Alberta Spin fall '08harrismediagroup.ca/Desktop Publishing/Alberta spin/Alber… · ALBERTA SPIN...

Canadian Cyclo-CrossNational ChampionshipsHit Alberta

ALBE

RTA

SPI

N

Publication of the Alberta Bicycle Association www.albertabicycle.ab.ca

Volume 38, Issue 2, Autumn 2008

PM 40016411

Alberta Spin fall '08 10/14/08 3:18 PM

ALBERTA SPIN, Summer 2008 3

4 Executive Director’s Message

5 Road & Track Season Review

7 2008 MTB Season Review

8 BMX Season Review

9 The ABA Annual General Meeting

10 Where Masters Race

11 Commissaire Tips

12 2008 Beijing BMX

15 Canadian Cyclo-cross

16 XC MTB

18 The Better Way

22 Travel: Cape Town

ALBERTA SPIN

Fall 2008, Volume 38 No. 2

Cover photo of Greg Yanicki Photo by Alan Schietzsch

Publication Agreement Number: 40016411

12

7

8

22

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Je

ff N

eils

on a

vid

Mou

ntai

n B

iker

fro

m T

erra

scap

e R

acin

g


4 ALBERTA SPIN, Summer 2008

Welcome to our second issue 2008 – we hope you enjoyed the first andthe season. So far this has been a great season with more racers, rid-ers and great quality riding happening. But it is not over! With the

excitement of the Cyclo-Cross National Championships hosted in Edmonton onlya few weeks ago, our next major event will be the Annual General Meeting onNovember 15th at the University of Calgary. This will be your chance tobecome part of the inner workings of the ABA and provide your feedback on theseason. I encourage everyone to turn out and find out more about the organiza-tion and participate in committees where our members serve. We constantlystrive to improve and this will be your chance to be part of it.

We’ve recently added some new blood to the ABA office in Edmonton withCam McKnight joining the team as the Road, Track and Cyclo-CrossCoordinator. Cam is a long-time cyclist and his resume includes winning aCanada Games Gold, the Michael Almdal Scholarship and serving as president ofthe Edmonton Road and Track Club. Our sincere thanks to Carol Mayne for herhuge support while we were finding a replacement – we are truly grateful for allyour help!

The ABA membership was recently done proud with three members participat-ing at the Olympic Games and two at the Paralympic Games. Samantha Coolsled the Canadian BMX charge into Beijing, finishing 7th in the finals. BraydenMcDougall (bicisport) and Shauna White and Devon Smibert (Synergy) also didAlberta proud representing Canada at the Paralympic Games. On the road,Jessica Kissel (bicisport) and David Larson (Juventus) qualified and competed atthe Junior World Road and Track Championships in South Africa. DustinAndrews (CMC/Bow Cycle) also made the Canadian Team and competed at theNations Cup in Québec finishing as the highest placed Canadian. Calgary's JulieBeveridge took on the World at the 2009 UCI Road World Championships inVarese, Italy finishing an impressive 17th in the Individual Time Trial.

Finally, we would like to thank all our members and supporters for all your tire-less work through the year – without you, cycling in Alberta wouldn’t be where itis today. Our hope is that we can always meet your expectations and we look for-ward to hearing from you with new ideas, areas of improvement, or if we aredoing something well. Please feel free to call us at 1-877-646-BIKE or by [email protected].

Best of Luck and Great Riding!

Kipp KaufmannExecutive Director

E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R ’ S M E S S A G E

Alberta ProudExecutive Director

Kipp Kaufmann [email protected]

Administrative Assistant Monica Brooks

[email protected]

Sport Coordinator (Road, Track & Cyclo-cross)

Cam McKnight [email protected]

Sport Coordinator (BMX & MTB) Roddi Lega

[email protected]

Provincial Coach Jayson Gillespie

[email protected]

PresidentAlan Schietzsch

VP AdministrationSimon Richard

VP Racing Jim Smith

VP BMXJim Negenman

VP Recreation & TransportationNatasha Kuzmak

Chief CommissaireBernie Fagnan

Members at LargeLance Adamson

Glen Pratt Jeff Davis

The Alberta Bicycle Association office isopen Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm.The office is located at 11759 Groat Road,

Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6.Phone: 1-877-646-2453

Email: [email protected] undeliverable Canadian addresses

to: Alberta Bicycle Association11759 Groat Road,

Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6.

Alberta Spin is produced by the Harris Media Group for the

Alberta Bicycle Association.www.HarrisMediaGroup.ca

PublisherYukio Yamada

[email protected]

The Alberta Bicycle Association is proudlysupported by:



APRIL TO SEPTEMBER: six months of a road sea-son jam-packed with a plethora of racing eventscatering to the full spectrum of age-and-abilitycategories of those involved in Alberta cycling. Aword that easily characterizes this recently-endedseason is “more” - more races on the calendar;more “twists” added to the traditional favourites;more new organizers emerging onto the scene;more competition and…more of just everythingcycling-related in general. Such vast and diversegrowth has, as is par for the course, been accom-panied by both pain and gain; however the“gains” have certainly emerged victorious. Take amoment to settle in as we briefly recount some ofthe numerous highlights (and a couple of low-lights!) that arose on the “rolling hills and sceniclandscapes” the ABA’s events in 2008.

Cast your memory back to April, when theRoad and Track season launched in customaryfashion with the GP bici – and its equally-as-cus-tomary Race City Speedway cancellation, due toCalgary’s inevitable “late spring” cold, ice, wind-chill, and snow. Despite one event being thwart-ed by weather-and-safety issues, the stage wasset for the bici TT to take place. The outcomemost memorable: the setting up of what wouldbecome a year-long battle between BruceCopeland (Juventus) and Gideon Krishtalka(Team H&R Block).

The “showers” (and snow-storms) of April her-alded both the arrival of May (and perchance,summer) and the much anticipated Velocity Stage

Race. Though the skies remained clear, the unre-lenting prairie winds once again hurled theirforces against the time-trialists and pelotons onthe roads of Josephburg. The crit proved to beexciting, replete with riders antsy to show theirform after a winter’s hiatus. While a few had theircompetition compromised by crashes and ensu-ing, lingering injuries, the event definitelyretained its status as being a most enjoyable,challenging race, for riders and spectators alike.Following Velocity, a contingent of cyclists – withtheir sights set on gaining points to move up theability-category ladder - headed to Saskatoon’sBikes on Broadway for the May long weekend.Many, indeed, achieved their goals. The May 24-25 weekend was to see the first track meet of theseason; instead, with summer still not playingfair, the Spring Clean-Up became the Spring

Rain-Out (at least it wasn’t snowing). The monthended with Criterium Maximum, a welcome newcalendar event, where competitors hotly rallied forposition in a tightly cornered “arena-like course,”looping around the parking lot of the Red DeerCentrium. As its name suggests, the racerevealed maximum athletic efforts, to spectatorswho delighted in the spectacle.

On the heels of Criterium Maximum, Juneopened with the time-honoured Pigeon LakeRoad Race, complete with the well-receivedCategory 6, and the traditional post-race bar-beque-and-social gathering. Just about the timewe were voicing concerns about weather playinghavoc with track meets, the winds, clouds andrains did an about-turn, allowing the VelocityShish-Ka-Bob to actually happen. Banff BikeFest – demonstrating incredible flair and pizzazz.For a “first ever” race – proved to be “quite” thenew addition to the calendar. Predominately an“invitational” event, the Fest drew an assortmentof elite Alberta and BC teams. While the high-calibre racing was more than enough to garnerthe public’s attention, the antics of Banff’s ownCrazy Larry – balloon-artist, cheer-leader andcycling-fan extraordinaire - added an extradimension to the festival-like atmosphere thatenveloped the mountain town for two days.Based on the positive response received, we canbe assured the impressive Banff Bike Fest isscheduled for a repeat performance. From the

www.a lber tab icyc le .ab .ca

continued on page 6

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Al

an S

chie

tzsc

h

Season Review

ROAD & TRACKAhhh, the

Memories of“Rolling Hills and Scenic

Landscapes”By Carol Mayne with immense creative input ,

editing and all-aroundsupport from Andy Holmwood)



Season Reviewmountains back to the prairies – and there: the Devon Grand Prix, withits wild downtown street sprints, a 39 km, buffeted-by-winds-and-cool-temperatures Time Trial, and an exciting Road Race circumnavigatingthe middle of, well…the rolly hills and scenic fields surrounding Devon.The Cloverlawn ITT was the June wrap-up.

