Cycle Show 05

Well.. once again its been a few days since I updated the blog.
I'll make my excuses as I've been in transit back from Canada, been setting up for the Cycle Show and of course being at the cycle show talking to people over the weekend.

Wow.. what a weekend it was!

Mark and both owners of the West Coast Freeride Guides flew over to help out and take a significcant load off my shoulders for the show and I was quite happy for a most part to let them talk to people about who we are, what we offer and to explain the virtues of Whistler.

We were there as 2 companies under the new and collective banner of BCmountainbike.com. A commitment we have made to bring all our combined resources together to offer 'everything mountain bike' to our guests.


Anyways, thats old news.
Thursday was trade and media day and we spent much of the day speaking to press and other companies interested in our products.
We had an exciting morning talking about the Scott Ransom which Rob from Scott bikes had brought over for us to have a look at and a play with. A thing of beauty!

The stand way busy over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it was great to see some old faces from over the season as well as speaking to huge numbers of new faces that we will hopefully be seeing more of over next summer.

So a big thanks to everyone that had a chat with us during the show, the promised information is on its way to you once the aftermath has passed.

If there is any information that you didn't manage to get, feel free to email us here

Final Ride

Well.. I'm getting ready to head home and have lots to get done before hand.

How could I refuse an offer like the one Michael from the West Coast Freeride Guides put to me - a trip up to the top of Rainbow mountain in a helicopter - free :)

It had snowed overnight so we didnt expect a great deal from the trip and decided to take our small bikes up to see how they were up there. (Giant VT and Banshee Scirocco)

When we got up, it was beautiful. 10cm of fresh snow and it was pretty warm in the sun.

FRESH TRACKS!

We took our time over the first few steep pitches, riding what we could, as a heli evacuation is a pretty expensive chore and we wanted to savour the flowing singletrack lower down. We took photos as we went and just enjoyed the day.

As we got lower and the terrain eased into the more friendly trails. We were still well in the snow, but the small bikes shone and were so lively and responsive that it was so much more fun than riding a big DH bike. The SPD's weren't too keen on the snow and getting into the pedals prooved harder than i'd have liked.

We packed away the photo gear and just rode the trails, making the occasional stop to take in the shear enjoyment of the riding and giggle like kids.

With all the hype this week surrounding the new Scott Ransom at Interbike, I would have loved to be on one. The way a lighter bike coped with these trails and the reports that the bike has been getting, suggest that it really could be the definitave heli-drop and Spruce lakes bike.

Once we were through the snow, the trail just kept getting better and better. There was more traction than there has been all season and the 2.1" tyres coped pretty well.

We chose to ride out on Y'elp D'huez (27 switch backs) as we all had places to be and the bikes were great through there too.

I think a 6and6 bike is the way forwards for me now. A pair of Fox 36's up front and i'll be a happy chap.


Well.. this season has re-opened my eyes to mountain biking and the fun that can be had. I've had fantastic experiences in the Interior, on the Shore, in the races and in the parks. I hav eto say though I can't remember enjoying a ride so much as I did the snowy heli drop today.

What a way to end the season!

Cheakamus Challenge

Well.. over a week since th erace, but its been all go with a cracking final group of guests in the chalet.

The race was a lot of fun this year. I was careful with what I ate and drank over the week leading up to the start and was feeling healthy.

I settled down at the start into a happy rythm allowing the bunch to pull m ealong during the first few miles of road section. A huge crash as the tarmac turned into logging road caused a brief thinning of the field which gave those of us that escaped a bit of room to settle down.

I had my eye on the 2 fastest women from the start, not only because they look good in tight lycra, but they are a pretty good guage for my performance in many of the loonie races.

There was a fairly long winding climb up to the highway out of paradise valley with a few hike a bike sections. Tyler Allison the 13year old XC whippet passed me putting his all into cleaning a section of trail most of us were happy to run.

As we popped out onto the highway I settled in behind Joanna Harrinton, my target. She pulled me through the first section of highway as I relaxed into her draft. I decided to put some effort in and cut air to bring us both up into the next group of riders just ahead of us but managed to drop Jo after she had done all the hard work to that point. It was wasted effort though as once we were back into single track she was with us again.

I settled down again and sat nestled within the group of 4, allowing myself some breathing recovery time. I spent the next 20kms with these riders and was very happy with the rythm that was set.

Once into Brandywine I resisted the urge to 'drop the hammer' as I have the last 2 years as I wanted to get through without cramp this time.

Jo again set the pace as we dropped the other riders from our bunch and we caught and passed Tyler who had bonked hard after his efforts up to and on the highway.

We soon came to trash, the point where cramp usually takes its hold on me due to the more technical nature of the trail. Jo bonked here due to her success in the Samurai of singletrack the week before.

I bagan to pass a few riders up the Loggers lake climb and down into riverside. I met a Scotish guy called Ewan on the way up the Farside trail who had ridden the Trans Rockies earlier in the summer. Interesting guy but he rode through and away from me only to be seen again at the finish.

I was happy to be cramp free as the race took us up into Highline and down Tunnel Vision. I was feeling close to cramp after the Tunnel Vision descent due to not pedalling a great deal through the descent. The Kadenwood road climb was th etest for my legs and standing on the pedals was the only way to keep it at bay.
I really enjoy the Kadenwood climb and Big timber descent and this year the finish was in Creekside so I knew I had around 10 minutes of racing left. I pushed hard up Kadenwood and took a few well earned places.

I got caught up behind the last 2 riders in my sight at the entrance into Big Timber and finally managed to pass them at the bottom of Creekside. The trail had a very loose penultimae corner before it popped up a single step into the finish chicane. I gambled and rode hard through the final corners and pinch flatted on the step and rolled over the finish line with my only flat of the race. A happy 41st overall taking around 25 minutes off my time from the year before.

I achieved a few goals.. one was to beat that darned 13 year old who gets me week in week out in the loonies, the second was to beat Whistlers fastest female, but I was some 3 minutes behind the winning female (thank goodness Alison Sydor wasn't riding this year) an dthe 3rd was to beat my last years time and finish in the top 3 of my catagory! Sweet!


In all.. a great event with some fantastic changes to the course. The last 2 years I have sworn never to race that event again, but I honestly can't wait for next year!