Big Ring Racing

Roller Racing at Elmdale Tavern

2011-01-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

..and we're back.. Eurotrip Day 7 part 2

2010-08-10T14:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry loyal fan for the delay in part two. My excuses in order are apathy, distraction, heat wave, something better to do and something else I forgot. whatev. So, upon rejoining SS38 headed north from Grosio, buoyed by the notion of my own wee getaway sticks heaving my ass up the badass Mortirolo I churned on up towards Sondalo where as mentioned in previous post I made a stop at a grocery

Eurotrip Day 7 part 1

2010-07-08T23:25:00.001-04:00

Big day. Awaking to another brilliant day of just the kind of weather I like. Hot, Hazy, Humid. An uncharacteristically early start had me on the road shortly after 9am having watched several riders go by me while I loaded my packs onto the bike out front of the hotel. (the hotel was right on the main street leading out of town towards Bormio) It was early Sunday morning and watching a couple

Eurotrip Day 6

2010-07-06T08:45:00.002-04:00

So Day 6 I leave the Lakes area and head east toward Stelvio. My plan was to jump a ferry from Lecco to Colico knocking off around 45km and enjoy my last little taste of the rich and famous lifestyle. Or the nearest approximation to "rich n' famous" I could make given I was travelling with 2 pair of socks and 1 pair of underwear. ..but they're wool so it's cool. anyhoo. Best laid plans

Eurotrip Day 5

2010-06-23T10:13:00.151-04:00

Day 5 Has me waking in Lecco on Lake Como. Worried about the swelling in my knee and pain up my i.t. band. I rubbed about 2oz. of arnica into it last night, did every stretch I know and woke to thinking 'hey, it doesn't feel too bad' Then I did a slight squat and thought "fuck. I might be ending my tour on Lake Como." which was really not part of the program, so I resigned myself to

Eurotrip Day 4

2010-06-21T08:59:00.146-04:00

Today is a planned easy day. The whole reason for the marathon rush to get to Monza yesterday was to make an appointment with the good folks, and new friends at Cicli Casati. By way of backstory, I picked up the Casati Laser I'm riding a few years back from a guy in Kingston. I knew nothing about the bike other than it was in my price range and size for a used road bike was brazed steel and

Eurotrip Day 3

2010-06-18T09:25:00.205-04:00

Day 3 I woke up inside a cloud. Literally and figuratively. The combination of Jet lag and Jimmy legs has played hell with sleep patterns so rather than a sleep pattern, I have a sleep chaos. The upside is I wasn't planning to do any arithmetic today so being sleep deprived shouldn't be a huge issue. The forecast (looking out window) looked a bit grim with light rain and 5 degrees so it was

Eurotrip Day 2

2010-06-17T09:27:00.002-04:00

This day starts wtih the Grimsell pass, a category 1 climb with a 9km descent "to rest up on" for the Furka. An HC climb. Originally I'd intended to clear the Gotthard pass on following the Furka, but too much time was wasted at the top of Grimsell warming up with soup and cappuccinos, so Gotthard got pushed back a day. ..just as well. Furka is the dramatic big climb that brings in the

Eurotrip Day 1

2010-06-16T10:20:00.001-04:00

Riding out of European cities can be a challenge with finding the right roads and not getting turned around but my start went really well from a navigational perspective. I did have an issue with establishing tire pressure to get started as I didn't bring with me a luftdruckeanseiten (aka. "pressure gauge". Thanks to the woman at Radsport-center bike shop in Meiringen for the help with the

Eurotrip in the books.

2010-06-15T10:22:00.001-04:00

I'll post up a few images and highlights of my Swiss alps "training camp" recently attended. Training camp in parentheses because that really wasn't at all the focus. example. The first days arrival-celebration-training camp orientation consisted of several pastries, at least as many cappuccinos all washed down with a pot of hot cheese and 12 beers for dinner. The second day was little more

Race bike to Euro-mule conversion.

2010-05-27T15:17:00.000-04:00

This is how the Casati looks all loaded up. Thats pretty much exactly how it will look for the next couple weeks in Switzerland and Italy. Actually, I'll be on top of it most of the time, but it looks better without my ugly ass in the frame.. The bags are Epic Designs from Alaska. The seat bag is a 'Mountain mini' model, the bento box thingy is a 'Gas tank' (size small) and the frame bag is

Eurotrip

2010-05-25T23:03:00.002-04:00

Preparations are wrapping up nicely.

