tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14880964851168382192024-02-19T01:34:44.344-08:00on bikingHalldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-72108797145570806402010-12-28T12:28:00.000-08:002011-01-05T21:50:45.645-08:00year ender ramble<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHviMIFhlJ4kJytvruKREaV7s0_VB68snaKPBcz8h6km0xQPOsfAozAyvxvYeEiMfPzA-Y72QiDYdxJruv_ztfyRneTV307LsmzOAd2o4KAlae_fFWhnzZmc-QW0E5WeERI51aOVzEsVFY/s1600/blubber+burn+victory.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHviMIFhlJ4kJytvruKREaV7s0_VB68snaKPBcz8h6km0xQPOsfAozAyvxvYeEiMfPzA-Y72QiDYdxJruv_ztfyRneTV307LsmzOAd2o4KAlae_fFWhnzZmc-QW0E5WeERI51aOVzEsVFY/s400/blubber+burn+victory.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555884564256380610" border="0" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsY6523XQcXWAWlsY5aNEBxSUfO-oEtJSt_p3huy3oz2gyl7dBdq-woT15Ort0HjQXAeK2dbCB38gAgyXKTnHRMrUjiBW5UwNajQrOQecoBQivagzlcMxfKMgumlssvlq-Xq6uH6QDDXP/s1600/halldor+vic+xc-dave+shiskoff.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsY6523XQcXWAWlsY5aNEBxSUfO-oEtJSt_p3huy3oz2gyl7dBdq-woT15Ort0HjQXAeK2dbCB38gAgyXKTnHRMrUjiBW5UwNajQrOQecoBQivagzlcMxfKMgumlssvlq-Xq6uH6QDDXP/s200/halldor+vic+xc-dave+shiskoff.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555883528235201714" border="0" /></a>A great cycling year is coming to an end. There has been some developments in my life that have enabled me to ride my bike more than before and I've tried to take advantage of that. I changed jobs in March and now work for <a href="http://capitalcitycycles.wordpress.com/">Capital City Cycles</a> in downtown Victoria. This change involved more freedom to attend races all over the island and I had a big season as a result. I attended all XC races in the Island Cup series and a few of the Downhill races as well as most of the CX races. I've raced more this year than I have in my life so far combined, and as a result I've learned a few things which I'd like to share on this log. So here goes:
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Things that worked:</span>
Niner MCR (has worked flawlessly for me) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJb81NnpOecAEW8wncrV1vpAL-4XeX00Qok6BUqZgeg_SvrSHVHEuuzB7EQpHrfOs_xYavF_MXTWxO7D5VZmaGfZ91vMFbq4wYHbJoLBdENYnblk9R0or04ht4DMhic7zyUMcCOX62Tb3p/s1600/IMG_5493.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJb81NnpOecAEW8wncrV1vpAL-4XeX00Qok6BUqZgeg_SvrSHVHEuuzB7EQpHrfOs_xYavF_MXTWxO7D5VZmaGfZ91vMFbq4wYHbJoLBdENYnblk9R0or04ht4DMhic7zyUMcCOX62Tb3p/s200/IMG_5493.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555876236082854130" border="0" /></a>
2009 Trek Remedy 8 (although not a great choice for downhill, it gave me the chance to try my hand at that sport, and has been my all mountain machine all year)
Sram X7/X9 drivetrain
Shimano XT drivetrain
Consistency in racing
Training some
Slow and steady (don't crash, don't flat)
Maxxis Aspen 29" tires for dry conditions
Maxxis Minion Tires for all mountain riding
Michelin Mud 2 CX tires (they wear super fast, so there is a minus for that)
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije4ujrSwPyjkwkP3AGJiDsyuiOsmBrhu9cV7MAA_9xQ7tS8kqItgZrwklMsWD82LT55YAuVIaGrHbfwLQqACE0FbiI2irTzu9VAlwJ86t_W4zc20ymmlCEfxBPSgXYXBRExxONFTO3Vjt/s1600/IMG_9839.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije4ujrSwPyjkwkP3AGJiDsyuiOsmBrhu9cV7MAA_9xQ7tS8kqItgZrwklMsWD82LT55YAuVIaGrHbfwLQqACE0FbiI2irTzu9VAlwJ86t_W4zc20ymmlCEfxBPSgXYXBRExxONFTO3Vjt/s200/IMG_9839.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555880856361813186" border="0" /></a>Schwalbe Racing Ralph CX tires (allthough not as fast as the Muds they hook up very well in nasty conditions)
Specialized Captain S-Works 29" tire.
Shimano XTR, DX Pedals
Vittoria Rubino Pro and Rubino road tires
Rock Shox Reba (QR version is very flexy, it has held up for 10 months however)
Spandex!
<span style="font-weight: bold;">
Things that did not work:</span>
Bontrager Race saddle (I thought I was loosing my manhood in the middle of the Test of Metal)
Racing hung over...
Rock Shox Lyrik 2-step <span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 204);">(I jinxed it as I put it in the things that<span style="font-weight: bold;"> did work</span> list but blew it up last week just before the end of the year)</span>
IRD Butted steel touring/CX fork (bent in a freak cx accident)
Thinking I could take a break from riding before cross season...
Bar-end shifters in cross, and for road riding...only suitable for touring in my opinion (note: those did not fail but are just uncomfortable and slow for racing situations and fast rides)
Anatomic bend drop handlebars<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wwptwaR5Wl4ZrTKxJMzvxPru3qwXUTTRw1v3R7M_EyHJCvfo-xIkiERDn-Z52jyf9uNBc1XN1LfcEo3mfBfOo2aIqeXqJkljsQ3_xBfhXjT-AOHVfU_McXyKaatB-tOFhWUT_Az6qikq/s1600/sprints+034.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wwptwaR5Wl4ZrTKxJMzvxPru3qwXUTTRw1v3R7M_EyHJCvfo-xIkiERDn-Z52jyf9uNBc1XN1LfcEo3mfBfOo2aIqeXqJkljsQ3_xBfhXjT-AOHVfU_McXyKaatB-tOFhWUT_Az6qikq/s200/sprints+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558944995394128466" border="0" /></a>
Deep drop bars in Cross
Racing on worn out tires in Cross
Low Tire Pressures in Cross (flats galore...lets face it: I'm over 220lbs)
DT Swiss 470SL wheels (lots of broken spokes, too flexy)
Not eating breakfast before racing...
Easton EA70 carbon seatpost (snapped)
Maxxis Minions 2-ply as a downhill tire (lots of flats)
Specialized Fasttrack 29" tire (got better after I customized the tread with side cutters)
Truvative Hussafelt Cranks, junk.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLYaPdqyLouQKljsy9K_jrbnpSWCE2ir7FVkLOT2fMghLxuO6naDEg1m37zj0hRDuJ3c0W3ZRk2SyXBPMSEqNMfDqWoiioW_s3qsHmSxRagfC3zXfkdHx9jXbYOybgZm0s1QWGe-7IpPJ/s1600/PA+xc.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLYaPdqyLouQKljsy9K_jrbnpSWCE2ir7FVkLOT2fMghLxuO6naDEg1m37zj0hRDuJ3c0W3ZRk2SyXBPMSEqNMfDqWoiioW_s3qsHmSxRagfC3zXfkdHx9jXbYOybgZm0s1QWGe-7IpPJ/s200/PA+xc.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555880849651381618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">
Learned:</span>
Polo is not for me
Downhill is an exercise in patience as well as tolerance for spoiled teenage boys and their attitude.
Preriding UP to and down the course in downhill is not necessarily a good idea.
Road riding is fun, and amazing training tool
XC racing is surprisingly welcoming and unpretentious
XC marathon racing is stupidly hard but very good for the soul
Roadies in a XC race will not let you pass-wait for the mistake and take advantage
I'm not a fast climber
Elbows get thrown in cross (it's not a myth)
Flat un-technical CX courses make me grumpy (see above)
CX: The worse the conditions, and the more technical course = more fun
Downhill: the better the conditions and the more technical course = more fun
XC: See downhill
In 2010 my main goal was to do the Test of Metal in Squamish. So I started riding more than usual in the beginning of the year and then as the XC season started, I decided it would be good for my fitness to race some of those races. I was surprised how much fun I was having in those races and I was placing pretty well, so I got kind of hooked on it. Previously I had some prejudice about xc riders and xc racing, pertaining in part, to their choice of dress. This was narrow minded and stupid of me and I found out that XC racing is really one of truest, and least pretentious forms of mountain biking.
I ended up taking the win in the Intermediate category of the series and I did this simply by showing up for every race and being consistent. I did not win a single race!
I raced a few downhills as well this year and that helped a bit with my confidence and technical skills, even though my placement was not great in any of them, I believe my best finish was 12th in Port Alice.
All this racing whipped me into decent shape for the Test, and I did pretty well in that one too.
But after all that racing in the first part of the year I took a big break in July, which accidentally lasted until about mid September. This made for a sloppy Cross season, I think my best placement was about 8th place in Duncan. Although that was disappointing it was a good lesson and I can't wait for the next season.
Next year is looking just as epic as this one was and I hope everyone gets as much riding in as possible. Keep your eyes peeled for the <a href="http://www.victoria-cycling.com/">Victoria International Cycling Festival</a> in June 2011. That's going to be great for the city and cycling on the South Island. Even sooner though, the annual Blubber Burn Classic CX race is on this month and as always it should be a hell of a time.
More details on that one soon!
Happy New Year Everyone! May you ride new trails and reach new goals.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-27047442653928987472010-09-30T09:49:00.000-07:002010-10-25T12:26:50.229-07:00on cross and super-d<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILS0vKJorh9Jq7v5246GX8Tb9GDuIUISvii8Ucy0FHS15N4sRrdN4C0ult5uZ_QLP93oYnw-T6NJNJpdlCkI3AzTW3jkuXYqZrRdQotYC_Z42GAMA2uB0QnbKuqUTtsdz975Tl4wCUQLe/s1600/IMG_0038.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiILS0vKJorh9Jq7v5246GX8Tb9GDuIUISvii8Ucy0FHS15N4sRrdN4C0ult5uZ_QLP93oYnw-T6NJNJpdlCkI3AzTW3jkuXYqZrRdQotYC_Z42GAMA2uB0QnbKuqUTtsdz975Tl4wCUQLe/s400/IMG_0038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532066571219138738" border="0" /></a>My buddy Shayne racing in the masters' category at Providence farm in Duncan
see all photos <a href="http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/h-gunn/CX%20race%20Providence%20farm%20masters%20only/">here</a>
</div>
The Cyclocross season has started here on Vancouver Island. As I've mentioned before on these pages, <a href="http://www.crossontherock.com/">Cross on the Rock</a>, is a very cool mix of island casualness mixed with gritty racing and very technical courses. I've never raced cross anywhere else but I've been told that the courses we race on are more technical than what is considered to be the norm. In any case, for a mountain biker like myself they're pure joy. But even though their fun, there needs to be some kind of form in place if you want to do well. This was sadly missing in the first race that took place in Cumberland (one of the coolest mtb riding spots on the island). After a successful XC season and a good race in the Test of Metal I slacked of in July and August and I'm paying for it. The course was amazing though and included the whole <a href="http://www.coalhillsbmx.com/">Coal Hills BMX</a> track as well as some fun singletrack, conventional whirly whirl, grassy straights and an asphalt section. Frankencross did well in it's latest configuration as an eight speed cross machine, and it was nice to try out some new mods I've made to the rig. After bending my forks during a race in the Wednesday VCL cross practice race in Victoria. I found a Bontrager Satelite fork at a local bike store (Thanks Scotty) and got to work getting the Frankencross ready. In it's current figuration it's sporting second hand Race Light wheels, that new carbon fork and a 11-28/38-46 gear ratio (no longer an eight speed, kept dropping the chain). The only other modifications I intend to make on it is installing second hand Ultegra sti's and a nine speed cassette. That should do it for the next year or so...The rest of the modifications will have to be made to myself! Time to ride more and party less.
After the first race in Cumberland, I missed the second one in Nanaimo, after crashing on my fixed gear and banging up my knee. I made it out to the Duncan one though (oct 17th), and my knee was not feeling too bad, so I decided to give it a try. I felt alright in the race but I was feeling sluggish after two weeks off the bike. Managed to finish strong though and came in 8th, which was one better than in the Cumberland race, so I was happy with that. It's awesome seeing my friends kicking arse in these races too. The top four guys in the intermediate category of yesterdays race are buddies of mine. Regan, Mitch, and Scotty from<a href="http://www.trekbikesvictoria.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1"> Trek Victoria Pro City</a> and my old coworker and rival (he's destroying me this year) Justin Wolfe from <a href="http://riderscycles.com/">Rider's Cycles.
</a>I'd love to be up there with them, but the form is simply not there right now.
Yesterday oct. 24th we had a Super Downhill race at the local mtb. park in Hartland. It was called the Dumpster Dive Super-D in a nod to the location of the park next to the landfill. After a near month of great conditions it finally started to rain and this made for a slick and scary course. For some reason I thought I'd ride out to the Race on my Remedy, and this resulted in extra wetness and cold chills before the race. I had lots of fun though and after a practice lap, I did my race run. It was looking to be a pretty good run, but then I snagged a tree with my handlebars, in a slow left hand turn (totally unneccesary) and lost a lot of time. I had a great time racing though and the mud made for a challenging course.
Next up, alleycat on Friday followed by back to back cross races on Saturday and Sunday. Should make for an awesome weekend!Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-15647840064132296092010-05-10T08:48:00.000-07:002010-05-10T10:13:42.213-07:00on mountainbiking, bike proms, and ritualistic strangeness<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg4f3uwlem8WfnnvXLpcrsSqwf8aYRCk0vvXsg6PnI91k4FXFwihVZIDr8DDl4-yQ1sPMQDCnO5N2TNyNOqJ4V3j_Myxfy1TcwGJZFx4S7MewK7DiDUNZj_w05xbtgt2F9CTgFwRWCEY3/s1600/gopro+046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyg4f3uwlem8WfnnvXLpcrsSqwf8aYRCk0vvXsg6PnI91k4FXFwihVZIDr8DDl4-yQ1sPMQDCnO5N2TNyNOqJ4V3j_Myxfy1TcwGJZFx4S7MewK7DiDUNZj_w05xbtgt2F9CTgFwRWCEY3/s400/gopro+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469682652670819170" border="0" /></a>Are you Jesus?
</div>Well it's been a busy few weeks, with racing and riding...This weekend however, the only riding that was done was a long Mtb ride yesterday at the Dump. I finally rode trails that I knew about but had never ridden before. These are off the map and a bit hard to find but they're fun. Even though there is a hell of a lot of climbing it seems like it is easily possible to link up some trails to ride on singletrack for about 4 hours which should be good practice for the Test of Metal. This week I also rode out to the dump from Victoria and did a loop there and rode back. That's an ok ride but mountain bikes are not much fun on longer commutes. Hardpack gravel is fun on a crossbike but gets old pretty fast on a mountain bike. Nevertheless, with a little help from <a href="http://cycling.davenoisy.com/">Dave Shiskoff</a> (and when I say little I mean a gps map) I realized that you can ride all the way to the dump with very little time on the road. This makes that commute a bit more interesting. I was pretty tired after that ride though and when I came back into town I was begging for red lights so I could take a breather!
