Las Vegas - Inter Bike

For some the phrase going to 'Vegas' has some connotation of wicked fun times and sin city. Then you add the plain text 'tradeshow' and or 'inter-bike' and the meaning slides five ways sideways. This is especially true when you are a hardened veteran of the industry a new father or for some other poor souls - on your 3-5th tradeshow of the season, ouch.

I fall somewhere between 1, 2 and 3; I have been hitting the festivals hard this year, launching products and talk, talk talking it up. Crankworkx, BC Bike Race, Sea Otter and Fruita are all virtual tradeshow and with the amount of traveling done leading into Vegas, a new kid running amok at home, I found more than ever the sheer fatigue catching up with me.

Don't get me wrong, we have fun we work hard, there is virtually no riding or exercise, there is a lot of beer at all times of the day and night and it lasts 6 full days in either dessert conditions or hard core air conditioning. All of this leaves one with the proverbial Vegas hang over; when you arrive home, there is an adjustment period like jet-lag. Perhaps it's the weening off of the Oxygen rich casino's (word has it that they pump it in to keep people awake and alert) or the removal of the osmotic absorbtion of excitement brought on by; the heady crowds of excited bike fans, the other Vegas attendees or some residual dessert survival instinct that has all of your senses on red alert.

But I have to admit being the bike dork that I am that I love the 'show'. Teching out on all the new gadgets, talking turkey about the BC Bike Race, going through the facets of the new RMB 2011 line and all the tiny nuances of bike-geek-ness. Ahhhh yes it's like comicon, a bunch of grown-up kids, not to mention that after such a long time in the industry it's a big party with a whole bunch of great friends. So, tired and exhausted after my once a year to Vegas I returned home.

It is rumored that Interbike will be moving to August next year and that it will also be held in Anahiem CA. Interbike is comprised of two parts (the day parts) dirt-demo, outdoors(Mon, Tues) and inter-bike, indoors(wed,thur, fri) - lets not forget that this is a dealer based show where many decisions are made about what products you will see at your local bike store next year.

This years highlights were: a short team ride post the dirt demo, Wade's birthday bash (in our rental house, just the team), The Fro Riders getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, Rockies launch of the new Element and Slayer (two amazing bikes), the arrival of BC Bike Race as the 'Singletrack Adventure' to truly attend and one wicked ride - 'The Legends' with Mountain Bike Magazine a bunch of other pro's and oh yeah leaving Vancouver for the dessert while it dropped 40mm of rain or something crazy like that.

Sometimes the tradeshow and Vegas at this time of the year is 'A-OK'. Stay posted for a view of the movie Lifecycles- we didn't make it with all our work but it is rumored to be amazing.

All in all a trip to the dessert should happen at least once a year if you can and if you are a bike-dork like me get to Interbike at least once in your life!

Bikes forever

Dre

Island Mountain Rides - Guided Trip

GOOD E NUFF, is what the sign says!

Another road trip, yup, but with the changing weather it feels like we are on a count down to get as much of the warm weather in before it all goes - sideways!

So the BC Bike Race crew and friends headed over to Vancouver Island to hook up with Martin Ready and Island Mountain Rides. Most of the crew were on a bigger itinerary, but I was on the shrunken version, so I will give you what I got, but include the extra bonus that Dean and the crew got.

Monday morning Pemberton - Helicopter Drop, sweet 4 hour descent with some fresh snow and a ton of Alpine -ahhhh fresh air.

Tuesday we headed up to Cambell River to check out Swicked Cycles (James and Chenoa's new bike shop) and the legendary singletrack. We threw Mike (operation manager from Mt Washington) into the mix and finished at Painters Lodge for a couple chilly ones and an awe inspiring view.

Cambell River is a wee bit of a hidden gem, located North on Vancouver Island - they have been developing trails there since the early 90's and have linked two major areas together to provide a huge mature trail network.

