Registration is online via Karelo and is open now.

Click [here] to register.

Edmonton’s Canada Cup Mountain Bike race will take place in the middle of the City in the beautiful Edmonton River Valley. With a bike expo and screaming fast single track there is sure to be a buzz in the air. The provincial legislative building and University of Alberta campus set the scene along the edge of the North Saskatchewan River. Accommodations are nearby and the beer gardens will be rockin’! That’s right, we said beer gardens.

NOTE THAT DUE TO UCI REGULATIONS, REGISTRATION CLOSES (Online and In Person) FOR ELITE AND JUNIOR EXPERT CATEGORIES AT 9 PM ON FRIDAY, JULY 9TH, 2010.

Online registration (non-elite categories) closes at 9PM on Friday July 9th, 2010

In person registration (Cash Only) for Non-Elite and Non-Junior Expert closes at United Cycle at 3:00 pm on Saturday July 10th, 2010.

REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Elite Espoirs are to register in the ELITE Category

Non-Elite licensed racers: please enter your appropriate category as per your ABA license (Expert, Sport, or Novice)

Non-licensed racers are to enter “CITIZEN” in the UCI Code field and enter in the NOVICE category. You will also be required to purchase a Day License for a fee of $10 so please check the appropriate tick box.

The MASTER EXPERT categories are open to riders who are 30+ and are categorized as EXPERT on their ABA License. (or Elites who have chosen to license as a MASTER for the season)

YOUTH Categories are age defined as well: <17 yrs old.

Out of province ability racers please contact us to confirm your race category (albertamtbracing@gmail.com)

Your UCI Code can be found on your race license, if you are non-licensed and plan to compete by purchasing a day license, please enter “CITIZEN” in the UCI Code field.

If you have any questions regarding the registration proceedure please email us at albertamtbracing@gmail.com

Tech Guide and Early Registration Draw Prize Giveaway (think Garmin Edge 500) details to follow shortly…

Provided by MorePeopleCycling.ca

The tragedy in Rougemont, Quebec on May 14, 2010, highlights the vulnerability of cyclists and athletes who use the roads as an integral component of their fitness and training regimes. In many jurisdictions around the world, safety statistics for cyclists have demonstrated substantial improvement with an increase in urban commuter cycling.  With more bicycles on the road, drivers will exhibit a greater sense of awareness for sharing the road with commuters who travel without a shell of protective steel and plastic. The single greatest impetus for increasing bicycle mode share is the work of an effective cycling promotion organization.

About Us

The Calgary tour de nuit Society (CtdnS) was formed by a small group of bicycle commuters who met at a City of Calgary Transportation Committee meeting. The commuters came to the conclusion that bicycle commuting was not being actively addressed in the city’s transportation plan. These cyclists secured sponsorship from Calgary lawyers (Field Law LLP) and incorporated a non-profit active and sustainable transportation organization to encourage ‘more people cycling more often’.

The first task was to prove that public support in Calgary exists for commuter cycling and that municipal investments in commuter cycling infrastructure has positive environmental gains while demonstrating fiscal prudence. Calgary was also the only major Canadian city that had not hosted any public events to promote cycling. Noting the extraordinary success of ‘community-based social marketing’ techniques in Melbourne, Australia, which have raised bicycle transportation mode share up 10 per cent, the Calgary tour de nuit Society introduced the ‘Ride the Road’ tour.

‘Ride the Road’ tour

Last year, the tour was a 12 km closed-road, on-street circuit around downtown and through the Stampede grounds; a rolling closure was provided by Calgary Police Services to allow participants to ride in complete safety down city streets. The ride was designed to allow participants the sensation of cycling on streets found in Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Portland. The Calgary tour de nuit Society is the only transportation cycling member of the Alberta Bicycle Association (ABA), which endorsed the ‘Ride the Road’ tour. After the success of last year’s event, the CtdnS board promptly joined the Alberta Triathlon Association (ATA) to secure its sponsorship for the 2010 ‘Ride the Road’ tour.

This year for the ‘Ride the Road’ tour, the City of Calgary and the CtdnS have agreed to a ‘hub and spoke’ model inspired by the ‘Skyride’ in London, England. With the introduction of a ’spoke’ ride (starting at Tuxedo Park) down Centre Street to Stanley Park (where the main ‘hub’ route will commence), the ‘Ride the Road’ tour is now a two-for-one event and double last year’s distance-up at 25 km.

