If there was ever a type of charity worth getting behind and supporting, it is surely one that benefits children. One that benefits children in your community is even better, and one that benefits sick children and their families locally is a home run in my books! While helping those abroad is without question needed and admirable, helping those in your community just feels right. To that end Blacks Cycle up in the Comox Valley has been supporting You Are Not Alone (Y.A.N.A.) for the past few years by leveraging their annual “Century Ride“ as a fundraiser for this worthwhile charity.

2010 Century Ride – Sunday September 12th

“What started out as a challenge to road riding enthusiasts has shaped into something much more powerful and beneficial. Originally, the goal of the Century Ride was to complete a 100 mile (or 160 kilometer) road ride throughout the Comox Valley. Then race coordinator Les Black of Blacks Cycle decided that perhaps those who ride for their own health and wellness may be able to support those who are preoccupied with the critical health of someone they love. An extra challenge can been woven into the century ride: Can you ride 100 miles and Challenge yourself! Can you ride 100 miles? There are no trophies awaiting at the finish line, nor are there points for competitors or prizes for age categories. What there will be is other enthusiasts, like yourself who seek challenging rides to keep fit and meet other riders who enjoy similar feats.”

Ride begins at 9am, so show up a bit early to socialize and prepare for the ride.

Preregister any time at Blacks Cycles or register day of starting at 7am Sunday September 12th. Minimum $20 dollar donation to do the ride, OR go and get as many pledges as you can. If you are not able to attend, or simply cannot pull off a 100 mile (160 KM) ride, see if you can pledge a rider by contacting Blacks Cycles? Show your support for them and for this great charity and give back to the community.

The family ride begins at noon and there will be a “Free” bbq after the ride!!

Routes Here

Registration and Pledge Forms Here

Contact Blacks for Details Here

But wait, there’s more…

Bike Draw

As you all may know Rocky Mountain Bicycles is now on board as a sponsor of this fine event. This year Rocky Mountain Bicycles will be offering up a bike for the draw. For each $100 raised the individual will have their name entered into the draw for this bicycle. More details to come! Thanks Rocky Mountain!

Why YANA?

“Blacks Cycle is a family owned, family oriented business that has been established for over 25 years. To commemorate 25 years of business, we wish to celebrate families and give back to the community, especially for those in need. Y.A.N.A. is a non profit society in the Comox Valley that provides financial support for families faced with a medical crisis involving children. Y.A.N.A. believes in keeping the family unit intact during and after a child’s illness..”

A summer of hard work, challenging races and personal sacrifices paid off for Courtenay’s Amanda Wakeling last weekend, as she rode away from the competition to win her first national mountain bike title in Canmore, Alta. Wakeling races with the Trail Bicycles/Eatmore Sprouts racing team, the Comox Valley’s only elite cycling team that’s registered with Cycling B.C.

For Wakeling, who has been racing mountain bikes only for a couple of years, her win at the national championships capped off an impressive string of results. Last year, she was named the under-17 provincial time trial champion, as well as the under-17 Cyclocross champion. She’s also won Island Cup and B.C. Cup mountain bike and cyclocross races, and Cycling B.C. has invited her to several provincial training camps.

While Wakeling is modest about her impressive results, her success comes as no surprise to her Trail Bicycles/Eatmore Sprouts teammates.

“Amanda works extremely hard and is exceptionally talented,” says Jeff Beeston, owner of Trail Bicycles and one of the team’s senior riders. “She shows up at competitions prepared to race, but she always manages to look like she’s having fun.”

In her run-up to nationals, Wakeling won the 12 Hours of Cumberland race and a B.C. Cup race in Mission.

In Canmore, nothing could hold Wakeling back. She rode aggressively right from the gun, positioning herself near the front of the pack on the first difficult climb. After her group topped a steep section of the trail, Amanda attacked and got clear of the rest of the group. Despite the best efforts of chasers, Wakeling maintained her lead and finished the race two minutes and 49 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, Quebec’s Gabrielle April.

“Obviously I’m thrilled with the results, but it really is a team victory,” says Wakeling with typical modesty.

“I owe a lot of my success to my teammates, and to the management of the Trail Bicycles/Eatmore Sprouts cycling team.

