Credit where credit is due

As the year comes to a close we can't help but reflect back on the preceding 12 months and revisit the times or events that stand out either for positive or negative reasons.  Aqousticblog is reminded of several items that bear mentioning for the simple reason of stellarism.  Stellarness?  Stellaristical fantasticness?
Umm, we'll go with stellarasmic.
Companies:

VHold now called Contour:  for going above and beyond in providing warranty replacements for several used helmet cams.  I was looking for a repair and they were well aware that I had purchased the cams second hand but they sent me brand new replacements.  Stellar!!

Trek/Gary Fisher:  Again, a second hand frame (although I was the first consumer to actually ride the bike) and when it broke (see facebook for pics) they stepped up and provided a most excellent replacement.  A 2007 Gary Fisher Caliber 29er F/S aluminum became a 2011 Gary Fisher Superfly Elite 100 carbon fibre frame.  Stellar!!

Brandon bike race:  Well organized, well marked, well prized and the guys realized they can't go to the well too often.  Stellar for a great event, stellar for the guys who did all the work and good on ya for keeping your priorities in check and realizing that you gotta take a break now and then.  Thanks for what you did.  Stellar!!

Olympia:  Year after year these guys put on race after race.  I thank them by supporting their business when I can.  Tirelessly these guys sponser and organize the Wednesday night race series, the season opener in Grand Beach, the long distance race of several different names (usually with a beach in the title).  Stellar!!

Swan River:  A fantastic race.  These guys put on what I consider to be the funnest event in spite of never knowing if anyone will actually show up.  Well marked, very clean course and a well run event.  Undying optimism considering how far away they are.  Stellar!!

My friends and rivals:  Without you I'd just be riding around in circles looking like a moron.  With you, I'm riding around in circles looking like a moron.  The difference is that you make it fun and we can share some laughs before during and after.  Thanks for being there all season.  Can't wait for next year.  Stellar!!

Merry Christmas

A local mother told me this morning that the school her child attends informed parents that they were to keep all mention of Christmas out of the holiday season.  Now, I have never been accused of having a soft approach.  I have the subtlety of a belt sander and the tact of a bulldozer but this annoyed the crap out of me.  This admonishment was to keep the immigrant families from feeling offended.
This offends me.  I'll say it again; this deeply offends me.
Canada; while no longer considered a "christian" country celebrates Christmas.  Whether you do that because of your religious beliefs or because you want to celebrate the spirit of this season it is a western world tradition to celebrate the time of Christmas.  Immigrant families are well aware of the customs and celebrations of Canada before they arrive and the fact that they might be offended by this is good enough reason for them not to have come here in the first place.  I have no racial biases.  I have no racism in me.  I have friends who are black, native, Asian, white and everything in between.  I have friends who's race I don't even know because I don't care because it simply does not matter.  But if someone immigrates to this country they should understand and accept the fact that we celebrate a time of the year called Christmas. 
Christmas was originally a pagan holiday that was hijacked by the christian community to signify the generally accepted time of year that Christ was born.  While I would be surprised if even 40% of the general population would identify Christmas as the celebrate birthday of Jesus Christ, we still, as a country, celebrate Christmas on December 25th.  Got a problem with that?  Well, suck it up my friend because that is what we do.  We also celebrate Victoria Day.  What?  She's not your queen?  You still get a day off for it.  We celebrate Labour day and the August long weekend.  Do you know why?  You might not even care but you still take the day off probably with pay. 
As for me and my house we will say Merry Christmas and if you don't like it then stay HOME!!!!
Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a Winnipeger...

I am a winnipeger.


I will not tolerate mosquitoes but I will protest the spraying of chemicals.

I will drive my car through snow banks and complain that snow clearing is too slow.

I will support development and growth in our city as long as its not where I live.

I will complain about the heat, the cold, the dryness and the humidity.

I will hate cyclists and insist they get off the road but I will refuse to consider public money for a bike path.

I will not let you into my lane and I will not make eye contact when you are trying to merge.

I will insist on my rights at the expense of yours.

I drive everywhere in spite of the price of gas.

I scorn Saskatchewan even though they’re leaving us behind

I won’t vote in the civic elections but I will complain about whoever won.

I don’t know my city councillors name but he’s doing a horrible job.

