I had an absolutely wicked ride today at The Woodlot. It was a solo ride on the Heckler with my burlier Mavic 729 wheels and Michelin 2.5s rather than the 2.35 High Rollers I have been riding on lately. I just thought I would ride different wheels for a change and a little more cush.
The climb was a nice pedal up the logging road then a left turn to head up Stove Top to the road up and then the push up the power lines. Recently I have started to enjoy the pedal climb up and stovetop really fills the need for a pedalable climb at least part of the way to the top. Once at the top I rode Krazy Karpenter which was a great ride and then up the trail to Blood Donor. I had a pretty bad spill on the bigger gap on Blood Donor a few months ago and my wrists are still hurting from it so I decided to skip the one big gap but hit the rest of them with reckless abandon. At the canoe log drop on Blood Donor about 2/3 of the way down the trail I ran into 3 guys on the side of the trail. One of these guys was Super T (Tyler Klassen) on a Yeti ASX giving some guys what look like a Tour de Woodlot. Super T was limping around due to a broken femur 12 weeks earlier so there were no drops or jumps in the books for him today. He was just out flowing the dirt.
At the trail head of Giant Killer (the end of Blood Donor) I ran into a guy that was riding The Woodlot for the first time on an XC Klein. He wanted to know if he was near the top. When I told him he was not quite half way to the top he requested directions down the hill so explained how to get down via Lower Toad Stool and Hoots.
So I then rode Giant Killer having ripping the trail on all the stunts that were open and then made my way over to Snakes and Ladders. Once at Snakes and Ladders I the trail non stop to the last big rock face. The trail is in great shape right now but I know where it needs some TLC, however nothing can be done on the trail until it rains again. At top of the big rock face I have started to stack rock that will be used to fill in the black nasty mud that accumulates at the top. So I left me bike at the top and proceeded over to the rock quarry gather some rock. I ended up stacking 2 big buckets worth of rock and one really BIG rock that I hauled up to the top of the rock face. I then geared up and rode out the rest of the trail to Shotgun. While passing by the bottom of Quick Hit I nearly ran over the biggest garter snake I have ever seen. Any ways I rolled down into Shotgun and let go of the brakes riding it as fast a my tires would let me go. Out to the car and homeward bound.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Bear Mountain Downhill 2006
Bear Mountain Downhill 2006, the 10th year and from what the organizers have told us, the last year of the race. This is the 3rd time I have raced the Downhill race at Bear Mountain in Mission B.C. Each year I have walked away from the race learning something and yearning to ride my bikes faster and faster.
The atmosphere at the race this year was not as jived as it was in years past. I think this is main due to the fact that people were saddened by the fact that this is the last year of the race. The weather this year could not be any better. I was dry and hot but with just enough moisture in the early morning air to leave the course damp with dew until the riding started at 10am. The course could not have been any better. There were new jumps added and allot of the chunder at the top had been worked to make the course substantially faster and a few more lines opened to keep the flow in some tight spots.
I arrived relatively early in the morning geared up, met with Tim and Rob and our mandatory pre-ride if the course was complete. During this re-ride of the course I decided that I really wanted to hit a gap at the top of the course that would help trim a few seconds off my time. So I hung out on the jump for a few minutes to watch others hit this gap jump and I determined how much speed was needed to make the gap. So up I went, pedalled in and clean as a whistle. A couple more times and I was 98% confident that I would be doing it in my race run. The 3 of us continued down course to finish our run and line up for another lift up the hill in the back of a cube van. Yup, we get shuttled up the hill in the back of a moving truck. 15 or so guys and their bikes at a time. So after 2 runs we were ready for the race. Tim's bike needed a little TLC with the rear wheel but once this was taken care of we just chilled until it was our turn to go up to the top for our race runs.
Both Tim's and Rob's wives and kids were there to wish them good luck as we headed off up the hill in the trucks. Nicole was far too pregnant (9 months) to attend the race and little Norah isn't even 2 years old yet so she would be way too much of a handful. So up in the trucks we went the 30-39 Masters sport men and the over 40 guys. One can only imagine of totally different the conversations are in our truck as compared to the U-17 racers.
At the top of the course we all picked our spots in the shade waiting for the race marshals to call out our names and numbers. For a few of us it was time to crack the RedBull to get the juices flowing and jived for our turn on the course. Last year I placed 2nd, 1.5 seconds behind the winner and this year he was riding last down the course in our class. In my head it was up to me to do the best that I could. I knew that I was a faster rider this year than I was last year, the course is faster and the conditions were mint. As I said, it was up to me. All I wanted was to improve on my overall time and accept where ever that put me in the standings.
Both Rob and Tim were ahead of me in the start order so in the line I was able to wish both of them luck in the race before they started. I believe there was one rider between each of us and there was one minute between each rider. When I was in the start gate waiting for the race marshal to give me the 5 second count down to go there was an announcement on the radio that ripped through the air...."RIDER DOWN, SEND THE MEDICS!!!". This statement was repeated several times and that the rider was off course and the race could continue however each time you could hear more and more concern in the voice of the corner worker. Then I heard the number plate of the fallen rider #601......Tim was down. I now had to try and keep the thought of a fallen buddy out of my head and concentrate on task at hand, The Race. So my count down started and down the course I went.
