SQUAMISH DUDE

1 month to go until the Dude returns to Italy

2012-02-01T14:58:00.001-08:00

One more month of snowtime and its biketime again. The winter has been good to me and doing some work with skiing has made things fly by. I skied twice which isn't bad. Now I am setup with touring gear so next fall I can get going earlier...

March 1 we fly to Italy to ride bikes and see what was to be 3 big races but spending time on the interweb sometimes is a good thing...March 3 is the Montepaschi Strade Bianche which is going to be sick...today I noticed that Tirreno-Adriatico stage 2 passes just north of Siena where we will be staying on March 8. Why not check it out? The spot we will hit looks to be a little town called Poggibonsi and that is where the feed zone will be...a chance to see the racers whizz by and get some of the bottles and mussets they toss...only GreenEDGE ones though.

After that we will head to Nice to catch the final stage of the Paris-Nice stage race...rumored finale is said to be an uphill TT? Savage way to end it.

After that we hang around in the area to see a pretty frickin huge classic in Milan San Remo.Gonna ride the Cipressa and Poggio climbs...

Also some hope of some VIP actione from SCOTT...fingers, and toes CROSSED!

Again, sometimes the web is good...by fortune of following some cool Italian blogs it appears we will have some local dudes to take us on a couple of rides while in Siena. Perfecto...always cool to be shown the best routes and places to stop for coffee and lunch by a local.

Who wouldn't want to go riding in a place like this:

the now famous "white roads" around Siena

Finally...

2012-01-20T14:07:00.002-08:00

Finally, a dream has come true for the Dude....

24 hr Solo Worlds - round 2

2012-01-05T18:33:00.003-08:00

I have to take another shot at a 24 hr solo....why not the Worlds this coming September in Canmore! Learned a lot my first time around in the 2010 Worlds in Australia. I think it was the most suffering I've went through on a bike. Said I'd never do one again - but, I know I can do better. Going to dial in 2 bikes, nutrition stuff and come into the thing non-fried like last time. Maybe it will make a difference, maybe not. If you're in the Canmore/Calgary area next Sept 15/16 and want to witness some pure human suffering stop by and cheer on some retarded people like me. :)

http://www.24hoursofadrenalin.com/worldchampionships/

might lay off the pizza and cokes this time around

New Years Ski

2012-01-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

Wicked birthday ski up to Red Heather for round 2 of ski touring 101. More snow than last time and nice clear skies. Got up just in time to catch the sunset. Made a great fondue with some friends, some wine, chocolate, whisky in the hut and then made our way down with our lights. I love touring. Happy we invested in the gear and have cool people to go with. Love the alpine playground in winter now too, it's hard not to when you have all this waiting just out your door!

powder is where it's at

Erin my snow bunny

another great pic of Erin's

love this mountain

New Sport - Ski Touring

2011-12-26T14:10:00.001-08:00

Living in Squamish there is tons of alpine wilderness above town to explore in the winter too. We dropped some cash on alpine touring gear and are stoked we've done so.Not only do you get away from the crowds at the ski hills you get a workout as you "skin" up and then bomb down.Perfect cross training in the winter for cycling. When it's raining hard down in the valley it's likely to be dumping in the alpine.
Our first mission to test out our gear and get rolling was to head up into Garibaldi Provincial Park. We made it as far as the Red Heather Hut.Tons of snow, only a few hardy souls out on Christmas Day.We are hooked!!!

Check out a nice little vid I shot on my Contour + cam with Erin leading the way.What a blast!

http://contour.com/stories/christmas-ski-tour-mission-to-red-heather-hut

Pictures:

Erin in action, following friend Jim & Claire

Erin geared up and ready to "skin"

tellin' stories - "I hit this jump..."

Red Heather Hut

white Christmas

Contour mounts RULE

2011-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

These little buggers make getting awesome video way easier.The mounts are solid and easy to manipulate.Opens up tons of different POV's. My vids will improve BIGTIME...

hardcore stretchy rubber mount for stem,frame or handlebar

slide cam on, adjust angle of the lense and roll

mounts to the frame for some cool pov's

rotate cam to desired angle and start shootin'

strap feeds through the goggle mount

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T19:53:00.001-08:00

http://contour.com/stories/happy-riding-holidays-from-the-squamish-dude

Made another video with my new Contour + camera...got some new mounts...went with the one around my downtube...shows my front shocker working away...

3 ROX Racing Team

2011-11-28T21:21:00.001-08:00

The fastest team in Canada and on SCOTT bikes too...the Dude is stoked to be associated with such savage pinners...coming to a podium near you in '12... http://3roxracing.com/.

back

front

Ski Touring

2011-11-20T19:56:00.001-08:00

Taken up a new sport this winter...Ski Touring. Gearing up now for adventure in the backcountry above Squamish in Garibaldi Provincial Park. Looking forward to a good kick in the balls in terms of the exercise on the way up and some mellow turns on the way down. Did a recon trip above Red Heather hut today and there is a ton of snow up there already...stoked to do some overnight trips and get up into the solitude of the wilderness away from it all.Gear pics coming soon...

From the Inside Out

2011-10-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Got a chance to catch the premiere of the new Coastal Crew/2nd Base flick From the Inside Out in Whistler last night.It was shot all in BC that's right B-C in a ton of awesome locations including Squamish. Not only were guys jumping moving trains but the cinematography and storyline was superp.I left wanting to get a dh bike and go shred as they say. Here's a teaser of the film...

Tough to pick a favorite scene, although it was pretty awesome to see the movie end with these guys pinning up on Brohm Ridge high above Squamish. Once again there is proof that Squamish is a world leader in the sport of mountain biking. We have the terrain, the trails, the riders live around here and now comes the exposure. Wonder where the sport will be at here in 5 years? 10 years? Tought to say but I will be here in the middle of it...my gut feeling is that it will be pretty awesome.

Chalk last night up to another great opportunity via my involvement with SCOTT. Really cool to be involved with stuff like this and see the riders, fikmakers and company people who "live the dream"...and they really do, what a rad lifestyle...riding bikes, out in all that beautiful wilderness...cool to see people so stoked up about bikes. For me, I'm a little fish in the pond but I'm a fish nun-theless and I feel like I'm swimming with the current of the modern biking vibe...hard not to think of ones roots riding gravel roads in Saskatchewan then fast forward 20 years and I'm still rolling...but living in absolute biking paradise...even met one of the living legends of freeride - one Brett Tippie at the afterparty...I met him for 2 seconds like 10 years ago in a bike shop...he had no clue who the hell I was but was a cool cat, busting out crazy shit and having a laugh...that guy sure stokes people up...worth everything he gets. If I can spread the stoke even a fraction of what he's done over the years that will be something...

the Coastal Crew machines

One Week in Squamish - Back Where I Started

2011-10-25T18:02:00.001-07:00

One week ago today I was riding up into the glorious alpine...one week later I was riding up into the glorious alpine.
I wish I could do this ride once a week up to Elfin Lakes all summer...can't cause there's too much snow. Damn high mountains, nasty mountains!

tough sluggin

Within the span of a week a whole bunch more snow hit the ground up here. Nice clear CRISP weather. Ice too. Felt like it might be the last chance to hit the lakes before winter settles in.

the white road

I started out riding in the snow of Saskatchewan.Through -30+ Celcius winters I still ended up heading out. Full ski mask, goggles, Sorel boots and all the cheap gear I had. Would be really stoked to last 1 hour.
Fast forward 15-20 years and I'm riding high in the coast mountains of BC.

sweet spot

Time to reflect watching a nice reflection...

One Week in Squamish - Saturday Night, Sunday Morning

2011-10-23T17:58:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a washout...went to a dinner/dance party and left my bike alone...makes me think of the book/movie Saturday Night Sunday Morning...

Gotta love the Brits, they sure know how to drink and carry on and then do it all over again...truly hardcore.
My Sunday was different..woke up to a solid headache but went straight for the cure...

our machine is kicking ass - Erin makes another rad cap

The sun was out and I went out for a couple hours on the bike...didn't feel like heading into the forest too much so I decided to ride down to the ocean and soake up some rays and watch some sailboats...

Howe Sound

Unreal views of the Chief down here too...

Thinking of heading back up to Elfin Lakes to see where the snows at and get in some more climbing...

One Week in Squamish - Friday, Movies and Espresso Beans

2011-10-21T13:51:00.001-07:00

The weather turned for the worst today...that rain that has been threatening has finally delivered. No matter, I have other things I can do...
What better way to start off my day than to get some fresh espresso beans in the mail! I got 4 nice bags of fresh beans from a brand new roaster out in Alberta...there is an even deeper connection here than the obvious fact that most bikers love drinking good espresso...the people who started the company are both savage bikers! Troy and Christine Misseghers fired up the Crowsnest Coffee Company. Check them out... http://www.crowsnestcoffeecompany.com/.

gotta test things out, kinda like a espresso demo

Always like to have something to look forward to and next week will provide me with the opportunity to catch a brand new mtb film premiere up in Whistler. SCOTT is one of the sponsors and the film has been entirely shot in BC. Many of the sports biggest heroes are in there including our very own Coastal Crew guys. Sounds like there's a sick Squamish segment in there too...plus one of these guys jumping a moving train in PG! The film is made by the Anthill guys who live right here in Squamish...I keep telling people what a mountain bike mecca this town is...the flick is called From the Inside Out....check out the trailer then come ride in BC...

Perhaps some work on my bike, for sure some espresso's....let it rain...good for the trails!

One Week in Squamish - Thursday, Mixed Surprise Bag

2011-10-20T22:51:00.001-07:00

The weather was supposed to be crappy so I thought I would catch up on some work on my bike and other stuff I'd been putting off. Got my running around done in the morning and by the time I was done the weather turned around, the sun came out and I was off on a burn.

slapped on a new bolt style seatpost clamp from HOPE

Last weekend we did some trail work on Brackentrail that was really needed. Since then I've ridden the trail a couple of times and today I hit it again...the work paid off and the trail is really improved, time will tell how it will hold up with how much the trails get ridden here.

Brackentrail - coming in hot

Looks like tomorrow might be a good one for a day off, the weather is supposed to not be so good...but that's what they said for today? Waiting for some coffee beans to show up from the Crowsnest Coffee Company, stoked to try some new beans from a buddy in Alberta who I've raced with and now he's got some roasting going...now that's cool...

One Week in Squamish - Wednesday, Test of Metal plus catching up on Tuesday's stuff

2011-10-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Typical Squamish...with so much riding, so many trails and adventures it's a full time job just to keep track of it all and share it with people...I'm still trying to catch up on what ride I did yesterday and last night...worked into the wee hours to make a nice little vid with my new CONTOUR + of my ride up to Elfin with my buddy Fraser who works at Obession Bikes in North Van...they are a SCOTT dealer and do all the service at the BC Bike Race every year among other things...we had a blast...I made a little video...I love it up there!

Last night, Erin and I headed out with our friends Belinda and Greg on a sweet night ride...I couldn't help but get a group photo of the gang...

psychedelic light action

Wednesday...classic first half of the Test of Metal loop...never heard of "the Test"...check it out http://testofmetal.com/

Love this burn...want to dial in the course so I can crush it and improve on my 8th place in 2010. Racing and pinning it is only part of the experience...today I had no number plate on and took time to stop and check out my surroundings...

took a "left/right turn" onto Tracks From Hell

Fall might be my favorite season...at this time last year we were in Australia already sweating our asses off...nice to be here this fall to see the leaves turn color...a great time for reflection...and looking forward too...

crunch, crunch,crunch

Nature is a poweful thing...we tell friends in other countries and in the cities that we see bears all the time...do they believe us? Canada is a wild and rugged place and I think we live in what sometimes seems a big outdoor zoo...we just saw a black bear the other day in the alley out front of our place...really cool but that's sort of common here, not that we don't get blown away by it but it's part of life...so when I jump on my mountain bike those same bears are out there too, doing their thing...

we're not alone, 2 nice black bears only meters from the trail, no big deal

Time to work on my bike...check the weather for tomorrow and put something together...some scotch will help...

