The Local Ride Racing Team was all over the podium last weekend at Sun Peaks for the BC Cup MTB XC Finals. Sandra led the crew in what can only be called total domination of the elite women’s field. She finished more than 20 minutes ahead of BC Cup series winner Joele Guynup to take third overall in the BC Cup series. “I tried to keep up with the top elite men at the start, so I was going super hard and gasping for air on those steep climbs. Afterwards, I settled into my own hard pace and felt strong,” she said. Ryan finished his season strong, placing third in his four-lap race and second overall in the Master 30-39 Men’s category. Jeanine completed her first full season of mountain bike racing with second in the final BC Cup of the season and second in the series in the Open 19-29 Women’s class. Steve was holding second in the Open 19-29 Men’s race when he crashed off of a log and hit his head. Despite blood dripping down his face, he continued on, working his way back to a podium position until disaster struck again on the final lap. He flatted, but still finished fifth after making the repair and completing the four laps. Huge thanks to Dave for the tech support, and Tanya and Marie for pro-level feed zone representation.

Chelsea was also racing, but at a different venue on the other side of the country. In PEI Chelsea competed in 4 different events at the Canada Summer Games First off was the XC MTB where she placed 8th. Next came the Time Trial where she was happy to finish a solid 9th. Word on the street is that she was a huge help in teammate Giallan Carleton’s win in the road race. And finally she finished the week with a top 20 in the Criterium. Way to go Chelsea!!!

Lastly, don’t forget to cheer Laura Brown on at the Canadian National Track Championships, happening right now at the Burnaby Velodrome. Good luck Laura.

This has been the best summer for riding a bicycle ever and the sun just keeps on shining. Luckily there’s still time to take the family on an overnight tour on the Kettle Valley Railway or check out that amazing trail your buddy told you about. And with any luck, we’ll be treated to one of our typically beautiful autumns so the fair-weather riding can go on! With the growing success of the Local Ride Women’s Road Team and their trusty fleet of Giant bikes, we’re introducing a fuller product line for 2010. We’re expecting a selection of brand new 2010 Giant bikes within the next week, so if you’re looking for a new ride, come check out these beauties.

All Remaining Specialized Bikes – Make an Offer!

We’re increasing our inventory of Giant bikes in 2010, so we’ll be phasing out the Specialized line. That means all of our remaining in-stock Specialized models are on sale and you have the chance to tell us how much you’d like to pay for them – and you may have yourself a deal! Come in and check out our great end-of-season prices on most of our 2009 bikes.

Featured Product

We’re excited to announce the addition of Redline Bicycles (www.redlinebicycles.com) to our line of products. We’re bringing in cyclocross bikes made by this cool American company, including a 24″ wheel Conquest – a kid-friendly, performance ‘cross ride! They also make a whole line of adult-sized rigs.

by Roy McBeth

Well the games are come and gone and I already cant wait for the 2011 games in New York. Although my results may not have been what I had set out to accomplish early in the season I am thrilled with the outcome given some of the hurdles I have had to deal with this year. The experience was truly amazing and the chance to race along side cyclist from Spain, Belgium, Italy, South Africa , Russia and fellow Canadians from across the country was fabulous. As I cruised along suffering in the road race today I had the pleasure of one of the top Spain riders roll up beside me and make conversation as he recognized me from the Criterium and and the MTB in Whistler. He commended me for my kamikaze downhill skills in the MTB course as we had a game of leap frog going for 4 of six laps with him gapping me on the climb and me screaming up and overtaking him on the descent. Lucky for me we were racing different age groups and the finish was at the bottom of the course!!! Overall a fabulous experience and one I look forward to taking part in again. Perhaps my new position and schedule at work will allow me to maintain better health leading to some break through in fitness!!!

Anyway, here is a brief recap:

Criterium on August 4th- Finished 8th-unfortunately bet on the wrong horse on the last lap and got pinched in with 600m to go.