“Of course, this level of success wouldn’t be possible without the support of our team’s community sponsors, like Rehabilitation in Motion, the Cumberland Credit Union, the Freakin’ Coffee Shop, Wedler Engineering and Ryan Parton Writing Solutions.”

Wakeling is not the only member of the Trail Bicycles/Eatmore Sprouts cycling team enjoying success this year. Negil Ellsay, also from the Comox Valley, was invited to travel with the provincial cycling team to the Canadian Road National Championships in Edmonton earlier this month.

— Trail Bicycles

A short while ago we had a chance to test ride the 2010 Rocky Mountain Altitude 29, with much success and enjoyment. As the market for 29ers is growing in BC, many people ask the difference between rolling on traditional or big wheels.  For that reason we took a ride on the 26″ version of the Altitude to make a comparison.

2010 Rocky Mountain Altitude 70 26″

2010 Rocky Mountain Altitude 70

Heralding from BC and with a strong racing pedigree in Rocky Mountain’s history, they have approached their all mountain and cross country bikes with a flair for mountain goat climbing ability. Straight Up Geometry and Smooth Link platform suspension provide a nimble, solid bike which will let you climb all day without fade (well at least the bike won’t fade, you might).

Beginning in 2010, and continuing into 2011, this suspension formula is being promoted through the line to include the Element, Altitude and Slayer bike lines. Already people are biting at the order book for next year’s Slayer, a 6 inch version of the Altitude with a more slack front end.

For riders looking to ride a few xc races in the Island Cup, enjoy climbs to some of our Cumberland and other Vancouver Island trails, and like a lighter build, the Altitude makes a great pick.

On the Trails

Here’s a short vid of my test ride on the 26″ wheel Rocky Mountain Altitude 70.

2010 Altitude Review from Kookjai Media on Vimeo.

Conclusions

Each bike has similarities and differences. Travel on the 29″ is approx 4 inches to the 26″ 5 inches. Seat angle is maintained while the 70.5 head angle on the 29 keeps the wheelbase closer to the 69 degrees on the 26″.

Both bikes climb exceptionally well with the 29″ wheels providing a bit more roll over uneven ground which can help maintain speed. The larger wheelbase also helps keep the climbing traction sweet spot larger which helps on those short steep seated climbs.

When the trails became tight, the 26″ showed it’s benefit for nimble movements. Not to say the 29 wasn’t an adept trail bike, but like riding a larger motor bike or driving a larger truck, it can take a bit of time to learn the subtle differences of big wheels.

Rocky Mountain has done a great job on both bikes and in the end it will come down to personal preference and your choice of trails.

Thanks to Blacks Cycles for the test rides and Rocky Mountain Bikes for their demo days.

Specifications

The Altitude series comes in both alloy and carbon forms with build kits ranging from the SLX build Altitude 10 to the XTR, Crossmax equiped 90 RSL. Prices range from $2699 to $7500 with the Altitude 70 coming in at $4599 and stock weight of 28.5lbs.

Mt Washington will be host to another double event BC Cup weekend!  The Cross Country is on Sat July 31st and the Downhill Sunday Aug 1st.

FYI- bring your Rocky Bike and get a free ticket to ride on Saturday, July 24th mon, then bring a buddy for a 2fer1 on Sunday….yeah mon big up!

The Rocky Mountain team brings pro riders & the latest bikes to demo. Get free shwag and high fives from the best riders on the planet!

There will be demos, mountain loads of prizing and giveaways, BBQ, and of course, Reggae, dance hall, and dub brought to you by DJ Rudebwoy!

Selassie is the Chapel.

In what may have seemed like an impossible task given the amount of snowfall this winter, Mount Washington will open its popular Bike Park this Thursday, July 1st.

“The weather has definitely turned in our favour over the last couple of weeks,” explains resort spokesperson Brent Curtain.  “The sunshine has sped up the rate of snowmelt significantly.  We’ll be able to open more trails on opening day than what we’d planned three weeks ago, which is hard to believe considering we were open for skiing on June 19th and 20th!”

The mountain plans to have a few of its favourite trails open from top to bottom off the Hawk Chair for opening week.  These include Big Brother, Wizard, and Timewarp.  The lower two-thirds of Evil Eye, MMT, and Hustler will also be open.  The top third of these trails are still getting some significant snow removal treatment!  In addition to these trails, the Quick and Dirty connector, Jump Park, the dirt jumps on Green Face, and lower third of Back in Black will all be rider ready and bike friendly on July 1st.

