Tag Archives: Seattle

3000 Strong and Fighting for a Cure – The BC Ride

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The second Ride to Conquer Cancer of 2012 was another great success. Traveling from Vancouver BC to Seattle WA over 3000 riders collectively raised more than $11.2 Million. This sum of money is given to the BC Cancer Foundation in the search for a cure for Cancer. Through wind, rain, hills and flat tires these brave riders weathered the storm and fought through to the finish line. Everyone that participated in the ride did an amazing job. The physical, mental and emotional struggle of doing this 200+ km ride can be enough to work anyone to the breaking point. Despite the struggle, the feeling of crossing that finish line for friends, family and loved ones that have been affected by cancer, makes it all worthwhile

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Norco had a team of ten riders participating in the BC ride and together they raised nearly $40,000. The Norco team had a broad range of cyclists riding. From relatively green to veterans of the sport the comradery and support between team members was truly inspirational.

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One of many aspects that are remarkable about this event is the sheer number of bikes. More than 3000 riders means the same number of bikes. Bikes that need to be stored overnight and kept in working order for the entirety of the ride. While 240kms is a long way for one, between all these riders combined they rode nearly 800,000kms; that is literally the distance to the moon and back.

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Keeping a fleet of 3000 bikes running smoothly is no easy task. With Help from Obsession Bikes, Jamis, Van Cycle, Skiis & Bikes and La Bicycletta the bikes were tuned, dialed and ready to keep pedaling towards the finish line.

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Over the two days of fixing bikes the mechanics replaced around 500 tubes, 50 tires, 10 wheels, 20 sets of brake pads, 100 broken spokes and conducted countless other fixes repairs and adjustments. Thank you very much to all of the mechanics that helped the riders roll smoothly across the finish line. The team of wrenches finished up for the night at camp just before 10pm. They was back at it though before the rooster sounded at 6AM Sunday morning.

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The true heroes here are the riders. They each have their own story on why they are riding and why they are pushing onwards. It is the power of one and the sum of the collective that makes a difference in searching for a cure for Cancer. Thank you to the riders, the mechanics, the volunteers and the organizers for making this such a huge success. Together we can fight and find a cure for a disease that has touched nearly everyone in every corner of our world.

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Seattle’s best is served at the Seattle Bike Expo

It is that time of year again. The event season is kicking off and Norco is heading south to visit the Seattle Bike Expo. The Cascade Bicycle Club is putting on the event again for 2012 attracting exhibitors and consumers from around the Northwest. This year, Norco will be on site showing off the latest and greatest from the bike lineup and Norco Factory Team Rider Jay Hoots will present and will sign a poster for you.

Be sure to stop by and have a look at the Norco Booth. Don’t forget to pick up your signed poster while you are there.

Here is some additional information on the show. See you out there!

Hours
Saturday, March 10, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 11, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Tickets
Adult admission:  
$10 – single-day pass
$12 – two-day pass

(Kids 15 or younger are free!)

Please note: CASH ONLY at the door. An ATM will be available.

Cascade Bicycle Club members can receive a $2 discount by showing a membership card.

Location
The 2012 Seattle Bicycle Expo will be held once again in the deluxe, two-story Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, which overlooks the Puget Sound and features a magnificent view of downtown Seattle and the Olympic Mountain range.
Presentations & Features
No matter how experienced or what style of bicyclist you are, Bike Expo features a plethora of interesting, informative and entertaining programming. Take your pick of three separate stages and presentation areas, plus  a full slate of interactive and fun activities for kids. New for 2012 we’ll have hands-on craft demos in the Cascade Bicycle Club Booth and many more exhibits.

