The Chilcotin's- 1st Time!

The Chilcotins. That's right, you've probably heard of the place. But have you been there? Well I hadn't, and neither had Chris. However, we had two veterans to lead the rooks. What were we in for here? Well, we had a 4 hour drive to figure that out. First we had to jelly all our junk into the rear of the Steed van...

We crept up on it at night, so not to cause a stir. We for sure stirred up some dust on the Hurley. I used most of the time to catch up on napping. Chris and I were practically penned in the back with duffel bags, sleep seemed like a good option considering the 6+ hour ride the following day.

Once out of Pemberton we were cell phone free. Which to some may be terror, and others a blessing. It depends how attached you are to your iphones, or your sweethearts.

A few more Kim Steed performance miles later and were were settin' up camp! Toss on the 'ol Petzl and pitch a tent. We consumed a few mandatory beers, and crushed a large 7 layer dip and chips before calling it a night. Zip up the tent and get some shut eye was the plan for the next few hours until morning called.

Giant was nice enough to set me up with a 2011 Trance X1 to ride for the weekend. But, I couldn't ride it without the Steed Cycles touch. C'est Magnifique!

A hot bowl of oatmeal, and equally hot mug of coffee is all it takes to give Kimbo an ear to ear grin. The clean, lake front air, and the strong sent of fresh coffee pulled my lazy butt out of the tent in the morning.

We checked over all the bikes after re-assembling them from the jammed van that was our transportation. A line of Santa Cruz' and my lone Giant were going to get us up into the alpine back country sooner than we knew.

The food and coffee lifted our spirits enough so that we could focus on the day ahead. We stood by the lake taking it all in.

I've heard of these so called epics in the Chilcotins before. Last year I had planned on taking part, and a sprained wrist kept me kickin' my boots. And here I was about to get it on. Sitting by the lake preparing for the ride, I have in my head other's remarks of epic singletrack, amazing riding, sweeping corners, and float planes. We were not boarding a plane today. But, what would this really be like?

Well, after this sweet group photos we were on our way to find out!

...and we were off! So far it went like this, pedal pedal pedal, do we take this left, yep, no wait... nope. Ok, next left. Pedal pedal pedal. Wooooow look at that view. Pedal pedal pedal.

Wow, look around you. See, Kim is impressed. And after the last pedal pedal pedal. Take a moment to eat some food, and look around. I was starting to see what this Chilcotin thing was all about.

We saw more wildlife than a couple of bees, such as a gofer, and many chipmunks. Thankfully, although maybe cool from a distance, we did not see any Grizzly bears.

Fairly early in our ride we came accross Taylor cabin. It looks like a smelly, dark, old cabin. It was. Cool for sure though. There was a small wood stove inside, and a bunch of junk.

Besides being sunny, but not too hot, and not seeing and Grizzlies, our timing was also great. The whole area was bursting with colours from a wide variety of wild flowers. It was quite a site rolling through a blanket of purple and yellow.

We were pretty pumped when we made it to the top of one of the passes. Man, did I feel like we were in the middle of nowhere. Well, my hunch was right. Although we were on horse trails and not lost, we were out there! So far I gathered, with all my senses, that this was part of this meaning, "epic". We hadn't done too much descending at this point so I wasn't ruling out that there was "amazing riding", but it was really about where you were and how you got there.

That's what I'm talking about! cutting a line through wide open meadows, and kickin' up dust. What a picture! It was actually difficult not to pull your camera out and take a photo every two seconds.

The zigging and zagging was a lot of fun, but pretty short thus far. It was just awesome to see where we were riding our bikes.

We had mostly been climbing, but although short, the descents were pretty cool when we hit them. It really is different here than riding elsewhere. BC has some amazing riding, and each place has its own flavor.

