Back at it

Back on the mountain bike after catching the Moto-bug, Adriano Digiacinto is getting serious again. He just picked up a nice NEW Troy Lee Designs "Crow" Air helmet, and some Oakley Corwbars to match, of course! The nice this about the Air helmet is that its DOT rated so Adri can wear it on the mountainbike and the dirtbike. More protection, and one helmet for two sports, it only makes sense.

Jordan Masse is one of top notch mechanics at the shop, as well as a super skilled rider. He does it all, well most of it...trials, BMX, Freeride, and Downhill, no xc yet, but he's getting a 2009 Giant Reign X0 this year for some more pedalling. I think he's envious of the mean green V10 so he tried to get a photo with it.

Jordan will be trading in his Iron Horse Sunday for an Evil Revolt this season. Maybe he has more of a crush on Dave Weagle? We'll see what he thinks about DW's new Delta Link design.

-Scott

Winter Carnage

In anticipation of the Dirty Duo we had to get on the course to check out the trail conditions. Unfortunately the trails have had a very bad winter. Between the snow, rain and wind it looks like a bomb went off in the forest. On the up side the weather was fantastic this weekend and the sun was drying up the snow. Here is a summary of current trail conditions:

Camp Brick – Mostly clear, some snow patches and downed trees. The ditch is snow covered.
Figure Eight- Not reachable because of numerous feet of snow!
Fishmans – Heavily snow covered
Bridal Path – Mostly clear of snow but some downed trees
Old Buck – Mostly clear with some downed trees
Severed Dick – Snow at the top but mostly clear
Bottle Top – Didn’t even attempt to go into this area because of snow and numerous downed trees.

Top of Severed Dick

It will be a while until the trails are back to summer fashion, but it is only the end of February.

GET INTO THE SPIRIT

If the snow conditions are getting you down than the perfect fix is the Mountain Bike Film Evening, presented by the The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF).

North Vancouver local adventurer Pat Mulrooney’s slide show from ripping the trails the Chilcotin Ranges of BC; Dan Barham’s “everything” presentation of mountain biking images with music; Jamie Houssian’s “Collective: A Look Back Behind the Scenes” – presentation on the art of shooting biking films.by the most prolific and innovative mountain biking director; and screening of the sickest and dirtiest mountain biking flicks: Brocation (travels of Wylie Easton on his bike trips around the Lower Mainland and the Interior or British Columbia); Gobi (Two of the world's best freeride mountain bikers search for the ultimate riding experience in the Gobi Desert of China); Revolution One (Scenes from the upcoming unicycling film by Dan Heaton); Seasons – Festival Cut (scenes from the last year’s film by the Collective crew).

Details

Doors open at 6:30 pm / Show 7:30 pm
Centennial Theatre
2300 Lonsdale, North Vancouver
Advanced Tickets $17 / $19 at door
Call 604.984.4484 or order online at http://www.vimff.org/

Can't get enough Chris King

The proud owner, Dean Mason and his Santa Cruz Blur LT dressed with Chris King Pewter
The rear hub. An older Chris King Disc-go-tech, converted to disc. Still truckin'
The Front Hub 20mm. She's a beaut, a perfect pair for the Rock Shox Pike front end.
The Headset. Taking all the nitty gritty non-stop. Still truckin'
And the newest edition to the family, the Pewter BB. A thing of beauty that is going to get muddy, and cruddy, and wet and won't stop being smooth from day 1. The BB that has a 5 Year Warranty, and can be re-greased without dis assembly of the bearings. Now that is a Bottom Bracket. Happy trails Dean!

-Scott

Training for the Season Opener

In preparation for the first mountain bike race on March 7th it seemed like a good idea to get out on the mountain bikes. Hearing rumors of snowed in trails on the North Shore we decided that Burnaby Mountain might be the best bet.

Yes, there was some snow…………

But there was also some really buff trail.

Mel's was in great shape.

There are some snow patches but overall there are lots of trails in great shape. At the top of the mountain there is some snow which means a little walking but once you get out of it, the trails are in excellent conditions.

Hopefully this week’s awesome weather forecast will burn off the remaining snow.

Adventures in the Relentless Snow

Closed? I'm sure that no one is travelling past that sign...