One Week in Squamish - Tuesday, Eflin Lakes

2011-10-18T23:37:00.002-07:00

Woke up. Drank some espresso.Got my lycra on and headed to a cafe to meet buddy boy Fraser.Drank more coffee and then climbed up into the alpine to Elfin Lakes.My favorite ride in Squamish.To be able to ride from my house all the way up into the alpine under my own steam is so rad. With it being mid October there is snow already up on the trail. No fear, we packed a hearty lunch consisting of cheese sandwiches (one grilled and one not), italian sausage, chocolate,tortilla chips,one San Pelligrino and some other stuff that got scarfed down so fast I can't remember what it was.When you hit it right on this ride up to Elfin Lakes it is paradise...just mountains,glaciers,rock,snow,trees,beautiful fresh air to breathe and sun on your face, as you fill your face with a much deserved lunch. It took us about 3 hours of riding to get up there and about 30 mins to get down...but it was all worth it...about 6 hours in the saddle on this one. Epic is an over-used term but it applies to this ride. Still hard to believe this is where I live, my backyard and playground.I hope for many long years of here, still so much I haven't done...one day at a time...not sure what ride I'll do tomorrow...I've got plenty of options...

I love our machine, can't live without a hit every morning

first glimpse, down there near the ocean is our place...pedalling is cool

we live in rugged territory

still riding and loving bikes

Elfin Lakes is pretty damn awesome

going to overnight in that cabin oneday

my buddy Fraser kicks ass!!!

it's true, I'm one happy SOB here in Squamish

One Week in Squamish - Monday, shred Half Nelson

2011-10-18T00:51:00.002-07:00

Ever wonder how much sick riding you could do in one week if you came to Squamish?

Monday I decided to take out the Voltage FR10 for a couple laps on Half Nelson.The trail was in awesome shape.Beautiful fall day for some big bike riding.

Thankfully I had my rad new CONTOUR + camera to tell my story. It was pretty easy to take a whole whack of vids on the trail cause the the on/off button is so simple and easy to get at. You always know when it's on or off. Pretty slick.

Tomorrow the plan is to jump on my new Scale 29'er and climb high up above town into the alpine to Elfin Lakes. About a 2.5 hour ride from my door.Will for sure hit the snow. Going to be a clear day of about 20 degrees.
After that, going to come home and chow down and then do the Tuesday night ride....

See you tomorrow...

Dwarf on the big wheels

2011-10-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Always great to line up and do a race. I haven't done any this year until I did a rad 4hr Octoberfest Enduro at Harper Mountain near Kamloops. I had been riding more the last month or so and have been feeling pretty decent. What better way to see whether those vibes were real or not than to suffer for a few hours.
A wicked course with perfect fall weather.Falling leaves.Fast and flowy interior singletrack that benefitted from a touch of overnight rain.Also a great opportunity to get down to the business of dialing in my new Scale RC 29'er.Since the race I have tweaked a few things and have a couple of more things to do to it.More miles will allow me to get 'er dialed in.

dwarf on the big wheels

Thanks to Harper Mountain/Kevin Bogetti - Smith for the shot. Check out his site http://bogettismith.zenfolio.com/ .

CONTOUR + camera

2011-10-10T12:36:00.001-07:00

V-brakes to Disc brakes. Fully rigid to full suspension.It's like a night and day difference now that I've got setup with the new Contour + camera...I've sold my GoPro and am now back in the movie biz.

this little bugger leaves GoPro in the dust

Still setting it up but right out of the box the Contour has tons of features that make the other cameras super old school.Here are some that really jump out at me:

Contour has a huge yet simple sliding on/off button on the top of the camera. You know when you're filming and when you're not. No more thinking you got a sick video recorded and then when you head home to upload it all and you discovered your GoPro was off. Plus, every video doesn't have to start with you staring into the camera like a tool..."is this thing on?"
The mounts are way more solid - I never used the GoPro handlebar mount cause it was hokey and weak.
With BlueTooth compatibility I can use my iPhone as a viewfinder to see what I'm filming, adjust stuff like contrast, sharpness etc
The Contour has GPS built in so I can show people more about the trails I ride.
The lense is flat like a real camera. Plus it's not enclosed in a platic case like GoPro.

Those are just a few things that jump out at me...can't wait to make some more vids...check out the cameras at www.contour.com

Dude's first roll on new 29'er

2011-10-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

Flat out high speed burn to the interior this past weekend for a couple of fall events with some of our dealers provided me with a rare opportunity to race my bike. Adding to my stoke to do a race was that I was able to get some time in on my new Scale 29'er RC carbon hardtail. Oct 2 is better late then never for a first race of 2011.

now this is a superior machine

The action took place high up on Harper Mountain outside of Kamloops. It was a 4hr Octoberfest Enduro. Sick course, full of classic fast and flowy interior singletrack. The sun came out and the leaves were turning color.Perfect temperature with that crisp smell in the air. Gotta love fall time.
Aboard my new whizzy big wheeled rig I spent the better part of 4 hrs being blown away by how well my new bike was. Nothing like a new bike. I fall in love for a while with most of my bikes and then when the new ones come out the love fades. Something is different about this one. The big wheels are really awesome, it's a totally new ride. My Shimano XTR stuff was perfect, loved the gearing with my single ring upfront too. And the brakes, oh my god they are sweet...one finger braking with so much power. My custom WheelBuilder hoops were solid and rolled smooth. Glad I went with the thru axle in the front and rear for more strength and stiffness. Loving my new SR Suntour Epicon! Having a chance to hammer on it for a few hours and break it in was just what the doctor ordered, going to dial in the travel this week and make some adjustments and then roll it.
The complete bike weighs a scant 21 pounds but is solid...however I'm looking for some ways to get it down closer to 20...the addiction just doesn't go away.
After I was released from the hurt locker I came away with 2nd place, not sure about how many laps I did. I felt satisfied with how I rode and needed a good kick in the balls. Even won a bag of Oso Negro coffee beans...maybe my best prize ever. My trusty supporter Chuck Samson was by my side through the race...he sure knows his stuff and hit me with a nice cold beer as I entered into my last lap...needed that. Met some more new people and some familiar faces too...packed up, filled my face with greasy food and headed down the road...gonna go back to this one next year for sure...

nasty good smokie and semi local ale to sooth my wounds

Big Wheel Action - Scott Scale 29'er RC

2011-09-27T18:23:00.001-07:00

Just got my first 29'er built up...start with our sickest carbon 29'er frame, add some new XTR, whizzy wheels and a rad new fork and wholla...you've got a monster truck bike - dude style...even trying some new stuff such as my first thru axles front and rear...15mm up front and 10mm in the rearend...even back to a wide flat bar...still a bit of tweaking to do...
This all sorta just happened, so no real plan other than making it light but solid enough for Squamish trails...wanted to make it simple too and return to the single ring up front. Thanks to some very generous people in the industry I was able to make it happen without dropping a ton of cash. I must say that I have never been this stoked on a new bike before...this thing is rad....thanks to SCOTT Bikes for the frameset, SR Suntour for the sick Epicon X1 fork, Rich at Wheelbuilder for the hoops, NRG for the MRP stuff and tires, Jared from OGC, Republic Bicycles(Adam and Richard for help in the build)..."also, I would like to thank the Academy for this award"...can't wait to get it out on the trails...check it out....

"now this is a superior machine"

our top carbon 29'er frame - the RC is under 949g

front shocker - SR Suntour Epicon X1

XTR tranny - 35 x 11-36

pinner setup - simple and clean

'12 XTR short cage action with anti-chain slapper dial

Wheelbuilder.com to the rescue
whizzy Stans/DT hoops
2 white spokes per wheel for bling
trying some Maxxis IKON rubber too

one last look
time to ride

OkanaganEuropaland

2011-09-26T12:18:00.002-07:00

Headed from the lush west coast to the interior of BC...the Okanagan, as close as Canada comes to European wine country...a hearty mix of a dry arid climate, mixed with more wineries than you can possibly drink at in a day plus some of the best road riding this side of Tuscany.Within a span of a 5hr drive we were in what felt like another country...how could it be that there is such a place that is pretty much a desert, filled with wineries and huge lakes so close to our home in Squamish?Again, BC is a place that continues to amaze us at every turn...our throats were dry from the heat and lack of humidity but that was quickly cured with some fine vino...

my beautiful riding buddy

Erin came along on this trip as we got in 2 nice road rides together along Okanagan and Skaha lakes...I know understand why people come here to road ride and train in the spring...the view alone is worth the trip. Nice twisty roads, not much traffic coupled with drivers seemingly not in a hurry going slow and moving over for you...something about riding in wine country, seeing those vines overlooking the lake like that...get's me every time.

far out man, hippies dig wine too man

We based in Penticton, home of Ironman Canada...definately a sport crazy town...thanks to our buddy Aart Van Kooy from the Bike Barn we also got hooked into some of the good local places to chow down...definately recommend THE BENCH on Vancouver St for breakfast/lunch and good espresso...we parked there for our ride out to the little town of Narramata...really no need to carry nasty energy gels and goo-crap when road riding here - just nip into one of the many fruit orchards and score some nice apples...

ripe and ready

Back on the "wet coast" as some people say...finally getting some rain today...50 + mm....nothing to out of the ordinary out here...hard to believe that when I asked a guy this weekend "When was the last time you guys got a good rain out here?". He replied "Ah, maybe 3 months since we've had a good splash"...stuff like that is what makes this province so rad...the coast wouldn't be the coast if it was dry...and same goes for the Okanagan...without that dry parched feeling in the back of your throat, that feeling when that sun beats down on your skin making you want to run for the cover of the nearest lakeside patio...kinda blows one's mind when your sitting there sipping some nice local Pinot Noir after being out on your bike...as close as I can come to the Euro vibe without the plane ticket...

the ride continues

Dude out.

SR SUNTOUR SHOCKER

2011-09-19T16:44:00.001-07:00

hot action on the leather couch

The Dude had a rad time in Vegas at his first Interbike...the combination of working at our booth, whizzy bikes, good espresso and good people made it really fun...the thick stench of people smoking everywhere couldn't put a damper on the action...some good long days at the show talking to people from around the world....people watching, deals being made, cards being exchanged...some of which might even get used....neat to sit in a crowd of people and watch the scenes that take place...who needs reality tv?Pretty cool to be in line for a java and have none other than Ned Overend getting his shot...of course I had to tell him about being at the '94 World Cup Finals in Silver Star where he crushed it...hey, I won the Sport Category out of hundreds of guys...still got the medal...cool cat is Deadly Nedly...rolling strong into his late 50's!!!!

One of the coolest things to come out of Vegas was getting hooked up with forks from the SR SUNTOUR guys...stoked to be rolling the new EPICON 29'er fork....with a carbon one coming down the road...another piece of the puzzle for my Scale frame...super plush action, a slick 15mm thru axle, great stiffness and clearance...let the testing begin on our gnarly Squamish terrain...check out the forks at http://www.srsuntour-cycling.com/index.php?sid=1 for all the details on this hot stuff...used by worlds champs and the Dude plus our kick ass Canadian trade team 3 ROX Racing run by Kyle "BabyFace" Douglas...some relation to Kirk and Michael I think...check them out....Kyle said I'm kinda on the team...said they need an endurance, espresso drinkin' freak-a-zoid in the west...

www.3roxracing.com
Stoked to also run into other supporters of the Dude such as Rich from Wheelbuilder who set me up with those whizzbang wheels...more new things in the works for this fall and next season...the ride just keeps getting better...

Dude out!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas?

2011-09-08T19:04:00.002-07:00

Saturday I get to ride our whizz bang Scott FOIL road bike in the Whistler Gran Fondo...120km from downtown Van through Squamish ending in Whistler. 7000 cyclists making there way along the most beautiful road...and it's closed to traffic!
Next Tuesday it's off to Vegas for my first Interbike...gotta get packed...mexican wrestling mask - check....
After my return some more events and then perhaps a grand adventure off to....