12 hours and 300kms later

2010-05-10T21:09:00.008-04:00

My Ride to Conquer Cancer fund-raising ride last Wednesday was a grand success. I started at 0600, riding at a crisp 7C and was just starting to warm up when the rain began falling. Fortunately, it only lasted about 45 minutes or so. There were many geese, wild turkeys, deer, and a coyote out to cheer me on. The wind picked up as the day progressed but I spent most of my time marvelling at

Ride to Conquer Cancer

2010-05-02T11:12:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone!I'll be doing the Ride to Conquer Cancer on June 12-13 on a team of medical physicists (who do both cancer research and treatment) from the Princess Margaret Hospital. The ride consists of 100 miles (a century) each day with the funds raised for Cancer Research.I was inspired to do this ride as I've watched a number of people around me struggling with cancer, and because I have

Day 5 - Asheville NC Industry Nine!! Warning. Massive post.

2010-04-27T09:06:00.001-04:00

So, today we drive home. nothing to look forward to there except warm temps, windows down driving. Sitting on our arses going from fried food outlet to fried food outlet. At least until we'd left the deep fried states and entered the truck stop states. But first. Drew and Eric from Industry Nine (who'd we'd rode with a couple days back) said it would probably be ok if we stopped in to see

Day 4 - Asheville NC annual MTB road trip #4

2010-04-26T13:11:00.002-04:00

Day 4 was a "recovery ride" day. so we pointed our bikes up a mountain and rode for views and vistas. Surprisingly the legs felt pretty good. ..until they didn't.Par for the course I suppose.The trail was exceptionally beautiful. Smiles make themselves when you're spending time in this landscape.Laurel mnt trail was a nice even grade incline for the most part.Nevertheless, a lot of elevation

2010-04-22T21:09:00.002-04:00

My friend John Large from the West Quebec Wheelers sent this to me. Sounds like fun!

Day 3 - Asheville annual mtb road trip #4

2010-04-22T15:01:00.001-04:00

Day three was embarked upon with trepidation. The plan was for a group ride with people all of whom I was certain were going to be stronger, faster, more skilled and with boatloads more endurance than yours truly. guys with Pisgah in their backyard. guys that can tear legs off strong people. guys that actually win races. guys that have tactical shotgun training. (relevance = none. just thought

Day 2 - Asheville NC annual mtb road trip #4

2010-04-21T11:43:00.000-04:00

Day two. Dupont. Time was spent perusing the internet the night before and we decided to set our sites on the Dupont state forest IMBA epic ride. We'd ridden Dupont a couple time before and knew that it was a labyrinth of great trails. The map looks like two plates of spaghetti dumped into one bowl so while we knew that we'd be spending a bit of time looking at the map, we figured following

Day 1 - Asheville NC annual road trip #4

2010-04-20T15:54:00.000-04:00

The OBR and I headed off south this past weekend for our fourth annual trip to ride Bent Creek, Pisgah, Dupont and whatever else we could jam in. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let the photos tell the bulk of the story with captions for context. Last Wednesday we departed a bright sunny Ottawa for a brighter and sunnier Asheville. Spriits, expectations and

New Baby

2010-04-06T21:55:00.002-04:00

My darling wife surprised me out of the blue with this on Thursday:That's right, a brand new Cervelo R3 with full Dura-Ace components. Weighs in at just over 16lbs I think.Took out it for a spin in the park on Friday where I ran into Craig on his way out. Gorgeous bike, can't say enough about it.Saw Mark while I was out for a run on Sunday, then Anthony mountain biking on Sunday. To top it all

Spring skiing in early February.

2010-02-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

Hey, old man Winter. what gives? Parc ski conditions are listed as "arduous" in places with less than 5cm of snow cover. Hey Winter. Get back to work!! We need snow, and we need it in a bleedin' hurry! It looks waay too much like spring out there and as beautiful as that is, it's friggin February! get with the program and gimme minus 27 nights (before wind chill) cause that polar wax isn't

Two videos you got to see!

2010-01-31T22:06:00.003-05:00

These are two great cycling-related videos - one is hilarious and the other is amazing!http://www.youtube.com/user/nqtv#p/u/2/wOur8qXvpnkhttp://www.flixxy.com/amazing-bicycle-skills.htmEnjoy!

Magic and Tragic

2009-12-04T11:45:00.000-05:00

As a self confessed gear whore, I spend an inordinate amount of time mewling and hand-wringing over gear selection. Two ways too. Selection for purchase and selection per outing. As such I thought I'd share a bit of magic and a bit of tragic of late. The Magic: Loeffler Colibri Überhose. Really. read that twice if you need to. Überhose. With a name like that you just KNOW you're headed

Magic or Tragic?