The <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.bikeprom.ca">Victoria Bike Prom</a> was on the weekend before, and as always it was a blast. On Friday there was an alleycat and a Midnight mystery ride and on Saturday there was a polo turney, the prom ride and the Prom itself. On Sunday there was some pickup polo and a breakfast. All events were very successful even though the live music that was supposed to happen under the bay Bridge was shut down by the police (surprice, surprice). I took part in most of the events although not the polo (had to work). Then on Sunday I went out for a mountain bike ride with Will Rondoff of Midnight Mystery Ride fame and Gabriel Amadeus from Portland, but he was keen on riding some Victoria singletrack. Good way to get rid of the cobwebs. Up next: Road ride with the Rider's crew tonight, sprints on friday in the Capital City Summer series, and a XC race in Duncan on Sunday. Not to mention a lot of road action to watch from Giro D'Italia!
Anyway, here are some photos from the prom weekend:
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MsQYvYRpawWekejY_3zblu19MQIvpEDBnlH2dsHlpRYXENBKgEcEVVrFTjbvZ_TcL-boNa4Z2A-gw3r0pJvjTkmYfVCx-rZDU5peUxXOKH8KOAWJMmNH16Dq-qPXFoYn6_WOOxZJDVvW/s1600/gopro+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MsQYvYRpawWekejY_3zblu19MQIvpEDBnlH2dsHlpRYXENBKgEcEVVrFTjbvZ_TcL-boNa4Z2A-gw3r0pJvjTkmYfVCx-rZDU5peUxXOKH8KOAWJMmNH16Dq-qPXFoYn6_WOOxZJDVvW/s400/gopro+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469681519802637138" border="0" /></a>Will, Shiva and Gabe joined me on a ride on Sunday
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PzvK8Ied0NavBBbZ1WT3KpJryajiwDrHODFApEYP4A1fUYVjVLQcUlmqsLUwaPcLX3GQ_bhFuefWgNxMI6bGQSBs7ltFjYA_wFW5TP4l0cBTdTOMogJ2gKFlAILoVKKJjgzmHglJdp2m/s1600/gopro+058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PzvK8Ied0NavBBbZ1WT3KpJryajiwDrHODFApEYP4A1fUYVjVLQcUlmqsLUwaPcLX3GQ_bhFuefWgNxMI6bGQSBs7ltFjYA_wFW5TP4l0cBTdTOMogJ2gKFlAILoVKKJjgzmHglJdp2m/s400/gopro+058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469681509196996594" border="0" /></a>Bučan Bučan played during the prom ride and at the prom, they were extremely entertaining.
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxn-Ic1pIm_K4jxvU5OI6mNs3VH8p-IRZunSzknvc4Wlvu6fSerQG8mVdN1ojJZ9a69mjZPqd8S9RLF97HK0tBShdh5rD2UkSeNFrxNTAHkF9VgHG_KwXaADvsxPGRwgT_Nimtqk8_owX/s1600/gopro+045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxn-Ic1pIm_K4jxvU5OI6mNs3VH8p-IRZunSzknvc4Wlvu6fSerQG8mVdN1ojJZ9a69mjZPqd8S9RLF97HK0tBShdh5rD2UkSeNFrxNTAHkF9VgHG_KwXaADvsxPGRwgT_Nimtqk8_owX/s400/gopro+045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469681497001466706" border="0" /></a>Friday mystery ride<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjZS2W6IfZnPdUQ-YO72XuCs1lKom-zJGumvctseuhNt-RILCzRpGH_GfKrGhrVOs0WvMExlaQdHGGlILNGMcVxGiMXePrUj8CWmW0OLVFFdItvI_Cnd_yV5_gpisBSuIxRVhAOlgZYJ8/s1600/gopro+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNjZS2W6IfZnPdUQ-YO72XuCs1lKom-zJGumvctseuhNt-RILCzRpGH_GfKrGhrVOs0WvMExlaQdHGGlILNGMcVxGiMXePrUj8CWmW0OLVFFdItvI_Cnd_yV5_gpisBSuIxRVhAOlgZYJ8/s400/gopro+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469681486809565010" border="0" /></a>
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9h3RLPcqBghX0pmT-M3oj0_W7tDjqW8uL_Nk9bPKEXqyv9Xl_w1yx99txZTpvptza61J9_7fI7s7HxPo0_A6uQXHFKt2pzHIm7S3UPenq1WugYNIZB7ypCgiDc0O9lcJoOr1B0dpgCJ-/s1600/gopro+038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI9h3RLPcqBghX0pmT-M3oj0_W7tDjqW8uL_Nk9bPKEXqyv9Xl_w1yx99txZTpvptza61J9_7fI7s7HxPo0_A6uQXHFKt2pzHIm7S3UPenq1WugYNIZB7ypCgiDc0O9lcJoOr1B0dpgCJ-/s400/gopro+038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469681480926925362" border="0" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQM__JlhUtplJB-baVmvVCkmSxRU8cdzbixNhWeZR9wHCTAeIES0Ai8ZBIj_yQYFC70IURbsxK4zZwj9YSwk_np8ax3_awz4iRmpkTybGrcL2xKei_ir3ToxytP2BCPiBWFNjb2w14DvK/s1600/gopro+032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQM__JlhUtplJB-baVmvVCkmSxRU8cdzbixNhWeZR9wHCTAeIES0Ai8ZBIj_yQYFC70IURbsxK4zZwj9YSwk_np8ax3_awz4iRmpkTybGrcL2xKei_ir3ToxytP2BCPiBWFNjb2w14DvK/s400/gopro+032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469680123356099682" border="0" /></a>This kind officer took my beer, but to my surprice, in stead of having a sip...
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKi5YlcuKm9-PtHVYvl6BBzddyjLks0qctVr6wHQjDNP-v6C48U1zSzUkL9qmTQYo7NqP7pYp5RA0YxqsfU3_4tS9V6Zp8o8jYMeWKvuFJldvreJZzYtRlGC9T0lfPQcCTs_E2DDZLTgN/s1600/gopro+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNKi5YlcuKm9-PtHVYvl6BBzddyjLks0qctVr6wHQjDNP-v6C48U1zSzUkL9qmTQYo7NqP7pYp5RA0YxqsfU3_4tS9V6Zp8o8jYMeWKvuFJldvreJZzYtRlGC9T0lfPQcCTs_E2DDZLTgN/s400/gopro+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469680131854688418" border="0" /></a>he proceded to poor it on the ground in some strange police ritual of fertility or to celebrate mother earth or something. Anyway did not make too much sense to me.
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDow4EShtyhBjJVFZiFxtrzhpthj-7ZazlhEoFPcsBTaKhRqUZbgZjtAdDKKt7kuDL9MzOPrPhHH-EZwCuNc_tb2G-vOBuLrBYXRoIkMkxZU5zAwQJJZccVE30bBeGPUZTP2DIod8COkTg/s1600/gopro+030.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDow4EShtyhBjJVFZiFxtrzhpthj-7ZazlhEoFPcsBTaKhRqUZbgZjtAdDKKt7kuDL9MzOPrPhHH-EZwCuNc_tb2G-vOBuLrBYXRoIkMkxZU5zAwQJJZccVE30bBeGPUZTP2DIod8COkTg/s400/gopro+030.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469680106574662786" border="0" /></a>Cole wore his fancy shoes
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GiZRZFPfxUSfsaksp58XOm2xOxD8wV3v7K16FppesSMe7vBKaM0GpF0ruT5D5-nrMMEpnPkkClL4I2cd6VRA1265ARiBQMWb5681YwgVjAKLskXfHIvUDr7KZMpWaee4e4hQKH3mM0qz/s1600/gopro+027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9GiZRZFPfxUSfsaksp58XOm2xOxD8wV3v7K16FppesSMe7vBKaM0GpF0ruT5D5-nrMMEpnPkkClL4I2cd6VRA1265ARiBQMWb5681YwgVjAKLskXfHIvUDr7KZMpWaee4e4hQKH3mM0qz/s400/gopro+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469680098631439490" border="0" /></a>Gabriel wore his bitching Zoobomb vest.
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxo3UNflYzFYG5-DdjISt44-L_Eoxi9lSa75RpaGQoWTHrCZtuqNtwj8FUebjGdqP1-vvfI7AEeWWbaHQscAWFGPX-1ilrz33_lUEe4WjmYaFp92G9qxaWX1jiXCwo9OOSJxhOLZhF6Fn/s1600/gopro+024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxo3UNflYzFYG5-DdjISt44-L_Eoxi9lSa75RpaGQoWTHrCZtuqNtwj8FUebjGdqP1-vvfI7AEeWWbaHQscAWFGPX-1ilrz33_lUEe4WjmYaFp92G9qxaWX1jiXCwo9OOSJxhOLZhF6Fn/s400/gopro+024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469680089358946338" border="0" /></a>Andreas and Bill
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojOs_orH9s8M8m6Rc2hAZaXqWKRyBJYSrVrvPyL0MKhIHtpUS52pPpHpcH9DbGqHEITotJvVMgzNEVbKAqjyuO5zLp8JjEHTZo5ToXxwtZoqeMfMUX5TORO_DV0JwGOn9yyX8mRLcbFcy/s1600/gopro+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojOs_orH9s8M8m6Rc2hAZaXqWKRyBJYSrVrvPyL0MKhIHtpUS52pPpHpcH9DbGqHEITotJvVMgzNEVbKAqjyuO5zLp8JjEHTZo5ToXxwtZoqeMfMUX5TORO_DV0JwGOn9yyX8mRLcbFcy/s400/gopro+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469678667308450562" border="0" /></a>What? This is not a reasonable place to have a concert?
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAol7-hAyVuD-07LfaJfWHbaKz5PVp_E07NBgHP66p7vp-sfk65TUKNCwWisN4tFvYerzhiluRZ2aSbMzGY56cVCrs7D7HNETZ-ojv6Yb_9qbfq4Hg7ELgJsxYFNtMNPCReh_RUMrYT6i/s1600/gopro+014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAol7-hAyVuD-07LfaJfWHbaKz5PVp_E07NBgHP66p7vp-sfk65TUKNCwWisN4tFvYerzhiluRZ2aSbMzGY56cVCrs7D7HNETZ-ojv6Yb_9qbfq4Hg7ELgJsxYFNtMNPCReh_RUMrYT6i/s400/gopro+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469678659442451442" border="0" /></a>Bay st. Bridge
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopkbhmmBl99q2kQLgdFAPrZOGCO9h5JInJPRBXmYlCgl78pDGAjbvFk_bgde6NmxXJSrBXdpNgFrNEFrC9bHTUcGeCByxAWBkC5mngkp0Fdrs6ZvTzoxz0ASyPSH4zp-9uaDFnzKs3R4f/s1600/gopro+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjopkbhmmBl99q2kQLgdFAPrZOGCO9h5JInJPRBXmYlCgl78pDGAjbvFk_bgde6NmxXJSrBXdpNgFrNEFrC9bHTUcGeCByxAWBkC5mngkp0Fdrs6ZvTzoxz0ASyPSH4zp-9uaDFnzKs3R4f/s400/gopro+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469678650688082114" border="0" /></a>Andrew brought out the white Stumpjumpers for the occasion
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY9TcvKj1nvYGR1LVulchbGlkUV9Vq09TDs0MIvv3BhMSBx_k2L8zDnV3mGn0AX5GfB84gDmgUt1SqZZPBuRas085vSGQh8MDz_ab6mCRjsnyN0aJqsD7J8Xi5JWKqG0ru0AcLNu8ALbO/s1600/gopro+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoY9TcvKj1nvYGR1LVulchbGlkUV9Vq09TDs0MIvv3BhMSBx_k2L8zDnV3mGn0AX5GfB84gDmgUt1SqZZPBuRas085vSGQh8MDz_ab6mCRjsnyN0aJqsD7J8Xi5JWKqG0ru0AcLNu8ALbO/s400/gopro+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469678632714896722" border="0" /></a>Triane lays down the law for the alleycat!
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXzorFmUslWBpFkkKIFYNa51Y4XFJBXcPXXAeFSTnOEuHe1QRJrNUiX_HPL2AzihNzBpqRkWm2pM6EoAZqbJFp6P9XLUcJmXO2nB6qIhEW3QXIcr_vIov7pshZ7PYBRR_LNYI41ZUoGYK/s1600/gopro+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXzorFmUslWBpFkkKIFYNa51Y4XFJBXcPXXAeFSTnOEuHe1QRJrNUiX_HPL2AzihNzBpqRkWm2pM6EoAZqbJFp6P9XLUcJmXO2nB6qIhEW3QXIcr_vIov7pshZ7PYBRR_LNYI41ZUoGYK/s400/gopro+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469678624078378610" border="0" /></a>Colin, BelleDawn, and Annina plot for the alleycat. Serious business as you can see!
</div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-32823433735522567542010-04-22T09:40:00.000-07:002010-04-22T10:21:31.334-07:00on touring your hood<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJvDzWLdDf2-dMjkoR2VKnC0sCsaeCRgz4R7g_4B1gJoWgUgjvTiQ0PeDNh1xKpIjKWC3EGRS30DX3tct-VChtjFkyXpvSJ9k3Sjv8A5jAc20GmFtnTs57qCEjyMTOjA41wogGW4sWy1y/s1600/firehall.htm"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJvDzWLdDf2-dMjkoR2VKnC0sCsaeCRgz4R7g_4B1gJoWgUgjvTiQ0PeDNh1xKpIjKWC3EGRS30DX3tct-VChtjFkyXpvSJ9k3Sjv8A5jAc20GmFtnTs57qCEjyMTOjA41wogGW4sWy1y/s400/firehall.htm" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463007462476519986" border="0" /></a>Imagine having your own firehall...how cool would that be? Lots of space for your cars and bikes and what have you, photo by: tourdehood.wordpress.com
</div>I've always been interested to visit Detroit. Not only because the Pistons have always been my Team in basketball or the fact that I'm a car nut at heart, but also because it's a city with an interesting history. It's also a representation of the rise, and more recently, the fall of American industry.
Detroit used to be a metropolitan city of 2 million people. Now, it's a city of 700,000. I've always liked to photograph, industrial landscapes, and the more abandoned and desolate, the better. This is also (perhaps strangely to some) part of the appeal for me as far as Detroit goes. But since I can't see myself traveling there any time soon, I travel there virtually every once in a while through <a href="http://tourdehood.wordpress.com/">http://tourdehood.wordpress.com/</a>. It's one man's photographic documentation of his weekly rides through his beloved city. I'm sure it must be sad at times to ride through neighborhoods that are falling apart, but the author of the blog does a good job of looking on the bright sides, and brings us a very interesting view of a city you never hear about here in Western Canada.