Best trip of the year to Alberta

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

Hit the road right after the dust settled on Crankworx, made my way through Jasper to Edmonton at Revolution and PedalHead...wicked drive up there, for some reason I kept repeating AC/DC 's Money Talks track all the way.Benefitted from the kindness of the Revo guys and crashed with Clint from the shop after the awesome group road ride in the city...late night pizza, beers and got a chance to see his collection of pet snakes,ferrets,lizards and stuff...slept pretty good actually, no nightmares!
Made my way to my second home of Calgary.Really wicked time here, caught up with the BowCycle crew and plugged right into the Tour of Bowness, their big weekend sale and finally the group road ride. Great to be back at Cadence for some of Al's finest java, I think I had my best espresso ever there...everyone thinks I've moved back cause I was there so much...probably a good thing. Great action in the race, I even sold a couple of bikes at the sale too...so rad to be back in Bowness...plus get out for some wicked road rides with staff and friends. Also got out for a mtb ride with the PedalHead guys on Powderface, good times out on familiar ground.
Stayed with Walter Sobchak all week and pollutted his mind with my new fave movie Glen Gary Glen Ross.
Said goodbye to Cowtown and headed back to BC stopping in Kelowna and Kamloops in search of potential new dealers...had the most wicked road ride in Kelowna...awesome twisty,turny roads switchbacking through vineyards and farmland...total euro action...I will be back!!!
Got home yesterday and am glad to be back in paradise with Erin.More demos and group rides the next couple of weeks before a return trip to Fernie for the NOS Free-ride Festival from the 19-21.

Also stoked about the Ride Guide episode finally coming out...here is the link to the episode...Robert Deniro who?
http://www.rideguide.ca/bike_episode.aspx?cid=15469

Now for some pics of the AB trip....

Tour of Bowness is gettin big, nice view from the top of the shop

flying the Scott flag hard

maybe the best crema ever at Cadence

Cat. 4 Crit winner and Foil lover Brent Topilko

Crankworx

2011-07-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

Had another blast at Crankworx again this year working our Scott booth...amazing action especially in the Slopestyle event...made lots of new buddies, drank way too much beer and am now on my way to Alberta for some demos...looking forward to catching up with some old friends and hitting the road for a bit....

Custom 29'er Wheelset

2011-07-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

a couple of white spokes to match my frame...whizzy!

QR 15 front hub

check them out if you want some serious wheel action

Never had a set of custom wheels before, never had a 29'er before...thanks to Rich @ Wheelbuilder I will soon be rolling on some sick hoops...Stans rims,DT hubs the QR15 action up front...spokes are bladed too...can't wait to take them out on a first ride!

http://wheelbuilder.com/

Dude out.

Best Supporting Actor

2011-07-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Haven't done a single race this summer but I'm still right in the middle of the action.
Stoked to have a true savage beast named Neal Kindree on our bikes out here in BC...they guy is full throttle all the time...a true animal...really cool to be able to help him out in any way possible...ties in really well with our demo program out here...for sure some momentum happening...check out this cool article we put together with Mountain Life magazine...

http://cm.mountainlifemag.ca/2011/07/squamish-loc-neal-kindree-wins-final-stage-of-bc-bike-race-on-a-ten-speed/

Later skaters

Little Monkey on Big Wheels

2011-06-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

Stoked to roll on the big monster truck wheels!Going to build it up real nice this summer, take it real slow and methodical.Many nights will be spent in the basement drinking java and single malt scotch tweaking this machine.
Love the color and the chance to ride something totally different.Built from our top HMX carbon fiber with tons of wicked technology built into it and weighing only 949g!Can't wait for that first ride!!!

Scale 29'er frame ready to be pimped out

Full Gas

2011-06-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I've updated things.
Got sick job with Scott Bikes.
Went to HQ in Switzerland.
Back to Canadian HQ in Ontario.
Load up totally dialed van full of bikes and begin my journey back west.
Do demos, meet old friends and make some new ones.
Come back just in time for the Test of Metal where buddy and new Scott pinner Neal Kindree takes 3rd place aboard our Scale 29'er.
Just the beginning of a wicked summer.
See you out there!
K

twin tower sandwich of Armand and Neal

biking is kinda big in Squamish eh

flying in the Scott flag hardcore

The journey begins with Switzerland

2011-05-23T11:57:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow I head off on another fantastic adventure, ushering in a new period in my life.No better and more profound way to bring about this change of course, this deviation in life then head to the nearest airport and jump on a plane to some far off destination.Armed with some clothes, the latest electronic hardware and the youthful spirit of discovery...of the world,of one's self.Erin always says that when you take off on a trip somewhere, go to the airport and check in, board that flight that you return a different person...for the better of course, but different none the less.
This trip will be different, a visit to the HQ of our bike brand in Switzerland.Erin and I have been to these lands before but on a holiday - travelling across the mountainous country by train.Fantastic.This time I will be there to soak up as much as I can, meet new colleagues, foster new bonds and come out with a better understanding of the job, my role in this new endeavor.
I will fly to Toronto with a co-worker from BC, then meet up with others there and contiue on to Zurich.Once there we will pile in a rental car and make our way to our final destination.Meeting new people is always different, however there is no better way to break the ice than a nice 8hr trans-atlantic flight together with complimentary bar service.
Our hotel sounds quite unique, a mexican themed hotel perched high in the Swiss Alps, sounds like paradise!Do I dare great the doorman with a "Buenos dias!" upon arrival or do I play it cool and shuffle inside making no eye contact, flying under the radar, for now atleast?Will the course of the weeks events result in us all retreating to the hotels bar each night after work and consuming way too many shots of tequila and swiss inspired mexican cuisine? God I hope so!
Right now my mind wants to wander to what I will see and do, what the coffee and chocolate will taste like...but also how the 2nd part of my trip will go.Sounds promising, to my knowledge I will be put up in some pretty cool digs in Ontario for about a week...my first haunted hotel.Supposedly, this property is the home to 3 friendly ghosts...not mention that Santa Claus has his own village here...sounds like a perfect place to stay for one who enjoys adventure!
After that "it's a flat out, high speed burn" back across the country...well most of it, Toronto to Squamish...who knew?Supposedly it takes a day or two to just get to the Ontario/Manitoba border.Along the way I will pass through Thunder Bay, where there is I'm told a statue in honor of the greatest Canadian of all time Terrry Fox.Then come the prairies, a homecoming of sorts, where will I be when that rush of old memories from my childhood come rushing into my brain.All those things that I haven't thought about in 20 years have been buried somewhere, not forgotten but not necessary to think of in my daily life.Will I feel my age?Wonder how it will go down on those long km's of open prairie road?At some point the idea of fate will have to cross my mind.Can't wait to turn on the radio again and listen to hour after hour of classic oldies and news from home and abroad.
Then after I have left southern Alberta, old friends and ties there in my rearview mirror I will see the Rocky Mountains ahead.I somehow know that I will feel like I am going home to where I belong.
Like any other trip it will be full of what it is to be full of...however I'm glad that I've been preparing well and have been watching way to much Fear and Loathing and Where the Buffalo Roam...I have this voice of Hunter S Thompson in my head, I know I'm not a journalist but I am on a trip of discovery and it seems appropriate.
No way of watching these videos so I went to the local bookstore that way having a "going out of business sale due to the sale of books on the internet" and picked up a copy of The Rum Diary to keep me rolling...
Almost time to go...more coffee...

OreCrusher

2011-05-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

Armand at Republic Bicycles is putting on this years first round of the Hell of a Series - the OreCrusher!!!
Held in his backyard of Brackendale the race is a hard one.Pretty flat the whole way but almost all singletrack.Fast,rough,rooty and fun.Last year after doing I could barely walk and my back was worked.For sure one of those races where the profile is deceiving...this one is hard.It's raining right now and if the course is wet those roots and rocks are diabolical!
The Dude will be helping out and watching from the sidelines this time...hot coffee in hand...

Your Mom Trail

2011-05-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

Rode Your Mom yesterday.

Doing some dh toonies this year!

2011-05-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

badass and affordable

What a total blast, I rode the new Scott Voltage FR 20 in last night's toonie dh...round 2 of the series was on the Lowdown trail.I'd never ridden it before, so I got out for a few practice laps earlier in the day to get an idea of what was up.Really fun trail, not too savage but it's one that the faster you go the harder it gets.The trail was in great shape and there was lot's of good grip out there to be had.About 45 riders came out to rip it up which was rad to see.The dh toonies are super mellow and I'm stoked to finally have the ability to do some of them...cool to meet other riders I don't normally see at the xc toonies...good for the skills (there will for sure be some harder courses later on in the season!) and just plain fun.Not sure of my placing or my time...but who cares it's just fun to get out and giv'er!
The bike was awesome, the ultra bright neon green was eye catching to say the least...no way you'd miss me out there...really plush travel and quite lightweight for an fr bike...not too mention a sub 3 grand pricetag...pretty sweet machine that won't break the bank and will leave you with cash for such things as a season's pass to the bike park in Whistler.
Nice bbq and party afterwards at our buddy Jim's house to cap off another classic Squamish day in the saddle.
The season is rolling!
Dude out.

The Scott Dude and his new ride!

2011-04-25T09:57:00.002-07:00

Pretty cool eh...badass machine!
Very pumped about my new job with Scott Bicycles, a dream opportunity to work with such an awesome company,products and people.
Working on the details of what we've got planned for the summer and it's looking really sweet.
The 2011 line is sick and I can't wait to get out there and bring it to the people.
To kick things off I get to accompany the rest of the Scott Canada guys on their spring trip to Switzerland...yup, I get to go to Scott HQ!!!What a fantastic way to begin, I still can't believe it.
I feel like I've found my home in the bike industry...for sure seems like the ultimate door opening, full of opportunity...I never dreamed when I first started riding that I would be in a position like this...now I guess that makes me the SCOTT DUDE!
See you out on the trails this summer!

Kelly

New Espresso Machine

2011-04-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sold my Spark.Spent the whole wad on a new espresso machine and grinder.Good espresso machines are just like good bikes - you get what you pay for!
After some shopping around we settled on the Nuova Simonelli Oscar.
Practice makes perfect...time to pull some shots...
Dude out.

the little red devil

Everybody's Next Bike

2011-04-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

Meet the FOIL!

http://www.scott-sports.com/ca_en/foil/video

The Dude's next bike????

Travelling,in my own province...loving Tofino!

2011-04-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Less than a week back from a 6 month holiday we set off to check out the west coast of Vancouver Island...focusing on the area around Tofino.Within the space of a couple of hours, a short ferry ride to Nanaimo and a quick burn across the island we were back on the beach?This time around the surroundings were massive old growth cedars, hemlocks and fir.The smell of those trees, the forest is amazing, so refreshing and pure.The temperature was cool, a strong wind came off the Pacific blowing that sea spray smack into our face.Maybe we were catching the last little bit of the winter storm season?Surfers were out in the rough waves and appeared to be getting some good ones.
Checked into our place, good start.Tofino is a really cool town, lot's of great places to eat and a super mellow vibe.We will be back.
Went down to Ucluelet as well and checked out the Aquarium, amazing to see all the creatures that call the waters around here home...way more than I thought.
On this first trip over to this part of the island I can definitely see why people love this place.

Watchman

Long Beach Lodge

the wild west coast

iconic local surf shop

sea star

classic west coast scene

rad view from our room

gotta get the spa tub with view of the water

big old cedar

surfer with the full wetsuit

sea cucumber, squirting!

