It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under.....

It was like kind of summer in the city.  Rain, rain and more rain.  Its hard to believe there is singletrack under all this growth.

" The Knoll "

Shots from the trail...

Photo BAUM

It's not often I post bikes that are not mine or my buddies but there is something about the BAUM line of road and mountain bikes that makes it hard to resist.  The latest creations from the land down under sets the style bar high.

If you head over to the BAUM Flickr page check out the GTR or the Duck Egg Blue Gulf Livery inspired bikes.  I would not be lining up to paint my Silk ti but these ti bikes wear the Assos blue well.

If your in Ontario and are sick of the -20 degree days set your desktop image to some summer stoke and dig in.  It's almost over.

Road Bike Party Take 3...

Presented by Martyn Ashton and starring Sam Pilgrim.  PINKBIKE did a really cool back story on the behind the scenes making of the video and director. 

Coupe Du Monde 2014

Its been a while since the last visit to the beast of the east.  Despite that things remain the same.  A looong drive, good weather, tough trails, wet roots and orange spray painted rocks, lots of beer and incredible riding and racing.

Don Days of Summer

Perfection...

 " the condition, state, or quality of being free or as free as possible from all flaws or defects....."

i9 bling in the woods of Copeland Forest

Sedona Sunset Ride on the Niner I.M.Baaaaaa

March Madness

2 days of rain and the trails are perfect.  Like sticky tacky perfect.  No 2" of fine desert dust perfect.   Arm warmers and shorts perfect.  No one on the trails early perfect.....

PERFECT 

Trails drying out nicely from 2 days of rain...

Trail 100 Options

It's hard pressed to load up the car and venture out to ride when this is literally 2 min away.  Over the past 3 rides tried to cover off some new options.  The spin off trails are abundant and the climbs up and around the buttes are tough.  The more you ride the chunks the more you get some flow happening.  This is so drastically different that any trail back home it certainly keeps you focused.

Hardwood Hills - Coffee Run / Joyride

Horseshoe Valley

First Day of Summer = First Palgrave Point to Point

What a killer day to kick of the official start of Summer.  Kris and I went out to Palgrave to do the first portion of the Hockley Epic.  The route is a long time coming and has taken several re-con rides to link it all together but you could not have gotten a better day for this. Stay tuned for the video...

Taking in the rolling vista from atop Glenn Haffey

North Carolina 2013

It's not everyday your best friend suggests you use his Mercedes ML55 AMG for a road trip to spring riding camp but I gotta say what  plush ride and it made the 11 hours from Toronto whip by.  The 1upUSA 2" hitch adapter made the swap from the Subaru a 2 minute job.  Can't say enough good things about this rack.  Anyway on to bikes and trails.....

Bent Creek was super dry on the climbs with only small muddy sections around the creek crossings.  Day 1 on red terra firma for 2013 felt great.  The cold that I have been fighting for the past 2 weeks was nagging a bit but all in all a great Saturday kick off ride.  Looking forward to a good week of riding and more pictures and videos to follow. 

Land of the Sky..

Well what seems like a lifetime ago ( insert Canadian winter and hundreds of roller km's ) and now the bikes are getting dusted off and the sealant topped up and it seems fitting that the trails of Pisgah, Dupont and Bent Creek  North Carolina are the first for 2013.  NC got passed over last spring in favor of Sedona AZ but there is something about the Blue Ridge Mountains that casts that mystical spell over you.  Stay tuned ....

"There is no shortcut" in cycling, says Jens Voigt

I rarely post any commentary on here that is not directly related to a shitty bike product or a great cycling trip.  Twenty thousand plus hits later I have people emailing me mainly about the Castellano Silk ti 29 but more recently trip beta from all over the world.

Recently I was disappointed to read Mike Barry's admission of doping and remember the first BIG pro race I saw him do at the first Tour of Georgia when he was racing with Canadian MTB phenom Roland Green for USPS at the time.  Mike was one cyclist I believed would not be caught up in this systemic problem.  We have mutual friends from UCC days and The Donut Ride that were equally surprised.  The disappointment stems from the way doping has taken the soul of cycling and tainted it.  These guys love and live for bikes and for someone like Mike to get caught up in this given his career and results speaks volumes.  Mike never rode the tour, never really had a big win, had lots of crashes and if taken at face value this was attributed to the time spent on USPS.

Final lap at the 2003 World Road Championships in Hamilton Ontario. " Barry attacks"......

Still for me one of the most exciting moments I have seen in live cycling,  MTB or Road period.

The other rider that I have been hoping does not follow suit is Jens Voigt. Jens persona of the true cycling hard man never disappoints with his constant work ethic and attacks. Never a dull day so " Shut up Legs " When I saw this today I admit I got a bit nervous and though oh no here we go again. I was reading all 3 pages hoping for the best but expecting the norm. I hope this stays as is and hope the sport can recover learn and not repeat history.

Jens article can be found here: Turbulent Times by Jens Voigt 

Copeland Forest

Love this place.  Been riding different loops at different events for years and still manage to get lost and find new trail each outing.  2 Niners and a Silk ti had a good outing on Sunday and this is a short video with a really nice downhill that Thorben sorted out towards the end of the video.