Enough Already - When Will Spring Arrive?
April 07, 2009
So here we are, early April. I shook my head as I opened the garage door again this morning for my early morning ride and facing me for the 2nd day in a row was fresh snow on the ground! I’m not kidding. Yup, yesterday it was snowing flat out and this morning another skiff. I don’t even want to tell you about “fresh tracks” again. I’m done with winter as I’m sure you are too. The novelty of having snow on the trails in my local park FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS now has totally worn off. Geeze, will spring ever come?
I don’t know about your area, but I’m not fully sold on this global warming thing… Climate change seems more appropriate! We are just coming off one of the harshest and longest/snowy winters in probably 20+ years. At one point we had more than 2 feet of snow on the ground and it stayed. Normally around Vancouver here when we do get snow, it starts raining again within a day or two and it all turns to slop. At least you can get out in it with the right rain gear. This year the snow was here to stay, and get added to again and again. Even at my house we had snow covering our lawn – er moss – for more than 6 weeks. Crazy!! So, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to feel the warmth of the sun and for winter to be GONE.
There’s lots of cool stuff coming up this spring. The Seattle and Toronto Bike Shows have come and gone and wow, it is always rad to see a bunch of knowledgeable, keen and avid riders attended these shows to come see all the new ‘09 bikes and offerings. The Sea Otter Classic down in California is just around the corner then we are full on into it with many other events and demo’s.
Around the office here there is a cool mix of current year ’09 and some spanking new ‘010 bike samples coming through. They are all sure looking cool. We recently added a VFR series commuter to our stable at home, and what a rad bike that is. Light, frisky and fast, but with upright positioning perfect for keeping your wits about you in commuting or higher traffic situations. Man, for half the price it costs to insure our 2nd car, we have an awesome rig to scoot around on for work or grocery runs. Think about it… between car insurance, fuel, health benefits, and just thinking a bit greener and all, it is pretty hard to ignore what many riders in Europe and Asia have known for a while—that bikes like this just make good sense! Once again the light went on… Duhhh
Anyway enough rambling. I hope spring comes soon for all of us and we can get out and enjoy the bikes that have been hanging on hooks for way too long.
Seeya out there,
Steak-Sauce
2009 Event Schedule - Mark Your Calendar
April 07, 2009
Spring is almost here, and with this comes planning for the busy 2009 summer event season. Traveling through the East and the West, we may be coming to your area soon. Have a look at the 2009 Event Schedule, if you can make to any of the events, stop by and say hi!
April 16th-19th - Sea Otter Classic - Monterey CA
April 19th - Paris to Ancaster Race – Hamilton ON
April 25th - South Sea-Tac Riding Trails - Seattle WA
April 25th – Ontario Cup XC – Mansfield ON
May 2nd - Caps Westwood Demo - Port Coquitlam BC
May 3rd – King Street Demo – Waterloo ON
May 3rd - Different Bikes Demo - North Vancouver BC
May 6th – Spoke O Motion Demo – Newmarket ON
May 9th - John Henry Days - North Vancouver BC
May 9th-10th - Ontario Cup Albion Hills – Bolton ON
May 11th – Impala Bikes Demo – Oshawa ON
May 11th-19th - Bike To Work Week - Vancouver BC
May 16th-17th - Canada Cup #1 – Baie St Paul QC
May 23rd-24th – Canada Cup #2 – Tremblant QC
May 30th-31st – Canada Cup #3 – Barrie ON
June 6th-7th – Ontario Cup XC – London ON
June 13th-14th Canada Cup #4 - Edmonton AB
June 19th-21st - Ride To Conquer Cancer - Vancouver to Seattle
July 4th - Black Rock Demo - OR
July 4th-5th – Canada Cup #5 – Bromont QC
July 11th-12th – XC Nationals – St Felician QC
July 18th-19th – DH Nationals – Massive du Sud QC
July 25th-26th – World Cup – Mt St Anne QC
July 28th – Demo Bici, St Joseph - QC
Aug 1st-3rd – World Cup – Bromont QC
Aug 8th-9th – Kenda Cup – Mt Snow VT
Aug 8th-16th - Crankworx - Whistler BC
Aug 9th - Rona MS Bike Tour - Vancouver BC
Aug 15th-16th – Kenda Cup – Windham NY
Aug 29th-30th – Ontario Cup Championships – Kelso ON
Sept 18th-20th – Crank the Sheild – Halburton ON
Nutrition - What's Fueling Your Ride?
April 01, 2009
When you head out for a ride, what is your fuel? Are you a hemp heart eating, vegetable fanatic? A Baconator pounding fast food junkie? Or, are you somewhere in the middle? Chances are that you fall between these two extremes and taking a minute to look at what is fueling your body will help create a better understanding why you run out of steam when you do, and how you can stay active all day.
In this day and age of clogged arteries, heart disease, cancer and obesity; nutritional suggestion is around every corner. Whether we pay attention or not, the Health Police are lurking around each and every corner. Every food manufacturer out there has something fat free, sugar free, low cal, low sodium, so on and so forth. . . If all these things are removed, what is left over and what should you be looking for?
When riding, it is easy to grab a power bar or gel, a chocolate bar or energy drink. What are you eating though? What is the difference between a Power Bar and a Protein Bar? Energy drinks have become a crutch of current athletes and should be used with caution. They may provide a quick spurt of energy, but what else are they clogging your system with?
The relationship between exercise and eating can be broken down into three basic steps; before during and after. Before riding, you need to make sure that you are getting the food that will give you sustained energy. During activity, you need to make sure you stay hydrated and maintain your energy level. Afterward, recovery comes into play, you need to refuel your muscles and be ready for next time.
Preparation before activity is important to provide your body with long lasting energy. To do this you need complex carbohydrates, fat and protein. To gain such a range, whole wheat foods, fish, eggs, beans and nuts provide great long lasting energy. Be sure to drink lots of water as well to stay hydrated before riding.
During activity, your body needs constant refueling with a minimum of effort. Foods that provide quick energy with little digestion are key to sustained energy. Foods that will keep you going are bananas, potatoes, berries, raisins and lots of liquid. Where complex carbohydrates were important before, during exercise sugars such as glucose and sucrose are faster broken down and important in maintaining your energy levels. Caffeine can be a great source of quick energy, but make sure it is at the end of your activity as it is short lived and can promote dehydration.
After exercise is the third important aspect of diet. Post activity, your body needs a fuel quickly. You have a window of about 2hrs after exercise to replenish your body and start the recovery process. Carbohydrates, sodium and protein are crucial at this point. You need carbohydrates to maintain blood sugar and energy, sodium to replenish fluids and protein to repair muscle fibers. If you let the 2hr window close without refueling, your body will be more fatigued and you will have less energy down the line. I may sound a little bit like a broken record, but be sure to drink lots of water after exercise. Without re-hydration your body is incapable of sustained effort and proper recovery. Some foods that will help you recover are meats, nuts, yogurt, bagels and chocolate milk.
Remember, if you treat your body with care, you will perform and feel better. Diet is an easy way to improve your energy levels, and overall fitness. Eating well before, during and after activity will keep you riding longer and better prepared for next time.
Dustan