“Our Bike Park will be in great shape for opening day when you consider how much snow we’ve had to move around,” says Slopes Supervisor James Clarke.  “Our crews have been digging out the trails since the beginning of May and we’re making some serious progress.”

Summer 2010 marks the completion of Mount Washington’s signature expert freeride trail, Back in Black.  The new trail is described simply as the perfect blend of dirt and wood.  If you’re into perfectly sculpted dirt jumps, big drops, and even bigger wall rides with more flow than the kitchen tap, then Back in Black should be at the top of your list!

Mount Washington put some mountain-sized focus into trail improvement for 2010.  Timewarp, Wizard, Big Brother and MMT- all located on the Hawk Chair side of the Bike Park- have received a combination of truckloads of dirt, flow enhancement, additional wall rides, and new burly wooden stunts.  “If you haven’t been up here to ride over the last couple of years, you will be amazed at the rebuilding we’ve done to our trails on the west side of the mountain,” adds Clarke.

Mount Washington has been working hard to create an action-packed events calendar this summer.  Highlights include the Island Jump Jam Series, Roots Rocky Reggae, and See Jane Jump.

The Island Jump Jam Series features three separate Jump Jams in July, August, and September respectively.  You can register for one or sign up for all three.  If you sign up for all three you get a chance to win a sweet Rocky Mountain Flow DJ bike!  In true Mount Washington Jump Jam fashion, Jordie Lunn will host all three Jams.  Whether he’s on the mic, celebrity judging, or throwing high fives, Jordie will help get everyone stoked for a series of dirt jumping!  The Island Jump Jam Series is supported by Kali Protectives.

Roots Rocky Reggae returns to Mount Washington July 24th and 25th.  Riders who are on Rocky Mountain bikes can bring them up to the ticket window for a free ticket to the Bike Park on the 24th and bring friends (on any bike) for a 2 for 1 on the 25th.  The highlight of the weekend will be hanging out with freeride superstars Wade Simmons, Brett Tippie, and Geoff Gulevich.  They will be riding with the locals all weekend long…yeah mon!

See Jane Jump is a brand new women’s mountain bike festival hosted by the Island’s very own pro freerider Darcy Turenne.  The event will provide a fun, non-threatening environment that encourages beginner riders to progress their skills.  Pro riders will also be on hand to strut their stuff on Mount Washington’s Slopestyle course.  All participants will receive professional coaching, free bike set-up and maintenance tips, and will walk away with prizes and a DVD of professionally shot images from the event.  For more information on the See Jane Jump Women’s Mountain Bike Festival, go to seejanejumpfest.com.

For the complete Bike Park events listing, visit mountwashington.ca.

Mount Washington’s Bike Park is supported by Maxxis, Dakine, Rocky Mountain, and Kali Protectives.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort’s Bike Park opens Thursday, July 1.  The 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.

Swicked Cycles Almost Stolstice Scavenger Hunt

Come out this Saturday June 19th, for Swicked Cycle’s Almost Solstice Scavenger Hunt!

Like a scavenger hunt, but not. Take photos of you and your bike at secret locations around Campbell River (if you can find them.)

Win Great prizes! Each legitimate photo enters you into a draw to win a great prize.

Social Cruise – This isn’t a race. This is a social cruise on any style of bicycle.

Registration Details :

• Individual or teams of 2
• Cost: $10 per person (includes some sweet swag!)
• Scavenger hunt starts @ 4pm
• Ending at 8pm @ Ripple Rock Pub in Willow Point
• Register at Swicked Cycles 1791 Spruce Street

See http://www.swickedcycles.com for more details.

“We thought the snow might stick around for a while but you never want to predict what the weather is going to do,” explains Mount Washington spokesperson Brent Curtain. “May was relatively cool and rainy which wasn’t conducive to snow melt. As a result, we’re going to open up one top to bottom run on opening weekend for people who can’t get enough of skiing and boarding!”

With an astounding 15 metres of snowfall from November 2009 through April 2010, there is still plenty of white stuff at the higher elevations and enough down low to allow snow sliders to make it all the way to the Alpine Lodge.