The Return of the Squamish Dude

2011-04-09T15:56:00.000-07:00

Chromag Moon Saddle

2011-04-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Needed a new saddle on my Spark and came across this one at Republic...never had a Chromag product before but once I got my hands on this sucker I was sold.It's light - 240g with titanium rails, plus it doesn't have any seams to rub me the wrong way on those long rides.Another cool feature is how the nose of the saddle has a nice gentle slope to it so I can easily move forward and backward on those steep climbs and descents common here on the West Coast.Add to that some sweet graphics and a name like "Moon"...now I can atleast say " hey, buddy check out my new moon!"....first couple of rides on it and it's a comfy saddle for sure...check out this and other Chromag stuff at Republic.
Based up the road in Whistler it's great to support a hard core BC company like Chromag too, have a look at 'em on their website http://www.chromagbikes.com/ .

new home for my bum

nice narrow pedal friendly shape

Back home, ready to roll

2011-04-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

Made it back home, super pumped to be back in Squamish.
First ride today with Armand on Wonderland and Ray Peters Trails was a good kick in the teeth, kinda forgot what technical trails were over the winter...thanks to Armand for showing me the way on his singlespeed hardtail no less.Back to Republic for some beers and some good ranting as always.Republic is thumpin'...going to be an awesome season for the shop in it's new location.
Been catching up with the local gang,drinking good javas and planning the season out...going to be way different to last year but I am stoked about it bigtime!!!
The local scene is in full swing...trail maintenance days, races coming up and talk of new trails.The feeling of spring is in the air....everybody's pumped to ride and the vibe is strong...
Only been home a couple of days and I've got the stoke on hard...hard to describe to people how rad it is here...the only way to truly feel it is come here and ride...hope 2011 brings tons of visitors so I can give them the full meal deal tour...
No place like home, no place like Squamish.

The Dude is happy.

New Zealand has been sick, already planning our return!!!

2011-03-27T01:38:00.000-07:00

The last month here in NZ has been so sweet...time has gone really slow and the pace of life over here is super chilled out.It has been awesome to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.The mountains and the riding remind us of things back home in Squamish...but in a different way, this is NZ afterall and it's unique and special in it's own way.Lot's of rad adventures here has left us wanting more...we are already planning a trip back here...can't wait.

Our last weekend was spent around Christchurch hanging out with our friends Karen and Jeff...they took us out riding at one of their favorite spots up in the mountains outside of town...super fun up there...rad trails and great weather.Cool to meet their crew of riding buddies, all hardcore to get out and ride and have fun together...so chilled out...man, this place kicks ass.

Felt our first earthquake too...rode around Christchurch as well and saw some of the destruction of the buildings and so on...such a devastating thing to have happen...hope the Kiwis can get it sorted....our thoughts are with them.

Fly back to Australia tomorrow, stoked to do one final catch up with our great friends around the Blue Mountains...hopefully some beers and celebrate all that's important in life...having fun with your friends and enjoying life.

6 months of travel,relaxation,discovery,riding,racing and sleeping in are coming to a close...but new adventures await when we get back to Squamish....we are stoked to get back home and get things rolling....

Man, can't wait for that first ride back on the home trails...some local javas, hanging out at Republic again and being with all our friends too...

Jeff and Karen taking us on one last epic NZ rip!!!

Fellowship of the Laminators

2011-03-22T02:40:00.000-07:00

Did an awesome mission into Mt. Aspiring National Park near Wanaka with our crew.
Biked in, hiked up high and hung out then stayed the night in the hut.
An awesome area full of big mountains,rivers and glaciers.
Another awesome day here in Kiwi paradise.
The time is counting down until we head home, but there are still some adventures left to come.

Dude out.

Squamish Dude in Wanaka - Sticky Forest

2011-03-21T03:23:00.000-07:00

Did another sweet ride today with Hazen and got some video of what the trails are like in the "Sticky Forest" area.

Really sweet trails in here, fast and flowy, lot's of berms and a few small jumps for some xc air.

Really close to town and the cool thing about the trail network is that you can put together really good loops with a nice climb and then some wicked descending.

Legs are trashed after a big bike/hike trip into the mountains...stayed overnight in one of the huts out there and had a really awesome time.

Putting together a vid to show the action...

Dude out.

Really settling in here in Wanaka

2011-03-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

Wanaka is treating us really well, actually NZ as a whole has been so rad...Queenstown was so much fun...riding, good coffee, trails, great weather and awesome friends to show us around...same goes for Wanaka...such a sweet spot....more trails to explore...we sleep in, get up to beautiful sunny weather and gaze out at rad big bad mountains...drink some more coffee and then head out for a ride.Go hang out in town for a bit and then come home, grab a nap and then make dinner.Hang out with our friends some more and listen to some music and relax.
Life is so good.
Today, was another sweet one...time is going slow and things are chilled out...
Another mission planned for tomorrow....

the old striptease for deals trick, works sometimes at the right kinda shop

back of the van, on the way to the days riding

Erin and Jess lead the way

never ridden so many buff trails with such rad views

why not throw in a few freezing cold river crossings

mountains,beaches and blue skies

one last stop on our way back

Squamish Dude - Ripping Dean's Bank Trail

2011-03-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

Had to head back for more of this trail, it's that good...got in a couple of runs on it before dark...won't be the last one either...
Enjoy the ride!
Dude out.

Squamish Dude Kiwi Tour - Dean's Bank Trail

2011-03-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

Set up shop in Wanaka with old friend and TR partner Hazen Simson...gonna pound out as many rides as I can here...such a rad place,great fall weather,good java and vibes...plus having a local show you around is the plops the cherry on top of my cake.

Got up early and hit one of Hazen's fave trails with the sun coming up no less...rad way to start the day!

Dude out.

In Wanaka on the hunt for more trails...

2011-03-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

After a totally epic time in Queenstown (thanks to Mark and Lucy) we've now moved over the mountains to check out Wanaka!
10 years ago we were here but didn't have bikes...
Got settled in with our old friend Hazen and new wife Jess...like this place already, lot's of coffee shops, places to eat and even a rad movie theatre with a car inside that has an intermission break where you can head out to the lobby and get fresh baked cookies and a java...sweet.
Went out for a nice first ride today to get the lay of the land and rode through the Sticky Forest trails and on the rad Millenium Track...just getting warmed up...

Millenium Track

rad view of Lake Wanaka

Erin ripping

riding with Hazen who I did TR with in '07, the guy rips

shared the back seat in the van with Rocky

Motatapu

2011-03-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Got a chance to "ride" this huge event yesterday.It has been long sold out with a limit of 3000 racers but our friend Mark here in Q'town got me in...the deal was that I would GoPro the race and give all my footage to the orgnaizer.Sounded like an awesome gig and it was.
Would rather have raced and pinned it but alteast I got a chance to ride through this awesome valley from Glendu Bay to Arrowtown, about 43 km or so.Woke up to beautiful sunshine which made it even better.

This entire route, the whole valley was bought by Shania Twain and her I guess ex husband Mutt Lang...both Canadians...they bought the whole thing!And thus it's only open to ride on once a year for the Motatapu.I heard that they had to make some sort of concession like that when they bought it.All I can say is that it''s a very beautiful spot, filled with big mountains, rivers and wide valleys.

So I set off at the back of the Elite field and got tons of footage...awesome shots of the racers hammering through sweet Kiwi countryside.I stopped at all the feed stations for one of the first times ever and took my time.Wished I was racing but I managed to get over that and have a fun ride instead meeting racers along the way.

Got to finish, had some beers and met up with everyone...ran into our old friend Hazen from Wanaka/Canmore who we will be hanging with for the next while and then went back to Fergburger in Q'town.

Thanks to Mark Williams from R & R Sport in Q'town for lining it all up for me...he placed 4th overall and first in his age category!

Off to film some more trails today before moving on to Wanaka tomorrow!

Dude out.

met Mr. Icebreaker

checked out the Scott booth, saw tons of the bikes in the race

on course..."we need total coverage"

rad start in Glendu Bay

watching others suffer for a change

Routeburn Track

2011-03-10T15:28:00.000-08:00

Erin and I borrowed our friend car and drove to Glenorchy to get some java before heading to the trailhead for one of the awesome hiking trails in the area - the Routeburn.
From where we're staying it was only about a 45 min drive there.We had perfect weather and made our way to Harris Saddle which was about 3.5hrs of hiking to get up there.Our friends said this part is the most scenic of the whole track, lucky us!
Got to the top and had a nice lunch before making our way down...took us about 3hrs to get down.
Drove back home tired and hungry, headed out for some chow in Queenstown...another epic day in NZ....more to come.

beautiful rivers

Bilbao

looking back, we came from the valley way down there

wicked trail approaching Harris Saddle

Harris Lake

well deserved lunch at the top

more LOR material

Squamish Dude Kiwi Files - ZOOT TRACK!!!

2011-03-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Yup the Zoot Track is as rad as it looked on the movie Follow Me!!!
We hit this trail last on the day and it was epic...passed on hitting the big gaps and jumps but had a blast on it still, super fast and flowy trail with stunning views of Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown.
By the way, all three Athertons are here training for a couple of months, maybe I can challenge Gee to a race down Zoot next time...
More trails to ride yet here in Queenstown...

Squamish Dude Kiwi Files - Coronet Peak XC Course

2011-03-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

One of the best trails I've done here in Queenstown!!!!
Coronet Peak is one of the local ski hills around here and is home to some races but hasn't fully taken on the summer biking yet, what a shame...this place is blessed with huge vertical, awesome views of the valley and wicked singletrack.
We rode the XC race course and it kicked ass, we got up above the clouds and then blasted down back into them.The trail was fast, flowing and super fun.We finished up and then linked up a couple more trails on this ride...I gotta go back for more.To get up here it's a really great climb which I would one day like to come back and ride on my road bike.
Again, Queenstown delivers...this place is awesome!

Dude out.Gotta edit 2 more videos from this ride....stay tuned!

Sometimes it's good to get out of bed early, sometimes...

2011-03-07T23:24:00.000-08:00

Got out of bed earlier today, 8:30 am.
Headed a bit out of town to ride some new trails at Coronet Peak and around Skippers Canyon.
Some awesome climbing, up and up and up...through the morning clouds that were hanging around Queenstown but burnt off later and the day turned into another beauty.
Got above the cloud in the valley and could just see the tips of the Remarkable mountain range popping out of the blanket of white!
Rode some awesome trails this morning and hopefully got some sick video.
Riding in the am to my massage and then going to find something to do in the afternoon, maybe hit some coffee shops.
Enjoy.

wicked switchback climbing all the way up to Coronet Peak ski hill

Queenstown is in there, way down there

Squamish Dude Kiwi Files - Moke Lake Trail

2011-03-07T04:52:00.000-08:00

I've done this trail like 5 times already since coming to Queenstown cause it's so damn awesome!
From where we're staying it's a good kick in the balls climb to get up here to start with but from the word go the views are just amazing.I can't help but think of the Lord of the Rings movies everytime I ride here (and everwhere else in NZ!)...the last descent back into the other side of the valley has that cool mountain in it and I feel like I'm riding straight into Mordor or something.
On all my rides I've only seen a few other people, it's so quiet up here...so I decided this video didn't need any music put to it...just the sound of my tires on the ground, the odd gear change and the wind in my face.
Another sweet day riding here with another big day planned for tomorrow, can it get any better?
All I can say is that I've found my second home here in NZ and I'll be back again - many times!
Bed time.

Squamish Dude Rides NZ - Moonlight Track

2011-03-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

Amazing ride way up into the mountains above Queenstown!Some major climbing to get up here but so worth it with the awesome views of the mountains.
Sweet singletrack turning into some wicked fast old roads.Up and down all the way.A nice creek crossing right at the end before you hit Moke Lake to cool you off.
I took about 100 pics and videos on this ride with my GoPro...an amazing day in the saddle followed by the usual doseage of good food,wine,chocolate and sleep.
Off again on another ride tomorrow...

Dude out.

Squamish Dude rides NZ - Lake Dispute Track

2011-03-04T02:10:00.000-08:00

Awesome trail just outside Queenstown...super fast and fun descent down towards Lake Wakatipu...tons more rides to do around here....
If you love mountain biking and hate winter you have to come and ride in New Zealand!!!

Out there again tomorrow...

Day 2 on the bike = EPIC ACTION!!!

