Speed River Bicycle

I'm not talking about racing ...

2012-01-27T02:29:00.000-08:00

Really, I'm not. Not that I have anything wrong with racing (far from it!) but it is not on my radar.

I'm talking more about ... participating. Yep.
It has taken me a year of not participating in cycling events to realize that I don't need to be training my face off for said events to participate. I can have fun and be in the community without tons of training miles. I'm not sure where I picked up the idea that I had to 'train' to participate. Interesting.

I believe I miss Paris to Ancaster so I have decided I will participate in that wonderful event again this year. If I get my act together I'm sure I can register in time to land myself solidly in the second wave.
From there, as I took a temporary MTB hiatus last year, I might just hit up some marathon mountain bike races. Why marathon? I don't really know. I'll be less fit so one would assume I would go shorter but ... why not?

What I am most excited about is the Saturday morning learn to ride we are going to run out of the store. Tentatively it will be occurring every second Saturday. It will consist of a quick 15 minute discussion on one maintenance topic such as tyre changes, chain maintenance, pre-ride checklist etc... Then we will head out for an nice casual ride around Guelph Lake with a focus on building skills and confidence while riding in a group.

Anyways, this is a bit of a mish mash of topics but, c'est la vie. Cycling seasons coming and I'm excited!

Tim.

Weight training and cycling ...

2012-01-23T04:32:00.000-08:00

I've watched this video at least ... 5 or 6 times. I love it. Shane Perkins is obviously no slouch on the track (Milton velodrome?) and it is fascinating to see what it is they use to push him into the superhuman realm (super human = beating Chris Hoy).

What really caught my attention were the two lifts that they show Perkins doing. The first, the high bar back squat (or Olympic back squat) and second, the power clean (a shortened version of the first portion of the Olympic lift, the Clean & Jerk).

Looking at the Shane Perkins & Chris Hoys of the world (of which .. there aren't many) you know intuitively that they have not created that musculature on the bike alone. Gym work, intelligent gym work, has played a big part in their development. But these are track cyclists, and the best to boot, so what does that have to do with us mere mortals who are mostly road, cyclo-cross and mountain bikers? Would it even affect our performance?

I would argue it would. A well planned strength program can do many things for a recreational or competitive cyclist.

First, it can break up the potential tedium of trainer miles. Get out and do something a bit different so that you enjoy the workouts you do on the bike ... think of quality, not quantity in the 'off season'.

Second, it can highlight mobility issues. Can't squat with your back in neutral ... or, if you are like myself over a year ago ... can't squat at all due to gummed up hips? Whether it is mobility, sequencing & patterning or simple lack of strength, weighted exercises (and body weight) can offer a great counterpoint to the position of constant flexion we encounter on the bike. The body will create wonderful compensations for shortcomings in range of motion ... but think of those compensations as a time bomb. Eventually, somethings got to give.

Third, it can make you stronger. Will this make you better on the bike? Well, that is something that is constantly debated so I won't touch it. But it will make you stronger in life off the bike. When you lift things, carry things, move things you will be better prepared and less prone to injuries that could keep you off the bike.

There are more reasons. I could go on for days (well, at least a day) about the benefits. The reality is that a well planned program of full body movements involving barbells, kettlebells and body weight can keep you mentally fresh, highlight areas that need improvement and allow you to function as a human being just a little bit better.

And who knows. You might just like the challenge.

Tim.

Thoughts on Speedplay ...

2012-01-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

So let's start with a simple image.

I took this image from the BikeFit.com website because it explains the reason for wedging and shimming quite nicely. Now, looking at that image lets think about where the foot is positioned, in relation to the knee. Imagine the foot was placed outside of the knee (or inside of the knee) causing a similar thing to happen as in the wedgeless picture. Poor/inefficient/injurious application of force down through the foot and into the pedal. Since cycling is a highly repetitious activity you can imagine what this does over time. In all likelihood you will develop some neat compensations (the body IS amazing) somewhere else in the body to deal with this. Anyways, the purpose of the .gif and the above is in reinforcing the importance of getting the foot directly under the knee. It is incredibly important.

So, Speedplay? Right. Over the past few months as I have practiced my fitting on friends, co-workers, family etc... prior to starting our new fitting services and I have noticed something interesting. The majority of people I fit needed their foot position, in relation to their knee, changed. For myself, I need my feet brought in board much further than a cleat adjustment (cleat as far towards outside of the foot as possible) can allow on SPD pedals. For our friend Brian, he needed his left foot taken out a full INCH further than a standard cleat adjustment on a pedal would allow. In the majority of cases over the past months I have seen the standard lateral adjustment of all pedals be insufficient for a proper foot position ... unless you owned Speedplays.

What is it about Speedplays? Honestly, I don't believe their retention system is superior or that they are lighter or more aero-dynamic. It is the simplest thing possible. They offer replacement axles of varying lengths that are easy to switch out of the pedal. Or you can purchase pedals, singles, of different lengths. You can change your pedal stance width, a feature that is available ONLY from Speedplay. They give the customer the ability to make their asymmetrical body fit better on a symmetrical object ... in other words, they appear to 'get it'.

So what am I saying? Well, I am open to being made fun of for my change of heart. Prior to my 'eye opening' experiences some might say I wasn't the biggest Speedplay fan. Fair enough, but I am willing to admit when I am wrong. Simply put, the ability to easily adjust the stance width puts Speedplay at the top of pile in my humble opinion.

If you don't need a stance width adjustment that exceeds the ability of Shimano, Look etc? Then I stick with my usual favorite which is Shimano. So, Shimano, if you are out there and listening ... all you need to do is offer replaceable axles of varying widths and you are back on top. That's all, just care about fit.

Tim

Sometimes you just need to laugh ...

2012-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

So this ski season, in the Guelph area, has been far from ideal. And by far from ideal, I'm being conservative. Instead of crying over spilt milk (or lack of winter-ish weather) we are poking fun at ourselves and offering huge savings on all Nordic skis, clothing, boots, accessories ... well, everything nordic.

We are calling it the 'because somewhere there is snow...' sale.

There will be snow, it will be glorious, so benefit from our misfortune and get your skis for exceptionally low prices.

Have a great day!

Tim

Welcoming Earl to my stable ...

2012-01-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

This is Earl, my new trusty commuter.

I decided that I would not subject my 'cross bike to a winter of salt and slush so I searched for a relatively inexpensive bike that could handle knobby 'cross tyres, fenders and eventually a rack. While a FX is a logical choice ... I've already had one of those. I needed to branch out.

So, I ordered up an Earl. Earl is a bit on the bandwagon in terms of fixies etc... given its flip flop hub and semi-ridiculous handlebars. But, Earl also has a split top tube (carrying my u-lock), steel frame (comfy), can take 'cross tyres, fenders and a rack. As well, Earl is not a bike w/ track geometry so it is ultra stable. And, lastly, one gear. No, I don't ride a fixie ... I prefer to coast thank you very much but I do enjoy a single speed during the colder months. No gear cables freezing etc...

I've been riding him for ... 4 or 5 days? Today was the first ice/snow day and Earl tackled it with aplomb. The Schwalbe CX Pro tyres that I installed (took the slick tyres off) help alot as well.

Lastly, the best thing about Earl? Chain guard.

Tim.

Updates ...

2012-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned, exciting things are up and coming in the shop.

First off, we are becoming a Shimano Service Center. This means we can process warranties quicker (MUCH quicker), we will have each and every little bit that is needed, we will have all of the Shimano spokes for their various wheels on hand, Mike will be getting advanced training concerning the inner workings of all that is good and awesome in Shimano and we will have first access to the interesting tidbits that they come out with and much, much more. We are still learning about what this all means, but, this is exciting to us.

New computers. I've said it before, but I am so excited, I'm saying it again. No more drumming our fingers while awkward silences rule the air because our antiquated computers take ... so ... long. No more.

More events in the new year. We are going to start small but we fully intend to take a more proactive roll in teaching the new (and experienced) cyclist how to do basic maintenance and how to be safe and powerful on the road. Small Saturday clinics are in the works.

Now, a workout.

One of my favourite workouts, in a 'bang for your buck' sense, are big gear tempo workouts. While these aren't a workout I would do mid-season, I like them for transferring gym strength and building the ability to grind out the gear when your ability to spin has ... fled you. They also create a strong training stimulus in a limited amount of time (as compared to LSD training).

Tempo is generally referred to as Zone 3 in both power (76-90% of threshold power) and heart rate (82-90% aerobic threshold). The time of year, or the time domain you are working in, will determine what end of the power/heart rate zone you live in.

Big gear refers to a cadence in the 60-75 RPM range. Some individuals/books/coaches recommend 50-75 RPM but I rarely delved into the depths of 50 RPM because it was difficult to maintain that LOW of a cadence. So, I stuck in the 60-75.

Warmup, same as always (2 posts or so prior to this I go through my warm up protocol) and then into the work.
Relatively untrained means starting with something like 2 intervals of 10 minutes each with 5 minutes rest between.
Relatively fit means starting in the 2 x 20 minute with 10 minutes rest between.
In reality, start wherever you can without crippling yourself and work up to a reasonable total (given your goals). I would usually strive for 60 minutes of total work when doing this on the trainer due to mental constraints (couldn't mentally handle more). As I gained fitness I would also cut down the rest between intervals (from 10 to 5) and from time to time use 2 x 30 minute intervals while moving up appropriately within the Tempo zone.
One of the keys, for myself, with any of these intervals or protocols is to constantly increase the workload and not let the body adapt to the stress that I was putting on it. Or more accurately, once it has adapted, give the body a harder workout that it doesn't quite know how to handle.

Okay, time to head into the dark of the January night and ride home,

Tim.

How this is going to work ...

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to change things up a bit here. I plan on doing the following:

- post more, I know I've said it before but the problem has always been 'what do I write about?' Well, I think I've solved that.
- change the focus ... a bit. Well, let's say I'm not going to change the focus as much as add content that is a bit different.
- post more.

I've often thought ... what should I post? This isn't my personal blog (lucky for YOU, dear reader) but the stores blog, so I shouldn't just talk about what I'm interested in, right? Wrong.
Let me explain. I am interested in cycling, fitting, movement, GPP (general physical preparedness), weightlifting, kettlebells and ... well, a lot more. I'm also very passionate about our shop. I've always sort of thought that my GPP/weightlifting/KB/movement love didn't have a place in the sphere of the bike shop. Wrong (again, darn it ... a new year and I'm wrong TWICE already). It really does.

The reality is, the majority of us are not professional cyclists and thus we need to be strong/biomechanically sound enough to lift a heavy package, play with the kids AND sit on the bike properly. The activities we undertake off the bike can drastically enhance the activities on the bike and vice versa. Awesome.
As well, movement, is movement. Whether that movement is on a symmetrical item such as a bicycle or whether it is under a barbell proper movement, and understanding how the body is meant to work, is integral to healthy living.

What that means is while I have been sorting through tons of great websites, blogs and articles I have not been sharing them because I felt they 'didn't apply' to cycling ... I was being narrow minded. It is all applicable. You'll see.

Anyways, long winded Tim, what does this mean? What it means is that I will maintain my posting of irreverent items that crop up in the shop (such as cardboard cut outs of Cosmo), new interesting products, sales and such that are directly related to the shop. I will also start posting up information that I feel will help people be healthier, that will allow people to function better on and off the bike. Because, at the end of the day, that is why we are in it. To help people enjoy their lives (which for us typically means spending copious amounts of time on a bike).

Anyways, two posts, one day? Gadzooks!

Tim.

Resolution time ...

2012-01-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

So it is resolution time, or for many cyclists, it is time to start training again (unless you are professional, semi-pro or aspiring, then you've been on the bike quite a bit already) in earnest.

In my experience effective training needs a goal. Many people are motivated by races, some are motivated by arbitrary numbers (power[w/kg] etc...) but what is important is that you have a goal and time so you can set your schedule and work BACK from that goal.

For myself, indoor trainer time wasn't much of an issue up to about 1 1/2 hours provided I had an effective plan for my time on the bike. If I was to simply hop on and ride ... well, that usually came to a screeching halt w/in 30 minutes. Knowing that a simple workout can help drive results I'll give a few that I would often do over the next week or so.
The following workout is one of my absolute favourites.

The warmup is key, I'm a firm believer in the 'priming' of the different energy systems. 5 minutes of easy pedalling (perhaps mixing in some one legged drills) followed by a 5 minute ramp. During the 5 minute ramp I would work from an easy pace (50% of LT power, 6-9 on the RPE scale, 60/65% of Max HR ... or so) and reach my LT power/HR/RPE for the last minute. Soft pedalling for a couple minutes would follow and then a 15 second max effort followed by a few minutes of soft pedalling. All said, about 15-20 minutes and I would be ready to workout.
Would I always do this warmup? No. If I was pressed for time I went straight into the 5 minute ramp, took a minute of easy pedalling, did a max effort, took 2 minutes of recovery and I was ready to work. Cut in half. Regardless, I usually did some type of cycling (har har) through different power/HR zones.

For pure awesomeness there is the microburst workout. The microburst workout is best done using power but can be done without. Don't bother with HR as your heart rate will not respond quick enough to be useful.
My typical microburst workout was 15 seconds on (at 150% of LT power or 19-20 on the RPE scale) followed by 15 seconds 'off' where 'off' means riding at about 60% of LT power or around 9 on the RPE scale. This would go on for 8 minutes. I would do 3 rounds of 8 minutes typically, with 4 minutes of rest in between each round.
A mistake I made early on was to go TOO easy in between the 'on' portion. This made it easier than it should have been and also dropped my average power.

After this workout I would typically do 10 minutes of riding going from moderate effort down to recovery pace (for the last 5 minutes) as a cool down. I'd hop off the bike, foam roll for a bit, do some other mobility pieces (specifically for the thoracic spine, hips and hamstrings) and then BAM. Done.

Would I suggest running over to your bike, jumping on a just givin'er ? No. I wouldn't. Typically, if detrained, I would go as follows:
1st workout: 4 minutes on, 2 minutes rest, repeat 4 times
2nd workout: 6 minutes on, 3 minutes rest, repeat 3 times
3rd workout: 6 minutes on, 3 minutes rest, repeat 4 times
4th workout: 8 minutes on, 4 minutes rest, repeat 3 times

Seem like fun? Give it a try, you'll see some definite benefits!

Have a great day!

Tim.

So it's Christmas ...

2011-12-25T11:42:00.000-08:00

Chicken's in the oven (here is where I plug my favourite farm, Magda farm) with delicious foods awaiting consumption.

Gifts, done. Lots of Icebreaker given at our house this year. But how could that not be the case?

Workout, finished. Contemplating the Tacx Bushido for the new year to spice up the indoor cycling ... I've been pondering that for a bit now.

Snow, falling. I've been waiting patiently ... maybe this stuff will stay?

All in all ... a wonderful day!

I hope everyone of our customers and friends have a great holiday!

tim.

Sometimes it gets a bit silly ...

2011-12-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

For years I tried to say that while at work, I would work hard, 8 hours minimum everyday. I'd be serious and focused on tasks at hand. When I knocked one down, I'd move on to another target.

Well, as hard as I try, that isn't always the case. I've learned you can't always be serious and working full bore ... especially in a seasonal industry. Sometimes, it is better to relax and mess around than stick to a task such as sorting widgets, bottom brackets or cables ... just for the sake of working.

I bring this up because the other day, when Cos stepped out for the day, we decided that we couldn't do without his shining presence. We thought, an afternoon without Cosmo, is like a desert without sand ... or something like that.

So, before you know it, he turned up in the office. Yes, he does wear a shirt that states who he is.

And then ... as it was getting dark and close to closing time, we started to want conversation, conversation of a deeper variety.

So before you knew it ... Cos and Mike were deep in discussion concerning the important things in life.

Yeah, like I said ... sometimes having fun doesn't hurt too much.

Tim.

I was waxing some skis last weekend ...

2011-12-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

And I was getting really excited about the ski season. Last year I do believe I had skied 2 or 3 times already ... this year, well, it is a typical winter and I have yet to ski.

Le sigh.

But, on the positive side, I spent a good amount of time riding around town yesterday clad in 2 layers of icebreaker and I was warm, warm, warm.

Looking forward to some snow, but in the meantime, enjoy the opportunities presented for riding!

Tim

15 years of reflectors ...

2011-12-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

So we've always had a bin of reflectors. A fairly substantial rubber maid style bin CHOCK full of reflectors that we had been collecting over the entire history of Speed River Bicycle.

Some time this summer we decided that since the total number of reflectors was constantly increasing, we could simply cull a certain amount and save the room. So we culled.
The culled reflectors somehow found their way to the home of the individual who decorates our window. Now the reflectors are back. In the window.

Yes, that is a giant ribbon made out of reflectors. And, it is awesome. So stop by, ogle the display, revel in its awesomeness.

Have a great day,

Tim.

The monolith is in ...

2011-11-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

We decided, as we are prone to doing, that the store needed some sprucing up. Simply put, we weren't happy with the window. The boards had shrunk after 10 years in the sun and heat, the knee wall was ... well, flimsy and useless and really we struggled to keep the window looking good with SO much space to work with.

Out came the floor, in went a simple plywood floor that we painted and clear coated. That was pretty simple and took a day or two. Then ... the monolith. The monolith is our new ... wall, for lack of a better descriptive wall. It will showcase product IN and OUTside of the store. For example: it will showcase the nordic skis. And it seems to have made the front of the store seem much more open, spacious even.
So, that is project #1 for the winter. We have some other interesting news in the work, some stuff that we are pretty excited about that is about more than 'just' visually tweaking the store.

As for the season ... the season for thinking ski and getting dressed appropriately for your rides is upon us. Between the many quality brands we carry (Sugoi, Icebreaker, Swix, Seirus and more...) we have everything you need if you are spending a day sliding around on the sticks, you are commuting around town at 5 in the morning (or evening) or you enjoy a brisk road or mountain ride. We've got it.

I'm still struggling to decide what to ride this winter. Last years experiment with a pretty sad old Bianchi road bike left me scared more often than reassured so I am moving towards something a bit ... higher quality. I just can't make the time to decide. Hmmm... any suggestions?

Stop in. Take a peek at the new layout.

Tim

Hot darn ...

2011-11-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

So I just started two blog posts on ever so serious subjects (okay, they weren't that serious, they were just lengthy) and I couldn't finish them. Why? Because it is so darn nice outside.

So go out. Enjoy it. Revel in the beautiful fall weather. Play a bit, roll in a pile of leaves or something (just watch out for slugs, no one likes getting slug guts all over themselves) but just get out there and do something.

If you live in the Guelph area you live in one of the nicest places you could ever choose to live (yeah, that's right Hawaii, take that!) so experience it. Use the trail networks, the parks and the playing fields. Take Hal Johnson and Joanne Macleods advice, give your body a break ...errr. Okay, so that didn't make sense but the point I was trying to make was get outside and live a little ... I just had body break on the mind.

Have a great weekend!

Tim.

November 1

2011-11-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

We are into November ... and this is where you might wonder, what IS it you do in a bike shop when many people are looking outdoors and thinking ... 'biking, pffft??'.

Well, first and foremost we are catering to the aspiring belgians, mountain bikers and commuters who don't stop cycling when the weather gets a wee bit chilly. A surprising number of people just don't stop riding and we are here to do their instant repairs, get them the proper clothing and often just offer advice on how to keep nice and warm while getting around town.
Second, we are getting the cross country skis out. The SWIX clothing is out on the wall and the skis have been received. We are ready to move into ski mode.
Third, organizing. Cleaning. Prepping. Planning. Learning from mistakes.
Fourth (and perhaps most importantly) we are planning what bike we are going to ride next year. I think Mike has cut out a picture of the Super Six EVO and placed it over his work bench. Serious.

So, although the seasons ebb and flow, we are still busy. Some days it just involves one heck of alot of coffee.

Have a great day,

Tim.

Demos!

2011-10-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

We've got demo and rental bikes for sale during our super awesome (yeah, I said super awesome like I am 14 years old) Bare Bones sale.

CAAD10-1 demo, size 54, regular $3499 and now $2499.

Cannondale cyclocross Rival, 48cm, regular $4049 and now $2700 w/Chris King Wheels

- this was Mikes bike for the season. The wheels alone are reason to pick up this bike.

Trek 7.5fx disc, 20in., regular $1199 now $849

- comes completely ready to commute as it was Cosmos summer commuter. Great bike.