Pump up your tires Calgary!

On Sunday, June 6, 2010 you can join hundreds of Calgarians to support the need for active and sustainable transportation by participating in the tour at the Calgary Bicycle Festival. Join us for a day of family-friendly activities, healthy and sustainable living, free festival entertainment, and to help the CtdnS promote ‘more people cycling more often’. Register or volunteer here.

Our May Husky Feature Racer is local Edmonton River Valley Cycle club racer, Krystyn Ong. I met Krystyn during RVC’s indoor winter spin sessions and got talking about her many years in racing, and a little bit about what it’s like being a female mountain bike racer in Alberta. Krystyn is a young, cycling talent and as you’ll read in this quick Q & A, I think if there is something we should all learn from her, it’s to hang in there and keep at it - you don’t get fast overnight or by sittin’ on the couch.

So how did you get your start in cycling, and what was it that got you into racing?

I started cycling with the Dirtgirls cycling club in 2005. They hosted a race that year called the Down and Dirty, and I decided to try racing in the U17 category. I decided later I wanted to race more competitively so I joined a performance based club called Juventus and started working with their coaches the year after.

I know you used to race road, so what was it that made you switch over to mountian?

Well, actually, I started out mountain biking, but then raced both for a while. Now I am just racing mountain bike, cross-country and downhill, even though I still train on a road bike. I really prefer racing mountain bike because I like technical riding and being out in the wilderness.

Once you started racing, did things come easy? Was it a pretty quick move up into the women’s Elite category?

It wasn’t until after about four years of racing that I moved into Elite for mtb, and I actually spent about 3 years in women’s Novice because I would never win! My first couple of races were definitely the most difficult ones I can remember. I did a lot of sports before starting cycling though so that helped a lot with my racing fitness. But I don’t think racing ever will be easy, so it’s a good thing I enjoy figuring out my body as an athlete and trying to train as smart as I can.

So, what’s the women’s mtb scene like in Alberta?

It’s a very small field right now. I think there are so many athletic women in other sports that would do very well in cycling if they tried it out. There are many very talented mountain bike racing women from Alberta, though.

Did you manage to keep up with your training throughout the winter and how do you try keep motivated?

I am in school for the fall and winter semesters at the U of A, and so cross-training can be very difficult to manage with school. I’ve always tried to be a well rounded athlete with training, so I do different things to not get sick of the bike. During the fall I ran cross-country at the U of A and rock climbed for core and upper body strength. I swim and XC ski during the school year, and go for winter mountain bike rides on weekends. My biggest problem is to not overtrain myself, so having 5 courses a semester helps keep me more balanced.

What sort of racing goals have you set for yourself this year?

This year is organized very differently for me, because I did the Canada Summer Games last year and that was my focus in racing for the four years before they were held. I want to peak for xc mountain biking nationals in Canmore, and to do well cross country running in the fall. Racing wise, really I just want to stay consistent in my results and hopefully keep moving up in the Elite field.

Okay, last question. What kind of things do you think the bike shops, Alberta Mountain Bike Racing, or the ABA can do to attract more women to the sport?

I think giving ‘how to get started clinics’ that show all the equipment needed, bike maintenance, basic riding skills, and directions to some trails would be really helpful in getting people started. A lot of girls are afraid of going on rides with other people because they feel they’ll be too slow, so having beginner club rides could help out with that. Mountain biking is still very male dominated and there is a bit of a stereotype that it is a crazy ‘butch’ sport. But, it’s actually a lot of fun and is a really good way to get fit, relieve stress, improve balance, and increase self confidence. It’s also a lot more fun than a treadmill or Stairmaster!

So how did you get your start in cycling, and what was it that got you into racing?

I started cycling with the Dirtgirls cycling club in 2005. They hosted a race that year called the Down and Dirty, and I decided to try racing in the U17 category. I decided later I wanted to race more competitively so I joined a performance based club called Juventus and started working with their coaches the year after.

I know you used to race road, so what was it that made you switch over to mountian?

Well, actually, I started out mountain biking, but then raced both for a while. Now I am just racing mountain bike, cross-country and downhill, even though I still train on a road bike. I really prefer racing mountain bike because I like technical riding and being out in the wilderness.

