NEW BLOOD
This weekend our Epic rides took a turn for the better.
We hold open rides now and again... On July 9 2006 we held another one. JF, Catherine, Kari, Sarah, Gavin, Garth, Andrew, Brian, Beverly, Murray, James, Nat, Jack, Lauri, Tressa, Christin, Thomas, Christine, Shawn, Carmen, Tenzing, Jeffrey, Rodney, Chrissy, Brad, Stu and TJ decided to join us to Falcon Ridge.
We decided on Falcon because the terrain is varied, the challenges are many and it's all within bailing-out distance for anyone feeling the need to exit the ride. (gladly this option was never exercised). It was something of an acid test... Baptism by fire so to speak. Falcon can be one of the most technical rides on our dance card and we didn't tone it down, even if we did have newbies on board. Like the guys said "if you wanna run with the big dogs..." Thankfully there were no big dogs... Just us.
It's something special when you get a group of people so diverse that share one passion together... At the shop, everyone together in the parking lot, getting each other's bikes loaded up on the truck and on the other vehicles, you got a sense this group was going to jell nicely. Lauri thankfully showed up in her SUV instead of her little pick-up truck so we had enough room for bodies left stranded when Too-Tall had to cancel due to illness. We dodged the bullet on that one (thanks Lauri)
A veritable convoy of vehicles left Gord's at 8:15 and headed to Falcon Ridge, JF's truck with 14 bikes aboard, Rod's Banana Rocket Wagon (as we call his Mitsubishi) with 3 bikes, Carmen's, Murray's, Brian's and Thomas's vehicles all loaded with bikes as well ...
Once arrived at Falcon it was heart-warming to see everyone help each other out with gear, bug spray and everything else... Like Catherine handing out her newly-found defense against poison Ivy (liquid dishwashing soap). We started the ride as we often do at Falcon, with the long climb to the top of the ridge... A long fire road to High Lake and then back to the resort for some highly technical single-track. And (yes, you've read these words here before) what a ride it was.
We'd split the day in two. For the first part we all rode together (Michelle and TJ had met up with us there), taking our time on each section, giving pointers to the newbies (and not so newbies), taking lots of pictures, doing some redos, everyone smiling, everyone patient as we learned and taught and got the hang of riding on an Epic Ride with its protocol and unwritten rules of engagement (like newbies in the middle until they put in their time... he he)... Once lunch done we did one more section and then split the group up in two... The gung-ho group off to tackle the highly technical (and often daunting) Pine Ridge trail with your your's truly and the second group with Gavin... up to Top Of The World and back.
Pine Trail is really a hiking trail that we've been insisting on riding... Granted it's getting better for some of us every time we ride it. but still a bit much to ride without crashing, walking sections, ego readjusting or worse, bonking. An in and out can take 2 hours and is often followed by the phrase "ok, I'm done". The nice thing about it is that there's a rope swing into the lake at the end... Only the brave (like Lauri and Catherine) need apply.
We often limit the number of people we take on these rides, the reason is simple, it's a question of safety and enjoyment... Sometimes you get the odd-duck that insists on being oblivious... Making the ride either unsafe, uncomfortable or unpleasant by acting like a complete goombah... Suffice it to say that this Epic Ride was happily an odd-duck-free ride. Just a bunch of amazing people helping each-other who did nothing but make the ride enjoyable for all.
Of all the rides I've been on this year, I have to conclude that this ride was my favorite so far. On a personal note because I was in the groove and made lots of sections I hadn't yet made and because the make-up of the ride, human and canine-wise was spectacular. It's not just about the ride, it's about the jokes, the laughs, the personal triumphs, the scenery, the challenges, the lunch stop, the pictures... Damn, I'm doing it again. As I write this it's a little late and I'm a little beat from the ride so I hope this sounds coherent. I just wanted to write a little blurb very quickly and I've just realized it's turned into this: Another verbose essay about how much I love to ride with the people who are nice enough to come riding with me time after time, who suffer our perhaps odd 'rules of engagement' and make the rides so fun and interesting. I love you guys!
Next weekend, Sunday the 16th, at the request of Christin (who's currently dating the ever so dreamy Thomas), we're going to Ingolf... You are all invited again.
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Listen, if you ride any trail, flat as it may be or steep as you can find... If you're over 19 years old and you want to keep on riding into your sixties and beyond... if you're still riding that hardtail WAKE UP! Give your head a shake. Do yourself, your body and your ass a favor, get with the times. INJECT SOME FUN in your moribund life, get a full suspension bike and join the ranks of those who do more than just ride, join the ranks of those who are having the time of their lives on their bikes, join the ranks of the living. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO RIDE A HARDTAIL. (We should make a T-shirt!) Check out our full-suspension page 
Attention all bike lovers! Gord's is very proud to announce that we'll be offering 