July 1st – and what better way to celebrate a mid-week day-off thanat Edmonton’s Legislative Grounds, host-site for the Canada DayCriterium. The scenic, undulating circuit, with its trademark downhillchicane (and array of assorted potholes!), boasts a strong proud pres-ence, and a guarantee of exciting race strategy. For the next while,many ABA’ers went west to race BC SuperWeek, while other folkenjoyed the Stampede Road Race, at which the commissaires dressedwestern and followed on horseback (just kidding – but given theopportunity, they were game to do so!!). Also on the race menu wasthe first run of the Speed Theory Time Trials, showcasing what is sureto become its trademark “Killer Kilometer,” embedded into an already-grueling two time-trial, back-to-back competition. July finished off witha welcome, much-needed reprieve from racing. At this point, everyonepreoccupied themselves by watching Tour de France and hyping up forthe upcoming challenges the next month would bring.

August – and the inaugural Calgary Bike Week. With its stellar repu-tation firmly entrenched in the cycling community, the Tour deBowness was first up. The signature hill climb and crit receivedincreased “add this to the competition” status this year, with the addi-tion of a road race, which took riders along the rolly, scenic landscapenorthwest of Cochrane. The signature crit – through downtownBowness – was as popular as always (even commissaries place thecrit on their “top three events to officiate” list!!) as were the usualshenanigans involving Elvis, Pilsner, and several crazed Bownesians.On the heels of the Bowness three-day event, was a terrific newcomerto the racing series – the Bearspaw Open, sponsored by – and,indeed, under the escort of - the RCMP. The 5.6km circuit race tookcompetitors around the challenging (and yes, rolling) terrain surround-ing the Bearspaw Open golf course. Bike Week finished off with theProvincial ITT at Canmore. The week also afforded championshipopportunities for the province’s slate of strong, competitive youth rid-ers, with road events embedded within the Tour de Bowness (criteri-um), the Bearspaw Open (road race), and the Canmore ITT, as well asa special Youth Championship Provincial Track Meet. We do have animpressive cast of young up-and-coming cyclists, as was clearly evi-dent through these competitions.

After a week’s break, racing resumed with Track ProvincialChampionships in Edmonton, where both the temperatures and theracing were hot. Next up was the Provincial Road Race, which fol-lowed a course similar to the Tour de Bowness RR route. What hap-pened of note? The two lead women (Pepper and Nik) finished hand-in-hand, and Cyrus Kangarloo made up for a few missed races byknackering himself to ride nearly 50km solo, finishing well ahead ofthose in his category.

With August over, just a few events were left before the ABA pelotonturns into a bunch of uber-enthusiastic cyclo-cross fanatics. The finalSpeed Theory Time Trial (those guys really like ITT’s) was contested, aswas the Masters’ Road Race during the first weekend in September.Racing finished off with the traditional Norquay Hill Climb: results sawKrishtalka set a strong overall finish time, as well as new records inthe Women’s and U17 Men’s categories (Danelle Kabush – Luna,

Samuel Beaudoin – Juventus, respectively).So…where does the season leave us? With respect to ITTs -

Krishtalka 3, Copeland 3. Looks like we need a ride off – Anyone(Speed Theory, perhaps?) up for organizing a November TT?

If not…it’s on to Cyclo-cross!!!

A few wrap-up “BRAVOS” from the season…

● Tara Whitten (Velocity) with impressive results in a number of women’s events;

● Tim Heemskerk (United) winning the Banff Bike Fest Criterium;● Team H&R Block obtaining Trade Team status, stepping up their

elite program great new races: Criterium Maximum, Bearspaw Open, Tour de Bowness RR, Banff Bike Fest

● Banff Bike Fest – ready for the next level● Bill Blonski (bicisport) – a real ambassador of the sport with his

enthusiasm and participation!● The motivating, inspiring and heart-warming presence of the

paralympic cyclists at the Speed Theory ‘Last Chance” Itt: JP Austring, Brian Martin, John Bereczki and especially, Courtney Sarvis. Thank you for reminding us what can be accomplished with positive attitudes, determination and perseverance.!!

● Midweek Cycling’s weekly crit races in Calgary; midweek racing in Edmonton

And most important – bravo to all those who raced and, in sodoing, succeeded in reaching whatever goals they set for themselves!!Good on you!!

Continued from page 5

Cat 1/2 Provincial Criterium Championships atthe Tour De Bowness.

Tara Whitten (Velocity) competing for Canadaon the World Cup Track Circuit.



Ready, set, GO. The year of the rat, 2008was a splendid move in the right direction formountain biking as we had a majestic 17races on the dirt in our glorious province ofAlberta.

The Alberta Down Hill Riders Association(ADHRA) stepped up to the plate again thisyear and hosted the entire gravity series with 4low down on the DH, downhill races. If it was-n’t for El Presidenté Doug “No Name Needed”Zeck of the ADHRA, we wouldn’t have had anyDH races in Alberta for the past few years. Weowe them a passionate kiss/hug combo for allof their tireless efforts. The kickin’ it live eventswere held at Edmonton’s Rabbit Hill, GoldenBC’s Kickinghorse resort, Blairmore’s PassPowderkeg was the Provincial Championships,and Calgary’s COP. All events were well attend-ed and colossal smiles were seen by riders allaround. Holler to Ty “Baron Von Skillz” Paksi ofADHRA for taking home the “Leader” plate andthe series title, and to Nick “Awesome” Quinn(Calgary Cycle) who laser-raced the fastesttime at the Provincials.

The lonely yet powerful 1,300 rider strong,24 Hours of Adrenaline (which was also theWorld Solo Championships), was held inCanmore on a handsome July weekend.Alberta riders Cory “Magic Man” Wallace(Freeskool) and Dallas “Shake ‘N Bake” Morris(H & R Block) represented our motherland liketrue strongman lumberjacks with theirrespectable 5th and 8th place finishes.

For the cross-country riders, we had 12events. I can remember it like it was yester-day…It all started way back in April at theCoulee Cruiser in Lethbridge, where riders ravedabout the new course layout. Riders wereheard saying things like, “best Lethbridgecourse ever!”, and, “The fight iswon or lost far away from witness-es - behind the lines, in the gymand out there on the dirt, longbefore I dance on the pedalsunder that sun.”, and “Anytime Isee something screech across aroom and latch onto someone'sneck, and the guy screams andtries to get it off, I have to laugh,because, what is that thing?”

Next up was the first of 4 racesthat were hosted by the honorable

Evan (Suffer Face) Sherman and Mike(Wrecking Ball) Sarnecki, of Alberta MTBRacing. Will Ferrell once said in a famousSaturday Night Live skit, “We need more cowbell”, and that’s what these guys did. Theybought 200 cow bells from a top secret cowbell dealer that was located somewhere near“area 51” in the Arizona desert, and handedthem out at the first 2 races. These guysstepped up the level of fun and atmosphere atall of their events which were the Perogy XC,Bacon Buffett of Pain and Suffering, NordeggLife Checklist, and the XC Provincials. Greathustle guys! No one will never again say, “weneed more cow bell”.

