haven, PA 18661

Lehigh Gorge State Park Fall Foliage Video – Presented by: PoconoBikeRental.com

The Lehigh Gorge Bike Trail is the most spectacular rail trail system in the world during the colorful fall season. The Pocono Mountains have over 127 deciduous tree varieties changing color for your viewing pleasure. The orange-red leaves are falling down along the Lehigh River with amazing beauty. Autumn is your last chance to get on the trail before the snow covers it and go biking with us. Fall Foliage bike tours starting at $19.95. Just follow the signs while near the White Haven, Lake Harmony and Hickory Run State Park areas! Stay tuned for more by subscribing to our YouTube channel!

Check out our Lehigh Gorge Trail Biking Videos to see exciting Poconos biking footage of the Lehigh Gorge State Park.

So you have decided. You want to spend a day in the picturesque mountains of the Poconos. Sitting down with your smart phone, laptop, or in front of a computer, you decide it is time to do some research. Where should you go? What is there to see? What do you wear? Can you bring the kids? All these and more are answered in full detail on PoconoBikeRental.com.

We are a primarily web-based bike rental service. This statement probably has you thinking, “But you rent bikes. What would some adrenaline-loving, physically fit hippies know about the internet?” The owner of our little bike rental shop, Tom Williams, once lived in Chicago. When he was not at play at the Lollapalooza Music Festival, he would be hard at work at an internet marketing company of his own creation.

Combining his knowledge of computer programming with his love of fitness, he created PoconoBikeRental.com. Someone with this much appreciation for all life has to offer would not just simply offer bike rentals on his website. With combo packages to go disc golfing, whitewater rafting in the Lehigh Gorge, and hiking, you can get all the information you need for a spectacular vacation on one website. With our great partners around the area, we are able to offer all these add-ons at a reduced price.

Maybe you are just not sold by words alone. Not to worry, you can get the full picture of what it means to bike the Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail by the pictures and videos we post on both our Facebook page and webpage.

We want you to have a memorable time on the trail. We ensure this by taking pictures of our guests just before they bike Jim Thorpe or any other section of the trail. Social media today is much different than just 5 years ago. So to keep up with the times we have a whole page dedicated to our YouTube channel. Here you can find 8 videos created by PoconoBikeRental.com’s in-house videographer and Assistant Store Manager, Nicholas Toro. He along with other staff members, interns, the backdrop of the Pocono Bike Rental store, the town of White Haven and the world famous Lehigh Gorge State Park combined with GoPro recorded live action shots, created unique videos ranging in useful information from proper trail etiquette to renters’ testimonials.

A good business is not just confident in itself, it must also have confident clients. On our website, we have a “Contact Us” button. There is a dropdown menu that includes guest reviews on both TripAdvisor and Google. Based on 200+ travelers on TripAdvisor, we are ranked the #1 thing to do in the town of White Haven, Pennsylvania. Our rating on Google is 4.9 out of a possible 5. A thousand promotions are nothing compared to the feedback from guests themselves. This is why we go above the standard of other Poconos bike rental shops. Being the only rental store partnered with both Tripadvisor and Viator, this allows us to give you the customer service you deserve, by allowing you to book a Poconos Biking Tour right on our award winning tripadvisor page.

Using our website to book in advance also ensures security in your rental. Being a small business, we have a limited number of bikes available for rental. If you want to take your family down the trail one weekend, you may walk into an empty rental shop. If you take the time to plan ahead and book a rental, we will ensure your trip to White Haven or Jim Thorpe will not be in vain. This reduces any stress you may have and makes sure you get the perfect bike size and style for everyone in your group. It can also save you money with our online only specials as well it speeds up the check in process getting you on the trail faster!

Our goal is to answer any and every question or concern you may have before biking the Lehigh Gorge Bike Trail with PoconoBikeRental.com’s powerful multimedia experience. The website is very thorough; some say it’s almost perfect for the discerning outdoor adventure traveler. You may still have questions, and we look forward to hearing them.

We are the only biking website in the Poconos with a Live Chat service running during normal business hours (9 AM – 6 PM midweek, 9 AM – 8 PM weekends). This gives us the chance to answer instantaneously, making online booking quick and painless. We hope you’ll agree, and we look forward to seeing you on the Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail with PoconoBikeRental.com.

Public Relations: Amber Jadus, Writer, [email protected] p. 570-899-5025

Media Contact: Tom Williams, Editor, [email protected] p. 570-899-5025

Being a woman and having just gotten back home last night from my own family vacation, you could consider me an expert on the topic at hand. I spent the last five days laying in the sand and sipping frozen drinks by the poolside. Finding a place to eat or something icy to drink was central to our itinerary. Having a week of leisure can seem like a good idea at first, but now that I’m back in the Pocono outdoors, I feel like my vacation could have been spent more productively.

