The last few years have been a whirlwind. Change seems to happen on a daily basis, and it can be hard to stay sane with so much going on. Luckily, there’s bikes. Bikes and bike rides have been a major stabilizing force during these turbulent times. No matter where I am or what’s going on in life, I can always go out for a ride and feel instantly at ease.
No matter what changes, there will always be bikes and the people who love them.
The world began to melt away through the mist. Gradually, there were no more trees, no more birds, no more rocks, no more sounds. The only thing I could see was the tire in front of me, the road directly under my feet as I pushed my bike, and the edge of the next curve before it dropped away to a thousand feet of nothing.
The national parks I know are a far cry from those envisioned by Edward Abbey and John Muir.
I flashed a peace sign at the trail counter as Kristen and I crossed the beam, adding our wheels to the thousands that have taken this spin over the last two summers. I weaved over the centre line for the first time without fear. Not having to worry about some bus coming bawling around the corner and taking me out was a relief.
They promote rambling, something that I think people don't do enough of these days. They make more people say yes to good times. They are about staying out late, discovering something new and getting lost
The skies stay lighter a bit longer every day. I start dreaming up schemes to get out on the bike — most of which will never come to pass — but it's starting.
It was a place for the wayward, for just a passin’ through. It was like the old roadside towns of a past age, where the only thing to do was stop and stay a while.
Someday the goal I have in mind would be to have a small house on a large bit of land and to work that land so that I can live comfortable on my own. Plus it would be super cool to have a fat cargo bike as a tractor.
I am going to take a long look at what biking means to me. I want to explore why I got into it, why I stayed there and what the future holds for me.
The Coquihalla is one of the most treacherous roads in Canada. In the summer it is a high speed thoroughfare of semi trucks and cars shooting over the mountains at over 120 km/h. In the winter, the roads turn into a nearly impassable miasma of snow and ice. There is even a History Channel show about it (called "Highway Thru Hell" where they chronicle the adventures of a heavy vehicle and towing company based out of Hope, BC.
This is not about how to fix a bike. There have been countless books and posts on the subject, and for me to try and teach you how to fix a bike would be futile. I'm by no means good at it, and there are better teachers out there. This is more about how fixing a bike can fix other things at the same time.
Without the rules, you end up getting a big blundering mess that tries to be too much at once.
Everything feels effortless after a winter of grinding through snow. You legs are stronger now, your technique has improved. You’re faster. You can go further. You want that horizon.
Edmonton's first bike show brought the many different bike subcultures together under one roof
I’ve always been compelled by something to travel. I've felt an indomitable need to get out past the horizon and see what awaited me at the other end. This need to explore new places has perhaps been hardwired into our genetics by generations of natural selection, or it perhaps visits only a select few of us who get itchy feet with the turn of the seasons. Whatever the cause, humanity would not have progressed as far as it has without those who are drawn to the remote places in the world.
Riding is not just about getting the best times, the sickest edit or the steepest climb. Sometimes it is about the adventure and just getting home is enough of an accomplishment.
Winter is a time for rebuilds. Here is a look at my upgrades to my lugged steel drop bar MTB
Bikeworks is a volunteer bike shop run by EBC. We went to talk to them and take photos of their shop.
Taking a mountain kid into the desert and giving him his choice of high end bikes ends in shredding.
We used to live in Vic, but haven’t come down much lately because it’s been hard to afford a place to stay, then paying for parking and gas the whole weekend ends up being a lot. This time we had an idea. We’ll camp out near town and bike into the downtown area for the day.
I work in an office. I also work just over 50 km from home, which is a bit too long to commute. I spend altogether too much time driving a car for someone who is anti-car. I try to supplement it by listening to bikepacking podcasts, anti-car urbanism podcasts and, well heavy music, but I’m still missing my bike time.
It was the end of summer, right when things were getting nice and golden outside. The smoke was finally clearing a bit, and the heat dome had lifted. Leaves had a tiniest hint of gold. You know.
My favourite thing about this bike is how much of Kat is in it. It really has imbued a lot of its owner.
Derek Steel’s World Hour Record bike. It’s a Cervelo P3C TT Bike that was converted for the track by John van der Vliet.
It’s spring! That means it’s time to ride your bike (though it’s always time to ride your bike). But, odds are good that your bike needs a bit of a tune up. Thankfully, I can help with that.
I’ve spent a lot of time riding my bike by myself, which is totally fine. The thing is, it’s so much better with a group of like-minded people. Every now and again, we’re gonna put on a good time event to help spread the stoke and connect people. Check the link for details on events as they come up!
I was so greasy, worrying about getting it on the floor of the gym. The bike I was working on hadn’t been cleaned in a while, but that’s the thing about a Repair Cafe. What you get in is what you get in.