Returning XC races in ’08 were the CanmoreIron Lung, Summer Solstice in Bragg Creek,Canmore Canada Cup, Devon Dust Up of LowerDevonshire, and the legendary Bow 80. Yourwriters favorite mountain bike trails in the Worldare part of 2 races. One is the CanmoreCanada Cup course, which was brought to youby the Rundle Mountain Cycling Club. Theother was hosted by Cyclemiesters/Bow Cycleand they were the ones with the sweet tastingB-B-Q sausage that was handed out at the IronLung, which took place on the Nordic Center’slower trails. Rave reviews came from the vastmajority of riders. I personally would like tothank Canmore and all of the Canmore organiz-ers for being excellent!

Alberta’s oldest XC race course is the SufferSprings Summer Solstice, and it is always goodfor some muddin’. On some of the same trailsas the Summer Solstice is the famous Bow 80.This grand event sold out 200 spots in lessthree hours. That’s almost as much time as ittakes for Roddi “Hot Sauce” Lega to completethe race course. Livin’ La-Vida Loca that’scrazy! The demand is there for the riders,

which proves that with a heck ofan event, comes a heck of a lotof racers. Heck YEAH!

The Devon Dust Up was host-ed by Hardcore of Edmonton. Idon’t know how a race on theprairies could have so muchclimbing, but it did. The guyscooked up burgers and the rainstayed away just long enough forHot Sauce to lock his keys in hiscar. Doh! But the trials dudesthat were demoing their super

skills helped us break it open and the dayended on a happy note with another burgerand another cool event.

Brand spanking new events in the year ofthe rat were the Hinton Moustache Madness,and the Giver-8-er which took place atCalgary’s COP. Cory “Magic Man” Wallace andFreewheel Cycle in Jasper kicked in to organizethe Moustache Madness. The new course gotspectacular reviews, and moustache madnesswas had by all. The Giver-8-er was Alberta’ssole 8-hour event and oh boy, do people loveto sit on their bike seats for 8 hrs. This attrac-tive young go-getter of a race was hosted byDeadgoat and it was part of the WesternNational Marathon Series. Deagoat held awonderful event and Crazy Larry announced thefull 8 hrs with all his might. Good times!

The blissful winners of both the XC seriesand the Provincial Championships were, Tim“The Lean Mean Heemskerk’en Machine”Heemskerk (United Cycle) and Pepper“Crushfield” Harlton (Juventus). Lovable nick-names for Tim and Pepper, by some destroyerbike riders. The Western National MarathonSeries winners were Alana “Awesome” Heise(Terrascape) and Craig “Barron Von Lightning”Stappler (Deadgoat)

And that’s that. The super enjoyable ’08mountain bike season all wrapped up in a nicepackage! See you all in ’09.

Pepper Harlton(Juventus) and TimHeemskerk (UnitedCycle) winnersof the Alberta MTBXC Series.

Cody Ratte (ADHRA) one ofAlberta's up-and-comingDH riders.

Roddi’s Stimulating 2008 MOUNTAIN BIKE SEASON

Phot

o by

Ric

hard

Rat

te



Season Review BMXOn the local front, BMX racing in Alberta continues to grow –

bigger races, more riders, more fun. Imagine how big things willbe next year with BMX in the spotlight in the Olympics, we’re allwondering what kind of a rider increase we will see next season!We saw a rise in the number of Junior and Elite racers at theraces this year too, which is a good sign for the 2012 Olympics.Watch out as Alberta riders continue to be the leaders in Canada.

This year also saw the resurrection of the CBA (Canadian BMXAssociation) to help with the organization of the Western NationalSeries. This series challenges riders from both BC and Alberta(and perhaps Saskatchewan soon!), in a series format similar tothe Provincial series.

With weather to play a bigger factor in this years series – but inthe end all the Provincials made it through Mother Nature’s wrathbut the Western National Series final in Calgary which fell victimto the rains again!

We also saw the BMX community come together to supportRiley Zeer - a young boy who was seriously injured in a BMXaccident this year. Donations and fundraising for a trust fundhas shown how great the BMX community in Alberta can cometogether.

The Provincial Cup Series began in Morley’s awesome indoorfacility in March and was followed next in June at the Calgarytrack in a co-host situation between Calgary and Okotoks BMX.Next the series returned to Stony Plain after a 2 year absenceand for the second race in a row the rain stayed away justenough to get the race completed. Airdrie, the track of OlympianSam Cools held Provincial #4 in July, followed by an unexpectedProvincial for Cochrane in August. The last in the series before thefinals was held in Lethbridge in August as well. The Grands andProvincial Championships completed the Provincial season in RedDeer this September and the weather was great for that weekend.

The Western National Series also started off at the MorleyIndoor in March followed by two Nationals in Abbotsford in June.In the regular series format of two Nationals per weekend thenext two were back in Alberta at Red Deer in July, then off to BCagain for a pair at Ridge Meadows. The final national and Grandswere held in Calgary on August 30-31. Well, at least the finalNational was as the Grands never made it through the rain.

This year also had the special edition of the bi-annual AlbertaSummer Games in Medicine Hat! In a format different to theAlberta Cup Series, racers had great fun and were treated tosome blistering hot weather. Many thanks to the tracks who host-ed qualification events and helped manage teams.

What a great Year for BMX! See you out on the Track in 2009!

2008 goes down in history as the year BMXhit the big time (finally) with it’s inclusioninto the Olympics. Although our girl Sammydidn’t medal we are all proud of how wellshe did and hope for more Canadian con-tent in 2012. By Darren Williams

2008Provincial BMXChampionships

Top

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f S

ue M

orro

w


11759 Groat Road, Edmonton, AB T5M 3K6

Pursuant to the provisions of the Society Act of Alberta and the By-Laws of the Alberta Bicycle

Association notice to members is hereby given of the Annual General Meeting of the Alberta

Bicycle Association – to be held in Calgary, AB on November 15, 2008.

Location: University of Calgary

ICT Building Room 121, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary

At the Annual General Meeting, you will be asked to:

1. Approve amendments to the By-laws of the Corporation

2. Approve the financial statements of the Corporation and receive the auditors report

regarding such financial statements

3. Appoint auditors for the following year

4. Elect members to the Board of Directors, Racing Committee and BMX Committee

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in Calgary!

Alan Schietzsch

President

Alberta Bicycle Association

The positions up for election are:

5.1 President (2 years)

5.2 Vice President BMX (2 years)

5.3 Vice President (Women’s Cycling) (1 year)

5.4 2 Members at Large (2 years)

1 Member at Large (1 year)

5.5 3 Racing Committee member (2 years); 1 member (1 year)

5.6 1 BMX Committee member (2 years)

5.7 2 Financial Auditors (1 year)

Above: Any member in good standing may be elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the

association in any capacity except President. In order to be nominated for election as

President an individual must have served at least one year on the Board of Directors of the

Association.

If you would like information on the roles and responsibilities of a particular position, please

contact the ABA office at 780-427-6352 or toll free at 1-877-646-BIKE.

If you are interested in running for a position, but will be unable to attend the AGM, please

contact the ABA office for a nomination form.



You may often see Masters riders the Alberta Road orMountain Bike series however Masters athletes often ask wherecan I ride with my peers? In the Alberta racing calendar thereare two road races for Masters – Stampede Road Race andMasters Provincial Championships.

At the National Level, races outside Alberta include theNational Championships, the North American Cup and theHuntsman Games. The Nationals consists of three independentevents – Individual Time Trial (ITT), Road Race (RR) and Criterium(CR). For the past 3 years Nationals are being hosted by St.George de Beauce in Quebec. Alberta usually performs wellthere – 2007 and 2008 produced a number of podium and highplacing. This year we saw Carolyn Soules taking home the silverin the Masters B ITT, Gideon Krishtalka (H & R Block) takinghome the gold in Masters A ITT, Jon Wood (ERTC/Revolution) tak-ing the gold in Master A Road Race and Criterium and yourauthor winning the Masters D ITT.