2011-03-03T23:58:00.000-08:00

Woke up today at 11am.

Erin and I rode our bikes into town (7kms) along the lake and got some morning javas and then hit the grocery store for some food...loaded it up in our backpack and headed back up to our place.The last km or so is a gnarly swithcback climb that took us about 10 mins to get up...our own Alpe d Huez!

Had lunch, got my bike and stuff ready and set off with my trail map to do one of the epic loops here around Queenstown.Rode out of town towards the town of Arthurs Point to get on the Moonlight Track which would take me around and end at Moke Lake that we had rode up to and around yesterday.

Another amazing, clear and warm day.Such huge and beautiful mountains on this ride and I only saw one person.Lot's of singletrack to begin with and then the trail turned to these old roads that just kept climbing up and up....super good kick in the balls, which is what I need.Stopped about halfway after a few hours and took a break to admire the mountains, the colors and the peace and quiet.My bike takes me to places lot's of average people don't ever see...I love it.

Bombed back down past Moke Lake and headed back to our digs...shower,food and chilling out over some nice Otago wine.

Do it all over again tomorrow, can't wait!

had to stop for a pic after a hard climb up along the canyon

singletrack along the canyon with a long way to go yet

amazing colors way up here

it's not a race today, time to stop and chill out

gettin' up pretty high, bluebird day

flew down the trail to this beautiful valley along the river

the road home was stunning

one last look back

chasing my shadow back home

Back in the Shire

2011-03-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

Got back to New Zealand a couple of days ago, second trip to Hobbit-land...first one was 10 years ago...had a rad time checking out both islands....knew we'd be back...so happy to be here...feels like BC here with all the big pointy things thrusting themselves skyward - MOUNTAINS! NZ has copped it hard lately with the earthquakes in Christchurch but one thing that mother nature has done on a more positive side is she has blessed this tiny country with some of the most awesome and beautiful places in the world.We feel like we are almost back home in BC, might be the mountains for sure but the vibe is really nice and mellow and people are friendly and this place has sick :

MOUNTAINS AND SINGLETRACK!!!

All it took was for me to get my first glimpse of those huge peaks - very unique and different to the ones in BC...not as much vegatation but just as awe inspiring...the mountains stoke me up but also frighten the shit out of me...there is a power there that is real and that I can feel...we're halfway around the world yet we feel like we are HOME in BC....we crashed in the airport and caught a flight down to Queenstown to ride and catch up with friends there and in Wanaka...we hit town, went straight to the bike shop and they sorted us right out...we built our bikes, got the word on a good place to stay for the night and a place to chow down...and of course the goods on where the trails were....like I said, feels like home.Friendly people, good chow and all around us those big pointy things towering.....waiting....calling us....got up the next day and answered the call....

Going to be a rad month here....hope we run into Smeagol and not Gollum...

riding up into the Misty Mountains

good food and java

big burger,fries and devil water at Fergburger in Queenstown.Reminds me of Splitz in Whistler!Yummo!

I love gravity

rad climb up into the alpine to Moke Lake

Lord of the Rings for sure

Erin shredding

The Dude being uh, The Dude

singletrack with a rad view of Lake Wakatipu

end of ride 1 chilling at the lake

Surf's Up then Bikes in NZ

2011-03-01T05:54:00.000-08:00

Headed back to Byron Bay and caught some waves...tried to find a t-shirt for my buddy Rosmo but couldn't find it...it was one that was all about how Byron had resisted getting a McDonald's burger franchise...very cool...no shirt but atleast there was no big "M" in town.

Also checked out Nimbin...nuff said.

Now sitting in the Christchurch airport waiting to catch another flight down to Queenstown....going to ride our mountain bikes here for the next month and catch up with some friends...plus whatever other trouble we can find.

Stoked to be back in New Zealand cause it's got big pointy things called MOUNTAINS!!!

Dude out...riding.

another sunrise at the Byron Bay lighthouse

little guy we met at sunrise

Byron's awesome beaches

Kelly Slater wannabe

our winter

Holidays are providing me time to find new ways...

2011-02-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

What have I been doing on my 6 month holiday?

Sleeping in

Eating well

Getting plenty of sunshine

Spending time with my girl

Seeing new places

Drinking coffee

Finding new ways to have fun on my mountain bike

Love doing this local trail up in the Blue Mountains....

Next up is a month shredding new trails in Kiwi land with some buds...

Dude is happy.

WA now then New Zealand

2011-02-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

Made the trek out west to see WA...the Indian Ocean, the desert, the beaches and dolphins plus some wine country in Margaret River.
Had a real fun time and saw some unique stuff.
Packing up and heading back to NSW to get back on my bike and ride.
Planning for all of March in New Zealand riding our bikes and catching up with some friends.
Oz has been a slice but I need a few things in my diet and good singletrack is one of them, from what I've heard and seen NZ is more like BC in terms of the riding and I can't wait to go and check it out.Still abidin'!

hung out with some dolphins!!!

rad beaches at Monkey Mia

Erin is a pro shooter, got the sun in my hands!

TDU Stage 6 - it's a wrap

2011-01-25T05:10:00.000-08:00

Stage 6 was an intense battle for the overall win in the TDU and we had another ringside seat to take in the action.A huge crowd turned up to see Cam Meyer of Garmin-Cervelo take the title but not before all the other teams had a good go at it.The stage was won by Briton Ben Swift of Team Sky, he also took stage 1 as well.
Sad that the race is over, we had a great time driving around the hills outside of Adelaide to follow the action.We were able to sample the great wines in the Barossa Valley as well as get great access to the event and racers themselves.
We split with a ton of great memories,photos and rad swag from the race.
Now in WA hanging out in Margaret River...no biking but there is wine country here too.
Dude out.

Garmin-Cervelo celebrates hard as Cam Meyer take the TDU for 2011

KOM action in Stage 5

2011-01-22T13:56:00.000-08:00

the caravan comes through...swag time!

the biggest bump in the TDU

yeah baby

Bjarne Riis

the break the second time over the KOM

the peloton

Lance tucked in

A great change for us to go and watch the race from the KOM spot on the course...another super hot day, lot's of action, a huge crowd and good times.One of the Movistar guys took the stage with Cam Meyer of Garmin-Cervelo holding on to the leaders jersey with one stage to go.
On our way to the finish line now for stage 6 in downtown Adelaide...a 20 lap crit of a 4.5km course to decide the winner....
More after the dust settles!
Dude out.

Stage 4 - Cam Meyer of Garmin-Cervelo takes it all

2011-01-21T01:18:00.000-08:00

Garmin-Cervelo chill after the win

"We need TOTAL coverage!!!"

the break survives for the 1st time and Cam Meyer of Garmin-Cervelo takes it

Stage 4 was rad, another hot day hanging out at the finish line but it was worth it as Cam Meyer of Garmin-Cervelo took the win and the leaders jersey.
A huge crowd turned up and I'm sure those numbers will continue as the last two stages are on the weekend...
One last night where we're staying and then we are heading to stage 5 and planting ourselves on the Old Willunga Hill where the King of the Moutain ( ah, I'd say hill...no mountains in Australia really) is...the riders come by twice which will be cool to see some suffering in the heat...expected to be about the same...mid 30's....after that we head back into Adelaide and check out the TDU Village and crash for the night and then check out the final stage crit in downtown Adelaide.
Rock n' roll.....

Stage 3 - The TDU heads into the Adelaide Hills

2011-01-20T03:40:00.000-08:00

Michael Mathews of Rabobank takes the sprint ahead of Andre Griepel

Cav all bashed up but still rolling - a total warrior!!!

+36 brings 'em out

Wow, what a rad stage again today!
Erin and I again got a wicked spot right at the finish line...we got lots of rad shots and plenty of swag too.
The riders looped by us three times and we were treated to a wicked uphill sprint won by Micheal Mathews of Team Rabobank.
The true highlight of the day was watching Mark Cavendish ride like a true savage and finish today after his huge crash yesterday.He was bandaged up pretty good and the fans sure cheered like hell after he came in over 10 minutes after the winner.
The race is finally seeing some hills which is cool.
Really hot again today with a temp of +36!
Off again to the finish for stage 4 which is only about a 30 min drive from where we are staying.Erin is the driver of our little rig and is doing great, I am the navigator this time and am solid.
More action for ya tomorrow after the stage!
Dude out.

Stage 2 - Ben Swift of Team Sky avoids the carnage to take the "W"

2011-01-20T03:26:00.000-08:00

Ben Swift takes it!!!

huge pileup in the last 100m

working with the ABC radio

getting to the stage early as usual

Erin, my fearless partner at the TDU protecting our spot at the finish line

Tons of crashes in this stage...one big one involving Mark Cavendish about 10km from the finish and then one huge pileup with about 100m to go.
We got another primo spot right at the finish line to see Ben Swift take the win.Another beautful day here in South Australia with the temp rising to about 36 degrees above zero...enjoyed a mellow drive after and now are set up for the next few stages staying in a nice little town called Handorf in the Adelaide hills...
One of the highlights of the day was to get interviewed by the ABC radio guys asking us about our travels with the TDU etc...got a great spot to shoot our pics at the finish line thanks to those guys...pure gonzo journalism...more pics and videos to come - the wireless internet is really hard to find down here...our hotel charges $10/hr....that's Australia for you.
Off to the finish line for stage 3 in Stirling, an uphill finish!
Dude out.

TDU 2011 Stage 1 - Good Goss!

2011-01-18T04:40:00.000-08:00

We had a great day watching stage 1 in Angaston...we got up early and got a primo spot right at the finish line!!!The race came by 3 times so we got a lot of chances to see the action.Erin got some really sweet pics and I got the vid,we got some more swag and enjoyed the beautiful weather...and to top it off I got the autograph of the winner of the stage Matt Goss of Team HTC-Highroad...he rides the other "big S" brand of bikes...hahaha.... and I got him to sign it to the boys at Bow Cycle in Calgary...I hope they will enjoy it.

Matt is an honorary "Bownesian"

Good Goss!

Crashing out at our little motel here and then jumping in the car and driving to the feed zone for stage 2...then if all goes well we will try and make it over to the finish in Mannum to see who wins this time.More wine tonight, going to sleep like a baby!

Dude out.

Bike racing and wine go hand in hand

2011-01-17T05:55:00.000-08:00

Got to Adelaide!Really like the place, feels like a small country town at heart.Plus it has some of the best wine regions in the world right on it's doorstep...plus the Tour Down Under of course.

Race HQ

got some rad swag and gifts

Phil Legget messes with Cavendish

Lance in his last race outside the US

120,000 spectators showed up

TDU fever in the Barossa Valley

pitstop for some wine and pizza

We checked out the race village,team presentations and the warm-up crit in Adelaide to kick off our week of following the race.Then drove our little rental car out through the Barossa Valley stopping at 4 wineries including Jacob's Creek,Penfolds,Wolf Blass and Saltram Estates (home of our favorite Shiraz called Pepperjack).Got a really nice mellow buzz going and with Erin doing all the driving thanks to my licence expiring on Jan. 1st I was able to sit back and take in a nice sunny afternoon in Aussie wine country.Checked into our hotel near the town of Angaston where stage 1 will finish tomorrow and set out to check out where the finish will be and grab some pizza.Had the pleasure of being able to put up the Canadian flag on the finishing straight thanks to bumping into some of the people with the race organization - really cool of them to let me do that...no Canucks in the race this year though.Going to get up early and plant my ass as close to the finish line as I can get to catch the action - the race comes past there 3 times so we will be able to see the carnage a fair bit.A pretty flat stage totally geared to the sprinters - my call is Cavendish for the win.The weather is fabulous with temps in the low 30's.Each of the stages are really close together which will have us driving only short distances each day and giving us time to check out more wineries in the region.Stoked to catch all six stages and enjoy the atmosphere of the first big race of 2011!Going to bed with a nice buzz...

stopped by the Scott booth and saw my new road bike!

