After 92 rides…you’re bound to get hurt at somepoint!

Connor suggested today would be a really good day to go and hit up one of Squamish’s more, xc trails. The weather was good, Scott wanted to do a DH ride in the afternoon, so I figured…why not?

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hahahahaha.

Yeah, that’s right. 91 days of riding that I’ve actually taken the time to record. Not too shabby, considering I work full time!

Shaums, Scott and I took a rip down 19th, lowdown and expecting to fly. My cornering and riding are all over the place…riding like a complete tool. I later figured out it’s because I don’t lead with my head in the dark. My head doesn’t lead, thus my shoulders don’t lead, thus my hips don’t lead and I go all wonky. Hmmph, have to fix that!

It’s getting colder, we’ve had snow in the Whistler Village…but for the moment Squamish is still 100% rideable.

-Dave

There is a moment just before it all goes wrong, a brief moment, where suddenly it all becomes so clear. Sometimes the clarity is exactly what you did wrong…sometimes the clarity is how you could have saved it (even after doing wrong)…and sometimes, well, sometimes you just get the flash that you’re a complete idiot.

Tonight, as my bike was sliding across a wooden wall ride sideways, I was struck with a moment of clarity. “Why,” my brain asked me, “did you forget to put the elbow pads in your truck on?” And with that thought, I slammed into wall ride with my right-side.

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We were down in Vancouver tonight for the BC Cycling Awards dinner and so I obviously couldn’t help but be dying for a night ride by the time I left! The weather in Vancouver was warm and clear, and I figured an 11:30 ride wasn’t completely crazy. Scott was in, but there was one problem…Connor has the second set of lights. After a series of texts back and forth, it was decided…the ride was off.

Between Furry Creek and Britannia beach the temperature dropped and the mist/rain/fog began. But I still couldn’t get the idea of riding out of my head. And with that, I decided to go solo.

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It often happens…I get home from a ride, clean-up, and then I can’t think of what to write. In my head I was coming up with some pretty good things to say about the ride, about my riding friends, and how lucky I am. Then I sat down, and blank.

I was riding 19th tonight with Connor. Riding with Connor is always interesting, he’s one of the most well-rounded riders out of our team. He’s working on both racing and dirt jumping…and has some good potential for both. He figured out back-flips this summer, and I can see the downhill riding really starting to click for him. Connor reminds me a lot of Alex Wilson, which I suppose is a good and bad thing. It’s awesome to be reminded of one of my best friends, almost constantly, but they both have that dirt-jump problem. Problem? yeah, problem.

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better then ripping a trail at night…and I’ll call you a liar. SOOOO much fun. Even falling is fun. Well, fun until you land on the ground.

Scott, Connor and I went up for a quick rip down Cakewalk. It was Connors first night-ride, but I think we’ve got him hooked for good. I missed a turn, up over the bars and broke a bunch of dead trees upon landing. Kinda sore from that…but it’s so funny falling off the bike. You can’t see where you’re going, you just tumble in the dark with a bright light flying around. It’s hilarious.

Next ride…Wednesday.

-D

Well, it’s Halloween…and having tired of answering the door for little kids, it was time to do something fun and awesome…NIGHT RIDING! Forget the fact that it’s raining. Forget the fact that you can’t see the road driving up due the fog…this is mountain biking!

Scott, Phil and I unloaded at the top of 19th, lit up the night and headed off down 19th. As the first night ride of the year, I’m always surprised by the things only discovered on a night ride. For example:

- It doesn’t matter how much you think you know the trail. With just your headlights, you are going riding off the edge at some point.

- Small bumps look bigger…big bumps look smaller.

- Fog is amazing, you can see each of the drops of moisture right near your goggles…this means you can’t actually see where you’re going.

- it doesn’t matter where you point your lights, you’ll always be looking where they aren’t. Get used to using your neck!

Negative points to riding at night? Nah, just different.

We slid and rolled our way down 19th, getting completely soaked in the process. With only a corner or two missed on the trip down, we were itching for more. Cakewalk? Sure! Why not! Winter is here…time to order a set of bike lights!

-Dave

I couldn’t think of anything but the quitting bell this afternoon. Connor and I had plans to go and hit the dirt jumps after work, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t completely disappointed when I walked out of the office to see it pouring rain. I have to suck it up and start jumping soon, but if I can put it off a few days…hey, I’ll take it.

Coming home in the rain it was clear the dirt jumps weren’t going to be an option, but could we make a downhill ride? Deep in the woods was certainly going to be darker then the dirt-jumps…but it’s not like it was THAT late. Connor and I agreed we’d try, and I called Scott & Trevor.
“Hey Scott, wanna go riding?”
‘Sure, when?’
“We’re leaving in six minutes, which is impressive since I’m not even home yet…”
Just as I was jumping in the truck Connor called to say he had to swap out a cable at the shop. Geesh, isn’t anybody ready to ride these days?!

By the time we were driving up the mountain, we knew it was going to be losing light. The top the trail was a quick brake check to insure all our brakes worked, and off we went. I dropped in behind the three others, and the first chute was a little dark but not too bad. 4 corners in, though, and it was dark. The tree cover had closed in, and we couldn’t see much! The ride down was a little bit of ‘ride by feel’ and a little bit of ‘ride by memory’. It wasn’t completely dark, you could see enough to get down if you were riding slowly…but who rides slowly???

It doesn’t matter, the ride was awesome. But yes, it’s time to dig out the night lights…

-Dave

I finally got around to building up the proto frame again. I haven’t been on it since Panorama, and it’s going to take a few rides to get used to it.

No matter, Clinton and I took a rip down Powersmart today. Great sunny afternoon, good ride, waaaay too many vehicles on the road.

-Dave

Scott Mir and I hit up 19th hole this week. Fantastic ride, but I was definitely riding ‘chicken’. Too much time spent on the brakes, too stiff in the body, not paying enough attention. Wodner what I was thinking about…I don’t remember now!

-Dave