Not only do we have some pretty fancy demo bikes but some really nice rental bikes from the season:

20” Trek 7200 reg,. $629 now $479
19.5” Trek 820 $379 now $299
20” Trek 7.3 reg. $ 749 now $599
15” Trek 7.2 reg. $599 now $479
19.5” Trek Cruiser Classic $369 now $229

So, that's the deal. Great bikes, great prices!

Tim.

Bare bones sale!

2011-10-18T07:39:00.001-07:00

Fitting weekend ...

2011-10-15T04:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a few days since I returned from my fitting weekend in NY. I have fully recovered from the driving, food I don't usually eat and information overload so I figure it is time to relate some of what I learned down in beautiful Glen Spey, NY.

Bikefit, owned by Paul Swift a multiple time national track cycling champion, is one of the worlds pre-eminent fitting services companies. Bikefits strength lies in that they focus heavily on the shoe and pedal interface as a critical portion of the fitting process.
A common belief in the fitting world is that the contact points (pedals, saddle, bars) between the body and the bicycle are critical to your comfort and that by optimizing comfort we optimize your specific biomechanical efficiency and therefore make a stronger athlete who is less prone to injury. As I said, this is the general train of thought with many fitting services, fitters etc... Perhaps 'THE' fitting guru, Steve Hogg, puts it best when he says that we are 'fitting an asymmetrical body to a symmetrical object' and thus that is where the challenge lies.
While many companies and individuals acknowledge this particular belief, many individuals regard the fit from the perspective of adjusting the saddle and bar and thus completely leave the feet out of the equation. If we have 5 contact points (two hands, two feet and a bum) for a standard road fit we are only addressing 3/5's of the equation if we completely disregard the foot pedal interface.

Regarding the 3/5's approach of fitting, I feel that I have a really solid grasp of that 'section' of the fit. Through learning from Michael Sylvester, educating myself and years of practice (plus watching people ride on an almost daily basis) I have formed my own approaches and thoughts on optimal upper body setup. Now, you might say "Tim, you've never regarded the foot/pedal interface prior to this weekend ... what's up with that?". And right you are, I had never received sufficient training and education to feel comfortable with adjusting an individuals main method of delivering power to the bike. I have always known that it is important, I just didn't know how to go about it. I felt that simply reading about it online or in a manual wouldn't lead to the knowledge that I needed to adjust the shoe/pedal interface properly. Well, now I know and I am truly excited!

Now I can deliver a fit touching on five out of five contact points (or 7 out of 7 if you want to talk about Tri/TT fits). What does that mean?
For the next month of so I am going to practice. My wife, fellow employees and friends will be subjected to poking/prodding/shimming and wedging to help fine tune my approach. I have a new toolset, a nice little fit area and a wealth of information. As well I am going to continue with my training by doing a few certifications not related directly to bike fitting, but related to quality human movement and the assessment of human movement.
After that? I will be opening the proverbial doors for fitting services. Am I excited? Yes.

So, I guess I really didn't say much about what I learned. Sorry about that. I have alot floating around in my head right now and perhaps, if it doesn't come out too dry, I will continue with some thoughts on fitting and my thoughts on how it all comes together.

Have a great day!
Tim.

Hmmmm ...

2011-10-05T14:16:00.001-07:00

Could the weather be any better? As we sit here prepping for month end inventory all I can think of is how much I would prefer being outside ... but, we can't always get what we want. Sigh. Riding would be preferable ...

This weekend marks some excitement. I will be heading south (well, more accurately I'll be heading east) to Glen Spey, NY to get my green level BikeFit certification. It is exciting because I will be formally trained in shimming/wedging cleats and improving the shoe/pedal interface ... an incredibly important portion of a bicycle fit. I believe the following images, while undeniably simplifying matters, illustrates the importance of wedging nicely.

W/out shim ...

W/ shim ...

Interesting, yes. I'm also excited to get to hang out all weekend with people who are passionate about bikes and making sure people enjoy their time on their bike. Which is what it is all about really.

That's all I've got.

Tim.

Brrrr...

2011-10-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

So I just broke down and turned the furnace on it my house. It was 62 degrees and my wife stated that 'she couldn't do her school work' because he fingers and face were too cold. Bah I kept saying ... but broke down and warmed it up to a balmy 65 degrees. So soft we are these days ...

Speaking of cold, we have all of our new Icebreaker out on the walls and you had better hurry in to grab it before I decide to take each and every piece. What's my favourite? Hmmm ... the new realfleece jackets are amazing as is everything else. This year we went with some pants and tanks for the women as well to round out the selection a bit better. So, come check it out.

Skis .. yeah, I said skis. They came through the door mid week. We need to process them and find a spot for them but, I guess with plummeting thermometer it only makes sense that they came shooting through the door! This year we will of course be carrying the venerable Fischer brand for our ski, boots and bindings with Swix holding down the wax, accessory and pole end of the deal. AS WELL we will be carrying true nordic clothing courtesy of Swix. Pretty exciting.

New Oakley cabinet ... can't say much beyond it looks amazing and really showcases the 30 plus pairs we have in stock. Beautiful.

And most exciting (for myself) I will be heading to New York (state) this weekend to partake in a fitting certification from BikeFit. To say I'm excited ... understatement! BikeFit really analyzes the shoe/pedal interface (a critical piece of the fitting pie) and will help me better understand how to align, adjust and shim to provide the best power transfer possible from the foot to the pedal. This is all part of my ultra top secret 3 step program to furthering my fitting (and exercise phys.) skills.

Well, I'm going to get back to staring out the window at the falling rain ... I just let the cat out, I figure he'll last all of a minute out there.

Tim.

Check this out ...

2011-09-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

I hate to harp on something (wait, no I don't ... haha) but I am going to flog the proverbial horse that is less than alive on this issue.

http://www.activecommunitiespledge.ca/

Go there. Sign the pledge. Then contact your local MP and make sure they are on board as well.
Why?

It is about more than bikes. It is about having safe, live-able, healthy communities that you would want to raise your children in. It is about feeling that your children would be safe to walk to school in the morning and that you wouldn't have to worry about 'smog warnings' when it is humid.
Have you ever noticed how much more you smile when you walk somewhere? You acknowledge people, engage with people and notice things that you would otherwise just pass right now by. These are important things that we, and our 'representatives', often forget about.

Anyways, off my soap box. Pony up, sign the darn thing and contact the party member you most support to get them on board as well.

Tim.

September rolls along ...

2011-09-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

It has been an action packed September so far and it only looks to get more exciting.

This past weekend Tim C. and I participated in BTAC, our 'national' trade show, in Montreal. I have to say, I'm not much for big cities, but I do love Montreal. Parks, greenspaces, bike races, smoked meat and more. What's not to love?
We did our work but the highlight was twofold. The first was the professional cycling race running through the heart of Montreal and up Mont Royal. A beautiful course, Tim and I were able to take in the start/finish, the main climb and other critical parts of the course all before the exciting finale. A late race attack by Philip Gilbert (read: his superior uphill sprint) almost netted him the win but ... the catch was too late and the win went to a Movistar rider whose name escapes me.

Gratuitous camera phone picture proving I was there ...

The second part of the 'twofold' awesomeness that we experience was Schwartz's smoked meat. Honestly, I can take it or leave it but it is the whole experience of a mildly dirty (read: really dirty) restaurant into which you are crammed like sardines for piles of greasy food ... priceless! Tims reaction to being put at a table, between two sets of random strangers, was also priceless.

In the shop ... we have a fitting platform! I must admit this platform is really exciting. Superbly made by Dave S. and expertly stained and clear coated by Cosmo C. it is a thing of beauty. My new tools should be arriving any day and on October 9/10th I will be in New York attending a fitting clinic put on by Bike Fit. Exciting? Yes.

Lastly, the cross race. Tim, Mike and myself have been out twice a week dialing it in and ... dialed it is! While I am greatly lacking in fitness this year I have pointed and gestured while they have raced wildly around the park in the early morning mists. Much less focus on the hill this year and greater focus on fast, flowing corners this should be a FAST race.

And, now I'm done. Have a great day!

Tim.

Winter is coming ...

2011-09-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry! I can't stop that ... I'm truly addicted to Game of Thrones. And no, not the TV version (pah, TV) but the version that is printed on dead, processed trees. Anyways ...

Lots of things happening!

Mike and I were out on the course yesterday going over some ideas for the Cross Race. We are keeping the basic structure the same and retaining our favourite spots (back and forth on the off camber hill, whoop dee on the off camber section etc...) from years past. That said, I liked the thought of NOT going straight up the hill this year. We are going to utilize the hill heavily, in that the slope will be used, but only once per lap will we actually send the racers to the top. These course changes also feature a much longer (and faster) power section that might end up favouring the larger more powerful riders. We will see won't we?

The fantastic Dave Schmidt fashioned us an amazing fitting platform for the shop. I am truly excited about this development as it is one of the small pieces that we will use in pushing our fitting services up QUITE a few notches. I'll be undergoing some further training, we will be getting some great new tools and the fit area will be mirror clad like you wouldn't believe! All very exciting in my opinion. I will get some pictures up when we install it ... currently it is in the 'post staining' drying process.

This weekend Tim C. and I will be heading to BTAC in Montreal to look at some new stuff, talk with some interesting people and really, just bro out. We are looking to ingest some mocha frappucinos prior to the drive and perhaps indulge in Tim's real passion, Katy Perry. Serious. I'm not joking about that ...
Prior to the BTAC event, I will be returning as 'mechanical support' for the OVMA's 'Ride for Farley'. This will be my 3rd year supporting the event and the second year they use the course I designed. Head over to their site for more info http://www.farleyfoundation.org/upcoming_events/ride_for_farley.html

Lastly ... we've got warmers (arm, leg, ear, feet) so if you are riding in these chilly times (read: morning, noon, evening) be sure to dress appropriately!

Have a great day,

Tim.

Movement is movement ...

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

We received trainers yesterday! Although it signals the end of the summer (not yet, I know ...) I am still very excited. Cross season is coming, then ski season and ridiculous commuting by bike season. As much as I really love spring and summer I can't help but be excited for what is ahead of us.

So, movement is movement and efficient, comfortable movement is movement that generates performance. This can be seen on the bike, while running, when under the bar or when walking. If you are organized, balanced and in the right position you will be powerful and, in general, less prone to injury.
I am a firm believer that you will be better off if your movement OFF of the bike is as organized and precise as your movement on the bike. All movement is tied together and cannot be separated from one another (bike vs. run vs. swim) because invariably, if you are an endurance (or power) athlete the repetitive nature of your sport will take its toll if you are not in the right position. So what am I really getting at? Your fit on the bike is crucial and if you want to nerd out a bit I would highly suggest poring over the info presented at this gentleman's site:

http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/

He is a genius, and a genius who is willing to admit when wrong. He is also willing to share the bulk of his knowledge with everyone. He has truly opened my eyes and broadened my view of fitting. I highly recommend checking it out.

Not only is your fit on the bike crucial but, as I was saying, your movement off of the bike and how you take care of yourself day to day is equally (if not more?) crucial. Unless you are the captain of Team -ve Mass and spend 10+ hours a day on the bike, chances are you will spend more time sitting, walking and standing than you will riding. All of this will ultimately affect how you perform on the bike when it comes time to train or race. I highly recommend the following website. Having followed it for 8 months now I can say that it has changed the way I move, sit and stand. It has also changed the way I approach recovery.

http://www.mobilitywod.com/

Don't get caught up in that it isn't 'bike' specific. It is movement specific and that is what matters. If you simply look at riding the bike as a series of movements (which it is, thanks Captain Obvious) you can see how the unbelievable amount of knowledge he shares will lead to better, more efficient (and thus more powerful) movement on and off the bike.

Okay, I think that is all I've got right now. Stop by the shop and check out the reorganization that was brought to us by E. Sharp and the Dipples ...

Tim.

Thoughts on fitting ...

2011-08-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the nights are colder and the days, the days are a bit shorter now. The latter portion of this summer has been just fantastic, no?

Cyclocross season is on the horizon with our intrepid crew reducing OUR races to a single event held in Guelph. After near mutiny by the volunteers (or indentured servants), led by the dreadpirate Bow, and a general lack of 'want' by those involved in the design/organization of the course the Kelso two day has been deep sixed from the calendar. It had a great run, starting in 2004 with Sean Sinclairs epic jungle cross courses. After Kelso had its way with Sean it was my turn to put the hurt on riders with 4 solid years of racing finished off with the provincial championships last year. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the ever present Steve Head, who without, these events wouldn't even get off the ground.
While we have all agreed that we are very happy the two day is over, I am a bit sad. I will miss the atmosphere, the stress, the exhaustion ... but I won't miss the month leading up to it trying frantically to make it out the Kelso enough to really dial in the course.
Anyways, it was a good run and we'll miss you Kelso!

Hey, I said thoughts on fitting? Yeah. If you know me, you will know that although I said I 'raced' I never really did that well when it came to the actual racing part. I am much better, and enjoy, the training aspect of the sport. Particularly I am VERY enamored with fitting and how a proper fit can drastically improve your performance. As my favorite fitting guru says "comfort + efficiency = performance". With renewed vigor I am dedicating myself to the craft and I believe it will result in a new 'service' area of the shop. I am extremely excited about this and while it might take a few months, I think it will really push our level of service up a notch. So, vague, yes. But, patience and it will all unfold in front of you (how pretentious, I know!).

Okay, that's all ...

Tim

p.s. Winters coming ...
p.s.s. Besides the obvious fact that eventually it will appear ... tell me where THAT quote is from ...

Trek World ...

2011-08-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

Cosmo and I survived Trek World I am happy to say.

When I say we survived Trek World, it isn't because we went out and partied until the wee hours (if you know me, you know the chances of that are very minimal) it is because we had some interesting travel on the way there. I will provide the coles notes now:
- arrived at the gate for our flight to O'Hare and notice two planes full of people still sitting in the lounge.
- a plane load of people unload BACK into the lounge after waiting 2.5 hours on the tarmac
- get onto the tarmac, drive around for an hour, refuel, drive around for 30 minutes, leave Toronto
- connector flight? no ... it was cancelled!
- car rental at 1 am? no ... they're all rented!
- book a hotel for the night, confirm an offsite rental for the following morning and catch a cab to the hotel
- cabby informs us that it is cheaper to cab it to Madison from O'Hare
- 150 miles, 300$ and less than 2 hours later we arrive at our hotel in Madison!

From there it was the typical informative and interesting show that I have come to expect. Seminars on advocacy, how to better run your business, how to better serve your customer and more.

As a treat, the opening night speech had John Burke bring out the core of the Leopard-Trek team ... Jens Voigt, Fabian Cancellara, Frank and Andy Schleck with John Burke arranging to get Jens Voigt to say 'Shut up legs'. I know, I know it is getting old but ... Jens is such a champ that, even though it was pretty staged, I loved every second of it! I'm a sucker for Jens.

The demo day was fantastic with Cos and I ripping up (well, at first it was slowly rolling and cautiously picking our way through the...) the trails.
The new Fuel EX w/ the degree slacker head tube was really nice but the standout to both of us was the new Superfly AL Elite. An all new bike (in spec and frame) that fits in above where the Paragon used to sit and below where the Carbon Superflys sit. While much less 'forgiving' than the EX it was a real pleasure to ride and is definitely on the list for next years mountain bike ...

2012 Fuel EX 9.8 a fantastic ride!

9th district commuter bike. 1x9 with enough clearance for fenders and cross tyres.

Before we knew it ... it was coming to an end. Up at 3:45 am to catch the 5:15 flight back to O'Hare and that was that.

Highlights? Well, small nerdy things like the updated POS system, ASCEND 2.0 (or 2.1 now .. or 2.2 ...) but, really, in terms of bikes?

The plethora of 29er options for MTBs with lower price points, better value in the 1500$ price range and MUCH better looking paint.

The emphasis on the commuter/hybrid lines. A new ladies step through (the 'cocoa'), revamped FX line with a new model inserted in the line and a souped up District line that is not JUST for hipsters anymore.

And, for now, that's it. As with every year I arrived tired, left tired and enjoyed the heck out of it. Very happy to provide a product I believe strongly in!

Have a great day,

Tim.

As we try to make our way ...

2011-08-07T18:40:00.001-07:00

As Cosmo and I try to make our way to Trek world (by 'make our way' I mean 'sit on the tarmac and wait') I wanted to congratulate those who raced todays O-cup at Kelso.

Mike D, our intrepid head mechanic, secured a 4th place in the Master Expert (30-39) category. He has been making his way up the rankings through the course of the year and looks set to make a strong showing at provincials.

Tim C, master of the sales floor, scored a solid 3rd place in the open singlespeed category vanquishing many fine opponents on this day. This marks Tims return to the podium and singles a sharpening of form just in time for single speed worlds.

Rachel 'giggles mcgillicudy' O'Reilly, in a return to mountain bike racing in the senior expert female class scored podium position landing a fantastic 3rd place on the day.

So, three speed river'ites at todays O-cup and two podiums and a top five. Amazing. We are truly lucky to have such talent working at one store.

Congrats guys (and gal)!

And now ... I return to being told we will take off in 'only another 20 minutes' ... or something like that.

Tim
tim@speedriverbicycle.com
Speed River Bicycle
135 Wyndham St. North
Guelph, ON, Canada
519-824-9371

Trek World on the horizon ...

2011-08-05T13:25:00.000-07:00

Trek World, the big hullabaloo down in Wisconsin, is coming up this Monday. Cosmo and I will be making our way down to check out all of the new product. This is always a high point of our summer as it is a chance to rub elbows with those that make some decisions and talk with other shop folk about the season. It doesn't hurt they feed us well and there are hundreds of new bikes to touch/drool on/test ride.
I've got to say I'm excited to try some of the new longer travel trail bikes. I'm a wee bit worried as ... I really haven't done much mountain biking this year. I tended to be on my rump as it was, when I did ride more offroad, so this might be interesting!

2012 Cannondale products are coming available already ... and that is exciting. Cos and I will be able to go peruse those in the coming weeks. I'm pretty pumped about an Ultegra level SuperX cross bike. Mike has really been enjoying his and I'm pretty tempted ...

In the shop we are having a nickname spree. We decided for moral and pure pointlessness we would create a nickname for each person. So far:

Mike "the golden lion" Dennis

Rachel "huge personal space bubble" O'Reilly

Evan 'the alpinist' Sharp

Dana has volunteered Tim 'the kid' Crosby but ... as good as it is, I feel there is something more hilarious out there. If we can't top it, it is going to stick.
So that is what we have. Work, and lots of it, will be put in over the coming days to acquire a quality nickname for each of us.

And... that's all. Have a great day folks!

Tim.

Even the tour passes by ...

2011-07-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

With nary a comment from myself. Sad, I know. I'll take the liberty to summarize my thoughts and feelings on 'le tour' right here and now.

Cadel won, I still don't like him very much. I think it is that whole dog thing from a few years back.
Contador didn't win. With the looming CAS hearing (delayed again, surprise) that's probably a good thing.
Andy Schleck made a ton of excuses and whinged quite a bit. Then he rode like a man possessed but still hasn't bothered to learn to TT.
Cavendish is still the best GT sprinter of the past couple years and will most likely go down as the best GT sprinter, ever. 5 stages and green. Chapeau.

It was also silly hot during that time (here that is) and thus, I was feeling mighty sluggish and didn't manage to get my typing fingers nimble enough to ... type anything. Sad, I know.

So from here on, let me state (for the 5th time? 6th? bah ... I can't keep track) that I will vow to have something interesting to say about the shop and/or the state of cycling a least weekly. There. I said it. Again.

Have a great day all, get out, ride the bike.

Tim.

10 days in ..

2011-07-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

10 days into July and the weather is fine!

How can I tell? Well, besides not having to walk home in the rain or work with slightly soggy underwear for a couple of hours because I forgot my rain pants at work and got caught in a cloud burst, we are really busy. Must be something to do with the day after day of beautiful sunny weather?!

I think I mentioned it before, but I will say it again, 2012 bikes are making their way into the store. Right now we are looking, mostly, at fitness hybrids, entry level mountain bikes and some kids bikes. But soon we will start getting word on the new hotnesses (yeah, that IS a word) and ridiculous uber bikes.
Cannondale has been really quick on the release and has used Le Tour to highlight their EVO Supersix while Trek has gone the route of creating, and then offering on Project One, some custom paint lay ups for their top athletes (Fabian Cancellara, Schleck bros. etc..). With Trek World on the horizon... I am excited!

