Comox Valley MTB » CVMTB.com – Cycling News

Future of Nymph Falls Park secured

CVMTB — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:36:26 +0000

Philip Round

Comox Valley Echo

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The future of Nymph Falls as public parkland has been assured.

The B.C. government has offered a 30-year rent-free lease on the property to Comox Valley Regional District to secure its status.

The existing shorter lease is due to run out in one week’s time, regional district directors heard yesterday (Monday).

The riverside park off Forbidden Plateau Road is one of the most visited in the Comox Valley.

Regional district parks staff estimate up to 20,000 people a year take advantage of its many trails for both walkers and bike riders, and easy access to scenic parts of the Puntledge River.

On hot summer days, as people head to the water to play and swim, the parking lots overflow with vehicles.

So an increase in the park’s budget over the next five years is being proposed so that vehicle parking can be expanded.

Over the past five years, a total of $60,000 was spent on maintenance, new signs and a new toilet close to the falls.

For the next five years a budget of $95,000 is being proposed, with $60,000 of that to expand the parking provision in 2013-14.

Much of the day-to-day work in the park is carried out by volunteers from the Plateau Road Residents Association, which came in for warm praise from directors at yesterday’s meeting of the regional district’s electoral areas services committee.

Committee chair Bruce Jolliffe said volunteers were a critical element in the parks system in rural areas.

“Volunteers allow us to do many projects we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do,” he said.

He urged parks staff to ensure personal recognition to volunteers was offered whenever appropriate.

Parks manager Michael Nihls and parks technician Brian Allaert told the committee there were about 140 volunteers working in a dozen regional district parks on a regular basis.

The largest numbers of volunteers were Bear Creek Park in Area C, Little River Park in Area B and Morning Beach Park in Area A. But in some parks, just a single regular volunteer – such as on the One Spot Trail – made a significant impact.

All did tremendous work in all sorts of ways, not only in maintaining and repairing park trails and facilities but also by adding amenities such as directional signs, fencing, removal of invasive species, tree planting, installing hitching posts for horses, building outhouses and even operating a hatchery at Bear Creek.

In addition, a growing number of private donors were contributing money to pay for additional facilities in parks, such as benches, picnic tables, signs and kiosks.

A new brochure had been prepared to encourage more people to donate so further amenities could be provided, with name plaques attached as appropriate to acknowledge such contributions.

In recent years, for example, 35 new benches had been provided, including five more in Seal Bay Park last year alone. Many are in memory of people who have passed on, but that is not a requirement.

Some people in the Valley have been so generous that they had donated land to add to parks or create new ones. Over the past 20 years, a total of 98 acres in six locations had been given in that way.

More details of the ‘Leave a Legacy’ program covering options from benches to land can be found online at www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/gifts

“Contributions by volunteers and donors allow the regional district to provide more and better maintained park facilities than would e feasible under current budgets,” staff noted in a written report.

“Local residents get to enjoy improved facilities when they visit the parks, and the cost savings realized by park gifts and volunteers are reflected in their regional district taxes.”

pround@comoxvalleyecho.com

New 2012 Rocky Mountain bikes arriving @ Blacks

CVMTB — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:48:13 +0000

2012 Rocky Mountain Bikes

They have arrived! In stock now..2012 Slayer 70′s, 50′s and Flatline Pro and Park. Also a ridiculous deal on 2011 Slayer 30′s. We have 3 of them. Regular price was $3000 and we are blowing them out for $1999.

Come on in to check them out and find some stocking stuffers for the cyclist on your list!

Mustache ride for Prostate Cancer Nov 27th

CVMTB — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:39:14 +0000

Come join at noon on Sunday Nov 27th for a fun casual ride and support Movember and Prostate Cancer.

Ride from Mountain City Cycles, to Blacks then back to Billy D’s for the after party. Enter to win a bicycle courtesy of MCC.

Sponsors:

Mountain City Cycle
Blacks Cycle
Billy D’s
Kevin Reid Remax
Primetek IT Solutions
iBalance Fitness Training

Facebook Event Listing

Rails to Trails? Is it time to move on

CVMTB — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:19:11 +0000

For over 125 years rail travel has occurred on Vancouver Island. From the heyday of rail during the coal mining years of Robert Dunsmuir to the budd car travels of recent decades Vancouver Island has changed. Is it time for new thinking?

