Trial Building & Road Rides

I had an awesome time building a new trail at Hartland with the SIMBS trail building crew this morning. About 20 people showed up; which means the trail is coming together quite quickly. We were working on building a few very solid berms, armouring some turns, and there are two wall rides planned for this new trail. I find it exciting to be a part of this project. Being able to mold the trail into something we think riders will enjoy. The next SIMBS TM (Trail Maintenance) will take place May 17th. Rider's Cycles will be sponsoring this TM so expect tons of awesome swag. We will be working on the course for the up coming Island Cup Series Super-D Race on May 24th. So, please come and help us make sure the race course is in pristine condition for the all the racers; but more importantly for the Rider's Team and our star rider Mitch. Mark the date on your calendar and don't forget to RSVP Chris so that you get the sandwich you want.

After getting a flat, getting lost on the way to the trail we were working on; after all the hard work, a great lunch, and winning some sweet swag (no one went home empty handed) I headed out for a ride. I road with fellow trail builder Scott and his pal Brian. The weather was beautiful but I didn't expect that Scott had the energy for a two and a half hour ride. Needless to say I was exhausted when we finally arrived at the parking lot. However, I really enjoyed the ride. I got to see another trail I had never ridden, along with a really good workout. I also finally worked up the courage to roll down the drop on Inventive. Not a big deal for most at Rider's Cycle, but that drop had been plaguing me for months. Next on my "Just Do It List" is to drop off that rock.

Yesterday was SIMBS's Membership Drive. Here are a few excerpts of a letter from the President of SIMBS, Scott Mitchell:

"The membership drive went well on Saturday. We signed up 24 members not quite the same numbers as last year but definitely worth the time."
"Greg C and Andrew L deserve a big thank you for helping out with the table."
"Craig Gillette won the trip to Sunrise Ridge..."

Congratulations to Craig for winning the draw prize. Thank you to all those that stopped by the table get a membership, to renew their memberships, or just to say hi. I would also like to thank Tyler J. and Suzanne D. for hanging out with us.

Just a reminder to all the roadies out there; the Rider's Cycle Monday Evening Road Rides are underway. Meet us at the shop about 6pm. They usually take off when Shayne has finished closing the store; generally about 6:15pm. Tomorrow will be my first official group ride so I'll see you all then.

Life is great on two wheels.

Hushovd chrashes, Boonen wins, nightride and trail maintenence

Hushovd crashed in the final k's and did not have a chance to kill Boonen on the sprint. Oh well, at least the winner was riding a Specialized and I did not loose too much money on my bet.

Night ride tonight. I won't be able to make it, since I'm still getting over the plague that's been holding me back for the last 10 days. Justin and Andrew will be going out though, and the conditions should be great. So get out there and "lay ze powahh dooown!"
If you're not racing on Sunday the 19th there's trail maintenance at Hartland. Here's the notice from Simbs:

"Join us for SIMBS trail maintenance this Sunday at 8:45 am at the Hartland parking lot. We supply the tools, gloves and training.

RSVP to me chris@simbs.com by Friday at 9 am and I will have a roast beast, turkey, ham or veggie sandwich for you. Please let me know your sandwich preference.

If you don't respond by the deadline, I won't have a sandwich for you but you are still welcome to join us. Just bring your own snacks.

Email if you have any questions or to let me know you are coming. Bring your bike for a ride afterwards - we have secure storage.

Hope to see you there,

Chris

Night Ride & Trail Maintenance

Tonight is our weekly 'Night Ride' up at Hartland. I am expecting the weather to be clear with some sunlight at the start of the ride, but it will be chilly. I am also pretty sure there will be a bit of snow from the little dump that we got yesterday. However, the weather and conditions won't stop any of us from enjoying ourselves on the ride tonight. Please come and join us; we should be at the parking lot no later than 6:45pm.

It's SIMBS Trail Maintenance this Sunday morning at Hartland. I will be there and I am fairly certain I will be able to recruit one or two more riders from the store to be up early Sunday to play in the dirt. If you RSVP to Chirs Oman by 9 am this Friday you will be able to put in your sandwich order of either roast beast, turkey, ham or veggie. Tools, gloves and training are supplied. There is always tonnes of swag given away as well. So if you enjoy riding Hartland please help us keep the trails in good condition for everyone to enjoy.

Hartland night ride report

The conditions were great last night at Hartland. The park is dry and clear of snow, and the trail maintenance crews did a great job last Sunday. We came across a few of their repairs on the ride; they had cleared fallen logs of Centerfold as well as widening the trail where it had been eroded by the stream that sometimes runs down that trail. They had also done some work on Switchbacks and most noticeably on Twister where whole sections have been built up, sanded and the water redirected off the trail. The new rolldown into a berm on Who's yer daddy is fun too, and should add speed to that section of the trail. Other parts we rode had been cleaned up as well, and it's obvious that the trail maintenance crew got a lot done. This, in conjunction with the dry condition and nice weather resulted in a great ride last night. 6 of us showed up, and it was nice to see Ryan and Tyler back out on the night rides, and their "domestic bickering" made for excellent entertainment on the climbs. The rock features were bone dry, which is a rare treat in the winter, and it even looks like this dry weather will keep up all week so Sunday should be a good ride if anyone is up for it.

Cowboy logic of the day: A good bike is never a bad color.