There are also Masters races that attract international atten-tion. The North American Cup is a 25-year old race in Sutton,Quebec. The Cup is a 4-stage challenge where athletes areawarded medals in the individual events and general classifica-tion. Generally, the races include a lot of long, steep hills. 4-6km climbs at 8-10 degree were a common occurrence in 2008.There are individual, team and nation competitions. In 2007Alberta was represented by 5 riders and earned one each - gold,silver and bronze in one-day races and one bronze in the overallcompetition. Unfortunately in 2008 there was only one partici-pant from Alberta who earned one silver and bronze in individualraces and 4th place overall.

Like Juniors and Elites, the pinnacle of the Masters’ racing isthe World Championships where age-groups are divided into 5-year groups. In 2008 Canada was represented by top CanadianTime Trial specialist Carolyn Soules (Crankmasters) of Calgarywho ended up 10th in a pack finish in the Road Race and 8thin the ITT!

For riders who are 50 +, the Huntsman Games in St. George,Utah has become akin to the Olympics for Masters athletes –with cycling just one of many sports. The athletes are dividedinto 5-year age groups from 50 to 90! Cyclists can compete inroad racing, cross country and triathlon. The Games are popularwith Albertans. Presently, there are 4 Calgary racers in trainingfor 2008 Games.

Masters cyclists make up a great deal of our cycling popula-tion throughout Alberta and Canada – make sure to follow someof their great achievements.

Where Do Masters Race?

Joanne Breau and Carolyn Soules(Calgary Crankmasters) at the 2008Road National Championships.

In the past issue the Spin’s readers learned why Masters race. I’m hoping to nowprovide you an overview of where we race. By Lev Krivitsky



TIPS on Efficiently

Commissairing

A Time Trial1. Make sure that you have a complete and accurate start list

available.2. Make your way to the start line, with the other Commissaires in tow,

at least 5 minutes prior to the start, announcing along the way to thethrongs of riders who are within earshot that the race will be startingfairly soon. Use the bullhorn as you walk away from the hall; wordshould get around quickly.

3. Give a starting list to your Whip so that he/she can start yelling atthe riders to be prepared at the line making sure that they have theirnumbers a placed properly – 1 number on the middle of the lower back.

4. Give your speech about people shouldn't be wandering all over theroad, and spectators and coaches should not be talking in your ear; theycan babysit their riders from the one ditch only (cone side).

5. Tell you Holder that it is permissible to 'assist' those riders whoappear to stumble out of the gate, only in keeping the rider from fallingover. They may not propel riders forward or hold them back if they false-start.

6. Ask your Holder to confirm each rider's number when they come tothe 'gate' for their countdown so you can check them off when theydepart.

7. You and the other Commissaires start your stop-watches (youshould have two watches running - one is your back-up) when it appearsthat the event is ready to go and then tell the first rider that he will bestarting in one minute (or as per the allotted interval). The Finish-LineCommissaires can make their way to the finish. If it is a 40Km TT theywill have almost an hour to crawl to the finish before the first ridersappear.

8. If it is a very short time trial, be sure to start your watches earlyenough to allow the Commissaires to get to the finish line! Don't forgetto subtract the difference

9. Inform each rider not to move until after you say "GO" and tellthem when they have 30 seconds, 15 seconds, and then give themthe ' five, four, three, two, one, GO ' countdown. If any rider startsrolling before you say go and they are blatant and obvious about it, makea note of it next to their name. Discuss with the other Commissairesafterwards the amount of the penalty - you will be assessing and makesure the results show the penalties in a separate column so they knowwhy they have been penalized.

10. If it appears that a rider is going to miss his/her start time, makesure that the next rider does not try to fill that spot. Tell that rider torelax while you send off the Ghost rider, and that the next rider still hasanother minute. If the late rider shows up to the line within that next

minute, give the rider the choice to race with the clock running, or thatyou (check your start list) and there is adequate space to start them atthe end of their category or the end of all categories. Makes sure informthe riders approximately how much time they have before their 'new'start. You will have 45 seconds to explain this before you have to com-pletely concentrate on the next rider so stay focused on the main task: arider goes every minute - just hold up your hand to whoever is talking toyou, say "hold on a sec..." and turn your attention to give the countdownor 30 second warning, get the next rider going, then continue with organ-izing the late rider's new start. If you notice any open spots (obvious no-shows) at that time, slot the rider in the empty space and tell them whento be ready. Make sure to note any changes to your start list to ensurethe results are reported accurately.

11. If a rider decides not to wait for another start time, he/she mustcome to a complete stop at the line before proceeding (ie: a rider showsup 20 seconds late for his start and tries to ride around everyone to geton course. You must tell him to present himself to the line and come toa complete stop before he can start his race.)

12. After the last rider has departed, proceed to the finish line toassist in getting times for the riders.

AT THE FINISH:

1. Have someone positioned 20 or 30 metres before the finish line tocall out riders' numbers so that the officials have time to write down thenumber and then get their times as they cross the line. In the case oftwo or more riders, agree amongst yourselves as to which rider to payattention to so that all riders receive a time. It is a bonus if you haveradio communication between your caller and the finish line officials -that way your caller can go even further down the road to give the offi-cials more time to prepare for the arrival of the riders.

2. It helps if you have radio contact between the Finish-LineCommissaires and the people who are tabulating results at the hall. Thisway you can inform your results-people of any changes you made to thestart list sooner so that the proper times can be calculated and the rid-ers do not have to wait around as long afterwards.

3. Once again, if you have your own tips or tricks that help you do yourjob, or if you think I have forgotten something please share your ideaswith the rest of us.

Please email your ideas to either [email protected] [email protected]

By Bernie Fagnan - Provincial Chief Commissaire

Commissaires Corner



Pressure. By definition, pressure is the exertion of continuousforce upon something, or, a compelling or oppressive influ-ence. I am not sure what compelled me to go to Beijing, but

in the middle of Alberta’s BMX racing season, I left my bikes athome and followed through with the decision to travel halfwayacross the world to be a spectator at one of the most significantevents in the 35 year-or-so history of BMX racing. The 2008 sum-mer Olympics in China was a landmark event for many reasons.

Could a country behind a curtain of red tape for so long hold asuccessful Olympic games? They most certainly did.

What about the pollution? It wasn’t as bad as I feared.Would the Olympic debut of BMX racing put our little bikes on

the international sporting map, or would it be forever be banishedto backyards and shady lots? By all accounts, in dramatic fashion,was home to a successful event.

Everyone I spoke with at the the Laoshan BMX venue in westernBeijing’s Shijingshan district thought the racing was entertaining.All the folks at home watched their TVs in the living room, in air-ports, in sports bars, with their friends, and with their children andthey all exclaimed at the end “Wow- how exciting!”

Yes, BMX racing is an entertaining sport, enthralling if you will,with all of its brightly colored bikes and jerseys, the sound of thetires whizzing by on the track and the sound of wheels spinning asthe fearless helmeted riders soar over gaps many feet in the air,going faster than rational reasoning would normally dictate. It isalso frightening in the way that the crashes, when they do eniv-itably happen, produce horrible sounds of metal on metal as bikesand riders get tangled up in a pile of SPD pedals, spokes and han-dlebars, scraped knees and elbows and dusty mouthfuls of dirt.

In Beijing, Canada was fortunate enough to have entered two

PRESSURE



athletes into the BMX competition, one male and one female.Thanks to 20 year old Scott Erwood from Surrey, British Columbia,Canada’s BMX boys just barely earned a spot in the inaugural event.He beat out young James Brown of Airdrie, Alberta, the country’s topmale UCI points earner up to 2008, in a two rider race-off.