Once you started racing, did things come easy? Was it a pretty quick move up into the women’s Elite category?

It wasn’t until after about four years of racing that I moved into Elite for mtb, and I actually spent about 3 years in women’s Novice because I would never win! My first couple of races were definitely the most difficult ones I can remember. I did a lot of sports before starting cycling though so that helped a lot with my racing fitness. But I don’t think racing ever will be easy, so it’s a good thing I enjoy figuring out my body as an athlete and trying to train as smart as I can.

So, what’s the women’s mtb scene like in Alberta?

It’s a very small field right now. I think there are so many athletic women in other sports that would do very well in cycling if they tried it out. There are many very talented mountain bike racing women from Alberta, though.

Did you manage to keep up with your training throughout the winter and how do you try keep motivated?

I am in school for the fall and winter semesters at the U of A, and so cross-training can be very difficult to manage with school. I’ve always tried to be a well rounded athlete with training, so I do different things to not get sick of the bike. During the fall I ran cross-country at the U of A and rock climbed for core and upper body strength. I swim and XC ski during the school year, and go for winter mountain bike rides on weekends. My biggest problem is to not overtrain myself, so having 5 courses a semester helps keep me more balanced.

What sort of racing goals have you set for yourself this year?

This year is organized very differently for me, because I did the Canada Summer Games last year and that was my focus in racing for the four years before they were held. I want to peak for xc mountain biking nationals in Canmore, and to do well cross country running in the fall. Racing wise, really I just want to stay consistent in my results and hopefully keep moving up in the Elite field.

Okay, last question. What kind of things do you think the bike shops, Alberta Mountain Bike Racing, or the ABA can do to attract more women to the sport?

I think giving ‘how to get started clinics’ that show all the equipment needed, bike maintenance, basic riding skills, and directions to some trails would be really helpful in getting people started. A lot of girls are afraid of going on rides with other people because they feel they’ll be too slow, so having beginner club rides could help out with that. Mountain biking is still very male dominated and there is a bit of a stereotype that it is a crazy ‘butch’ sport. But, it’s actually a lot of fun and is a really good way to get fit, relieve stress, improve balance, and increase self confidence. It’s also a lot more fun than a treadmill or Stairmaster!

Check out more of Brad Chisholm’s photos [here]

And even more from David Roberts [here]

You can find the Bacon Buffet results [here] and the Trans Stony results [here]

Provided by Bikeridr.com

All last year, I went to bike races put on by other groups and clubs, like Alberta Mountain Bike Racing, United Cycle, Hardcore and so on. I showed up and rode my bike, then ate some food as I waited around impatiently for results, podium and draw prizing. After, I went home. This year, through RVC I’ve helped put on two racers, and let me tell ya, I was completely taken back by the amount of organization and work that goes into these local races…

Course design is fun. You get to ride around and pick what trails you want to ride, or force other racers to ride. There is a certain diviousness that comes into play here, haha so yeah this part is cool. But then getting the course GPS mapped and into a ‘created from scratch’ tech guide is something else. Then you have to mark the actual course so the racers can pre-ride it in the days leading up. This can be easlier said than done. We ran our racers in Terwilliger, which is an open to the public park and a very popular dog park. So between the 5 Peaks running race that was scheduled for the day before our event, then some random haters that decided to tear down staking and taping we’d done, come race morning the course still needed a lot of TLC. Thankfully it all got done in time, so no big worries.

Registration needs to all be set up on-line, and we did this through Karelo. This is a super functional website for sporting event sign up, but I think it was a little bit of a pain actually getting our event up there. Once it is though, you’re good to go. Except, us racers sure aren’t shy about leaving it to the last minute. We were watching the sign-ups just trickle in. This is alittle unnerving, as you’re out there spending money on infrastructure, racing materials, food, beverages, etc… But in the end, this year’s Perogy had a huge turn out. I was told somewhere around 140 racers. Bigger than last year, so not to shabby.

We also had a great showing of volunteers come out, which was awesome and I have to thank them all again here! We had to get 30, and in the end I think we had near to 40. Again though, this was a moderately stressful component because a lot of folks didn’t sign up until the last couple days. Personally, I think we have the weather to thank for this. We couldn’t have asked for better volunteers, or weather!

