This year, the BC Ride to Conquer Cancer went from a successful event to a outstandingly successful event. 2009′s impressive total of over 6 million dollars was increased by more than 50% to nearly 10 million. What an impressive amount for a two day event. The really impressive part is that given a participation rate of about 2400, that is more than $4000 per person!!!!
With all this fundraising, spirit and enthusiasm it is easy to forget about the 250km ride from Vancouver to Seattle. Over the span of two days, some 2400 riders rode a combined total of 600,000 km. That is an equivalent distance of riding to the moon, then turning around and riding nearly the whole way back. That seems pretty impressive to me!
Norco’s participation in the event was from a technical assistance position. Teaming up with Obsession Bikes and La Bicicletta there were a combined 14 mechanics that changed an estimated 250 flat tires, put air in more than 1000 tires, adjusted 500 sets of gears and offered thousands of encouraging words .
Check out some photos from the event on Flickr and watch this time lapse video of the event!
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.
When I think about riding in the Okanagan I think of hot dry singletrack rolling along a ridge. I think of long climbs and screaming descents. Well, this past weekend I decided to take in a different kind of riding in the small town of Oliver BC. This town is known as the Wine Capital of Canada. Home of dozens of world renound vinyards such as Burrowing Owl, Grey Monk, Stoneboat and more Oliver is a great summer getaway. For this weekend a friend and I brought down two XFRs and took them for a ride around town.
We stayed at the Bel-Air Cedar Resort on the south edge of town. This is a great location to start a tour of the vinyards in the area. From the motel you can pedal south and follow the Vinyard signs all the way down through Black Hills, Desert Hills, Tinhorn Creek and on through to Burrowing Owl which is about 7km south of Oliver. Making a loop of it you can stop at Golden Beaver, Inniskilin , Golden Beaver, Silver Sage and more. The total loop is about 15km and you will pass a total of about 12 wineries. All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
For a full list of wineries in the area check out: kelownabc.com
The 2010 Norco Product Launch has kicked off starting Monday July 13th. As all 100 or so made their way to the Sheraton Wall Center in Vancouver BC, the evening started off with some drinks and some appy’s followed by a world renowned Ryan Leech Demo.
Ryan’s demo kicked off at about 8:00pm when there was already a crowd of spectators waiting. Even though the demo was put on for the launch participants, the intrigue of the setup attracted people in the beautiful downtown core to come out and watch. Leave it to Ryan to make the best of any specific location, he somehow managed to ride on the glass coverings speckled through the courtyard.
The launch is now underway and the bike presentations are being given as we speek. Check back with the blog for updates through the next few days along with other websites such as pinkbike.com, nsmb.com, mtbr.com, mbuk.com and bikemag.com.
Ryan made some new friends too!
Check back soon for more, in the meantime view more photos at: flickr.com