I had ridden the course about 10 times now in the last week. I had helmet cam filmed the course and watched sections over and over and over again. One could say I knew the course really well and knew what to expect at speed. The top sections for me were good. This course has a few spots in it where you can really blow up and have nothing left for the rest of the race and the first 400m or so it one of those spots. I basically just concentrated on staying off the brakes and railing turns. Though the rough stuff and through "The Abortion Corner" (After the race we found out the name of this particular corner. It is a 180° turn that has lots of chunder and holes all over the place). From the abortion corner it is a few hard pedal strokes to the gap that I had worked on earlier in the day and I nailed it smooth as silk and continued down the course at a good pace. There is a really fast section that leads into the biggest gap on the hill, the spot were in training last year I went down hard casing the jump and hurting my knee. I decided long before the race that I would skip the jump and I just railed on past with tons of speed. Down the course to a small step-up and then a few corners more to the fist big doubles. I didn't rail the corners before the double jumps and knew I would not have enough speed to make the 2nd big one so I pedalled through them as fast as I could.
From this point down I can say that I rode the course perfectly. For my abilities I could not have had a better race and was not upset with myself in the least. So after the doubles up top it was 2 more corners then the small doubles that when hit just right pop you to the next and a few pedal stokes to the step-down shot between the trees. The next 4 corners by far my favourite 4 turns on the course which include 2 berms that you can rail like none other. These all lead you to the table top jump where you can just send it. Surprisingly there weren't and spectators of years past at any of the jumps except for the corner workers, everyone was at the new double section by the rock.
Next is what I refer to as the fast single track section where you don't pedal, just rail the all dirt slightly banked corners of the track. The gap on the left of the trail is really easy to clear with all the speed carried from the corners before and then there was a new jump that send you straight down the trail to some descending bermed corners. There are 4 corners in total that I nailed perfectly. And considering how dry and dusty slick it was I even surprised myself with the speed I maintained through this section. There were even a few people clapping and cheering at that corner which helped to keep me focused on keeping up my speed. My memory of the course really helped in this next section as there is only one FAST line and all other lines waste a lot of time.
It almost seems like the section leading up to the up down depression in the course is the rest spot for "The Big Show". When I say "The Big Show" I am talking about the rock drop, the announcer, the crowds and this year two gaps that offer lots of jump style and photo opportunities. At the depression I heard a spotter calling out my number to the announcer Brad Ewen, likely the best announcer out there for the sport of mountain biking. In fact I think that guy could inject excitement into calling a play by play for a game of chess. Once again this year I was sporting my red and white stripped soccer jersey that I also wore last year as did Rob and Tim. Brad the announcer recognized me from last year and I could hear him call out my name as well stating that I was another candy stipper rippin the course. So rather than dropping the rock, I shot the gap on the side of the rock which is MUCH faster than dropping the rock and then railed the berm and began pedalling to hit the new 18 foot gap on the course. I basically has tunnel vision but could see all the spectators that were missing up course down here watching people send it on a beautiful set of jumps. As I said the first one is an 18 footer that launches you perfectly and places you gently on the tranny to allow you to coast to a 10 foot hip to the left and back onto the single track course. Lights camera action. I saw several flashes while in the air and then my focus was turned back to railing turns and carrying speed for the rest of the course.
I knew I was having a good race, I was tired but had the energy to keep pushing. Right after the new jumps there is a tight left hand turn and then you need to pedal to maintain speed. This is where I met up with the racer ahead of me. Yup, I knew I was having a good race when I realized I made up the 1 minute gap between me and the racer in front. I really would not have wanted to be this guy because I could hear people yelling at him then as I was 10 meters behind him I started screaming at him to get off the line and let me pass. Fortunately he pulled off and I ripped by without incident and I made sure to thank him as I went by.
The rest of the course was fast downhill single track with lots of opportunity to pedal, which I did as much as I could but by this point I was pretty much spent. Across the line and basically rolled up a small hill and threw my bike on the ground to catch my breath. 00:04:16.23 was my time. Second place, but as I said I wanted to improve over last year and I would say 25 seconds off your time is a pretty good improvement.
Yours truely on the right.
It turned out that Tim crashed in the new jump section, he cased the second jump and incurred a concussion. He has no recollection of what went wrong but I have heard from witnesses that it was really ugly and he is lucky to only have a grade 2/3 concussion and a bloody nose. Rob finished the race in the top 10 and achieved a personal goal of hitting the new jump section to the roar of the crowd and finishing the race under a certain time.
I stayed around for the medal ceremonies and a wicked jump contest into the lake. Overall I am ecstatic about my result and time in the race. I cannot wait to get out on my bike each day and ride a little faster every time I board my bike.