TT on August 5th- Finished 6th -a minute off the podium but happy with performance given the undulating course and limited time on TT bike (Note: the winner was a Belgium who raced for Silence Lotto!!! He also won the Crit and RR)

MTB on Aug 6th – BRONZE medal!!! Included a huge field of 80 riders ages 30-39. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fair given the steep climbs but lucky for me they were followed by some very rocky steep technical descents. I rode redline for the first two laps to get out in front and managed to get into 2nd (45s behind leader) when I started having issues with shifting and my fork locked out. I rode the last two laps with a rigid fork and limited gearing to not snap a chain. I have no one to blame but myself as bike has been in closet since the Test of Metal!!! I was a little disappointed to lose the silver with a lap and a half to go but hung on for the Bronze medal.

RR on Aug 7th- finished 20th- Despite the placing I was happy with the result. Again a large field of 85 as they combined the Open, Senior A and Senior B. This made for a very fast race as it included all levels of riders ages 20-39 and of course I am right at the end of the line!!! I felt decent despite all the other racing and managed to hang in over the climbs. Some of the local guys banded together to cover the attacks from Spain and Belgium hoping to keep the race together. It worked all to well as with 1km to go the death sprint with 50 riders began to bump, grind, and push for position. I was set up right where I wanted to be on the wheel of the Belgian and Guy Biggar (Garneau) from DeltaFD who had medalled in every event but with 400m to go it looked like we were stuck and going nowhere. I made the wrong choice to go to the left and the speed dropped. In the end the Belgian got through for the win again with Guy on his heels. I spoke to the Belgian after and his response was rather non chalant…”we always get through!!!” In the end less than 1.5s separated first and twenty fifth!!!

With the weather cooling down and kids going back to school soon, it may seem that summer starting to draw to a close, but there is still plenty of time to get out and enjoy the roads and trails in Maple Ridge and Mission. Here at Local Ride we are looking forward to cool summer and fall road rides, dry twisty singletrack, and pulling out our cyclocross bikes for some epic cross rides The end of summer also means that our 2009 bikes are going on sale, so come get a new bike at a discount price, and you will still have time to enjoy riding it in some fine summer weather.

2009 Giant Bikes Going On Sale!
With Giant’s 2010 bikes becoming available, we are starting to mark down this year’s models. New 2009 Giant bikes are going on sale daily. Here is a selection of the sales this week.

Mountain Bikes
TranceX – With 5 inches of fully active Maestro suspension and an Aluxx SL Alloy frame, the TranceX is the ultimate trail bike.

Trance X3 – With Fox 32 F120RL in the front, and a Fox RP2 shock in the rear, Shimano Deore/SLX component group, Race Face Ride crank and cockpit, Hayes Stoker Ryde brakes, and WTB LaserDisk Trail rims, this bike is set up for a weekend on the Shore or a 4h epic XC ride. At the affordable price of $2349.95 $1999.95, this could be your next trail bike (available in size M).

Trance X4 – The little brother to the X3, this bike is setup with the same geometry and 120mm of travel in the front and rear, with a more affordably priced component group. In the front it has the Marazocchi 33fork, and the Giant Maestro Air rear shock in the back. It is setup with a Shimano Deore component group, and has been marked down from $1599.95 to $1499.95 (available in size M).

XTC2 – Made with Giant’s Aluxx SL aluminum, and race proven geometry, the XTC is a low maintenance XC performance bike ready to tackle your next flowing singletrack ride. The RockShox Dart 3 provides 100mm of travel, and Hayes MX4 mechanical disc brakes supply consistent braking efficiency in all terrain. For $949.95 $849.95, this bike is quick, nimble and as trail ready as you are (available in size M).

Lifestyle Bikes
The Seek is the perfect commuting bike, Giant’s answer to urban gridlock. With a comfortable geometry, on a strong lightweight aluminum frame, this bike is everything you need to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Seek 2 – This bike comes equipped with Sram X.5 9-speed trigger shifting, Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic brakes, and Alex Ace – 18 road size rims. It was $839.95 but now is only $789.95 (available in size M and S).