To quote the author of tourdehood:
"Detroit is [also] a synopsis of America’s rise and fall as one of the world’s manufacturing powerhouses. It was the “Arsenal of Democracy”. Much of Detroit was based on making things – from cars and all their ancillary parts, to giant machine tools, to smelting and banging and forging. That’s all gone now, and the hulking remnants of that 20th Century glory still stand, empty, and collapsing, while someone tries to figure out what to do next. (No one’s come up with a workable idea yet)."Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-29852937186617193762010-04-19T13:33:00.000-07:002010-04-20T23:14:00.635-07:00On racing and racing some more...<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYSYhHN3ZbvbpatVzdo-V7ID-GcRMj8M_C2tpkEhTglcwoHuJjYkd_k6rXmveUhOgqKlqE2uCeq-YFZTzzd2EHIaHIYyoa-7QCNXbU4zs23F1U1w4kv5icwsDwpjRYEMWa1uwPC5zAV4d/s1600/0011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYSYhHN3ZbvbpatVzdo-V7ID-GcRMj8M_C2tpkEhTglcwoHuJjYkd_k6rXmveUhOgqKlqE2uCeq-YFZTzzd2EHIaHIYyoa-7QCNXbU4zs23F1U1w4kv5icwsDwpjRYEMWa1uwPC5zAV4d/s400/0011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462467068935331634" border="0" /></a>I got a puncture a few hundred meters before the finish line but managed to limp to the end. Note the manly bike rack.
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxdaG1mZJkOYMId7bNIGY_zWwT4frcSPWWAZWRdAV62E1_rRqtvdFwQSaRPfJVEfOx4OOC9qk5LKfIx9Doce8BJz8yvAC1zdNnX4bx_6mYAZG-Ac33cj6D8XOp_YR6GqUMDWi7otul3ko/s1600/0002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxdaG1mZJkOYMId7bNIGY_zWwT4frcSPWWAZWRdAV62E1_rRqtvdFwQSaRPfJVEfOx4OOC9qk5LKfIx9Doce8BJz8yvAC1zdNnX4bx_6mYAZG-Ac33cj6D8XOp_YR6GqUMDWi7otul3ko/s400/0002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462467053171316978" border="0" /></a>Fuel, something I've discovered is rather important. Pix by Jaxattacks
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There is a lot of racing going on on Vancouver Island these days. There are the <a href="http://www.islandcupseries.com/">Island Cup mountain bike series</a>, the Victoria Cycling League series and the <a href="http://capitalcitycycles.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/capital-city-cycles-summer-race-series-2/">Capital City Cycles Summer Race series</a>. I have been racing in the Island Cup and C3 series, but I think I might do at least on race in the VCL series. For the last two weekends I've been riding in Cumberland, which is about 2.5 hours north of Victoria. Last weekend I took the Niner up there and raced a punishing XC race. It's always a joy to ride in Cumberland and it is definitely one of my favorite riding spots of the island. The XC race was tough, but not nearly as grueling as the Port Alberni race a few weeks ago. I was also more careful to have lots of gas in the tank before I started the race this time and that made a big difference. The Cumberland XC was a mass rolling start, and I believe my biggest mistake in the race was to not pinning it off the line and get in a good position before the singletrack. Having all skill levels funneling into the singletrack at the same time made for a huge traffic jam on the trails and I was held back by riders with less technical skills. The saddest part was that some of those slower riders, who had to jump of their bike and run, did not have the good sense to make way for faster riders behind them. In my mind it's pretty simple: If somebody is breathing down your neck, you move out of the way. If you cant ride the trail, you move out of the way of people who can. If you're getting lapped, you move out of the way. If you crash, you move out of the way. It's just common sense.
The fact that some of the riders were not aware of this unwritten code was very frustrating and I hope next year there will be a different setup. That is, the different classes will be started separately. But in the organizers defense, I made the mistake of not getting myself in a better situation, and perhaps that is what it is all about. Overall I loved the race and managed to crawl my way up to 8th place in spite of long punishing climbs, which I traditionally don't excel at. I also rolled through the finish line on a flat tire which was pretty cool.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFwmvOM-SnvPlwmLbUzvORd1uNGOQ6w1OQ8F_j10PpSIKx4Fji_BDL23FudGSfKR5gVq6KTAmumIlkBBNNcfWbeUXJfAoBCaUohf7z6wjeFJEb2DMMm0ARbS-QDQnxgbOEjlDJNm_WDdk/s1600/downhill+cumberland.+lenn+martell.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 324px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEFwmvOM-SnvPlwmLbUzvORd1uNGOQ6w1OQ8F_j10PpSIKx4Fji_BDL23FudGSfKR5gVq6KTAmumIlkBBNNcfWbeUXJfAoBCaUohf7z6wjeFJEb2DMMm0ARbS-QDQnxgbOEjlDJNm_WDdk/s400/downhill+cumberland.+lenn+martell.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462264000607310322" border="0" /></a>The lower part of the top section just before entering the woods. These berms were fun. Photo by Len Martell
</div>This week we had the Cumberland DH race. It was my first DH race and I finished in 31st place out of 60 riders in my class. I'm happy with that, even though I would have liked to have come in in the upper half of the racers, like in 29th place or something like that. DH racing for me this year, is mainly for fun and to practice my technical skills. I rode my Remedy for this race and I was surprised by how well it handled the course. The course had a "pedaly" upper half mostly in a clear cut, with a steep rock strewn lower part in the woods. The course should have suited me pretty well (because my bike pedals pretty well) but I took the chicken line around some of the jumps in the top part and I believe I lost some time because of my gutlessness. The lower part was a combination of rather gnarly rock gardens and rooty creek beds and mud. It was mostly a point and shoot affair and I just tried to keep focused and hold on for that section and luckily made it down the course without crashing or flatting. That's success on it's own right there.
One thing I did not like about downhill racing however, is the lineups and the waiting. You want to be there early to ride the course and get a feel for it but as soon as the shuttles start to run, the waiting begins. In the worst period there was a three shuttle lineup for the flatbeds. I did not particularly want to wait for 45min for a 10 min ride in a van so instead of taking the shuttle I rode up the fire-roads twice to get more practice runs in. In the end I got four practice runs in (one hike a bike, two rides up, and one shuttle) and then I shuttled for my race run. I figured that this is what my Remedy is designed for, and again I was surprised by how well it pedaled up the fire roads. I did wear myself a bit thin on those rides though so when the time finally came to do my race run I was a bit tired. But I certainly made it worth my time to drive up there and got lots of riding in. <a href="http://www.unitedridersofcumberland.com/">The United Riders of Cumberland</a> did a superb job of organizing this race and set a standard which other races will be measured by.
After the race there was a delicious BBQ and bike toss for a six pack of Phillips Slipstream. I wanted the beer but lost to bigger and better bike throwers:
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S0V3MHRNv38Lleu4NIHf7lUXiEMu2bf5edE-4OQsyNHjW3nfN_1iX5x6KSQwkD8OjcxuziUhWTd9JFVSsy4OcZI48_tjyhIeRaPstRaHBMyQ3sDK-uhV39QTceaK_6MJ4KaiqhQdrS9L/s1600/bike+toss+cumberland+Strahan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S0V3MHRNv38Lleu4NIHf7lUXiEMu2bf5edE-4OQsyNHjW3nfN_1iX5x6KSQwkD8OjcxuziUhWTd9JFVSsy4OcZI48_tjyhIeRaPstRaHBMyQ3sDK-uhV39QTceaK_6MJ4KaiqhQdrS9L/s400/bike+toss+cumberland+Strahan.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462268369198389922" border="0" /></a>Photo by Strahan Loken
</div>
Next up: Sprints on Friday, and <a href="http://www.arrowsmithmtbclub.com/hammerfest2010.htm">Hammerfest XC</a> on Sunday.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-90815231138627329662010-04-08T09:10:00.001-07:002010-05-08T10:33:18.981-07:00Patients Pedal Past ParkinsonThis is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while:
Patients pedal past Parkinson's:
<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/patients-pedal-past-parkinsons-10264680">http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/patients-pedal-past-parkinsons-10264680</a>
<a href="http://urbanvelo.org/patients-pedal-past-parkinsons/"></a><a href="http://sharethis.com/">
</a>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-81477744617738920312010-04-08T08:29:00.000-07:002010-04-08T08:45:11.865-07:00trials via Milano Fixed<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Hi6RXoH8xc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5Hi6RXoH8xc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>
<object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KjAFgN3eQLY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KjAFgN3eQLY&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-58013349785383637122010-04-06T08:13:00.000-07:002010-04-06T09:52:12.357-07:00On niners and the dark side<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H8reYczYmLlLz0Uv8vOhiIiEUbTQuQXBNgl0hsIQb5Z8W9An7Qv3DSqbXPftcpbo9n55g8CyA1JJpVUNE8qeSjWryYPeqIEV-Nw02R8pTbsZZhWYmYewDLxKIabPDJjzgVeTkT6UOjvc/s1600/IMG_5500.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H8reYczYmLlLz0Uv8vOhiIiEUbTQuQXBNgl0hsIQb5Z8W9An7Qv3DSqbXPftcpbo9n55g8CyA1JJpVUNE8qeSjWryYPeqIEV-Nw02R8pTbsZZhWYmYewDLxKIabPDJjzgVeTkT6UOjvc/s400/IMG_5500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457064711746935746" border="0" /></a>Self portrait in church...
</div>I knew it would happen sooner or later. The fact that I'm 6'3 and the 21,5" bikes I normally ride seem kind of small beneath me made this a logical progression. Yes, I now have a 29er. I got the first ride in the night before the first XC race this year at Hartland in Victoria. I went up there and prerode the course in the dark with my lights and tried to get a feel for the bike. Since then I've raced the bike twice and I've taken it on rides two other times. The bike is a Niner M.C.R. 9 Steel hardtail, with a Rock Shox Reba fork, Juicy Five Sl's, x7/x9 shifters and derailleurs, carbon bar and seatpost, and Dt Swiss 470 Sl wheels.
It's strange being back on a hardtail but just as I enjoy taking my old singlespeed, rigid Cannondale out for spins at the Dump this bike is also a blast. Sure enough, you can't go off any big drops and it's not exactly built for fast and rough downhill sections, but I'm surpriced at how comfortable I'm on the bike. It also forces you to be smooth, which I can definately use at times. Don't get me wrong, a hard tail will always beat you up a bit, but the Reynolds 853 steel helps out a lot. The big wheels also do help, and even though I have not experienced the "roll over anything" feeling that some 29ers talk about, I have noticed a difference on technical climbs and other bumpy sections. The big wheels come in handy on steep rock rolls as well, since the transfer from rock to ground is evened out a bit by the wheels. I wouldn't say it makes up for the 72 degree head tube angle, but the bike is surprisingly capable on rolls. The bike also climbs really well, something that you'd expect from a hard tail of this sort. It's not overly light though and I've read reviews where a seated climb in a low gear is recommended. I disagree with this. One of the things I've noticed riding a 29er, is the increased distance you can get out of a single pedal stroke, and this comes in handy on difficult climbs. So I like to climb in the middle ring and 1st. The only issue with that is tight uphill cornering, where you really have to keep in mind the added difficulty of getting those big wheels up to speed before you hit the next obstacle. This is the only time I get that feeling however, I can't say I notice it anywhere else. It's a joy to climb on the bike and the only thing that's holding me back on that front, at least as far as the bike is concerned, is the rear tire. It's a Specialized Fast Track, a tire that is definitely not designed for the greasy conditions we experience here on the west coast. So that will be one of my updates in the future. Another thing I'm considering is going to a wider bar for more stability at high speed. I'm currently running a Syncros Gain Carbon bar and it's not narrow at nearly 26" but I feel I could go a bit wider and gaining some leverage and stability. Another drawback is the Reba QR forks. Even though I've dialed in the suspension too my liking (running it way under the recommended psi ratings) the problem lies in the lack of stiffness in the forks themselves. I guess this has to do with the big wheels and is undoubtedly the reason for so many through axle 29er forks (mine is a 9mm q/r). I'll probably run this setup for this season, but I'll be looking to upgrade in the future. One other drawback is the wheels. they feel very light and so far have held true but I believe they in conjunction with the forks, are the cause of at least half of my already numerous crashes on the bike. They are not stiff enough to withstand tight cornering on steep downhill sections. The combination of a noodle of a fork and those wheels I've actually seen the wheel flexing towards me in a hard turn, before it locks up and then in a split second I end up sitting on my ass on the outside of the turn. This is not acceptable. It looks like the wheels are built up using light weight 1,8mm spokes, so for now I'll get my boss to lace them up on some heavy gauge 2mm spokes and see if there is a difference. If not, I'll put the forks up for sale. But overall, the bike is a blast and I'm sure I'll enjoy this one for a while to come.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPL9huE4fXRG5oZZIqCOTAQa6XfsWL-8JwSIhsqTf6swCU8anL9Sj5CM0ZLa5ICE2TCMBitjNajCURhIMBbSFkcmfvzxmsGgR0sOp_kr9gjkpSJTZifH9BZtet1Nz1rPCV6e0iy8h-Qpw/s1600/IMG_5493.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglPL9huE4fXRG5oZZIqCOTAQa6XfsWL-8JwSIhsqTf6swCU8anL9Sj5CM0ZLa5ICE2TCMBitjNajCURhIMBbSFkcmfvzxmsGgR0sOp_kr9gjkpSJTZifH9BZtet1Nz1rPCV6e0iy8h-Qpw/s400/IMG_5493.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457064721117881330" border="0" /></a>Forest bike
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn72U1sofgQt0CeoIFQvB3uIQkRKMC0wqtSmtT9P1znTgg0eN_UARty3FWd3HXcVchYjp1juURU0cuEkGx-cF8LpjeOXLqI7WuJYGOcBfTslMH3O9Q9wkq7Z524Lg287NoV30pKXJZ5Hq/s1600/IMG_5499.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUn72U1sofgQt0CeoIFQvB3uIQkRKMC0wqtSmtT9P1znTgg0eN_UARty3FWd3HXcVchYjp1juURU0cuEkGx-cF8LpjeOXLqI7WuJYGOcBfTslMH3O9Q9wkq7Z524Lg287NoV30pKXJZ5Hq/s400/IMG_5499.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457064731247405010" border="0" /></a>
</div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-69468883432941015712010-03-22T11:45:00.000-07:002010-03-22T16:51:21.537-07:00on racing xc and suffering (kind of the same thing)<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYqIV81cJGk1XXIw12-9n_yQkQRB3gp9Y_utBYGOiLzViXaDmfhGKLLrJN3nzG3T4pu4DLUf9_egDg0mmWaO6QVZIbbuhawyzB2pgGzGniA7Ozca6VUaJzrNE4w75eo7sbGnaoDG0jLJQ/s1600-h/halldor+vic+xc-dave+shiskoff.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYqIV81cJGk1XXIw12-9n_yQkQRB3gp9Y_utBYGOiLzViXaDmfhGKLLrJN3nzG3T4pu4DLUf9_egDg0mmWaO6QVZIbbuhawyzB2pgGzGniA7Ozca6VUaJzrNE4w75eo7sbGnaoDG0jLJQ/s400/halldor+vic+xc-dave+shiskoff.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451535727446721794" border="0" /></a>practicing a track stand at the start line, Tyler Johnson is behind me (out of the frame) trying to throw me off my balance. He eventually succeeded.