Paul Sherwan talk to Lance and new teammate Robbie McEwen

Cav and the HTC-Highroad boys enjoy a pre-race espresso

all business

things get strung out in the final laps

Erin taking the wheel on this one

rad weather and scenery for the race

got to put up the maple leaf near the finish!

First action of 2011 - the best year ever!

2010-12-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

2010 was really good, great in fact...had some really rad adventures on the bike but why not try and top in 2011...thought I would start off with a bang in January...

Flying to Adelaide and renting a car to follow the action from Jan 18-23...6 action packed stages of the first UCI ProTour race of 2011...big story is this will be Lance Armstrongs last race outside of the US of his career...plus Mark Cavendish,Tyler Farrar and all the other sprinters who will battle it out.The temps are rising with it reaching high 30's already...should be rad.

In February, a few weeks after the TDU I'll get to do my first race of the year...done this one before but it's a good one so I thought I'd go for it again.Did it back in '07 without much time on the bike coming over about 2 weeks before the race...should go better this time...one neat thing about the race is that it starts at the beach and finishes up in the hills...after you've finished you can burn back down and jump in the ocean and pound a beer and celebrate after riding for 100 plus km's...good times!

http://www.rapidascent.com.au/

Then right after the Otway, going to hop on a jet plane and head to somewhere I've never ridden - New Zealand!Looking to hook up with some friends over there, see some new trails and do a race.The plan is to check out Rotorua for sure which sounds rad, then down to the South Island to scope out the trails around Christchurch,Wanaka and Queenstown.Looking to race the big kick in the balls xc race in NZ called the Karapoti Classic. Held in the trails around Wellington and attracts about 1000 racers and is the longest running mtb event in the Southern Hemisphere...rolling since 1986...can't wait to smash up some hobbits and steal "the ring"...haha!

big race in the land of the Hobbits

Takes me till early March...already some big stuff in the works after that...2011 is going to be "the best year ever!"

Dude out.

More Thailand with some Cambodia on top

2010-12-11T06:24:00.000-08:00

Moved on to the west coast of Thailand.Met up with some friends from Squamish.Really enjoyed the area around Railay.Did some kyaking, rock climbing and caving.Saw more monkeys.
Split for Cambodia to check out the area around Siem Reap - most of all the temples of Angkor!This part of the SE Asia trip has been my favorite.The temples were amazing, the people here are more friendly and chilled out than Thailand and we have had many great experiences.Learning about the history of Cambodia from the Angkor area through the time of the Khmer Rouge to present day has been fascinating.
So a few more days here then back to Bangkok for a couple then back to our summer base camp in Australia....
Dude out.

kyaking around Railay

macaque monkeys

first time rock climbing

view coming out of the cave

Ta Prohm

entrance to Angkor Wat

sunrise at Angkor Wat

Khao Sok National Park - Jungle filled with monkeys,snakes and bugs!

2010-12-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

Staying in a sweet jungle hut here in central Thailand....Khao Sok is one of the oldest rainforests in the world...during the iceage it didn't freeze like other rainforests in Central and South America so it developed earlier and thus is richer in all things flora and fauna...read that in the park info guide!Very cool rock formations of limestone with thick vegetation all the way to the top...very spikey.
Seriously this place is really awesome...right outside our hut we saw our very first monkeys in the wild!There tons of them...making noise,flying around and chowing down...plus giving us endless entertainment.We hiked into the lush jungle and saw two large black snakes of some sort...didn't get close enough for a pic...thankfully!

Erin in our little safe cocoon, killing bugs before lights out time

At night we get into our bugnet and make sure it's totally 100% secure...turn off the lights and listen to the sounds of the jungle till we fall asleep.Very relaxing here, fresh very humid air and temps in the mid 30's.
Off tomorrow to see a different side of the Thailand!
Dude out.

home base

we're not alone...spotted this guy just before bedtime

a monkey!!!

jungle and really unique rock

THAILAND - Ting Tong!!!

2010-11-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

First trip to SE Asia...have always heard a lot about it and now we're here!I was reluctant at first when Erin wanted to come up here but now that I'm here I'm really enjoying it.The vibe is much more mellow for me than places like Central and South America...the people are gentle and hospitable...the scenery is amazing too, couple that with hot humid weather...the cost of travelling is also very affordable allowing us to stay in really nice places and have fun.The culture is fascinating too...the "lady boy" deal is whacked...can't believe how many old,fat ugly men we see with ting tongs on there arms...not my scene but cool to watch over a few beers!Bangkok was pretty overwhelming...building after building as far as the eye can see...supposedly 10 million people, seemed like more than that to me...but lot's to see and marvel at...I couldn't really say it was peaceful but it is what it is...I couldn't help thinking of how I love riding up to Elfin Lakes back home and sitting up there with a devil water and snacks on a nice day, catching some rays and looking out on the mountains and glaciers...such a pure place for me!
Burned around the markets, watched people, opened our eyes and ears and noses...took it all in...take some time to fully understand it...went to see some amazing Wat's or temples...so overwhelming to see such structures devoted to ones faith...met an ex pat American who said that the poorer the country the more the people believe in religion....I don't agree...look at the US, they are so down the Christian road and push that value system on the world and they aren't "poor"...nice to talk to people and see what the craic is around the world.Said goodbye to Bangkok and flew south to Ko Samui to position us for part 2 of the trip here...
Ko Samui was nice, the biggest most touristy islanddown in this area but enabled us to fly and get down here quickly...Erin found us a rad place to stay...pool,aircon,breakfast,nice funky room at like $40 per night all in...so rad....we did some walks on the beach, visited more buddha statues,found a little baby monkey too...got our first Thai massages - what an experience, so relaxing...it was like $10?You can't beat that...what a feeling having him gripping my arm and licking it...enjoyed chilling out from Bangkok's chaos...
Caught the ferry over to our current hang out on Ko Pha-Ngan...what a sweet place!A beautiful day to travel over here...nice hot day, a slight breaze and a short hop over of about 45 mins....bringing us to a totally different island and vibe....Erin picked another winner...we have a little funky cabin right by the beach, with a pool looking over the ocean,a hammock and all the trimmings for about the same $ as the last place...it is so relaxing and quiet here...palm trees all around us blowing in the wind - there isn't a nicer sight than that right now!Woke up after a giant siesta, jumped in the pool to wake up and cool off...breakfast, some chatting on the net and then some Thai massages poolside this afternoon...not sure what the rest of the day will bring other than chilling out...makes me happy to just be here with Erin and see her relax and enjoy a nice break...Thailand is a wonderful place to chill...we have found a rad spot that is what we dreamt it would be like here...soaking it up before we continue on exploring together...

The Dude abiding

a baby monkey, I love him!

Reclining Buddha - gentle giant, amazing!

our view from home base = SICK

good morning

Highland Fling - "sometimes you eat the bar..."

2010-11-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

The Dude rolled into the Highland Fling in sunny Bundanoon, NSW after a lengthy rest.The body keeps telling me to stop racing but the weather is so nice, I've got my bike and there's plenty of races to hit with new trails to discover.After chilling hardcore for the last month or so I was keen to head down and do this one...
Pretty cool town a little bit south of Sydney off the Hume Hwy...nice green rolling hills and old stone buildings and stuff.Drove down with Erin and Aussie Scott and a girl from his bike club.Lot's of coffee stops along the way and mindless chatter about everything to keep us going.
For sure there is a good scene down in this part of the NSW off road action...the night before there was a cool dash for cash for locals with some of the business owners getting into the act and dressing up in funny costumes.Grabbed a java at the local joint and set up at the campground in our tents.
Race day came and the weather turned out to be a balmy 27 degrees above zero.Around 1000 racers lined up to roll in what's considered one the big kick in the balls 100km (112km actually) events.Lot's of good Aussie talent in attendance and everything was rolling well and organized...plus a little espresso cafe on-site in the back of a mini van...kind of a must these days, you can't have a race without some sort of good java on board.
Got rolling and after a good start I settled into about the top 15-20 pinners and was happy with that.The Aussie sun was in full power mode and it felt much more like the mid 30's...the sun is just so intense down here.Super stoked that I had my Camelbak Racebak with me and 2 litres of aqua with me in addition of bottle of NUUN.
The course was well marked and had lot's of passing spots.Plenty of stuff at each feed station.People out cheering too.There were even little garbage cans in between each feed zone to help cut down on the amount of gel packages that end up on the course littered by those retard litter bugs out there, for cleanup a sweep guy could just come by on a quad and make a few pickups and the course would be a lot cleaner.We did a couple of different loops two which was really cool so you could experience some new trails.What it lacked was singletrack.We in Squamish and most every part of BC are so spoiled for the tight and twisty stuff...we have so much awesome trails, so many cool lines and our races really reflect that...I always like to check out new spots and see what makes new places tick and what the action is like...but the 112km course I raced on was pretty much all fireroad and doubletrack.There wasn't anything technical and there were dudes out on the course on tandems, cyclocross bikes and so on...I just didn't have any off those "oh, my god " moments that I get on every single ride or race I do back home...made me really miss the trails back home...I'd have plenty of time to contemplate that later....
About midway through the race I started catching people, one here one there...blow by some guy on one of the many doubletrack downhills with some waterbars on them...scared a few people for sure with catching them so quickly and took some good sketchy outside/inside lines to get clear...love those waterbars, good chance to get some xc air when others are on the brakes scared shittless.Rolled into the last feedzone to find my lovely wife Erin waiting for me with some cold drinks and some food...trying to open my ears I gained that I was in about 13th spot...not bad...I was trying to ride a good pace for myself and not blow up in all the heat...I was quite stoked on hearing that....rocked out of the feedzone to pound out the last 30km or so so and see how many more dudes I could catch and put a wrap on my 2010 campaign of pain...haha..gotta throw some cheese on sometimes....
Blew by two more dudes in the first km or so after the feedzone and knew that I was more or less around the top 10...really feeling good and ready to go on the hunt for more scalps...then my luck ran out....
BOOM!
The flat gods finally caught up with me those bastards!When I heard that sound it was such a bummer...I think most xc riders know what I mean..."that sound" is so evil...what a shitty time to have that happen...oh well...I stopped to inspect the damage and swear like a pirate for a bit...found a huge slash in my tire and a good chunk of glass in there....crap...after getting a new tube in there I got going again, only to make it a few km's before feeling my tire go flat again...stopped again and used my last CO2 and tube and put in a used gel wrapper to help try and ease the pain on the slashed up rubber...no go, made it about 3-4km and the tube must have came out and it went boom again...mr. slash was now way too big and I knew I was fooked...thought about packing it in and walking back to the feed zone...didn't want to DNF my last race of 2010 and have that crappy feeling hanging over me till I get going in the new year...also Erin would have left the feed zone to make her way to the finishline...so I decided to keep rolling and just ride the thing in as is...it was only like 25km or something...but the trails were so mellow I thought it would be a good test of my trusty Mavic Crossmax wheels, ponder the season and work on my tan.
Over the course of the next 25km's I chilled out and allowed my mind to wander...what a rad season 2010 has been for me...some good results, saw some new trails, went on the Ride Guide trip and now I was in Australia all winter with my bike...being able to ride and race as much as I want...I'm living my dream!I've had such great luck this year and my bike has been rock solid...no flats either...not much I can do about having a big piece of glass enter my rear tire at speed and rip it to shreds...some dumbass Aussie litterbug is to blame.
I ended up riding the rest of the course on my flat...the climbs and all of the singletrack and decents too...took it as a personal challenge...passed some people pushing their bikes up the climbs and felt some satisfaction in keeping rolling....used a lot of energy to do this and with the heat and me starting to run out of water I hurt pretty good...managed to ride the singletrack and not hear any massive smashes,bangs or pops in the rear...made it to the finished super whipped and beaten down...no nice top 10 result for me to hang on to over the break I'm taking through Nov and Dec but I was stoked to still being able to turn the pedals in November and be in a good spot after about 75km or so...got cleaned up and headed straight to the nearest McDonalds to pound down my first ever MEGA MAC burger (4 greasy patties!), fries and drink...one of the things I was thinking about in that last effort to the finish was whether I'd go for two Big Macs or the Mega option....
Got dropped off at the train station in Rooty Hill and caught a train up to the Blue Mountains to visit some friends before heading off to Thailand for a few weeks....2010 is in the rear view mirror....super stoked to roll in 2011 after some beach time....dude out.

home of the Fling - the cafe/bikeshop

the local butcher's kit - knife and sausages on the lid

What day is it?