2009-12-02T10:28:00.000-05:00

Its just come to my attention that the venerable Phil Wood bicycle co. has released a limited edition track hub set. 24k gold plated. Yeah. I'm not shitting you. real gold.. on hubs. for sale via a few select stores. Holy crap. Words barely convey how ridiculous I think this horror show is. (You're welcome to disagree via the little x to the right of the browser tab) I just lost

Winnie the pooh eats Salsa Dos Niner,

2009-12-01T12:50:00.001-05:00

Last Thurs I stopped by Phat Moose just to see the boys. Nothing really specific in mind but was in the area and hadn't seen the guys in forever. Good times, of course we talked about bikes and bike stuff and whats new and more bike stuff etc. I mentioned I was doing the Wakefield, Phillipe loop the next day and in a separate conversation later I was expressing an interest in the whole 29'r

Winnie the poo day two.

2009-11-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

The plans for this coming Friday were to do another Gats loop as per my last post. ..a "gettem' while you can" kinda thing, but I'm thinking now maybe I'll do it a bit different. I read up on the Tall Trees Rides Double Cross thingy that went down this past Sunday and while I was a bit envious, I was making a totally bitchin' Thomas the Train three level track system (!!) with the wee man so it

Recovery ride - Winnie the poo day.

2009-11-20T15:20:00.011-05:00

As the title suggests, on this blustery, rainy, cold day between meetings and such I found a window to ride. yay! ..is that silence because nobody cares or you're all just floored that soft-guy finally started his season?Ostensibly this was a recovery ride from last weekends Del-shoes 'anti-race' but I suppose it's pushing it to call a six-day-later-ride a "recovery" ride. Still, if it's not

A Date with Ilsa?

2009-11-18T16:26:00.000-05:00

Having my lack of fitness exposed (as in exhumed), dusted off, and shoved rudely in my face this past weekend, it has become incredibly apparent that this will not stand!Changes need be made.and change is a comin'! So, facing the off season aka "dead zone" between cycling type weather and ski type weather the need for myself to seek out, plan, partake and effect some positive changes in fitness

Anti-race weekend of get the hell outta dodge

2009-11-15T14:44:00.011-05:00

The family truckster post Anti-race.Not the first time OBR and myself have run with the same numbers on our plates, but this is the first time we shared that number with 25 other riders!This past Friday after errands were run and money was hemmoraghed, yours truly packed the family truckster with one small, and one large hardtail(one being my own and one belonging to the r-inginal Big Ring

$100 Bike Challenge - Finale: Mission Accomplished!

2009-09-24T20:16:00.017-04:00

When I last posted, the bike frame had been painted and clear-coated and was left to cure for a week. The final product turned out pretty nice and I was satisfied with it.Reunited - frame and forkNow the fun part, assembling the bike. First, the fork, headset, and quill which all went on easily. Next the bottom bracket and and crank set, went on fine but I notices the pedal were quite far out.

$100 Bike Challenge - Part 4: Paint job complete.

2009-09-13T21:20:00.005-04:00

The painting of the frame is now done and I'm pretty happy with it. The final step, the clear coat, was the trickiest I thought. Few lessons I learned:- Prep work is the key- Never, ever touch clear coat before it dries- Little mistakes can easily be fixed with low grit wet sandpaper- Patience - don't rush itI am allowing the clear coat to fully cure and won't build the bike until next Saturday

$100 Bike Challenge - Part 3: Some Lessons Learned

2009-09-10T20:50:00.007-04:00

So the frame has two coats of Ford Light Blue and is ready for the final step - the clear coat. I was keen to get the clear coat on and got set up quickly. I started applying the the clear coat and it went on very well. All was going smoothly until I noticed a glob of clear coat on the inside of one of the chain stays. I took the corner of a rag and very gently removed the offending glob -

NCC Public Workshop

2009-09-09T22:28:00.002-04:00

Hey folks,Got this notice from Matt of Tall Trees fame. Anyone who can provide some constructive input should make an effort to attend. I regret that I'll be in England on business and will miss the event. Note the immediate deadline.Public WorkshopGatineau Park is an important natural area in Canada’s Capital Region, measuring 361 square kilometres. The park, which features rich cultural and

$100 Bike Challenge - Part 2

2009-09-09T20:04:00.006-04:00

In my last post, I had just finished giving the frame a second coat of primer and left it to dry overnight. The next day, I wet-sanded it again with 600 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface. I then dried it with a clean cloth. The frame was then ready to be painted. I was very excited about this part, because the other steps had gone so well.Melissa wanted a blue bike - light blue or baby

The $100 Bike Challenge - Part 1

2009-09-08T20:04:00.007-04:00

This blog has been pretty quiet over the past couple of months. So, I am going to tell you about a couple of bike-related projects I have on the go. The first was building myself a fixie which I have done and is working very well. I've been riding it to work everyday.My second project is the more interesting one (to me anyway). A while ago, Melissa challenged me to build her a ''good'' commuter

24 hrs of Hot August Nights - Summary version

2009-08-30T20:32:00.011-04:00

Very low attendance this year compared to other years. Not many teams from Ottawa that I knew. BRR mixed consisted of Mark M, Tanya, Papa G, Leslie Greene and Mark Pearson (subbing for Zamboni)Rain started literally at the same time as the start of the race. Things got really slick by 1pm. It rained on and off until about 9pm. Chico and crew did a great job keeping course in reasonable

My firt Triathlon!