The atmosphere at the race this year was not as jived as it was in years past. I think this is main due to the fact that people were saddened by the fact that this is the last year of the race. The weather this year could not be any better. I was dry and hot but with just enough moisture in the early morning air to leave the course damp with dew until the riding started at 10am. The course could not have been any better. There were new jumps added and allot of the chunder at the top had been worked to make the course substantially faster and a few more lines opened to keep the flow in some tight spots.
I arrived relatively early in the morning geared up, met with Tim and Rob and our mandatory pre-ride if the course was complete. During this re-ride of the course I decided that I really wanted to hit a gap at the top of the course that would help trim a few seconds off my time. So I hung out on the jump for a few minutes to watch others hit this gap jump and I determined how much speed was needed to make the gap. So up I went, pedalled in and clean as a whistle. A couple more times and I was 98% confident that I would be doing it in my race run. The 3 of us continued down course to finish our run and line up for another lift up the hill in the back of a cube van. Yup, we get shuttled up the hill in the back of a moving truck. 15 or so guys and their bikes at a time. So after 2 runs we were ready for the race. Tim's bike needed a little TLC with the rear wheel but once this was taken care of we just chilled until it was our turn to go up to the top for our race runs.
Both Tim's and Rob's wives and kids were there to wish them good luck as we headed off up the hill in the trucks. Nicole was far too pregnant (9 months) to attend the race and little Norah isn't even 2 years old yet so she would be way too much of a handful. So up in the trucks we went the 30-39 Masters sport men and the over 40 guys. One can only imagine of totally different the conversations are in our truck as compared to the U-17 racers.
At the top of the course we all picked our spots in the shade waiting for the race marshals to call out our names and numbers. For a few of us it was time to crack the RedBull to get the juices flowing and jived for our turn on the course. Last year I placed 2nd, 1.5 seconds behind the winner and this year he was riding last down the course in our class. In my head it was up to me to do the best that I could. I knew that I was a faster rider this year than I was last year, the course is faster and the conditions were mint. As I said, it was up to me. All I wanted was to improve on my overall time and accept where ever that put me in the standings.
Both Rob and Tim were ahead of me in the start order so in the line I was able to wish both of them luck in the race before they started. I believe there was one rider between each of us and there was one minute between each rider. When I was in the start gate waiting for the race marshal to give me the 5 second count down to go there was an announcement on the radio that ripped through the air...."RIDER DOWN, SEND THE MEDICS!!!". This statement was repeated several times and that the rider was off course and the race could continue however each time you could hear more and more concern in the voice of the corner worker. Then I heard the number plate of the fallen rider #601......Tim was down. I now had to try and keep the thought of a fallen buddy out of my head and concentrate on task at hand, The Race. So my count down started and down the course I went.
I had ridden the course about 10 times now in the last week. I had helmet cam filmed the course and watched sections over and over and over again. One could say I knew the course really well and knew what to expect at speed. The top sections for me were good. This course has a few spots in it where you can really blow up and have nothing left for the rest of the race and the first 400m or so it one of those spots. I basically just concentrated on staying off the brakes and railing turns. Though the rough stuff and through "The Abortion Corner" (After the race we found out the name of this particular corner. It is a 180° turn that has lots of chunder and holes all over the place). From the abortion corner it is a few hard pedal strokes to the gap that I had worked on earlier in the day and I nailed it smooth as silk and continued down the course at a good pace. There is a really fast section that leads into the biggest gap on the hill, the spot were in training last year I went down hard casing the jump and hurting my knee. I decided long before the race that I would skip the jump and I just railed on past with tons of speed. Down the course to a small step-up and then a few corners more to the fist big doubles. I didn't rail the corners before the double jumps and knew I would not have enough speed to make the 2nd big one so I pedalled through them as fast as I could.
From this point down I can say that I rode the course perfectly. For my abilities I could not have had a better race and was not upset with myself in the least. So after the doubles up top it was 2 more corners then the small doubles that when hit just right pop you to the next and a few pedal stokes to the step-down shot between the trees. The next 4 corners by far my favourite 4 turns on the course which include 2 berms that you can rail like none other. These all lead you to the table top jump where you can just send it. Surprisingly there weren't and spectators of years past at any of the jumps except for the corner workers, everyone was at the new double section by the rock.
Next is what I refer to as the fast single track section where you don't pedal, just rail the all dirt slightly banked corners of the track. The gap on the left of the trail is really easy to clear with all the speed carried from the corners before and then there was a new jump that send you straight down the trail to some descending bermed corners. There are 4 corners in total that I nailed perfectly. And considering how dry and dusty slick it was I even surprised myself with the speed I maintained through this section. There were even a few people clapping and cheering at that corner which helped to keep me focused on keeping up my speed. My memory of the course really helped in this next section as there is only one FAST line and all other lines waste a lot of time.