Wednesday we headed out from our housing digs at the Riding Fool Hostel in Cumberland into the local trails. Cumberland like Cambell River has been developing their network for a good number of years and with the heavy influence of Jeremy Grasby they have carved out a mighty empire of singletrack. Must be something about the island and or 'island time' but what's going on over there is impressive.

Cumberland was simply amazing and every time I ride there it gets a little closer to my heart. Sweet flowing singletrack, technical to challenge and all riding right out the back door of the Hostel.

Thursday was Shuttle day, and I knew finally that my extra super RMB Slayer 2011 would be the bike of choice - we did 3 big shuttles and in truth these represented more of the All-Mountain or "Down Country" style that we all seem to enjoy. Little more vert, little more challenge, same all-mountain bike - Dean and Mark were running Altitudes while Dave and I were running respectively 2010 Slayer and 2011 Slayer.

It's amazing how much time riding, shooting, riding, driving and eating can all take, but zoooom it all wizzed by and it was time for me to get home to the family.

I have taken to documenting trails these days, in a few different ways, but one thing I really enjoy are the custom trail head signs that people personally design. Heck if you put a couple weeks of sweat equity into a trail, why not spend some effort on the signage.

Friday I missed the boat and found myself here (in the office) telling the story, while the boys are on Hornby Island riding some of the Worlds most flowy trails: Three Dead Aliens, No-Horses etc etc, but someone has to tell the story and I guess that's my job, eh?

Thanks to all for making this trip 'Swicked',

Dre

Red Bull 5000 Down

6000 feet of climbing during the Gran Fondo and then it was time for 5000 down - Red Bull 5000 Down, from the Peak of Whistler to the Long Horn.

I have to admit it's been a long time since I downhill raced, so taking all things into account, I decided to start slow, stay at the back and then if all went well, pour it on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceC8dM3zvqE&feature=player_embeddedhttp:

I arrived at the Roundhouse just in time to join all the other participants in heading over to the Peak Chair for our final assent. Upon arrival we were greeted by the familiar arch and the unfamiliar white stuff - Snow, yes about 6-8 inches of fluffy, wetish snow.

With no seeding run and no ambition I planted myself firmly at the rear. 130 intrepid dh adventurers were about to commence the first mass start DH on Whistler.

It's nice to take off the performance pressure and just participate, it's kinda what this whole weekend was about for me. 3,2,1 and Go! we were off - slip slidding our way down the mountain. We quickly formed into two lines with very little passing possible. I took a full on header into a snow bank, filled my left glove up, took a couple pictures and generally enjoyed the start. As we picked up speed and my goggles filled with mud I began to wonder at the sanity of what I was doing. People were stretched out all over the mountain and the mass start was over, we were now on course in small groups.

As I cruised down a little farther my hands became increasingly cold until I finally stopped to replace my wet gloves with fresh dry gloves. There is something about thawing fingers that just hurts sooooooo much, but once thawed and into the new dry gloves it was game on. The course was wet, muddy, but very well laid out. I passed a few more lost souls and crossed the line with a big grin.

No practice, terrible conditions, but a great attitude - I was out for the adventure and I had a great time - This weekend of 6000 up and 5000 down really brought to light the 'fun' that can be had - if you sieze the moment and enjoy. Carpe Diem.

Rip it Up
Dre

RBC Whistler Gran Fondo

What an event, it's all I can really say! Vancouver to Whistler on the Sea to Sky highway!

A smooth operation that provided 4000 people with the cycling experience of a lifetime - this along with the 'Lance effect' has brought cycling to new heights of awareness . We have all recently seen the Sea to Sky chalk-a-block with cyclists and never before has it been more PC to shave one's legs?

Anyway, yes there were likely 8000 shaved legs pedaling the 6000 vertical feet up to Whistler. 120 km's on the button, aid stations were amazing, volunteers and cheering fans were beyond amazing and if you consider the break in the weather - Friday and Sunday both downpour days and Saturday -nada - we the participants were truly rewarded with an unparalleled experience.