Seek 3 – With the same frame geometry as the Seek 3, but setup with 8 speed shifting, and a Hayes MX4 mechanical disc brake, this bike gets the job done at competitive $639.95 $599.95 (available in size L and S).

Road Bikes
FCR – Made with the lightweight ALUXX aluminum, this bike provides road performance geometry with upright flat bar comfort. It is the perfect bike for cross training, commuting and fitness. With three levels available, each in men’s and women’s specific designs, there is sure to be a color and component group perfect for you.

FCR1 W – The top-of-the-line women’s model, this bike is light, fast and pretty with it’s silver/grey/green paint, Shimano 105 9-speed drivetrain, and light Mavic CXP22 rims. It was $1159.95 but is now $999.95 (available in size M).

FCR2 – The mid range unisex model, this bike is a sleek black red and silver, and will be light and fast with its Shimano 9 speed component group and Mavic CXP22 rims. It was $979.95 but now is $899.95 (available in size M and S).

FCR2 W – The mid range model is also available in a women’s specific white/pink/anthracite model. A beautiful bike, with Shimano 9-speed Tiagra shifting and Mavic CXP22 rims, at a stunning price of $979.95 $899.95, it is no wonder it is our best selling FCR (available in size M, S and XS).

FCR3- The most affordable version of the FCR, at $599.95 $529.95, this bike is setup with Shimano’s 8-speed component group and is a sleek black and silver (available in size M).

FCR3 W – The most reasonably priced FCR also comes in a white/silver/blue women’s specific version, for only $599.95 $529.95 (available in size M).

T-Mobile Team Edition TCR Alliance – Carbon composite main tubes and an aluminum sub structure make this bike supple and stiff, and the beautiful white, pink and black team paint gives it that extra edge. With it you will be able to go the distance, with speed and in comfort. It comes setup with complete Shimano 105, and a Shimano Pro LT cockpit. With this bike you can get the respect of even the most fashion conscious roadies, for only $1999.95 $1699.95 (available in size 53.5).

BMX Bikes
Method 01 – A clean and purposeful ride, the Method’s CroMo steel frame and fork, deep walled rims, and 3-piece cranks are everything you need for the trails, parks or street. At $409.95 $299.95 you will have to ride it like you stole it.

Local Ride Racing Team
Once again the Local Ride Racers were out in full force on the weekend, competing across the province and continent. “Downtown” Laura Brown continued in her cleaning-up fashion, taking the top spot in the Provincial Time Trial Championships in Squamish on Saturday. Sandra Walter bettered her World Cup finishes, with a strong 11th place in the US Cup Series in Vermont. Next weekend she heads to New York for the finals. Roy McBeth exceeded his solid finishes in the World Police and Fire Games road races, to bring home a bronze medal in the mountain bike race. Congratulations Roy! Also, on Sunday Mike, Steve and Jean Ann tested their climbing legs at the annual Mt Seymour Hill Climb. After what felt like an intense start, Mike found his climbing legs to place 11th in a competitive Cat1/2/3 field of over 45 riders, with Steve close behind in 14th. Jean Ann was 5th in the women’s Cat1/2 climb. This Sunday the team will be racing the BC Road Championships in Abbotsford, where they will compete against the best in the province, and hope to take home some medals.

by Laura Brown

I received the call during the Tour de Delta inviting me to race at the Pan American Championships for road and track in Mexico from July 23-30. There was only one answer in my mind: yes!

I departed on July 19 and upon landing in Mexico City, I was faced some serious altitude, air pollution, and a language completely foreign to me. While in Mexico City, we were staying at the multi-sport National Training Centre (CNAR) in dormitory style rooms with three buffet style meals a day. With only a few days in attempts to acclimatize and adjust, the road team was whisked away on a 2.5 hour scenic bus ride due east to Tlaxcala. I did not do the time trial and instead rode a few hours with some fellow Canadian team members in beautiful rural Mexico, preparing for the road race the next day. Our top results were Tara Whitten of Alberta coming 2nd and David Veilleux of Quebec coming 3rd (U23 men) in the time trial.