In the middle of May, groomers began the monumental task of trying to locate the Bike Park! Credit: Tony Radomi

“We will be loading skiers and boarders onto the Eagle Express from 11am to 4pm on opening weekend,” says Don Sharpe, Director of Business Operations at the resort. “Anybody wanting to head up for summer turns can do it for a special $25 lift ticket. As an added bonus, dads can ski or board for $10 on Father’s Day when they head up the lift with their child.”

Linton’s Loop will be the chosen run for the summer skiing weekend. Skiing in June is a first in the resort’s thirty-two year history. “Imagine telling your friends and family across the country that you skied on Vancouver Island on the first day of summer,” adds Curtain. “It really is unbelievable.”

Not to be outdone, Mount Washington’s regular summer schedule with Mile High Chairlift rides also begins June 19th with dad’s getting a free ride to the top for some sightseeing on Father’s Day. “Once all of the snow melts we will be opening up our bungee trampoline and playground as well,” says Sharpe.

The mountain’s popular Bike Park is scheduled to open on July 1. “We’ve been clearing snow off the bike trails to help initiate and speed up the melt process in those areas. We’re hopeful that we can get some of the trails ready by our planned opening date,” Sharpe adds.

For the full summer events schedule and list of summer activities visit mountwashington.ca.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort opens for summer 2010 on June 19th. 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 our live mountain cam.

Demo Hosted by Black's Cycle

Ok, so there were no rivers around as the Rocky Mountain Demo tour rolled into town. Instead sunny weather, the crew from Black’s Cycles in Comox, their bbq and a nice selection of bikes were available for test rides on the Cumberland mountain bike trails.

Lots of riders this season have been rolling at the Island Cup XC races on 29″ mountain bikes so I was interested to check them out for myself.

BC has been slower to adopt the 29 inch wheel bikes than other parts of North America. Maybe we’re just stubborn, but one now sees a much broader selection of forks, wheels, tires and more providing for easier move to this newer format.

Looking around I wanted to find something new and luck would have it a nice 19″ Altitude 29 was ready to go.

Big wheels for big guys.

Descending with ease

One common complaint on early 29″ frames was toe to front tire clearance. I wear size 47 cycling shoes, and a few previous rigid 29er bikes I tried, the wheel clearance was very much an issue.

Rocky moutain spent quite some time in the development of their 29″ bike with 3 models to choose from. The vertex, altitude and element.

The Altitude 29 provides adequate clearance due to the “Straight Up” 76 degree seat tube and a more relaxed 70.5 degree head tube angle. The wheelbase is 1193mm or just about 5cm longer than the equivalent size in the standard Altitude 26″ wheel series. This stretched out cockpit is approx 3cm longer and offers spacious room for knees while the short 110mm tapered headtube allows 120mm of travel, compared to 140mm on the Altitude.

Specs

Rocky obviously spends some time searching out their build kit. Easton bar, stem and seatpost create a roomy cockpit. Shimano xt shifters, rear shadow derailleur and slx keep task of shifting. Race Face Deus XC cranks look pro with their machined design and, Formula R1 brakes provide solid stopping power for big wheels.

Front and rear squish is from Fox suspension with a 32mm F29 RL with Fit (15mm through axle) and a Float RP23 custom valved on the rear.

In 2010 the 29 line has one model of the Altitude 29 and 2 models of the Vertex 29.

The Flat black with white and gold accent frame is clean and offers subtle reminders of it’s Canadian pedigree. Two water bottle mounts are a nice find even if one is under the downtube.  Welds are clean and the hydroforming leaves adequate standover available to riders.

Behind the Scenes from Rocky Mountain

About 29″

Rocky Mountain has been making 26 inch wheeled mountain bikes since 1981 and our mission has always been to put ride quality first. No gimmicks. We’ve never been a company to immediately latch on to new trends, always making sure we do our research first. When we launch a platform, we launch it right. On the eve of our 29th birthday (2010), we thought it would be fitting to launch our 29er platforms.

The notoriously technical trails in our Vancouver backyard have always been our testing grounds and we’ve used these same trails to develop our 29ers. Our new 29ers are just as suited to the technical trails at our doorstep as they are the fast, flowy Marin County singletrack, or high alpine Swiss mountain passes. 29ers make sense and now they make sense in all kinds of terrain.

