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We’re talking about summer – one of the best seasons for cycling, when you can just throw on shorts and a jersey, and jump on your bike. No arm warmers, no rain jacket in the back pocket… just in case. Summer is cycling at its simplest. At Local Ride, we’d love to help you make the most of the season with some of our favourite summer ride suggestions.

1. Golden Ears Park – Take a tour into scenic Golden Ears Provincial Park on this hilly 22km (from the Park Entrance) out and back route. You’ll stay cool in the shade of majestic cedars and firs, and maybe even catch a glimpse of some wildlife. Why not stop at Alouette Lake, take a dip, and have a picnic along the way?

2. Fort Langley – With the new Golden Ears Bridge finished, getting to the south side of the Fraser River is an easy pedal on the span’s bike friendly path. Follow bike route signs on the other side and enjoy the quiet riverside roads that lead to Derby Reach Park and, finally, historic Fort Langley. It’s a great place to grab a drink and a snack at a cafe and watch the world go by. The ride is approximately 25km out and back from the bridge.

3. Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge Dykes – The local dykes are a beautiful way to get off the roads and onto the dirt and closer to nature. There are lots of options for short or long rides, but they’re all scenic and flat, making the dykes perfect for family cycling. Maybe you’ll even see a bald eagle soaring above your head. Click here for a map of the Pitt Meadows/Maple Ridge bicycle network.

The Summertime Express

Check out Giant’s new commuter hybrid, the Twist Series’ Express. This is Giant’s most affordable electric hybrid bike, and it’s designed with the commuter in mind for maximum efficiency. Its single lithium ion battery pack will average 80km per charge and the 7-speed gearing is minimalist and simple, making your commute faster and easier than ever. Come check out the Giant Twist Express in store. $1699.95.

By Steve Devantier

This past weekend I was lucky enough to have a chance to demo the 2010 Giant Anthem X1, and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. I have been racing an older model Anthem for 3 years now. It’s seen me through 3 BC Bike Races and countless other rides, and has never let me down, but when I got on this demo bike I was ready to trade my trusty steed in for a newer model. Here are my thoughts.

The Anthem X1 sits third in Giant’s Anthem line, underneath the XX full carbon and the XO aluminum model. The Anthem is a 4 inch travel bike with a geometry that swings decidedly towards XC riding. The X1 comes very nicely equipped with a full XT grouppo including the wheels, and an upspec XTR rear derailleur. The suspension duties are handle by a Fox RP23 shock and a Rock Shox Sid Team. Giant’s in house aluminum bar/stem/seatpost round out the package. All in all, it’s a work horse build suitable for a bike in the sub $4000 price range; nothing fancy, but nothing that needs upgrading.

Shimano’s XTR Shadow Rear Derailleur and XT wheels don’t need upgrading

My chosen area of attack for this bike was a pre-ride of the Bear/Red Mountain XC course. It was a beautiful day and the course was in immaculate condition. Many thanks to the race organizer who was out prepping the course for next week’s race. For those that have not ridden the course, it starts with a 15-20 minute gravel climb at an easy pace. This is where I noticed the first standout quality of this bike. With the shock in propedal mode the bike felt amazingly light and quick to accelerate. The lightness comes from Giant’s tireless engineering. They were able to significantly reduce the weight of the new X1 over my older Anthem by removing all unneeded material from the frame and redesigning the lower shock pivot area. They called this design “co-pivot” and it essentially uses a single bolt to hold the shock and one side of the dog arm in place.

Fox’s Propedal RP23 shock is awesome! Notice the co-pivot design

As for the quick acceleration, I attribute that to the wheels. Shimano’s XT wheelset is light and smooth, and the non-UST Crossmark tires save approximately 500 grams a set over my tubeless Crossmarks. That’s a lot of rotationally mass. Am I going to jump off the tubeless band wagon and go for snappier acceleration? Not a chance. I was running the tires at 38 psi to avoid pinch flats. The higher pressure never caused me any problems, but the trail never pushed the tires to their limits either. If it had been a wet, slippery affair I have a feeling I would have been begging for the extra traction of tubeless tires. Plus the extra durability of a UST sidewall gives me piece of mind. With all this being said, the XT wheelset has a fully sealed rim making it tubeless ready.