This weekend we see a return of Tim Crosby to the world of bicycle racing. A once staunch non-believer in 29ers he will be hitting the trails of Buckwallow on his Trek/Fisher Rig ... a single speed, 29er. And, he loves it.
Mike D. and Evan will also be racing and good luck to Rick L. on what I am sure will be an awesome race!

I've started to start pondering the layout of our sole cyclocross race, occuring on the 25th of September in Guelph, and I am very close to dusting off the CX bike and getting out for some hot ... errr, okay, really slow ... laps of the park to start to dial things in. With no Kelso races we can focus solely on the Guelph event ... it should be awesome!

Okay, that is all for now. Coffee calls!

Tim.

Bicycle friendly communities ...

2011-06-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Cosmo was just in Ottawa participating in the Ontario Bike Summit and for the first time, since its Ontario 'inception', communities were awarded for their 'bicycle friendliness'.

What is a bicycle friendly community? It is an award given to communities in recognition for forward thinking (or so I like to think) ways. It was started in the U.S. by the League of American Bicyclists and we are lucky enough, thanks to Share the Road, to now have this program in Ontario. Communities are judge on the 'five e's' which are: Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Evaluation and Planning and must demonstrate achievements in each of these five categories to be considered for the award. For more info click here.

So, who won an award this year? Ottawa and Waterloo received the silver level while Ajax and Windsor took the bronze level.
While I cannot hesitate to congratulate these communities on their achievement, I cannot help but think ... Windsor? Seriously, Windsor is more bike friendly than Guelph? If that is the case, and it obviously is as they got an award that we didn't, we have got work to do.
I for one would take great pride in living in a city, and helping our city achieve, the status of a bicycle friendly community. Being a bicycle friendly community is about more than just cycling ... it is about changing the way we look at getting around and how we interact, on a daily basis, with those in our community.

How do we do this? Well, honestly, I'm not sure. But I know someone who just went to the summit and was present for the awards ceremony. I'm pretty sure he might have a clue and I am pretty sure we have got to start talking with others and perhaps, getting this moving in the right direction.

Tim.

p.s. It is almost July. Wow.

The trails, the roads, the paths ...

2011-06-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

They are BUSTLING this year and it is fantastic to see.

To my somewhat educated eye it would appear that road cycling is bigger than ever. The cycling clubs rides are swelling to sizes never seen before and not only are they getting these turnouts once, but each and every week! On the weekend the road traffic (in cyclists, not cars) is incredible with my hands rarely staying put on the bars as I wave to a constant stream of enthusiasts.
As I've mentioned before, when I am commuting around I see more people getting around by bike than ever. Saturday night my wife and I had a nice conversation with a pair of our friendly police officers on bikes who were cruising what we refer to as 'goose poop alley'.
Everyone is on bikes ... I love it.

In the store: Due to unprecedented terrible weather across the majority of the norther states and Canada for most of April and May both Trek and Cannondale have decided to offer fantastic sale prices on popular models. Head over to the website (www.speedriver.com) and click on the sale section to see what is on offer. I am updating that section almost daily with great deals on 2012 and 2011 bikes.

GO PRO HD CAMS! We've been having some fun with the go pros so far. Evan and Tim have taken it upon themselves to become the experts in the field and it has resulted in some ... ... interesting footage. Evan, with his fancy computer skills, will be putting together some 'montages' for us. We should have them up on the website, here and facebook soon.

And ... I believe there is a relatively important road race coming up locally ... soonish. Maybe this weekend? Yeah, thought so. Something like Nationals?
Good luck to all those competing ... and for anyone who wants to see a good show, head on down to the course. Info is up at www.ontariocycling.org.

Have a great day in the sun!

Tim.

Just a note ...

2011-06-08T18:24:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I say this every year and perhaps my memory isn't as good as I think it is. But I do believe I have never seen so many road cyclists out riding as I have these past early summer days. Often when I am riding the word that springs to mind is 'hordes' (in a good sense, not in a horde of barbarians sense...) as there are so many cyclists out on the roads. On my morning sojourns, which used to be a fairly private affair, I am constantly nodding and waving to fellow cyclists. I get home and I'm grinning like an idiot ... quite fantastic.
The club rides are flourishing and experiencing turn outs at such a scale that we had to move the meeting place due to a lack of space!
The interest is there like I have never seen. People are coming in daily, curious about road cycling, and of course we are more than happy to talk their ears off.

Good things are happening. More commuters, more bike lanes plus the new bike boxes, more road cyclists and great progress in the world of local trails. Cycling in Guelph is growing and I for one could not be happier!

Have a great week,
Tim.

It is beautiful to see ...

2011-06-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it is that I am more attentive than I used to be, if I am slower (and therefore ABLE to be more attentive) than I was (which I am) or if it is that there are more cool things going on while I ride but I have seen some really cool things while commuting and road cycling.

One of the nicest things to see is the amount of people who are commuting by bicycle. I feel there is a noticeable increase in commuter based cyclists and I love that! Is there something more efficient for getting around than a bicycle? Nope.
A type of bike I am taking particular notice of is the cargo bike/xtra cycle style bicycle. With an extended back end for more hauling capacity these bikes make shopping and running errands MUCH easier. Instead of multiple trips you can load everything up at once. I've always been a fan but I wasn't sure if there was really a market for this type of bike. Well, the research on our end (for the best product out there) has started and I hope to be seeing something along those lines soon within the confines of Speed River Bicycle. Xtra cycle? Treks dedicated cargo bike? Electric assist cargo bikes? The possibilities are endless!

Birds, deer, turtles and just a ridiculous amount of fauna bounding about doing what fauna does. I had been feeling, without really realizing it, that there were less birds etc... out and about this year. But apparently they were just doing what the rest of us were doing ... which was hiding out inside (their burrow? nest? den? lodge?) waiting for sunshine because now it seems like there is more fauna running around doing their thing than years past.
Like I said though ... my rides are decidedly slower than before so perhaps I am just seeing more while I ride? Regardless, it makes me grin like an idiot when I see a robin wrassling with a worm or a mother goose leading a flock (can you call goslings a 'flock') of goslings along. I'll admit ... I also talk to the animals.

Nice weather! Yeah, I've noticed it is nicer ... now is when you say 'Thanks Captain Obvious!'.

And ... that is about all. I've got the urge to get out on my bike.

Have a great day!

Tim.

did you see it?

2011-05-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey, hey!
Did you see the weather forecast? The potential for 7 days of sunshine?

Although I have learned (long before this soggy spring) to never trust the weather forecast ... I just can't help feel a surge in my heart at the sight of that many little sunshines strung together!

To celebrate I took a spin out around Guelph Lake and although I had some intentions of pedaling with some type of force I quickly just decided to bask in the warmth and revel in the sunshine. And revel I did!

Awesome.

Tim.

2012? Sounds good to me ...

2011-05-20T05:20:00.000-07:00

I've been working in the cycling industry (which is a fancy way of saying I've worked in a bike shop...) for 7-8 years (I think... I could be wrong) and I still have to laugh at certain things.

Specifically ... let's party like it is 2012! Yes, you heard it ... I can now order 2012 bikes. Last I checked it was 2011, I think.
Don't get me wrong, I do understand why it is the way it is ... we are an industry that has it's 'high points' in the middle of the year so what good would it do to release new and exciting product in January? While it is understandable it still makes me laugh, just a bit, each year when we get the nod to start ordering 2012 bikes.

In my quest to not use a car, if at all possible, I am making great strides. While the weather has given me a bit of a mental beat down I have managed to 'go by bike' almost every single trip I have made that is less than 40 km. In the interest of adding a little bit of challenge and vastly increasing my carrying capacity I added a Croozer cargo trailer to my errand running. While it has had a bit of a learning curve (pulling groceries up the Eramosa hill is pretty funny) the satisfaction of being able to do it all in one trip AND by bike is more than worth it.

http://www.sharetheroad.ca/guelph-summit-s14285
Have I mentioned this before? Yeah, I have. And you should go.
In my humble opinion, the more active we are as a community the healthier the community is. The healthier the community is the better it functions ... right? Right. By foot, by bike, by bus or simply by doing front rolls the whole way to work ... there are better ways than a single user automobile and this is the place to discuss. So register and learn. Because learning is good.
As a note related to this summit I believe I have seen more people than ever commuting or running errands by bike. Warms my heart, it truly does!

Have a great day everyone,

Tim.

How to start your day ...

2011-05-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

I awoke today feeling a little less than chipper. I can't really explain why but there was a little grey cloud over my head as I made my coffee and extracted my muffins from the muffin holding zone (miniature muffins to be precise, I like to have my day start as cute and tiny as possible...). I proceeded to then dress and drag myself out the back door when ... BAM.

The sun was rising over our walnut tree and the sky was alive with colours. Yes, I have seen many sunrises and sunsets (potentially I could have witnessed over 10'500 ...) but I never cease to be amazed by the colours produced and the results it can produce in myself. Almost immediately my mood changed ... my step lightened and I was glad to extract my bicycle from the bicycle holding zone (soon to be named the 'service course'). And away I rolled with a big dumb looking grin on my face. I spun easily down the street with my head full of positive, happy thoughts.

Thanks sun, you turned my day around quite smartly.

Recently in the store we received a bit more in terms of rain gear from Sierra Designs. Nice jackets (85$) and pants (55$) that will help you in the case of a sudden downpour. Not cycling specific but very nice for cycling in (they do not have the drop tail so for extra long road rides/mountain rides it might not be the best choice) and around town. If not looking like you just got off a bike is what you have in mind ... well, they suit that just nicely.

We have Helmet Hero HD cams in stock as well as a plethora of the small parts you might be needing. Extra mounts, LCD screens, batteries, battery packs and more.
The day before Paris to Ancaster Mike had one of these bad boys strapped to his bike so he could shoot some footage for aspiring local film maker Malkie Bow. Of course I couldn't leave it alone so I took some footage of my giant head from REALLY close up... well, when we saw it on the computer screen I was amazed at the quality of the camera and disturbed by my face close up. So, note to self, HD cameras a few inches from the face do NOT produce wonderful pictures.

And the weather. It is awesome. Go enjoy it.

And don't forget to register for the Guelph Active Community summit!
https://secure.newsportmedia.com/en/sharetheroad/module/Events/action/Index/eventsID/118/

Have a great day!

Tim.

Wednesday night group ride success!

2011-05-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

I would consider last nights 'learn to ride/skills ride/no one left behind ride' a real success with about 15 people in attendance and a great showing from the more experienced members of the club to assist in teaching and leading the group. The only failure was my complete inability to snap a picture ... even though I spent the whole ride thinking "wow, another great photo opportunity". Sigh.

For the ride we chose the Guelph lake loop as it is 30km in length and just oh so convenient to get to from the shop. At the start we split the group into those who had participated in group rides and those who hadn't, with those who hadn't getting a little instruction on the importance of drafting, being steady and not doing anything sudden when in a group. And how did my group do? Amazing. How did the group ahead do? From all appearances ... amazing.
In general the atmosphere was nice and social and the pace was suitable for all of the people present with some having to work a bit harder and some (like 'Big Ring' Gabhan Chalmers) working a little bit less. Can we improve for next week? For sure!

My thoughts on making next week better would be, now that we have ridden as a group and gotten the first ride out of the way, would be to focus a bit more on road awareness and safety. As per usual with an early group ride there is a tendency to swarm on the road a bit and when the road points down there is a tendency to go as fast as you can ... yellow line and other side of the road be damned. I personally would like to see the group maintaining a strict two abreast, as close to the side of the road as possible, with no swarming or bunching thus allowing traffic to flow by unimpeded. I'd say that Steve could start handing out yellow line violations but I fear that he would have racked up the most fines himself ... haha.

That said, I have been on Tuesday and Thursday rides and those exact things can be said about those rides as well. I feel that, as a whole, cyclists have to pay more attention to their surroundings ... because their surroundings can be a couple tons of fast moving metal! As well, if we expect vehicular traffic to give us the respect we deserve I would say that we have to give them respect as well and make it so that they can safely pass the group without fearing for our/their safety. Respect is a two way street .... oooh. Lame. I know. Anyways, sorry ... slightly rantish without the intention of being a rant. Call me safety officer Tim if you must.

In other super fantastic news Tim Crosby is making huge progress in his work with PTRA so if you want to follow his progress ... http://puslinchrec.blogspot.com/.

Lastly, don't forget to register for the Guelph Active Communities summit. Active communities are healthy communities and healthy communities are ... well ... healthy. And isn't that a priority? Be sure to check out the link and then register so you can go and get your learn on.

Okay, that's all for today. Group rides? Check. Puslinch Tract awesomeness? Check. Active Communities Summit? Check.

Tim.

In between deluges ...

2011-04-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

I have managed to get out and ride my new CAAD10. I went on a great ride with some great people on Good Friday and logged about 105 kms. We took in Sydenham and of course, Domestique for coffee.
Now that I have about 300-400 kms of road under the tyres of the new bike I feel I can give a more thorough evaluation.

The ride is much smoother than previous aluminum bikes that I have had (whether cyclocross or road), remarkably smooth for the frame material and what you tend to 'expect' out of aluminum. The CAAD10 is smooth but not quite as smooth, over all surfaces, as last years Trek Madone 6.5. What do I mean by smooth?
The small cracks in the road that are caused by the expansion/contraction and frost heaving (think College across the Hanlon before they repaved it ... thunk thunk thunk thunk) are muted and much less pronounced ... the CAAD10 takes an edge off of those knocks, again, not quite as much as the carbon Madone. Does it cause me concern? No, not at all. It softens it up enough that I know they are there but they aren't jarring at all.
Chip tar roads and dirt roads have a tendency to create a constant 'buzz' up a frame and it is here that the CAAD10 really impresses. While it doesn't take the edge off the larger bumps as well as my reference bike (Madone 6.5) it does soak up the low level, constant imperfections amazingly well ... to the point I would say it is very close to the carbon bike. It doesn't get skitterish (like a young foal some would say...) when it is put under pressure on less than ideal surfaces.

Now ... to be entirely honest I am riding a pair of Shimano RS-80 wheels with carbon reinforced rims. Technically this should improve ride quality over a standard set of aluminum rims (which is what I typically rode on the Madones) so that should be accounted for. But when I say this, I don't believe it is taking away from the CAAD10 ... it is just showing that an intelligent parts selection can create an amazing bike. What you save on the frame/fork can be put into a higher end set of wheels?!

Performance wise I believe the CAAD10 is very close if not equal to the Madone. When I put power into the pedals the bike drives forward with a solid and confident feel. When I wrench on the handlebars (trying my darnedest to keep up to a certain redhead) I feel no flex in the front end. In fact, the more I pull on the bars, the more I can surge forward. Sure, that might seem obvious, call me Captain Obvious, but there are quite a few bikes I have tried/ridden that required a gentler touch on the handlebars. I certainly feel I can pull on the bars with reckless abandon in this situation ... it might help I have buggy whips for arms but, c'est la vie!

Component wise I do have one beef. The Dura-ace shifters should be paired with the matching front derailleur, not the Ultegra version. There is a noticeable shift quality difference, in the front end, when down spec'ing the front derailleur to Ultegra. We had encountered this on a repair earlier in the season ... when using the DA/Ultegra combo there is a noticeable "shift-hold" to get into the big ring that isn't present in the DA/DA combo.That said ... not a big deal to switch that over and perhaps not noticeable the bigger and stronger your hands are. Refer to previous comment about buggy whips to ascertain my general strength.

So, do I love the new bike? Indeed I do. I will give more info as I try to put some decent miles on come May. When I get to 1000-2000 kms I will try to create a nice and thorough review. And I'll do my best to avoid using 'vertically compliant' ...

Have a great day,

Tim

HEY! It smells like worms out there ...

2011-04-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

Yep, it smells like worms outside.

Why do you care? Well with the 'up and down' weather we have been experiencing at the hands of a pissed off Mother Nature I figure that the smell of worms equates to at LEAST warmer weather. Right? Right? Agree with me, please.

So the weather has put a bit of a damper on my early morning or early evening riding ... I'm just not feeling that tough this year and can't force myself out into low single digit temperatures with rain for 'training' rides. But while it has hurt my recreational riding, importantly it hasn't completely hurt my commitment to doing everything I possibly can by bike. I will admit that, for safety reasons, this past weekend didn't see all errands done by bike ... the horizontal snow and 1 meter visibility was, I believe, a fairly valid excuse. Soft? Yeah ... I know.

Speaking of commuting (and touring) we just received a really big box that replenished our Arkel pannier supply (okay, it was the stuff inside that box that replenished the supply, not the box itself). Hand made in Canada and bomb proof (these beauties are a life time investment) the Arkel line of panniers are quite possibly the best you can get on the market. Perhaps the best part of dealing with Arkel is that when you call to place an order and something is back ordered ... the person taking the order can essentially turn around in their chair and yell at someone in production to inquire as to when the product will be ready. No waiting for containers ... or suppliers in other countries ... or border crossings. Nope, it is in house. They MAKE things. Awesome.

Switching gears (ha, I'm hilarious) a bit I want to talk about an amazing customer Evan and I were helping yesterday. Sam has been spinning for about a year now and it has been a factor in creating HUGE changes in his life. The man exudes energy and is just so positive about his experience with spinning that he is ready to jump on the road and heat up the pavement. His motivation and desire to get fitter and stronger was so evident I couldn't help but grin like an idiot the entire time ... it was such a pleasure to help him. There are very few things that make my day like seeing the positive effect that cycling can have on a person.

And that is that. Have a great day, the sun is on its way. I promise!

Tim.

Share the Road and the Guelph Summit...

2011-04-13T02:59:00.000-07:00

To be entirely honest, when I sort of fell into the line of work that I am in (co-owner of a bike shop) I felt for a while that perhaps I wouldn't be able to accomplish the things that I truly wanted to accomplish. These were passions that had been kindled by travelling and that what I had wanted to do so badly during university.

You see, I had this dream of being an environmental crusader, a soil scientist extraordinaire. I wanted to single handedly stamp out soil erosion (about which I am still passionate) something that I believe is going to rear its head and be a huge problem in the near future. I had dreams that slowly ... day by day ... got stamped out by the realities of the world. When it came time to try for a masters degree I was working at the shop (as much as possible) and writing proposals for funding ... all the while wondering how I could fit the most hours at the shop possible into my life while pursuing higher education. Well ... funding rejection stings and at the same time I was finding out about that door closing, the opportunity to increase my presence at the shop was another door opening. And with that I started the trajectory I am now on.
The interesting retrospective view is that while I was thinking about pursuing more education all that I could think about was how I could work at the shop. And I can tell you that not once when I was at the shop did I ever think about how I could make it to the library to study ... haha.

When I became Cosmos partner I didn't put alot of thought into my underlying dreams of somehow 'changing the world'. The soil scientist dreams had been brutally stamped out over the course of a few months proposal struggles and quite frankly I was enamored with shiny bikes, training for racing and I was overwhelmed with the prospects of increased responsibility.
As I adjusted to the change in my life and focused all of my attention on the shop my mind began to question what I was doing. "Retail? How can you change things for the better through retail?" was a common line of thought. This didn't reduce my passion for my job it just provided a bit of a reminder of where I wanted to go with my life. Honestly, I waffled on these thoughts because a large part of me knew that if I could make cycling as accessible as possible and help people enjoy cycling as much as possible then I was making positive change. In my head I knew that, and was pleased by it, so I kept plugging away at trying to make cycling as ... easy ... for people as possible.

And then we went to Trek World. I had been to Trek World before but this time it was different. All of a sudden Trek was standing on their soap box yelling about advocacy, telling us over and over again that we can make huge changes by working at the community level. And lights went off ... and positive thoughts filled my head. We (Cosmo and I) realized that we can help make the world a bit better by helping people in our community live better lives. So Cos and I sat down and hashed out a plan by which I would plug away learning more about the shop and he would use his experience and contacts and get more active in the community. Together we could try and help make Guelph a 'cycling paradise' in Southern Ontario.

So where am I going with this? Well, it has been a few years since then and Cosmo has been active on numerous committees and groups, all with the goal of making 'active transport' a viable alternative for the majority of Guelphs citizens. And the fruits of that labour?

Cosmo turned on the networking skills and in his travels ran into the human dynamo that is Eleanor McMahon, the woman behind www.sharetheroad.ca . If you haven't met this woman ... you should. Inspirational? Doesn't even start to explain her. Cos stuck with the various committees and before they knew it a great group of people had formed and the Guelph Active Communities Summit was well on its way to being a reality. I am sure there is more to it than just that but ... since I am not Cosmo I can't regale you with tales of meetings and discussions. Sorry!