Straight UP

We’ve got your back. With a first of its kind 76-degree seat angle, you’re in a position to defy gravity at every technical uphill climb. The STRAIGHT UP geometry and its bio-mechanically correct seat position allows for maximum horsepower. Not only will you get an efficient ride, it’ll save your lower back and limits pressure on your “sensitive areas”… if you catch our drift.

Smooth link

Our groundbreaking SmoothLink Suspension features minimal pedal feedback so you get a smoother pedal stroke, especially on uphill climbs. How does it work? By placing the rear pivot above the rear hub axle, we keep the average chain torque line parallel to lower link (the line between main pivot and rear pivot), we eliminate pedal bob.

On the Trail

Climbing with big wheels

With the trail days in Cumberland lots of great singletrack was at my fingertips for a good test of the bike’s trailworthiness. Starting with a fire road climb, the suspension was quiet with the Pro-Pedal doing it’s thing nice and quietly. Fork lockout was quick and easy and the short head tube, tall fork combo meant the lever was closer at hand.

Once the trail turned to singletrack, the big wheels showed their stuff. Roots, rough terrain and short climbs became smooth under the Continental Mountain Kings.

The bike steering is responsive at slow speeds but stable at higher speeds when the going is straight. The only drawback of this overall large bike is some of our trails which can be tight on a small xc bike are even tighter on this one. Something that one would get used to when picking thier lines, just like one gets used to driving an extended cab pickup over a Jeep. Each has their sweet spot.

Another test rider on the same day found tight corners where one would rail a smaller bike is a bit more of a challenge purely due to the taller stature and longer wheelbase of this bike. I found less of this feeling, probably from being a larger rider myself (6’2″), the larger frame, combined with the same larger fork, wheels and only 10mm longer head tube length to leave the bar position essentially the same. In comparison, the head tube length between the small and large Altitudes varies by almost 6cm

Conclusions

Point and ride

I had a great ride on this bike. I hadn’t spent much time on a 29er and this test leaves me with a larger list of potential new bikes. For larger riders on cross country epics such as the BC Bike Race, the Island Cup Series or just enjoying the trails of Vancouver Island, it would be good to check out this bike. For smaller riders, the standard Altitude or Vertex 29 may be a better fit for the improved handling on tight singletrack.

Rocky Mountain is hosting demo days currently with others scheduled through the summer. Come check them out or stop by Black’s Cycle or your local Rocky Moutain Dealer for more info on all their 2010 bikes.

Rocky Mountain may have been later coming to the 29er show, but they came with a great performance.

MSRP for the Altitude 29 is $4499

More specs – http://www.bikes.com

ALTITUDE 29′

Specifications

UROC President Jeremy Grasby presents $1000 cheque to CCFS!

In Cumberland we are lucky to be able to say that the forests that we recreate in are ours to improve, that the trails we spend so long developing and riding are the pinnacle of what can be achieved and that it is the pro-active attitudes towards the village that are borne out of passion for the sports we enjoy, but also for the local area we are privileged to live in.

The United Riders of Cumberland is a registered Non Profit Society that promotes and supports the local Mountain Bike Community in the Comox Valley. Through trail advocacy, volunteerism, promotion of the sport and fund raising, The United Riders of Cumberland are able to encourage participation for all, as well as maintain and build the local trail infrastructure. By organizing annual events such as the XC and DH races and Movie premiers, UROC has been able to raise money for deserving causes. To lead the way for all local user groups and organizations, UROC has donated the sum of one thousand dollars to the Cumberland Community Forest Society. This organization serves as the community’s action against the growing trend of logging encroaching onto the community’s borders by buying up land. Not only does this preserve it in its natural state, but allows the land to be used for the good of the community. For UROC this is seen as the most direct way of influencing what is happening in our community and directly benefiting it.

Donations such as this are made possible by the work of the UROC board and the continual support of the local mountain biking community. With ongoing action such as this the Cumberland landscape is offered the chance to not only develop, but remain in use permanently.

The United Riders of Cumberland are proud of this recent donation and would like to thank all those that have supported the riding community and made actions like this possible. This is seen as a start point to build upon rather than a time to sit on our collective laurels so the next opportunity to raise money and participate in the local racing scene comes with the return of the 12 Hours of Cumberland endurance race on June 19^th. Individuals and teams will once again compete to beat each other as well as the limits of their endurance. More details will follow in the build-up to the event.

For more information about the CCFS and to donate go to www.cumberlandforest.com/