This past week was meant to be full of long epic rides to prep for the Mongolia Challange bike race starting on August 2nd.
The first four days were spent in Jasper with Kris Sneddon doing some of my favourite rides in the world. This place is unreal for riding and is the perfect place to get in some great training, the only challange is to not over train as the riding is so good its tough to stop. Between rides we would stop in at Freewheel Cycle to refuel and discuss our plans for the next few hrs of singletrack riding. If any of you ever make it up to Jasper to ride, Freewheel cycle is the place to go for trail directions, repairs, equipment and just plane old good times as the crew up here are in love with the sport!
Mid week I got a phone call from Stuart Dorland, organizer of the 24 hrs of adrenaline about a spot in the 2 man team division at the 24 hrs in Canmore. The two man team sounded like a great option, given the Solo option might not be the wisest choice with 1200km of riding in Mongolia just around the corner. What better way to get in 12 hrs of training over the weekend then to be part of a 1600 person strong mountain bike race in Canmore AB?
On thursday I rounded up a really solid team mate in Steve Gaffney, an ex-pro road racer from Calgary and on saturday we were in Canmore setting up our pit area for what would be a memorable 24 hr race. The first two laps were a muddy gongshow but after that things dried up and we ripped around the wickely awesome course for 23 hrs, building up a big lead and taking home a cheque for $ 1600!
This report is coming from the Beijing airport as I have a layover here on our way to Mongolia. Hence the very abbreviated 24 hr report. Overall the 24 weekend was great. The organization is always solid and the festival atmosphere is probably where the future of xc bike racing is going. There is soon to be an announcement for the 24 hr Worlds for next yr for both the Solo and 2 man Team division. I’m stoked to get back there to give it another shot wherever it may be…
Yesterday, Lilla and I headed up to Squamish for the night to give both of us a break from Vancouver’s city lights. Dealing with Visa issues we didn’t end up getting into Squamish until after 10, and then spent the next 1 hr driving around fire roads looking for a place to camp but eventually came upon a keeper. Theres nothing like driving up a mtn and setting up camp in the middle of the night, not really having a clue where your at. The next day Lilla had a good run up to a lookout while I road up the Brohm ridge fireroad as a last training ride before Mongolia. The rest of the day was top notch as we lazed around Alice Lake cooking popcorn while the boys at Tantalus Bike shop gave my 29r King Kahuna a last tune up before being boxed away for a little plane ride. Thanks Al and Peanuts for the help!
For now its off to the crazy unknown side of the earth. 1 month ago I knew 0% about Mongolia. The more I look into the country he more excited I’m getting about going there. A country in which 80% of the population are herdsman, and where the locals still use domesticated Hawks as a method of hunting is going to be a cool place to go! Looking on a map Mongolia is just North of China and is large and deserted. With onyl 3 million people it has a lower population density then Canada. That I didn’t know was possible. As for getting here there was a bit of monkey bussiness trying to get a visa. The story may or may not make this blog in the coming days depending on what goes on in Mongolia when we land there in 3 hrs!
Its feels like christmas, only instead of opening a cardboard box the present will be a book full of blank pages to fill with the next 18 days of unreal adventures in a very far off land!
The North Face VE 25 tent will be my home for the next 2 weeks in Mongolia! After one night in it I am impressed! The tent is rock solid, built for high mountain expeditions, has plenty of room to maneouver inside and best of all is easy to set up and take down!
Glad you got your visa, Congrats on your sucess in CAnmore. Have a great ride in Mongolia. Your Dad left for home this evening, the reunion was great, but missed your and Dustin.
I never thought of it that way, well put!