Trail Rider Magazine

Flashback! May 2026 5 It's with a heavy heart that your editor, Kurt, is sharing the sad news of Trail Rider founder Bob Hicks passing at 96 years old. The list of achieve- ments this great man had amassed during his life me could fill volumes. His contribu ons to the sport of off-road motorcycling are immense, da ng back to the 50s when "Scrambling" became popular. Bob took to the sport immediately and embraced dirt riding with a passion like no other. A prolific writer, Bob understood the need for a voice in this new sport and founded Cycle Sport magazine in 1958. Now, Bob wasn't one to sit back, watch, and write; he immersed himself in the sport, orga- nizing events, including invi ng Europeans to the US for the first Trans AMA event held at the iconic Pepperell Motocross track in Massachuse s. Bob understood the importance and power of well-organized groups and was the co-founder of the New England Sports Commi ee (NESC). With the sport of casual trail riding exploding in the late 60s, Bob launched his second publica on, The New England Trail Rider, in 1970 to provide those interested in the fast-growing sport with guidance and informa on on where and what to ride. Less than a year later, Bob and a couple of close friends founded the New England Trail Rider Associa on (NETRA), running all three businesses out of his home on 29 Burley St in Wenham, MA. A testament to his solid founda ons, both NESC and NETRA are s ll alive and, I'm happy to report, flourishing now, pushing into their sixth decade. Bob had many interests outside of motorcycling, with small wooden boats being one of them. As he grew older, canoes, kayaks, and small sailboats be- came his main focus, and, as a man who made a liv- ing from his passions, he launched Messing About in Wooden Boats, a monthly magazine devoted to just that. Bob created and published this magazine for 40 years before re ring for good in 2023. Along with boa ng, Bob was an avid bicyclist, pedaling deep into his 90s! As a kid who grew up in the 70s, all consumed with dirt riding, I became a subscriber to Trail Rider at 13 years old. You can imagine my surprise to find Trail Rider was published only a few miles away from our home, and it didn't take long to meet the man. It's uncanny what we remember in life, and I can vividly recall the day I met Bob in person. One summer evening, a small plane had crashed in the woods adjacent to Beverly Airport (Beverly, MA.) and Bob's property abu ed the Airport. There were trails all around the airport property, and we knew them well. Being curious, my friend and I set out on our bikes to see if we could find the crashed plane. Who did we run into out there that night? Bob Hicks, on his Honda XL175. Bob knew the area like no oth- er, and we soon found the downed wreckage. A sad sight indeed. During the mid to late 70s, I'd tag along with Bob and his son Rick (A well-known NESC Expert at the me) on Trail Rider test rides. A commanding pres- ence, Bob was a larger-than-life figure to that punk kid I once was. A clean-living man, Bob was a great influence during a me when I needed a li le direc- on. Bob had a way of making you feel important, as there was always a mission. Over the years, a er my wife and I moved to Maine, I'd keep in touch with Bob over the phone. When I purchased Trail Rider, a goal I'd set for myself in my teens, Bob was always willing to share advice and accolades. You can't imagine how much that meant to me. As a realist, I knew me was running out for my friend. When I learned of his 96 th birthday cele- bra on to be held at Cycles 128 in January, I made the effort to be there, and I'm so glad I was able to a end. The night was fantas c as it had been years since Bob and I had actually seen each other in per- son. What was remarkable to me was the fact that Bob s ll had a powerful zest for life with many irons s ll in the fire. His energy was contagious. The sad reality is that life is short. Bob Hicks crammed as much as he could into those 96 years, and something tells me that he's s ll busy working hard from above. Bob Hicks was a good man, a clean-living man who made an honest living from his passions. Well done, my friend. -Kurt

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