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOk-vCmL4ENnoEYb4XAhm_PnVsfA2Xpib-Tn4-7RBAeJLZ5pIW9JAsndNmHUfv3sJsGZ8n0YUwwAK8x7TuVoUiHUWEAQi3pe64Tw0x8Q2yersOG6zolKskhlvkVKwtEPAvSLx2Z_lb0zu/s1600-h/halldor+vic+xc2-dave+shiskoff.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOk-vCmL4ENnoEYb4XAhm_PnVsfA2Xpib-Tn4-7RBAeJLZ5pIW9JAsndNmHUfv3sJsGZ8n0YUwwAK8x7TuVoUiHUWEAQi3pe64Tw0x8Q2yersOG6zolKskhlvkVKwtEPAvSLx2Z_lb0zu/s400/halldor+vic+xc2-dave+shiskoff.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451535713927792018" border="0" /></a>Coming onto the bridge on crossover on my first lap, post crash. (photos: <a href="http://cycling.davenoisy.com/">Dave Shiskoff's</a> camera shot by Alyssa)
</div>It's been a while since I've posted here, but I'll try and regain some regularity in posting from now on. Lots has been going on since I last wrote here, I'm in a new job and racing has started on Vancouver Island. I'm working for <a href="http://www.capitalcitycycles.ca/">Capital City Cycles</a> now and things are going great there. I'll be posting on their blog as well, and as it was with <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.riderscycles.blogspot.com">Rider's</a>, there will be some overlap of posts from the Capital blog and this blog depending on the subject matter.
The first race of the season was on March 14 at the Dump in Victoria. It was a xc race on a really nice course laid out by the <a href="http://www.procityracing.com/">Trek Victoria/Pro City Racing guys</a>. This is going to be a huge season for me (basically from now until the end of november), and I'm more focused on racing than ever before. I've cut back in other areas which feels great for everybody except the closest liquor stores! The race at the Dump was my second ride on the Niner MCR bike that I just got for racing XC/Marathon and the Test of metal this year. The big tires and steel frame are a cool change from full sussers and aluminum, but it sure beats you up when you have not been on a hardtail for awhile. I prerode the course the night before the race and made some adjustments to the bike. But what I had not gotten used to before the first race, was the steep angles of the frame. Those help in making the bike nimble and quick in techy singletrack, but you have to be aware of how they change seemingly intuitive stuff like going hard into sharp turns etc. I was doing pretty well at the start of the race, after the climb to the top and was preparing for the descent down Crazy horse and into Rolly ridge. This is were I usually make up some lost time from the climbs so I turned on the gas and had this idea that I'd probably gain a couple of places before the next grueling climb. This was not to be the case as in the third turn of the downhill I went over the bars and slammed into the ground so hard and so fast that I saw stars and had no idea what had just happened. "RESPECT THE 72DEGREE HEAD ANGLE!"-Said the bike god at that time. I got up as quickly as I could, checked myself for injuries and kept going. But at this point I had already lost a few places. So now my strategy was all messed up. I had planned on going a little easier on the first lap and making a real push for it on the second but now I had to hammer hard to make up for that crash. All tactics were now down the drain, so I just rode as hard as I could for the rest of the race. I had a small crash later on but nothing as drastic as the first one. I ended up in eight place in the Intermediate category which I was very pleased with. After the racing I got my camera and took some shots of the experts. Check them out here:
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/h-gunn/Vic%20xc%202010/">http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn169/h-gunn/Vic%20xc%202010/</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;">
</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-cKMBSyWVP8pNVYrcJy0qHvRs0D5ngFJpOrRrtdK6OUIKYpUSO4m-iHqLuq1HJbr6RAKG5dThaLtCeqKSNFLIO_jC21cqLYrCC2LEMpEm5lco7S0pb2swVun_JFZQ9Fkz7iaCcf_5DnS/s1600-h/drew+mckenzie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-cKMBSyWVP8pNVYrcJy0qHvRs0D5ngFJpOrRrtdK6OUIKYpUSO4m-iHqLuq1HJbr6RAKG5dThaLtCeqKSNFLIO_jC21cqLYrCC2LEMpEm5lco7S0pb2swVun_JFZQ9Fkz7iaCcf_5DnS/s400/drew+mckenzie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451549750484999106" border="0" /></a>Drew Mackenzie one of my heroes, he's the two-time<a href="http://sscxwc09.com/"> Single Speed CX champion</a> of the world.
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsSyDV6cuMMUcUz3MLGXUQdXifSMSQh-_qBKCP2Zbymmx7Wk4j4MkJtZzJOZYuhUZh2TDw-u4mn9x2-lZ0xXOD-kAqRup00BW2F1U1qCLwT18FrJD_YkIUsH9lzLqA41F-TCNszT7Xl36/s1600-h/PA+xc.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsSyDV6cuMMUcUz3MLGXUQdXifSMSQh-_qBKCP2Zbymmx7Wk4j4MkJtZzJOZYuhUZh2TDw-u4mn9x2-lZ0xXOD-kAqRup00BW2F1U1qCLwT18FrJD_YkIUsH9lzLqA41F-TCNszT7Xl36/s400/PA+xc.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451535737092968578" border="0" /></a>Capital City Racing boys. Angus' face better represents how we were feeling after the Port Alberni Race. Photo by <a href="http://strifeandlines.blogspot.com/">Regan L. Pringle</a>.
<div style="text-align: left;">
Next up was the XC race in Port Alberni. Me and Angus went up there and arrived in time to do a prelap of the course. On second thought that time may/or may not have been better served by getting some food in our bellies, but we'll get to that later. The course was long for the race and the Intermediates only did a lap and a half. The preriding was awesome and we'll definitely be back there to ride just for fun. The course had a lot of climbing, and nasty technical sections with a sprinkling of fireroads climbs and insane downhills. All this suits me pretty well except for the climbing part, but the downhill part was obviously a favorite. Since I had done surprisingly well on the first super techy climb, I was in a pretty good position before the rest of the long fireroad/singletrack climb to the top. At this time I was really starting to feel the lack of fuel in my system but I managed to get to the top (was passed by a couple of guys on the way there) and then gained a few places on the downhill. I was looking good aside from the fact that I was almost totally blown before I finished the first lap. Poor pre-race planning has a lot to do with that I'm sure and I think I went a bit too hard on the first lap. However, it seemed as though I had built a bit of a gap from the guys behind me, so I had a chance to finish well if I did not totally bonk. I was probably in 4-6 place after the first lap. So off I went up that torturous climb again, but this time we only had to go half way to the top or so. I was riding in a considerably lower gear for the second turn around and at the same time was trying to maintain some speed through the descents so I would not fall too far back. In the end I got passed by a few riders, but did surprisingly well given the fact that for probably the last 15-20 min I was just grinding away in low-low, and trying to think about nothing except to keep turning those cranks while trying to ignore thoughts like: "why am I doing this" and "Oh my god, if this is so horrible, how is the Test of Metal going to be?". This method got me through to the finish line, where I suffered for a good half hour before I started to feel vaguely human again. The mixture of a tough course, tough conditions, and poor pre-race preparations made this the hardest race I've ever done. But it sure was fun, in a strange masochistic way. Also, I took a couple of lessons home with me after that race: Race and Learn.
</div></div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-28572921590960813502010-03-06T14:37:00.000-08:002010-03-07T10:46:17.095-08:00Blubber Burn Classic 2010<div style="text-align: center;">Blubber Burn Classic 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h-_aEAacpQCoSYOKfhViX_TYnCUtm6WgUgpGoxNolF7MCM9Gd6gJy6qZfRI10UFWihesWMtu7MRaADasGrAKY7e3R7HPpIjv6lhOP_BZkfGfYSIxLjB8c14Y_dyekcaGbYs6svhhxgSu/s1600-h/blubberburn2010_0124.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-h-_aEAacpQCoSYOKfhViX_TYnCUtm6WgUgpGoxNolF7MCM9Gd6gJy6qZfRI10UFWihesWMtu7MRaADasGrAKY7e3R7HPpIjv6lhOP_BZkfGfYSIxLjB8c14Y_dyekcaGbYs6svhhxgSu/s400/blubberburn2010_0124.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445041718598929362" border="0" /></a>The Blubber Burn went well. We had a pretty lame show of people, but I suppose that's to be expected if you only give people a one week notice. Some people may also have used the hockey game later that day as an excuse, even though they could well have done both. A real surprise was the lameness of my own people (Andrew, Shayne). But this lameness has reared its ugly head too often in recent months, a situation that I hope will remedy itself with the rising sun.
</div>At least Justin and Cam showed up and kicked ass in the race, and jax, Colin and Mitch came out for support and to photograph (Colin could not get his own frankenbike together in time, Mitch is battling an annoying wrist injury, and Jax does not have a cross bike (yet)).
I don't know. If you're doing an event for a bike shop that you work at, is it unfair to expect everyone from that bike shop to show up? Anyway, I'll try and put that one behind me (on to the next one).
Because of the small field I decided to race in the race myself, and therefore got a taste of my own medicine, and by the second lap that drug wast tasting mighty sour. I had an advantage over the rest of the field of course, since I'd ridden the track numerous times when I was scouting for it and marking it out. This helped me work myself up to the second place behind Cam, where I was quite comfortable. After seeing Cam disappear over the hill ahead of me in a cloud of dust with a thundering roar and the mad laugh of a man consumed by racing, I thought to myself: "I'm not going to try and catch him, cause I wont. I'm going to keep it smooth, try not to crash and try not to get a flat." I was perfectly ok with the second place, but figured that if I was lucky, Cam would have a flat or a mechanical or something and I would be able to steal the win. Sadly for Cam, this is what happened. He got a flat on the third lap I believe and I stole the race. Dave Shiskoff came in second on his Vegan power Salsa, followed by Justin who had to sprint to the finish to hold back Cam who was battling back after his puncture.
Some prizes were dealt out, and overall I think everybody had fun.
here are some photo's:
<a href="http://pbckt.com/s4.u9V">http://pbckt.com/s4.u9V</a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-BH0BPsJ4vlO4RrwQR6_zJ1C5thmepydinD6Apq5Y9LymKTJQz4auJOeGu5dRVc1AybuImMr4k0l57dWOAA0rSrq2dCKTyQTenuszAizyV7_E-upO43iv7W-yhCagoVjGSzlYNEb_JFT/s1600-h/0050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-BH0BPsJ4vlO4RrwQR6_zJ1C5thmepydinD6Apq5Y9LymKTJQz4auJOeGu5dRVc1AybuImMr4k0l57dWOAA0rSrq2dCKTyQTenuszAizyV7_E-upO43iv7W-yhCagoVjGSzlYNEb_JFT/s400/0050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445041706142971906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ou5zpGYaxkldi0CUfkxmbpbBidNdNH0kvukLc8obAMorZmDy6nEUzPhxG70uua9G8sTD26drPpVNDKB9IEGFRka-fh4EFTSc81X3f9_Rx2eECdDYjGtQwzCjVu-YuMWqVZtKLx4WdVdS/s1600-h/0074.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ou5zpGYaxkldi0CUfkxmbpbBidNdNH0kvukLc8obAMorZmDy6nEUzPhxG70uua9G8sTD26drPpVNDKB9IEGFRka-fh4EFTSc81X3f9_Rx2eECdDYjGtQwzCjVu-YuMWqVZtKLx4WdVdS/s400/0074.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445041696022111858" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8Pj9hDRwjtfP7reGrWA6kwG96N0KAVqDTMDTN8xfiQ1ekNmcf30TU-nNuk-PvrB6JZwb_636nJCYfqUjlTYqI6Pl6qol8vi8Q9h6NGwFg37N5Md5azW097RNBbBk4iajoovdFycs7AoP/s1600-h/0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8Pj9hDRwjtfP7reGrWA6kwG96N0KAVqDTMDTN8xfiQ1ekNmcf30TU-nNuk-PvrB6JZwb_636nJCYfqUjlTYqI6Pl6qol8vi8Q9h6NGwFg37N5Md5azW097RNBbBk4iajoovdFycs7AoP/s400/0021.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445041674913766882" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKWhv8Fs_HaaFSfH83cohJOy-P_qUnoAfjvAZchksTHeeprpfkWzZq-mPuLtiPt0PzG3lemrM11KDKb1zDAOFVPGVp8HX3nLZ7fyRJIYw40oFsd7TzVqDy6oyuGO1WO8q3vkaMTab52sY/s1600-h/0110.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKWhv8Fs_HaaFSfH83cohJOy-P_qUnoAfjvAZchksTHeeprpfkWzZq-mPuLtiPt0PzG3lemrM11KDKb1zDAOFVPGVp8HX3nLZ7fyRJIYw40oFsd7TzVqDy6oyuGO1WO8q3vkaMTab52sY/s400/0110.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445042461600578946" border="0" /></a>So, over all I think the race was a success. I might hold this race as an annual thing, so be prepared to shed your housecoat of winter next year around the same time.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-8305770117463485132010-02-07T07:35:00.000-08:002010-02-07T08:17:39.613-08:00on clunkers and new bikes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiG7hQKE7MKl_QVC-zVC4BgGH0PTpRaXm1c34wC0ca3cUgGpqQpN9MNP-mHxhpPQUB9dbjnZvFHkEPGZRZt22T2GS-3NJll-tc5etvq-rS0L3z4vTPbaC_Cnu7Yb4pZUpo5djbHVVeTo-/s1600-h/31-01-10_0909.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiG7hQKE7MKl_QVC-zVC4BgGH0PTpRaXm1c34wC0ca3cUgGpqQpN9MNP-mHxhpPQUB9dbjnZvFHkEPGZRZt22T2GS-3NJll-tc5etvq-rS0L3z4vTPbaC_Cnu7Yb4pZUpo5djbHVVeTo-/s400/31-01-10_0909.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435526096698959362" border="0" /></a>Well, this is how the Ladies Raleigh ended up. I sold it the other day, but did not really make too much money on it. If I'd think my labour was worth anything I'd be loosing money on this one so I try to ignore that fact. The girl that bought it was a cute little pixie from Nelson that had just moved here with her boyfriend and I felt like helping them out. In any case, she looked awesome on the bike and was polite and eloquent in her e-mails to me. That goes a long way in my books.