2009-07-09T15:56:00.002-04:00

Hi allBeen a long time!Although I am a mountain biker at heart, I had to give the triathlon thing a try so I signed up for Ironman Canada! Of course, Im no fool, who would do an Ironman as their first ever tri?So, I did the Peterborough Half Ironman, seamed like a logical step.Here's my report that I posted on Trirudy.comHi allCheck, first triathlon done! Here we go, Robert Berthiaume (Mr.

Solstice - March of the Damned

2009-07-02T21:07:00.035-04:00

I was about to write a post on the BRR Mixed experience after the race the I thought it would be more interesting to hear about people's individual experiences at the race because this race will probably a memorable one over the years. I also thought it would be interesting to hear from all the BRR crew, not only the Mixed team. Rick and Tanya, who raced solo, have posted their own stories here

CLEAT PLACEMENT

2009-06-29T17:29:00.002-04:00

Proper cleat placement is essential in preventing injuries up the whole kinetic lower leg chain; especially the knee.There are a couple of different movements of the cleats to be set properly.First of all the correct position fore and aft:If they are set in the right spot you should be pushing through the ball of the foot for most people. So find the bump on the side of your big toe ( the ball of

Chico Racings Summer Solstice 09 "Snowman Mud" Fest

2009-06-27T11:50:00.002-04:00

June 20/21 was this years anual Chico Racing Summer Solstice 24hr mountain bike event. I chose to solo again this year, well for various reasons actually, but not the least of which is that last year was such a great solo experience that i was eager to duplicate that success. My results over the yrs have progressively improved due to training, organization and few other tricks which i'll save

Riverkeeper Duathlon/Triathlon

2009-06-18T21:30:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday a couple of Big Ring Racing mountain bikers put on different hats and competed in the Ottawa Riverkeeper Duathlon and Triathlon. Kari is a seasoned veteran of triathlons and this was a piece of cake for her compared to her Ironman, but this was my first "real" attempt at something like this. I took up running last year just for something to do at lunch at work. I've been running

SMH, finally!!

2009-06-08T13:24:00.013-04:00

I finally got out to SMH on Saturday, where Lenny took me and my neighbour, Yves, for a tour of the highlands. I had not ridden SMH since the summer of 2007. It seemed that every time I wanted to go last year it was raining and I did not want to cause any damage to the Mamasita. Lenny took us on Outer thigh, Pete's Wicket, Outback and Ridge to name a few. Lenny and Yves, all smiles as we start

Send your bike to Africa

2009-05-28T07:37:00.001-04:00

Please donate your old bike(s) to Bicycles For Humanity this weekend. If you don't have one to donate, cash donations are very welcome (to help pay for the shipping container carrying all the bikes collected). I am also looking for a few volunteers to help prep bikes on Monday, June 1, 2009 at 6pm - please e-mail me for more info.Cheers.

1st & 4th

2009-05-26T07:53:00.003-04:00

The Vegan Vagabond takes first place this past weekend at the Opus Spring Epic 8 Hr race at Mansfield in the women's solo division with 11 laps, beating her closest competitor in the last five minutes. The original big ring takes 4th in the single speed division, narrowly missing third place.

Kingdom Long Weekend

2009-05-19T21:42:00.011-04:00

A group of us headed to Kingdom, Vermont for a long weekend of mountain biking. Despite some last minute cancellations, ten of us, plus two kids, made the trip. Now for those of you who read this blog regularly, you will know that there has been at least half a dozen or so posts on trips to Kingdom. And you also know that Kingdom has probably the finest mtb trail network in the North East.

Marathon Photos

2009-05-18T11:26:00.003-04:00

Vegan Vagabond takes first in her division - yes, there were more women.Tanya scored a Giro helmet and some loot to boot.Big Ring takes first in his division of freaks and misfits (single speed) - there was one other ss'er who started the marathon race, but I don't think he finished.I scored a Sigma cycling computer (which I am going to put on Chrissie's new bike) and a kiss from Bigfoot.

Race Day Success!