I don’t know my neighbours, I don’t know my co-workers and I will not let anyone intrude into my cliques.

I love hating this city, I hate loving this city.

It’s too cold, it’s too hot, it’s too humid, it’s too snowy but gosh darn it I will not move.

I am a winnipeger.

I suck.

check it out

More adventures of "talking to americans"

It’s raining and because of good trail stewardship they actually close trails to prevent damage in wet conditions. It’s probably too progressive an idea to ever be considered for Winnipeg.

Because riding is out for the day I’m over at Panera Bread having some coffee and breakfast.

Clerk: Hi, can I help you?

Me: I’d like the breakfast power sandwich, no cheese please and a coffee.

Her: We actually stopped serving breakfast.

Me: Altogether or just for today?

Her: Just for today.

Me: What time do you stop?

Her: 10:30

                         We both look at the time. It is 10:31

Me: So that was like less than a minute ago.

Her: Yes.

Me: Umm, ok, are you sure?

Her: It’s after 10:30.

Me: Can I get the grilled ham?

Her: Not at the moment, our grill is still hot from breakfast. It has to cool a bit first.

Me:

Me:

Her:

Me: So, you can’t make me a breakfast sandwich because it’s after 1030 and you can’t make me a lunch sandwich because your grill is still hot from breakfast.

Her: Yes.

Me: Am I the only one here who thinks this is funny?

Her: Yes.

Manager: We can make you the breakfast sandwich Sir.

Me: Thank you, Now That’s good business.

Manager: (looking extremely pleased with herself)

Me: 2 power sandwiches no cheese please.



                   I grab my coffee, sit down and start typing this story. Here comes my sandwiches.



                  Both of them have cheese.





Sigh.

Often in my travels I come across interesting people. Some of them are memorable because of the way we’ve had to interact with each other and some of them are memorable because either they helped me in some unusual way or I helped them. Yesterday on my way down to Minneapolis I came across someone who will stand out in my memory because clearly she was out of her league just trying to function in an every day world…


This is our conversation:

I pulled into a gas station in Fergus Falls and found that every pump had a plastic bag on it except for the high octane stuff.

Me: I see that you have plastic bags on most of the pumps, are you out of cheaper gas or are they broken?

Her: We put plastic bags on them.

Me: Yes, why?

Her: because there’s plastic bags on them.

Me: I can see that, are you out of gas?

Her: No, but sometimes people borrow our gas can when they run out. It’s $10.

Me: Ok, thank you

Her: your welcome. (she looked quite pleased with herself but perplexed)

I go outside and put in $15 of high octane gas thinking I’ll get more up the road. I go inside to pay.

Me: Pump 2.

Her: that’s $15, did you see the plastic bags on the pumps? They’re broken, don’t use those ones.

Me: Gotcha, thanks. Is there a gas station up the road? I’m heading East.

Her: Are you going to Detroit Lakes? (this is north of our location)

Me: No, I’m heading towards Minneapolis

Her: IS that towards Fargo?

Me: no, it’s the other way

Her: Oh, well if you’re going to Detroit lakes it’s that way…

Me: No, I’m going to Minneapolis

Her: Well is that on the interstate?

Me: Yes, is there a town that I can get gas in within 50 miles?

She pulls out a map and points to Detroit Lakes (remember, we’re in Fergus Falls)

Her: Is that where we are?

Me: No, we’re here in Fergus Falls. Don’t you live here?

Her: I’ve lived here all my life.

Me: Ever been out of town?

Her: I go to Fargo sometimes

Me: Well, if you went the other way, would there be a gas station?

Her: This is a gas station

Me: Oh. Thanks.

I found it really hard not to laugh at this poor girl. I wonder if she ever figured it all out….

Now it’s time to go riding.