On the women’s side, the shoe-in was Samantha Cools, also ofAirdrie. Samantha is part of a family steeped in BMX tradition, andher family has had a huge impact on the sport of BMX racing notonly in Alberta but in all of North America and other continents aswell. At 22 years old, Cools holds an unprecedented number of firstplace finishes at UCI world events, is one of the CCA’s carded ath-letes, and the only BMXer to wear the rainbow jersey for the red andwhite, awarded to the winning athelete in the elite class(es) at theWorld Championships.

Everyone in Canada had their gold medal hopes set on Sam

Cools, who finished fifth in a tough field at the 2008 world champi-onships held just months before the Olympics. (Erwood had a goodshowing, making it to the quarterfinal round of 32 riders beforebeing eliminated). While local riders gathered at Cools’ home trackin Airdrie to talk in front of CBC’s cameras to hype up the sport andshowcase one of Alberta’s many BMX racing facilities, Sam andScott were gearing up for the biggest race of their lives to date.

In Alberta the tracks are modest, some more challenging thanothers, but rideable by 5 year old children and 50 year old men andwomen alike. Somewhere in between, those that have put in theeffort to take their game to the top level, the elite riders, ride thevery same tracks.

This makes the one-of-a-kind Supercross tracks such as the oneat the 2008 Olympics Games that much more of a challenge toconquer. Alberta, well, Canada, for that matter, has scarcely any

2008 BEIJING BMX BY DARCY FATEAUX

Opposite page left: Start of Women's qualifying with Airdrie's Sam Cools.Left: Men's qualification heat. Right: Sam Cools in her qualification run.

continued on page 14

Photos by Darcy Fateaux



international level Supercross BMX tracks. The one that we do layclaim to as Canadians, is the track built in Victoria, BritishColumbia for the 2007 UCI BMX World Championships.

However, BMX racing tracks all over the country, includingAlberta, are gradually being upgraded to bigger and better courseswith wide, aggressive asphalt berms and larger, more menacingdoubles, triples, and rollers to accommodate the demand for more

of a challenge. This is allowing Canadian BMX riders more of anopportunity to prepare themselves to take on the competition atan international level. One such track that has pioneered thischange is Airdrie’s track, dubbed “The Track of Champions”

The scarcity of world class tracks coupled with sparse competi-tion and Canada’s brutal winters has sent Canada’s best andmost dedicated BMX racers manualling south of the border oroverseas to ply their trade and hone their skills. It seemed thatCools raced and trained just about everywhere except Alberta toprepare for the event, including British Columbia, California,Switzerland, China, and many points between. Once she did returnhome from Beijing, the first place she went was her home track inAirdrie, Alberta to meet with old friends and recount the tale of herattempt at Olympic glory, glad to be able to relax and begin toprocess her whole whirlwind experience to the pinnacle of athleticcompetition.

The finals went down something like this: Erwood was sitting inthe stands after an early quarterfinal elimination, watching Latvia’sMaris Strombergs spin his way to the front of the field and lead forthe majority of the race. A crash in the second turn which startedwith a washed out front wheel from Sifiso Nhlapo from the repub-lic of South Africa, took out more than half the field and the sec-

ond and third podium spots were nabbed by Mike Day and DonnyRobinson from the USA who both finished less than a secondbehind Strombergs.

On the women’s side, Cools overcame some unexpected diversi-ty during warm-up laps to qualify through the semi-finals to thefinals. A fellow rider commented to me once I was back on hometurf in Alberta, that seeing Cools make it to the final was just like

Canada winning the gold medal. It is a point that waswell taken, considering the level of competition Coolsand all the other riders were facing.

In anti-climactic fashion, Cools’ race was over beforeit had barely started. Getting pulled out of the gateand down the hill by the riders to the left and right ofher put her at the back of the pack before the ridershad reached the first obstacle on the track. All eighttook to the air when Cools and her bike were uncere-moniously spit out from the aggressive pack of gold-thirsty riders and she landed with a thud on top of thefirst double. She did get back up and cross the finishline, an official ranking of seventh by the accounts Iread. France doubled up on the podium with 31 yearold out-of-retirement Anne-Marie Chausson in first andLaetitia le Corguille in second. USA’s Jill Kitner roundedout the top three, taking the bronze.

After the race, I found Samantha, who had wanderedaway from the restricted area for athletes to presum-ably look for her parents who were there supporting her.She still managed to be all smiles, and in true profes-sional fashion, posed for pictures with Chinese volun-teers and talked to fans which came up to greet herand offer their congratulations for accomplishing whatshe had done. She said it just wasn’t her day, and per-haps it wasn’t.

Three weeks later, Samantha was in Okotoks with her brother,Ken, helping him run a BMX skills camp for age groupers. Shemust have signed a hundred autographs that day and stood forjust as many pictures with parents, fans, and riders alike. Sheeven took a couple of practice gates with some of the youngcampers, who were thrilled to be riding beside an Olympicathelete. I was part of that camp, the oldest rider by at least 15years, having a blast honing my skills and trying to get better.Samantha pulled me aside after one of my runs and gently com-mented “You can manual through that section- you’re going fastenough- just try it next time.”

I gave it my all and I heard her let out a shout of approval as Inavigated through the rollers. I was all smiles for the rest of thecamp; like a kid again, pulling that first bunnyhop up and overcurb. It was a simple reminder how much joy bicycle riding bringsto the lives of people who have a passion for BMX riding and arewilling to let it be a part of their lives.

Cools says that her next goal is to qualify and compete inLondon at the 2012 summer Olympic games. That race is a longway off, and in the meantime, she will have a lot of time to thinkabout where she has already been and where she is going to endup.

Continued from page 13



Top: Kris Dahl - Kris Dahl (TeamAlberta/CMC/Bow Cycle) takeshome the silver in the Junior Men'scompetition at the NationalChampionships.

Above: David Larson (Team Alberta-Juventus) and Mike Bidniak (TeamAlberta/Juventus) thrill the home-town crowd with finish 1 -2 in theU23 Canadian NationalChampionships

ALBERTA Hosts the BIGGEST Weekend

in Canadian CYCLO-CROSSAs the leaves fall from the trees and the

air cools, two things can be certain: it isfall, and it is time to put away the skinny

tires and bring out the knobby tires. It isCyclo-cross season! This year, Albertans weretreated to something truly special as Edmontonplayed host to the 2008 Canadian NationalCyclo-cross Championships and the UCI JimHorner Grand Prix at Argyll Park on October11th and 12th.

The first day (National Championships),began overcast and very cold – below zero andwith heavy frost on the ground for the morningMasters categories. The wind was also themost significant obstacle in the race, makingriders leery of attacking solo in the headwindon the long straightaway. The weather didn’tstop a number of Albertans from putting ingreat performances. Sian Barraclough(Velocity) and Nancy Burden (Juventus) gettingthings started off going 1 -2 in the women’smasters event. Lance Adamson (Juventus) wasnext and he realized is his goal for 2008 bytaking the bronze in the Men’s Masters C race.Sean Barr (Pedalhead Roadworks) took homethe Gold in the Master B category – his first inMasters B but 4th as a Masters rider. DallasMorris (H & R Block) finished off completinghis strong showing for Alberta’s Masters by tak-ing home the silver in his first Cyclo-Cross raceof the year!

In the Junior men’s race, a group of 5 riderspulled away early from the rest of the packwith Evan Guthrie (BC) taking long pulls at thefront and leading on the run ups before even-tually taking the win but it was Kris Dahl (TeamAlberta/CMC/Bow Cycle), a first year Junior,who turned heads on the day by taking homethe silver in this hotly contested event.

Mike Bidniak (Team Alberta/Juventus) gavethe hometown crowd a special treat by winningthe Under-23 men's title. In a display of team-

work by Bidniak and David Larson (TeamAlberta/Juventus) rode away from the field bythe halfway mark, dropping the remnants of thelead group - Andrew Thomas (Saskatchewan),Kyle Fry (Ontario) and just behind them CodyCanning (ERTC/Revolution).