2009-05-18T08:16:00.001-04:00

Copied from my blog...Good morning, its godawful early for a holiday but I couldn't sleep any longer because I was starving. So I thought I'd tell ya about my race.Saturday at noon we headed to Craig's inlaws. The house was full of family and I just sat back, relaxed and took it all in. It was really nice to see how happy Craig and Christine are as new parents. And it was freakin adorable

Moab Day 3

2009-05-10T21:08:00.008-04:00

Well, I was feeling pretty out of it but the violent stomach illness has been over for 24 hours so I'm riding.I figure I drank 500ml of water in the last 24 hours living in the desert, what could go wrong.The boys were tired from yesterday so we started pretty small and rode a trail called Sovereign.Fun desert riding, some of it fairly technical, especially if you are moving quickly.Crazy rock

Moab Day 2

2009-05-10T20:52:00.002-04:00

Well actually it was more like night # 1. Started out watching UFC at Bub's, the worst sports bar I have ever been in. I spent the rest of the night keeping my roommate awake as I vomited and dry heaved. Good times.Safe to say I didn't ride on day #2, though by all accounts it was a good ride at Tabagauche Trails.To end the day we packed up and did the 1.5 hour drive to Moab.

Maob Day 1

2009-04-27T21:22:00.005-04:00

Well it actually wasn't, Maob, we flew into Denver and drove to Fruita Colorado on our way to Maob. We were very nearly snowed in Denver! Can you believe it, 20 degrees in Ottawa and the highway is closed in Denver Can you believe this shit? ET is not happy.....Thankfully Beezer found the solutionThe real solution!After a bit of a rough drive (it got faster when I took over) we

Lakes and Locks

2009-04-27T21:09:00.016-04:00

We were up in Kingston on the weekend visiting some friends. I didn't want to miss the good weather on Saturday, so I took the Isaac along.After having some family time in the morning and lunching on ribs, wings and nachos, I was ready to head for a ride. Our friends live just off Perth Rd, which in on the Rideau Lakes Tour (RLT) route, some of you may be familiar with the road. I got myself

Tired Oily Socks

2009-04-27T19:48:00.000-04:00

Thank you Sock Guy for the lovely socks.Thanks Van and the fine folks at Pro Gold for all the lube. Lube for a lifetime.And big thanks to Kenda for sending some tires and such our way.

The Lenny Show

2009-04-26T09:08:00.005-04:00

Friday turned out to indeed be a perfect day to ride. On the way out to Kanata Lakes we figured out that Lenny was the same age as Charlotte's father, a fact that brought out the paternal instinct in Lenny so he put on a riding clinic for his young protege. Fifteen minutes in he demonstrated some trail-building know-how, showing the proper method to pack down protruding rocks by using the "

An overdue welcome to the 2009 Mountain Biking Season

2009-04-23T22:56:00.002-04:00

Time to ditch work. Friday 24 April 2009. The plan is for me and Lenny and the HFT to hit the trails for the first time this season. I am totally stoked.Anyone feeling confident about their bike handling skills? Apparently there are still levels to aspire to. There may be people out there better than you.

Sunday Sun Day!!

2009-04-20T21:04:00.004-04:00

As the title says Sunday was a bright sunny day which means everything else gets put on hold because it's business time. You know what I mean... Bike Riding Business Time!!!Here we are at the beginning of the ride just waiting for Gilles to arrive. Big Ring is saying "Lenny, don't I look schexy? Did I mention I was on the podium earlier this season? Check out my pecs... Oh I do look fabulous! No.

Patent Pending

2009-04-15T22:03:00.005-04:00

Check out my soon-to-be-patented "side mounted" baby seat, test-ridden on Tuesday morning:The optional tray attachment makes feeding your infant a breeze during your commute to work. I am so going to make millions on this!

My two new babies

2009-04-13T21:35:00.002-04:00

I love this one the best! Elsa - she spits up on me.Fisticuff - it makes me spit up.

Superhero comes to the rescue!!!

2009-04-13T08:28:00.006-04:00

Saturday was shaping up like it was going to be a nice day for a change! Check out the bright sunlight! It was cold and damp all week so this was a very nice change! Notice the superhero in this shot, he wears that jersey for a reson!There was a fairly strong breeze but we had a good sized group to share the workload. Mike J (of Joe Mamma fame) joined us today for the ride. He's riding solo at SS

Fun in the Sun

2009-03-30T21:56:00.004-04:00

With the grandparents in town, Evelyn and I escaped for a week offun in Cuba.I got to ride these a few times but it ended after a pedal fell off5 km or so from the resort, that`s a long way to Fred Flintstone,yabba-dabba-dooThe weather was great and the snorkeling was spectacular, likeswimming in a fish tank. I managed to swim enough to not puton any more weight at an all inclusive, let me tell

Playing hooky

2009-03-29T11:15:00.006-04:00

On Friday, I convinced Lenny to skip out of work early to go for a ride. It was too beautiful out to be stuck in a cubicle in front of a computer. Didn't take much convincing for Lenny to go along with my plan.Lenny and I coordinated our rendez-vous perfectly; we arrived at our meeting point at the Nepean Sailing club at the same time. Lenny mistakenly thought we were going cross country skiing

Sunday Funday

2009-03-15T22:50:00.003-04:00

Got out for a late winter snow ride early this morning. Once the sun came up it slowed down but before that it was great. Not many snow rides left this year. After lunch I got a nice warm ride in with my sweet pea in her chariot. Great day.