Cabin number two I am going to call "feelin' it cabin". At this point we were feelin' it. We were at a good elavation here and after a tough climb it wasn't easy to catch your breath. We re-grouped, ate more grub, and layered up against the cool breeze.
Being way out here and experiencing this place its no wonder there are cabins like this out here. But, it makes you think, who thought of trekking out here in the first place?

That is where we came from... Not Chris Brown specifically.

...and this is where we were heading. This pass, was THE descent! Whoop whoop!

a bit tired now, though it wasn't on our minds as we got to shred now.

Don't get me wrong, I (now, somehow) like climbing, (and some of the climbs were epic too) but, after all that climbing we earned our turns. We we lovin' the downhills, and just happened to find a three week old trail to add to the fun. Lick Lower was sick, and made the day even better!

Getting back to camp we tossed the bikes aside. I pinned it down the hill on my bike into the lake to cool off! and then we located the post ride beers, and celebrated an epic day!
So what are the Chilcotins all about after all? When I was back I was asked would you do it again? I agree it is epic. But to me, its not the riding it self that makes the trip. Its the trip itself. Pedalling all that way in the back country's art gallery that is nature you are in a place that is wide open and raw. There is real wildlife, and there are real dangers. The Chilcotins have some very good riding, and there are rides that can challenge all, but its about the experience. The scenery was awesome, and we had a great time. Yes, I would do it again. Maybe a float plane drop next time. After all it is all about the experience.

We were pretty spent, so we made some great burgers and veggies on the BBQ, and made an effort to recover.

We got up pretty early, packed up camp, had a bit to eat and were on the road. However, we had to make a mandatory stop at the Mt. Currie coffee co on our way through Pemberton. They have great coffee, and equally good food, set in a cool atmosphere and walls lined with local art.

-Scott

Tech Tip :: Derailleur Adjustment

Steed Cycles - Tech Tips - Gears from Steed Cycles on Vimeo.

In this video, Steed Cycles service supervisor, Jordan Masse, goes through a basic gear adjustment. This is the first in a series of tech tips in a video format.


-Kimbo

SRAM Kit

SRAM Kit, originally uploaded by Steed Cycles.

For this season's Cyclocross Season, I am super excited to be piecing together my new Giant TCX SL Advanced, carbon cyclocross bike! Aside from having the hottest newest, latest, greatest frame, the parts kit will be a step above.

I will be blogging a more detailed listing of the parts, wheels, tires etc. but this photo shows my selection of the SRAM Red shifters, and BB30 crank. I will be changing the gearing to 38-46 as the stock 34-50 compact gearing is for road use and not so hot in the mud bogs of the cyclocross race course.

Hope my frame arrives soon, the first BC Cup Cyclocross race is on September 5th! For a detailed race schedule, go to www.cyclingbc.net.

-Kim

Giant Summt - Part Deux

What's new from the Giant crew for 2011 you ask? Giant has be steadily been producing better models year by year making upgrades to frames, revamping lines, and prefecting builds. So what have they got to show for 2011?

For you folks that like to throw the turn-down 360's the STP has finally been totally remodeled! Tapered head tube, stiff hydro-formed frames, and short adjustable chainstays.


For the racer looking for scalpel carving angles, almost road bike weights, and gobs of carbon the Anthem X Advanced SL 0 is your ticket to ride. This bike gets the full Shimano M980 XTR treatment for 2011, in the xc race set-up.


Two rings up front for you cats with the world cup legs. What can you say, but sexy.


The new XTR race brakes boast a 10% power increase over the current XTR brakes, and accept the XTR trail brake pads with cooling fins, a la Formula un. The pads with cooling fins keep the heat down by 50 degree C, combined with new "ICE tech" rotors, heat is reduced by a total of 150 degree C!


A fan favorite for year the Giant Glory is looking hotter than a Crankworx chairlift line-up. The 01 is a personal favorite. The colours just pop. There is great detail put into this 2011 bike, spec improvements where they could be made, and... a price reduction! can't complain.