In powerful performances, Olympic mountainbiker Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) and Wendy Simms(Kona) took the Elite Men's and Women's titlesafter each broke clear of the field in theirrespective races on both days. Alberta'sPepper Harlton (Juventus/Alberta) kept itclose, pushing Simms all the way to the line totake home silver. In a hotly contested battlemen’s race, Sean Bunnin (Team Alberta) wasthe top Albertan taking home 4th place in theElite Men’s category at the Nationals.

The second day brought along the JimHorner GP and despite cold conditions, racerswere again treated to a great course, competi-tive fields and lots of fun. The spectators andthe sun came out to see Pepper Harlton(Team Alberta/Juventus) take home the silverin the women’s race to excite the Edmontoncrowd. In the Men’s race, Edmonton’s TimHeemskerk (United Cycle) showed he was upto the challenge staying with newly crownedNational Champion Geoff Kabush for most ofthe race before Kabush would pull away inthe last part and Heemskerk would take awell earned second.

The Juventus Cycling Club put on a wonder-ful weekend of racing. “We were delighted tohost the Championships in Edmonton and lookforward to hosting the event again next year”said Don Fox, Event Director. Congratulationsto all riders from Alberta on their great per-formances. If you missed it this year – makesure to mark your calendar for next year – keepup to date with the 2009 championshis andcheck out the full results at www.cyclocrossedmonton.com

Phot

os b

y M

onic

a B

rook

s



“Welcome to Hell!” was what themarshal assigned to checkpoint23 (or was it 24… maybe 25…the haze surrounding my greymatter blurred a lot of thedetails.) taunted me with as Irode past his skull and crossbones flag that he had erected onthe other side of the trail. “Idon’t want to tell you that it onlygets worse from here – but itdoes!” My first thought was thatI think he actually did want totell me that it got worse aheadand my second, more chilling,was -- did he actually know aboutthe almost 10 km hike-a-bike overflat terrain that I had just com-pleted with my mud clogged bike on the north section ofTom Snow. The only “user groups” that frequent that sec-tion of trail are the free range cattle and the ranchers onhorses who churn that low lying area east of MooseMountain into a hellacious, soupy swamp where the mudis more than a little bit questionable in terms of its bacte-ria content. I guess the other users of this trail are usmountain bikers that sign up for the Bow-80 every yearso we can endure what the gracious marshal coined“Hell” and come out on top triumphantly no matterwhich finishing position we are battling for.

Even as I write this, the dull pain of yesterday’s Bow-80lingers in my legs trying its best to not let me forget themix of agony and satisfaction that I, and close to 200 oth-

ers, endured. That is XCmountain bike racing for you.That short narrative doesn’tdescribe your average XC racebut the “grand narrative” of per-sonal accomplishment is echoedat every race. There are severalthings that set mountain bikingapart from other cycling disci-plines and those are the thingsthat will ensure that I keep com-ing back to the sport that cap-tured me. I will attempt to list,for me, what defines mountainbike racing. I should also pointout that I take part in and enjoymost niches of cycling and thosethat I don’t participate in myself,

I still respect greatly. This is not meant as a comparisonto other cycling disciplines but as a personal look intowhat I love about racing.

The single-most defining aspect of XC mountain bikeracing is the art of mastering technical difficulties that acourse throws at you while you are in a state of physicalduress. This is paramount to the sport and is part ofevery good race course. A rider brings herself to thepoint where, if she were on a wind trainer indoors, shewould have her head down and saliva dripping off herchin. In the world of mountain bike racing, that is exactlywhen we throw a 100 metre descent at her with 9 turns, 3drop-offs, and countless trees to avoid that come withininches of her handlebars not to mention the seemingly

XCMTBBy Jon Nutbrown “the Ridley’s Cycle guy with long hair and piercings”


infinite roots under her tires, some to finda way over and others just to distract her.Or… perhaps she needs to climb up 100metres with the same obstacles all doingtheir best to impede forward movement.The technical prowess of a rider truly is anart. One that I never tire of watching anartist perform.

The second part of my collection ofwhat defines mountain bike racing is thatit is not for “fakers” or “excuse-makers”.If you’ve ever been part of a mountainbike race you’ll remember the surrealmoments in the last few seconds beforethe starter pistol breaks the quiet sound ofthe athlete’s nervous shallow breathing. Ihave been racing for about ten years nowand I still get butterflies before I race (thatis an improvement over throwing up withnervousness like I did when I started in my Junior days).That nervousness comes from knowing that your quads,heart and lungs are going to be in a world of pain in sec-onds and there is nowhere to hide and no one to pointthe finger at but yourself if things don’t work out in yourfavour. You can’t hide in the pack and show up for the“important” part of the race. You can’t “sit in and just fin-ish with the pack”, there is no pack most of the time. Ifyou try you’ll likely be spit out the back and be droppedlike a soiled chamois. Eighth place is better than ninthplace which is better than tenth place. Results that justsay “same time” are a non-existent reality. The race isn’tover in one to five minutes. You’re going to have to sufferto success or suffer to humility or just give up like a loser.In the end it is you and what you could offer up on agiven day.

Mountain biking is painful. Not in a meaningless sortof way or in a way that needs to be remedied (althoughoccasionally it is that sort). It is the type of pain that issimultaneously rewarding. If you’ve never thought aboutletting the air out of your tires and claiming you doubleflatted so you could end your race early with some sort of

dignity, you’ve never raced XC mountainbikes. It’s universal as far as I know. I’vehad races that I have literally finished intears from exhaustion and joy that I fin-ished in spite of the exhaustion. I’ve racedLa Ruta de los Conquistadores and onDay One, in 2006, brought myself to thepoint where I and the soul of my verybeing were separate and were able to dia-logue about the essence of existence. Iexaggerate to make a point but honestlythat is what it felt like. Pain and sufferingare synonymous with racing your moun-tain bike long distances.

Lastly, in the definition of mountain bikeracing, is that it is joy. I use the word“joy” because I don’t feel comfortableusing the word “fun”. Yes, of coursemountain biking is fun, and I believe we

should incorporate the absolute maximum amount of funinto our races and the time before and after. However, ifI’m burrowing down to the core of what defines mymountain bike racing, I have to choose the word joy.Mountain bike racing brings me joy when (or after) I’msuffering. It brings me joy when I look forward to thenext epic race. It brings me joy when I rail that ridicu-lously gnarly section of trail in the BC bike race!Mountain bike racing is one of the things that give megreat joy in my life. It is beat only by faith, family andrelationships with friends but it weaves its way throughthose aspects of my life as well.

Admittedly, my list of the defining attributes of XCmountain bike racing may not look that appealing at firstglance. I hope, though, that you can get a sense of how Ilove and respect the sport that I am proud to participatein. I also hope, that if you haven’t already, that you trymountain bike racing for yourself. You will get your ownsmall triumph story like the one I started the article withand many more like it. I know you will find that youhave in some way, even in a small way, added to your lifeand the lives of others.

B

Did you know that you can make a donation to help cycling in Alberta and receive a tax-deductible receiptfor your contribution? Like any other non-profit organization, the Alberta Bicycle Association (ABA) is alwaysseeking additional resources. The Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation (ASRPWF) administers a Donation Fund, which provides tax-deductible receipts for unconditional contributions tothe ABA.

The full amount of each donation goes directly to the support cycling in Alberta!To find out how to make a donation to the ABA through the ASRPWF check out the websitehttp://www.tprc.alberta.ca/asrpwf/getinvolved/donation/index.asp or contact the ABA office at 1-877—646-2453


You’re going to

have to suffer to

success or suffer to

humility or just

give up like a loser.