Two cool

2009-03-06T14:32:00.004-05:00

I stumbled onto this 24 hour race a few days ago and then today I saw something about it on the OMBA website. I think it looks like a really cool event so I figured I put a little plug for the event on here.The race is called LIFE$TYLE$ OF THE RICH & FAMOU$ and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the event. The 2009 event will be held on May 16th and 17th and the race is run from the

Happy Birthday to Lenny!

2009-03-02T20:53:00.004-05:00

He's turning a year older tomorrow. What are you up to now, Lenny? Are you 50 yet?!? Happy Birthday Lenny!

Pic from Sunday

2009-03-02T13:03:00.002-05:00

I didn't have any of yours truly, now there's some evidence that I haven't gone completely soft.

Sunday Fun

2009-03-01T20:25:00.003-05:00

Saturday night I see a post on OMBA about some ice track racing, I'm in for this as it can only be a circus. One of the guys built a mini bmx style track during the warm spell and when it went to minus 20 it shaped up like concrete.Kind of intimidating especially the jumps into the berms, thankfully the berms were excellent. Spikes, not studs, were mandatory.Surprising how big a hurt you can put

Beater takes a beating

2009-02-22T09:56:00.001-05:00

My winter beater/commuter is taking a beating over the past few months of riding to work everyday on the freezing, snowy, slushy, salty, wet roads. Friday, my rear wheel came loose and while trying to get it centered in the dropouts I snapped the quick release axle. D'oh!Corrosion weakened the axleCrusty and rusty.I was getting sick of pushing the big winter knobby studs, so I threw some

Progold Lubricants

2009-02-19T18:00:00.002-05:00

I'm pleased as punch to say that the fine folks at Progold Lubricants will be standing behind us again this year providing us with outstanding products to keep our parts moving smoothly over the course of the season.

Stupid weather

2009-02-14T09:31:00.002-05:00

Well after doing a trial run last night with one guy using klister and the other guy using swix red/silver we bailed on the keski. Even the klister was well below average kick, combined with the course changing to an out and back on the parkway we decided it wasn't worth the $100. We'll replace it with an attempt to ski to the firetower once the snow returns.That said it was stupid fast when

What to do What to do....

2009-02-12T09:38:00.002-05:00

Well after spending some time getting ready for the Keski it seems like Mother Nature has turned against me. I have not registered yet so the money isn't on the line but I really want to do the event. That said I'm a novice skier and the prospect of 3 hours on a sheet of ice doesn't sound good. How will it all turn out.......

My take on the CSM

2009-02-08T19:08:00.002-05:00

Here's my experience...its a bit lengthy but that's appropriate because so was the ski!!I did not get my Coureur Des Bois Bronze :( but I sure worked my butt off. Can't wait to hear how Rick and Tobin did! They looked great when I saw them.

Good Luck Big Ringers

2009-02-06T06:30:00.001-05:00

Good luck Tanya, Rick and Tobin this weekend completing the 160km + course at the Canadian Ski Marathon. May your grip be firm and glide effortless. Looking forward to the race report.

Weekend in Pictures

2009-02-03T22:18:00.008-05:00

SaturdayI finally got out on the Rideau Canal for a skate this weekend.It was a sunny and crisp Saturday morning perfect for taking out the long blades. A few folks were out enjoying an early morning skateI made some new friends from CEGEP de St-Jean in QuebecIt was great to be out on the long blades. They are very smooth and effortless, even if my technique isn't perfect. The ice was in

Sick and tired of SICK AND TIRED!!!

2009-02-02T18:08:00.005-05:00

I don't know about the rest of you but I've had the winter blahs lately. Even though this winter has been flying by with the nice skiing weather and not that much of the really cold stuff, I've still been down in the dumps!Over the last 3 weeks I caught a cold, got rid of it and then got it back again. This past weekend I was so lazy that I left the house only once and that was just to go and

What's in a name?