The day began early about 5 am, a quick small breakfast, coffee and into my superman suit. I had arranged to meet some people by the North side of the Lions Gate Bridge and as I approached in the dark it seemed like another 1000 cyclists shared the same timeline. The throng grew thick as we crossed the bridge and pedaled up Georgia to Burrard. Not much traffic but a ton of psyched cyclists.

For me it was a sea of happy maybe nervous faces and a ton of friends to catch up with. The Giro (Cat 1, 2, 3 racers) took off at 6:50 and we shuffled to the front to start the Gran Fondo. I was on the front line with Alex Stieda (still looking ripped) and a few other keeners, I was mostly hoping to stay out of trouble until Eagle Bluff - 7 am 'Bang' and we were punctually off.

Some of the highlights for me included; Riding over the Lions Gate as the sun came up, cycling in the center lane of the highway, generally having a great time with some great guys on the ride of a lifetime and finishing in 3.5 hours, I can't wait for next year.

If you look closely at the picture leaving Taylor Way and heading west you can see a constant line of helmets all the way back and out of sight. I have to take my hat off to the organizers for creating and executing what must have been a very difficult series of logistics.

I was at the finish line in Whistler in Lot 4 until nearly 4pm (after finishing at 10:30 am), Red Truck beer was flowing and I saw so many happy faces, so much joy and accomplishment it was refreshing for my soul. It is also maybe what inspired me to sally forth Sunday with snow and rain pelting to do the RedBull 5000 down, could I get one of those smiles for myself?

This is a great time of year to go into winter with a few check marks on the 'Bucket List'. The RBC Whistler Gran Fondo is a great event for anyone, just put in a little saddle time through the summer and you will be the one smiling.

Dre

Weapons of Choice - 6000 Up, 5000 Down

This weekend would prove to be an accumulation of many things; the summer picking up speed and winding down, a few major events planned by my friends -about to happen, all of my bikes for all my disciplines finally got built and shizam-ee 48 hours of biking madness.

But no 2 events could happen on a single weekend with a greater degree of difference. Though most of my friends and crew aren't really too picky about what and how they ride - XC, DH, Cross, Road, X-Terra, the one underlying consistency is 'get out and pedal'.

So I did, and it was on these two great bikes that my strength, skills and endurance got put to the test.

Sept 11th, the much anticipated Whistler Gran Fondo - woo hoo, the Sea to Sky highway with nothing but bikers, now there's a great idea.

Road Bike -Rocky Mountain Solo Team RSL - Size 56cm, Shimano Ultegra, Durace equipped.

Sept 12th, Red Bull 5000 down, from the Peak of Whistler down, down and down, through the bike park, through the trails and then some more down.

DH Bike - Rocky Mountain Flatline - Size Large, Shimano Saint equipped

Funny how these two events represent Road and DH and we have the BC Bike Race splitting the difference. BC on the Map for some of the best riding and cycling events in the World, way to go BC.

What a weekend and I'm hell bent on enjoying the rest of the warm weather and the sun that we get this summer. Lets put 2010 on the map and into the annals (good word eh?) of history as - "one wicked summer". We still have 'Epic October' coming up so stay posted.

I did also manage to squeeze a short run in between commutes, bike races, chats and celebrations, but hey, 2 a day is always better than one, right?

Cheers

Dre

World Championships -Mt St Anne

Well it's been a couple years since I last visited Mt St Anne, maybe 3. This place has inscribed a deep and long impact on my life, career and psyche, in short I have many, many emotional memories attached to racing, traveling and existing in Mt St Anne. Not only did we do World Cups here but also a number of National Championships, all over nearly a 20 year period, wow.

In 1992 Jon Taylor and I made our way out to our first World Cup here. As a naive young racer my eyes were open and this was a HUGE event (truly it was). During the race I passed Tomac on the last lap, something like 24th for me, in a thundershower, but to finally be rubbing shoulders with those I had only read about, that was a career first. 1992 Was also the year the World Champs were in Bromont, just around the corner near Montreal, so for the record this is the 3rd time in Canada.