 

Exhibits
Expo is the largest consumer bicycle show in the United States! Exhibitors from the United States and Canada fill more than 250 booths with exhibits of bikes, gear, travel, health and fitness. Expo is the official kick-off party for everyone’s bicycle season in the Puget Sound. Every top event producer in the region is here as our most of all tour companies, local bike shops and top national manufacturers. This year we are featuring many new booths offering fun, cutting-edge products and “Made in the Northwest” custom items.
Food Court
Enjoy a tasty treat selection:
Athena’s Gyros - Fabulous Greek food choices including Gyros and Falafels
Ballard Brothers Burgers - Seattle’s best blackened Cajun Salmon, burgers, Caesar salad & tasty fries
Patty Pan - Direct from Ballard Farmers Market; Tamales and delicious organic side salads with kids portions!
Java Jo’s – Espresso drinks galore and fresh pastries
Photo Contest
The popular and fun Photo Contest will return for the sixteenth year running! Visit the Photo Contest page for more info and to enter your own bicycle related photos.
Expo Drawing
Be sure to swing by the festivities at the Cascade Bicycle Club booth to enter the drawing to win great prizes – no purchase necessary.

Canada is Conquering Cancer One Ride at a Time

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!

For more photos from the event check out these flickr albums of Alberta and British Columbia

BC Ride To Conquer Cancer – Great Work!!!!

The British Columbia Ride To Conquer Cancer is the 2nd of 4 tours across Canada raising money in the search for a cure to cancer. For the BC ride, 2879 riders participated riding approximately 220kms from Vancouver BC to Seattle WA. These riders came together to raise an impressive $11.1 million. That averages out to nearly $4000 per person!

The ride down to Seattle was the wettest of the tours 3 year history. Riders fought through rain, cold and wind for 2 days in order to complete this epic and inspiring ride. Along the way, Norco was on location as the official Bike Tech for the event. Changing flat tires, replacing tires, fixing brakes, adjusting gears, truing wheels and anything else that came up along the way allowed the whole lot of participants to make it through to the finish line.

A big thank you to all the participants, volunteers, supporters and RTCC personnel for making this happen. You are the means to finding a cure! For more photos check out flickr.com/norcobikes

Next week is the Alberta edition of The Ride To Conquer Cancer so stay tuned for coverage of that event as well.

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Seattle Recap, What is Next?

20110312_DustanS_SBS_2841The first show of the Norco 2011 Event Season was the Seattle Bike Expo. With 7000 attendees, hundreds of exhibitors and countless deals to be had, the Norco Crew made the short jaunt into the stars and stripes for the weekend-long show. Displaying the latest Norco Bikes, Axiom Gear and even holding a contest to win a Norco bike the show was teeming with enthousiasm.

20110312_DustanS_SBS_2730If the show itself wasn’t enough, next to the Norco booth was the world renowned Ryan Leech Trials Demonstration. Two shows a day drew massive crowds excited to see the balancing act and to get an autograph after the show. In the same area as Ryan was the German Artistic Cycling Team doing their ‘non-conventional’ demonstration. While it is not exactly helping the cycling ‘cool factor’ it is none-the-less quite entertaining.

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The Seattle show was a blast as expected for everyone involved but now we must look onward to the other, fast-approaching shows fast approaching. Seattle marks the ignition of a busy season to come.

The Next big show on the Norco Schedule is the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey California. This is the kickoff event for the 2011 Race Season. With the world’s best cyclist showing up for the racing action Sea otter is a great place for spectators, racers and even those trying to get a sneak peek at 2012 product. (hint-hint)

Following Sea Otter is a series of events called The Ride To Conquer Cancer. With four tours starting in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal more than 10,000 riders will raise money towards finding a cure for cancer. Norco will take part in all four events as the Official Bike Tech Sponsor of The Ride To Conquer Cancer.

July seems like it is still ages away but before we know it Crankworx will be here yet again. The biggest cycling event in North America returns to Whistler this July 16-24. This cycling event takes into account nearly every cycling competition possible and hosts upwards of 100,000 people through the 9 day festival. This will also be your first chance to see the 2012 Norco Lineup. Next years bikes will be on display during the festival for your viewing pleasure.