It almost seems like the section leading up to the up down depression in the course is the rest spot for "The Big Show". When I say "The Big Show" I am talking about the rock drop, the announcer, the crowds and this year two gaps that offer lots of jump style and photo opportunities. At the depression I heard a spotter calling out my number to the announcer Brad Ewen, likely the best announcer out there for the sport of mountain biking. In fact I think that guy could inject excitement into calling a play by play for a game of chess. Once again this year I was sporting my red and white stripped soccer jersey that I also wore last year as did Rob and Tim. Brad the announcer recognized me from last year and I could hear him call out my name as well stating that I was another candy stipper rippin the course. So rather than dropping the rock, I shot the gap on the side of the rock which is MUCH faster than dropping the rock and then railed the berm and began pedalling to hit the new 18 foot gap on the course. I basically has tunnel vision but could see all the spectators that were missing up course down here watching people send it on a beautiful set of jumps. As I said the first one is an 18 footer that launches you perfectly and places you gently on the tranny to allow you to coast to a 10 foot hip to the left and back onto the single track course. Lights camera action. I saw several flashes while in the air and then my focus was turned back to railing turns and carrying speed for the rest of the course.
I knew I was having a good race, I was tired but had the energy to keep pushing. Right after the new jumps there is a tight left hand turn and then you need to pedal to maintain speed. This is where I met up with the racer ahead of me. Yup, I knew I was having a good race when I realized I made up the 1 minute gap between me and the racer in front. I really would not have wanted to be this guy because I could hear people yelling at him then as I was 10 meters behind him I started screaming at him to get off the line and let me pass. Fortunately he pulled off and I ripped by without incident and I made sure to thank him as I went by.
The rest of the course was fast downhill single track with lots of opportunity to pedal, which I did as much as I could but by this point I was pretty much spent. Across the line and basically rolled up a small hill and threw my bike on the ground to catch my breath. 00:04:16.23 was my time. Second place, but as I said I wanted to improve over last year and I would say 25 seconds off your time is a pretty good improvement.
Yours truely on the right.
It turned out that Tim crashed in the new jump section, he cased the second jump and incurred a concussion. He has no recollection of what went wrong but I have heard from witnesses that it was really ugly and he is lucky to only have a grade 2/3 concussion and a bloody nose. Rob finished the race in the top 10 and achieved a personal goal of hitting the new jump section to the roar of the crowd and finishing the race under a certain time.
I stayed around for the medal ceremonies and a wicked jump contest into the lake. Overall I am ecstatic about my result and time in the race. I cannot wait to get out on my bike each day and ride a little faster every time I board my bike.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
2006 Lift Extravaganza - Day 3: Silverstar
Well after last nights drinkfest at Sunpeaks we were down 3 men. Mike, Steve and Wilby couldn't get up early enough for the next leg of our travels after the drinking we did last night. Those light weights had to drive home with their tails between their legs.....well not really. Mike and Wilby golfed last night after riding and rose out of bed late today to stay and ride Sunpeaks again today rather than driving to Silverstar.
By 8am Rob, Tim and I were packed up and on our way to Silverstar and arrived by mid morning. Tim was feeling a little rough, Rob was...okay but I felt great. None of us had ridden Silverstar before but we had heard a lot of good things: wall rides, short lift lines, friendly people and wicked flowy trails.
I had an absolute hoot riding non stop on every trail I could find. Flow, jumps, root, rocks, it has everything.
The one trail that stuck in my head was the World Cup Trail. It had a HUGE wallride. UNFREAKINGBELIEVEABLE!!! It was simply amazing hearing the buzz of your tires and getting rocketed off the end screaming down the trail. If you stand at the beginning of the trail you can hear the hoots of riders as they ride the wallrides.
I plan to hopefully come back in the future to enjoy the wicked trails of Silverstar.
Hopefully next year we can get the boys out again.
By 8am Rob, Tim and I were packed up and on our way to Silverstar and arrived by mid morning. Tim was feeling a little rough, Rob was...okay but I felt great. None of us had ridden Silverstar before but we had heard a lot of good things: wall rides, short lift lines, friendly people and wicked flowy trails.
I had an absolute hoot riding non stop on every trail I could find. Flow, jumps, root, rocks, it has everything.
The one trail that stuck in my head was the World Cup Trail. It had a HUGE wallride. UNFREAKINGBELIEVEABLE!!! It was simply amazing hearing the buzz of your tires and getting rocketed off the end screaming down the trail. If you stand at the beginning of the trail you can hear the hoots of riders as they ride the wallrides.
I plan to hopefully come back in the future to enjoy the wicked trails of Silverstar.
Hopefully next year we can get the boys out again.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
2006 Lift Extravaganza - Day 2: Sunpeaks
Day 2 of the Extravaganza..........
Lets go back to last night. 6 rowdy drunk mountain bikers getting re-hydrated with beer on the drive up and in the bar last night.
Lets just say we weren't exactly in great shape for riding today. The festivities ended at 3am with a late night porch BBQ and the few beers to put us all to sleep in a Chalet.
In the morning there was bacon 'n eggs and lots of Gatorade. We all made our way to the lifts in the morning and rode our asses off.
Later in the day Tim, Rob and I were the last men standing/riding and decided to shoot a few photos in the upper sub-alpine of Sunpeaks.
The photos below are the shots we took.
Rob
Tim
Me (Dean)
Lets go back to last night. 6 rowdy drunk mountain bikers getting re-hydrated with beer on the drive up and in the bar last night.