Now I have two other ones to sell:
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvENO5ua4habRLeMcNMZrPlFHdgMIoL4aWcTix49avYD1Pc-S_6kN-4OI9wvyKYGHZT2PCy1c_2DJzfMRNP85qyrBk_Xkwa2CVrxblTO3nIMB2QprvOvSvqw8xdFJP6kOLbn6JBvOJavX/s1600-h/goodyear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvENO5ua4habRLeMcNMZrPlFHdgMIoL4aWcTix49avYD1Pc-S_6kN-4OI9wvyKYGHZT2PCy1c_2DJzfMRNP85qyrBk_Xkwa2CVrxblTO3nIMB2QprvOvSvqw8xdFJP6kOLbn6JBvOJavX/s400/goodyear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435530076029424306" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good Year Hi-Way Patrol/Columbia Roadster</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjStKr305unaYDdNTlCO6SWtJCPnWd4bg_m-5CJcXeWmgrq56OAgInXmOpSR25KRzFyyeLH9yhexDNh9f7BKuBn_fqRXzmp7FE8TH1K8FCDjsxjxvzWQg27wVrdmeWdnsW-49rqCntghLq/s1600-h/raleighcruiser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjStKr305unaYDdNTlCO6SWtJCPnWd4bg_m-5CJcXeWmgrq56OAgInXmOpSR25KRzFyyeLH9yhexDNh9f7BKuBn_fqRXzmp7FE8TH1K8FCDjsxjxvzWQg27wVrdmeWdnsW-49rqCntghLq/s400/raleighcruiser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435530084139244818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Raleigh (Sprite I think, but with wicked "aftermarket" drop bars)</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">I'm still not sure about the age of these bikes, but they both cleaned up nicely. I've been having a lot of fun cruising around on the Columbia, and If it ware a bit bigger I'd probably keep it. You would not think it, but the Columbia rides like a dream. Steel frame, steel rims and nice 26 1 3/8" tires equal a super smooth ride. There's also something about baskets and coaster brakes that just puts a smile on my face. I'll sell these for cheap too, because I need the money for this:
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotsSlmA_pFjYsmvUCiYmvHXgq7VJ_Ee_MlnirwidJqK7yIJgpHCwx7j8Z1imRKJwvHF1dlUuexl6L-srspNQHLYmJMt1XS4iMYlSh9chZhTek78lkUrFwhPcy-Yf4FBBk3pQo29_MDph_/s1600-h/remedy8_rootbeerwhite.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotsSlmA_pFjYsmvUCiYmvHXgq7VJ_Ee_MlnirwidJqK7yIJgpHCwx7j8Z1imRKJwvHF1dlUuexl6L-srspNQHLYmJMt1XS4iMYlSh9chZhTek78lkUrFwhPcy-Yf4FBBk3pQo29_MDph_/s400/remedy8_rootbeerwhite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435532800027136322" border="0" /></a>That's a 2009 Trek Remedy 8 that I'm working on getting. It's a nice compromise for me since most of my riding will be done in all mountain situations but I seem to be drifting a little bit into the freeriding category as well. This will be a bike that I can pedal up the hill and then cook down it. I'm not blown away by the "Rootbeer and white" paint scheme but I don't mind it either, it's a little different and I think I can learn to like it. With the introduction of the Trek Scratch for this year the Remedy has been changed up a bit. It now has steeper angles and a 32mm fork as opposed to the 36mm fork on the 2009. So that's why I'm going for the 2009 version. Of course the two old clunkers wont pay for a new mountain bike, so my old one has to go too.
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gXyPg3u9W6-ov3V4Pbl9jE1x-AqboCRRusV_VV0qsAFf-X7ctV0nXZ7u5IKn3Ds4EOz0cuWm6ruTvnhcfB6WR9-HB2EO70xK7dyVAZUNHi7xzvnBKYxYwZO4trg-vOZg7d-6DcT1M3Ni/s1600-h/IMG_5618.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gXyPg3u9W6-ov3V4Pbl9jE1x-AqboCRRusV_VV0qsAFf-X7ctV0nXZ7u5IKn3Ds4EOz0cuWm6ruTvnhcfB6WR9-HB2EO70xK7dyVAZUNHi7xzvnBKYxYwZO4trg-vOZg7d-6DcT1M3Ni/s400/IMG_5618.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435535498835032162" border="0" /></a>It's served me well, but it's time to move on.
</div></div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-83395746741880054322010-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:002010-01-16T08:55:17.966-08:00ON training, and old clunkersCycling for me has always been a rather relaxed affair until now. Sure I've raced and been serious about doing my best in the races that I've taken part in, but I've never really trained. I've just gone out for rides and ridden to work and wherever else I go during the week and that has been my "training." This will have to change fairly soon however, since I signed up for a race that will force me to show up in decent shape or I'll get a DidNotFinish. Yes, I've signed up for the <a href="http://testofmetal.com/">Test of Metal</a> this year and will be racing in Squamish this june. I've always been interested in doing this race and now I'm finally doing it. It's a 67km point to point XC race with 1200m of climbing and 35km of singletrack. So I better buck up and start some sort of a training routine. Problem is that I have no idea how to go about this so I'll have to seek advise from friends. I understand that building a "base" fitness is essential and this is achieved by steady, long rides. Therefore the <a href="http://onbiking.blogspot.com/2009/10/frankencross.html">Frankencross</a> will go through a bit of a morphing in the next few weeks. Lime Green Vittoria Rubinos, 50t chainring, left hand bar-con, new bars and front derailleur will go on the bike along with donated gold <a href="http://www.sks-germany.com/sks.php?l=en&a=product&i=6409800121">SKS </a>full wrap fenders (for group rides). So Frankencross will become a winter road machine for a bit. I also plan to take a longer route to work a couple of days a week to give me about an hours ride there in stead of 20 minutes. That should help a bit. The dilemma is what bike I'll be racing. I'm kind of on the fence now, on whether or not to get a new bike. On one hand, the Trek Fuel EX-8 that I currently have would make a nice Test of Metal race bike, if I got rid of the Rock Shox Lyric 2-step for something a bit lighter. On the other hand, The Test of Metal will most likely be one of two XC races that I'll do this season. The rest being Super D and depending on if I get a bike or not, Downhill. The problem is I can't afford to have two bikes and the bikes I'm looking at are six to seven inch bikes more meant for All mountain/Freeride and would be horrible for a XC race. So I have a big decision to make. However, I think I might just get a freeride rig and deal with the TOM when I get to it. Perhaps I can build something up in those 5 months ahead. We'll find out I suppose.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMY0wBbnbirv65E2_D6QxEbaBalivAWyJeOSEqIpYCxgAGh90f225RW46kWa_ssGNKxNYyQxErHaz1Ab3bt3Gx9IB9S49hLEv6qXBnnh_l2Me4pcEarhAyROUa23bM_qxINB17ewWKkYN/s1600-h/12-01-10_1438.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkMY0wBbnbirv65E2_D6QxEbaBalivAWyJeOSEqIpYCxgAGh90f225RW46kWa_ssGNKxNYyQxErHaz1Ab3bt3Gx9IB9S49hLEv6qXBnnh_l2Me4pcEarhAyROUa23bM_qxINB17ewWKkYN/s400/12-01-10_1438.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427379599417050770" border="0" /></a>This is one of the Raleighs I'm working on now.
</div>I sometimes buy old bikes when I come across them, either in the shop or somewhere else. I like fixing them up and selling them again to make a little extra money. Since we don't really sell used bikes at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.riderscycles.com">Rider's</a>, there's not any conflicting interest there, so the owner does not have a problem with me doing this to supplement my meager income. Right now I've got two Raleighs in the works and an old Columbia built Goodyear Hi-Way Patrol. The Raleighs are usually easy to date since the year of manufacture is often engraved in the Sturmey Archer rear hub of the bikes but in my case neither hubs have a year on them. So I've been trying to narrow down the age of the bikes using incomplete serial number charts and other resources, but I have not yet been able to pinpoint the age. I did find the coaster hub that is on one of them, to give me an estimated year of manufacture to be in the late sixties to early seventies. Not a bad hub if they used it unchanged for 15 years!
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM7-UkDDlmS6GF_rkL1GHHcNsjR0fsQOkGS0c6BT_v4Je1nNpSRHZUrDTUGfwbrAuu0nXCz8Uw-BpfWFoRqiIuSVshJP5iJxvnpHH-10eYqOdxNRreY7ipg7pfbL7O1EzBiAg1GbvjP8Y/s1600-h/1963-78+Type+SC+Single+Coaster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyM7-UkDDlmS6GF_rkL1GHHcNsjR0fsQOkGS0c6BT_v4Je1nNpSRHZUrDTUGfwbrAuu0nXCz8Uw-BpfWFoRqiIuSVshJP5iJxvnpHH-10eYqOdxNRreY7ipg7pfbL7O1EzBiAg1GbvjP8Y/s400/1963-78+Type+SC+Single+Coaster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426859653073328162" border="0" /></a>Sturmey Coaster 1963-1978!
</div>Sturmey has a great "heritage" site that's fun to check out. Pretty nerdy stuff but I like it:
<a href="http://www.sturmey-archerheritage.com/history.php">http://www.sturmey-archerheritage.com/history.php</a>
Managed to estimate the age of my Raleighs to be between 1963 and 1978. Not super accurate but I'm getting closer.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-15716644031010666322010-01-05T15:14:00.000-08:002010-01-06T08:17:53.973-08:00On sci fi and cartoon stripsAvatar is a movie that takes place on the planet Pandora. Humans are mining for the mineral <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Unobtanium</span> on Pandora, which is said to be the solution to the energy crisis the humans are facing. The main character then has to battle with following his orders or his conscience. The movie is well worth watching but what has that got to do with a bike blog such as this? It does not even have a single bicycle in it!
Well, as clever as the moniker <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Unobtanium</span> may sound, it has already been in use by Rick Smith, the creator of <a href="http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-01-05"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Yehuda</span> Moon</a>, for quite some time now. Weather or not he came up with it before the Avatar guys is another matter all together, but he most certainly published it first. You see, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Unobtainium</span> is the Rival Cycles (The Kickstand's main competitor) name for the ultra light but unstable alloy used for the Kickstand's prototype racing bike. This bike was built from a material that the Shakers (The Kickstand's frame builders) named <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Arborium</span> and is so light that the bike will float away if you don't tie it down, or sit on it.
This may cause some problems, and is the reason why the Rival Cycles guys got their dirty mitts on the prototype, copied the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">meterial</span> through reverse engineering, and renamed it "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Unobtainium</span>." This will mean disaster for Rival cycles if karma has her say. But we have yet to find out...
Albeit Mr. Smith makes no mention of the energy component of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Arborium</span>, he does let us in on the fact that what makes this Alloy so special is that the Shakers use a meteorite to crate the alloy blend. So who's really to say that we're not talking about exactly the same material here? Who knows? But in any case <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Yehuda</span> is a must read for every bike nerd.
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Arborium</span> prototype ridden by Joe
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJ7it8OvueeSEiBA_xZqPH45DzohzLZ4ERBEyNVuKxDBU7h_3NrzwBxcsgI-LPAt5Fti3NJS7ATmC_5qtsORpFEGWhh477b_tXXkK0MKYYO_xFs_ldYkTVyJv1FUwcQjb21PnIhWLwWR9/s1600-h/arborium.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJ7it8OvueeSEiBA_xZqPH45DzohzLZ4ERBEyNVuKxDBU7h_3NrzwBxcsgI-LPAt5Fti3NJS7ATmC_5qtsORpFEGWhh477b_tXXkK0MKYYO_xFs_ldYkTVyJv1FUwcQjb21PnIhWLwWR9/s400/arborium.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423379049762142898" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Unobtainium</span> announced
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZUPUekRG5zsin_6HQ8UKQUKglaMB0yUSlKdIOznpS2c9eVfn3eu2puNmH1-m7iiU4_fe6BMn2_EX7yDmGfyFNM1sEJdCfVEdV5zgsbHlN8C0VwPNGeMu31KFtMMYvvAsm6nr4f7H8sg7/s1600-h/unobtanium.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZUPUekRG5zsin_6HQ8UKQUKglaMB0yUSlKdIOznpS2c9eVfn3eu2puNmH1-m7iiU4_fe6BMn2_EX7yDmGfyFNM1sEJdCfVEdV5zgsbHlN8C0VwPNGeMu31KFtMMYvvAsm6nr4f7H8sg7/s400/unobtanium.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423379045429175986" border="0" /></a>
</div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-10484268508421708092009-12-29T17:57:00.000-08:002009-12-29T17:58:28.157-08:00run bike skillzRUN bike skillz!!!
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-1O80xTs0Jg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-1O80xTs0Jg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-69807100235704940082009-12-28T19:53:00.001-08:002009-12-28T19:53:52.842-08:00on drill presses stuck cleats, gags and "cats"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iYNKm_UgCvZqevs5RbjXXrkFm_5FOel41BW95FM_hDlDsiuUrBTSW5sI_2pIdP2y59RjYZEszK3737mCdVkxXVyJ9VvZaeA8L7oMiuEKrekXC-tFnEGXLk3WAo4Z3rCxATJzBN4oqK6Y/s1600-h/Women_drill_press_operators_in_1942.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iYNKm_UgCvZqevs5RbjXXrkFm_5FOel41BW95FM_hDlDsiuUrBTSW5sI_2pIdP2y59RjYZEszK3737mCdVkxXVyJ9VvZaeA8L7oMiuEKrekXC-tFnEGXLk3WAo4Z3rCxATJzBN4oqK6Y/s400/Women_drill_press_operators_in_1942.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420474622933769938" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTzx6pJZWkJNxJjU6qbb03dPJm5caGn8H2R81DLMc1mGSV8VeJPysNkOwZGXgI0YuQ2AAh_6zJyiFDvMw1SulkRuhQCnXEtuxq_tIonoIJO0PWf18gOClyFhmVJm5Ne_4eTWDWi9ttGhL/s1600-h/drill_press.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 295px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTzx6pJZWkJNxJjU6qbb03dPJm5caGn8H2R81DLMc1mGSV8VeJPysNkOwZGXgI0YuQ2AAh_6zJyiFDvMw1SulkRuhQCnXEtuxq_tIonoIJO0PWf18gOClyFhmVJm5Ne_4eTWDWi9ttGhL/s400/drill_press.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420474618867802466" border="0" /></a>
A drill press is a great tool to have in every shop. Not only is it great for making polo mallets and drilling into all sorts of things for fun in a safe and controlled manner...ever wondered what a sealed fluid trainer looks like on the inside? Carbon bottom bracket shell?