The whole gravity line-up from Giant enjoys fresh paint, and parts. Its all about the details for 2011, and Giant has them covered like CNN.


The Trance X1, my other lover, sees a full re-design. Stiffer, and slightly lighter frame, tapered head tube, 5mm more front fork travel, larger air can on the rear shock, and yes it costs less of your hard earned buck!


Ladies get the treatment as well, of course, with the revisions the Trance X ggets, but plus plus standover.


The Giant Reign line-up is a popular one from the North Shore to the Sea-to-Sky corridor. it has been a great bike seeing small improvements over the last 3 seasons. For 2011 Giant fully re-built the line. Key features are reduced weight, stiffer frame, tapered headtube, post mount front derailleur, and post mount rear brake mounting, not to forget a half-degree slacker head angle. The all-mountain tool comes well dressed at all three price points. The Reign 1 and 2 pictured here.


The Reign 0 is the the most versatile of the group, offering a travel-adjustable front fork, and dropper seatpost, combined with a tubeless ready wheelset, and complete Shimano XT parts group give you all that you need and more to tackle all of the mountain!


DT Swiss Tricon wheels are spec'd on the mountain and road side of Giant's line-up for 2011. These wheels offer a lighter, stronger, tubless option to the high-end, and clean DT Swiss line-up.


We may not be the United States (no comment), but 29ers are popping up all over the place. I'm sure that if you asked anyone if they thought that they would consider riding a 29er around our trails, they would have told you how they have no place here. Well, that is all starting to change. And as one of the big advantages of a 29er being that they roll over technical terrain better you might really enjoy what they have to offer for our technical terrain.

Giant is offering 4 29ers for 2011 2 Anthem X based dual suspension models, and 2 hardtails!


Giant has paired up with Fox to get some colour coordinated spec details that anyone can appreciate.


The Via is a new model of Giant that fits in the recreational, fashion, cruiser area of cycling. Its a soft riding steel frame, and most importantly has looks to kill.


There are men's and women's Via's, with no shortage of details on any offerings, no Giant's 2011 line-up.

There's more of what's to come for 2011 from Giant but you might just have to wait until we have it for you on the shop floor!

-Scott

Nomad Carbon | 29 LBS

Nomad Carbon | 29 LBS, originally uploaded by Steed Cycles.

Today we finished assembling the lightest and most capable Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon in our history!

The carbon frame with it's carbon linkage is suspended with a Fox DHX Air. The fork is the new Kashima coated 180mm Fox Float in a matching white shade.

For brakes the choice was all about weight and the Formula "THE ONE" brakes are certainly light at 308 grams per pair.

The SRAM 10 speed XX cassette with the single front ring, laced through the MRP chain guide will be ripping the shore trails up and down. To keep the bike light, quiet and nimble this was the choice of the customer. I love it!

Personally I couldn't live without a height adjustable post, but adding a pound for this feature wasn't in the cards on this one as it would have pushed the bike weight over 30 pounds!

-Kimbo

2011 Giant Reign 0- What's Changed?

Above is the from Pink Bike video of Luke from Giant Bicycle reviewing the changes to the 2011 Giant Reign. 


For 2011 the Giant Reign 0 went through some very beneficial changes. Giant equipped the bike for 2011 with a tapered headtube for substantially increased front end stiffness. They have also incorporated a press fit bb system into their bike, as well as post mount style brake mounts. This eliminates the need for an additional adapter, and dropping the overall weight of the bike. Cockpit duties are handled by the new Giant Contact bar and stem, and the near bottomless Maestro suspension system is as supple as ever. Maestro technology is the full suspension platform that every Giant performance mountain bike utilizes.

Canadian price on the 2011 Giant Reign 0 is $4499, Giant offers the Reign starting at $2249.

Steedettes do BC Bike Race 2010

A reflection on our first stage race ever!!

GOALS:  To podium once out of the 7 stages; to finish in the top five in our category.