Recent news on removal of the Dayliner Cars

Many discussions have occurred on creating new formats of rail travel on the south island. Question should be, is there a benefit over bus travel on the same routes? In many cases the rail travel would likely be slower than the highway counterparts thus reducing the argument for rail. More information can be found on the Island Corridor Foundation’s website.

The corridor was built in the days of steam trains and would not be comfortable for high speed commuter traffic such as the West Coast Express. The passenger capacity on the bud cars is not much different than modern double length commuter buses.

Others will argue the historic joy of rail travel, but the lines are overgrown, the views have been lost and it’s time to move forward.

What’s next?

Cost estimates for repair and replacement of the required rail parts would exceed 15 million dollars. This would only repair existing, and not provide for new or increased capacity or realignment for commuter train travel.

Rail and other components of rail lines have a reasonable value on the used or even scrap market.

Instead of spending 15 million to repair, let’s move forward to development of a rails to trails corridor like nothing seen before.

Removal and sale of existing track materials, regrading of the line with light crush materials and signage / pedestrian crossings would be relatively cost neutral.

Existing buildings and parking infrastructure would provide on and off points for cycle tourism and local recreation, and an ongoing maintenance contract for grading and foliage control would be passed on to local service clubs or even included in the recovery costs.

Cycle rail trail routes would provide additional sources a of travel revenue, offer opportunities for local communities to become involved in the project and could be extended to all former sites to provide the most extensive network of recreation trails in North America.

A review of existing networks of rail trail would easily show with minimal costs, tourism and recreation opportunities would be extensive and benefit a broader range of businesses and services on Vancouver Island. Linking with existing structures of the Cowichan Valley Rail Trail and the recently restored Kinsol Trestle, the opportunities for a prosperous future is great.

Rail to Trail projects have created success stories in other parts of the province.

Examples of Rail Trails

La route verte – 4,000 km’s of pathways and shared roads designated for cycling.
I-90 corridor – Route of the Hiawatha Trail of the Coeur D’Alenes (pdf)
Kettle Valley Railway
Spirit of 2010 Trails – Includes Cowichan Valley Rail Trail

It’s a sad day indeed to lose the sound of trains on Vancouver island, but maybe a new opportunity will show itself through Rails to Trails.

Cumberland mountain bikers misusing historical structure?

CVMTB — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:26:46 +0000

The following article from the recent Comox Valley Record highlights the benefits of consulting with landowners before proceeding with trail building.

For more information on the Cumberland Community Forest Society, please check out www.cumberlandforest.com

By Scott Stanfield – Comox Valley Record
Published: October 27, 2011 6:00 PM
Cumberland Coun. Gwyn Sproule was somewhat dismayed to discover an historical structure has become part of a biking trail behind Chinatown.

Last weekend, she noticed a mountain bike jump had been constructed at the concrete structure that once served as a coal-fired steam generating plant. It is located on land the Cumberland Community Forest Society had donated to the village with a covenant, “almost like a book that says what can happen,” Sproule said.

The moss-covered structure is about four-feet high with a water pipe and arches with chambers. It operated for about 11 years in the early 20th century.

“It’s really unfortunate,” Sproule said. “It’s not well delineated. There’s no sign. I’m not excusing them but I could see how they would not know what it was.”

The three covenant holders — the Comox Valley Land Trust, the CCFS and the Village — will soon meet to discuss the situation.

reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com

From The Inside Out – Movie Premiere Nov 18th

CVMTB — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:21:14 +0000

The United Riders of Cumberland is proud to announce an exclusive Comox Valley video premier for the new mountain bike film by the folks who brought you Follow Me.

Anthill Films and the Coastal Crew present, From the Inside Out.
Check out the video teaser!!

From the Inside Out – Official Trailer on pinkbike.com

Date – NOVEMBER 18 2011
Time – 2 shows
6PM ALL AGES, DOORS OPEN AT 5:30,
8 PM ADULTS ONLY, DOORS OPEN AT 6PM
Venue – RIDING FOOL HOSTEL
City – CUMBERLAND
Tickets All ages = $5 Adult only = $10

Sport Performance Testing coming to the Valley

CVMTB — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:09:23 +0000

Have you ever wondered where you stand with your fitness level? Have you wanted to improve your capabilities but don’t know where to start? Peak Centre for Human Performance will be returning to the Comox Valley this coming Nov 19th & 20th to do lab assessments.

What is a Lab Assessment?