So, for the volunteers, there had to be an information packaged created with descriptions of roles and expectation, race times, course maps, and driving instructions on how to get to the park itself. Then there was also the food. We packed up 40 bagged lunches, with Subway sandwhiches, fruit, granola bars, jelly beans and beverages. This was, of course, on top of the racer food, and the PEROGYS!!!! Yes, when the name of your race is The Perogy XC, you better cook up some perogys. So yup, we served up 400 of them, with all the fixin’s. I snuck one or two myself and they were damn good.

Organizing the timing, race result, and prizing and working with the commissaires to be sure everything meets ABA standards is a whole other kettle of fish. Then there is making sure you have tents and a PA system and music so the atmosphere is more fun for everyone. Lastly, there was tear down and clean up! All in all, it was seriously a lot work, and I’m not getting into it in details. There was lots of help to go around, great support from the shop, which was great but Kirk Hamilton from RVC did 75% of it all himself so hats off to him for sure. I can certainly say that now that I’ve been on the other side of things, I’ll be a lot more appreciative of the race organizers. It’s a big job!

Euro P2 (don’t mind the bum shot)

O Hey there Gang!

Welcome to the second half of the European update I promised. Now that i’ve sold out and gone mainstream on Bike Alberta I expect my reader count to skyrocket from 3 hits per day to somewhere around 7 (mom, just hit refresh or something to make me feel better). I dedicate the following few paragraphs to Belgian Beer and Waffles so chip chip cheroo, this ones for you.

Arrival at our Belgian Farm House, about a 30 minute ride from Houffilize nestled in the rolling Ardennes hills brought an amount of relief. Finally a chance to live the good life with plenty of time for sleep and riding. The focus of the week was mostly spent following Doc Watson’s All Gluten Diet which guarantees increased awesomeness on race day. An unsettling part of the Farm House was the fact you could hear a bunch of rodents running around above your head all night in the attic. River based ice baths, baked goods and Mystery PI were the highlight happenings.

Houfilize Game Day:

As I cross the start/finish line after the 4km start loop and having burnt 15 out of my 20 available power matches I end up being 6.5 minutes off the leaders pace. Welcome to the highest level of off road bike racing I guess… If I were asked to put a start lap of a World Cup into a worded description it would resemble the following:

Ride for you life from a cheetah for 5 minutes. STOP!! Rock a crying baby to sleep while pounding Red Bulls for the next 30 seconds. Ride as fast as you can from a rabid Polar Bear for another 2 minutes and then compete in a jackass style slip in slide contest. Now its time to run from a fire breathing dragon for 2 more minutes up a slippery slope while jumping hurdles (bodies and bikes). Then you get tossed into the octagon for a short UFC match with some euro dude who just T-Boned you into a fence. Add in some more hardcore sprints for corners and some time spent waiting to get into a piece of singletrack while listening to elevator music. Wallah you’ve just experienced the first 15 minutes of a European World Cup.

Once the traffic cleared and when I had open track to work with I actually felt pretty decent and was happy with the power I was able to climb with. The race was a true mudder which am always up for…good times. I managed to ride with Liam Killeen for the whole 3rd lap which was a good learning experience in passing and a departure from my less than aggressive Canadian style. Ended up doing 5 of 6 laps and was about 1.5 minutes off being able to finish the race which was my ultimate goal. Its good to do these races to find your weaknesses and learn what level you have to reach to compete with the best in the world.

On the way home I managed to dodge a $160 euro bike charge and saw Alexander Vinokourov at the airport. I would rate the European World Cup Extravaganza as 11 Magical Elephant Eggs out of 11.5. Big thanks to Dan Proulx and Scott Kelly who put in a TON of work making this trip happen. Thanks to Kyle Douglas for fixing my brakes on 3 separate occasions and Shimano for the new brake caliper. Also I would like to thank everyone else on the trip for putting up with me for 2 whole weeks…

OUT!!

CC

Go Go Gadget…European Adventure?

Hello Reader Palz,

First off, Im extremely jealous of all who travel with Elite Status cards…unreal luxury!Today I bring you a two part update regarding my European World Cup Extravaganza. I last left you part way to Rome. From there I met Scott Kelly (Team Mechanic) and we started our Northbound Journey to Dalby, England. Accompanying us was two 70 pound hockey bags full of tools and bike junk, my bike and a luggage bag each. Game on!