As with any good mountain bike trail, after the climb comes the descent. And this was where I noticed the second standout area of this bike. Flick the propedal off and this bike tears down the rough stuff. It really feels like it floats over bumps, never bottoming out too harshly, while sitting you just far enough into the travel to give you a certain amount of plushness. You’ll never confuse it with an 8 inch travel bike, but you’ll be happy the next time you’re redlined in a race and you take that drop just slightly wrong; the suspension will soak up your mistake without complaint. I also like how Giant specs the Anthem X with 100mm travel forks. For us here on the west coast 80mm is just not enough sometimes, and as I found out this fall, swapping a fork can be expensive. I made the move to 100mm this year on my anthem, which is why the Anthem X impressed me so much. It only has half an inch more rear travel than my bike and yet it felt like more. Can’t put a finger on why, but I liked it.

100mm travel Rock Shox Sid Team

Now of course you can’t like everything about a bike, so here are my minor nit-picks that have more to do about personal preference than anything. The crank; as much as Shimano’s XT crank shifted flawlessly, it is that good, I missed my double. I am a recently converted 2 x 9 lover. I felt like I was alway just over-geared in the 32T middle ring, but I never wanted to shift into the granny ring. If you race, or ride at relatively high fitness level, I highly recommend going with a double. Another complaint I had was with the handle bar. I found it too wide for my liking. I know the trend is to keep going wider and wider, and for trail/freeride bikes that may be fine, but on XC bike you sometimes need to get through some tight spaces. I hit the bar on trees more than once, and riding over a ladder bridge with handle rails, the bar barely fit. This is easily fixed with a hacksaw. I also found the sweep to be a bit off, but that may have been the tilt. My last complaint was chain slap. I usually tape up my drive-side chain stay as soon as I get a new bike, so maybe that is why I noticed it, but I would constantly hear the chain hitting the stay. I think this is one of the reason I stayed out of my granny ring as well. Again an easy fix with a roll of electrical tape.

My finally thoughts; if you are in the market for a XC race to everyday trail bike you have to test out the Anthem X. The bike will not let you down. It’s climbing ability combined with the maestro suspension on the downhill makes this bike fun to ride just about anywhere. See for yourself, drop by Local Ride Bike shop and inquire about a test ride, you won’t regret it.

It’s true, it doesn’t feel like summer is coming at all, but it’s best to be ready when the popular season finally arrives. On warm, sunny days, the most enjoyable form of transportation is cycling, so we’ve compiled a list of hot tips from the incredibly professional staff here at Local Ride to help you prepare yourself and your bike for all that summer riding you’ll be doing.

1. Load up on sunscreen and lip balm with SPF in order to stave off harmful UV rays when you’re cruising in the heat of the day. We recommend Aloe Up products, which are natural, biodegradeable and contain a large percentage of organic Aloe Vera. For centuries, people have used Aloe Vera Gel to soothe and heal dry, chapped skin after exposure to water, wind and sun.

2. Find yourself some nice shades. Glare from the sun can harm your eyes, plus a sweet pair of sunglasses can go a long way in increasing your cool factor when you’re cruising the streets and trails of Maple Ridge. Tifosi Optics blend function and fashion in a reasonably priced package.

3. Hydrate! Make sure you keep yourself healthy by drinking lots of fluids this summer. We have lots of ways for you to stay hydrated, from Laken aluminum bottles (BPA free, sustainable, 100% recyclable) to Camelbak hydration packs. Plus, we have a large selection of energy drinks (Accelerade, GU Brew), electrolyte replacement options (elete electrolyte add-in and tablets, NUUN fizzing tablets – yum!), and bottle cages.

4. When it’s dry, choose a lightweight chain oil, such as Tri-Flow. “It doesn’t gunk up your drivetrain, and it allows the chain to spin freer,” says Mike the Mechanic.

5. Keep things simple with a Giant Simple cruiser bike. These minimalist bikes are the coolest way to get around town this summer. With comfy and great looking men’s and women’s models to choose from in a variety of colours, you can’t go wrong.

6. Make sure your bike is running properly before you head out for your ride. There’s nothing worse than looking forward to the first bike ride of the season only to find you have a flat tire or your gears aren’t shifting right. Bring it in to Local Ride for a tune-up and you’ll be rolling smoothly and unfettered this summer. Pit stops start at $35.

7. Find a riding group or buddy! ‘The more the merrier’ applies to cycling for sure, so make sure you find a group of like-minded bikers to roll with and nail down some epic ride dates for those routes you’ve always wanted to tackle. Any ladies interested in our women’s road rides are invited to inquire at the store for info.