Day 0: North Shore Prologue

Today is the beginning of many lines.  We pick up our Dakine gear bags, our Ryder glasses and meet some of our fellow racers.  People from all over the world are coming to try out the West Coast – do they know what they are in for?!  As we hear comments on how “technical” the Richard Juryn trail is, we wonder how they’ll manage the rest of the route.  At least we know that, with skills honed on the North Shore, we shouldn’t have many difficulties with the BCBR trails.

No time to worry if we have done enough training!  It’s time to load up the bikes, and go home to get some sleep.

Day 1:  Nanaimo, 67 km, elevation: lots!

We say farewell to our support team, get on the bus and head off to the ferry to Nanaimo.

For once it is an advantage to be a woman in a washroom line up!

As ACDC plays in the background the countdown is on: 10, 9, 8...GO!  How hard to go when you have to do this 7 times?  Experienced stage racers had advised us to “race it but pace it”…where is that line?  As we begin the 8km neutral rollout with police escort, following the colourful river of racers, we assumed we would soon figure it out.

Nanaimo was fantastic, true cross-country trails with lots of smooth, grippy rock outcroppings – flowy, intuitive, and non-technical with some fast descending and rolling terrain.  The trails moved through an incredibly lush palette of greens, brushing past enormous sword ferns that often obscured the trail.  At hour three, Colleen’s stomach is acting up, but luckily she has brought toilet paper!  A series of long fire road climbs complete the day.  We finish at the track and learn we are the third women's team in.  We are thrilled, but realize that we need to reassess our initial goals…how hard do we want to work this?

Arriving at the finish line does not mean sitting down and having a beer to celebrate.  Instead, it is like flying into a new city…you have to get your bearings, learn where everything is, and launch the daily routine – grab some recovery food, wash the bike, find your gear, find a tent, find the showers, and finally get some real food!  Did we mention that there are line-ups?!  Finally, before retiring to foamy heaven, we prepare our gear and food for the next day.

Day 2:  Cumberland, 58km

Not so nervous today…we are settling in.  The trails are in fine condition and the weather is staying cool – ideal riding conditions!  Do we want to protect our third place standing?  We decide to just keep our pace and see where we end up.  We cover a lot of ground today, but we were able to connect with a great pace group.  Ten of us took turns drafting and pulling.  Even in the double track, we stuck together, following each other through the curves and ups and downs around Comox Lake.  What a blast!  We would never get such an opportunity on the North Shore.  There were lots of fire roads and we ate lots of dust.  Thank goodness Shimano was offering 30 second lube jobs at Aid 2!

Unfortunately, Mary has developed a saddle sore, and with 5 days to go, this is not good.  Somehow Colleen’s sleeping bag ends up in Powell River instead of Cumberland.  Fortunately, she has lots of wool clothes!

Day 3:  Powell River, 53 km

Having never been to Powell River, we were really looking forward to new terrain.  The entire community came out to support us, especially the kids giving us high-fives at the trailhead…we felt like rock stars!  The trails were stunning, and many had never been ridden, making it tough for those unfamiliar with riding roots.  Pity those poor souls with hard tails!  Lots of loamy, lumpy, bumpy singletrack with many “power-lifts,” a seriously full-body workout!  However, the beauty of the rainforest and the waterfalls around us made us forget the effort, for brief moments anyways.

By the end of the day we were pretty beat.  It was time for some TLC for our bikes and our bodies.  James at Obsession Bikes took care of the bikes, and we made our way to a hotel for our first hot shower of the week.    Even though the view was outstanding on Willingdon Beach, we were really looking forward to real beds.  We hitched a ride up to the dinner venue with local Nancy, who drove us around Powell River, showing us her home and providing some local history.  This was a fantastic community. 

Day 4: Earls Cove to Sechelt, 62 km

We were warned…Day 4 is when everyone crashes, and crash we did.  It’s not clear if the organizers planned it this way, but it seemed that Day 4 was the longest yet, the very definition of “epic.”   In a point-to-point routing, we were covering a lot of distance, so ended up on fire roads and powerlines for long stretches.  We were ready for a break from our bikes, but on we went.  

