Archive for the ‘General’ Category

I hate to get political but sometimes… there is reason behind it…

March 3rd, 2010 was the day to be in Victoria BC protesting the inclusion of bikes into HST legislation on July 1st 2010. For those out there that don’t know, HST stands for Harmonized sales tax and brings the Provincial Sales Tax (PST at 7%) and Federal Sales Tax(GST at 5%) into a single harmonious chunk that is added to most retail purchases. All that HST is going to do is make cycling less affordable and less attractive to existing and potential cyclists.

As long as I can remember Bicycles, labour, safety equipment and essential parts have been exempt from the PST. As far as I know, bikes have always been PST exempt. Well, the good’ ole days are a thing of the past. When the HST comes into effect, that 7% PST will be tacked onto the GST in a silent, single tax. Prepare to make your wallet a little bit thinner…

With the HST coming into effect, the increased income from taxation is said to be offsetting the rising cost of health care. The cost of health care are rising with the aging Baby Boom and the government is looking for money from the significantly smaller X and Y generations. The costs attributed to an aging population are innevitable, it is the target of the HST that I question. Certain products have been PST exempt for a specific reason. Through tax exemption, environmental impact and low-income households were addressed. With the innitiation of HST, the Campbell Administration is taxing the people that are reducing emissions and living a healthier lifestyle. It is those who rely less on the health care system that will be paying for the gas-guzzling, artery-clogging lineup of people idling at the local McDonald’s Drive-thru.

Lastly, if you are interested in economics, Taxation can be seen as a burden on society limiting GDP and suppressing the economy. Have a quick read about the Dead-Weight-Loss theory.

Here is a video from the rally.

Register Your Bike!

Have you ever had your bike stolen? Have you ever worried about your bike getting stolen? Did you know that without a serial number the police will not even write up a report for bike theft?

So what does this tell us? Get out to the garage, look under the Bottom Bracket and write down that number. Even better, take the serial number of your Norco bike and register it at norco.com/bike-registration. After doing this you could win a BRAND NEW NORCO EMPIRE FRAME! It is that simple. register your Norco Bike and you are automatically entered to win!

But, There is More!

Tell your friends about the Norco Bike Registry on Twitter or Facebook and you will be eligable to win one of two WTB Vigo Carbon SLT saddles valued at $240!

Twitter

To be eligible on Twitter first follow NorcoBikes on Twitter then enter the following text as a status update:

@NorcoBikes I just registered my Norco online at http://norco.com/bike-registration/ so I can win a Norco Empire Frame!

Facebook

Do the same on your Facebook and you could win again! For this one you will need to become a fan of  facebook.com/norcobikes then:

Update your Facebook status by typing ‘@Norco Performance Bikes’ then copy and paste:

I just registered my Norco online at http://norco.com/bike-registration/ so I can win a Norco Empire Frame!

So there you go, Register, tell your friends, then go for a ride! You could be riding a New Norco Empire before you know it!

Mandatory legal mumbo-jumbo:

• The contest is open to all Norco Bike Registration Participants ONLY. Norco Products LTD employees are not eligible.
• Contest is void in Quebec and where otherwise prohibited. (although we still encourage you to register your bike)
  
• Approximate Value of Prizes are Norco Empire Frame $2200 CAN, (2) WTB Vigo Saddle $240 CAN. Contest closes at 12:00AM June 1, 2010 PST. Winners of the Norco Bike Registration Contest will be notified through provided contact information on June 3, 2010.
• If any winner of the Norco Bike Registration Contest shall be under the age of majority, by the acceptance of the prize his/her parent or legal guardian agrees to hold Norco Products LTD and all affiliates, employees, advertising and promotional agencies, harmless from and against any and all claims and liability arising out of or in any way connected with the operation of this contest and use of a Prize.
• Norco Products LTD. retains the right, in its absolute discretion, to make substitutions of equivalent kind or value in the event of the unavailability of any prize for any reason whatsoever. Only one (1) prize per household or bike registration will be awarded.
• This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Twitter. The information you provide in the Norco Registration Contest may be used by Norco for web, print, safety and product based communication. Any personal information provided win registration will be used solely by Norco and will not be distributed to any 3rd party.
• This contest is subject to all Federal, Provincial and Municipal laws. Decisions of Norco Products LTD are final with respect to all aspects of this contest.
• In order to win any of the prizes listed above, participant must first answer a skill testing question.
  