Provinces without bicycle helmet laws 'atrocious', researcher says

WINNIPEG - Provincial governments should force anyone riding a bicycle to wear a helmet, says the co-author of a new report that found helmet use varies greatly across Canada.
"I mean, it's atrocious that in 2010, every province does not have some sort of helmet legislation," said Ryan Zarychanski, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba. "Clearly, helmet legislation works and clearly it reduces serious head injuries and facial lacerations."
Zarychanski and three other researchers at the University of Manitoba and the University of Ottawa compared 2005 helmet use figures involving more than 4,600 respondents in three provinces with very different rules for cyclists.
Helmets were worn by 73.2 per cent of respondents in Nova Scotia, where helmet use is mandatory for everyone. The rate was just 40.6 per cent in Ontario, where helmets are mandatory for young people only, and a mere 26.9 in Saskatchewan, where there is no bicycle helmet law.
The study, published in the August edition of the Injury Prevention Journal, also found that children were less likely to wear helmets if adults did not have to.
Fewer than half of underage respondents in Ontario said they used helmets, even though they were required by law. In Nova Scotia, the rate for children was 77.5 per cent.
"We hypothesize that this is due to the absence of role-modelling from adults," Zarychanski said Tuesday.
Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland have no helmets laws for cyclists. Ontario and Alberta require helmets for people under 18 years of age, while Nova Scotia, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island require everyone to don a helmet while on a bicycle.
Manitoba's NDP government has long faced calls to make helmets mandatory. The third-party Liberals have tried and failed to pass a private member's bill to that effect.
The province's medical association has also called for a helmet law.
"There is plenty of evidence showing that helmet use goes up when such laws are introduced while head injury hospitalization drops by as much as 45 per cent," reads a post on Doctors Manitoba's health promotion web site.
But the government has instead opted to keep helmet use optional, and has tried to encourage helmet use through promotional campaigns and by offering subsidized helmets that cost as little as $10.
"We're not ruling out helmet legislation ... but we also are looking at and discussing with other provinces to see how their legislation moved forward, how they implemented it, and the pros and cons in each case," Manitoba Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau said.
"Right now, we're still working with the carrot approach."
Critics of helmet laws have argued that making helmets mandatory might discourage people from cycling. But the study found bicycle use remained constant in Alberta and Prince Edward Island after those provinces adopted helmet laws in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

Source:By: Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press Winnipeg Free Press August 10, 2010

Newsworthy excerpts

Both excerpts from the Roadbiker.com newsletter:

Work Out Just 20 Minutes for Amazing Results!



No, this isn't a plug for a miracle no-sweat fitness method. Instead, it's a prescription for more power and endurance on your bike, a taste of the kind of advice you'll find in the new eArticle by John Hughes we plugged above -- INTENSITY: How to Plan & Gauge the Most Beneficial Training Efforts.


It's simple. On a normal ride, choose terrain that allows you to pedal hard and steady for 20 minutes. It might be a long, gradual climb or a flat road into the wind.


Be sure you're warmed up, then go for it. Your effort should be around 85-90% of your max heart rate. It should feel hard but not all-out.
On another ride at least 2 days later, do it again.


These twice-weekly 20-minute efforts are like mini time trials. They increase the amount of power you can generate at or near your lactate threshold (the effort level where panting begins).


Few roadies ride this way because it's lots easier to just cruise along. And that's why they don't get closer to their potential.


But if you discipline yourself to bite the bullet for a measly 20 minutes during a couple of rides each week, you'll feel real improvement after just 8-10 of these workouts.


Or double your money back!














---Exercise scientists have stumbled on an amazing discovery, reports the New York Times. Athletes can improve their performance in intense bouts of exercise, lasting an hour or so, if they merely rinse their mouths with a carbohydrate solution (sports drink). That's right, swish and spit. It appears that the brain can sense carbohydrate in the mouth and then respond, spurring on the athlete. Some of the research was done with cyclists. The advantage for relatively short and intense events, such as time trials up to 25 miles (40 km) is avoiding digestive problems from riding hard with food or drink in the stomach. For longer periods of exercise, though, a person is better off swallowing a carbohydrate drink than spitting it out. This way actual fuel is provided in the form of calories.

I am just the messenger here...

Where’s the Beach in Stead Race Report…

It was long. It was hard. It was fun.

I wondered if I was in shape for 100 kms of off road “racing”. I wondered if riding a rigid was a good idea. I wondered if my 22/32/44x15 gearing would be low enough. I wondered if I’d be able to beat or even keep pace with Paul. I wondered if my secret recipe for liquid nutrition would work. I wondered if my butt was ready for 4-5 hours on the bike.

I’m not wondering anymore.