2010-11-09T02:36:00.000-08:00

Blasted down to Melbourne for Scott's "Bucs Party" aka Aussie lingo for a stag.Went down to Torquay and spent the weekend getting hammered with some of his buds.
Got back to Port Macquarie and have been chilling out further...getting lot's of sleep and totally forgetting what day it is.Have been doing small missions to the shops for supplies, some short bike rides and some javas.
Getting ready for the Highland Fling mtb race this coming weekend...112km of action in the heat...forecast says it will be in the mid 30's...should be fun.Stoked to do it and see some new trails about 1.5 hours south of Sydney.
We booked some flights for after the race to Thailand!First trip to SE Asia...heading to Cambodia as well.
Right after the race we'll head up to the Blue Mountains to visit some friends for a few days before taking off to the land of lady boys among other things.
The body is feeling pretty good today, be nice to finish off the season with a great ride...we'll see.
Dude out.

start to the morning - java and toasted banana bread?

watchin' the action

da dolphins

little Kookaburra dude

walking Spoke the dog at Lighthouse Beach

Saturday Morning Ride

2010-10-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Got back to sunny Port Macquarie yesterday and wasted no time in getting back on the bike.Scott got me up at 6:45am this morning...time to get some food and my first java in me...got dressed and watered up heavy as it was going to be a hot day...a few tweaks to the bike and I was rolling.

the trail where it went down - uh, yeah that's it!

java #1

Great temp as we started out, hooked up with a couple of his pals and headed out of town to the main riding area around these parts...nice roll one some pavement and then onto some double track before one of the guys had some issues with his whizzy Merida carbon xc rig...a stick somehow came up and wedged itself between his rear wheel and his stay...after a loud SNAP sound...it did just that, literally breaking it in half.Holy shit!Just like that, on one of the mellowest double tracks I've ever ridden too...the guys did a quick ghetto fix on it with some duct tape I had, some zip ties, another stick and a CO2...pretty effective...we gave him the gears saying that "maybe the frame was better now than before"...nice to laugh when it's not your bike...but it was weird man.We spit up and Scott I and continued along to the trails and did a loop.Some fun stuff in there...lot's of potential to do more with it for sure...headed back the way we came and straight to the coffee shop for two cap's and a devil water.There is a half Ironman Triathlon in town on Sunday and the adjoining bike shop was busy with tri-geeks doing last minute stuff to their machines.Erin is doing the swim as part of a team and I will be a support person/spectator for a change.Rolled back to Scott's pad via the beach type trail they have here connecting a series of awesome beaches...some packed, some with nobody on them...all of them very stunning and picturesque.Check out some of the pics...dude out.

trailside ghetto fix of broken bike - pretty good

couldn't resist taking a pic on our way home

Aussie Scott - my guide on this mission

the break, pretty gnarly

java #2

Back to the Gold Coast

2010-10-29T04:56:00.000-07:00

We rented a car and headed up to the Gold Coast again to catch up with some friends.Spent some time on the beach, went to Brisbane and took it pretty easy.We spent a fair bit of time here on our first trip down under 10 years ago and worked at Sea World selling food in the park and sleeping in our tent at the Main Beach caravan park.Times change, no more camping allowed at the park...it's all cabins now.We met a lot of good friends here and can't help but think about that first trip...super good times, we did a lot and roughed it...sleeping in a tent and working is a bit gnarly...especially after I had just come off a full season of treeplanting that year and had enough of living and working out of a tent.Nice to be rolling a little cushier these days...car to drive and friends to stay with along the way doesn't hurt - plus you get to learn a lot more about what makes a place tick cause you get a glimpse into their lives.
Our friends Dave and Rachel have a sweet home back in the hills behind the Gold Coast that Dave built himself.Add to that two beautiful children and a pretty chill scene.They've had a lot of rain this winter/spring and things are really green and pretty.Went into Brisbane to check out the swanky new house Dave is working on too and had a wander around the city...it's a really nice place laid out around the river with parks,a mix of old and new buildings and lot's of cafe's.Spent a fair bit of time in one of the parks near the CBD and had a good wander around.
After a great visit (and a little business too that included some really great news for me) we headed back to Port Macquarie to get Erin to her triathlon that she is doing this weekend.She is doing it as part of a team and is doing the swim portion.After that I head to Melbourne for our friends Scott's "Buck's Party"...aka Stag Party...then right after I head into my second race down here - the Aussie National Marathon Championships...it's a 100km event and I'm hoping to have a good ride.I've been taking it easy the last few weeks and feel ok, heading out for a ride with Scott tomorrow at Telegraph Point...a spot near Port Mac where he rides a fair bit...

jacaranda tree

Enjoying the sun...

"hey friend,have any of that good Sarsaparilla?"

our wheels for the trip - the Getz

lovin' the sun

lot's of spiders in the park

lizard on patrol in the bathrooms

Erin is drinking as much coffee as I am now, can you tell?

strange flower in the park, looks like a...

Checkin' out the Port Macquarie Urban Mountain Bike Park

2010-10-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

Our buddy Scott Pomroy here in Port Macquarie is involved with his local club in getting more mtb trails going here and took me to some fun stuff that they are working on. His club the Hastings Valley Mountain Bike Riders are on the gas and have done a great job so far and have plans for more trail.Sounds like they are looking to put in a pump track as well.Super cool to see new places to ride, what challenges they have and how they make things happen...how their scene works.
There is a lot of road riding here but not much mountain biking...but the surfing and beaches more than make up for that...theirs even some young stud here who just got signed to the Garmin-Cervelo team and will be getting waterbottles from the team car for our man Ryder...so the cycling vibe is strong here, just in a different way.
Dude out.

Squamish Dude Down Under - Sunrise bike ride in Port Macquarie

2010-10-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

The Dude and Maude got up real early, jumped on the bikes and pedalled to catch the sunrise...just got there in time...wish Donny could have seen it....what a rad way to start the morning!

Stromlo pre-ride and new home down under

2010-10-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this long over due vid I took of my pre-ride of the 24hr Solo Worlds course at Stromlo...such a rad course and trails there...gotta go back...you never know!

We left southern Aussieland in the rear view mirror and made our way up to Port MacQuarie...home of our friends Ricky and Scott...

What a rad spot....drove into town and got a sweet view of the ocean and the beach...drove to the lighthouse to take some pics as the sun was going down...what an amazing spot for us monkeys to chill for a while...going to get up and can't our first sunrise tomorrow am...comes up at 6:10am....it's only a short 5 minute pedal from their house...have a java before and I'll be right!

The Dude really felt a warm welcome when we were greeted with an Aussie copy of my favorite movie, you guessed it the Big Lebowski on our pillow of our bed...got the warm weather, the beach,lot's of coffee, my bike and now the Big L to watch....just like at home in Squamish...hanging here for a few days then heading up to the Gold Coast to visit some more buddies, more beaches and a 6hr race on Sunday to top it off...dude out.

Blue tounged lizard outside our place in Bright, Victoria

beach in Port - 5 mins from my private residence man

nice birdie

24hr Worlds kicking off 6 months in Australia!!!

2010-10-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Trip number three down under and it's going to be a unique trip...more biking and racing this time (Erin brought her bike too!) and less of plan...going to meet up with some friends,see some new places like WA and also go to South East Asia for the first time!

Got into Canberra and prepared for my first 24hr race - the freakin World Championships!After jumping on the bike a few days after landing I felt pretty decent and warded off numerous magpie attacks on some spins with Erin...used zip ties on the helmet to ward them off but it didn't work...rode out to Stromlo Forest which was the site of the race and did a nice pre-ride with the other Canucks down here...super dry,fast and non-technical but fun course...only took about 15 minutes to see the first kangaroo.

After some sightseeing and chilling out we hooked up with some old friends Ricky and Scott who came down from Port MacQuarie to support me and hang out.Headed out to the race on the morning of the 9th and got set-up...not sure what was in store other than some serious pain and no sleep...

Lined up in my sick maple leaf kit from LG and got through the LeMans start ok...paced myself pretty good
and yo-yo 'ed from about 12th to the low 20's...took just short stops and gav'er good...took about a 10 minute break after about 6 laps as I remember...lost a few spots but was no big deal as everyone was taking breaks for food and stuff.

Rode my Spark the entire time and only had Scott lube the chain,wipe it down and make sure all was tight...my bike is so solid...although it would have been pro to have 2 bikes like the other top guys so I could just grab a freshie and keep my stops to a minimum.For the next 24hr I hope to have one lined up...

Got going again and felt pretty good after about 6-7 hours done...really enjoyed the atmosphere and the vibe...there were about 10,000 spectators and about 2,500 racers so there was a rad buzz which added to the fun.The course was really fun and well put together...you could see other riders ahead and behind you which was cool.Really dry out there on the course and the when the sun popped out it sure got hot...I was drinking about 2 bottles per lap and eating quite a bit...not sure what the right thing was to do so I just winged it.

Had the support team slap on my rad EXPOSURE LIGHTS...these things are so bright and awesome...no issues with them, it was like the sun was out almost...perfect vision even in the middle of the night.The course was a blast at night as it was not a technical one.One thing for sure that you can't compromise on is good lights in these things.

Put in a few more laps and had about 10 in the bank when I started to get some super painful cramps in my stomach...barfed up some watery goo which wasn't too cool...so bad that when I went over small bumps it hurt like hell...legs were feeling good and I was passing tons of people on the singletrack...not too worried about my position...I had to take a break, couldn't go on like that...ended up needing to crash for a few hours to sort it out...really sucked because I was rolling well and not too far off the leaders...didn't know what to do but ended up getting some TUMS from one of the other support people and that really helped...scraped myself up off the ground of my pit and got ready for more...it's was pretty chilly but the sun was coming up in a few hours and I wanted to get rolling again and finish this thing off...stomach was ace...legs were getting tired for sure but I was moving again which was the main thing...

Put in a few more laps and had the great experience of having the sun come up and knew I could finish, the chance of a good result was toast but I took it as a training ride, get through the experience and learn from it...managed to put in some good hot laps that felt awesome...enjoyed the trails but at the end my arms and legs had the worst cramps ever...plus my back too...what a shit kicking I was taking.The clock ticked down on my first 24hr race and when I crossed the line for my last lap I was super happy to be done, couldn't help wonder what could have been but was stoked...I managed to ride 304km!!!!!!!!!!!I've never done that much before off road...I have a lot of respect for people who do these alot and came away with a new experience in mountain biking that I never had going in....I for sure want to do another one next year...I learned a lot and want to apply that to the next one...

Super big thanks to my support crew of Erin,Ricky and Scott and Jeff too....plus all the other people who gave me words of support and encouragement...plus all the other rad riders on Team Canada...my hats off to you guys too! Big shout out to Cory Wallace who pitted beside me and showed almost everyone how it's done...he placed an incredible 2nd place!Super inspiring.

We split from Canberra and headed down to the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne to chill out and are now in the Victorian Alps in northern Victoria....head up into NSW to hang in Port Macquarie for a while and hit the beach.

I'm still racing and have my next one in about a month south of Sydney...a 110km race called the Highland Fling...never done a race in November before...looking forward to it as my body still has some energy left in it.

rolling down under!

finishing my first 24hr

Team Dude

The dude abides.

Squamish XC Files - The Mystery Trail???

2010-10-01T23:21:00.000-07:00

Sick new trail in Squamish...got a chance to check it out on my last ride here in Squamish before I split for the winter...this place rocks!

Enjoy!