Before vacation I spent every day either renting mountain bikes at my job at Pocono Bike Rental or renovating the house I just moved into. Even though I am home, I feel like I’m still in vacation mode. A pizza is in route to my house and the jigsaw puzzle in front of me is my date for the evening. I am out of motivation and out of energy.

Let’s consider an opposing vacation; 2 months ago I took a 2-week vacation backpacking through Spain. I hiked 200 miles across the Northern countryside. When I came home I found myself working harder with more vigor than I had before. I now choose a bike ride or hike somewhere in the Poconos when I get bored over taking a nap.

A vacation is not symmetrical with laziness. It does not have to be spent wasting away with plans of eating and sleeping. A vacation is simply time away from the normal routine. Why not spend that time exploring the great outdoors? Spain might not be a suitable location for most timeframes or budgets. Luckily, you can get just as good of an adventure here in the Poconos, and for a lot less.

Nestled in the mountains of Pennsylvania, the Poconos offer many different possibilities to get out of your daily rut and into an exhilarating vacation. With numerous state parks – Nescopeck, Hickory Run, and the world famous Lehigh Gorge State Park to name a few – visitors have hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails to choose from free of charge. If you’re looking for an activity a little more out of the norm, try white water rafting in the Poconos. With the Lehigh River’s Class 3 rapids, it’s an exciting trip for anyone seeking some adventure. If you want to cover more ground and take in as many sights as possible, spend a day biking the Lehigh Gorge Trail 26 downhill miles to Jim Thorpe, PA. You get the true taste of the Poconos as your are hidden within the trees while also having the Lehigh River to guide your journey and give you music better than most songs on the radio.

Outdoor adventures should not be sought out solely by men. Being a woman and always looking to challenge myself, I love finding things to do outside. Many of my girlfriends tell me they would rather spend a day at the nail salon or somewhere they could gossip in groups. I know the power of a good conversation just as much as the next girl. That being said, I made some of the greatest friends of my life carrying a 20-pound backpack across the Spanish countryside. Physical activity opens up the mind and heightens your senses. If you’re looking for a way to connect with family or friends during a getaway trip, try doing something physical. You will be amazed how much you bond over your struggles and triumphs. Biking, hiking and one of America’s Fastest Growing Sports, Disc (“Frisbee”) Golf, is also fun for friends and family to enjoy while hiking in the great Poconos outdoors. Pocono Bike Rental is the place to rent everything you need to learn to play Disc Golf!

Many women have struggled at some point to accept their body image. Self-esteem can be fleeting, and when you spend a vacation making unhealthy choices, it can take a toll on your mental and physical wellbeing. That is why I promote an active vacation. Once a college intern, then store clerk and now handling Marketing and Public Relations here at Pocono Bike Rentals, time management is key . Being a part of nature for just a few hours is all your brain needs to rest and relax. One perfect trip close to home is to take your butt  to the Lehigh Gorge Trail in White Haven, PA the heart of the Poconos and ride to Buttermilk falls at the very least. The more fearless can ride the entire Lehigh Gorge Trail to Jim Thorpe, PA, the gateway of the Poconos. Upon arrival you will be greeted by one of the quaintest small-town atmospheres you would possibly imagine. With a Main Street named Broadway, you should plan on being there a while, possibly days to be a part of all the action!

Any person of any age can find an enjoyable vacation in the Poconos. At PoconoBikeRental.com, you can surf not only our site but there are links to click to explore many more possibilities for day trips around the Lehigh Gorge, Hickory Run and Nescopeck State Parks. Make a unique vacation this year and spend a few days exploring the Poconos with us! You will not be disappointed, and you will enjoy the time off the clock and away from the couch.

To find out about upcoming events at the local state Parks:

• Nescopeck State Park
• Lehigh Gorge State Park
• Hickory Run State Park

Written by: Amber Jadus, Public Relations, PoconoBikeRental.com
Edited by: Tom Williams, Publisher, PoconoBikeRental.com

VisitPoconos.com Rides the Lehigh Gorge Bike Trail – Presented by: PoconoBikeRental.com

In this video VisitPoconos.com was writing an article on us, so we rented them bikes and provided a VIP Shuttle experience to drop them off at the D&L Black Diamond Trail at the Glenn Summit Trailhead. They rode 36 miles down to the end of the Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail at Jim Thorpe where we promptly picked them up at 5pm. They got to witness the spectacular Lehigh Gorge Rail Trail all 26 miles of it and the new 10 mile D&L Black Diamond Trail combined for 36 miles of Pocono Mountains Forest and River Beauty. VisitPoconos.com is the local’s choice for all your Poconos Vacation needs. They have listings for nearly every outdoor activity, lodging, state park, lakeside dining, unique retail shops and water parks.

For more info you can call: 570-899-5025, LIVE Chat or our contact us form.
Pocono Bike Rental is located at: 322 Main Street White Haven, PA 18661.