I was in good enough shape to finish in 4:38 which is slightly faster than last year.
A rigid wasn’t the best idea but my 31 lb full suspension was 10 lbs heavier.
My gearing was almost perfect. Only a couple of times did I wish for a gear in between what I had.
I did beat Paul but we swapped placements several times during the first half of the race before I finally lost him.
My secret recipe worked great. And it wasn’t unpleasant to drink but NOTHING tastes as good as an ice cold beer after a race. NOTHING!!!
My butt is my business. Nothing to share here.

First Lap:

Rolling group starts are just a kick. I love it. We should do more of these.
The bear was cool. Was almost hoping to see him again.
Riding with different people at different times is always neat. You get to chat with people you’re usually trying to pass or not get passed by.

It seemed to take a really long time for the slower group to settle out and everyone to find their place. I felt pretty strong but my gearing dictated my pace. I loved the 44x15 on the gravel road sections. I found the 22x15 too small for the rock gardens but the 32x15 was too big. I hate that one hidden rock I hit EVERY SINGLE LAP!!!! Note to trail crew: please flag that rock for next year. It’s the one next to the bush that slapped my face each time, just a short way past the squiggly turn with the grass. Rode with Brad E for a while. Then suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. Kind of waited for him to catch up again until I turned a corner and couldn’t see him anymore. Didn’t see him again til the race was done.

Lap 2:

Still felt strong. Left the feed zone with Paul and we caught the wheel of another rider. We drafted him until he became exasperated with us and swerved to the side. Thanks for the pull whoever you were…

Was riding with Paul and Marty H and some other guys I didn’t know. Got away from them on the gravel sections but got reeled in, in the rock gardens. By about the middle of the lap I was riding alone and spent the rest of the race riding alone. Good thing I had voices in my head to talk to.

Lap 3:

Ugh. Felt strong leaving the feed zone but as soon as I was onto the gravel my power faded fast. I wondered if I was going to bonk and I knew that this lap was going to be a challenge. I granny geared it until I had some momentum and decided to ride with whatever energy I could muster and worry about fatigue when it hit. This was the last lap and time to burn the matches I had left.

I found that I couldn’t wait to see the next km marker (what a fantastic idea. They were inspirational during the tiredness) At one point I climbed off my bike to walk for a bit because I know from experience this helps to relieve my leg cramps. Felt like a goof walking with stiff legs because I couldn’t bend my knees but the trick worked and I was able to ride again. Got my second wind and turned the big gear for a while.

Whoever held up the “princess, you’re almost done sign” made my day. Couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Kept looking over my shoulder expecting Paul, Marty or the other guys to come around a corner but alas, no one came. Had to walk through a second section of sand and stood by my bike for about a minute just to rest. Would gladly have quit and gone for a nap at that point but pushed it through and hit the last gravel road section knowing there was only about a mile left.

Things to do differently next year:

Train for endurance racing.
Find better things to eat than powerbars. Yuck.
Tie a rope around Dave so he can pull me.

Dirty humour

And now for some comedic relief...

From the guy who brought you the "performance video" is

          Get Dirty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru2Dpe1LkNU

Doctor I smell burnt toast

A practicing physician for more than 40 years and a radio talk show host for 25, Dr. Mirkin is a graduate of Harvard University and Baylor University College of Medicine. He is one of a very few doctors board-certified in four specialties: Sports Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology.
He is a frequent contributor to Roadcyclist.com a bi weekly newsletter provided free to anyone who subscribes.  He and his wife ride over 100 miles a week and he's over 70 years old.  His website and newsletter are full of training tips that have been gleaned from sports and medicine journals.  As I take my blog in a new direction, I will be referring to his research and qouting from his newsletters frequently. 
In his latest newsletter he speaks about cold drinks during training.  Something most of us never think about beyond preferring col cytomax to luke warm gross sports drinks.

Dear Dr. Mirkin: Does taking cold fluids improve exercise performance in hot weather?

 Yes; drinking cold fluids lowers body temperature. More than 70 percent of the calories that you use to convert food to energy are lost as heat. So the more intensely you exercise, the more heat you produce. A rise in body temperature slows you down because the heart has to work harder to pump extra blood from your hot muscles to your skin to dissipate the heat. Seven studies show that cold beverages lower body temperature and improve performance by an average of 10 percent.