• All entrants must love their bike!

photo by Taylor Leigh

Today was a typical day in the mountain bike world on Vancouver Island, and a testament to what makes our sport so great. My friend (and amazing filmmaker) Aaron LaRoque and I decided to go shred and film at Mt.Prevost in Duncan and, like usual, we had no idea how we were going to get to the top of the mountain. Riding the road up would take us a few hours or more with the camera gear and hitching a lift with the local gun-toting rednecks was the only other feasible option we could think of to get to the top. We were ok with that, but of course, not overly thrilled.
On our way into Duncan we stopped by “Experience Cycling” to buy a tube and one of the employees heard us brainstorming about how we would get to the top of the hill. He immediately chimed in that it was his lunch break and that he’d drive us to the top. We couldn’t believe it, but of course, we didn’t refuse.
This is what I love about mountain biking. Like most sports, it’s a thread that ties strangers together but unlike some sports, riders always want to help each other out and spread the love of the sport.
As most of my friends know, one of my favourite things to do is surf, but you would never be able to go into a surf shop and have an employee volunteer to drive you to their secret spot! It just wouldn’t happen. That person would be chastised by his or her peers and probably not allowed back at the break. Ok, maybe that’s a little extreme, but I’ve heard of much worse things happening at my local break.
In mountain biking however, it seems like everybody is there to help everybody else have the best time possible. There is little territorialism, and even where there is (like at the dirt jumps), it’s minimal.
So thanks to Matt from “Experience Cycling” for being such a great example of what mountain biking is all about. Your Toyota Tacoma was much more pleasant than sitting in the back of a Bronco with a gun rack.

Darcy

Here at Norco, we love our bikes, but we also love the Olympic Games. Especially this year with the 2010 games being in our own backyard. The torch has now made it through our neck of the woods (Port Coquitlam BC) and tonight is the Opening Ceremonies. I will be honest, this post has very little to do with Norco beyond the fact that we are simply excited to see the games!

Here are a few pics from the Torch Relay, Vancouver and Norco HQ.  To quote an infamous Olympic Sponsor, “We’re Lovin’ it!”

Norco Olympic Fans

Are you a fan? How do you show your support?

Photography is an area that has turned a leaf over the past decade through the advancement of digital technology. Photography used to be an art, an art that was exclusive to the truly talented photographer. Now there are two types of photographers out there. I like to categorize as ‘photographers’ and ‘people with camera’s’. Now before I dig any deeper into this, I would like to point out that I fit comfortably into the second category. I am a “person with a camera”

First off, I will date myself by admitting that the first camera I ever owned was digital. . . yes, it is sad but it is also true. Around 2001 I received the gift of a Kodak Easyshare camera with a whopping 2.1Megapixel resolution. I could enlarge a photo up to a massive 4″ by 6″ with only minor pixelation. Through a few more sub-par point-and -shoots I finally stepped up in 2006 and bought an SLR. Mind you this was a Canon AE-1 Program which was introduced in 1981, long before I was born . . . This was my first intro into what a camera could do. (using technology that was 25 years old). After many wasted rolls of film and several blurry, underexposed photos that made everyone dizzy, this past December I finally purchased a digital SLR. . . Ever since I have truly embraced being a “Person with a Camera”

Let me step back a bit and give you some more background info… My father has been a professional photographer for the past 35 years or so, therefor he knows a thing or two. He shoots mostly wildlife such as birds, plants, insects, mammals etc. and in my bias opinion he does a spectacular job. I remember back a while  getting some pointers on photography and he said, “in order to get an adequate depth of field you must shoot at a minimum of F-11″ . Well, you try taking a photo of a cyclist at F-11… Especially living in Vancouver where it rains all winter and you are stuck in a dense forest. Realistically you are lucky to be shooting at F5, never mind a minimum of F-11. Cycling is an area that is extremely difficult to take photos in and everyone with a camera is trying their hand at it.

There are some truly talented photographers out there such as Harookz, Ian Hylands, and Dan Barham. Among others, these guys can do things with light that I could never dream of accomplishing. To take a crisp, focused, well exposed image of a cyclist involves working in the worst of lighting, the fastest of speeds and the most remote of terrains, really there is nothing working in your favour…

Again, Photography is an art, to even grasp a fraction of what there is to know takes decades and still you are only scratching the surface. Props to those that are doing it, props to those who are trying but from one ‘person with a camera’ to another, remember there is a lot of room to learn and a lot of room to improve. I know I know very little, I can learn a lot. I want to learn as much as possible.

Mind you these are nothing but the ramblings of a ‘person with a camera’ and who am I to give advice about photography?

Dustan

a photo by "a person with a camera"