The logical next question is then, what is this Active Communities Summit you?
Simply put (and taken directly from the website) it is an opportunity ... "to learn how other communities have successfully influenced their culture, economy and built environment by adopting Active Transportation principles, policies and guidelines."

Really then, how can anyone not want to be there?

Registration will be available soon so be sure to register for an event where you can learn how we can all work to make Guelph a more livable city!

Have a great day,

Tim.

Will power and ... A SALE!

2011-04-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

First off, I'll deal with the important stuff. We are having a spring sale event. The sale is called Trek Fest and ... as you can probably guess it is a sale that will feature alot of Trek and Bontrager products. Hybrids, 3 series and 4 series bikes are on sale as are bottle cages, tyres, saddles, computers and a whole lot more. In fact, I spent a large part of today staring into a computer screen inputting sale prices. I guess I shouldn't complain as the snow WAS blowing sideways today. Ugh.

The sale is running from April 6th (tomorrow) until the 9th (Saturday) and there will be, as of tomorrow, plenty of pricing information up on our website.

Head over to www.speedriver.com for pricing info.

Going back to the last post where I pronounced my commitment to doing EVERYTHING (that is physically possible) by bike ... I have already needed to delve deep into the suitcase of willpower. Okay, not that deep but, it has been mildly trying already.

For example, after a pleasant ride with my wonderful wife on Sunday we realized I needed to get a few grocery items and I needed to get my cross bike back from the shop. Easiest solution post ride? Hope in the car and drive down to place bike in car and then proceed to grocery store for ... well, groceries. That is the easiest solution especially considering I was a bit tired and just wanted to sit my butt down.

But, having proclaimed my intentions, I put my walking shoes down and went down to the shop, grabbed the bike and then did my errands via bike.

Now, I'm not writing this down with the intention of having someone say 'wow Tim, you are fantastic' because, quite frankly, I know there is nothing special about it. It is more that I am acknowledging how difficult it can be to stick to your guns.

So, we will see how the summer goes ... I'm sure as soon as the wind, snow, sleet and hail die down (although I really do love commuting in that weather) my city miles will climb considerably.

Have a great week and enjoy the sun!

Tim.

Focus ...

2011-03-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Having focus is a good thing. Being able to choose a goal, hone in on it and then see it through to completion is an admirable trait and something that I struggle with ... daily? To be more accurate I don't so much struggle with the 'honing' (is that a word? is that spelled correctly?) and/or seeing it through portion. I struggle with the goal selection process.

I struggle with goal selection because I want to accomplish so many darn things that I cannot pick a few and try to narrow the focus. I could try and blame society and technology for my lack of skill in goal setting ... as the interweb and popular culture is always throwing enticing images my way, but that would be shifting blame. If I realize I have this problem, and have done nothing to rectify the situation, then I don't have anyone to blame but myself.

So, what exactly am I getting at here? What I am getting at is that I have been trying to pick a cycling goal this year ... a goal to drive myself towards. And I have been struggling.
For the past couple of years it has been pretty simple ... get faster on two wheels. But with the potential of something that will cut into my free time substantially looming (yes, looming ominously even) I have had to realize that 'getting faster' is going to have to wait until another day. So, I have languished somewhat in a (in terms of cycling/fitness goals) netherworld of goallessness (sp?) for the past 6 months or so. Today though, today I decided my goal.

And it is simple. Do everything that I possibly can, by bike (or foot, contrary to popular belief I am not opposed to using them for propulsion). Groceries? Bike. Appointments? Bike. Visits to family? Bike. Work? Bike.
Now, one might wonder if that means in the past I was prone to driving to run errands, see family etc.. to which I would reply, not really. The catch is that while I did the large majority of things by bike, if I had 'trained' hard and was seriously depleted I often felt the need for 'recovery'. So I might be tempted to forgo the bike across town, in the rain/wind/hail, for groceries and I might have taken the path of least resistance and ... driven a car.
But this year I have no speed illusions or real training aspirations. I won't be going on rides with prescribed intervals and then worrying about how much recovery I am getting. No, I have aspirations to use my trusty steed(s) to help me accomplish my daily life. And having read somewhere that it is easier to stick to your goals if you make them public ... well, there it is.

So, we will see. My first 'mission' of sorts is to go pick up a selection of locally raised meats from a farm located outside of town later this week. I am going to attach a trusty cargo trailer to my 'cross bike and I will get my meat by bike. As well I have some empties (of the adult persuasion) which must go back for refund so I plan on killing some proverbial birds with a single proverbial stone.

And that, is that. Goal #1. And who knows ... while I had a thought that I might ride a bit less this summer (in preparation of looming/ominous/event) it might all just work out that I get a few more miles under my belt.

Have a great day and look forward to a return to seasonal temperatures and not having your tears freeze your eyelashes shut as you ride to work!

Tim.

Days are getting longer...

2011-03-24T04:07:00.001-07:00

After mother nature dumped on our parade I am dedicated to staying positive. Why? Because it is bound to end/go away quickly. And because, quite frankly, we were behind on our renovations/moving/making our network not terrible project and the snow was, gasp, a blessing in disguise?!? Another day or two of organizing and we will be on BOTH of our feet and running ... which is exciting.

The mike d. and co. are currently down in SC/NC (depending on the days route I guess?!) where by all accounts it is 20+ degrees and sunny as can be. Great to hear, and hopefully the inaugural "let's take the mountain bikes with us" went off without a hitch!

In the shop we are on top of repairs with a mid week turnaround of approx. 2 days. A quick warranty tune or flat fix can (under most circumstances) be accommodated immediately. I have heard from a lot of customers that they are trying to beat the rush ... and they have so far. But for how long? Only mother nature can tell us that! Moral of the story? Get in asap because even though we are dedicated to a max. 3 day turnaround (and we will absolutely bury our selves trying to make it happen) things do go crazy.

The road bike section had been expanded and we have a great selection of Trek and Cannondale bikes in stock. Of particular note is the 105 level carbon synapses. Beautiful!! The Lexa SLX (womens 105 level road bike) has been the runaway success so far. Great looking, awesome spec and solid price.

We still have a few sensational (haha, yeah, I'm using sensational) deals left on 2010 bikes and product. Blackburn pumps are 50 percent off and disappearing quick ...

As for myself ... I'm sitting on the trainer right now. After a winter of not really riding (aside from groceries and commuting) the two rides I went on with my wife last week highlighted my bodies lack of familiarity with efforts over 30 minutes. So ... I'm going to do some token training so that maybe, just maybe I'll hang onto the group come the beginning of group ride season. Hopefully.

Okay, time to sweat to the oldies. Have a great day!

Tim
tim@speedriverbicycle.com
Speed River Bicycle
135 Wyndham St. North
Guelph, ON, Canada
519-824-9371

Here she comes ...

2011-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, the season is almost here. I was walking down the street briskly when I realized ... hey, it is beautiful and the sun is warm. So, I proceeded to dawdle as I moved down the street trying to absorb the maximum amount of sunlight possible prior to heading back in doors. I might take a few minutes out front later as well. Living large? Yes.

Changes. They are almost finished and I am excited as all get out. The reaction to the floor changes at the store have been positive and I really think they have improved the 'flow' of the shop (if you are all feng shui-y and stuff) and made it easier to navigate what we've got. A few mirrors are called for with the most exciting being the giant (or somewhat large) fitting mirror, which in conjunction with the raised fitting box, will create a really nice fitting area. I will hang my disturbingly over priced fitting tools on the wall and VOILA!
Bikes. Had some wonderful ladies in the store this weekend and they were looking at the new Cannondale Synapse's (Synapsees? Synapsis?) which are just gorgeous. A sleeper hit last year I was smart (I can manage that every so often) and brought in a few more options, particularly at that 105 level.
We have broken out most of our hybrids and have them built up. In particular the 7.5 fx w/ discs is screaming out to me. Add on a set of nice fenders and you have a world class commuting/grocery/town machine. This one is missing the obviously integral rear rack but ... I'm sure it will get there. A kickstand wouldn't be a bad idea either...

Lastly, just for laughs, check out this awesome picture of our head mechanic Michael Dennis wrapped in the luxury of giggles O'Reilly's winter jacket.

Good times.

Have a great day and enjoy the weather!

Tim.

Intentions ...

2011-03-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

I have the best intentions. I constantly intend to write something informative and witty on this blog but, alas, life seems to get in the way. The result is ... not much going on here.

So what has been going on here at Speed River Bicycle? TONS.

We had a sale and it was a ton of fun. It was really great seeing faces we hadn't seen since fall. The excitement about the impending cycling season was palpable as well (yeah, that's right, I used the word palpable) and has resulted in me being even more excited about the rides that are on the way.

We did some renovations. I am pondering posting some terrible cell phone photos but in all honesty it is best seen in person. And to be clear ... no, we are not blocking Mike away from the people, we simply created a bit of a viewing area so you could all see the mechanic in his natural habitat. It is pretty fascinating.

We have received a ton of new product (and apparently there is more to come) that I am really excited about. The new Ice Breaker cycling gear has got me itching to get out as does the new helmet offerings from Giro and Bell.
The decision was made to stock some lefty equipped bikes this year and it has been a little bit of field of dreams situation ... if you build it, they will come! Lefty equipped 29ers ... awesome.
Skis are put away ... snowshoes are done and the winter clothing is as low as it will go.

Anddddd ... that's all folks. I'm going to endeavor to take a few nice photos of the new shop set up for the blog ... I hope.

tim.

This coming weekend ...

2011-02-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

This coming weekend we will be having a grand sale. It will run March 4th through 6th (yes, the 6th IS a Sunday and we will be open, just for this sale) and in our typical fashion we will be slow to put it all away because this coming weekend is usually the start of the 'busy' season. Now, I will present the ad that is going to run this week in the local papers ...

Now, for honesty. This isn't the EXACT ad that will run. I have made some changes ... but since I had previously saved this one as a .gif file and that is the type of image that blogger likes, it is what I put up. So there.

And this is no rinky dink sale. We have some great product that is going to be at fantastic prices. You might ask ... why would you have so much great product to put on sale? To which I would reply ... I make mistakes. Yes, it is true. I make mistakes.

If a product is selling well I have a tendency to keep it in stock, imagine that. Sometimes that products 'season' or 'window' will close and I will be left with too much of that stock.

Sometimes I order the wrong thing for our market. A product that I (or an employee/sales rep/ouija board) like doesn't always end up selling well.

And sometimes we just forget that something exists and it languishes in the basement until this time of year (yeah, reallllll professional!).

Anyways, we've got good stuff on sale and I make mistakes. That is the general gist of this post.

And with that, I am done. Have a great rest of your Sunday!

tim.

Coldest ski ever ...

2011-02-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to, for what might be the the last time this year, ski on the weekend and it was a blast. With the recent rain/flash freeze the conditions were faster than I have ever experienced and as a result it was almost like learning how to ski all over again. My buggy whips (read: arms) could barely keep up and as a result I don't know if they actually added any power to the skiing. And while I hoped the fast conditions would make the hills ridiculously easy I was dismayed to learn that when you lose momentum on a hill ... you slide back quite a bit faster than if the conditions were slower.
I would be remiss to not mention that I had actually braved the conditions yesterday and both my wife and I did manage to ski for a solid hour. While it might not have been too bad around here it was a chilly -20 (-29 w/ windchill) up in Parry Sound and that, that was cold.
All in all this years skate skiing experience was fantastic. It allowed me to have something to really look forward to on the weekends and made me look forward to the wintery conditions.

Looking forward it appears we are getting a ton of sun and a peak at temperatures above zero. As a pre-emptive move I have put the slicks back on the cross bike and made sure the cleaning supplies are ready and at hand. I have a feeling I will be trading the skis for the bike in the very near future.

In the store we have some great prices on fall/winter apparel and gear ... prices that are only going to get sweeter. Coming up on the first weekend of March we have our annual spring sale. Garage Sale, 'why go to the bike show' sale, Spring Blowout Sale ... call it what you may it is going to be great. We are already getting the product ready and it should end up even better than last years. So keep your eyes peeled (ouch) because more info will be coming soon.

Have a great day,

tim.

Things are brewing ...

2011-02-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

We have alot of things brewing and going on at Speed River Bicycle.

Firstly, we are going to have a day that is going to push through 0 degrees. What does that mean? Well, to me, since it is February that means prepping the cross bike for an excursion! I've been pretty soft this season and instead of doing epic winter rides towards Belwood and beyond I have either skied or ... walked? The commuter bike has seen alot of action but the cross bike hasn't been put through the paces like years past so, while I can hear is softly sobbing in the garage, it won't be long before it gets a bit of action.
In the store that means we have brought almost all of our 2010 bikes up out of the basement and are getting them lined out on the floor and price to go. Road, mountain, hybrid, electric ... lots of choice!

Because we had a great January and February our ski selection has been decimated so we are offering 25% off any remaining poles, skis, boots and bindings. Doesn't have to be a package ... can be a pair of poles or a pair of boots.

With the bike show on the horizon we are prepping for our biggest sale of the year. Bikes, accessories, clothing, skis, snowshoes and pretty much anything else that we carry in the store. We need to make room for the 2011 product so, as per last year, we will have a 3 day extravaganza of savings (like that? cheesy ... I know) so you can get some great deals at the start of the season.

2011 Ice Breaker clothing is on the way (cycling jerseys and shorts!), 2011 Sugoi will be arriving soon as will the remainder of our 2011 Trek and Cannondale bikes.

In short ... the cycling season is a few short weeks away and we are prepped and ready. Are you?

Tim.

It was quite silly ...

2011-02-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

In the interest of keeping my commuter bike 'relatively' rust and corrosion free I have decided to leave it outside, permanently. It stays out of the garage at home and it lives out back of the store when I bring it to work. Lo and behold ... the technique has worked. No melting of the snow delays the reaction of the salt on the frame/chain/wheels and leaves her relatively unharmed. So, I thought I was pretty smart. Until yesterday.

Out back of the shop we have a drain spout from the eaves/roof of the building. When the sun shines it pours water out and creates a really nice ice ... pile. As I went to leave the bike outside yesterday I noticed the nice convenient pile of ice and decided to lean my bike, conveniently, against said ice pile. Notice how sunny it was yesterday? Well, when I came out and was ready to head home I was forced to wrench the bike off of the ice pile. No biggie ... except that the entire bike was covered in a centimetre thick layer of ice. A few seconds of rim/brake pad cleaning and I felt it was moderately safe to get me the 1.6 kilometres home.

And it was safe enough ... it just weighed substantially more as I slogged up Eramosa hill. And my feet didn't really click into the pedals as I had sort of forgotten to clean those out. And the handlebars were solid ice which was a bit slippy ... and I didn't really want to sit down on a solid sheet of ice either.
But I made it home safe and sound and I learned a lesson. Do not leave your bike under running water in the winter. Yep. What a lesson.

In the store ... we are cleaning, prepping, organizing and planning. The season typically hits right around the time of the Toronto bike show which is the first weekend of March. So time is moving quickly and we've got lots of work to do!

Have a great day, get out and ski!

Tim.

Yesterday, we acted like children ...

2011-01-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

It is winter, in a bike shop. So while the ski season has been great the days are admittedly a bit less busy than say ... a day in May or June. Just a bit. Add to that we are in the planning stages of some renovations and the majority of spring stock has been received. This can lead to a slight drop in 'busyness' that results in the employees at Speed River Bicycle getting a little wierd by the time 530 rolls around. For example, last night I thought Tim was out back taking the garbage to the curb ... and then I heard shovelling.

"Why would Tim be shovelling out back?" is the question that I asked myself. Being the type of individual who might be a bit nosy, I took a look. Lo and behold my commuter bike is on the ground and Tim is gleefully throwing shovels of snow over it. Great. I shake my head and retreat into the warmth of the store ... already plotting his demise.

Not one to back down from rising to the challenge I, with the assistance of the devious Mike, grab a stick of V40 grip wax and a drill operated buffer. 3 applications of grip wax and a whole lot of buffing later, Tims saddle is a bit ... grippier than before and no worse for wear. You could hardly even tell it had been 'tuned'. But by the time he was leaving I was questioning my revenge of choice, questioning if it would really do anything at all. To the uncovered hand it didn't feel like I had done much and when he was carrying it upstairs ... he hadn't noticed a thing.

Around 640pm I receive a message from Tim "Whatever it was that you did to my saddle caused me to get a wedgie when I tried to scootch forward". Success. The next morning Tim also reveals that when he tried to slide back, to remove said 'wedgie' his pantaloons had a tendency to want to slide off. Even better.

So that's all I have. Tim buried my bike, I waxed his saddle. We both laughed. In the theme of the last post ... I love winter!

Tim.

The excitement builds ...

2011-01-22T05:27:00.000-08:00

First off ... I have had a fantastic winter, perhaps the best winter I have had in many, many years. This 'fantastic' winter has all come about from a change of attitude (cue groaning and apprehension about new age mumbo jumbo) about how I view the winter. While I have always enjoyed winter it has always been to a ... lesser degree (he he he)? Winter has been viewed as that stumbling block to silky smooth roads and beautiful singletrack stretching for miles. It has always been here, so I made do and got along with it, but I don't think I embraced it (can you tell I'm not a hockey player?).

This year, full embrace. I decided that 5-6 months was too long of a time to feel lukewarm about something so I would convince myself that I indeed loved it. I purchased a new set of skate skis, I built up an ultra impractical winter commuter and I repeated my winter love mantra to myself over and over and over and over.

And it worked. I skied more than ever (and have loved every second of it), I joined a gym to do 'something different', I went on frequent walks which involved nothing more than getting out and having your face freeze a bit and lastly I cut back on the trainer miles. Cut back on the trainer miles? Sacrilege, or just a way to stay positive? For me, excessive trainer miles (which I could be said to have participated in ...) had me constantly thinking about the spring and the summer thus, in a way, relegating winter to a second class citizen. So I cut back. As well, I am back to commuting/riding around the city at levels that I was at when I attended university and it is FUN!

So where am I going with this? Oh right ... while I have great love for winter, and while this might be the coldest stretch of the year, I can sense the tide is turning. The constant flood of new road bikes into the store has started me thinking about spring. Tim's talk about the future of Twin Ponds has me pondering how I can suck less on a mountain bike ... plus seeing all the new Cannondale MTBs in the shop isn't helping. Everyone who trains is ramping up the training and starting to plan out the years competitions.
In essence I am now straddling a wonderful line of enjoying the crap out of the winter and getting really excited for the impending cycling season.

What a wonderful place to be ...

Tim.

Looking at stuff ...

2011-01-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

So Cosmo and I went to the big city today. You might ask (or you might not ... but I'll assume you will) why would we venture to Toronto? And if you were asking that question I would simply reply 'to see awesome new icebreaker product'.

We spent 4 some odd hours going over the 2011 F/W line and it is ... fantastic! More colours, fit adjusted where it needed adjusting and one whole heck of a lot of great. That's right. One whole heck of a lot.

I know I have said how much I like icebreaker before and if possible, I like it more now. Why? Let me list the ways ...
a) ethics ... from sourcing of the material to creation of the product it is done in the most sustainable and ethical way possible.
b) fit ... the fit is second to none.
c) quality ... the quality of the garments is incredibly high. I have been working my butt off trying to wear stuff out ... not happening.
d) a new cycling line. Wool cycling line you say? Just wait to see it I say ...

I have more. But I'll leave it at that.
In other shop news we are receiving new Cannondales on a daily basis. Flash 29ers, Flash HT's and beautiful CAAD 10 road bikes. We also have a few new 4 series Madones we need to get built up to show ... and I believe it is only a short period of time before the 2 series Speed Concepts make their way into the store. All. Very. Exciting.

It really feels like in no time at all we'll be outside rolling around in sun and warmth ... Really. I'm serious.

Have a great day,

Tim
tim@speedriverbicycle.com
Speed River Bicycle
135 Wyndham St. North
Guelph, ON, Canada
519-824-9371

Winter commuting ...

2011-01-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

Winter commuting is, as Tim C. would say, totally b.a. Tim would say that and I would whole heartedly agree with him.

There is something incredibly satisfying about riding around town and seeing people huddled and shivering by the bus stop. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying seeing others shiver makes me happy. I am saying that there is a certain satisfaction in having made the right choice for myself. Get pedalling, build up some heat and you are warmer than you will ever be standing by a bus stop.

Winter commuting does entail a certain amount of preparation and equipment.

