The wheels have started turning in the Enough is Enough cross Canada tour in support of mental Illness. The 8000km journey started on May 12, 2013 in Whistler BC. Day two of the epic journey brought the ride’s visionaries Ginny and Kerry Dennehy with their support crew past the Norco Bicycles head office in Port Coquitlam BC where they were greeted by Norco Staff and a fundraising BBQ.
Ginny and Kerry have a goal of raising 1 Million dollars for the Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation in support of research towards mental illness. A mere 3 days into the journey and this ambitious duo is closing in on the half way mark at nearly $480,000. After an hour long pit stop and Lunch break with the crew at Norco the team pulled out on their Norco Valence bikes $1000 dollars closer to their ultimate 1 million dollar goal.
As the Enough Is Enough team plots their ride across the country it will be a means of baby steps towards a massive achievement. With the ultimate goal of arriving ing Cape Spear – St John’s, NL on August 11th this 3 month, 9 province, 8000 km ride will not only raise the funds necessary to help cure a terrible illness but also raise the level of awareness and help save lives in other ways.
If you live somewhere along the route of this passionate and inspiring team make the time to support them along their journey!
A lot of people immediately associate Norco with gravity and mountain bikes, I know I did until the Indie Drop 1 showed up at the Bicycle Times headquarters. Truth is, Norco has many bicycles designed specifically for commuting and street use.
Double-butted, 4130 chromoly is used for the frame and straight bladed chromoly fork. There are braze-ons for front and rear racks, full coverage fenders, and two bottle cages. Pretty much all you need to accessorize the bike for commuting and errand running.
Reflecting its intended urban use, the parts package consists of Shimano 105 derailleurs and shifters , with less expensive Shimano components filling in the remainder of the 2×10 drivetrain. The wheels are Shimano hubs laced to deep-V WTB Freedom Cruz rims. A set of Hayes CX-5 mechanical disc brakes with 160mm rotors scrub speed, and though they are a little squeaky up front they have a great amount of stopping power that’s easy to modulate without skidding.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is reporting that the annual Santa Cycle Rampage set a new record for attendance in its 12th annual running this past weekend. Perhaps as many as 700 festively dressed people rode throughout Milwaukee, bringing some holiday cheer to those they passed. The 2013 date is already set for December 14th, with talk of going for 1000+ riders and even turning the informal event into a fundraiser for the Milwaukee Chapter of the Wisconsin Bike Federation.
Bike To Work Week has officially kicked off. May 28th-June 1st is the one week lead-up to June, which is Bike Month. This is a great time to pull out your bike and get riding. Even if it isn’t in the best shape, it is as good of time as any to get a tune up and start pedaling.
Norco spent some time with Vancouver CityTV’s Breakfast Television giving a hand with the best tools to get riding with. You can watch the Breakfast Television Bike To Work Week video segment at citytv.com
By Dan Dakin, Canadian Cycling Magazine – Published July 22, 2011
Canadian company Norco used Crankworx in Whistler, B.C. as a backdrop for its 2012 product launch. Fourteen of its bike platforms are either brand new or have seen significant upgrades from previous models. On the mountain bike side, there’s a continued push toward 29ers with a new value-based full-suspension bike line, as well as new 26” mountain bikes and a new downhill platform. On the road side, there’s a brand new endurance platform for long-distance riders, a new top-end race bike and a carbon cyclocross bike.
The Ride To Conquer Cancer is in its third year of existence and has amassed a huge sum of money towards Cancer Research in Canada. This year alone, the first three rides have raised an astounding $37.2 Million from 9769 Participants. With one more ride to go, the 2011 Ride To Conquer Cancer tour is expected to raise in excess of $45 Million. For each of the four events Norco is on site as the Official Bike Tech. Working day and night during the events, thousands of bikes are kept shifting smoothly and rolling onwards towards the finish.
The first ride in 2011 took place in Toronto Ontario. The biggest of the four events, this ride was a massive 4610 participants coming together to raise $17.5 million. Over two days of riding, participants made their way from Toronto up to Niagra Falls before making the trip back. With generally nice weather and dry roads the event went off without a hitch. That said, the 8 Norco mechanics were still busy all day with flat tires, gear adjustments, seat height adjustments and even some improvised fixes on larger issues.