Doing laundry that week we met Elladee Brown and I still famously quote her wise ass comment "if you can't wash and dry it, it ain't worth owning", in answer to our question doh "you put your chamois' in the dryer"?

Jonny T and I also attended the then legendary Pool Tournament where we thought we should have won, but got beat by Marla and Monkey, woooaaa, bummer, but a couple of great people to meet.

1993 was a blur of heat and mud as we (Jon and I) cut our teeth and became more experienced at bigger races and more comfortable at Mt ST Anne. This was the era of crazy after parties, hard 2.5 hour races and 200 plus men lined up on the grid ready for action - it was the hey day, and it was crazy.

In 1994 I flew out with the Kona Mud Duelers, proceeded to slam Dave Wiens into a bridge railing (it took him awhile to forgive me) and I remember fondly watching my first World Cup Soccer to the tune of Dave Smiths' organic cooking with Kirk Molday and Kris Otter.

1995 was an oven, i was riding with OGC, I was winning all the Canada Cups and flew the Gary Fisher colors, life was good and this was just one stop on the circuit. Olympic qualifiers and a good race meant I was going to the big show.

1996 - 1998 was just 'business as usual' until the 1st World Championships in St Anne (1998) , finally we were in Mt St Anne in the fall and not the summer. My family, fully over watching long laps and manning feed zones decided that this was big enough event to make a trip out east for. So 1998 was a bit of a bigger year, but it was still familiar ground - good ol Mt St Anne.

and 1999 to 2003 continued an unbroken stream of visits to this now 'Old Friend'. We knew where all the swim holes were, the best restaurants, where Pierre Harvey lived, where to train and how to survive the heat and mud of St Anne. In short returning to a venue year after year describes what an athlete does, like a sales rep we are always going back to accounts, especially the 'key' accounts.

In 2004 and 2005 I attended Mt St Anne as a Team Manager, and then there was a short hiatus until I could return. This time 'low and behold' I had nothing on the schedule, nothing to do but a 30 min race in the 'Legends' event.

Wow, it was like a walk down memory lane, to consider the amount of my soul I have left on that course, the years of suffering, the joys of doing well, the agonies of defeat, Mt St Anne is a 20 year acquaintance and we are still hanging out, cool.

The interactions are different now and I don't know what our long term future will be, but GESTEV, the organizing committee; Chantal and Patrice, Lise and Anne are and always will be friends. Michel, Gilles, Eric, Seb, Matt and everyone else I have spent time with over those 20 years, I will always try to stay in contact with. The Venue and the Course, St Anne - well I hear that there maybe a Masters Worlds there one day, so I will wait and see..,,?

Watching the new generation of racers, both XC and DH excel and come to terms with what Mt St Anne has to offer, as a mountain and as a historical place in mountain bike history, is very interesting. Some naive to their future long term relationship with St Anne and some coming to terms with it, but for me to step back and watch Canada succeed was amazing, congratulations to Gestev for putting mountain biking on the map for us and for the World, congratulations to the Team managers and mechanics and to all the athletes that leave just a little of themselves out there on the course, at Mt St Anne.

What a show the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in CANADA, good stuff indeed.

Dre

Newfoundland Final Chapter

Many days of riding and traveling create many photo's and many stories, but eventually we have to close that chapter and move on.

For our final days in Newfoundland we did a group ride in Pasadena with about 10 peeps and on the last day we headed back to the National Park and UNESCO site, Gros Morne . Here in Gros Morne the parks people in their infinite wisdom have opened one of their trails to mountain biking; Stuckless Pond is a beautiful loop, with amazing views. We followed that up with another quick ride to a 3 story sink hole just around the corner.

It was only last year that Gros Morne opened this route up to Mountain Biking, what does it mean to have a National Park open it's doors to mountain biking...? We will be following up with the parks people in Newfoundland to get a bit more info on their rationale and perhaps track down this precident setting stance, is this a pilot project hmmmm or the face of a new parks policy?

The ever changing world as seen from the tip of the saddle
Dre

Getting 'Screeched In' Newfy Style

When in Rome..., - yes?