A fitness assessment is a method of measuring your body’s specific response to exercise; it is a snapshot of your current fitness level. Many types of assessments exist, however, not all of them provide the individual information necessary for proper exercise training. Predictive equations, estimation charts and perceived exertion levels provide no direct information regarding your current individual fitness level, and also fail to track fitness improvements over time.

At the PEAK Centre, we offer only direct assessments to measure your individual response to exercise. These assessments precisely determine your current level of fitness, as well as allow us to track your rate of training improvement over time. Each analysis is specific only to you and how your body responds to exercise.

Why Choose Peak Centre?

The Peak Centre is nationally accredited by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP). This means that we meet all the standards required for validity, accuracy, and reliability in all our assessments. To you, it ensures that the money you invest in your health and fitness is providing you with results that are valid, accurate, reliable, and more importantly, applicable.

What tests are available on Nov 19th & 20th?

Staff from Peak Centre will be doing blood lactate and VO2Max assessments. This is your opportunity to evaluate how effective your training has been over the past few months and set some new training intensities to get you to the next performance level. Brent Armstrong of Rehab in Motion has offered to host us and we’ll be set up to offer testing on both the bike and run.

Schedule for weekend

Saturday Nov 19th

Testing – 8am – 5pm
Each test takes approx 1 hr

Sunday Nov 20th

Consult – 8am – TBA
Consults range from 90 – 120 minutes depending on testing options

Topics discussed will include blood lactate, lactic acid, muscle fibre types, aerobic threshold, lactate threshold, VO2 max, heart rate training zones and most importantly, how to use the testing information to make your training hours more effective.

To Confirm Your Testing Slot

Please contact Peak Centre toll free number at 1-877-299-7325 with the following information:

your name and contact information
what type of assessment you would like to do (bike, run or both),
whether you would like to do lactates or lactates & VO2max & Energy Usage Analysis
what time of day you would prefer (either morning or afternoon). We will do our best to accommodate your wishes but will work on a first come first served basis.
Arrange the deposit details.

Feel free to give Mike a call toll free number at 1-877-299-7325 or send me an email to mike@peakcentrevancouver.ca if you have any questions about any of the weekends activities.

Peak Centre Hours Are:
Monday – Friday: 9am – 8pm
Saturday: 9am – 5pm

Mike McIvor

Tel: 604-299-7959
Peak Centre for Human Performance
Burnaby | West Vancouver @ Different Bikes
Web: www.peakcentrevancouver.ca

IMBA Trail Workshop in Campbell River, Nov 26th

CVMTB — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:04:22 +0000

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (Canada) is coming to British Columbia! Chad and Deanne Lazaruk of the IMBA Canada Trail Care Crew will be in Campbell River for a free IMBA Trail Building School with the River City Cycle Club.

Come out to meet the Crew, and network with other trail users in your area! You’ll learn the art and science of sustainable trail building, and get hands-on instruction in the field! Get more info on the IMBA Canada Trail Care Crew here.

Not a mountain biker? The principles of building sustainable trails apply to all users (hikers, trail runners, equestrians, and cycling), and our workshops are open to the public — all users and land managers are invited.

RSVP to secure your spot!

Schedule

Saturday Nov. 26th

9:00 – Noon: In class session, location TBA.

Noon – 1:00: Lunch.

1:00 – 4:00: Trailbuilding School field session, location TBA.

Participants should bring:

Water & snacks, work gloves and hat, sunscreen and/or bug spray, closed toe shoes or boots, long pants, and rain gear (if necessary).

When

November 26th, 2011 9:00 AM through 4:00 PM

Where

Campbell River, BC

Mount Washington hosts Fall Freak Out

CVMTB — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:17:56 +0000

Come up to the Bike Park at Mount Washington and Freak Out… over bikes, jumps, downhill races, prizes and more!!

This year’s Fall Freak Out features the Camp of Champions Big Air Bag which will allow riders to throw down crazy tricks with a painless landing. Festival goers can hit the jump and air bag free with a donation to the local food bank.

The Islander Lager Year Ender Bender race will be held on the middle and lower Helter Skelter trail at 2pm on Saturday (register at the Tread Shed 12:00-1pm for just $5, includes a frosty beverage)and a final Island Series Jump Jam will be hosted by pro biker Jordie Lunn on Sunday at 3pm (register at the Tread Shed for $15 from 11am-1pm).