The second of four rides was in BC where 2879 riders from Vancouver BC to Seattle Washington over two days. Stopping off half way in Mt Vernon these dedicated riders raised an astounding $11.1 million. This works out to an incredible $3855 per participant. Unfortunately for the Vancouver ride, the eager cyclists dealt with 2 days of rain. Through wet roads, cold hands and soaking clothing the riders fought through to the finish. Along the way these riders were plagued with flat tires, rubbing brakes and jumping gears. Again it was up to the Norco crew to keep these riders on the road and moving towards the finish. A big congrats to all the participants on a great job raising money and pushing through the weather.
After Vancouver, the Norco crew picked up and drove East to the Alberta edition starting off in Calgary. For this ride, there were 2280 riders who raised an impressive $8.6 Million. The Calgary Ride To Conquer Cancer was an out and back total of 220km over two days. With sunny skies and warm air, Day one was a cruse to the finish with only minor ailments for a few riders. Starting off day two however the rains and wind rolled in and did a number on the riders. Fighting the circumstances tires, brakes and gears needed adjustments, pedals needed cleaning, and riders struggled to keep warm. Day two was a test of wits and spirits but with such a great cause the riders pushed on to the finish. Way to go!
Next up on the Ride To Conquer Cancer circuit is Montreal this coming weekend. Back to the East Coast for the last tour. The Norco Team will yet again work through the night to be sure that all bikes can cross the finish. Thank you to everyone that is participating in the Ride To Conquer Cancer, it is your effort that will eventually cure Cancer. If you would like to participate next year, head on over to conquercancer.ca and sign up now. You can make a difference!
The 2011 Ride To Conquer Cancer Alberta edition is complete and we showed you the fun, weather and determination in an earlier post. One more video is ready from the weekend though. A compilation of Time-Lapse and photos here is a recap of the weekend’s event. Thank you to everyone that participated and to all the volunteers that made the event possible.
This weekend past June 11-12th The Norco crew took part in the Toronto installment of the RTCC. The Toronto RTCC is their largest event with almost 4700 riders involved. Norco had 2 tech support vehicle crews and 8 staff total. Both crews manned 2 different pit stops each day and combined efforts at the halfway point and overnight stop. With 5 work stations the crew worked from 12noon until 9pm, handling everything from seat height adjustments to full on derailleur hanger customizations.
At this stopover riders had the opportunity to drop their bikes off for repair/check over and go take a hot shower as well as grab a bite to eat and perhaps venture out to locate their evenings accommodation before night set in.
All in all the Toronto RTCC was a great success 17.5 million has been raised for the 2day event so far this year…Many personal challenges were fulfilled and many lifelong memories were made. WOW that was a lot of bikes….
It is that time of year again. This Is Bike to Work Week.
It is time to dust off the two-wheeled automotive alternative and make your way into work or school by the power of your own two legs. Vancouver BC and Toronto ON are both putting on their annual event this week along with many other municipalities across the country.
It is easier than it seems. Pack a lunch, a towel and a change of clothes then ride to work. You will feel better, be more awake and best of all you will save money by leaving the car at home.
Here is what my commute looked like this morning. Plus did I mention how much fun it was? What did yours morning ride look like? Upload a photo at norco.com
Kelowna Cycle is having a GranFondo Celebration! On April 7th, Kelowna Cycle can take care of all your GranFondo needs in one night and you can enter to win a draw for a new bike! Learn about free training packages, gear selection, special one-night pricing, shop rides geared towards helping you with your training and more! Proceeds from the raffle go towards Now Canada. Bring your friends, family and training partners to this exclusive GranFondo evening!
When: April 7, 2011, 6-9pm Where: Kelowna Cycle
Enter for your chance to WIN an incredible Norco CRD1 Valued at $1335
Tickets now on sale at Kelowna Cycle only $5 each all proceeds go to Now Canada
FEATURING:
• Food and Beverages
• Great deals GranFondo Bike Packages
• Sign up for a Free GranFondo Training Plan with Balance Point Coach, Chris Willet and/or get your training questions answered
• Raffling to win Norco CRD1 road Bike. Proceeds go towards NOW Canada.
• Your chance to also win a complimentary entry to the RBC GranFondo in Kelowna.
• Kelowna Cycle’s Shop ride calendar & upcoming cycling clinics that will support your GranFondo Training
The wheels have started turning in the Enough is Enough cross Canada tour in support of mental Illness. The 8000km journey started on May 12, 2013 in Whistler BC. Day two of the epic journey brought the ride’s visionaries Ginny and Kerry Dennehy with their support crew past the Norco Bicycles head office in Port Coquitlam BC where they were greeted by Norco Staff and a fundraising BBQ.