Lets just say we weren't exactly in great shape for riding today. The festivities ended at 3am with a late night porch BBQ and the few beers to put us all to sleep in a Chalet.
In the morning there was bacon 'n eggs and lots of Gatorade. We all made our way to the lifts in the morning and rode our asses off.
Later in the day Tim, Rob and I were the last men standing/riding and decided to shoot a few photos in the upper sub-alpine of Sunpeaks.
The photos below are the shots we took.
Rob
Tim
Me (Dean)
Friday, July 21, 2006
2006 Lift Extravaganza - Day 1: Whistler
The 2006 Lift Extravaganza
What is this you might be thinking? 6 guys 3 days 3 mountain and non stop riding.
Our adventure started on July 21 when we departed from Seymour's Pub in North Vancouver to head to Whistler. 2 trucks loaded to the rafters with bikes, bike gear, clothes and BEER.
It was a hot day in the Holy Land of lift access mountain biking. The lines were pretty clear as well so we were able to get in as many runs as we possibly could. Garbanzo was open all day so several trips of the higher alpine trails were had by all.
There were a few hiccups though......6 flats in the group and one front brake replacement. I was dubbed the mechanic for the trip so I helped with most repairs...the flats and I did the brake replacement at the truck with Rob where we needed to MacGyver the grip off his bike.
Overall Whistler rocked! We arrived at lift opening and stayed until a half hour before closing. We hit the road for a long drive on Duffy Lake Highway to Kamloops to ride Sun Peaks the next day.
Group Shot near the top of Garbanzo at Whistler:
Back Row Tim, Dean, Mike, Steve
Front Row Wilby, Rob
The drive from Whistler to Kamloops was long and HOT!! In fact during the weekend of the Extravaganza there were several temperature records set across the province. While at Whistler we saw 37.3 °C, at Sun Peaks 38.7°C and Silverstar was 37°C.
What is this you might be thinking? 6 guys 3 days 3 mountain and non stop riding.
Our adventure started on July 21 when we departed from Seymour's Pub in North Vancouver to head to Whistler. 2 trucks loaded to the rafters with bikes, bike gear, clothes and BEER.
It was a hot day in the Holy Land of lift access mountain biking. The lines were pretty clear as well so we were able to get in as many runs as we possibly could. Garbanzo was open all day so several trips of the higher alpine trails were had by all.
There were a few hiccups though......6 flats in the group and one front brake replacement. I was dubbed the mechanic for the trip so I helped with most repairs...the flats and I did the brake replacement at the truck with Rob where we needed to MacGyver the grip off his bike.
Overall Whistler rocked! We arrived at lift opening and stayed until a half hour before closing. We hit the road for a long drive on Duffy Lake Highway to Kamloops to ride Sun Peaks the next day.
Group Shot near the top of Garbanzo at Whistler:Back Row Tim, Dean, Mike, Steve
Front Row Wilby, Rob
The drive from Whistler to Kamloops was long and HOT!! In fact during the weekend of the Extravaganza there were several temperature records set across the province. While at Whistler we saw 37.3 °C, at Sun Peaks 38.7°C and Silverstar was 37°C.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The 3 Amigos on Eagle Mountain
Well, it has bad been quite a while since I had last ridden Eagle and tonight the trails on Eagle kind of beat me up.
By some crazy coincidence we (Rob, Tim and I) decided to ride on the first rainy day in a month. The trails we rode were the 4 Lost Souls, The Dentist and Randy's.
The push up was,.......well steep, but that it Eagle. At the top of 4 Lost Souls we geared up and proceeded down the hill. This trail is so freaking fast that it can be over before you even know it. Hit after hit after hit. It is a trail where the saying "Commit or eat shit!!" comes into play. A cool step up to platform to a 5 footer to a 7 foot step-down........then a bigger drop to a hip to a big step-down to a bigger step down to another then another then another then wooden berm/wall ride to a HUGE wall-ride with 12 foot long planks of cedar which I launch off the end of 5 feet in the air and proceed straight across the trail and into the bushes where I get a stick wedged in my helmet cutting my forehead. It was so much fun that we went up again for another run. Hit after hit after hit, non stop fun.
After 4 lost souls we proceeded down The Dentist. On the push up we looked at a few new features that were on the trail since we had last ridden there. A huge 12x12 foot step down / drop to tranny. We eyed it up on push and though....ummm not today. Well by the time we made our way down the trail we were still on fire from 4LS so what the hell right. First Tim hit it and it was butter, so I hit it with a little table tweak and stomped it....butter, absolute butter smooth landing. That drop was PERFECT. Then the wall ride. My first run at it was really good. Rode it high and exited off about 4 feet in the air to the tranny. Second time with Rob and Tim watching I hit it a little vertical, slid down and wiped out. I dusted off the dirt on my bike and my ego and went back up to hit her again. This time popping and railing the wall. So much fun.
We made our way down to the gap to wooden step-up to platform to drop. Once again...sweet. The drop is a little bigger than I thought, but that is likely because I was going a little fast.