All in all, wonderful tool for goofing around. It's also useful for more serious stuff like making custom brackets for fenders, racks or baskets and for drilling out stuck screws and bolts on components that you can clamp in the press. Cleat screws tend to get stuck in spd shoes, even if you grease them before you mount the cleat. I had this happen on my beat up mountain bike shoes:
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNw8MBsmdEfNibFn1woQidI1g8DwVjeJcNqgL2-6nxDt6VwCYdXHWxqdLTUQsRRvb8uVPWQLlTI5pMcFCTgDMr90jpQk7ExhLh8H0j03s6MhtUAIvNUPCgzHU3ZUpxeeFQnDQxDDnVj3W/s1600-h/28-12-09_1800.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNw8MBsmdEfNibFn1woQidI1g8DwVjeJcNqgL2-6nxDt6VwCYdXHWxqdLTUQsRRvb8uVPWQLlTI5pMcFCTgDMr90jpQk7ExhLh8H0j03s6MhtUAIvNUPCgzHU3ZUpxeeFQnDQxDDnVj3W/s400/28-12-09_1800.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489631253830130" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Class all the way! Ahh... the glorious life of a bike shop employee</span>
</div> not only that, the cleats were so worn that I could not even get an Allen key into the socket on the cleat screws. Our shop guru, Steve, told me that I could dig out the edges of the socket with a hard metal tool such as a file. So I dug out the sockets and then got every screw loose, except the last one, of course. To the drill press Batman!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvnaEjfTfkUVVsH7fYmO34EbMVDtoowbodhXSxdZ9w6PBexkFuVrAWeAjEfl4kXgOH0UYC4SfGdTSKJvKLNKCblBsfLU2cSRIALChGVkXhaRnPedlr51Bgi-FFb_PEAKSE4WT1yUxyYKt/s1600-h/18-11-09_1038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvnaEjfTfkUVVsH7fYmO34EbMVDtoowbodhXSxdZ9w6PBexkFuVrAWeAjEfl4kXgOH0UYC4SfGdTSKJvKLNKCblBsfLU2cSRIALChGVkXhaRnPedlr51Bgi-FFb_PEAKSE4WT1yUxyYKt/s400/18-11-09_1038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489620822015730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwNT0rgambe43mNrVJFcDVvAc6AmT3vs6srmtO5cLgMCUqblJHI9DAOqPvZqxwovz0s6cxV7PiAia3a7jl-s6mHlFZYAqP-bxtNH2IWxDa_xrsqucxeoZLOIRaRPZWVl8FA2QJaeLyBCO/s1600-h/18-11-09_1039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNwNT0rgambe43mNrVJFcDVvAc6AmT3vs6srmtO5cLgMCUqblJHI9DAOqPvZqxwovz0s6cxV7PiAia3a7jl-s6mHlFZYAqP-bxtNH2IWxDa_xrsqucxeoZLOIRaRPZWVl8FA2QJaeLyBCO/s400/18-11-09_1039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420489624221765890" border="0" /></a>Off come the cleats lickety-split! The drill press rocks, it's almost as cool as Stevie's magnets.
Speaking of the shop. The bathroom is located at the shop right next to Mitch's bench. This location is a bit perilous as we can see in the following picture of Andrew S.K.
-Andrew likes to fix his tires in the bathroom (for whatever reason, we don't hassle him at all!).
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOPFUOeRwsXRxLj4ainy2Jte6L-jgQHn0AUcyu9AhsRgIWlcrTopO_1lPYxI1a039shSnnEp4ogXwSDFolhxp1eALmjEgtImkJLzOeNC80TStNPoWfrAwiqyl3hKQOdhrGz3wZV0nv4lz/s1600-h/13-11-09_1514.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOPFUOeRwsXRxLj4ainy2Jte6L-jgQHn0AUcyu9AhsRgIWlcrTopO_1lPYxI1a039shSnnEp4ogXwSDFolhxp1eALmjEgtImkJLzOeNC80TStNPoWfrAwiqyl3hKQOdhrGz3wZV0nv4lz/s400/13-11-09_1514.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420492321039532210" border="0" /></a>On a totally unrelated note, I came across this down in North Caroline the other day. It was mounted next to a fancy restaurant menu on one of the main drags in Raleigh. Some people down there have a really good sense of humour...I hope
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfrXR6tt_IQWJHtGPUKc7kC2Ffb3bBL0uNhrZCbX0umawcjHvFqyZce6gq5qd_c_vgvIgnT1psVpnvvC3czCFU_HZS3EdzgfQi5JcHno5iSly1XvFB8XTEOK4I9fh44oTLxLTLvzGY4PK/s1600-h/28-11-09_1745.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZfrXR6tt_IQWJHtGPUKc7kC2Ffb3bBL0uNhrZCbX0umawcjHvFqyZce6gq5qd_c_vgvIgnT1psVpnvvC3czCFU_HZS3EdzgfQi5JcHno5iSly1XvFB8XTEOK4I9fh44oTLxLTLvzGY4PK/s400/28-11-09_1745.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420497372324912082" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">dis aint no cat Bubba!</span>
</div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-21097828133988529752009-11-19T16:23:00.000-08:002009-11-19T16:34:45.325-08:00"...For example, asking the roadies if they have put on a few pounds because they are looking a bit tubby." - bwahahaha!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOZ_iJANrQwNezklck9T8M3tRVNUgGVoA6pMDY3Mtfsfm345xle4lXOKcZz2vhDy5I_NN5pSLMLsI8rfkQ3G2LLVZEudx-4sns6lvJ86RoCntzNMLxnLx2O_-Kq4Dj_dMLurWmktXU8GA/s1600/kabush.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOZ_iJANrQwNezklck9T8M3tRVNUgGVoA6pMDY3Mtfsfm345xle4lXOKcZz2vhDy5I_NN5pSLMLsI8rfkQ3G2LLVZEudx-4sns6lvJ86RoCntzNMLxnLx2O_-Kq4Dj_dMLurWmktXU8GA/s400/kabush.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405977574111761026" border="0" /></a>I saw the following interview on<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.cxmagazine.com"> Cyclocross Magazine's</a> website and I'm publishing it here in it's entirety. Bad breach of publishing rights but hey, at least I'm advertising their <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.cxmagazine.com">magazine </a>right? Geoff Kabush rocks!
<p>"This is what you’ve all been waiting for from Pro Cyclocross Rumors and Rumblings: this season’s transfer whale. Last year it was Sven Nys and Erwin Vervecken, this year, an Italian makes the first major splash in the transfer market. Also, take a chance to get to know Canadian Cyclocross Champion Geoff Kabush of Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain. All that and much more!</p> <p><strong>Geoff Kabush</strong> has won some of the biggest bicycle races the world has to offer. Just this past season he reached a pinnacle in his career by winning the Bromont Mountain Bike World Cup in Bromont, Canada. Kabush’s World Cup victory stands alongside numerous cyclocross victories, including multiple Canadian National Cyclocross titles. Kabush, who rides for Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain, has been a consistent podium threat this year in the sport’s major events, and has been for some time now. Kabush will look to the podium once more this season at the Stanley Portland Cup, the final stop on the USGP tour, on December fifth and sixth, where he will draw his season to a close, hopefully with a win.</p> <p>I had a chance to chat with Kabush this week, and we’ve got that interview for you today. What’s your favorite race of this season been so far? What about of all time?</p> <p>Favorite cyclocross race…probably Granogue for the course, Portland for the atmosphere. I love the technical speed on the hills in Granogue; kind of getting tired of fairly flat and soft courses. I can’t wait to hear the drums beating in Portland. That really gets me fired up to pound it out in the mud. Favorite race so far this year is probably the Planet Bike Cup in Wisconsin. It was a really well laid out course, I just wish we got a few more thundershowers during our race and not on the ride home.</p> <p><strong>2) You’ve just won a big race, what’s your ultimate post-race meal?</strong></p> <p>Ultimate post race meal after a win…It would probably start off with a nice Belgian beer right after the race; maybe some pumpkin pie or something salty. Then I would go get cleaned up and meet up with everyone at a relaxed restaurant for some good grub….probably something saucy, maybe a gourmet burger, with more drinks, and a simple, maybe, chocolate desert. I say a relaxed restaurant because after a race the engine is usually still burning and I start sweating bullets when the food goes in. Once I get really soaked, I like to slick my hair sideways like Freddy Mercury. I have actually had some good sweat-offs with TJ.</p> <p><strong>3) What’s your biggest career achievement to date?</strong></p> <p>In my cycling career it would have to be winning the MTB World Cup this year up in Bromont. On the cyclocross bicycle I guess it would have to be winning the Gloucester GP back in 2004. It has been a bit too long since I have won one, so I hope to change that in Portland.</p> <p><strong>4) If you could be anything besides a bike racer, what would it be?</strong></p> <p>I am a big sports fan so if I couldn’t be a bike racer I probably would have chased another sport….maybe soccer, or ping-pong. Maybe poker: the pay-outs seem to be higher.</p> <p><strong>5) How did you get your start in cyclocross? What’s been your biggest influence?</strong></p> <p>I think I did some of my first cyclocross races down in Seattle with a couple friends, Pinner [Andrew Pinfold] and Carter Hovey. That was in ‘97 when the SuperCups were going off. There was a lot of excitement around the races so it left a little bit of an impression. I started getting into it again about five year later with my teammate Peter Wedge; he was one of the original godfathers of Canadian cyclocross who stuck it out in Europe so I learned a lot off him.</p> <p><strong>6) What was your first bike?</strong></p> <p>First real cyclocross bike was a Yellow “Jake the Snake”</p> <p><strong>7) If you could win one race, which would it be?</strong></p> <p>I would really like to win a USGP in Portland. I really love hanging out there, drinking coffee at Albina, breakfast at Gravy, and I love the atmosphere at the races. I will have a lot of family and friends coming down from Canada as well so it would be nice to win in front of them.</p> <p><strong> 8) Who do you consider your biggest rival?</strong></p> <p>Based on this year it seems like every race I do I seem to be battling it out with <strong>Chris Jones</strong>. I wouldn’t really say we are rivals though as we are both just fighting together trying to get to the front. I don’t really know Chris well enough yet to truly heckle him like a rival. My biggest rival, or the guy I like to trash talk the most, would probably be <strong>Treboohoo</strong>. I like to give a fist to the neck before the race or ask him if I can borrow his brain…because I am building an idiot. It is mostly in good fun but I have one strategy I am not going to reveal until I beat him again; probably in Portland. Hopefully he doesn’t cry.</p> <p><strong>9) Who is your biggest idol?</strong></p> <p>Idol is a pretty strong word. I don’t know if I have a bike racing idol. There are guys I really looked up to as role models when I was younger….Dave Wiens, Jonny T, Shandro, and I would like to emulate T-Brown or Ned Overend after bike racing is finished. I am impressed by guys that can reach the top of the sport and still enjoy themselves. I am impressed by Sven Nys’s cyclocross riding but then he kept sitting on my wheel at MTB Worlds so I had to abuse him verbally. Also he was wearing tight jeans and a cowboy hat around after so I can’t call him an idol. I was really into basketball when I was younger, so I was pretty inspired by Steve Nash who, like me, was a relatively short white guy from Vancouver Island. He went on to achieve great things against the odds by working incredibly hard.</p> <p><strong>10) Got any crazy pre-race rituals?</strong></p> <p>Before a cyclocross race I like to have some good coffee while trying to come up with a few heckles to use on the start line to break up those awkward competitive silences. For example, asking the roadies if they have put on a few pounds because they are looking a bit tubby."</p>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-40429884536683133032009-11-17T16:14:00.000-08:002009-11-18T12:20:14.241-08:00on public transit rain and fixed gearI went over to Vancouver on Monday to have my passport expiry date extended. Since I'm heading down to the states next week it's imperative to have the paperwork in order. The Yanks are a bit uptight on the borders. Anyway, even though it was pouring down I decided to take the <a href="http://somafab.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Soma</span> </a>with me since I could ride around if I was to early for my meeting with the passport person. I also wanted to check out <a href="http://www.superchampionshop.com/about/">Super Champion</a>, and yes, I don't much care for walking.
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazujVVmU0xYDMK1S_oB-JRtGnPCcaR1cPBlvCZPauMbreC0gg9yiUUGssKX-U8T2EXDWoe9xwtTNPe3sTj_zFCooGZjHayi8Vvl1nLw9zYvDlyaNLFoNaGNc43xtqbjhtZU4i6zKVpLEr/s1600/cross+062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazujVVmU0xYDMK1S_oB-JRtGnPCcaR1cPBlvCZPauMbreC0gg9yiUUGssKX-U8T2EXDWoe9xwtTNPe3sTj_zFCooGZjHayi8Vvl1nLw9zYvDlyaNLFoNaGNc43xtqbjhtZU4i6zKVpLEr/s400/cross+062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405339053901264210" border="0" /></a>Getting on the ferry
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2tLVt6mIiCHGB2_Sb0ae8eP4wkIhZ7RsutUd7ztYT_62cRj5MOEdI5b1HcrBE3m1JiNrEHSZhpLB-ZY_bh4u5NW50q1YpJecgtkcm6uNx5dFNQwoad0bQs60uFUX8VdW5hBTQA0Hkh2Q/s1600/cross+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2tLVt6mIiCHGB2_Sb0ae8eP4wkIhZ7RsutUd7ztYT_62cRj5MOEdI5b1HcrBE3m1JiNrEHSZhpLB-ZY_bh4u5NW50q1YpJecgtkcm6uNx5dFNQwoad0bQs60uFUX8VdW5hBTQA0Hkh2Q/s400/cross+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405337397682978706" border="0" /></a>There were two bikes on the boat
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsCTlTFrji2qRlTqcdtGZiokeTF6uZ-LQdFaUp5qiD0UrVPlJyMCrX1rDSrDcIIGNeP0vMvTxtFUEFuIZZlXJO4Hjvdb4C2riMlz5pKsRkLyu4JdT5pIMI3N2DmOlKxJ-eY_gEVsnit9n/s1600/cross+038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsCTlTFrji2qRlTqcdtGZiokeTF6uZ-LQdFaUp5qiD0UrVPlJyMCrX1rDSrDcIIGNeP0vMvTxtFUEFuIZZlXJO4Hjvdb4C2riMlz5pKsRkLyu4JdT5pIMI3N2DmOlKxJ-eY_gEVsnit9n/s400/cross+038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405337412421622738" border="0" /></a>Only one bike on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Canadaline</span> rapid transit. Each coach has their own "bicycle area" which I was reminded to use. The design is stupid though, in stead of having a system to hang your bike vertically in the space, you're supposed to park it horizontally in those little slots seen just behind my messenger bag. No system to help the bike stay in place either. So not only does the bike take up a space that could easily accommodate 4 bikes, but it can also easily slide out and fall over one some little old lady and brake her toe. Nevertheless, I'm pretty impressed with <a href="http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Canada-Line.aspx"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Canadaline</span></a>.
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2SSaeYe1zk73_UuCL8TUBnqNRLKMT85gFW3CHO7HI9EXJKvjrBcIglsW5l7oHsqXgMQU4c7sw-cQpSibAGkHursq2bjHMRecbB6OL6re7woyvZidtNA9wSX4mz6i2zKYYjH4YcrRQIv5/s1600/cross+039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2SSaeYe1zk73_UuCL8TUBnqNRLKMT85gFW3CHO7HI9EXJKvjrBcIglsW5l7oHsqXgMQU4c7sw-cQpSibAGkHursq2bjHMRecbB6OL6re7woyvZidtNA9wSX4mz6i2zKYYjH4YcrRQIv5/s400/cross+039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405337418922453874" border="0" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYB0WcHoEs7A0mNOQNc7sMTzu7iSjqwG3iZZCoHn5FlqIpwUlkGFKoMXXspeS5YNvvRFJrhXtsaTcrxKw4BEpNI8zepHmBUUqWjUup53BfxqmWBCFT60DgpoXBusqsxeHwt-Ht7mQrVeDO/s1600/cross+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYB0WcHoEs7A0mNOQNc7sMTzu7iSjqwG3iZZCoHn5FlqIpwUlkGFKoMXXspeS5YNvvRFJrhXtsaTcrxKw4BEpNI8zepHmBUUqWjUup53BfxqmWBCFT60DgpoXBusqsxeHwt-Ht7mQrVeDO/s400/cross+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405338079407115746" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.tamaraleighphotography.com/">Tamara Leigh's</a> photos were on display in the Waterfront station. Really nice stuff!