He had a previous post about drinking colas and training which I also found interesting;

The limiting factor in endurance racing is the time that it takes to get enough oxygen into muscles to burn food for energy. Anything that reduces oxygen requirements allows you to race faster. Sugar stored in muscles, called glycogen, requires less oxygen than fat or protein. Anything that helps you keep sugar in muscles longer gives you greater endurance.







A study from Georgia State University shows that drinks that contain both glucose and fructose burn more carbohydrates than those containing only glucose, and allow cyclists to ride much faster over 60 miles (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, April 2010).






Most soft drinks are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Both HFCS and conventional sugar (sucrose) contain a mixture of two sugars, glucose and fructose, in nearly the same concentrations: HFCS has 55 percent fructose/42 percent glucose, while sucrose is a 50/50 mixture. So the relative concentrations of glucose and fructose are not significant. However, the fructose in sucrose from cane or beet sugar is bound to glucose and must first be separated from it, so it is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream. The manufacturing process for HFCS frees the fructose from glucose to makes it into a free, unbound form that is absorbed more rapidly into the bloodstream. This could cause a higher rise in blood sugar ((Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, March 18, 2010) and provide more sugar for muscles during exercise. We need to wait for more research to know if HFCS drinks improve endurance more those made with cane or beet sugar.






Caffeine increases endurance (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, July 2010) by increasing absorption of sugar by muscles (Journal of Applied Physiology, June 2006). Those who took sugared drinks with caffeine were able to absorb and use 26 percent more of the ingested sugar than those who took the same drinks without caffeine.






On long rides, we drink colas for their sugar and caffeine. However, you should take sugared drinks only when you exercise and for up to an hour after you finish. Contracting muscles remove sugar from the bloodstream rapidly without needing much insulin. Taking sugared drinks when you are not exercising causes higher rises in blood sugar that increase risk for diabetes and cell damage.
 
On a recent training ride I experimented with using  half a water bottle of coke mixed with my usual peformance drink.  As far as performance, I had plenty of energy that day.  I found that you really had to shake the bottle before riding to flatten the carbonation but as I mentioned; there was no noticable difference in my power output and possibly I had more than usual.  It's hard to tell in one ride and so further experimentation is needed and will be carried out.

What it takes to race

What does it take to race?




Racing is the venue in which you test yourself against others who share your passion for going fast on a bike. In its simplest form it requires three things. You need to show up with a strong bike, a strong brain and a strong body.

A strong bike is not a bike that weighs so much that it handles like a tank. It is a bike that is well maintained and that will last the duration of the event. Sometimes that means spending quite a bit of money to replace parts that might be just fine but allow for that shadow of doubt as to whether or not they’ll hold up when you stand up and put all your power into the pedals. Or when that rock comes out of nowhere and strains your suspension or tires to the limits of their performance window. It means that you have evaluated the course and chosen tires that will withstand the obstacle. You’re using a tire pressure that allows for the right combination of speed and traction. It means you might replace a perfectly good chain just for the peace of mind that it gives you knowing that it will withstand all the force you demand of it. It means checking bolts and torques. I’ve seen others and experienced myself losing races because of a mechanical breakdown; which includes flat tires. I lost a race I was sure to win because one of the bolts holding my derailleur pulleys worked loose and I lost chain tension. I would never have expected that to happen. I’ve seen races in which a considerable number of people have finished with flat tires. I’ve moved up placements because others have had “mechanicals” Without a working bike you cannot bike race. Losing a race because of a foreseeable or preventable mechanical issue is your own fault and stems from laziness and a lack of maintenance. There is no excuse for this. Losing a race because of an unforeseeable mechanical issue like breaking a brand new chain or crashing onto a rock and bending your derailleur hanger or breaking a seat post is just bad luck. Even so; you have to make sure your bike is ready to go the distance.

A strong brain means you’ve ridden the course, hopefully more than once. Course knowledge is worth a couple of minutes a lap because it gives you the advantage of knowing where to push hard, where to rest and where you need to bleed of speed because of a tight corner or obstacle. It means you’re rested and alert. It means you’re quick thinking enough to find a new line on the fly. I know where the perfect line for me is in the Grand Beach rock gardens but during a race there might be someone occupying the space I want to ride through. I know where to go fast and where I have to go slow in Bur Oak but someone might be chasing me or I might be tailing someone who rides a different pace than I wish to.

