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.

A customers new ride...

I just thought I'd share a picture of a new Trek Madone that was built for a customer yesterday. The frame is a 47cm. And I think it's compact lines look fantastic. The customer can not comfortably use a drop bar, so a carbon riser, (yes... riser), bar was installed along with a new set of shifters, brake levers and a higher-rise stem. As I was looking at the parts prior to install, I thought it was sacralige to put a riser bar on a road bike as nice as this one. But as soon as the stem and bar were installed I loved it! The tiny frame combined with the new cockpit reminds me of a 50's cafe racer. I think the bike looks badass like this... plus with a frame this small it almost looks like one could take the bike dirt-jumping... not that one would of course...

Svein Tuft kicks ass

Tuft, image shamelessly pilfered from Canadian cyclist.com

Svein Tuft who races for Garmin-Slipstream is not your average cyclist in the professional cycling world. The 31 year old Canadian started racing late at the ripe age of 23 and only did so because his dad encouraged him to give it a shot. He's traveled extensively and lived a lifestyle that is not usually associated with cyclists. He traveled to Alaska on a cheap Value Village bought bike with a homemade trailer for his dog, Bear. He frequently goes into the woods or up to the mountains to escape the everyday life and, has worked out a deal with Garmin that allows him to do so in the off season. "We had to get used to saying, Svein is missing," Kevin Cunningham said. "He’s AWOL again." Tuft likes to work out too and has a barrel-chested shape that's not normal for a cyclist. He's an interesting character and one that we'll be watching in the upcoming races.
Tuft's teammate David Zabriski who's known for his dry wit and excessive facial hair (and he can kind of ride a bike as well, 2nd in the recent Tour of California) and is the only American to have won stage wins in all three grand tours (France, Spain, Italia). These two make an interesting team even though we're officially supposed to be Saxo bank and Astana supporters here at the shop.
New York Times, somewhat surprisingly, has a pretty good cycling section and if you wish to read a little more about Tuft, check out the link below:

Tuft