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRz0_QqzLNquH9xmxhpvlSJaRR-ds5QcsxjwIVxkgBJA_9p82WJGQN8q0kH21gvMpdD8GvZFz5UIR04UPvzG3C2tPUOEDPzdZrFv7xIQIUhyphenhyphenPinO8z9W8OZZ7tPaDCzjHwQZ6jR3ebOy9/s1600/cross+058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiRz0_QqzLNquH9xmxhpvlSJaRR-ds5QcsxjwIVxkgBJA_9p82WJGQN8q0kH21gvMpdD8GvZFz5UIR04UPvzG3C2tPUOEDPzdZrFv7xIQIUhyphenhyphenPinO8z9W8OZZ7tPaDCzjHwQZ6jR3ebOy9/s400/cross+058.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405339038746467170" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh537Si4dVDa9mLUfdh3BalaHzorZYwWHZdJ-aClkDPzMzW9d7x-mhtbjs43ANhkE1WT1pUD-JmoMZsw4WaD7FOQcTkMg2Eu0lXc4VfBFCHjtVo1wO5uIF_FIRgz-n4DA2L-_-uPlkpkQ_j/s1600/cross+054.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh537Si4dVDa9mLUfdh3BalaHzorZYwWHZdJ-aClkDPzMzW9d7x-mhtbjs43ANhkE1WT1pUD-JmoMZsw4WaD7FOQcTkMg2Eu0lXc4VfBFCHjtVo1wO5uIF_FIRgz-n4DA2L-_-uPlkpkQ_j/s400/cross+054.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405339029351294514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyb53sCnzbnGBuxS3gqdvAPWwqi_yZ2hsK0OGiwTVdTfyaOK02g4I22tyRYyrOmxdg0USwStbwIDVYenS8I1gcGcnMG0N6UQYyDY8n7SthYlm_SZdHRg2B41Qyzfevfi4ygldduJqCmiK/s1600/cross+053.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyb53sCnzbnGBuxS3gqdvAPWwqi_yZ2hsK0OGiwTVdTfyaOK02g4I22tyRYyrOmxdg0USwStbwIDVYenS8I1gcGcnMG0N6UQYyDY8n7SthYlm_SZdHRg2B41Qyzfevfi4ygldduJqCmiK/s400/cross+053.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405338111292142226" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdOEOzbCy8vdFbgcoegLemi6pMT0cIu_degFPpHKUstIarGpHmO0NW7MKSn6Zg7FXIqpDL9Bm4H65eCtv2PAMAxhVQPZ40yA_RibUfE9OrcgBvIHG_dMF7QFjMhhB7yikQeLgRLKHEu_Q/s1600/cross+051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdOEOzbCy8vdFbgcoegLemi6pMT0cIu_degFPpHKUstIarGpHmO0NW7MKSn6Zg7FXIqpDL9Bm4H65eCtv2PAMAxhVQPZ40yA_RibUfE9OrcgBvIHG_dMF7QFjMhhB7yikQeLgRLKHEu_Q/s400/cross+051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405338105677690274" border="0" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRj9bV_bSosgtpgZP64-aV-3A62ok2zt04EwZxB0HDOU-RTe-gCQ8VJdZQND973Y0CvnexDoPg5h5nQ223fJXoER7BaLWYS3N6FKcShkPUjf7YuPfOQbKjAMWviodaKFuIRgBHlRbZrcV/s1600/cross+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLRj9bV_bSosgtpgZP64-aV-3A62ok2zt04EwZxB0HDOU-RTe-gCQ8VJdZQND973Y0CvnexDoPg5h5nQ223fJXoER7BaLWYS3N6FKcShkPUjf7YuPfOQbKjAMWviodaKFuIRgBHlRbZrcV/s400/cross+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405338097401725778" border="0" /></a>The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Soma</span> found a friend at Super Champion
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0GkxThYfMF3uRcqp88MZFqSxIHUydS2PLN7lWOsBD9sS-eDrOtzjVaKSNkIUdP6_u1s_2xreLUdieooXJKBXKgrxTSu0Wfw0manpmFKLNI7XHKpN0zeabSD66nc1xEfamTEkP1LZrsZY/s1600/cross+048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0GkxThYfMF3uRcqp88MZFqSxIHUydS2PLN7lWOsBD9sS-eDrOtzjVaKSNkIUdP6_u1s_2xreLUdieooXJKBXKgrxTSu0Wfw0manpmFKLNI7XHKpN0zeabSD66nc1xEfamTEkP1LZrsZY/s400/cross+048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405338088960207746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleOO1Z44RMQyVaNgIi_hDTW8wIgubYdQhhU2g9T9ZQCblCVOyQgiwwJ6hDuza-AZKDc0jRQ5M7IPgLhuo0iI8NrqvB47fj7W92JAyfAg1r0CKQ4WZBqHLy82vbXG8Lsz4utsWK2fF482E/s1600/cross+059.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleOO1Z44RMQyVaNgIi_hDTW8wIgubYdQhhU2g9T9ZQCblCVOyQgiwwJ6hDuza-AZKDc0jRQ5M7IPgLhuo0iI8NrqvB47fj7W92JAyfAg1r0CKQ4WZBqHLy82vbXG8Lsz4utsWK2fF482E/s400/cross+059.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405339048583187506" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRluCmaI-koRye3APbKCRDdL8Nn4cYahBzzAumYFi-_NeBrwjcsIW2yMJfAf_JdNzPE9xFXINGpchsLAs_Yrqhyphenhyphen8Uvp7rQ23oyLa3MGEny4Is9axGfEwFhuYMxlIVSRdqdddxok7ZuY2P/s1600/cross+036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRluCmaI-koRye3APbKCRDdL8Nn4cYahBzzAumYFi-_NeBrwjcsIW2yMJfAf_JdNzPE9xFXINGpchsLAs_Yrqhyphenhyphen8Uvp7rQ23oyLa3MGEny4Is9axGfEwFhuYMxlIVSRdqdddxok7ZuY2P/s400/cross+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405337404709800914" border="0" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YW7A8BRvSxszkwBtEkJsjRrL4rbDsMfVfn4YOOQfG24Ua4addG-JxIPaHYEDU3C35o4Flkwu0rwr5EgZ4AM3OllKoclhgHwi7Gwq60Y2GSXDXHkpbwX8R3qG1ZQTTUa5Ud4cAa_Xa9eW/s1600/cross+035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YW7A8BRvSxszkwBtEkJsjRrL4rbDsMfVfn4YOOQfG24Ua4addG-JxIPaHYEDU3C35o4Flkwu0rwr5EgZ4AM3OllKoclhgHwi7Gwq60Y2GSXDXHkpbwX8R3qG1ZQTTUa5Ud4cAa_Xa9eW/s400/cross+035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405337387600000210" border="0" /></a>My travel companion for the day. I'm having a hard time with this one.
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5q2lTfLz9DP_RVUDMCuVADTjKXdRhgHPOq2WpkfEEpsIfSvr80TwBOokMPBogrWRzwD1T0OixS5X33avPZZALOZM3bGQNUMzxgjDWsUpqo3CtfenA4a-ygI2s_dPj7bsyufilNxBUspb/s1600/cross+065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ5q2lTfLz9DP_RVUDMCuVADTjKXdRhgHPOq2WpkfEEpsIfSvr80TwBOokMPBogrWRzwD1T0OixS5X33avPZZALOZM3bGQNUMzxgjDWsUpqo3CtfenA4a-ygI2s_dPj7bsyufilNxBUspb/s400/cross+065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405339066204386674" border="0" /></a>The ride back from the ferry was dark and wet.
</div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-15311171984913445152009-11-13T16:13:00.000-08:002009-11-13T16:14:22.674-08:00on bike travelingHow cool is this?
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7539708&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7539708&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7539708">BIKE WRAP made by Jooks</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1932538">STEADFAST</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-89266204210823693562009-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:002009-11-10T12:35:16.745-08:00The long road north<a href="http://www.longroadnorth.com/">The long road north </a>is a Documentary depicting a cycling journey from the Southern tip of Patagonia to the northernmost reaches of Canada. It's screening in Victoria on the 13th and 14th of November and should be an interesting watch.
Check the trailer below:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/z7FkQ8CNWpg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/z7FkQ8CNWpg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-27230253332863511232009-11-09T09:33:00.000-08:002009-11-09T11:43:26.917-08:00On parks management and trailbuilding<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xOkmeIL0C_ziNJB3NYPbAl6Ah34SeFEgvCi0DHcGhEE3RumH6Z-r1c9gMOATwhe0L8HxEN_0hWWtkMt-M6x5Dp9XmPRMQLVr2Mc6Ec2ygBvr9N0xTLX0571cVRwIAbBqDFq9iNsVRVgs/s1600-h/IMG_4248.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xOkmeIL0C_ziNJB3NYPbAl6Ah34SeFEgvCi0DHcGhEE3RumH6Z-r1c9gMOATwhe0L8HxEN_0hWWtkMt-M6x5Dp9XmPRMQLVr2Mc6Ec2ygBvr9N0xTLX0571cVRwIAbBqDFq9iNsVRVgs/s400/IMG_4248.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402159591329091698" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tCBRvSAUgrGskRPsp-AIAyPO0in8rupF5gDZHNff1DrJCrC-jSswiLOrt0rY8UsCM1pjy3qH4yXsH6HX1Zri4Qe7MXmmP1ri0-OQQCrWm3k9V1r2fYwi1_jVYEVfkoUgE4JjIgi4HzUN/s1600-h/IMG_4251.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tCBRvSAUgrGskRPsp-AIAyPO0in8rupF5gDZHNff1DrJCrC-jSswiLOrt0rY8UsCM1pjy3qH4yXsH6HX1Zri4Qe7MXmmP1ri0-OQQCrWm3k9V1r2fYwi1_jVYEVfkoUgE4JjIgi4HzUN/s400/IMG_4251.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402159598402092082" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jvlBYMMkWTkjBJ8nwIjdDvRYjVndRS_ohlmrBg57T4cOfxXfiAdGOxIrWYY8FrGSLohIzo7QJ5KgrsK2DeQLbQK81XtERBb1OP6skTqjh_VK6z9xmzGrNNSjC2bBxdG9w6G02RMOwkwc/s1600-h/IMG_4254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jvlBYMMkWTkjBJ8nwIjdDvRYjVndRS_ohlmrBg57T4cOfxXfiAdGOxIrWYY8FrGSLohIzo7QJ5KgrsK2DeQLbQK81XtERBb1OP6skTqjh_VK6z9xmzGrNNSjC2bBxdG9w6G02RMOwkwc/s400/IMG_4254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402159606171466754" border="0" /></a>Went for a nice solo ride at the Dump on Tuesday. The trails are still remarkable good in spite of the wet weather lately. I've hiked on a lot of trails in parks here in the Victoria CRD area and even though only one park and a part of another are open for mountain biking, the CRD crews could learn a lot by studying the Hartland trails. There are things or two that can be learned from mountain bikers about trail building, especially here in the wet northwest. What impresses me the most about certain areas of Hartland is the erosion control and water management of the trails. This is something that sets a standard that should be aimed for in other parks in the Capital district, and is far better than most other parks. But however well the trails are built and how well us mountain bikers treat the parks, there is NO discussion or even thoughts about opening up more areas to mountain bikers in the vast park network in the CRD. This is shameful, and I for one am not just going to be happy about being allowed to ride in one park. CRD needs to step up and aknowledge that we (mountain bikers, SIMBS) are good stewards of the parks and should be rewarded with more riding areas.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-32124004773461148112009-11-03T08:27:00.000-08:002009-11-03T08:27:00.769-08:00on The Nutcase intercontinental single speed cx championships of the universe!<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLshnqpWzuOCQkkyEzeyX9tn_d4Ti2lYvrUkr2W8_bs6JossUFHb41o8yR-R2fguuI2dWrH_gSL-gJCn9EDBPHaF2oTP5a3jnIvnfhLd32QbvpCuwmzQwgqnucSfEw1YEo1rMwaVFbp3q/s1600-h/halldorsscxdanielle+stevens.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLshnqpWzuOCQkkyEzeyX9tn_d4Ti2lYvrUkr2W8_bs6JossUFHb41o8yR-R2fguuI2dWrH_gSL-gJCn9EDBPHaF2oTP5a3jnIvnfhLd32QbvpCuwmzQwgqnucSfEw1YEo1rMwaVFbp3q/s400/halldorsscxdanielle+stevens.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399631143175702962" border="0" /></a>Mr. Lumberjack in action, note the axe ziptied to the frame
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhDYefDr9aTPDzH4AvwrWycdKOxr09rB8J_5tuJ1Dz4e-SQC7mYY1bMqVkPootgAgDx-GuNxgBthPknjgIYdH2-H_ji4uq4chKNOoSuNeTyUbuGHrCXH38cd_I4rJJPHOZGK_T49gZQH4/s1600-h/halldorsscx4danielle+stevens.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzhDYefDr9aTPDzH4AvwrWycdKOxr09rB8J_5tuJ1Dz4e-SQC7mYY1bMqVkPootgAgDx-GuNxgBthPknjgIYdH2-H_ji4uq4chKNOoSuNeTyUbuGHrCXH38cd_I4rJJPHOZGK_T49gZQH4/s400/halldorsscx4danielle+stevens.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399631137383368082" border="0" /></a>
<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIyFyNAeZhcCrKMe4TT9pD2CWybWkeCBOWJHWzlcZ9u2QFOQx-8hkXjRk7H-He4hOZEOaMf_gGbn8MYCyJVfvXdW5cxkf3sxQAg3z0dppvNgwW81I0MiZ59zWQZM5zTHSXLWfg_cBTUSu/s1600-h/halldorsscx3danielle+stevens.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKIyFyNAeZhcCrKMe4TT9pD2CWybWkeCBOWJHWzlcZ9u2QFOQx-8hkXjRk7H-He4hOZEOaMf_gGbn8MYCyJVfvXdW5cxkf3sxQAg3z0dppvNgwW81I0MiZ59zWQZM5zTHSXLWfg_cBTUSu/s400/halldorsscx3danielle+stevens.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399631134611135330" border="0" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNGthNp_f2un4dqYf9kURVU-vOf5XZ91D7Ds9NLdszEbNK6AS8SeZ5jF2iWm2cV4HsvHixsZ9htybzdfM9UOqsrS-jrdUGzo-1G87CGiTgOWXZUW3eg9uiuAzKut7MP0uZklTeXq2W1NV/s1600-h/halldorsscx2danielle+stevens.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNGthNp_f2un4dqYf9kURVU-vOf5XZ91D7Ds9NLdszEbNK6AS8SeZ5jF2iWm2cV4HsvHixsZ9htybzdfM9UOqsrS-jrdUGzo-1G87CGiTgOWXZUW3eg9uiuAzKut7MP0uZklTeXq2W1NV/s400/halldorsscx2danielle+stevens.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399631132004271634" border="0" /></a>photos courtesy of Danielle Stevens
</div>The Nutcase Intercontinental Single Speed Championship of the Universe was fantastic! It was a joy to see everybody else having to suffer up the hills like myself, instead of seeing them spinning by me in a blur. The course was fantastic with lots of interesting features such as fire pits you had to jump, extra many barriers (10 in all) and fireworks. It started out in a field with three sets of cones. We left the bikes at the first set of cones, the front wheels at the second and then went to the third where the race was started. We then had to run and pick up the wheels, run to our bikes, install the front wheel and then ride to the barriers and then we were finally on the course. The race was not a part of the Cross on the Rock series,so some of the top contenders on the island did not bother to show up. That was kind of lame in my opinion but I guess they were the ones missing out. It was a long race course, I think I heard somewhere that it was about 3,4km. On top of that, the race was extra long or 60min, but surprisingly, this seemed to suit me pretty well. I ended up in 13th place (-1 lap) in the men's category after being lapped by Drew MacKenzie (SSCXWC 2008, No shame in that):
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88-GH2cn9nsUvW-RNUvgrycagpwKhJnGSUO_h-9GzXFmaZxwQL-M_qCPiIqTUVklzVl53C1SKiPDw4kvi7yfsrd4fRfSp-iMtIqWYKIODN3IioBcgawYw8K2U8XgtwpoyHxT7JuMZMCCY/s1600-h/Drew+Mackenzie+Sue+butler.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88-GH2cn9nsUvW-RNUvgrycagpwKhJnGSUO_h-9GzXFmaZxwQL-M_qCPiIqTUVklzVl53C1SKiPDw4kvi7yfsrd4fRfSp-iMtIqWYKIODN3IioBcgawYw8K2U8XgtwpoyHxT7JuMZMCCY/s400/Drew+Mackenzie+Sue+butler.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399634855784074514" border="0" /></a>Drew MacKenzie destroyed the field and claimed the win,
much like in 2008's SSCXWC. pictured above with Sue Butler
who took the ladies golden speedo in 2008.