So by this time the clouds had rolled in on the hill and visibility was getting poor. There was one last little drop to a tranny made of rock. I rolled up blind but was told by Rob and Tim who were ahead of me that it was 5 feet to the tranny 6 foot drop. I got to the end of the ladder but popped of the end about 5 inches too late. I basically didn't see the end of the drop. Somehow I managed to hold on to a nose wheelie hard landing onto rocks, big rocks. In the air I was thinking this is really going to hurt. But god blessed my 888's this evening and I was able to ride it out without incident. My nuts did get scrubbed by my rear tire and my inner thighs were raw from hitting the back of my seat, but I was alright. A few deep breaths later and we were on our way.
We then went up the road to Randy's. A nice old school trail with a few drops and tight sections to make it fun. Well I was riding far too close to Tim and got to the end of a 3 foot drop and found myself in trouble going WAY TOO SLOW. I could not pull up in time. I nose off the end and had to abort and go flying without my bike. My bike then proceeded to cartwheel down the hill about 40 feet narrowly missing Tim who was oblivious to the Ollie hurtling towards him. I was shaken but unhurt. More of an ego thing as I could do that little drop with my eyes closed, but I was not paying close enough attention on a trail I had only ridden once before. So I went down the hill to get my bike and smartened up. No more stupid moves on a trail I don't know.
We then made our way to the backyard trail that makes its way behind the houses on the hill. It is a nice little flowing rip where you need to keep an eye out for hikers and dogs (I am not even sure if bikes are allowed to be on this trail, but it sure is fun). Back to the cars and we were done our ride. 2 1/2 hours of Eagle Mountain fun.
I tip my hat to the guys that build and maintain Eagle and hope to get out there again soon, only next time in the dry.
By some crazy coincidence we (Rob, Tim and I) decided to ride on the first rainy day in a month. The trails we rode were the 4 Lost Souls, The Dentist and Randy's.
The push up was,.......well steep, but that it Eagle. At the top of 4 Lost Souls we geared up and proceeded down the hill. This trail is so freaking fast that it can be over before you even know it. Hit after hit after hit. It is a trail where the saying "Commit or eat shit!!" comes into play. A cool step up to platform to a 5 footer to a 7 foot step-down........then a bigger drop to a hip to a big step-down to a bigger step down to another then another then another then wooden berm/wall ride to a HUGE wall-ride with 12 foot long planks of cedar which I launch off the end of 5 feet in the air and proceed straight across the trail and into the bushes where I get a stick wedged in my helmet cutting my forehead. It was so much fun that we went up again for another run. Hit after hit after hit, non stop fun.
After 4 lost souls we proceeded down The Dentist. On the push up we looked at a few new features that were on the trail since we had last ridden there. A huge 12x12 foot step down / drop to tranny. We eyed it up on push and though....ummm not today. Well by the time we made our way down the trail we were still on fire from 4LS so what the hell right. First Tim hit it and it was butter, so I hit it with a little table tweak and stomped it....butter, absolute butter smooth landing. That drop was PERFECT. Then the wall ride. My first run at it was really good. Rode it high and exited off about 4 feet in the air to the tranny. Second time with Rob and Tim watching I hit it a little vertical, slid down and wiped out. I dusted off the dirt on my bike and my ego and went back up to hit her again. This time popping and railing the wall. So much fun.
We made our way down to the gap to wooden step-up to platform to drop. Once again...sweet. The drop is a little bigger than I thought, but that is likely because I was going a little fast.
So by this time the clouds had rolled in on the hill and visibility was getting poor. There was one last little drop to a tranny made of rock. I rolled up blind but was told by Rob and Tim who were ahead of me that it was 5 feet to the tranny 6 foot drop. I got to the end of the ladder but popped of the end about 5 inches too late. I basically didn't see the end of the drop. Somehow I managed to hold on to a nose wheelie hard landing onto rocks, big rocks. In the air I was thinking this is really going to hurt. But god blessed my 888's this evening and I was able to ride it out without incident. My nuts did get scrubbed by my rear tire and my inner thighs were raw from hitting the back of my seat, but I was alright. A few deep breaths later and we were on our way.
We then went up the road to Randy's. A nice old school trail with a few drops and tight sections to make it fun. Well I was riding far too close to Tim and got to the end of a 3 foot drop and found myself in trouble going WAY TOO SLOW. I could not pull up in time. I nose off the end and had to abort and go flying without my bike. My bike then proceeded to cartwheel down the hill about 40 feet narrowly missing Tim who was oblivious to the Ollie hurtling towards him. I was shaken but unhurt. More of an ego thing as I could do that little drop with my eyes closed, but I was not paying close enough attention on a trail I had only ridden once before. So I went down the hill to get my bike and smartened up. No more stupid moves on a trail I don't know.
We then made our way to the backyard trail that makes its way behind the houses on the hill. It is a nice little flowing rip where you need to keep an eye out for hikers and dogs (I am not even sure if bikes are allowed to be on this trail, but it sure is fun). Back to the cars and we were done our ride. 2 1/2 hours of Eagle Mountain fun.
