greetings from winnipeg

i decided to bring my fixie to winnipeg with me so i could explore some of this city's neighbourhoods and pathways. i was able to get out with a few employees from woodcock cycle for a city burner and it was really fun to be ripping around the core pretending i was a courier again. this pics below were taken at various locations during our ride. all the guys out here are into fixies so i guess my bike choice this trip was fortuitous. the pic below is of one of the boys shredding the cloverbowl at the skatepark on his fixie - very cool!

i am on my way to manitoba for the week and the drive from calgary to brandon offered up some cool sights. just west of swift current i spotted 3 cyclists in the distance, labouring, pedalling slowly. as i past them i notice that they are all wearing big backpacks and - insanely - all were riding full-on, downtown, fixies - track bikes people!!! these 3 guys were working across the prairies on track bikes - OMG - what would possess those 3 fellas?! i wonder where they're goin'?


anybody know who this guy is? first correct answer gets a sweet park tool sticker. and, just as i turn off the highway to take the backroad into brandon, i come across a real barn burner! har har! seriously, i could see the smoke for 20 mins before i got there.

what started off as this poor, sad looking thing fished out of the garbage...

is now functional art inspired by characters from the muppet show. i am pleased to introduce you to Mr.Henson. Mr.Henson, say hello to everyone in the blogisphere.

(thx sugar!)

my new ride!

with our cycling club being sponsored by electra bikes i decided to add one of these beautiful bikes to my stable. my choice was the Indy and boy! is it beautiful! the red is so incredible - deep, rich, and brilliantly bright! i took it out a few weeks ago for a short pathway ride and people were literally turning 180 degrees as i rode past - saying things like - "look at that bike!" or "hey honey, i want one of those!" - and on and on. others would simply crack a big smile at me as i rode along. the quality of the ride is superbe - smooth, solid, and with the 3-speed in the back, not too hard in headwinds and small hills. i can't wait to ride it again - simple bikes make good fun!

salutations from saskatoon

ah - the sun has come out and the warm winds arrived this afternoon in saskatoon. i got a sniff of the thing we call summer and - hmmmmmm - it smelled good! my mission today was to find another ride to do and indeed - that's what i did. i hooked up with the NBR wednesday ride and did a few laps with those guys in the river valley trails in saskatoon. it was beauiful out and roosting around through some valley shrubs was fun. i like the feel - the vibe - of this city. it kinda reminds me of victoria - without the ocean. this long weekend i will be racing in the 18th annual bikes on broadway race. the race has a good reputation and i am looking forward to redeeming myself in the road race and factoring in the crit.

have a nice long weekend!

greetings from the queen city

in an effort to get in some training while travelling - and, of course to ride in new places with new people - i was able to get out on tuesday night and partake in the local club ride. it was a "pursuit-style" ride - meaning that the slower groups go first and the faster groups try and catch them before the end. i went with the fast group and it was very fast right from the start. to be honest, it was REALLY fast with our average speed for the first 20km somewhere above 43kph! all in all it was a great ride and it was nice to be riding with people who understand what an echelon is and how it works - i cannot tell you how many times i have been on a ride in alberta where nobody knows how to ride into the wind together! these guys here in saskatchewan should be considered the "dutchmen of canada" as they have incredible winds to deal with everyday and are - by and large - very steady riders and very strong. if you are ever in regina on a tuesday, bring your road bike and go out to this ride.

giro d'italia 2008

for those of you who are interested...RAI is broadcasting daily updates from the race this year and from what i can see the coverage is the direct feed from the race. although the commentary is in eye-talian it's still fun to watch as the roman's seem to have a knack of showing the race AND all the wonderful sights that surround the race...beautiful scenes, amazing castles, etc.

here in calgary you will need a digital cable or satellite sevice and it's on channel 238 - RAI.

ciao

...now, i pour myself and my coffee into my van and begin the long drive to regina today.

howdy y'all!

here is another road ride for you...one of my personal fave rides. sometimes riding west of the city can be such a drag - especially when the wind is really blowing or when you just need a break from the usual. give this ride a go - not much traffic, fun roads and plenty of great scenery. this is also a great option for a monday recovery ride...


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check this out!



now - what would be really impressive would be if he had drank all those beers first before trying it!