Shoes/Boots are a huge part of the equation and I have two ways of tackling the elements. 90% of the time I ride my mountain bike spd style pedals with Shimano MW80 winter cycling shoes. When the weather gets just too crazy I slap the flat pedals on, break out the knee high Kamik winter boots and attack the weather head on. 'Crazy' refers to ultra icy or knee deep snow, conditions which require me being able to put my foot down instantly.
For the pant situation you want a nice water proof shell that is made for cycling. If the pant isn't made for cycling you may find them too short, too baggy in the wrong places and that they aren't reinforced on the inside of the ankle and therefore they get chewed up by the crank. Personally I like the Sugoi Majik shell pant. Three way stretch, taped seams and a good fit.
Under the pants ... well, that is up to you my friend. I like to layer with various Icebreaker wool undergarments to keep me toasty. Most days, with the heat I generate from riding, a single 260 weight pair of Icebreaker leggings are more than enough (paired of course with some Icebreaker socks). The ultra short work commute typically sees me sling the shell pants over a pair of jeans. Not the most comfortable or the warmest but, it is a short commute so it works fine.
My jacket of choice is a Sierra designs shell ... not cycling specific. It is a great water and wind proof shell but it does have the tendency to ride up in the back leaving a bit of a draft where I don't want a draft. A Majik shell jacket, a firewall jacket or any cycling shell with a drop tail is a ideal for commuting.
Tuque, headband, balaclava, sunglasses ... I might not wear them all at once but I will break them all out some time during the year. Some people really like to wear neoprene masks but I find something strangely satisfying about feeling the icy air ravage my hairless chin.
For the hands I go with a light weight pair of gloves and if it gets too cold I through some snowboard shell mitts over it. Simple. I like to have the option of taking off the shell mitt and being able to use my fingers without having them freeze.

And that is what I do for the clothing. For the past 8 or so years that I have commuted through the winter it has been a good system. Each year I learn something new that makes the next year that much better ... such as the year I realized that wearing leather hiking boots only resulted in wet feet and salt saturated leather. Bah.

When I get the energy I will outline my super lazy and simple way to keep the winter beater going.

Have a great day!

Tim.

Hmmm...

2011-01-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

I believe I have written 3 or 4 posts so far and half way through ... pfffft. Out of steam. It isn't that I haven't had anything to write about, it is just that I cannot, for the life of me, write more than a paragraph at a time. I have some ideas, we've had some good times skiing but ... it just doesn't translate into interesting fodder for ye old blog. So, a temporary hiatus was the result.

In the store: We have a Project One promotion going on right now. Head over to the website to get more info. We have some great sale prices on 2010 and 2011 product. For a VERY short period of time Ice Breaker is on sale for 20% while we wait for the Spring line to arrive. Sierra Designs is 30% off and lots of other good stuff.

Things that I like: I am really, really enjoying the Mobility WOD. If you don't know what it is you are entirely missing out. Besides being a hilarious unfiltered human being Kelly Starret is an excellent physio and he is, for free, giving suggestions and tips on how to increase your mobility. In particular he had Levi Leipheimer giving suggestions on how he keeps his hips and legs flexible after a ridiculous amount of time on the bike.

Anyways, do yourself a favour. Head over to http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com for some insight on how to help yourself ... help yourself. Yeah.

And that's about all. Short. Sweet. But to the point.

Tim.

p.s. anyone who calls people 'supple leopards' is awesome in my books

So this is Christmas ...

2010-12-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday and enjoyed time with their family and friends. We have been quite busy at the store and with our families and as a result ... no witty banter to speak of. Sad. I know.

In good news we are having a pretty darn big sale. http://www.speedriver.com to check out what savings can be had.

So, the ad says alot of it. If you check out the website it will give you a bit more of an idea. To be honest though, all of our products aren't available to be seen online (skis, snowshoes and winter products don't show up ... I pay for a cycling catalog and those products aren't so much part of cycling) so I can't provide as much info as I would like. Therefore the only thing to do is stop in and check the deals.

In other good news once the dopiness of the turkey gorge dies off I might find some semblance of wit and intelligence to share with people. Assuming I had that before the turkey I guess ...

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Tim.

Ode to Bob ...

2010-12-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Now, if you know me, you know I don't like to single people out. And, if you know me, you will know that is a bold faced lie. So, moving on from that let us commence with the 'Ode to Bob'.

I'll do a bit of a disclaimer here. Everyone who works here is fantastic and impresses me on a daily basis. I couldn't be more pleased with the guys and girls at the shop. So by having an 'Ode to Bob' I am by no means downplaying the greatness of everyone else ... I am simply saying that Bob does some pretty freaky deaky things that are pretty incredible. If you know me you will know that I am impressed by feats of strength, endurance etc. I find the human body to be an incredible thing and I love to see what crazy things you can make your body do. Anyways, moving on.

So it all started with Bob riding to and from work. 28km each way doesn't seem that much, I know. Some might even call me soft for pretending that it is difficult. 28km, 8hrs + on your feet and a further 28kms is a bit more difficult. Throw in the occasional after work group ride, boot camp or run and you start to realize this Bob guy is a bit different. Top that off with training for marathons on the weekend (he might have been doing it before his ride to work as well ... I have not confirmed that fact) and the such and you begin to question his sanity. So, the riding and working is impressive, I think we can all agree on that. Even more impressive is Bobs attitude towards life. He never stops smiling or having a good word for someone. He is always eager to learn something new or pick up a new skill or just listen patiently to anything you have to say.

I've been being impressed by Bob for quite some time now but two things stick out in my mind at this moment.

#1 - the day Bob ran to work. Yeah, he ran the 28km to work just to see if he SHOULD participate in a marathon he was interested in. I believe he was 'testing' his fitness. He might have worn 3 or 4 layers of compression gear for the rest of the day and wandered around in abandoned flip flops but by NO means does that take away from the glory of the acheivement. It only enhances it!

#2 - he is still commuting to work by bike many days of the week. And, let me tell you, it is cold.

So, in conclusion, Bob is awesome. If you aren't inspired by his attitude, his infectious smile, his ridiculous commitment to exercise and his quest for knowledge ... I don't know what will inspire you.

And that, is that.

Tim.

In the shop ...

2010-12-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, the in the shop run down.

Madones - we have quite a few 2011 models. They are beautiful and are asking to be gazed at. So, get on it and gaze away.

Cannondale - a bunch of the 2011 hardtails have rolled in plus a good sizing of the new CAAD 10's. Honestly the CAAD 10 is something that I am very, very excited about. If you are a privateer (read: average non-sponsored racer) this might be the steed for you.

Trek Dualsports - Dualsports. Think a lighter weight city friendly 29er. Or a flat bar cross bike w/ suspension. This is the ultimate one bike for all purposes bike. Really intelligent design. AND we don't just offer the Trek models ... we are carrying the Cannondale versions (they aren't called dual sports but they are functionally similar).

In terms of non-bike items we have just received the newest version of the NiteRider Minewt 150 & 250. The 150 has 4 settings with Hi being equal to 150 lumens. So, a dollar a lumen because this baddy is 149$. I have the previous generation and I love it ... and quite frankly the new ones kick the crap out of my older version. The 250 has 4 settings as well with Hi being equal to ... you guessed it, 250 lumens. At 199$ I wonder why I got more of the 150 and less of the 250 ... hrmmm.

Oh, and if you want to blind people with the flash setting ... you can accomplish that with these lights. Unbelievable.

And lastly but far from leastly (yep, making up words again) Atlas snowshoes, Fischer Skis and Madshus Skis. Although it would appear we are the only ones to not receive significant snow ... it is coming. So be excited. Winter wonderland here we come!

Have a great week,

tim.

Got the skate skis in, grab a stick of juicy fruit...

2010-12-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

That's right. I went there.

Anyways, we did indeed get our staff order of skate skis in. Tim C., Myself and Rachel all grabbed some new Fischer goodness and I spent a couple of hours yesterday mounting the bindings, scraping and then brushing the base of the skis. That was enjoyable as I haven't done it since last winter so ... good times! I also tromped around the store in my new boots and discussed the possibility of buying some extra tight jeans and wearing them and the boots to our staff dinner. I didn't do it. But the thought was there.

We then hit up Diana's restaurant (very far trip ... took a limo you know!) for a delicious staff dinner. The Vindaloo did not manage to best Tim, Bob and I but it was a bit toasty, in a tasty way. Some delicious wine, some beers and some hilarious conversation. Apparently Rachel was noticing a few other tables giving the a) stink eye or b)I wish I was with those people eye. Either way we had a ton of fun.

And on to today which was the first ski of the season!
Rachel and I worked together on Sunday and, using our superior web skills, noticed that Highlands Nordic was getting some good accumulation. We put our minds together and planned a trip on Monday, deciding that sketchy blowing snow was not going to stop us. Up we went with some of the fine folks from the Universities Nordic team and, well ... the snow almost stopped us. A little bit of a 'driver shuffle' brought yours truly to the wheel and onward we ventured deeper into the maw of the snow storm. We arrived, we dressed, Rachel giggled alot, we skied, Rachel giggled alot and it was entirely one of the best Mondays ever. A huge thanks to our guides and teachers as without them I think Rachel and I might have hurt ourselves flailing uncontrollably through the snow.

And that, is that. A great day and what looks to be some great ski weather on the horizon.

Tim.

Wooo December.

2010-12-01T08:01:00.000-08:00

It is December in Southern Ontario. With this time of year comes my typical thought pattern of 'enough with this wishy washy back and forth crud, let us get on with some real winter weather'. I love fall, I really do but if there is a season that I could request as the shortest, let it be fall. 1 month, maybe 1 1/2 of cool temperatures and aquifer rejuvenating rains. And then ... BAM. Snow. Snow that is at least waist deep. Dreaming I know but ... we are allowed that are we not?

Then ... to continue on my dream theme, we could ski to work. Or snowshoe to work. Yeah, okay, unrealistic but cool.

Lights and shiny things are being put up in the store continuously. We have the festive spirit and it keeps growing and growing. Sale pricing has been established and fancy sale signs have been created. Snowshoes? Check. Skis? Check. Ridiculous pricing on 2010 bikes? Check.

Going back to my theme of challenging yourself and doing what you suck at (to put it bluntly) I have been reading as much as I can about exercise, exercise culture and how we tend to view our bodies. This morning I had the pleasure to fall onto an article by David Katz, M.D. called "Exercise: The fitness paradox in America". In particular there is one line in his article that grabbed me ... "I do very much lament that our culture has not yet cultivated the will to revere the use of body parts in good working order."

Well said sir. Well said.

So, go out and challenge yourself. Enjoy the fact that you have a body that can do simply amazing things. Amaze yourself with it.

Tim.

Holidays on the horizon ...

2010-11-25T10:22:00.000-08:00

Things are bustling at the store as the holiday season approaches. We have taken on a few new projects and are rolling right along trying to get them completed in time for December.

The first, and the one I am most excited about, is our new change room. It has a door. Yes, no more curtain of mystery but a bonafide door that locks. A little bit more spacious as well as fresh paint, new lighting (on the way) and some excellent new mirrors (on the way as well). I think it is a definite change for the better!

The second project was the seasonal window. As we DO have one of the biggest and best windows downtown we felt it was pretty necessary to represent strongly. So, the A-Team, consisting of Monica and Chris (really, no one better...) swung into action and created a pretty spectacular display. I played a minor role in the 'chroming' of the snowflakes ... so if you like them, it is all me. And if they aren't up to snuff ... it was the other Tim.
Seasonal mania also sprang from boxes and bags and draped itself around the store in festive ways. It will be an ongoing project for the next couple of days but it is looking FESTIVE.
Coincidentally I might be downloading the chipmunks holiday album. Might be. I might also be contemplating jumping from a high place before ever getting that. Might be. Your pick.

2011 bikes are being built daily. Jon snapped together a beautiful Cannondale Carbon Synapse 3 w/ an Ultegra build and it looks fantastic. We have a few new Ride + bikes, X-Calibers and dual sports. Exciting times.

More demo sale bikes are up on the website so peruse that for a good deal as well.

And that my friends, is all she (or he) wrote.

Tim.

Oh how my mind wanders when I work on the website ...

2010-11-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

While riding this summer I regaled Bayden (or nattered on ... your choice) about how I wanted to build a service course in my garage. How enamored I am with the perfect workshop ... the rows of wheels, boards of tools and bins of small parts etc... laid out around the shop.

Well, this past weekend saw me get a step further which is interesting because I stopped by Michael Barrys blog and lo and behold ... he has an article concerning workshops.

http://michaelbarry.ca/2010/11/1970s-workshop/

His thoughts seems to mimic mine (or mine mimic his) and although I can definitely remember times spent in the stores shop wanting to throw a bike through a wall or just walk away from it all due to high levels of frustration ... when those feelings subside the romanticism doesn't take long to creep back in and tint my lenses.

Another blog I was reading got me thinking along the lines of what Erik and I used to discuss which was that, sometimes, it seems as if not having skills is okay and the fact that we really don't make anything anymore is alright. We would spend time discussing what we called 'the attack' (an entirely fictitious turn of world events where those with skills and fitness would flourish and so on) and how we would deal with our farcical and ridiculous situations. I know, nonsensical, but it would always get us debating passionately about what skills we wanted most and what we thought was most important.

http://www.roguefitness.com/2010/08/industrial-revolution-2-0/

And don't get me wrong ... I know that turn of the century industry was far from perfect and that there is a strong element of wistful romanticism in my thoughts and those of the above authors. But, is it possible, that a happy mediium of the two worlds is possible and preferable?

Anyways. That's all I've got. Workshops are neat and the ability to work within them is even neater.

Tim.

Tims mustache ...

2010-11-16T06:27:00.000-08:00

I've got to give the guy respect for growing that mustache. I get a little bit ill every time I see it but ... respect for trying. Perhaps it is the fact I couldn't grow a stitch of facial hair even if I tried for a year straight. Who knows? But what I do know is that I need to get a picture of him w/ that blonde monstrosity and make it his new picture for the employee section of the website. THAT is a given.

Riding weather is hanging in there it seems ... which is a good thing. I would like to see it hold out for a bit more and then BAM. Snow. Lots of it. No transitory slush and meh but just a good whack of snow with next to no warning. Sure, it might cause people to be late for work but so would the slush so lets call it a draw and do the snow dance ... next week.

In new bike news Mike D has a SuperX and he loves it. No real surprise that he loves it but I felt it necessary to say something about the fact. Tim C is patiently waiting for his EX 9. Bob ... Bob doesn't have anything new yet but he did ride the Valencia + home to Fergus and back the next morning. Did I mention that Bob ran to work one day as well? Or that he decided to take the gears off of his bike which he rides daily to Fergus and back? Have a I mentioned that Bob makes the rest of us look weak and lazy?

Okay, that is all for this morning. About time to throw on the shoes and head on down to the shop. More ski organizing and planning for the big changes.

Tim

So I was talking skis ...

2010-11-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

And don't think just because it is going to be 13 degrees tomorrow you shouldn't be thinking ahead. The reality is ... winter is on its way folks so you had best be prepared! So, trade up that standard cardboard box that you ended up in because you listened to my TERRIFIC advice and get one of those really nice waxed ones they use for lettuce. That'll work better than you could ever imagine!

Demo bikes are going on sale. I haven't got the header up on the website but when I do, expect some great prices. If you happen to be around the same size as myself and Cos (and most of the other people who work at the shop) you might be able to get yourself a really nice bike at an amazing price. Madone 6.5 (56cm) for 4400$, Madone 5.9 (56cm) for 3100$ and many more (hybrids, full suspension mtb etc..). The pricing and details will be up on the website soon.

Gabhan stopped by today on his new X02 cross bike. I honestly don't think he has gotten off of it since he picked it up ... methinks he might need one of those fancy lettuce boxes soon. Anyways, he was asking for some new routes to ride on the cross bike so I highly recommended hitting up the GORBA trails. If you are like Gabhan and myself (and Mike, Tim and Cos etc...) you have grown up on these trails and while we really love them and appreciate them ... we could draw you a map in our sleep.
Well. Going back to the last posts themes ... try something new. Take the skinny (skinnier) tyres and do some mountain biking. Sure, it is a little bit more jarring and you have to be light on the rocks and roots but there aren't many trails out at Guelph Lake that you can't muscle along on a cross bike. And it opens up a whole new way of riding the trails plus you get the added bonus of heading out for a hard ride on the dirt roads just beyond Mill Rd. Road, rail trail, singletrack, paved road and dirt road. Could it be better? Doubt it.

Okay, that's all for now. After thinking about single track and the cx bike I think I have a pretty darn good idea as to what I am doing tomorrow morning ...

Tim.

Sun ahead ...

2010-11-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

So it appears that we have mild temperatures and sun on the horizon for the coming week. Which is very exciting ... so my recommendation would be to ditch work and go ride your bike. Yes, that might be fiscally irresponsible but you will love yourself so much more for it. Seriously.
Even when you are perhaps living in a cardboard box down by the river you will still be thinking to yourself "Man, that Tim guy, he really changed my life for the better!". So, just think about it.

Today is the day where we start moving the shop around and making way for the skis. This, as well, is the year that I dive full on into the world of skate skiing. I have decided that trying new things and sucking at it is actually a whole lot of fun. For example, while going back to mountain biking is not a 'new thing', I definitely sort of suck at it and it makes it all the more fun. I have taken up jogging (some people might call it running but, I'm not really anywhere near running speeds) and let me tell you, not only do I look goofy but I'm pretty terrible at it. It is something my body doesn't seem to like to do for long distances ... so, I challenge myself by constantly trying to get better at it.
The skate skiing, is in all likelihood, going to be more of the same type of thing. A zombie like shuffle and slide across the snow followed by intense snow plowing and amazing yard sales on the slightest of declines. Yep, I am truly excited for the snow. If you happen to want a good laugh just find out when I am going on my first ski adventure.

Anyways, the point of all of that? Just highlighting that branching out and trying something you aren't that great at can be a ton of fun. That is my theme for the winter and I hope it will make this one of the most enjoyable winters as of yet.

In other shop news I believe that every employee will now officially feel nauseous upon hearing the words 'year end inventory'. The upside is that this only happens once a year.

And lastly, our intrepid mountain bike enthusiast, Tim Crosby is going to be holding a small demo at the GORBA trailhead. He will have our Fuel EX 9.8, a Superfly 100, Intense Tracer, Intense Spider and his own Top Fuel. I believe he is operating on an RSVP basis so if you are interested give the shop a call today and see what's up.

And that is all she wrote.

Tim.

November ...

2010-11-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

Yep, Captain obvious I am. It is indeed November.

For the shop that brings fiscal year end which for Cosmo involves sitting in the ~~oxygen deprivation chamber~~ office and fixing up mistakes that I might have made all year. For the rest of us it has meant counting/labeling/organizing every single product in the store. While it is obviously useful and beneficial ... and at times interesting, especially when you find random weird products such as velcro paired gloves and bartape, it is tedious.

What is exciting is that with the inevitability of winter we have already started to see snow. And with snow comes the skis and the snowshoes which is pretty exciting. A nice change of pace and a good way to keep your fitness up while enjoying the outdoors.

So, that is what the beginning of November brings to the shop. The end of October brought a staff ride courtesy of 'the organizer' as I will now call Tim Crosby. See, the difference between Tim Crosby and the rest of us is that when he comes up with an idea/plan to be social ... he follows through and makes sure it happens. For example, with Tim around both Mike and I have benefited from MANY more night rides and mountain bike rides in general. Left to our own devices I have to admit that ... we probably wouldn't follow through and hit the trails. Anyways, the organizer rounded up the troops and we set out for the Hydrocut. Bob, Rachel, Mike, Cosmo, Tim and I all on mountain bikes and yelling like a bunch of idiots. There were bike swaps (Mike on Rachels Top Fuel 8, Rachel on the Cosmos Intense Tracer, Cosmo on Mikes Top Fuel 9.9) and hilarious falls. There were screams and squeals of fright and delight (yes, you might assume that Rachel was the one squealing and screaming but ... uh ... it might have been myself) and general awesomeness abounded.

Miked and Cosmo bonding.

Tims. Two Tims better than one? Perhaps not this time ...

If it gets you off the ground, Tim rides it ... we convinced him to redo this one with an audience.

Stalker shot with Rachel noticing just ... in ... time.

At the trailhead after the ride. Awesome ride.

So, that was that. And someone (two people!) were smart enough to bring cameras to prove that we ride bikes.

Okay, off to the shop. The inventory scanner is calling my name ...

Tim.

Here comes the end ...