2009-01-30T07:15:00.002-05:00

**I don't normally double post here and on my blog, but . . . I was getting sick of looking at Peter's ugly mugg (Finn is cute as a button though!) everytime I checked the blog to see if anyone posted. So, since my post has to do with the team name and the history of it, here you go. Also, NO ONE is posting lately!Yesterday's blog post got me thinking a bit . . . . what's in a name or where

SpiderBoy

2009-01-17T22:46:00.005-05:00

A very brief post to say thanks to Gilles and Melissa for their rockin' present to my boy Finn, a future Big Ring Racing star. Check out the cool diggs they sent. If anyone is looking for more reasons to ride, here's two that come to the top of my head at this moment:1. Get to know a crowd who do the world good.2. Keep in shape so that if you have a kid when you're 40, you'll be able to keep

Hot Chick Skate Ski

2009-01-09T20:14:00.008-05:00

It was a perfect day to ditch work and get out for a skate ski. I'm relatively new to the sport, with last year being my first full season. A sure-fire way to improve in any sport is to try and impress a bunch of attractive women. To this end, I assembled this crack-team of motivators to assist me in my quest to become competent in this sport:Left to right: Big Ring Racing's own dyamic duo,

NGR E-Load

2008-12-31T23:11:00.004-05:00

Alright, alright. Enough procrastinating, I'm down to the last hour of the year and I want to stay on the team as the token slow guy that makes everybody else look good. Of all the products our Benevolent Dicktator arranged for us to represent this past season the one that surprised me the most was E-Load.The Product - delicious strawberryI had only tried the stuff once before, in the middle

Naked Gear Review - Cervelo R3 SL

2008-12-31T10:32:00.011-05:00

OK Big Ring, I get it. You want to see me naked. The late night phone calls, the fancy dinners, even the booze weren't enough to get me to drop my drawers but you've pulled out the big guns and threatened to kick me off the team. Well played - you win. Here I am in all my naked gear reviewing glory... As pointed out in Big Ring's blog a few days ago, I've left my review to the last minute.

Christmas Day CSM Training Outing With The Whole Famn Damily(not quite)

2008-12-25T16:24:00.004-05:00

Got out for my 6th ski of the season today on Christmas Day. I think thats a personal record. I did CSM Bronze on about 140 training kms 2 years ago, thats 140kms for a 160km timed marathon. I winged it, it went well, so did Silver last year and so this year we - Coco and I - are reaching for Gold, with all these training kilometers and the time remaining until this years CSM, I'm hoping for

How to Shoot a "Naked Gear Review" - Part II

2008-12-24T09:22:00.000-05:00

How To Do A Naked Gear Review - Part II(not to be confused with the children's story book of the same name)- by the original big ringAsk Yourself, "What Do I Want To Review?":You must also choose what you are going to review. It needs to be something that you feel worthy of getting your gear off for. For example, my Vassago Bandersnatch - totally worth getting naked for. I'm also waiting for a

How to Shoot a "Naked Gear Review" -Part I

2008-12-23T08:21:00.001-05:00

With 2008 quickly coming to an end, there are several Big Ring Racing team members who may be looking for a new team to race for next year. It seems as though Phat Tony, King, Golonghardman, Coco and Zamboni have forgotten their agreed upon contractual terms of agreement: at least one naked gear review before the year is up. With only a few days left, I hope the boys get some new gear under

Best Ride Ever

2008-12-17T22:19:00.017-05:00

Last night the skiing was crap, so Paul and I decided it was a good idea to ride our bikes instead. The rainy thaw on Monday combined with the freeze on Tuesday made for excellent riding conditions. It was my third snowy ride of the season and by far the best.Introducing Crazy Paul On an undisclosed trail in an undisclosed park, we climbed and climbed until we reached the top. That's when the

Hibernation?

2008-12-14T16:09:00.003-05:00

Missed Gilles and Tanya's xc ski this morning. Got out for a good skate ski in the late morning instead.Am I the only one on this team doing anything worth blogging about? Even if it's not worth blogging about, let's hear about it.

Tis the season to be waxing . . .

2008-11-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

Faa alaaa laaa, laaa, laaa, laaa, laaa, laaa, laa.(sung to the tune 'Tis the Season to be Jolly')Lenny putting on some binder wax.The Mule and the Vegan Vagabond came over this afternoon to get a little clinic on waxing skis. This will be my fourth season waxing my own skis. I'm no pro, but I'm no pro skier either - so I don't get into the detailed waxing that one can do.Waxing your own skis

Big Ring Weekend in Pictures

2008-11-24T21:10:00.010-05:00

Saturday - Photo shoot!Look Golong-Hardman, I'm Tinkerbell!out-take #1: Not sure where Coco's hand is, Golong-hardman seems to know...Out-take #2- Dude, some laxative may help...Final take: Zamboni, Coco, Go long-hardman, Phat Tonly, "Lenny", Dr. Peter, Vegan Vagabond, Papa -G(missing: Original Big Ring, Curvy bum, King, kari)"Enough about Tinkerbell before I smack you Zamboni!"Sunday - Cool Gats

Winter Beast

2008-11-20T21:57:00.013-05:00

They say that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Well, back in the summer time when I was putting out my garbage, I noticed that my neighbour was throwing out an old bike. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a steel Raleigh, a Grand Prix model to be exact! The frame was in decent shape, no bends, dents, just worn out paint and stains. The rest of the

Gatineau Loop for the Soul

2008-11-14T15:35:00.013-05:00

I had one of those weeks where nothing went right. You know what I'm talking about, you've all had them, where you lock your keys in the car, spill your soy milk and you let one in on the short side...well, that was my week and more. But not to worry friends, its nothing a Gat Loop can't cure. Who needs chicken soup when you can get your therapy on two wheels?Today was 12C and kinda sunny so

New Race Kits?