Our plan for the day – just go steady.  Unfortunately, we missed a flag and added on a few climbs – not good on the longest day.  However, we pulled ourselves together and continued to  "granny" up a long series of singletrack switchbacks (think a shortened version of Nimby50), managing it all while saving our legs.  A team of two men stuck with us the entire day, calling us their "pace bunnies".  Even though they later pulled by on the road, they waited for us just before the finish and let us lead in – true sportsmanship.

Day 5:  Sechelt to Langdale, 43km

Today started out a little rainy and chilly…first time wearing both arms and knees.  In the first hour, we did a creek crossing with water up to our knees.  The course included lots of singletrack climbs that were challenging in terms of the grade and the number of roots and twists and turns.  Today we passed through Aid 1 without stopping.  After a couple of hours, we were relieved to be back on familiar trails, portions of the (former) Rat Race, and the Sunshine Coaster.  Rain, mud, and lots of single track, made it a real west coast day, and we were loving it.  To top it off, we finished the day by riding 10km downhill to the Langdale ferry – Hwy  103, to Hwy 102 to Side winder!  This was truly a YAHOO day!

Day 6:  Squamish, 48 km

Waking up, you realize the end is almost here.  Today we know exactly what is ahead of us – the Test of Metal and the Gear Jammer.  All is going great, lots of hootin’ and hollerin’ on Half Nelson, and then on the climb up to Darwin's Bridge, our first flat.  We work together, and as one is pulling off the wheel, the other is pumping up the tube; as one is putting the tube in, the other is putting the gear away.  Even with the two of us, it seems to take forever.  Pump, pump, pump…where is a floor pump when you need one!

Over to the Plunge we go, Hoods in the Woods and then Crumpit.  We nail all of the switchbacks, and are grateful it is not 30 degrees!  Past the Smoke Bluffs, and as we’re flying down the gravel path towards the Climber’s parking lot, another flat!!  A team of two women scoots past us while we stop to assess.  We briefly consider riding the rim, or running it in, but it is too far.  So off the wheel goes and we pump again.  We make it to the finish line to a huge group of friends and family, but we are feeling a bit deflated.  However, 2 flats over the course of 6 days and no other mechanicals…that’s pretty good!

Day 7:  Whistler, 20km

Today we start in waves, and get to climb Whistler and Blackcomb right out of the gate – we saw derailleurs breaking and bodies cramping on the uphill grunt.  Then we enter the Bike Park and rip down CRANK IT UP!  Within moments, we see two casualties on the side, guys just getting too much air on those tabletops.  We try to keep it cool while racing down this great pump track.  Then off to the Lost Lake trails, which were just lots of fun! 

Just when you think there’s nothing left in the tank, we’re faced with one last sting-in-the-tail climb.  As we spin past another team of two women, we think we’re gunning for our fifth (3^rd place) podium finish of the race, but are denied, as they had started in a wave behind us.

But we are done, and we have finished third overall...not what we were expecting, but an accomplishment nonetheless.  This has been by far the most intense physical week of our lives.  It’s all a blur.  We have never been so focussed on riding, nor ever ridden so well and so consistently.  We learned so much about riding, and about how our bodies respond when putting them through constant stress for 7 days.  Now to be with our families and think about other things than biking, at least for a little while....

A BIG THANK YOU to Kim Steed and all the guys at Steed Cycles; to our coach, Cynthia Young; to our trainer, Monika Marx; to James Wilson and Arthur Gaillot at Suspension Werx; to all of the riders that encouraged us along; to our friends that showed up to the finish lines; and of course, to our families who supported us wholeheartedly throughout the whole process.   And thanks to everyone at BCBR and all of the trail builders…WOW, we truly live in the best place in the world!