2010-10-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Of October. That's all. Sounded ominous didn't it?

So, I said I would write more about the cross race when the haze cleared but, the haze hasn't cleared. One thing after another has piled up and made for a pretty hectic week ... especially considering it is October. Anyways, what I can say is that in retrospect that was the smoothest a cross weekend has gone for us, ever. I always go into it a bit pooped and then ... it is over. No climax, nothing earth shaking just steady amounts of work by everyone and then ... over. That said, there were some interesting instances such as:

- Provincial offenses officer coming down for a visit. Apparently I did a few things you aren't supposed to do in an HRCA park. My bad.
- A gentleman yelling at Steve and my wife for the Saturday course being 'too hard' and that he 'should have brought his damn mountain bike' and then throwing down his race numbers and storming off. That sure makes you want to volunteer at a bike race doesn't it?
- My constant reminders to a certain racer that embrocation makes you stronger or climb faster or ride sand better. I hope he doesn't hate me ... I really applauded his proper use of warming liniment. No jokes.
- The certain whiff of ... sewage? in the air as the septic system just happened to be beside the registration and finish line. Ha. Who'd a thunk?
- A constant parade of awesome people with nothing but great things to say.
- And finally, again, the greatest beer ever in an unnamed parking lot with a great group of friends. I was a bit frazzled at that time (see first interesting instance) and that brought me back to reality and the realization that I am lucky to know these people and have them put up with me.

So, consider the cross race commentary done for the year. At least in racing terms. As for riding ... well, Gabhan just got a new cross bike from someone awesome (haha) and I just acquired, coincidentally, a brand new 2011 XO2. Life is good.

Have a great Halloween all. Celebrate those pagans!

Tim.

Cross Weekend.

2010-10-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

So it is over. And just like the Monday after any big weekend (be it healthy or not ...) you wake up feeling it. My feet are aching (rubber boots lack support), hands are raw (thanks to our imploding stakes I smashed my hands more than once w/ a sledge) and my left arm (THE stake carrying arm) is pretty useless. But I'm not complaining ... not at all. I woke up sore but happy because I really think we put on the best weekend of racing that Kelso has seen.

Volunteers or just friends (yeah, cheesy, I know) they were responsible for getting it all done. What at first appeared to be too few people swelled in size (and skill) over the course of the weekend and resulted in perhaps the worlds fastest cross course dismantling ever. As I said before, it was like a crack commando squad swarmed the fields of Kelso cleaning everything in their way. And always with a smile and a wise crack to keep the spirits up and the day enjoyable. I can't say enough how much I appreciate everyones help and how lucky I feel to get to spend a weekend with all of you. I'll leave the blubbering at that.

The racers were awesome. I can't say enough to the people who took the time to search out the workers and volunteers and thank them for their effort. The gentleman who sought me out, bearing a gift of coffee, for allowing him late registration was so greatly appreciated. It just so happened though that it was Steve who made it happen. I tried to take credit but Steve was lurking close by so ... I had to give credit where it was due. As well I have to say, I truly believe we would run the whole weekend just for Michelle Cordy of the HB cycling club. Always smiling, always saying thanks and just a huge bubble of positivity. If the world was made of people like her, there would be no problems. I swear.

I could go on. And I will. When I find the time to think through the haze, drum up some pictures and make a real report I will get on it. This is more a thanks. A thanks to the volunteers, the racers and spectators for making the last Kelso Cross Weekend one of the best weekends I have ever had. A huge thanks as well to Malcolm for coming up with our secret beer spot. He made sure that our last thoughts from the weekend were positive and fun ... sitting in the forest with a group of friends having a beer and talking bikes. What else could you want and who else would you rather be with?

tim.

Weekend update ...

2010-10-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend alot of exciting things occurred in the Ontario racing scene. In terms of 'scale' the UCI cyclocross races in Toronto went down with Italian National team member David Frattini scoring wins both days. Not a huge surprise but he was challenged quite strongly on the second day by the local talent. Apparently Ontario breeds some fast ones eh?

Up at Hardwood Hills we had a contingent compete at the Singletrack challenge... a great chance to have an uninterrupted shot at riding all 50km's of Hardwoods single track while getting timed.
Tim Crosby took the win in the 20-29 category, Mike Dennis took the win in the 30-39 category and in the 40-49 Jim Brogden took 4th with Rick Landry 2 seconds behind in 5th. Overall a great day for flying the colors and a continuation of great results for the cycling club. It has been quite a year ...

Coming up this weekend ... Provincial CX at Kelso. I would be lying if I said I wasn't exceptionally stressed. So I won't lie. I am stressed.
Not in a staying up all night, pulling my hair out type of way ... more in a pre-occupied, short answer, not really paying attention type of way. I find that my mind has the tendency to wander to the course every chance I get. And that could be because I just haven't spent what I would consider enough 'time' out there on the course. Weather, distance, root canals ... you name it. All get in the way. Some would say ... life. But, in reality, we have the best team of volunteers you could ask for. While slimmer in numbers than for the Guelph race they are the crack troops that will make it all happen.

So, ignore my whining and moaning. It is going to be awesome. Another day of being surrounded by friends and like minded people, outside, playing on bikes. Could you ask for more? Somehow, I don't think so!

Hope to see people out on Saturday and Sunday,

Tim

So I can ride a mountain bike ...

2010-10-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Sort of. I wouldn't ever say I am good at it, but the likelihood of catastrophic things happening is getting slimmer by the week. In my book of 'lacking skills on the mtb' that is pretty darn good. For example, this weekend I didn't almost break something or end up upside down in a very uncomfortable rock gully. Great!

So for the second weekend running I headed up to Collingwood for some riding. This time it was the 'across the top ride'. Essentially it was exactly what the name implies. The trail/rail trail/dirt road/paved road ride across the top of the escarpment. I'm not super familiar with the area so my description of the route would be sad and pathetic all at the same time. I'm going to stick with that we started in a small dirt parking lot off of a hill that I look at when I am heading to Parry Sound on my typical route. We rode trails over to Pretty River Valley and then made our way into 3 stage. We skirted the edge of 3 stage (kept this route a manageable 3-3.5 hour ride) and then made our way over to Blue and Craigleith. Went into the 'village' at the base of Blue where we were gawked at by downhillers (musta been the spandex) and then treated to a delicious lunch courtesy of Rob from OGC. Great riding, great day. I then made it to a family function to gorge on turkey. I believe Mike did the same.

Overall I am pleased with a few things. First, I am loving the Fuel EX 9.8. Yep, I love it. Second, I managed not to hurt myself. My thumb sort of works (after last weekends MTB adventure) now and I am glad I didn't make it worse. Third, I am actually learning a few things along the way. Rock gardens don't have me dismounting at first site and it takes a pretty large log for me NOT to attempt getting over it on the bike. Sketchy downhills are getting better and if I can avoid going cross eyed from exertion, sketchy up hills are improving as well.

As a note, stop by the shop and check out our new window display. I find it hilarious. Something about a skeleton in a skate lid riding a bike that makes me chuckle. Bare bones pricing ... hilarious.

Tim.

Provincial CX Race

2010-10-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

Great weather leads to great rides...

2010-10-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is true. Great weather does lead to great rides. But, a great ride is not dependent on great weather.

Yesterday Tim and I decided to suck it up and we went out on a rambling CX bike adventure. The goal was as much rail trail, dirt road and double track as possible (no single track, we would have simply destroyed it) within the confines of a pre-work ride. Little Tract & Twin Ponds supplied a good amount of almost too rough double track while the roads between supplied sodden, sucking gravel roads that just took the strength out of your legs. So, we got wet and we got really muddy. I had a rather large crash that could have been worse but ended up just being hilarious.
The moral of that story? Find a friend and go adventure on your bike. You'll have a crap ton (yes, that is right, a crap ton) of fun. As well, a 'cross bike is a necessity for fall riding. Yep, a necessity.

Today I had to go pay the HRCA for our use of the Kelso park for the upcoming cross race so I hopped on the trusty XO2 and pedaled down to Kelso. I was pretty surprised when I arrived that it had only taken me about an hour and ten minutes. Then I noticed the gale force (well, not gale force but 40km/h is brisk) winds that had driven me there. Thankfully it was sunny and nothing was going to disrupt this ride. Except my lack of fitness. So, I suffered home ... short on fuel and short on legs. Note to self; to feel well on long rides one typically must, at some point, go on long rides. Yeah, missed that memo.

In the shop we are getting feedback on the Ice Breaker product and it is pretty much like I expected. People love it. We just received our winter supply of Sugoi Firewall product for those intrepid souls who love to ride all year round so, even though it is now going to be 21 degrees (?) know that we have your cold weather gear.
And I have been using (err... testing?) Sierra Designs Cyclone Eco Jacket and I have been loving it. Perfect for the chill and damp of fall. The water beads up and away immediately and the 2.5 layer gets rid of that 'clammy' feel you get with water proof jackets. Very nice.

Okay, that is all. Have a great day!

Tim.

Hey ... it's October?

2010-10-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

So I could wax nostalgic about the past summer and how quickly it has passed. I could. But instead I am really enjoying the fall!

There is something incredibly invigorating about going out for a ride and experiencing the sun rising, banks of fog breaking apart and the world coming alive. It seems that everything is slower to get moving and it is right around the time we hit the road/trails/paths that nature starts to wake up from another chilly night.
Don't get me wrong, summer mornings are fantastic but a fall morning holds so much more ... promise? Perhaps it is because the time frame in which you can comfortably fit outdoor activity is much shorter and as such you get the sense that everything around you is trying to get the most out of the last of the nice days. Check out the squirrels. Those little suckers are going insane getting set up for the coming winter. Anyways ...

We just had a staff PK with the Icebreaker rep and now everyone is as excited as I am. Environmentally responsible? Check. High quality? Check. Great looking? Check. Anyways. Super excited.

Truck full o' Trek

To further my comments re: the new Top Fuel 9.8 I have only one thing to say (well, that's a lie, everyone knows I never have ONE thing to say) and that is: Incredible (encroyable?). I got her out to Twin Ponds yesterday for a nice group ride with the guys (Mike, Malcolm and Rick) and it handled so well. Front end stiffness (I know, here we go, vertically compliant and blah blah blah) was noticeable and made up for my lack of ability. For example ... head through a rock garden and the wheel has less of an urge to 'wiggle' out of your control. Suspension goes up and down, wheel tracks straight as an arrow, Tim stays upright. Rear suspension was suitably plush to preserve my meager body from too much damage.

Lastly ... it is October. Break out the headlamps and get out for a ride!

Tim.

Riding the mountain bike ...

2010-09-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

As much as I love 'cross, and I do love 'cross, I think this year will see a non-racing Tim (in terms of 'cross).

Not that anyone should be surprised ... this is when I get certain emails saying "How is that different from any other year/time of year?" and other such positive and uplifting statements. So, Jay, no need to make fun of me via email. I've acknowledged my short comings already. Just trying to beat you to the punch.

That said, I will ride the 'cross bike one heck of a lot. Already this year I swear I have ridden the cx bike more than usual. The amount of times we rode the race course this year in preparation for the event ... silly. Just silly. And there will be more riding in terms of race prep. Provincials will require a good amount of riding and since we are a one car family ... there will be the ride down and back to contend with as well. I will probably head down on Thursday, via bike, to recon the courses and start to dial everything in ... as well I will pay the wonderful people at HRCA for the ability to use their facilities. Start the ball rolling and all that ...

As an aside, I think every serious cyclist needs a cross bike. Light mountain biking, rail trail, grass, sand, roads you name it, it can tackle it. It takes the edge off of the 'serious' road training and allows for the greatest rambling back country rides. The cross bike takes you to roads that you might otherwise never encounter. But I digress as this post was to be about the glory of mountain biking!

Before I got sidetracked what I was aiming at is that we acquired a new mountain bike in the shop. Since we have always really enjoyed the Fuel EX, especially since the addition of the full floater, ABP, tapered head tube etc... we decided we would get a new Fuel EX 9.8 for shop use. So, it is built up and it has been tuned and the suspension has been set (for my weight coincidentally!) and I am beside myself with excitement. And it is raining. So no mountain biking right now ... but the forecast is calling for mid-teens and sunny so as I recover from my exertions over the weekend I can dream of narrowly avoiding trees or, in all honesty, meeting them head on.

C'est la vie!

Lastly, in the spirit of wearing what we sell I have happened upon a very nice Ice Breaker top. Wow. Ice Breaker. Wow.

That's all ...

Tim.

SRCC Guelph Cross

2010-09-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

So, I'm tired.

Perhaps, exhausted.

But, as per usual, the satisfaction of seeing people enjoying themselves on their bicycles far outweighs any discomfort caused by lack of sleep/over work/nasty wet feet. Yeah, nasty wet feet was probably the worst part.

But the race went off without a hitch (well, some result errors ... which were mainly due to the high turnout which in my mind, ain't that bad) and people really seemed to enjoy themselves.
And to me, that is all that matters.

Anyways, it was a great day. And it was all because of the best race crew known to man. Yep, I said it. The best. Never before has the setup and tear down gone so flawlessly. And never had we had such a large amount of people helping.
I can't express enough how much myself and the club executive appreciate the help. To give up your day so people can rip around the grass on bikes... well, I heard it many times. People really appreciated it.

Anyways, pictures will be forthcoming. Not tonite ... I'm running on caffeine fumes and I've still got to sweep the back of the rental truck out and get her back to Cambridge.

And then I will sleep like the dead.

tim.

So we've got a race ...

2010-09-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

Here is comes.
The first 'cross race of the season that we run. And I am excited.

Having spent the last ... 4 weeks or so ... riding in circles in the park I am fairly pleased with the results. I have never ridden a course this much prior to an event and provided the rain/lawn mower guy didn't remove all of my spray markings, the extra work Tim and I put in yesterday will really help out.
The course is similar to the years past in that it is at the same venue and uses the same features but it is more ... refined. Bigger corners, sweeping turns, more speed and more recovery between the hard bits. And the hard bits ... well, they are hard. But this is 'cross and if they weren't hard I guess we could all just go for a walk in the park, no?

We have the beer sponsor lined up of course (www.wellingtonbrewery.ca) and they provided us with an awesome permanent banner. We've got some t-shirts and coffee from Kris down at Domestique in Dundas, thanks a ton Chris. I can't promise that the t-shirt won't make its way onto my body. Sorry. I believe Steve has been to the bank to wrangle the cash for the prizes. Which is good.

So all that is left is the rest of the work. Today will consist of me NOT going into the shop to work. Instead I will go pick up the rental truck and get the supplies necessary to make this puppy run smoothly. Finishing that I will go out, ride in more circles, spray paint more grass and then head home. Tomorrow morning around 4am I will begin ferrying the supplies over to the course and by 6am the volunteers should be there and the sound of posts being driven shall commence! That is of course a huge simplification of what will actually occur but the details ... boring. The results ... exciting!

And lastly, mountain biking. I've got the bug again and I'm loving every second of it. That's all.

Tim.

Very busy ... Lots new ...

2010-09-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

Alot has been happening, but then again when do I ever really say "gosh darn, I've been bored ... It has been so slow?". Never really ... so, it has been normal I guess?

First off, some results. Mike Dennis took 1st overall and 2 stages in the 30/39 category in this past weekends Crank the Shield MTB stage race. Jim Brogden took 1st overall in the 40/49 category and Malcolm and Rick took 3rd in the two man 100+ category. Mike slotted himself in at 6th fastest overall as well. Damnnnnn. Congrats guys!

Every year (well, every day) we are working at running the store more efficiently. One of the big tasks is seasonal ordering ... ordering what I think I will need for next spring/summer. In the interest of this 'efficiency' endeavor we decided to try and get all of the ordering done by mid-September. While that has worked to varying degrees it has resulted in a HUGE amount of product being delivered to the store every day. And I mean every day.
When we have finished wading through 10-15 boxes of tyres, grips and racks we will promptly receive another 10 of shorts, vests and arm warmers. Meaning, it has been a bit like Christmas. As well it means that we have alot of the new 2011 product.

In my mind, most importantly, we have received our IceBreaker clothing. The best in wool. Period. Check em out. I am very, very excited about this new line.
Originally we were just getting it as an alternative base layer (in, alternative to synthetic base layers) but it appears they do a cycling and Tri line as well (cycling will be spring/summer 2011). Wool cycling jerseys? Awesome.

What we cannot keep in stock is arm, leg and knee warmers. These chilly mornings have necessitated the art of the layer. Take away the rain and I've been quite enjoying the temperature!

And lastly, but not leastly by any means. The Race. Coming up this Sunday, September 26th is the 3rd annual SRCC Guelph Cross. I'm pretty excited about it. I have spent alot of time riding the course, adding some corners here and there and just trying to make it that much better than last years race. If you want a bit more information go here and if you want to register for the race (pre-registering saves you money) head on over here.

So this week is going to be a gong-show ... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Have a great week.

Tim

Something curiously satisfying ...

2010-09-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

There is something satisfying about doing your groceries by bike. Especially when it is miserable out.

I'll admit it. I do a good portion of grocery shopping using the ol fossil fuel mobile. It was summer, my wife was out of school and I had access to our one vehicle. I'd get fooled into thinking everything could be done faster by 4 wheeler because you could pack so much in. But it isn't that much faster.

And you don't get the exercise.

Or the ability to see sections of town you might very well avoid by car.

Really there is not much better than getting around by bike. I know that's what I am supposed to say but it seems that every time I ride my bike (which is often) I somehow like it more.

Lastly it is signs such as this that get me excited about living and Guelph. Well, at least more excited.

More bike lanes, more trails, healthier communities and happier people. I'm liking it. Alot.

Tim.

Satisfaction...

2010-09-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

While it is admittedly harder to motivate yourself to get out and ride when the weather is less than ideal, it can be so much more satisfying when you do finally get out there and realize that the weather isn't all that bad.

Case in point was the Tim ride at the hydrocut on Sunday. Mikes wedding had occurred the evening before and both Tim and I were feeling less than stellar. Add to that the fact the weather has decided to give us the proverbial middle finger and my motivation for a road slog or even an epic cross ride was at all time lows. But then I thought about the hydrocut. Perfectly built trails that drained like a dream should be just right for riding. So I messaged Tim and after a little back and forth it was on. We were going mountain biking.

And it turned out to be the right thing to do. We had a fantastic ride with Tim flying through the trails and myself bumbling after him in a not entirely embarrassing fashion. And when I got home, after a good stretch and feed, I was reinvigorated to do some more work around the house! So I guess my lesson that day was that pushing yourself to get out and enjoy the day, regardless of the heinous nature of the weather, is typically a good thing.

In the store: we have a good amount of fall clothing in stock which is appropriate given the weather. Knee and Arm warmers have been the #1 accessory lately ... and for good reason. Is it cold? Is it hot? Who the heck knows but you can be prepared by layering right and carrying extra, packable, clothing with you.
For commuting we have Sugoi's excellent Majik shell jacket and pants as well as a HUGE box of Sierra Designs clothing. Now, that box might not be open yet but ... it ... will ... get ... there.

Cross Races: Working hard on the Guelph race. I have been out to the course at least 3 times a week dialing in the corners and working on changing up some of the sections. Nothing drastic is being done but I am trying my best to make it go ... hard, recover, technical, hard, recover, technical and so on and so forth. The big hill is of course featured but I will using it in a slightly different way. But rest assured, there will be people running (or if you are Andrew Watson, riding) up the hill. So you will get a good view of pain faces.

And that is all for today. I am fully caffeinated and ready to go. By the time I leave for work I have a strong feeling I will be wearing the total rain suit. Good times!

Tim.

September is here ...

2010-09-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

And with it comes a delightful change in weather. Cooler? Well ... not yet. But it is on its way.

We just received a whole whack of fall/winter clothing so those chilly/wet fall morning rides (or evenings...) will be much more pleasant. A great selection of warmers for your appendages, booties, tuques, wind and water resistant gloves, jackets and more.

As well we are really excited about our newest brands. We have returned to the fold with Sierra Designs. Although we have been pleased with the brands we have had we sometimes have noticed they were overly technical and didn't suit the needs of the commuter. So, after some research, we decided that Sierra Designs would be a great fit. Great prices on multi purpose clothing.
You need to pop down to the store and the rain is threatening? We've got the jacket for you that won't leave you looking like you are about to don your spandex and head out on the road bike.
Rain pants? Got em.