I tip my hat to the guys that build and maintain Eagle and hope to get out there again soon, only next time in the dry.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Night Vibe
Night riding. There really is nothing else like it. How many sports are there out there where people participate in by the light of the sun but when the sun sets a whole different breed of folks come out to the play in the dark. Tim and I had a wicked night ride. It was like the night ride gods had issued us a free pass and covered us with flow and a positive vibe that radiated from our beings. The location was The Woodlot, the route was Krazy Karpenter, Blood Donor, Giant Killer, Snakes and Ladder and finally Shotgun.
The last time I was up riding these trails last week, the upper trails were covered in wet compact snow which made riding the woodwork quite treacherous but since then we have had some rain and warmer weather so the trails were free of snow. Riding with a HID on the handle bars and a 50W headlamp is an absolute dream so shredding the trails at night is a total blast. Krazy Karpenter has recently seen some maintenance and a very classic wood structure has recently been fixed and is now again safe to ride. Tim and I rode the ladder around and through stump a couple times each and even and went on to inspect the handiwork of the builder (Bill). The wood work on his structures is unlike any other I have seen. Rather than using round stringers or poles for his support beams he mills his own beams into 6"x6" or larger. If I ever wanted a rustic log house built, I would call on Bill to build it for me.
Well after Tim and I had a good look at all the woodwork we continued on down the Karpenter to Blood Donor. The gaps are not something we hit in the dark, but the drop into the compression is always fun in the dark. Doing a 7 foot drop into darkness takes a little getting used to. After Blood Donor we hit Giant Killer and then on over to Snakes and Ladders. Cat and mouse as always on Snakes and then a quick pedal over to Shotgun where we played cat and mouse once again.
The last time I was up riding these trails last week, the upper trails were covered in wet compact snow which made riding the woodwork quite treacherous but since then we have had some rain and warmer weather so the trails were free of snow. Riding with a HID on the handle bars and a 50W headlamp is an absolute dream so shredding the trails at night is a total blast. Krazy Karpenter has recently seen some maintenance and a very classic wood structure has recently been fixed and is now again safe to ride. Tim and I rode the ladder around and through stump a couple times each and even and went on to inspect the handiwork of the builder (Bill). The wood work on his structures is unlike any other I have seen. Rather than using round stringers or poles for his support beams he mills his own beams into 6"x6" or larger. If I ever wanted a rustic log house built, I would call on Bill to build it for me.
Well after Tim and I had a good look at all the woodwork we continued on down the Karpenter to Blood Donor. The gaps are not something we hit in the dark, but the drop into the compression is always fun in the dark. Doing a 7 foot drop into darkness takes a little getting used to. After Blood Donor we hit Giant Killer and then on over to Snakes and Ladders. Cat and mouse as always on Snakes and then a quick pedal over to Shotgun where we played cat and mouse once again.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Snow Day
I love snow rides, there is just something that makes a ride extra special when you are riding in the snow. The plan of attack to day was for Tim and I to arrive at 7:30am and get up the hill and do some maintenance on Snakes and Ladders until Rob arrived at ~8:45am then head up for a ride. Well needless to say that due to the abundance of snow on the trail our plan was quickly thrown out the window and the day simply consisted of a ride.........we weren't really complaining.
Tim and I headed up the snow covered hill with one hand pushing our bikes and the other holding a hot Tim Horton's coffee. Once we were past the steep part where you can pedal with only one hand on the bar we rode along sipping Java taking in the cool morning air on the snow covered forest floor. As we were nearing the part of the climb Tim had a bit of a mechanical (his chain snapped) so we both decided to just push our bikes the rest of the way up and fix his ride later.
This was my first ride on my newly built up Heckler and my first impressions were really good.
Tim and I rode half way down the trail to wait for Rob and attempt to work on the trail a little but once Rob arrived we ripped as a trio down Snakes and Ladders.
After the quick blast down Shotgun, Tim had too leave but Rob and I stayed around for a while to test ride some Cannondale bikes that were brought to the Woodlot by the local dealer Experience Cycling.
I chose to ride the Prophet MX and Rob got the Prophet XC. We climbed to the top of Shotgun and blasted down at a good pace. Overall not a bad ride, but my first impression of the Heckler was much better. Once at he bottom we thanked the shop for letting us try the bikes and we were on our way.
Not a bad day of riding in the snow.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Lantern Light
Tonight's ride was the first ride in 2006. The plan for Tim and I was to pedal up to Snakes and Ladders and build for a few hours in the dark and then ride down Snakes and Ladders then finish our ride on Shotgun.
I arrived at the Woodlot at around 6pm and Tim was there in his new (new to him) 1967 VW Transporter quad cab truck. He was at the rear of the truck fiddling with the engine as all VW owners do at some point. We unloaded our bikes put on our rain gear and headed up the hill. To illuminate the trail I was sporting my XC helmet with my HID light which worked really well. I also brought a propane lantern that we plan on leaving on the trail for night building.