Sit Pretty with Selle Italia Saddles

Selle Italia has been manufacturing saddles in Italy for over 100 years. The company has changed the saddle from a mere component of the bicycle into an integral part of the rider’s well-being. This innovative bicycle saddle manufacturer has a huge range of products to meet every rider’s needs, be it road, triathlon, or mountain biking, touring, commuting or just cruising. Each saddle is extensively engineered and designed, but it doesn’t have to come at a price. Get on a Selle Italia saddle at Local Ride starting at $34.95.

It’s been a busy month for Local Ride; at the Shop with repair bikes coming in and new bikes going out, and for the Race team with riders traveling all over the country to compete. With all that’s been going on, finding time to update the website has been a challenge, but you know what they say…. “Why do today what you can do tomorrow?” Why? Because the people want to know what’s going on.

The Shop

In the words of shop staffer Mike Berkenpas “it’s been crazy.” Bike riding season is here and the staff at Local Ride have noticed. That’s the great thing about this shop, no matter how busy we are we will always find time to meet your cycling needs. From flat repairs, hub rebuilds, fork overhauls and wheel builds Local Ride Bike shop can help, usually with same day service. Just swing on by the shop to get your shifting smoothed out, that creaky bottom bracket fixed or tires topped up, (air is still free). While you’re here, check out these great deals and new products.

Feature Product Giant XC Glove A light weight breathable full fingered glove ideal for XC racing

Shoe Sale! Who doesn’t love a good shoe sale? Well this is definitely one to check out. We’re offering 40% off all of our remaining Specialized shoes and 40% off in-stock Shimano road shoes.

Clothing Sale! Check out our wide selection of sale clothing! We have a super sale rack with some great deals, including GORE Bike Wear at 30% off, Sugoi 50% off, Specialized 50% off, Fox 70% off, Sombrio 70% off, and Sierra Designs 70% off.

The Team

Canada Cup #1, Baie Saint Paul Podium

For Local Ride Racing (LRR) the racers that rack up the most air miles are without question Sandra and Jean Ann. Earlier this month Sandra was in Europe and now they are both off racing the first 2 Canada Cups in Ontario and Quebec. The ladies represented Local Ride (and their other sponsors – Xprezo, Nature’s Sunshine, Kicking Horse Coffee and more) on the podium at both races with a 3rd and 6th for Sandra and a 4th and 5th for Jean Ann. Check out their blog for all the stories from their adventures. You’ll get a laugh from Jean Ann trying to pick up a car. Plus watch their interview on Cycling Dirt below.

Meanwhile back on the West Coast, the road team was once again competing south of the border in the small community of Enumclaw. Enumclaw is host to one of three big stage races in the Pacific Northwest which see top teams from Canada compete against their American rivals. Local Ride had 5 riders racing, Rich Machhien, Zach Young, Maggie Coles-Lyster, Rachel Canning and the teams newest recruit Julia Garnet. Julia comes to Local Ride care of Saskatchewan, and will be a great addition to the Women’s team that has been depleted by injury and traveling members. The high caliber of not only the racers but the race organizing and courses makes Enumclaw a fun but challenging race, and LRR was up for it. Maggie had a team best 1st place in the junior category, Rich pulled off a 3rd place on GC in Cat 3, and Rachel showed improving form with a 15th overall in the ½ women’s race.

Moving a little further west onto Vancouver Island, the mountain bikers were back in action at BC Cup #2. This race saw a couple of newbies toe the line, with Mike Berkenpas and Marie Devantier doing their first ever mountain bike race. Both had good results, with Mike placing 3rd in Senior men and Marie winning her beginner category. The more experienced MTB racers of Ryan Newsome, Steve Devantier and Jeanine Ball were not going to be showed up by a couple of first timers though. Both Steve and Jeanine won their categories, solidifying their leads in the BC Cup standings and Ryan finished just off the podium in 4th.

So as Local Ride’s season keeps rolling along with great new products, fast and fun Giant bicycles, friendly and prompt service, and an ever growing list of podium finishes, the staff and team want to invite you to drop by the bike shop and/or any upcoming races.

• May 29th – Sooke Classic Road Race
• May 30th – Junkyard Dog MTB Race
• June 6th – Westside Classic Road Race
• June 13th – Cardiac Classic MTB Race

Race the Ridge 2010 is upon us. Get all the latest up to date details here, including TT Start Times.