There seems to be a robust smell that lingers about the mainlanders, that would be us.

To truly penetrate the Island life on Newfoundland, one must get 'Screeched In';

Dress Like a Newfy
Talk Like a Newfy
Eat Like a Newfy
Drink Like a Newfy

This is a ceremony conducted by a spiritual leader of sorts - in this case Keith who is a third generation Screecher. His fathers father was a Screecher and his father is a Screecher and his son is now a Screecher, and so the tradition continues.

We were pretty keen to experience the cultural passage of men and foreigners into Newfy culture - Dressing like a Newfy is no problem, we all got through that, then it was talking like a Newfy, well not too bad - What does a man going to the fishing hole say as he passes the man coming back frrom the fishing hole?

Q - are there any fish down there - 'ye-ar-an-ee' (said quickly, like "yes are there any")
A - 'n'earn' - meaning no there are not, or 'ye-are' like yes there are

I reckon they speak this way cause their faces are frozen from the cold Atlantic wind - anyway, we got through the language test and it was onto the eating part.

Capelin - is a small anchovy like fish that feeds Cod, Whales, Seals and is shipped in large quantities to Japan. We were to take these little 6 inch suckers and bite down..., yup eyeballs, fins scales and all, guts in!

Mike and Curtis got down to business and two fish dissapeared pronto. Jordan and I were about to gag and barely managed to crunch through the heads of these Capelin. Thankfully the Screech (a Brand of Rum, bottled in Newfoundland) came out quicly and we washed the foul taste out.

Screeched In, we are now official papered Newfies - Culture, you bet eat your hearts out, or in this case, kiss a cod or eat a Capelin.

Going deep for the truth
Dre

Newfoundland part 4

The Vikings landed on the West coast of Canada in L'anse Aux Meadows in 1000 AD - This was the first European contact with N. America, nearly 500 years before Cabot or Columbus would return to claim having found the New World.

We decided that the opportunity to view such a historic site could not be missed - 440 km's north of Cornerbrook lay our destination. Such a drive through Gros Morne up the coast to Liefs Hold in Bay of Strong Currents in Vineland would give us a much better over-all feel for Newfoundland, it's people and it's history.

Newfoundland has an amazing rugged feel; a rocky coastline, stunted wind swept trees with Tuckamoore brush filling all the space in between. There are lobster traps and small fishing cabins at every corner, point and free piece of land, piles of wood punctuate the odd potatoe fields that dot the sides of the highway in this thinly populated land. What we see in the hinterland of N. America, the holiday inns, the Denny's etc, does not exist out here, we are thrown back to a time when deep friers and juke boxes ruled the truck stops. It's a strange feeling, but the percieved struggle to survive out here on the 'Rock' endears the quaintness of the homes and buildings.

We felt very much at home, us 3 from Vancouver Island, though Newfoundland has not had the rapid propulsion into the 21st century that we on the West Coast have, we felt comfortable being on another island.

Newfoundland is slowing revealing herself to us, as we travel and dig deeper, meet more locals, I feel we are nearing the heart of this place and simply put - I like it.

Dre

Newfoundland part 3

And the adventures continue; Day 2 saw us driving into Gros Morne by the Tablelands and into the Village of Trout River. A traditional lunch of Fish n Chips gave us plenty of grease to last the afternoon as we pedaled and shot the day away.

Day 3 we took our adventures into town for a night of revelry followed by a 3 hour mission - XC style, our heads were pounding but the adventure must go on.

We met a couple of great guys; one John French and one Ron Marshal. John our leader for the day is very knowledgeable in the back roads and bye ways of the local Cornerbrook area, his days out as leader are called 'French Adventures' and i cannot tell a lie, we lived a 'French Adventure'. Thanks John for the awesome ride...!

Ron on the other hand is the super fit guy with a great wit and quite an accent. He had our sorry heads buzzing with laughter throughout the day, a great addition to our roster for the week in Newfoundland, indeed.

Travel is good, travel with great people is amazing.

Dre