Gear Jammer to Upper Cut to Lower Snake.

(Yes, I walked the bit of uphill in Upper Cut. Meh.)

Well, looks like a dead-end.

So, lets remedy this situation, starting with a photo of my brand new Remedy fullface helmet. (See what I did there? I’ll be here all day, folks.)

I managed to win this beauty this past Saturday at Sharpey’s Cycles‘ Season Start Up extravaganza, featuring live DJ, food, prize draws as well as Ryan Leech‘s always-amazing Trials Show, with proceeds going to BC Children’s Hospital.  Here’s cheers to Jimi, Jordie, and the rest of the gang at Sharpey’s for running an awesome shop, and continued healing vibes to Ryder for making a speedy recovery.

Despite the rain, spontaneous blizzards, and generally crazy weather in the past couple of weeks, I’ve actually been riding more frequently in the last two months than most of last season.  I’ve finally started to do regular short morning rides—like I’ve been saying I would for the last few years—and it’s been a blast.  Cycling has been good also, and I’m waiting for some cooperation from the local weather to do a ~60km group ride around Metro Vancouver.

So, if anyone reading this wants in on the group cycling trips, drop me a line.  And, if you’ve ever wanted to get into mountain biking, I will gladly lend you my Sasquatch and take you on a tour around Burnaby Mountain’s trails.

• Steve Peat: Silver
• Sam Hill: Bronze
• Gee Atherton: World Champion

Some dirt, rocks, and elbow grease later, a rotting disaster of a ladder was replaced with some absolutely amazing Cedar work, and some rock work were done to armour a nearby muddy section to prevent wear and protect a tree root. They look awesome, and rides like a dream.

Three more trail days for the season—can’t wait.

I skipped out on the rock climbing because getting there requires that I take the same route I do to work every weekday. As good as the actual workplace is, I do not need my Saturday to remind me of the absolutely boring and dreadful commute I endure five days a week. As for the skiing, as much as I would have loved for more snow time, it was going to be a bit of a hit in the wallet, especially since I’ve not fully recovered from the spending from last semester.

Then, I realized something: a big reason why I bike is that once you pay for the gear, it’s essentially free.

The occasional trips to Whistler and other bike parks aside, there are no passes to pay for and no extra transportation costs beyond what I’m already required to maintain for my day-to-day activities. Sure, parts are pretty pricey, but with some care, repairs and replacements are few and far in between.

It’s not that I haven’t realized this before. It’s that no longer having any savings left plus a load more expenses has made the advantage clearer than ever.

I love biking.

You rock!

To alleviate this problem, I am going to Whistler tomorrow for the closing weekend.

Mmm… Whistler…

Apparently, there is going to be a more freeride version of their Six line of bikes:

EDIT: Aww, image seems to have been removed

*drolls*