</div>
I'm happy with my result and it was well worth taking the time off work to go up to Errington and race. Next race will be a double header in Victoria on sat. and sun. 7th and 8th. Even though I'll only be able to race on Sunday I'm super excited about it.
For more pics from Errington check out Roland's excellent smug mug page <a href="http://photos.rabien.com/Cyclocross/Single-Speed-Champs/10157720_xfcZL#P-1-12">here</a>.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-59987871551131598052009-11-02T10:17:00.000-08:002009-11-02T10:19:22.364-08:00Peacock GrooveCool video on Eric Noren of Peacock Groove.
<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7381993&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7381993&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/7381993">Peacock Groove - Erik Noren, the world's most misunderstood bike builder</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1271265">Bill Palladino</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-667147144803452852009-10-31T08:42:00.000-07:002009-10-31T09:01:44.111-07:00On new trails<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-0tcBKoPXlixU87ssHV6oB2IOU8lfGvuFG9NjZRfKDViJTah5gPSNdBIU-p4cywrS8RsziMa4g3p-_PZz7bbUCmfaUSuR3hhjf1XROAYt5oxtQ8aF0OriW-sZPg8p2EVHCDCiuEvs_ip/s1600-h/cross+2013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-0tcBKoPXlixU87ssHV6oB2IOU8lfGvuFG9NjZRfKDViJTah5gPSNdBIU-p4cywrS8RsziMa4g3p-_PZz7bbUCmfaUSuR3hhjf1XROAYt5oxtQ8aF0OriW-sZPg8p2EVHCDCiuEvs_ip/s400/cross+2013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398794253738084994" border="0" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiIANXsy3D-Pl7auiaEVUgX9vAqSiYOUxd1_PTK77N-8aKI9p9eNajFoqGToXOrXDawIehalWpSh2kEwecW1eSR2ThMGS5kVgj7jU4bt4pxcYzjFbgk0dOSH4y0KlnxvZHWOQelIRadph/s1600-h/cross+2011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwiIANXsy3D-Pl7auiaEVUgX9vAqSiYOUxd1_PTK77N-8aKI9p9eNajFoqGToXOrXDawIehalWpSh2kEwecW1eSR2ThMGS5kVgj7jU4bt4pxcYzjFbgk0dOSH4y0KlnxvZHWOQelIRadph/s400/cross+2011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398792691586177490" border="0" /></a>Top of Mt. Quimper, old forest fire lookout in background.
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpjx7k2P6twypxaJO_SFcIRuiTbNC9zZimnTb2berFKOUjrpSsGpN-VI_G5IIEHsHYfL3hbsnl-_gjp2irefUsGlCIebNT6Ha1FHvXX-DDvZ7IE4YDM173HXaypFtaKAEG2enhNQLB3Zv/s1600-h/cross+2016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpjx7k2P6twypxaJO_SFcIRuiTbNC9zZimnTb2berFKOUjrpSsGpN-VI_G5IIEHsHYfL3hbsnl-_gjp2irefUsGlCIebNT6Ha1FHvXX-DDvZ7IE4YDM173HXaypFtaKAEG2enhNQLB3Zv/s400/cross+2016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398792130736630226" border="0" /></a>I'm too fast for the autofocus...cough cough..,
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTvKfcEBJAtKT-CFHQvqcg7RFPJTcoMMtk77z2Zp7GdprUN3j2rj8nPMQvrY3KZ_j_HonyPOKNZFWjZSRww6merJMJHx0FkKF7Aj1YdS9RjOY45Zmo91-jYQnUdmUDnSduEsxHrVQJ7z4/s1600-h/cross+2015.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqTvKfcEBJAtKT-CFHQvqcg7RFPJTcoMMtk77z2Zp7GdprUN3j2rj8nPMQvrY3KZ_j_HonyPOKNZFWjZSRww6merJMJHx0FkKF7Aj1YdS9RjOY45Zmo91-jYQnUdmUDnSduEsxHrVQJ7z4/s400/cross+2015.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398792123210053394" border="0" /></a>ahh the classic <a href="http://www.gustavsberg.com/28081.asp">Gustavsberg </a>style shown here by myself...
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TJnHl9eeawPduknFSoseVd4SDSYH_0Gstua66GvEWp4q_cgSosg20ymUXxpOGy4FK3L7JhZ0_zedAbMK1jXVkHNAbY5M6nT7O7msIFzA2c6XDiAS83GQ7qwjYhu7Frd6xioWi2gNOWQ7/s1600-h/cross+2014.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2TJnHl9eeawPduknFSoseVd4SDSYH_0Gstua66GvEWp4q_cgSosg20ymUXxpOGy4FK3L7JhZ0_zedAbMK1jXVkHNAbY5M6nT7O7msIFzA2c6XDiAS83GQ7qwjYhu7Frd6xioWi2gNOWQ7/s400/cross+2014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398792115118861970" border="0" /></a>Nose manual off the skinny...nice
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Sx99HdP1750kcqXfaptxtf4txbJSOFdSRLSpodJWuZnFaPQc78Ng4nfsfvLJ3BU2mCHvJxFg7jK_jfM9qPDcmhSTdch8h24MDHRCh3lavAwHve_BgitOty_F-vEP6-NZjxfojCjNT8Uz/s1600-h/cross+2010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Sx99HdP1750kcqXfaptxtf4txbJSOFdSRLSpodJWuZnFaPQc78Ng4nfsfvLJ3BU2mCHvJxFg7jK_jfM9qPDcmhSTdch8h24MDHRCh3lavAwHve_BgitOty_F-vEP6-NZjxfojCjNT8Uz/s400/cross+2010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398792108637099906" border="0" /></a>
New trails are always great, and on Monday I got to ride some at the Harbourview park in Sooke. Harbourview is located about 30km (20miles) out of Victoria, and is a relatively new destination for me. I have ridden there once before but the last time I was there I broke my frame at the top of the hill and had to nurse it down (<a href="http://riderscycles.blogspot.com/2009/06/on-new-trails-snapped-frames-and.html">see here</a>). This time the frame held up and the longer travel fork that I currently have on my Trek EX8 made for a more pleasurable ride. Some parts of Harborview are right at the limit of my abilities as a mountain biker. Tt made for a very challenging ride which was great. I took a couple of spills on the way down the hill, but nothing too scary.
My riding partner for the day was Mitch, but he's a mechanic at<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.riderscycles.com"> Rider's</a> and a great mountain biker. It's always fun to ride with someone that is more skilled than you are. Not only do you get to see how much you can improve as a rider but you see how it's possible to tackle obstacles and lines in a way that never even occurred to you. It was very cool to see Mitch floating down the trail ahead of me when I was fighting the bike and the terrain and my own fear. I would rarely get to see much of Mitch since I lost him out of sight pretty fast. Then he'd be waiting around the next corner, trying not to look like he'd been there forever, which was nice of him. Harbourview is a great riding destination but it definitely helps to have somebody with you that knows the trails and can tell you what to look out for.Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-27243338570936600922009-10-28T22:22:00.000-07:002009-10-28T22:53:54.067-07:00On hasty reports and shaky journalismLooks like I jumped the gun a bit in my last post. I somehow got the idea that Race face was being sold to MEC as a company, not just RF selling it's products to MEC. That was an impression I got from somebody and could not shake it until I got the e-mail from Race Face, explaining their actions.
I apologize for the poor reporting and have corrected the aforementioned post.
Fair is fair so I'll post RF's letter here for comparison to the Lambert one:
As many of you are now aware, Race Face has recently made the decision to sell to MEC in Canada. We want to take this opportunity to explain our reasoning for doing this and to separate fact from fiction concerning this decision.
Firstly, by selling to MEC this does not mean we are decreasing our commitment to you, the Canadian IBD. In fact, the truth is quite the opposite. We are a Canadian based company that has been in partnership with Canadian IBDs for seventeen years. This will not change. In very frank terms, we decided to add MEC as a customer because the distribution landscape in Canada is changing concerning the selling of bicycles and bicycling related products. MEC has recently made an increased commitment to their cycling business and we believe that they represent one additional sales channel for us to ultimately sell our products to the Canadian cycling consumer. It is really that simple. For us to continue to evolve, and even exist, as a business, like you, we have to change with the times. That is all we are trying to do by selling to MEC - nothing more, nothing less.
It should be noted that many top brands already support and sell their products through MEC and as MEC’s bike program grows this will continue to evolve as they build new partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers.
Additionally, we are aware that some of you believe that MEC has an advantage versus other Canadian businesses because of their Co-Operative status. To further show our commitment to you, the IBD's, we will offer a specific discount to address this issue. Place a reasonably sized order with us and we will provide a further discount over and above any booking discounts. Call it the “level tax” discount. Details will be released shortly.
Also, we want you to know that MEC is only buying select skus from our line. We have many skus that MEC will not carry. Please contact us if you would like to know the exact skus MEC will stock; we are happy to share that information with you.
Lastly, when considering your future business with Race Face, please remember that we are proud to be a B.C. based company for the last seventeen years. Our foot print in Canada is still very large as we directly employ 50+ people in our New Westminster office. We still manufacture market leading products in B.C. such as Atlas and Next cranks. In fact, despite the recent tough economic times, the demand for our product is strong and we have just added an additional five people in our manufacturing department. We are a Canadian based company that is committed to our operations in Canada and to supporting the Canadian IBD.
We understand for some Canadian IBDs that our selling to MEC is an emotionally charged issue. Our hope, and goal, is that by providing a commitment to the IBD in the Canadian market place, we have addressed the majority of your concerns.
As noted previously, we will release details shortly on our “level tax” discount and our 2010 booking program. Please contact us directly to place an orderHalldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1488096485116838219.post-75923917514196923852009-10-24T11:26:00.001-07:002009-10-28T22:47:08.981-07:00on sellouts<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiDyRXNGRzyTvOfn33k678TsqcAYRvT3-PWz1cu1LEY3kjo-VnadHzKYCeTMNyJukzUlFDpQaH7d_F7zPhsLKE1iBmunRYPKFCeBtzcZrp1WhpjRP97BVmTjnTQGWyJmYmzw2qDkl69-a/s1600-h/rfcranks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkiDyRXNGRzyTvOfn33k678TsqcAYRvT3-PWz1cu1LEY3kjo-VnadHzKYCeTMNyJukzUlFDpQaH7d_F7zPhsLKE1iBmunRYPKFCeBtzcZrp1WhpjRP97BVmTjnTQGWyJmYmzw2qDkl69-a/s400/rfcranks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396244514353600530" border="0" /></a>
<style></style><div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;">The legendary component/apparel company <a href="http://www.raceface.com/">Race Face</a> just announced that they will be selling their products to <a href="http://www.mec.com/">Mountain Equipment Co-op</a> (the Canadian equivalent to<a href="http://www.rei.com/"> REI</a> in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>). This has pissed off their current dealer <a href="http://cycleslambert.com/customers/en/">Cycles Lambert</a> and rightly so, so they will stop distributing Race Face products immediately. Recently MEC announced that they will be adding bicycles to their product lineup along with the current outdoor gear and bicycle parts. This has served as a bit of a blow to independent bicycle retailers in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> as they believe that MEC possesses an unfair advantage as a Co-operative, since that format is considerably less taxed than other businesses. So MEC is not exactly a favorite among the bike shop owners or anyone in the bicycle business in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region> in general. See open letter from Canadian Cyclist <a href="http://www.canadiancyclist.com/industry.php?id=16422">here</a>. In any case this move by Race Face has a lot of their fans loosing faith in the integrity of Race Face and their commitment to their product and their core consumers. In all likelihood they will make more money by making this move but will that be at the cost of quality? Many people believe so and point to MEC's shaky quality on certain things in the past. In any case people are a bit perplexed by all of this if not downright pissed off!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">See letter from Lambert below:<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">LAMBERT ENDS DISTRIBUTION OF RACE FACE PRODUCTS<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p face="arial" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Levis</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">Quebec</st1:state></st1:place>, October 23, 2009 - Lambert announced today that it has terminated its Canadian distribution agreement with Race Face, effective immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Race Face recently informed Lambert of its plans to sell its apparel, armour and components to Mountain Equipment CO-OP (MEC). Lambert is very disappointed with the decision Race Face has made in this matter. Due to Race Face’s realignment with MEC, Lambert ceased its business relationship with the company.</span></p>
<span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-CA" ><span style="font-size:100%;">The importance of specialty retailers for Canadian cyclists is undeniable. Lambert remains firm in its commitment to channels avoiding an every day low price</span></span></span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" lang="EN-CA" ><span style="font-size:100%;">strategy which brings down reasonable market pricing. Lambert will continue to privilege brands that support this same business direction.</span></span></span>
</div>Halldorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10985357127775827920noreply@blogger.com1