If you've been disappointed in this years ski season don't give up yet. It looks like Grouse Mountain has some nice fresh stuff to ski or ride on at the moment. That said, I'd try and catch it while its still here.

There is no lack of snow up high, and the path narrows. Looks like Connor is planning to Cat burgle the mountain dressed in a black ninja outfit.

Hey, the 3/4 mark of snow up the tree. No biking, up this high anytime soon. Lower down there was hardly any snow. Surprising since there was a snow fall just Monday night.

I'm still happy to be outside on a nice day, and not burried in the books.

I'm glad I got up and got in some quick exercise this morning. If I'm going to do any races this year, XC or DH I had better get out and get in shape snow or no snow.

You've got to be a little crazy to hike in this weather. Game on! Though, I couldn't do it without the motivation of a good buddy.

-Scott

Graphic Displays

I was so pumped to ride after putting my Santa Cruz V10 back together. The bike just looks and feels so good. The plushness of the travel can only compared to one of those over sized stuffed toys you can win at the amusement parks. The frame has come so far from the original, dropping close to 4 pounds! and changing image from Bulldozer to Aston Martin. It's still a growly beast, but elegant. Is that the difference girls want when they say they want to lose 4 pounds?
Putting the bike back together I changed a couple things, and added some nice new decals.The green frame was not available last season, to the public. It still seems somewhat special when I see it. How could they have not made this colour in this bike? it just looks so good! It just pops when you see it.

Some other nice ques are the Avid Elixir CR carbon lever disc brakes. They remind me of the red Porsche calipers that come on the S and Tubro models.

Gold and yellow accents add some contrast? to the already bright green paint. But it has to be done. So far I've played with my camera more than ridden the bike, but I have a feeling friday will greet me with riding.
I added some all black BoXXer decals to my black Team BoXXer, and some Sunline Logo lock-on grips, as well as the solid, yet light Race Face Atlas FR cranks made in New West.

Apart from changing a couple parts, I fully disassembled and greased all the pivots, and re-locktited them all. The frame is good as new and ready for another season of taming the local trails. I might even ride outside of the North Shore and Whistler!

-Scott

Axis Of Evil

Steed Cycles will proudly present to you the Evil brand of bicycles for 2009! We should be seeing bikes in and around the month of April. Speculative pricing for a Revolt frame would be $3299.99 CAD. All hardtail frame should be under $1000 CAD.
The Revolt will be the first dual-suspension frame available from Evil. It will use their proprietary Delta link suspension system. The frame will allow tunable geometry that will not affect the suspension in anyway. This allows infinite geometry adjustment, without compromising suspension feel, or performance. Canadian talent Steve Smith and Thomas Vanderham will pilot the Revolt, Smith racing the World Cup circuit! and Vanderham flowing the big mountain freeride terrain like we all know he can!

More updates to come! We'll definitely let you know when we get frames.

-Scott

Searching for Inspiration?

For anyone struggling with motivation during these dark days of winter you really don't have to look very far for inspiration. Benjamin Raich of Austria is focus personified with years of training and commitment behind every turn. The product of an Austrian system that produces the best ski racers on the planet, Mr. Raich's story is compelling and watching him ski is inspirational for any athlete. Ski racing is a sport that requires tremendous concentration and the ability to control nerves and fear. The product of a ski academy that puts as much emphasis on education as it does athletics, Benjamin is one of many graduates that have gone on to World Cup and Olympic glory. Benni claims that he never gets nervous because he has always viewed every race as a race against himself, a test that measures his commitment and quantifies his training. Benni will be one of the favourites to take gold in 2010 and it's his mental approach that allows him to be at his best in the Olympics and the World Championships where the pressure is unparalleled.

Perhaps another source of inspiration that comes from an unlikely source, especially for a skinny cross country type like myself, is none other than the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Pumping Iron is a documentary that was released in 1977 and chronicled Arnold Schwarzenegger's preparation for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests and it is a must see for athletes of any description. The pain and suffering that Arnold could endure in the gym was truly remarkable but his mental approach to training and competing put him among the truly exceptional. "The mind is always the first to fail, it's not the body. The secret is being able to convince the mind not to fail!" Not only is the film great from a motivational standpoint, it also has some one liners that trump anything Arnold did in his many blockbuster Hollywood productions.