I also means knowing your opponents. It means knowing who will most likely blow up, who to chase, who you can follow and when to take off on a group. It means knowing how much you have left in the tank and knowing when to drain that tank. It means knowing how hard to go off the front, when to conserve and when to put it all on the line and push yourself to your absolute maximum. A strong brain means you can watch others and gauge their fatigue by how they ride. Mistakes they make and being ready to capitalize on those mistakes.

A strong body seems self evident but it ties into having a strong brain. It’s exactly knowing when to “burn your matches” and when to conserve. It’s impersonal self evaluation. Judging your strengths and weaknesses and turning those weaknesses into strengths. It requires stepping away from your pride and ego and judging what you can do well and what you cannot do well. One of the earliest things I discovered about myself and bike racing is that I am not a strong climber. I do very poorly on steep climbs but I’ve also realized that I have considerable physical strength in my legs over short bursts. I made myself into a shallow climb specialist. Short, non steep climbs allow me to turn big gears and use my strength to close or open gaps. Steep climbs will always elude me but the more I climb the stronger I get at it. I feel strong on straight sections where I can turn up the speed but tight, twisty and technical sections also challenged my limited abilities but I practiced sections of trails that were hard for me in races and over the years I improved. I’m not nearly where my friends are in these regards but I’m not nearly as poor at them as I was. Confidence comes from practice and confidence wins races.

Most important of all though is that racing requires respect. Respect and celebration of your fellow athletes. No person ever brought accolades to themselves by sitting in the stands or standing on the sidelines. Racing is a celebration of physical endeavour. Without your foes you have no race. You need them as much as they need you. It is an honour to line up at the starting line and test yourself against them and against yourself. We must respect and honour our antagonists; for without them we have nothing.

Big mouth, small impact on racing. One racer's impressions of the season.

For a guy with such a big mouth, I’ve had surprisingly little to say over the summer. Since February actually. Now it’s time to unload what I’ve been storing up through the MCA XC race season with some observations, opinions and general blathering about racing.


Grand Beach;

Great race, well marked as always but I seem to recall that the prizing took an exceptionally long time. Probably the best post race food of all the races. And Olympia is always extremely generous with their prizing. Olympia is one of the, in my opinion, best race organizers in MB.

Brandon:

Once again the BBC presented us with a course that can best be described as flowy with surprises. They have some fantastic real estate to work with out there and it’s definitely worth the drive. Also well marked but the flow is interrupted by abrupt turns. The thing is though; this abruptness is there for everyone and knowing this, it is up to the racer to be prepared. Cash prizing was a nice change from shwag and this gem of a race course is rapidly rising up my list of fave’s.

Falcon:

Ok, I know that it’s a rocky course. I also know that the skies were relentless in their determination to make sure things were going to be damp for this race but what I simply cannot understand is why races are started late. Granted, the kids were out there for longer than expected but after 3 weeks of rain, it seems to me that it would have occurred to someone that maybe the race was going to be slower than normal and maybe new start times should have been posted, announced or generally made known. Racers prepare for noon starts. When the race start is constantly being pushed back, or no one seems to really know when it will start, well, it messes with our mojo. All things considered, this race started late and got later and later. It beat us up with rocks and mud and some organizational glitches. Hopefully the people in charge will learn from this year and last year and have a more authoritative approach to setting and keeping a revised start time.

Bring a Friend Birch:

My mom taught me that if I have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all. With respect to my mom, I have nothing to say here.

But, because my mom doesn’t read my blog, I have a problem with this race. Yes, I do know that lightning means “no start”. Yes I do know birch is climbing. What I see as a problem is, is that there seems to be an attitude of “we have to make them suffer” approach by the organizers. A race should challenge a racer on all aspects of mtn biking but I really don’t think it’s necessary to climb incessantly just because we’re at Birch. I also think that it is completely unnecessary to make us race on fresh cut trails when there are plenty of flowy trails that connect reasonable climbs and descents. Granted, I will admit that I was still beat up from the Falcon race and a bad crash there but I still don’t think it’s necessary to have to climb as much as we did. 3 reasonable but challenging climbs spread throughout a race course is enough. Off camber fresh cut trail is unnecessary. Being told that the “friends” would start after the XC race and then suddenly rushing my friend to the start line because everything changed is unprofessional. Again, this is MY opinion but there was NOTHING about this race that would attract newcomers to the sport. If all races were run like this and were this hard, I simply wouldn’t race.