Ill give you guys the short version. We ended up taking about 14 different trains from Rome to Brussels. Most trains were oversold as everyone in Europe was resorting to traveling by train. We were always the last ones on the trains as the only place to put out huge bags way at the doorway of the train and to do this we had to be the last ones on. Because we were always the last ones on the train we always got screwed out of seats and spend the majority of 2 days in hallways and stair wells. Only one of our trains broke down and we only missed one connection.

Once we reached Brussels we got a textular message from Mr Kabush that he was flying into Paris as that was the only way he was going to make it to Dalby for sure in time. So our journey made a small detour to Paris to pick up A Team bike rider and transport the valuable cargo to Dalby forrest. On the plus side we got to take the Chunnel under the English Channel as we were now transformed Cinderella style into a first class shuttle van. Unfortunately I spent most of the drive sleeping as I missed roughly 3 complete nights and was suffering from jet lag pretty bad. Missed out on some quality time with the current king of mountain biking in North America. Once we found Team Maxxis’s Sweet Pad and dropped A Team off we made our way to a pair of slick cabins in the country side just outside of Pickering, England.

Dalby:

First day involved a nice grocery run…unreal store, food and town!!! Then it was preride time. I caught up with A Team at the course and dialed in the track nicely. The Dalby course was SO good! It was real mountain biking and every section was something to look forward to. Then it was time to suite up as I was going to be the lone Canadian representative in the Dalby Dash Street Sprints. This was unreal!!! 4 cross style, 2 minute race through the streets and backyards around the Pickering bar district. There were thousands of people out to watch and some of the top racers in the world on the start line. Fontana,Fumic, Shurter, Frishy, Bart, Hermida, etc. I was far too pumped up and crashed in the first pavement downhill corner and was eliminated I slept and watched movies for the next two days…

Game Day:

Warmup felt awful…started 131st of 180 or so riders. After the first corner and after dodging two crashes I was second last. As the race went on I started to pass guys and every lap I seemed to get faster and faster as I shed some traveling fatigue. Just as I was about to get the turbo’s warmed up they pulled me…apparently I just missed the 80 % time cut by less than a minute.

Quote of the day: (Sauser just blew 3 spokes in his wheel and rolled into the pits looking for his staff…this is all in a girlie swiss voice btw)

Susi - “Wher ar you?”
Mechnaic - “SUSI!! Wer ova heera!!!”

You’ll have to ask about it ok.

From There we ate pizza and sat in hot tubes. The next morning we drove to Manchester, caught a flight to Buussles and then drove the rest of the way to Houfilize.

Part Two coming to Wildcat Productions shortly…

CC

THE BEST DANG FUN ON TWO WHEELS

Come on out and test your skills, get some thrills and bomb those hills. Once again Hardcore is hosting the Fat Tire Tuesday Mountain Bike Races in Terwilliger Park. Races will run, weather permitting, May 4 — July 6.

That’s 10 races kids. Also this year we will have a XC time trial, stay tuned for more info. If the race is going to be cancelled then we will post a message on the club forum by 4pm that day.
If you want to race all you need is to be a 2010 member of an ABA affiliated club, such as Hardcore!

The 2010 Deadgoat GR83 Giver8er registration is now open. Please got to www.karelo.com to register

May 30, 2010, the Giver8er, an 8 hour endurance race at Canada Olympic Park. G8R3 is the third Deadgoat Giver8er and we can’t stop. An 8 hour mountain bike lap race at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary on May 30th, 2010.

Categories are as follows:
Solo men and Women, $60.00 per person
Solo Single Speed Men and Women, $60.00 per person
Teams of Two; Men, Women and Mixed, $50.00 per person
Teams of Four; Men, Women and Mixed, $40.00 per person

Day license is $10.00
All fees are PER PERSON, IE: EACH, based on type of category.
Example: team of 4 total cost is $160.00, plus any day licenses needed.

The course is app 9.5 km in length with app 220-240 meters of elevation gain per lap. Race will run from 9am to 5pm with awards to follow.
Racers meeting is 8:45, just prior to start, so be ready. Sign on and course inspection will be Saturday May 29 from 12 noon to 5pm. Please add team name in the field marked - Club/Team/Business -
There will be one feed zone with food and drink as well as water and fruit… Day licenses available… There will be race day check in from 7 to 8:30am… There will be suffering…