Dude out.

The New Republic Bicycles

2010-09-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

Check out this video I did for my buddy Armand Hurfords shop Republic Bicycles....he has moved into a smoking hot new location in Brackendale right beside the best coffee shop in town - Bean Around the World....plus the best pizza joint too....The Nest.

Some really cool features include a lounge area complete with fireplace and a flat screen tv and leather sofa...two really sweet display areas in the windows to feature new products...lot's of stone and wood as well to tie in with the rugged natural landscapes here in Squamish...plenty of parking too....

Plus more Scott Bikes...is this heaven or what?

Armand has really got the cat's ass location now and is primed for success...truly Republic is the best place to start and end your next ride in Squamish....check it out!

www.riderepublic.com

Dude out.

No big surprise here - Squamish named " Mountain Bike Race Capital of Canada"

2010-09-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

If you're a mountain biker and live in Canada why not live in the capital of all the fun and have a tons of trails and races to rip on!!!

Test of Metal Inc. announced today that it now holds the trademark to “Mountain Bike Race Capital of Canada.”

Lucky me, I live here!!!

Check out all the details and news here:

http://testofmetal.com/

Dude out.

The Highland Fling - Aussie Marathon Champs

2010-09-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

November 13-14...still racing!!!

Just sorted out my entry for a rad race in Australia in November in Bundanoon,NSW...it's a 100km kick in the nuts that serves as the Aussie Marathon Championships...so all the top riders will be there and so will I....hahaha...can't wait to stir it up...nothing to lose as it's technically winter for me...oh yeah...gotta remember to pack my Camelbak Racebak....should be typical hot Aussie weather.
I've never ridden in this part of NSW before but here it's an awesome spot...stoked to hook up with the dude from Port MacQuarie and his mob to travel down to this one and enjoy the road trip as well....
The course is super cool as it uses a couple of different loops to keep things interesting...plus I get to see more trails that way too...

check it out:

http://www.wildhorizons.com.au/highland-fling

Dude out.

The Shuswap

2010-09-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

Houseboats and mountainbiking!

Had a rad time basing out of Salmon Arm for the last 3 days of the Ride Guide trip...we had the opportunity to ride some of the best trails I've ever done and be shuttled around by a pimped out houseboat.

Pretty cool to be able to ride an awesome trail, then jump back on the boat,have some food and chill in the hot-tub as you cruise across the lake to another epic ride.Can't wait to go back and do it again next summer!

now this is the life!!!

Powell River

2010-09-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Only my second time on the Sunshine Coast...first time was for the BC Bike Race this year.
Super lush forests that lead down to the ocean with awesome trails to ride.Super laid back and friendly people here...I'll be back!

friendly folks in Powell River - they'll name a waterfall after you if you come to ride

shooting an interview on a sunny day on Willingdon Beach with Jonny and Niall

crazy cool camera man Jonny Simone

nude prayer to the mountain bike gods at Powell Lake

post lake jump celebration - can't wait to see the video

beautiful scenery we got to ride through - great shot by Niall

lucky dude to get to ride the trails here for fun

Day 3 & 4 back in Squamish

2010-09-11T00:44:00.000-07:00

Rode Half Nelson with Big Red Ted yesterday and it was awesome...hit some jumps I'd never cleared before on there and also did a couple of non-intentional nose wheelies too...going for it!I think this segment will blow people away.
Then did a tour of the Howe Sound Brewery and had way too many beers with the crew...good times.
Today we spent most of the day on Wonderland and it was a total gas!!!
Up early to roll down to Horseshoe Bay and jump on a ferry...then another one to get us to our next location of Powell River...sounds like we'll be doing some of the BC Bike Race course...should bring back some memories from our team getting on the podium for third place that day.

pushin' it in the last big berm on Half Nelson...really stoked on this one

Here are some pics from Half Nelson and stuff...the ones from today are still in the works...bed time now.

hanging out on the bridge with complete focus on the mission

flying down the bridge on Angry Midget over Half Nelson trail

MBA here I come...haha!

time for the beer tour, I drank all mine and more to take the title

lot's of energy left to have fun and practise my finish line wheelie

Day 2 of Whistler fun

2010-09-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

Woke up, got coffee...then breakfast...went out and did a lap of Lost Lake trails to find some rad spots to film...got the areas picked out and spent the rest of the morning having a blast burning through some of the most fun trails...perfect weather...got into my new baggy shorts and long sleeve jersey sent out from the kind dudes at Scott...got some great pics too thanks to new buddy guy from Scotland Niall...epic.
Then onto golf at the Whistler Golf Club...beautiful day try it out...such a rad course with superb views...Lorraine smoked her first ever shot really far and straight as an arrow....it took me a couple to get a good one after shanking one into the bush and another onto the hwy 99...not pretty but I swung for the fences!
Then some chow at Splitz Burger, some drinks and music at Dublin Gate pub and called it a night...
Fired up to head home to Squamish and show everyone around my hometown...lot's of fun stuff coming up!!!!
Still pinching myself....

havin' fun,going fast

rollin'

freeride brings out the kid in me

gotta goof around and pretend sometimes

The Dude's on Ride Guide TV - Whistler Day 1

2010-09-07T23:39:00.000-07:00

Super stoked to be on the road for 10 days of filming with the Ride Guide TV show....hitting Whistler,Squamish,Powell River and ending in the Shuswap...sounds like we'll be chilling out on a houseboat?should be sweet...never been on one...planning to jump my Spark off it into the deep water of the lake...why not, carbon floats as I've seen from my voyage into Alice Lake earlier in the year...

Riding with Lorraine Blancher from Revelstoke,BC who totally shreds...showed me some things today on jumping and I instantly was launching big airs...hahaha...super fun.

http://www.rideguide.ca/bike_home.aspx

Riding trails and doing some crazy activities too...today we did the Ziptrek here in Whistler which was so insane...tomorrow some golf too....which will be wild as I totally suck at golf!

Rode the Whistler Bike Park today and it was magic...no liftlines,the trails were in awesome shape and the dirt was perfect after finally getting some rain...so pumped to hit the park again and do some jumps and try and rail some berms...love this place...

Drinking lot's of coffee from the Lift Coffee Co. and being put up in the sick PanPacific MountainSide Hotel while we're here...do dialed...I could get used to this.

Did a nice night ride in Lost Lake tonight to work off all the chow we've been treated to as well...time for bed and some xc action tomorrow....pics and video coming...no carnage only good times...

Dude out.

Squamish XC Files - Ride down from Elfin Lakes

2010-09-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Good long ride up and down the other day to Elfin Lakes...3rd time up here this year and this day was the best of all of them....had a devil water at the top and then burned down for a massage...
Rode with Cory Wallace who was in town for some miles and got some plans going for Australia and the 24hr Worlds which are fast approaching...
Just press play...

2nd ride up to Elfin Lakes

2010-09-02T23:15:00.002-07:00

did a haul up to Elfin Lakes with Cory Wallace...super nice day...talked planting, strategy for the 24hr Worlds and the possibility of doing the crazy ass Crocodile Trophy race in far north Queensland in late October...why not?

Back to Elfin...so Cory rode his mtb all the way up from Vancouver to our place in Squamish and then we rolled up to Elfin...might as well ride all the way to the real ride just to make it count...no wonder buddy is killing it...plus with all his planting skillz and the ability to handle bigtime gongshows that occur while planting...this dude is going to destroy down at the 24hrs in Oz...

Super clear day, great temp and no wind...got some great pics...enjoy...

Planning another mission to go high up in the alpine tomorrow too...

no ride up to Elfin is complete without a devil water at the top

worth the pedal

the dude in his "private residence"

my backyard, only a 2 .5 hr ride up from my house

Squamish XC Files - Meet Your Maker

2010-09-02T09:22:00.001-07:00

Are you prepared to meet your maker?

If so, just press play and hold on tight...

Needed to build it up properly you know...

Dude out.

Fubar 2 Trailer (HD)

2010-08-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

The boys are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Squamish XC Files - Lower Power Smart

2010-08-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Wicked trail that turns into a great long downhill that includes Plum Smugglers and Word of Mouth!!!

Squamish XC Files - Recycle

2010-08-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

We all should Recycle!!!!hahaha...I'm so funny!

This is a great rip down in the same area as Angry Midget and Half Nelson....but it's a bit different...got some more wood bridges and some small climbs...the usual rocks and roots too...features in the GearJammer race every July.Leads right into Pseudo Tsuga as well for continued good times.

Dude out.

CAMELBAK RACEBAK - not a bra, but a wicked way to stay hydrated!!!

2010-08-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Stoked on getting this new concept is race performance hydration...been waiting to get one of these suckers and it came just in time for the heat we're having and for Australia.
I now don't have to carry an extra water bottle in the back of my jersey for long races and rides...I will be able to take 2.0 L of ice cold water with me and not have it moving around and getting in the way...plus this thing goes under my jersey and sits next to my skin keeping me cool too...just like those ice-vest things that I've seen people use...sweet!
It's got a full zip and is really lightweight and breathable...I don't even really feel it on my back either.
Guys in the Tour were even using it as well as tri-geeks too...so it must be good.
Check out the Camelbak site for the details on the Racebak
http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreation/wearable-hydration/2010-racebak-mens.aspx

If you're a local in Squamish go see Armand at Republic and ask him what he thinks of wearable hydration...could be a good idea for those crazy cross races he likes to do as they never carry a bottle...

rear view of my personal cooling device

new manzier - the CAMELBAK RACEBAK

Dude out.

Otway Odyssey - Feb. 19, 2011

2010-08-25T11:42:00.001-07:00

Just registered for my first race of 2011 already...in Australia!!!

It's called the Otway Odyssey...a 100km kick in the nuts that starts in Apollo Bay on the beautiful Great Ocean Road and climbs up and ends in a little town called Forrest...in, well the forest!

I did it in '07 when Erin and I were in Aus on our honeymoon...it was hard...like about 35 degrees, lot's of climbing and I had only ridden my bike on my trainer in the basement...coming from cold Calgary it wasn't the best preparation but I rode by the furnace to get as much sweat on as I could...I did ok and placed like mid 30's out of 1000 racers...happy to finish...then our friends Pete and Wendy who were with us drove us down to the ocean so I could cool off...it felt great, but with my fear of water and all I only went in up to my knees...this time I will go all the way and enjoy some cold beers with Aussie buddy Scott who is going down with his crew from Port Macquarie...he and his almost wife Ricky were at the race in '07 and heard that some "dude" from Canada was there on his honeymoon...instant cred with the Aussies to be able to race my bike on my honeymoon...they later came to Canada and we became great friends with Scott working at Bow Cycle with me...small, strange and twisted fun world!

Plan is to take some time off after the 24hr Worlds in October and chill...still ride but not too much...wonder if I can do that with it being summer and all down under...then fire up after the new year and hit some races before coming home...

Glad I won't see the snow this year and can roll on my bike...

http://www.rapidascent.com.au/OtwayOdyssey/Default.aspx

Dude out.

Squamish XC Files - White Rabbit

2010-08-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Always hit this one after doing Cheshire Cat and Kitten....never seen a white rabbit though...wonder how the trail got it's name?

4th overall Pro/Elite male in the Hell of a Series!!!

2010-08-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

I managed to get the wheels turning enough to finish 5th on Saturday in the JABR race here in Squamish securing 4th overall in the Hell of Series out here on the coast.

http://www.cyclingbc.net/uploads/files/MTB%20Documents/Hell%20of%20a%20Series%20points%20final%20posting.pdf

The highlight of the series was for sure my 8th place in the Test of Metal.

Starting to feel good again after taking a much needed break the last few weeks.The Whistler Gran Fondo is up next followed by the Cheakamus Challenge and then flying off to Australia for the 24hr Worlds and six months of fun in the sun.

The adventure continues.

Dude out.

Squamish XC Files - Trails near Republic Bikes

2010-08-22T22:34:00.000-07:00

Some zippy trails near my second home at Republic Bikes in Brackendale...