Swan River:

The only bad thing about this race is that the course is so far away. I would love to ride here more. Simply put, the Swan River crew deserve more than a simple thanks for their work. They deserve a standing ovation. No one works harder for less racers than these guys. One of the best things about Swan River is that we know exactly what we’re in for. A fast descent with a hairpin turn into a  climb to separate the field heading into what is probably the sweetest single track of any race course in MB and then some tight turns and climbs to remind you of the quad bursting climb back up to the start line. In conjunction with Olympia, Swan River was also very generous with the prizing. This is how races should be run.

No title

Winter cycling and driver's attitudes

Several times each winter, some irate driver writes a letter to the editor of the Winnipeg Free Press complaining about people riding their bikes in winter. The letter writer usually goes on to say that it should be illegal. If you read the news online there is opportunity to leave comments and the ensuing debate is invariably polarized between the staunch drivers and the diehard cyclists. Almost always the suggestion is put forth that cyclists should be licensed, taxed and be required to carry liability insurance.


Let's examine these three suggestions:

Licensing

My first thought is "no way" but if the licensing required some kind of test that displayed a working knowledge of the rules of the road and competencies on the bike then perhaps it isn't such a bad idea. The problem, we all know, is not the 90% of cyclists who are able to manoeuvre through traffic while minimizing their effect on it, the problem is the 10% of idiots who run stop signs as if the sign isn't even there, ride all over the road, ride 2 or 3 across the road and generally ride in a manner that angers motorists and creates the angst reflected in the original letter writers complaints. I'm not for a moment suggesting that we need to ride in a timid and scaredy cat manner; I've always firmly believed that you have to ride with confidence and a little bit of attitude. I will never compromise my safety on a bike for the convenience of a driver...but if a cyclist had to prove they had competency and knowledge it would take away any defence if their actions caused an accident. The downside is that licensing a cyclist would be impossible to enforce and in that impossibility the idea loses its credibility

Taxing cyclists

This would be political suicide for any politician. We are taxed enough. Too much. And what would this tax pay for? Road maintenance? A cyclist creates no wear on a road whatsoever. Most cyclists are also motorists and we pay our road taxes when we buy gas. I would vehemently oppose any kind of a cyclist tax.

Liability Insurance

This might help a small handful of motorists who are lucky enough that a cyclist who caused an accident might stop and offer his insurance information. This cyclist lives in a magical world where it's always a downhill, tail wind riding environment with bikes that weight 10 lbs and we never get thirsty. We all win every race and Lance Armstrong is our friend.

The cyclist who's actions cause accidents are generally of the ilk that would not stop to offer assistance or information. This is the most ridiculous of all the suggestions.

I'm probably preaching to the choir here, most hard core cyclists try to have as little impact on traffic as they can while achieving their goals of riding or commuting but if or more likely when we get into a conversation with hard core drivers, having intellectual answers to their complaints will allow for a dialogue that will inform and educate drivers and perhaps soften their hatred of us. If you hear of any intellectual responses let me know because my standard response is usually;

"I'll give up my bike for the winter if you give up your car for the summer"

What is it about bikes?

I've been thinking about this lately and I wonder what it is about bikes that compels us to try to finish building up a bike that we know we won't be riding for at least a month? 
I've been working on the conversion of the Nitro niner into a single speed and ordered a Shimano Alfine chain tensioner that will allow me to create a 2x1.  I want to run a 44t and a 32 t chain ring with a 15t cog.  Conventional tensioners don't have enough range to account for the 12t difference and even though I have no intentions of riding the bike until at least march, I wanted it finished a week ago...
Just like I've been putting air into the front tire of my Gary Fisher even though I have no intentions of riding it until at least April...
So, any thoughts as to why we work so hard on bikes we have on intentions of using?