So say the majority of single occupancy car commuters inNorth America. Fortunately, not everyone thinks this way andto tip the open minded commuters over to an alternate

mode, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)initiative has delivered upwards of 3% of the US federal transporta-tion budget into the hands of cyclist and pedestrian planers recent-ly. At least in America, the feds are paying more than lip service tothe alternate transportation movement.

Recently, I attended the ProWalk/ProBike conference in Seattlewith co-cycling advocate, Jeff Gruttz. We got a first hand look athow this windfall is being used and its lessons for Canada. Weshould watch very carefully what is happening south of the 49th,because many new approaches are being attempted as govern-ments try new ways to encourage ages 8-80 to bicycle more.

Bike lanes were an early experiment. The idea was to encour-age cyclists with no vehicular cycling skills to use bike lanes onbusy arterials and hopefully leave the car a home once in awhile. One of the unexpected effects of painting bike lane lineson many roads in California was the passage of the statewide“mandatory sidepath” (MS) law which requires cyclists to useparallel facilities in the road right of way if they exist, no matterhow poorly planned, constructed or maintained. Alberta has itsown version of the MS law which forces cyclists riding on high-ways that have shoulders to use them.

Bike lanes are claimed by some cities (e.g., Portland OR) to haveincreased cycle commuting popularity. When properly installed onappropriate roadways, bike lanes can be effective. Our highwayshoulders are defacto bike lanes. But one unexpected result ofplacing inexperienced cyclists in urban bike lanes is that theyattempt left hand turns from the right side of the road.

All major transportation projects that receive US federal fundingnow require a bike/ped audit to ensure that alternate transporta-tion users will be served where appropriate by each project. It hascreated a lucrative new transportation consultancy niche (chaching!!!) and lots of new government jobs.

In 1994, Jeff Gruttz and I attended the ProBike conference inPortland OR. A recurring and subliminal anti-car rhetoric was evi-

dent. Fairly radical publications like De-paving America containedcartoons like the ones here and factoids (e.g., Did you know thatthe US has now paved over an area equivalent to the State ofIllinois?)

That rhetoric is largely gone now and in its place, a new breed ofconsultants shows how municipal and state governments can spendtheir new windfall. The recent Seattle ProWalk/ProBike conferencewas attended by more than 800 with a hefty $650 registration fee.Many of the presenters represented municipal, state and provincialgovernments.

If Canadian bike/pedestrian planners had 3% of Canada’s feder-al transportation budget gifted to them tomorrow, what would theirwish list look like?

For starters, I think we can agree that it would be nice to have apaved, well designed and maintained urban and rural recreationaltrail system for cyclists and others separate from the highway net-work, (e.g., the Trans Canada Trail). But for commuters, trails oftencan’t service the cyclist’s origins and destinations in an urban set-ting. So…

The first item on my wish list is generically termed “routineaccommodation” of cyclists in all new transportation construction.The City of Calgary, for instance, requires all new major roads to bebuilt with 4.3 m wide curb lanes to accommodate cyclists (thestandard width is 3.7). There are a lot of other routine accommo-dations that could be made for cyclists including:

● advance left turn signals that detect cyclists,● removal of the gutter pan (concrete extension from curb out

into the driving lane),● construction of separate paved trails in highway rights of way,● redesign of transverse rumble strips before stop signs on high-

ways to make them compatible with bicycles, etc.The technical details of this routine accommodation would be

contained in standard manuals for cycling infrastructure publishedby TAC (Transportation Association of Canada), and already exist tosome extent.

The second major item on my wish list is free: to change theUniform Vehicle Code (UVC) in Canada to promote a rationalized

The Better Way“I’ll give up my car when they can pry my cold dead fingers from the

steering wheel”

By Don Hollingshead,ABA Recreation & Transportation Committee



set of operational rules to accommodate of cyclists. Examplesinclude:

● right arm extended, right hand turn signals,● allowing two abreast riding (as is allowed in the

national parks),● bans on use of cell phones and bioptic devices

while driving,● uniform 40 kph speed limit on residential roads,● ban on mandatory sidepath laws,● rolling stops for cyclists, etc.Adoption of the Uniform Vehicle Code is optional in all

provinces so I would like to see a requirement that forces UVCadoption in all provinces, once amended.

My third item is a review of shoulder rumble strip efficacy.These are the grooves now placed beside the outside travel lanein the paved shoulder that hum loudly when motorist’s tires runover them at highway speed. They are designed to wake themotorist and keep them on the road. In my opinion, rumblestrips just postpone the inevitable and if motorists need them tostay on the road, they should not be driving. We’ve had them

long enough in Alberta now to know if they actually work or not.If they do, then let’s require highway contractors to step up theshoulder sweeping frequency so that accumulated gavel and bitsof tire are removed and the shoulders become safe places tocycle again, even in the spring time.

Finally, my fourth item is the institutionalization of bicyclingproficiency training both in the education system and beyond.We have both the program (CAN-BIKE) and the models (UK’sBikeability program). I’m not in favour of compulsory bicycle pro-ficiency training for adults (as is done for motor vehicles) but thepresent system of delivery needs assistance.

Cycling advocacy is still a needed commodity, even if largeamounts of federal dollars were available for cycling infrastruc-ture, as we’ve seen State side. If you think so too, join our teamand learn what it is that the ABA Recreation and TransportationCommittee is attempting to accomplish and lend a hand. Thecommittee meets via teleconference 2-3 times annually with aface to face meeting once annually. Just email or phone [email protected] at the ABA office for more information.



ALBE

RTA

BICY

CLE

ASSO

CIAT

ION

AGM

November 15, 2008University of Calgary

Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance digs in for trail workby Jeff Davis

If you only use the paved trail in Mill Creek as a fun and interesting route to the Argyll Velodrome, you’re missingout on a maze of off-road trails that wind through the ravine. Some are civilized paths 3m wide with a granularsurface and handsome bridges, some are barely visible gaps in the trees just wide enough for your handle-bars.*

The latter kind of trail is what interests the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance (EMBA, www.edmmtnbike.ca/)and that’s what we worked on at the EMBA Trail Day on Saturday Sept. 12, 2008 when about 10 Edmontonmountain bikers (and one enthusiastic roadie) gathered in Mill Creek Park to do some trail maintenance. Theweather was good, clear and warm on the day, but a recent rain made the ground we worked on much morepackable.

You need a variety of tools to do propertrail maintenance: shovels and rakes,Pulaskis and McLeods, saws and loppers.And patience. Lots of patience.

You need patience when you are schlep-ping fill material one bucket at a time from atrail head several hundred meters up thetrail to a mudhole that walkers and ridersavoid by widening the trail. You needpatience (and good wading boots) whenselecting rocks from a 200m stretch of MillCreek itself to find just the right pavers toarmour a low section but not to noticeablyde-rock the Creek. You need patience whendigging a hole in another low spot to fit areally big paver. You also need a strong body

at each corner of a makeshift rock carrier made of T-stakes and orange snow fence in order to move the reallybig paver into place.

Finally, you need patience, and perhaps the touch of a bonsai-koshi (master of the Japanese art of miniaturetree gardening), when clearing a trail that’s become overgrown. A snip here, a snap there, some extra attentionto that really thorny plant. As noted in the IMBA Trail Solutions book reviewed briefly in the Spring 2008 AlbertaSpin, trim brush on alternate sides of the trail every few metres to add interest, encourage bell use and avoidoverspeed-inducing straightness. Hey, if we wanted to go in a straight line we’d ride on the road.

The next EMBA Trail Day, Saturday Oct. 4 was in Terwillegar Park. (Actually, every day is a Trail Day.) We usedwhat we learned, and some strategically placed slabs of sidewalk block, to fix some mudholes in the middle-south reaches of the park and near Fireman’s Hill. Among the trail tuning tips we transferred at the EMBA TrailDays:

- Good fill for hardpack is about half sand and fines and half small sharp rocks (not rounded river gravel).The small stuff absorbs a bit of moisture and sets up almost like cement while the points on the larger aggre-gate locks the mix together.