There will be activities for all ages, including a kids bike safety course hosted by Mountain City Cycles, kids bike race and bike decorating contest, face painting, Islander Lager Patio Party and a BBQ in the Alpine courtyard, and sales on bike gear and learn to ride packages at the Tread Shed. Women ride for free and men pay just $25 during this weekend of celebration for the biking community.

Big Air Bag quote from Camp of Champions website-”When you ride hit a foam pit you use most of your energy simply getting out of the foam. With a Big Air Bag, if you land on your wheels you can roll right out of the bag and ride away. If you don’t land on your wheels you can stand up and grab your bike and walk or roll off. It’s such quick turn around that you get triple the amount of riding that you do with a foam pit and you wear yourself out riding, not digging yourself out of the foam.”

SCHEDULE:

Saturday, September 3

12:00-1:00 Registration for the Islander Lager Year Ender Bender race at the Tread Shed. Registration is just $5 and includes a frosty beverage. Race trail is the middle and lower Helter Skelter.

12:00-3:00 BBQ in the courtyard outside Alpine Lodge. Free for Summer Seasons Pass holders (check in at Seasons Pass office for voucher).

2:00 Islander Lager Year Ender Bender race on middle and lower Helter Skelter trail

Sunday, September 4

11:00-1:00 Island Series Jump Jam registration at reg tent next to Tread Shed

12:00-3:00 BBQ in the courtyard outside Alpine Lodge. Free for Summer Seasons Pass holders (check in at Seasons Pass office for voucher)

12:00-1:00 Free kids bicycle safety course hosted by Mountain City Cycles in the Learning Centre courtyard

1:00 Kids bike race. Bring up your bikes and meet for a race starting in the Learning Centre courtyard!

1:30 Bike decorating. We will have a craft table, kids can also bring their own craft supplies

2:30 Bike decorating contest and parade

3:00 Final Island Series Jump Jam hosted by Jordie Lunn

3:00-4:00 Free kids bicycle safety course hosted by Mountain City Cycles in the Learning Centre courtyard

4:00 Prizes in the Alpine Lodge courtyard

Ongoing Events:

Tread Shed gear sale

Learn to Ride packages discounted at $49 throughout the weekend

Women ride free; men ride for $25

Face painting

Islander Lager Patio Party

Camp of Champions jump and Big Air Bag

Mount Washington Hosts BC Cup Provincial Championships

CVMTB — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:03:23 +0000

Following the triumphant return of the Bearclaw Invitational last week, Mount Washington is pumped and ready to keep the bike season flowing with a brand new course at their BC Cup race this weekend.

A new-school DH course will be featured this year as the top-half of Monster Mile is still under snow.

“Due to the amount of snow on the Monster Mile, our traditional downhill course, we had to make some quick decisions to change the location of our BC Cup downhill,” explains Mike Manara, Bike Park Manager at the Resort. “Our new course is on the west side of the mountain and will feature more flow and produce faster race times than we would normally see on the Mile.”

Mount Washington Alpine Resort and Cycling BC partner to bring the BC Cup provincial race series annually to Vancouver Island. The race series incorporates both downhill and cross-country disciplines of mountain biking and is held at various locations throughout the province.
Mount Washington’s event begins Saturday, August 13th with the endurance-testing cross-country and ends on Sunday, August 14th with the speed and thrills of the downhill. To bring all of the riders home, the call for this weekend’s races will be performed by freeride luminary and Director of Good Times, Brett Tippie.

Even though some of BC’s best XC and DH riders will be in attendance, you don’t need to be a pro to experience the BC Cup at the mountain this weekend.

“We have a strong history of introducing grass roots and local racers to the provincial and national races here at Mount Washington,” adds Manara. “With the support of our local riding community and bike shops across the Island, we’ve managed to produce the largest Citizen category turnouts province-wide.”

Categories for the BC Cup are wide-ranging, where competitors race from as early as 10 years of age in the U15 category to over 50 years of age in the venerable Masters category.

For all race information including course maps, racing fees, schedules, and everything you need to know for a weekend of BC Cupping, surf to Mount Washington’s BC Cup website via a front-page link at mountwashington.ca.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort’s Bike Park is open daily from 11am to 7:30pm. The resort is located 30 minutes above The Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. WestJet, Central Mountain Air and Pacific Coastal Airlines service the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ). To find out about accommodation and package information, call Mount Washington Alpine Resort at 1-888-231-1499 toll free or locally at 250-338-1386. Surf to www.mountwashington.ca for additional information including live mountain cams.