2008-11-11T07:03:00.001-05:00

Possible new race kits for next year? The sponsors should be all over it!More ideas here.

How to get to work in a good mood.

2008-11-07T06:56:00.005-05:00

Sad Day

2008-11-06T21:08:00.005-05:00

The time has finally come, I'm parting ways with a bike I have loved and abused since 2004. This bike has seen some retarded (at least by my standards) lines and has never flinched in fear.I've wrecked this rig on 18 inch drops and 12 foot by 10 foot gaps. That was always the riders fault.I've also sent some 15 foot gaps and 10 foot drops in fine style on this rig. Those moments were all the

The Hardfolk Classic - November 22nd

2008-10-31T17:35:00.005-04:00

Beauty scenery.Get your crayons out, print off this photo and colour some of the leaves yellow, orange and brown. Take an eraser and rub off some of the leaves. Now colour the grass brown. Do all of that and you'll get an idea of the beautiful scenery that you'll see if you go on this ride.Or . . . . you could just go on this ride.Lots of info and possible routes over on the Tall Tree Cycles

Happy Winter

2008-10-29T21:41:00.003-04:00

Yahoo, I know it is short lived but it was nice to have such a quick transition from bike to ski!

It's the End of the Season. So what's next ?

2008-10-29T17:26:00.002-04:00

It's the end of the season and time to take a break from cycling both physically and mentally. It's time for a well deserved rest from the pressures and demands of training and racing. This is your reward for a great season. Relax, go for a fun ride, do something crazy ( something routine I'm sure for a Big Ring racer ), have an extra beer or serving of fries ( or maybe that's a Big Ring racer's

Did I mention I love my Vassago?

2008-10-24T21:40:00.015-04:00

Twas definitely the afternoon to skip out of work early and go for a ride. What a beautiful time of year. This was my second ride on my new Vassago Optimus Ti and figured today was the day to tackle Outback on it, just to see what we could do together.Had the bike in at the Moose to get a few things tweaked after my first ride and forgot to do a once over before jumping on it. After a few bumpy

Vassago Optimus Ti

2008-10-15T21:06:00.004-04:00

After months of delays waiting for various things to arrive (and I include little Finn here), I finally got out on my gorgeous new Vassago Optimus Ti. Today was my first ever ride on a Single Speed (not including my fixed gear commuter bike that goes 40k/day all winter), on 29 inch wheels, and first ride in 4 years on a hard tail.I'm sold. It was awesome. I can't say enough about this bike. I

NHL Hockey, Biking, and surrounded by hot blondes – does it get any better than this?

2008-10-13T19:58:00.015-04:00

So, last week my wife and I came back from a one week trip in Sweden. Since we’re huge Sens fans, we decided to travel to Stockholm to see our favorite NHL team, Ottawa Senators, play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sweden apparently has a Sparty Cat of their own (pic taken inside the Globe arena).Since I’ve previously travelled with my bike, I was anxious to try out my new Pika Packworks bike bag. http

O.P.R.A.H. Turkey Time Trial Report

2008-10-12T09:22:00.028-04:00

Oprah and I having a few laughs during a ski trip in Aspen last winter.I've had this idea in my head to run a fun race out in SMH for quite some time. Peter's Mock Grand Prix was certainly an inspiration of how easy a race can be organized and put together. The most important thing, and the Big Ring Racing Team's philosophy is that racing should be fun and anyone can do it. It doesn't matter

Glorious Kingdom Weekend

2008-10-09T20:37:00.012-04:00

I'll make this a quick and dirty post. We headed down to Kingdom, Vermont for the fall riding on their primo single track. I headed down with Zamboni, Hannah and Dr. Kim and joined the rest of the crew - Big Ring, Lenny and the Vagabond in VT.Zamboni with Big Ring guests Hannah and Dr. Kim While our condo was very spacious, there were only 2 bedrooms.It was 4 dudes sharing a room with bunk beds!

Things you should know about Oprah

2008-10-09T13:53:00.001-04:00

The weather this upcoming weekend looks marvellous and with the O.P.R.A.H. Turkey Time Trial in just a couple days, I thought a few facts about Oprah might inspire some of you . . . .Oprah is not very fond of shoes. Indeed; she prefers walking barefoot. Maybe it's because she has six toes?True.Oprah's favorite color is green.Yay - green!On December 26, 2005. The pilot's window of Oprah's private