- Dump and pack the fill into the depression you are trying to fill a thin layer at a time, the better to pack itdown and bring it to the preferred hardpack state. Pack with the flat end of a McLeod, a piece of plywood orjust jump up and down on it with your stomp-iest boots.

- Don’t try to fill a hole with bits of branches and local loamy soil. The soil will stay soft and encourage theplant material to decompose, leaving voids and soft spots and you are back to square one.

- You can armour (sort of like “pave” but that’s a four-letter word for Mtb’ers) a spot that needs it with care-fully placed rocks that have pointy bits jammed down in the substrate, flat sides facing up for a good riding sur-face and angles and shapes on their sides to lock the whole jigsaw puzzle together.

- You can also fill a mudhole or armour a dip with a slab of flat concrete sidewalk block. Make sure the slabis fully supported by flat, packed fill so it doesn’t wobble and shift or sag and break.

- Filling a slight depression on a flat trail is pretty tough. You have to keep eyeballing the situation as you tryto find someplace send the water that started the mudhole in the first place.

A good mix of people worked the two trail days, including a bunch of energetic youths from the United CycleFight Crew. Much thanks to Harvey Brauer (Velocity) for trail wisdom and to Kevin Moore (City of Edmonton)who provided fill and buckets and who arranged the necessary permissions for enthusiastic volunteers to puttheir time and effort where their mouth is. We hope to see you at the next Trail Day.

*Edmonton’s Parkland bylaw 2202, Sec. 2.n.i (page 4) defines an “Unimproved Trail” as having “a [natural] surface widthequal to or greater than a half metre”.

United Cycle Flight Crew swings Pulaskis in The Circle of Death



To become a partner contact us today:Kipp KaufmannExecutive [email protected] Bicycle Association11759 Groat RoadEdmonton, AB T5M 3K6www.albertabicycle.ab.ca

CYCLING IN ALBERTA

AN OPENING now exists to be part of whatpromises to be an exciting journey, whichwill provide your organisation with theopportunity to be part of a dynamic sport-ing brand.

The local, national, and internationalappeal of cycling is a great way to increasepublic awareness of your business. Cyclingpresents an opportunity to align yourselfwith both an elite and lifestyle brand!Cycling is among the top 10 most popularrecreational activities in all age categoriesand the second most popular participationactivity to all activities in Alberta.

As a Provincial organization, our focuscontinues to be building the framework todevelop great events, making cyclingaccessible to all and developing futureAlbertan cyclists to compete at Nationaland International Levels through a strongdevelopment program. As our membersstrive to achieve their personal best, theAlberta Bicycle Association endeavors tosupport them each step of the way. Thepresence of Alberta races on the NationalCalendar and athletes on the podium atNational races is an excellent opportunityto increase your exposure.

A strategic partnership will provide anexcellent opportunity to associate yourcompany, image and your products with alifestyle brand and winning athletes.

PARTNERSHIPS IN CYCLING

Cycling is a life-long passion for many athletes. It helpspromote a healthy lifestyle, is an excellent way to fosterclose friendships, and gives many opportunities for athletesto see the landscape of our province from the seat of abicycle. Some riders participate in cycling from a purelyrecreational standpoint, and some are dedicated to trainingto be the best in their discipline. The wide base of pro-grams and training available through the ABA are developedto cater to each of those athletes. It is our hope that wecan create relationships with corporate partners who havethe same vision for cycling in Alberta as the ABA does. Weunderstand that corporations, like athletes, have dreamsand goals. It makes this is a perfect time to develop rela-tionships with corporate sponsors which can grow andmature along with the increased participation in the sport.

This relationship will offer not only have a regionalimpact, but could provide you with national and internation-al exposure. As such, these events may provide companieswith other options for sponsoring or community involvement.


Inever would have thought that I would be going to one of thefarthest places from Calgary to ride my bike. But there I wasdoing the usual airport rigmarole, baggage, rental car, maps,

maps.... maps of South Africa! After nearly a day of pure traveling,I found myself in the Cape Town Airport hooking up with my part-ner Darrell going over highway routes to get to the start of the2007 Cape Epic.

Unbeknownst to me, Darrell had entered us in the lottery sys-tem for an early season “riding vacation”. It seemed silly to bedriving 600km on highway to turn around and ride over 900kmback to Cape Town – on a mountain bike! The Cape is one slickorganization and has won logistic awards in South Africa for theirability to move, set-up, feed, house, support, and entertain 1200riders. The route changes slightly each year with towns feverishlytrying to get the Cape to stop there as one of their over nights.Not only are South Africans very passionate about any sportingevent, the proceeds from the lottery entry fee are distributed tothe host towns. The funds are used for schools, libraries and such.

The race starts in the inner-bay town of Knysna, pronounced“nighz-na” and travels through numerous valleys, passes, towns,

orchards, and parks. On the first day, you head up into rain foresttype trees. This is a race of double track and road for the mostpart but we hold out for the sweet single track each day. It may beshort but us Canadians know how to ride this stuff and it is wortha few spots in the overall standings.

Day 2 sends us up some very exposed open road where thetemperatures are a warm South African 32-34 degrees C. Try aswe might, Darrell got some cramps so its ostrich biltong(ostrichjerky) and soya sauce. Remedied, we hooked up with a pace lineand sat in and enjoyed the view. Desert, sand, thorn bushes withneedles the size of, well, needles, low brush, hard pack dirt, grav-el, pavement. For the most part, the race takes you from one val-ley to another heading west and each valley changes almostimperceptibly. But three valleys later, it is hard to believe you wereriding in sand and desert when now it looks like the ScottishHighland hillside in those scotch whiskey ads.

In the eight days we raced, I believe my wheels crossed onlyfour water features, be it a creek, a patch of wet soil, or run offfrom the apple trees' daily watering. It was dry. So to be ridingbeside a lake/reservoir that reminds me of the Okanagan with somuch water right there for you to jump in, was motivating to getthe ride done.

On Day 7 on our way to the coast, we rode through the SouthAfrica Institute for Space and Satellite Development. After ridingeach day with a start temperature of 22-24 degrees and a daytime average of 32-36 we were told tales of cool sea breezes andexcellent riding. One must always go through a hell to get to heav-en. The hell was the desert wind that comes down the higher plainand gets funneled into a very small valley that leads to the mythi-cal coastal breeze. The trail gently undulated on beautiful buffdouble track that would have been most enjoyable except for the42 degree heat. Yes, that's right 42 degrees. If you would like toknow what that is like, follow this recipe; pre-heat oven to 300,dress in riding kit, put on helmet and glasses, open oven door, putface within 1 meter of opening, breath deeply – like you would ona good tempo ride. There you have it. I tried this and it is actuallya good and accurate representation of the feeling. Out of the val-ley and into the promised ocean, which we wallowed in for sometime until the core temperature came down.

On the last day, the race meandered through the mountainsand hillsides of the western cape. Through orchard, vineyards, andfarms we traveled. The vineyard was host to one of the best finish-es and afternoon parties I have been to compete with live bands,djs, food stalls, beer tubs, souvenirs and just about everything youcould want after 8 days on the bike. A most enjoyable end to a“riding vacation”.

BY JEFF NEILSON


Cycle Cape Town

Phot

o co

urte

sy o

f Je

ff N

eils

on a

vid

Mou

ntai

n B

iker

fro

m T

erra

scap

e R

acin

g


Alberta Spin fall '08harrismediagroup.ca/Desktop Publishing/Alberta spin/Alber… · ALBERTA SPIN...

Documents

Transcript of Alberta Spin fall '08harrismediagroup.ca/Desktop Publishing/Alberta spin/Alber… · ALBERTA SPIN...