While these are three big events that are just over the horizon, there are many more that we will be out supporting. For a full list of Norco Events you can check out the Team Calendar or check in with your local Norco Dealer.

Kicking off the season in Seattle

This weekend is the start of the 2010 event season for Norco at The Seattle Bike Expo. This  is an annual event hosted by the Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle, Washington. The show should draw in excess of 200 exhibitors and thousands of consumers over the course of two days.

If you are in the Seattle area over March 13th – 14th, head on down to the Seattle Cruise Ship terminal and say hello. Norco will be there showing off 2010 bikes, giving away a Norco Hades Bike and Factory Team rider Ryan Leech will be conducting Trials Demonstrations throughout the day.

We’ll hope to see you there!

Norco Follows the Ride to Conquer Cancer From Vancouver to Seattle

This past weekend was the Vancouver to Seattle edition of The Ride to Conquer Cancer. This two day journey started out at Gilford Mall in Surrey BC and traveled south ending at the University of Washington in Seattle WA. The Norco Pit crew followed the entire course setting up tech support stations to cure whatever technical catastrophe that may sneak up on a rider. From flat tires to broken spokes, missing bolts to seatpost shims, there was no bike that didn’t roll once we were done with it.

Approximately 140km into the ride camp was set up in Mt Vernon for Saturday night. it was here that 1701 riders and several hundred volunteers spent the evening camped out in some cozy confines.

Getting up first thing Sunday morning for a 6:30AM start the Norco crew headed further south to four more support stations on route. The day’s ride would go through at least three seasons worth of weather. Starting off in a light rain, it would soon clear up just enough to enjoy lunch. Shortly there after though, we would be pummeled with a hail storm and see some more of the wet stuff. But, don’t worry, soon thereafter, the clouds would part and bask the finish line with some most appreciated rays of sunshine.

The Ride to Conquer Cancer raised an incredible 6.9 million for cancer research and will help to take one step closer to finding a cure.

Congratulations to everyone who participated, thank you to everyone who contributed and welcome to anyone who has been inspired to come out next year. Get full information on the event at: conquercancer.ca

View more photos at: flickr.com/norcobikes

Ride To Conquer Cancer – The Long Road To A Cure

The Ride To Conquer Cancer started today. If you are unframiliar with the event this is an epic two day ride from Vancouver BC to Seattle WA. Traveling a cource of nearly 300km riders are putting their best pedal forward and raising money for an excellent cause.

This morning around 5:00 AM Gilford Mall was strangely busy for a Saturday. . . .  Over 1600 riders and hundreds of volunteers gathered for to hear the gun and head south. As the riders started off the first leg to the Peace Arch border crossing the Norco Tech Team was setting up just on the other side of the 49th. Manning four stations along the course, no flat was left unchanged, no wheel was left un-trued and no chains were left un-lubed.

It really is an amazing sight to see that many riders, bikes and supporters all gathered to help find a cure for Cancer. As of right now we are in Mt. Vernon and I must say it is an impressive sight, on one side we have a sea of bikes, all arranged for the night in a neat and orderly fashion. On the other side is a city of tents. Rows upon rows of tents that will house the tired legs and bodies of some 1600 ambitious souls.

See the photos HERE!

Dustan

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California Road Trip – Day One

Today was an early morning. Long before the crack of dawn, I felt my way down the front steps while nursing a coffee for the warmth and caffeine. Both were necessary as it was 5:30AM and my world was covered in a blanket of frost.
Heading towards the border I made two quick stops to pick up both Darcy and Ryan then we were off to the border. Needless to say, traffic is not an issue at this unfortunate hour. . . .

A quick 12 hours or so on the I5 later, and we have progressed. Through Bellingham, Seattle, Portland, and Grant’s Pass. Next stop Redding CA. Redding will be home for an evening before heading on. Santa Cruz tomorrow. . . Our First Day of Riding!

Check back tomorrow for riding photos and more. (not that driving isn’t exciting)

DustanRyan - V-Blogging

Day 1

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