The road race was about an hour drive away from the hotel and the women did 11 laps of a 9-km circuit through and around a town of which I am still not sure the name. It was wonderful to see so many fans of all ages lining the course and cheering for everyone. The feed zone was also the most significant climb on the course (tricky to grab a water bottle while following the flurries of attacks – multi-tasking at its finest). The remainder of the course was fairly flat with a small descent and some false flat sections leading up to the start/finish. Moriah Macgregor (BC) and I were responsible for covering any and all of the early moves in the road race and that is exactly what we did. With riders attacking on the climb every lap, the accelerations deemed too breathtaking for many riders and a split of 12 was formed mid-way through the race; both Joelle Numainville (QC) and Tara Whitten (AB) found themselves in the break and were never seen by Moriah or I again. With a perfect lead out from Tara, Joelle blasted to the finish line for the win! I rolled with a bleeding nose in 17th place and Moriah close by in 19th. This was something I will remember forever. Post-win, the entire Canadian team was swarmed for over an hour with people asking for autographs, pictures, interviews, to have our water bottles, and to hold their children. The peoples of Mexico are truly beautiful; they were so welcoming to the bike race and excited to be able to rub shoulders with the winner and their respective country. This experience made me appreciate sport on another level.

I then had one day to recover from the road race and prepare for the track racing. The track is 250m, indoors, wood, and FAST! There were a total of 5 days of track racing and I will try to keep this quick and easy. Sunday – Individual Pursuit (3km): Tara Whitten Gold medal (3:32 and a new Canadian record) and I was 6th place with less than 1.5 seconds separating me from the medal rounds (3:47, a personal best). Monday – Team Pursuit (3km): Laurie-Anne Dupond Renaud (QC), Tara Whitten, and I had a bit of an upset in the qualifying rounds and made it only to the bronze medal final.CAfter a reshuffling of rider positions and a new plan of attack, we rode 7 seconds faster to take the bronze in the final ride with a time of 3:31, three seconds faster than silver medal final. Being on the podium was an amazing feeling and yes those medals really are as big as they look! Tuesday – Scratch Race (10km): Laurie-Anne and I fought it out with 20 other women. I rode as aggressively as possible and found myself in a few breakaways, none of which lasted. The final breakaway I was in was caught a few laps to the finish and the following counter attack was the winning move. I finished 8th place. Wednesday – Omnium (off for me): Tara Whitten wins (in the mean time she has also won silver in the team sprint with Monique Sullivan (AB), her neck was getting sore). We just could not get enough of hearing Oh Canada on the loud speaker and watching the Maple Leaf being raised. Thursday – Points Race (25km): This race was fast and furious. After the second sprint, I took a flier and ended up half a lap away with a few other riders but no one wanted to work and the breakaway was shut down. This same thing seemed to happen another 2-3 times. At the half way mark, out of oxygen and with no points, all I could do was hang in there. It was very aggressive and the people watching said it was a very exciting and animated race. Tara Whitten was third.

I am so thankful I was given this opportunity to race with the National Team at the Pan American Championships. It was encouraging to get some good results and very motivating to race internationally, gaining first hand experience in what it takes to compete at that level. I look forward to August where I will be preparing for our Canadian Track Nationals that are held at the end of the month. I plan to get some top results there to slingshot myself into the National Track Team training camps and ultimately the World Cups this season.

Go Canada! Final medal count: gold: Women’s Road Race, Women’s Omnium, Women’s Individual Pursuit; Silver: Women’s Time Trial, Men’s Team Sprint, Men’s Sprint, Women’s Team Sprint; Bronze: U23 Men’s Time Trial, Women’s Team pursuit, Men’s Kilo, Women’s Points Race…not to mention all the New Canadian Records!