Ice Breaker. It is on its way. http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html
This line has me very excited. I have been a merino wool fan for quite some time but did not know the intricacies and subtleties that were involved in the acquisition and manufacturing of garments with this wonder material. Let's just say Ice Breaker does it right. And they have a line of cycling specific wool garments coming for the spring. EX-CITE-D. Yep.

New 2011 bikes are in. EX8's, a smattering of road bikes (mostly women's, the new Trek LEXA's) and alot of hybrids. Good times.

And ... that is about all I have. Mike is getting married tomorrow so I've got to spend the remainder of the day getting my game face on. Haha.

Have a great day!

Tim.

My favorite type of ride ...

2010-08-29T14:24:00.001-07:00

Today Mark, Tim and I completed what is, undoubtedly, my favorite type of ride. A true 'cross ride!

We left the shop at 9am and rolled through riverside park (smelling rib remnants ...) towards the Gorba trails. We looped lazily (I'm loving alliteration today although it is causing me to be misleading ... more accurately we pedaled powerfully) through some of the single track and then popped out onto the dam. Across the dam and over to Mill Rd. and then across County Rd. 29 into the countryside.

Down 3rd line then across to 4th, 5th and a push deep into Erin and Hillsburgh. Rolling gravel hills took us back to Orton and onto the rail trail into Belwood. We stole some H2O from the in laws cottage and then pedaled into Fergus for some nourishment.

Food stop and then down Jones Baseline, over to Campbell Road and back into the Guelph Lake trails to finish off with some singletrack.

Legs? Tired. Body? Jack hammered.
All in all a fantastic way to spend a Sunday morning and a great alternative to a road ride.

The best part of it all is that I'll be doing this again next weekend. Route will be different but it will always be fun.

Tim
tim@speedriverbicycle.com
Speed River Bicycle
135 Wyndham St. North
Guelph, ON, Canada
519-824-9371

Bicycle lanes, Bicycle Friendly Communities and more ...

2010-08-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.guelphtribune.ca/news/article/217353

I caught sight of that article on the weekend and it reminded me that Guelph will be installing Ontarios first Bike Box. Sounds cycling 'un-friendly' but instead of limiting the cyclist this will only work to make the cyclist and motorist safe. So on that front, thank you Guelph.

Remembering back to the May-ish article that discussed the bike box originally I was pleased to read what city engineer Richard Henry had to say.
Specifically, what warmed my heart, was the following: Stone Road is a busy four-lane road, and “anything we can do to protect the cyclist, we’ll do that,” he said in an interview.
To read the rest of the article, go here.

Want more good news concerning bicycles in Ontario?
Bicycle Friendly Communities, a ranking system to gauge how 'bike friendly' a community is, is coming to Ontario. Originally only present in the United States and 'governed' by the League of American Cyclists the hard work of Share the Road (www.sharetheroad.ca) has brought the system to Ontario.
But to simply call it a ranking system is really missing the point. It provides a framework and instruction to communities on how to strive for livable communities. And livable communities are what we want right?

Bicycle Friendly Communities

Okay, that's what I've got. We should all recognize we are fortunate to live in a city where we are slowly progressing to a livable city. Bike racks on buses, a decent network of trails and bike lanes (often too fragmented but it is growing) and people who are working hard to make it all better. Lots to celebrate and lots to improve upon.

Have a great day!

Tim.

5 days w/out internet ...

2010-08-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

So I just experienced 5 days without personal internet service. I have to admit that it irked me (myriad of reasons like, I'm paying for the service but not receiving it...) at first but as each day passed I found I quite liked it.
No sitting and just browsing what I have already browsed. No working from 10-6 and then coming home and working on the website, ordering etc... It was a nice reminder that I can live w/out the constant stream of information and data (oh wait ... I still had my blackberry. D'oh.).

Anyways. As a result I was watching CBC's doczone the other night because I had heard that 'Pedal Power' was going to be back on. I have seen it a few times so I decided to watch it again and as per usual I was motivated and dismayed at the same time.
The thought that the bicycle is making inroads on the car culture in North America is intoxicating to say the least. Greater safety afforded to a much more 'sane' form of transportation is heart warming. The consideration that perhaps owning 3 cars per family and driving the snot out of them (that is a technical term) is not a great idea. As well, the concept, that if you want people to make changes for the better you need to provide some type of platform for them to make that positive change.
At the same time I was constantly reminded what an uphill battle it is. As a retailer I could sympathize with the gentleman who was fighting bikelanes because he would lose valuable parking spaces. I get it. Downtown Guelph is far from easy to deal with in that aspect. The gentleman who they interviewed who had 4 minutes added to his commute because of bike lanes (he goes by car) and was just livid with anger over having to share the road with cyclists.... was a reminder of the mindset of many. That type of attitude, and having driven in to Toronto last night to visit family, is a constant reminder that my proximity to downtown and my life as a bike shop owner can sometimes lead me to wear a particularly rosy set of glasses.

Anyways ... http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2009/pedalpower/index.html if you care to watch it or read about it. Just scratching the surface of what is really going on out there but a great starting point for those interested in bike culture, outside of the sporting version.

As well, I received this bike during my recent trip to Madison and am thoroughly enjoying it. A look into what it took to make Portland the North American cycling mecca that it is. Having not known alot about Portland prior to this book (and still not knowing tons outside of the 'bike centric' portion) I didn't know how ANTI cycling it was prior to the push for lanes, trails etc.
http://www.miabirk.com/
Check it out. If you want to borrow the book, let me know.

Now, for myself. I am going to go ride my bike.

Tim

August ...

2010-08-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last week Cosmo and I spent some time in Madison, WI at Trek HQ going over the 2011 lineup, planning for the next season and partaking in a few seminars concerning topics such as Advocacy, Web marketing and Triathlon. Really interesting and helpful courses and of course, the bikes. The bikes were amazing as usual.

What I want to mention, specifically, is Advocacy.

Trek has been heavily into Advocacy for at least the past 5 years (since I started going to Trek World) and it has always been a real focus of the trade show. One World, Two Wheels was one of their first large scale advocacy campaigns and it focused on increasing the number of daily trips by bicycle while hopefully working to reduce obesity, fuel consumption and pollution. This was tied into a commitment to give 10$ from every full suspension sale to IMBA and 1$ from every helmet sale to Bikes Belong.
The monetary commitment to IMBA and Bikes Belong has continued through to this year with Treks John Burke (otherwise known as 'the man') focusing his laser beams not on product (okay, product was there) but on advocacy, specifically people for bikes, during his keynote speech. So, to explain further, we have the head of Trek choosing to talk about a non-profit during one of his most important speech's (to a large portion of his dealer base) that he will give (in regards to making money etc..) in a year. And that left a lasting impression.

So what do I take from this and where do I go from here, in regards to advocacy? Well ... I'm not entirely sure. So why would I write about it? Because I feel if I put it up on the internet and make some sort of statement concerning advocacy then I am more prone to get off my butt and do something that will cause positive repercussions in the world. So I guess that is where I am starting. I guess I hope to be more than a retailer and athlete in the long run. To leave things a bit better than when I started and so on and so forth.

Anyways. That's about all I have about that right now.

The creative juices are flowing and who knows what will come out of it?

tim.

It's all new to me...

2010-08-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

So I'm experimenting with blogging from the blackberry.

Why?

Because sometimes I have poignant thoughts and ideas that pertain to cycling that I need to get out there into the blogosphere. And Twitter just doesn't cut it.

And I like to let everyone know what I am thinking.

So here goes. Experimental post #1. We'll see where she goes from here.

Tim.
tim@speedriverbicycle.com
Speed River Bicycle
135 Wyndham St. North
Guelph, ON, Canada
519-824-9371

On my way ...

2010-08-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am sitting in the lounge at gate B6 (which is the same lounge I sit in EVERY time) whiffing diesel fumes and tippy typing away. I have had the opportunity to scan the results from today's O-Cup mtb race and things looked really good for the Speedriver.com boys.

Bayden Pritchard - 2nd, Senior Expert. Okay Bayden, this is getting to the same level as the road racing. Time to stop sand bagging and get up with the big boys (haha, joking ... it isn't quite as ridiculous as the road results). Great result and congratulations! I will give the synopsis of the race even though I wasn't there ...
Bayden rode w/ the pack for the majority of the first lap and then utilized his famed negative mass to propel himself up the long climb at a frenzied pace. Pack got smaller each lap. Mass got less. Speed went up. The end.

Rick Landry - 3rd Master Expert ... er... 45-49 (sorry if that's older Rick!) - Huge result from Rick. Shows his rigorous training schedule and love for technology has paid off. I'm sure it is all because of the Rotor rings ... or the garmin ... or the powertap. Haha. Great job Rick!

Mike Dennis - 7th Master Expert 30-39 - Mikes lap times, except for the second lap, looked really really good. 4th place ... possibly podium. But alas something went wrong on lap 2. My guess ... inferior crankset/chainrings. Or it was those non carbon pedals he installed the night before the race. Either way bad luck struck again and moved mike from a strong podium. Still a great result and I'm sure we will all hear why it didn't turn out as well as it could have.

Honourable mention to Jonah Landry for his first race! Congrats Jonah ...

And that's about all I have the gumption to comment on.

So, as I said, I am sitting in the departure lounge getting ready for our yearly pilgrimage to Madison to visit Trek HQ. We will see bikes, plan for the coming season (yeah, seriously, 2010 is coming to a startlingly quick close) and well ... do more planning. Might ride some bikes but the weather is looking a bit touchy. Meh.

I hope everyone else enjoys their 2nd week of August. I know I will.

Tim.

P.s. If you haven't already, it is time to break out the cx bikes. So dust em off, get the tubbies glued and start practicing your turns ladies and gents. CX season is on its way!

Cyclocross fever...

2010-08-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, the fever hasn't hit me yet but I am getting excited. The road season is wrapping up (or has essentially wrapped up if you don't want to make the jaunt to Elliot Lake) and while the MTB season is going strong September is on the horizon and with September comes 'cross.

Finally we have received word as to what races we are getting this year. Our Guelph race is a go... and it is a Southern Series race which is bound to help attendance a bit. Kelso is also on but has a few notable changes. First will be the change from Halloween weekend to the 23/24th of October. Second will be that day #2 is the Provincial championships. Yep, we decided to step it up a notch and see if we can run a provincial calibre event. I think we can (and have) but now it is just time to show everyone else.

So, races. Awesome.

In the shop things are moving along briskly. We are on wave #5? #6? of repairs. Typically the season has the first wave (March-ish) for those who are super keen to get out or just want to be THAT ready to go. Then we get the second wave of the less intrepid but still pretty hardcore. After that, typically in years past, it mellows out alot and we are on top of it and all is under control. Not so much this time round. We did have one short little period a week or two ago where we were a bit slower but ... not so much this week. AND IT IS FANTASTIC. So, thanks to all of our customers. This has been a great year!

This weekend Cosmo and I will be heading to Wisconsin for Trek World. New stuff from Trek and Bontrager and decisions decisions decisions to make. The weather is looking to be less than perfect for our trip so it looks like it will be all business this time around.

And for now ... that's about all. Have a great day!

Tim.

Another beautiful day ...

2010-07-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

In sunny Southern Ontario.
This summer has been my favorite, weather and activity wise, in recent memory. So much sun ... who could or would complain? Anyways. I love summer. Surprising, I know. But I do.

Congratulations are in order after yesterdays O-Cup road race up in Bruce County.
Mark R. got into the decisive break of the day, and by all accounts it was a doozy of a race, and pulled off a stellar 7th overall and 6th in S3. Congrats Mark!
Rachel O. continued her romp of consistency in the face of adversity (the adversity could be her sporting background ... ooooooh. Low blow. And I'm joking. Really. I am) and finished a strong 6th place. I think we will be seeing alot of ROR in the future as she just seems to get stronger and stronger throughout the season. So, congrats!
Manton, while not affiliated with the shop, is worth a note. I believe a 5th place finish in the S1/2 pack happened for the giant from the steppes (okay, that could be a complete lie. I just don't know. I wanted to convey that he is a giant and has some type of eastern European heritage). This man is a training and racing machine and deserves a) a ton of respect for beating the tar out of the road day in and out and b) a team to support him (or a team in which he would provide support).

Lastly, Le Tour. It is over. And I am going to provide the best picture of the tour. I apologize if you are tired of this picture but, tough. My blog.

This is Jens. If you don't know Jens, you should. This image sums up the beauty of cycling (in my mind) better than any image I have ever seen. Crashed? Hurt? Don't have a bike? While mere mortals would simply give up and hop in the broom wagon Jens will grab a teeny tiny neutral support bike, strap (yes, literally strap) his feet in to the silly little pedals and ... chase back on. On that ridiculous bike all while wearing a hospitals worth of bandages. What. The. Hell.

Have a great day!

Tim.

Almost over ...

2010-07-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

It is truly amazing that summer has this tendency to just motor along while winter ... lingers and lingers. If you use the Tour de France to meter how far along summer is then it is quite far along because Le Tour is about to come to an end.

Barring something strange going on I would expect to see Contador on the top step come Paris with Schleck on the 2nd highest spot. 3rd place? ~~Who cares~~ It is bound to be an interesting battle.
What is truly interesting is the placing of the GC contenders in the final time trial. Alberto Contador slotted in at 35th placing behind such illustrious time trial specialists as Steve Morabito, Juan Antonio Flecha and Danilo Hondo. So, when Contador decimates the competition in a final time trial (re: last years) it is because he has always been a fantastic time triallist but ... what do we say when he looks all too human and only ekes out an extra 31 seconds on Schleck?
So what am I insinuating? I'm not too sure. After years of seeing the GC contenders at the top of every time trial this is a bit of a change. Does it prove anything about the state of the sport? I don't know. All I can say is that it is interesting and I am curious to see where these 'all too human' performances go from here.

Okay. So that's it for the tour (well, until I comment on the final day ... which I will).

In the shop we have some great sale prices on 2010 bikes and accessories. Clothing, rain gear, shoes, bikes ... you name it. So check it out.

In the shop ... we are FINALLY on top of things. Finally. So, if you have been thinking of bringing something in now is a great time to stop by and drop your bicycle off for some loving from our head mechanic.

And ... that's about all I have. Nothing too interesting. Just some blather.

Have a great day and if you make it out to Hillside ... enjoy!

Tim.

I can't help ...

2010-07-20T05:29:00.000-07:00

But throw my 2 cents into the fray. I know I said I wouldn't ... but I'm opinionated if anything so. Here goes.

Schleck dropped his chain and lost time. Whether it was his fault (poor shifting) or the mechanics fault (poor setup) is neither here nor there. It was dropped and he had to get off his bike.
Contador rode through and kept on trucking, probably knowing full well that Schleck cannot descend for beans and regardless of the time gap at the top he would increase it by the bottom.
Everyone keeps pointing to Lance waiting for Ullrich and Ullrich waiting for Lance. But, as has been pointed out by many pundits, there are just as many cases where people did NOT wait and used others misfortune to their benefit.

Most recently? Lance flatting on Stage 3 ... no waiting. Lance hitting the deck on Stage 8 and, as has been widely reported, many teams seeing that as a chance to ramp the speed and ensure the former champ had a hard time coming back. Contador broke a wheel and lost time in the pave this year ... wouldn't it have been more sporting for Andy to ride in with him?

In the past ... the 1999 Tour saw Lance put huge time into Zulle in the early stages when crossing that freaky bridge thing (yeah, technical, I know) and Postal saw the cobbles in their favour when Mayo lost huge time in ... well, I can't remember the year.

Perhaps that is saying that it is acceptable to take advantage of others misfortune when it is in the early stages but as the race goes on you should change your strategy? Who knows.

Anyways. I'm tired of the griping and the whining. People keep talking about Schlecks character and the way he carries himself. All I hear is whining. The pave is too dangerous, the Ardennes stage was too dangerous, I dropped my chain and refuse to take responsibility for it blah blah blah. Andy ... let the legs do the talking. Go ballistic and beat the tar out of Contador, take back the jersey and show everyone what you have got. Otherwise, suck it up nancy. Crap happens in a race, good luck or bad, and that's life. To expect the whole world to stop while you have a problem ... well, I don't know how you grew up but that is a bit weird to me.

Anyways. It sets up a situation that is ripe for excitement. Turning the pedals in anger ... always a good time for the fans!

tim.

Sale rolls on ...

2010-07-19T04:54:00.000-07:00

Last week was a doozy w/ the repairs, Cos being on vacation and setting up for the sale. Fortunately I have the best staff, bar none, and we managed to finish the week off by getting a bunch of this weeks repairs done. AND Mike was able to leave early for the cottage. Good times.

As I mentioned. SALE.

As a note, there are a few things that are buggy between our POS system and the website. As such, the sale prices of those articles ... don't show up. Care to hear what the product is?
- EC90 SL Carbon clinchers are somewhere around 25% off
- Intense Spider ... you will save at least 300$, perhaps more ...
- Intense Tracer ... same deal as above.
- There are more but I am at home having a coffee, not at work with everything in front of me ... so you will just have to stop by.

What did I learn last week? Well, I did learn that when the wonderful woman responsible for designing our ads is out of town, I can sort of come up w/ something passable for the short term. Not that I designed anything ... no no no ... more that I worked at finding a template and then I used the crap out of it. I put it everywhere. I made that red one just above this.
You might notice the weirdness around the letters. Apparently going from a .pdf to a .jpeg to do editing causes a considerable loss in image quality. Unfortunately I don't have photoshop (I had decided no more pirated software a few years ago ...) so I need to mangle my images w/ whatever is at hand. Often, that is paint. Good ol paint. Perhaps I should just pony up for photoshop ...

Anything else? Well, Rachel finished 4th in the Senior 1/2 women's race at the OBC Grand Prix in Ottawa. Hot damn. Talk about consistency and just getting stronger and stronger through the season. Well done Rachel!

Comments about Le Tour? Not so much. A bunch of skinny guys climbed a mountain, two of them marked each other and then talked smack about it later on. A bunch of journalists read into it way to much and have thus provided us with pointless, and often unfounded, analysis of their respective chances. Blah blah blah.
Am I all toured out? No, not really ... but I think that is because I was never really toured IN. Like I've said before, I have been following it, just not rabidly. It seems Le Tour can wait while life cannot so something has to give. I also prescribe to the thought that if I am going to watch it repeatedly through the winter it might as well seem fresh and new.

Have a great day,

Tim.

What's next ...

2010-07-16T04:38:00.000-07:00

Please Andy and Frank Schleck, what is next. Do you want the whole race to be uphill only, as downhills have no place in a grand tour? Do you want to eliminate time trials, ~~because you stink at them~~ as time trials have no place in a grand tour?

What am I raging about? The following quote taken from cyclingnews.com ...
"Despite having had polar opposite fortunes on the cobblestones of stage 3 of the Tour de France, brothers Fränk and Andy Schleck are of the same opinion that the pavé have no place in a Grand Tour."

Let us look at a few words here. The first is the word 'grand'.

grand (grnd)

adj. grand·er, grand·est

1. Large and impressive in size, scope, or extent; magnificent:

8. Including or covering all units or aspects

Obviously I cherry picked the definitions that suited my rant but nowhere in the definition of grand did I see the words 'exempting that which you think is too hard'.

tour (tr)

1. A trip with visits to various places of interest for business, pleasure, or instruction.

And again, I did indeed leave out a few definitions but I think we all understand the word tour.

Okay, so we have Grand, which includes all units or aspects and is impressive in its extent and we have Tour, which is saying we are going to visit those places. In my mind we have a season, a time of year in cycling, that is dedicated to the hardmen and visiting the places that mere mortals wouldn't dare ride. We have a celebration of the pave and again, in my opinion, that makes it a 'unit' or an 'aspect' of the racing circuit. Thus if you want to cover ALL of the units or aspects then you should include the Pave.

What the cobbled stages and ardennes stages brought to this years tour was a lack of the typical '7 days of sprinters' with myself (and many others) simply tuning in for the last 3 kilometers of the stage to check who won the sprint. Instead we had excitement all through the first week of the Tour.

So, to Frank, Andy and any other professional who is whining about the Pave. Suck it up. I want a spectacle and I want suffering. Since you seem to be so willing to hurtle down narrow mountain roads in 40+ degree temperatures at over 75km/h I cannot see why you are so opposed to 13 km of Pave.

Lastly ... Renshaws exclusion from the tour.