Onward and upward we went to Snakes and Ladders to work on the first 40 feet of the trail to stop the erosion that was taking place from traffic and rain. Once we had the lantern set up it was pretty cool working on the trail in the dark. My HID on the head helped me see with zero issues and the lantern lit up the whole section we were working on.
After building the two of us boarded our bikes and rode our trail with a great vibe after our first night build. I have a feeling we are going to be doing this more and more.
After Snakes it was Shotgun out to the car. A great night overall.
I arrived at the Woodlot at around 6pm and Tim was there in his new (new to him) 1967 VW Transporter quad cab truck. He was at the rear of the truck fiddling with the engine as all VW owners do at some point. We unloaded our bikes put on our rain gear and headed up the hill. To illuminate the trail I was sporting my XC helmet with my HID light which worked really well. I also brought a propane lantern that we plan on leaving on the trail for night building.
Onward and upward we went to Snakes and Ladders to work on the first 40 feet of the trail to stop the erosion that was taking place from traffic and rain. Once we had the lantern set up it was pretty cool working on the trail in the dark. My HID on the head helped me see with zero issues and the lantern lit up the whole section we were working on.
After building the two of us boarded our bikes and rode our trail with a great vibe after our first night build. I have a feeling we are going to be doing this more and more.
After Snakes it was Shotgun out to the car. A great night overall.
Friday, November 11, 2005
3rd Annual Remembrance Day Ride
Today Rob, Tim and I did the 3rd Annual Remembrance day ride on Fromme in honour of the Canadian veterans that have fought in the wars and kept the peace around the World. Some might ask how is riding your bike on Remembrance Day honouring veterans? In my mind the people in the Canadian Armed Forces fought to ensure that Canada and other countries remain free. They fought so that people have the liberty to pursue their lives in a free manner and enjoy life without any bounds. With this idea in mind, we ride on this special day to honour those that have fought to ensure our freedom.
It had been more than a week since I rode because I spent the last week writing a paper for a course I am currently taking so I was really eager to make this a good ride. The planed route was Upper Oil Can, Pink Starfish and then Digger. Unfortunately Rob had to jet a little early and he was not able to make it up to the top of UOC and simply rode Pink Starfish and Digger and Boundary. Tim and I continued up to the top after Rob left us and that is when the snow really began to come down. About half way up the hill there was a little snow falling, but near the top the flakes were huge and it was starting to really stick on the open parts of the road. So once we were at UOC we geared up and began the ride down. UOC is one of those legendary trails that I just cannot get enough of. Lots of rock, roots, wood and flowy technical sections. Both Tim and I had a great time ripping down this trail in the dark mist of the morning.
After the Lobotinator (a plank ride across to a big flat rock face) and back onto the road we went up the road a few minutes to Pink Starfish. A few days earlier I had looked at some pictures online of the somewhat new work that had been done on the trail and I looked forward to riding the trail. After coming from UOC to Pink Starfish I quickly found out that they are two totally different trails. I am not going to start trail bashing, but I liked UOC however I did not like Pink Starfish. Half way down the trail I had to pause on a rock because I did not know what was on the other side. In doing so I had to walk down this rock and the ride went very wrong. I twisted my ankle really bad. I absolutely could not bear any weight on it without pain so we had to now find the most direct route down the hill.
Once we were at the bottom of Pink Starfish we went down Digger to the road and to our cars. It was not the best ride I have ever had but am not complaining as it was a ride in honour of our fallen troops. Once home at 11:11am I observed a moment of silence.
It had been more than a week since I rode because I spent the last week writing a paper for a course I am currently taking so I was really eager to make this a good ride. The planed route was Upper Oil Can, Pink Starfish and then Digger. Unfortunately Rob had to jet a little early and he was not able to make it up to the top of UOC and simply rode Pink Starfish and Digger and Boundary. Tim and I continued up to the top after Rob left us and that is when the snow really began to come down. About half way up the hill there was a little snow falling, but near the top the flakes were huge and it was starting to really stick on the open parts of the road. So once we were at UOC we geared up and began the ride down. UOC is one of those legendary trails that I just cannot get enough of. Lots of rock, roots, wood and flowy technical sections. Both Tim and I had a great time ripping down this trail in the dark mist of the morning.
After the Lobotinator (a plank ride across to a big flat rock face) and back onto the road we went up the road a few minutes to Pink Starfish. A few days earlier I had looked at some pictures online of the somewhat new work that had been done on the trail and I looked forward to riding the trail. After coming from UOC to Pink Starfish I quickly found out that they are two totally different trails. I am not going to start trail bashing, but I liked UOC however I did not like Pink Starfish. Half way down the trail I had to pause on a rock because I did not know what was on the other side. In doing so I had to walk down this rock and the ride went very wrong. I twisted my ankle really bad. I absolutely could not bear any weight on it without pain so we had to now find the most direct route down the hill.
Once we were at the bottom of Pink Starfish we went down Digger to the road and to our cars. It was not the best ride I have ever had but am not complaining as it was a ride in honour of our fallen troops. Once home at 11:11am I observed a moment of silence.
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