Okay, I could be wrong but what I see is Julian Dean riding into Renshaw and weakly attempting to 'get his bars ahead' by sticking his left elbow (and arm) right into Renshaws path. As well it looks to me like Dean was attempting to force Renshaw towards the barriers and thus boxing Cavendish in and preventing him from sprinting. Prevent him from sprinting and Farrar MIGHT have a snowballs chance in hell of winning. Yes, Renshaw reacted quite violently (and you thought Robbie could head butt) and true, it might not be the most acceptable reaction. But to absolve Julian Dean of any guilt is a farce. He was the instigator, plain and simple. He initiated the contact which resulted in the wild flailing of Renshaws head in his general direction. And, lastly, congratulations to Mark Renshaw. I believe he saw it for what it was (attempted boxing in) and realized it could ruin Cavendish's sprint so he did what he had to do. Kudos.

Okay, that is all. End ranting.

Tim.

Having a sale ...

2010-07-13T05:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah, we are going to be having a sale.

Officially the sale starts on the 16th of July ... I believe the ad will run this Friday (can you feel the lack of certainty on my part? Very impressive I know ...) and then it is game on.

That said.

Downtown Guelph is having a street sale so, in the interests of supporting our downtown board and benefiting from the $$ they have spent on advertising, I will be rolling out sale prices all week.

What type of product will be on sale?

2010 Bicycles. Yes, it is 2011 time and that means we start to lower the prices of the current model year bikes. Oh, and any non 2010 bikes will be on silly (SILLY) sale. As in, not even funny they will be so on sale.
Wheels. Road wheels will be going on sale sale sale.
Tyres. There will be tyres going on sale.
Clothing. How timely ... we are putting our rain wear on sale. Interessant!
Giro sunglasses ... 25% off!
And other things that I randomly, at the time, decide I would like to put on sale. Yep, that's how I roll, reaaaaallll professional like.

So, that is that. A bit of look into what is going to be happening this week (and next) in the store.

The weekend past we had some MTB action going on up at Buckwallow in the form of O-Cup racing. A contingent of Speed River lads headed ... up ... to test their mettle on one of the most technical courses around. Since I wasn't there and cannot provide an inkling of what actually went on I will give a few highlights.

Mike Dennis placed 6th ... and spent the majority of Monday saying how silly he was to NOT use his tube when he rolled his tubeless tyre. From 3rd to 6th the hard way ... but still, an excellent showing!

Bayden Pritchard was 4th in Senior Expert showing that although he might be made of glass, he is made of some type of super strong glass that only really bends alot ... and somehow resists breaking. Okay, maybe that isn't glass ... maybe that is plastic. Whatever. Anyone that skinny should have shattered in a crash yet somehow he got stronger ... perhaps all that nuclear physics stuff/spiderman experimenting he has been doing.

In the same race Mark Romeril realized that fitness isn't everything and when a mere mortal aims to excel at mountain bike racing ... one must ride alot of mountain bike. 17th was a strong showing but we are hoping that the spider monkey can bring up his technical game and give the top guys a run for their money. Fitness says yes, handling ... only time will tell!

Rick Landry ... he cramped. This would be a great opportunity for me to try and be humorous but, I hate cramping. I am the worlds most crampable man (okay, maybe not) so for me it is not a laughing matter. Unless the cramping invokes screaming and yelling and thrashing. So Rick, if there was thrashing, it might have been a bit funny. Otherwise, I feel for you cramp brother.

Malcolm Bow rode a strong race coming in 11th in his category. That is all I've got. Malcolm, give me some tales from the big ring so I can regale people with your glory and all that stuff. Or I can just take some of Mikes tales of the big ring and splice them into your race. But ... I don't think you want that.

Dana Rea threw down an impressive race rolling across the line in 18th in the morning race. Well done Dana.

Myself ... well, as Jay likes to say, my race season ended after the first road race of the year. I took a few days off work and managed to get some really great riding in. Saturday saw my wife and myself ride down to Domestique Cafe in Dundas and back. 110 km's with the one you love? Hard to beat. The next day a group of us went out and tackled a few local climbs in the heat. Fortunately we made it home before the man sized balls of ice started to fall from the sky. Man size I say.

That's it. I'm out of witticisms.

Tim.

Le Tour ...

2010-07-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've generally avoided posting anything regarding the Tour. I didn't want to provide the same boring commentary that everyone else did.

The 'ardennes' stage ... the riders are wimps, those roads are used all the time blah blah.
The 'roubaix' stage ... cobbles have no place/the riders are wimps blah blah blah.

But todays sprint was just awesome. Watching Renshaw pilot Cavendish through those last corners, sans lead out train, was poetry in motion. Seriously. The patience, race presence and then pure power that Renshaw displayed in the closing metres was a sight to behold. I don't need to give a verbatim replay of what happened but once a replay is available, I will post it.

Anyways, if my HR monitor was on it would have been registering at least 140 bpm ... such an exciting run in.

That's all for today. Enjoy the brief respite from the heat ... it'll be back!

Tim.

Negligence ...

2010-07-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

I have been negligent. I think I say that alot.

Honestly I have been so focused on working and trying to fit in as much riding as possible (when it is sunny) that I have been pushing some other responsibilities aside. Mostly web based (and lawn based!) responsibilities. The upside is ... I've gotten in alot of great rides with some great people.

Recently I have done quite a few rides that might earn the 'epic' moniker and they were fantastic. Canada Day saw us complete a 145 km long hammerfest that took in some of the best climbs of Dundas and the surrounding area. I was pretty lucky that day as I made it to within 4 km's of home before the man with the hammer appeared. As Rachel and I swung off to head home all of a sudden he was present ... smashing away. My vision went a little fuzzy and the realization that you can't burn 3000 calories and subsist on 600 set in. Damn my orthorexia.
Mark and I rode a nice steady 120km on this past Sunday. No hammering just a nice and friendly side by side stroll through the country side. No bonking, no suffering, just enjoying the heat and the day.

So that is what I've been doing. In the shop things might have slowed down a bit ... but I'm not quite sure. I've had my head buried in repairs so even if it is a bit slower ... there always seems to be a nice pile of work to do. I have ordered some 2011 bikes that should be arriving early next week. I love the eccentricities of the bicycle industry with their 2011 models in mid 2010. But, I love new stuff so ... I can't complain too much.

Lots of clothing is on sale as we are running out of full size runs so we figured ... let's just put it all on sale. Jerseys, rain jackets and the like. I'd recommend stopping by to check it out.

And that is all that I have got. I'm now going to try and catch up on some of what I have been missing for the past 2 weeks or so.

Tim.

p.s. It isn't like I am completely ignoring the tour ... don't get me wrong. I am still reading about it and sort of following it, I just have a winter of trainer riding and I am sure to watch it at least 2-3 times front to back.

The end is nigh ...

2010-06-30T04:30:00.000-07:00

The end of June that is. Cue obligatory commentary on how time flies and I cannot believe that it is almost July ... it seemed like it was may just a few days ago.
Anyways, it IS the end of June and a doozy June has been.

In the shop we have been fighting the tide with each week that passes. We will start on top of things on a Monday, lose a little bit of ground by Tuesday (this is sometimes when I start going in an hour or two early) and get officially behind by Wednesday. Depending on the amount of overtime we all work we might dig ourselves out, a bit, in our first 10-8 shift Thursday but ... often we just get a tad more behind. Friday is a gong show and Saturday is a long day where eventually, hopefully we play a bit of catch up and get back to some semblance of normalcy. With this week you simply throw in a Canadian holiday followed by an American holiday for some shipping mayhem and fun ensues!
So, by no means am I complaining, I am eternally grateful and thankful to all of our customers. I just have to stop and marvel that so few can get so much accomplished each and every day. Quite amazing really.

Last night was the Tuesday night hammerfest and from the looks of it the boys left the ball peens behind and packed the sledges. I had had a long day and was in no shape to ride w/ them so I went solo but, knowing a group ride is often lacking in 'route ingenuity' I figured I was guaranteed to run into them at Arkell if I made it there for 830ish. Annnnddd ... I was right. Strung out along Arkell Rd. with Stu leading Anton to the sign it was by all appearances a great training ride.

What else is happening? Le Tour is coming (not literally coming to Guelph but in the sense that it is about to start...) which, as always, I have mixed feelings about. The pre-tour magazine selling soap opera is tiresome (so I try to ignore it) and the racing never quite lives up to that of the Giro (at least not in the past few years) but, it is Le Tour, the pinnacle of the sport and I can't quite tear myself away. While I might not watch EVERY second as it happens (or right after it happens) you can be guaranteed it will be what preserves my mind while I crank out the always exciting trainer miles this winter.

2011 is here. I remember remarking last year how every year at this time we, bike shops and suppliers, get to travel forward in time because, heck, 2010 product isn't good enough for 2010 ... we need 2011! So ... 2011 is arriving very soon. Be excited.
Okay, sarcasm aside, I can't help but be excited. No matter how many times I see a new bike or talk about ways to improve the shops efficiency etc... I cannot help but be excited. I guess I'm in the right business.

That's all. I snuck one in under the wire. July here we come.

Tim.

Dribs and drabs ...

2010-06-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

This week has been a long one and it isn't quite over yet. A Sunday respite is going to be very welcome!

Coming home from Utah on Sunday I, initially, was full of energy. Well, that lasted about as long as it took for my wonderful wife to get me home from the airport. Pretty soon I was zapped of energy and thinking about recovering for the following day at work. And good thing I got to bed quickly because the next day was BUSY. As was the next, and the next, and the next ... Yes, there is a recurring theme.

It has been a busy year. Why? Well, I like to think it is my animal magnetism but the reality is that it seems people have three major things on their minds lately. Health (fitness, diet and so on), Economy and Environment. These three things have been the focus of most major media outlets for the past ... how long now? You can't turn on the news without hearing about how the housing market is doing this, the oil spill is doing that or we have more obese children than ever. I do realize that the 'economy' is always a focus, especially in the news, but more so than ever it is a focus on trying to conserve, to cut back and simplify. And I see that theme being combined with the focus on environment and health and creating a general awareness that cycling can be used to increase your quality of life.

So my soap box is pretty high up but I'm comfortable on it so I will continue. Health wise it is hard to beat cycling. Low impact and highly aerobic you can set the tone of each and every ride (well ... sometimes Mother Nature helps to set the tone) and get what YOU want out of it. Environmentally speaking, simply utilizing the bicycle in the garage instead of the car for short trips around town will reduce the amount of fuel you consume. Reduce your fuel consumption, save some money (that's the economy portion).
And realistically, those are just the simple, obvious points that are bandied about in the press. One of the major benefits of using my bicycle for the majority of my errands, trip and recreation is that I get outside of the metal shell and I get to interact with my environment. If I see something that interests me I simply pull over and check it out. I don't know how many turtles have benefited from a nudging across the road. As well you can simply experience what your city has to offer. So many people just don't realize what Guelph has to offer in terms of natural beauty ... and is there any better way to see it than a bicycle? I think not!

Anyways. Where was I headed with this? I guess what I am getting at here is that a bicycle can provide the impetus to create positive change within your life. That is where I was headed.

Okay, Saturday at the shop and it is looking like the weather will break. The soap box was comfortable but I'm going to get off it now to go make some breakfast. Have a great day!

Tim.

I went to Park City and all I had was ...

2010-06-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

A crappy camera phone. Yep. I took all of my pictures w/ my blackberry. I keep thinking I need some type of nice, small, durable camera so I can take quality shots w/out hauling out the worlds biggest camera. But I never seem to get around to it.
That said ... after looking at the shots I took of the new 2011 product I might be picking up my pace a bit. They. Are. Terrible. Pictures. Period.
Anyways, I thought I would share some pictures that I can actually show ... nothing so new as to be exciting. Because I have to wait on those, still, apparently.

Paul and I did some road cycling on something new and fantastic. 80+ km at anywhere from 7500 to 8500 ft. made for some great riding. The interesting thing about riding road in this area of Utah is you never have a sense of your speed. We spent 3/4 of our time in scrub/desert terrain and in these areas the soil is so dry that nothing really grows besides sharp spindly scrubby bushes. No computers, GPS, power meters etc... made gauging effort difficult because we were so far outside of our normal terrain.

The original route we had mapped out involved a longish stretch of tight, shoulder less highway riding. The awesome SRAM neutral support driver, who was kept more than busy patrolling the roads looking for dropped/dehydrated/flatted riders, pointed us to a road less traveled. It ended up having a great stretch of dirt road that really showed how comfortable the ________ can really be. Quite surprising actually. It also gave Paul the opportunity to commune w/ the beasts. For a guy from Toronto his cattle call was impressive.

One of the many descents (that was preceded by long continuous steady ascents) that we were fortunate to ride. This one had some fairly spectacular vistas ... which I found surprising. I had no idea what to expect from Utah and although I knew there were mountains I was continually shocked by the extreme transitions in landscape that we rode through in a 50 some odd mile route. Desert scrub land, lush valley grasslands and really beautiful mountain lake areas. Of course the camera phone does no justice but, it'll have to do.

Michael slogging it up the fire road. We took a gondola up to 9000 ft. and then some single track up to this fire road. When took the mid mountain trail which allowed us to cut across the mountain and as a result we found this fire road. Paul looked up, saw snow and decided he had to a) touch the snow b) make a snowball and c) ride as high as possible. This stretch of fire road was were we made the most elevation gain. I was riding SRAM XX in the 29/36 and still just moving along w/ my heart rate somewhere near exploding level.

We found this sign to be hilarious. It was really counting on the honesty of the cyclist! We also decided that this was the time for gratuitous 'Brought to you by Cannondale' product shots. I think I can show this picture because the 2011 Scalpel is relatively the same. There are some changes that you cannot see and I won't bother to explain. I will say I love the lefty, it was the best xc fork I have ever ridden. I will also say that carbon rims are surprisingly durable and this bike, while not made for alot of what we rode, was simply amazing. And light. Silly light.

This was too good to miss. We were going to just take a picture beside the large amount of snow ... but Paul decided it was better to just jam the bike into the snow bank. It worked. Gratuitous product shot? You bet!

Almost the highest point we got to. This was all part of our attempt to get to the Wasatch Crest trail and ride the mountain ridge over to Park City. We met some locals who pointed us in the right direction. As a result we rode some trail that made me get a wee bit of vertigo and arrived at the trail to find it ... waist deep in snow. Apparently it will be a while before the crest trail clears. Which to my lowland mind is hard to comprehend.

I missed taking my own picture of Paul and Tim Johnson beside the brand new _______ ________ ______x. Tim Johnson is a really nice guy. The bike he had in his possession was ridiculous. As I'm not much of a take a picture with a pro guy (too shy to ask probably) I don't have a picture of myself w/ Tim. That said ... I wouldn't be able to post it because I can't show you the new ______ _______ _______x. Haha.

Okay, that is what I've got for now. I do have some great product shots that I should be able to post up tomorrow. Some of the new stuff. I can also give my opinion (which we all know I love to do) on how the new product sizes up.

Have a great day!

Tim.

2010-06-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

As the sun creeps over the mountain ridge and begins to illuminate Park City I am still excited and having a hard time believing that I am where I am.

Currently I am in Park City, Utah. Specifically I am at the Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah for the Cannondale 2011 product launch.
After an earlier than usual waking time yesterday I was bound for Toronto and a flight to Chicago. Sitting in the lounge I quickly started to put together who was heading in the same direction as I was. Michael from Duke's was easiest to spot as he was rocking the Sugoi Compression socks and Specialized shoes. J.P. from Via Ciclante wasn't hard to spot either ... not many non-cyclists are wearing Squadra Azzurra sweater over a Liquigas T-shirt. The other dealers began to flood into the waiting area and before long we were in Chicago and before you knew it we had debarked in Salt Lake City, Utah.

I've never been to Utah before. I've never really seen a reason truthfully. While I pride my self in my geographical and geological know how ... I have always just sort of turned a blind eye to Utah. Well Utah. No more.

Anyways. I wrote that on Friday. It is now Sunday. What can be inferred from this is that alot happened between now and then and I have many pictures to show to prove it.

Quick run down:
Arrived at the hotel Thursday, ran down to the road bikes w/ Paul and Michael and took a new 2011 ____ 10 out on the road. We took a quick run over to the olympic park and had a gander from the top of the Luge runs and the Ski jumps. Returned the bikes, suitably impressed (but I can't say more ... sworn to secrecy and whatnot) and then ate food and hit the hay.

Friday we learned alot about the new clothing and mountain bikes. Some real innovation in the full suspension line ... but again. Sworn to secrecy. 8 hrs. of product knowledge later, we hit the road again. This time Paul and I logged 80+ km's covering dirt roads, winding ascents and descents and WIDE open spaces. Seriously. This also caused Paul to have the belief he could commune w/ the 1000's of beef cattle that wandered along side the road. I don't know if he made a connection or not but ... it was funny. I can show these pictures because they don't show the new ____ 10 that we were riding. But again, with more miles on this bike ... I was very impressed. When I am allowed to speak on it. I will.

Saturday. More product knowledge. More awesomeness that I can't talk about. One of my favourite things was made better. In all the wisdom that is Cannondale they decided to extend the demo period today so Paul, Michael and I took some new _______ and headed to the top of the mountain. Gondola ride then a brutal fire road ascent from 9000 ft to approximately 9700 feet. Eventually we hit snow and had to stop.
As we were on cross country race bikes we decided the appropriate plan would entail taking the hardest descent possible as fast as possible. And we did. And, amazingly, I didn't eat it and I didn't do too bad. As a quick note, I love the lefty. I am 100% a convert. I love the XX group. And carbon fibre mountain bike rims can be amazingly strong. Even if you use them in a situation which is a complete departure from what they were really made for.

Sunday, I am here. In the Salt Lake airport on the free wifi after a nice 4am wake up. I'm tired. I'm full of new product knowledge. I'm full of positivity in terms of Cannondale.

Once I can, I will post some of the pictures of the new product. It is suitably impressive.

Tim.

Well what did you do Sunday morning ...

2010-06-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

Sadly enough I cropped, cut and sorted pictures so that I could find a new and satisfactory photo to be the header for this blog. That is what I did.
While my racing compatriots are all focusing mentally, preparing their race bags, beating their undersized chests with their fists and fueling for the assault on the Hidden Valley subdivision I am sitting at home, in jogging pants and a t-shirt, trying to change CMYK into HEX codes. And I feel happy with my choice.

While they are getting ready to beat the tar out of each other (and don't get me wrong, beating the tar out of each other on a bicycle is a worthy endeavor) I am pondering my breakfast of champions. I believe it will be the always delicious Teff pancakes w/ a green smoothie to satisfy the mornings vegetable AND fruit needs. Yes, a balanced meal with a hearty serving of delicious delicious agave nectar (or maple syrup, your choice, each is delicious)is a great way to start the day.

In all likelihood I will mount the trusty road steed for some serious miles today. Having just checked ~~the devil itself~~ Facebook I now know that Domestique in Dundas is open 10-4 making my directional choice a little bit easier. It is funny ... in the past I really despised getting off the bike mid ride for any reason. A ride is a ride. A ride is not a sit. But with the discovery of this fantastic cycling themed cafe, with their delicious gluten free baked goods and superb coffee ... I just can't help it. Seriously. I can't. I will be drawn like a moth to the flame today and already I am 99% sure I will be riding to Dundas for coffee. Hmmm.

Today will be Day 2 in the very popular Ride to Conquer Cancer. It is always great to see the transformation of the socially aware non-cyclist into a socially aware cyclist. I am quite sure that the ride raises a considerable amount of money for Cancer research and that is fantastic. But, personally, I think the most impressive and admirable aspect of the whole endeavor is that it brings thousands of people together to exercise. It shows people what is possible and, I believe, opens their minds to a whole new world of active living. Which in the long run should increase health and so on and so forth. So, I wish the riders the best on this rainy, yet warm, Sunday.

In the shop ... we are busy. I know I say that all the time but, I'm not lying. We are busy. Yesterday we built up Aarons new Cannondale Six Carbon 3 ... all 60cm of blue, black and white. A truly beautiful road bike it had me thinking long and hard about next years road steed of choice. I am loving my Cannondale Quick CX Rigid and I know Cosmo is really enjoying his Cyclocross 3 which is making my thoughts drift towards a SuperSix or something silly like that.
Mark, who will be Guatemala bound by early next year, is anxiously awaiting the 2011 run of Gary Fisher 29ers. He has decided to leap back into the world of the hard tail and is most likely going to acquire something like a Xcaliber ... or something like that.

So, that is about all. I spent so much time playing with colours and pictures that I can't be bothered to say anything of worth. To all those in the Tour de Grand, KW Classic and Ride to Conquer Cancer ... enjoy your day. It will be a great day after all because you are on a bike.

Tim.