I gotta say 2011 was a top shelf year, on and off the bike. It had its moments of frustration and torment like any one Else but all in all I have to chalk it up to one of the best. To date I have never had a year with so much racing in it, and good racing with good results. Here's to getting 2012 of on the right foot like 2011 by telling a good story of tradition.
Many moons ago while still racing these silly things called downhill bikes winter was usually spent on a trainer, in the gym a bit, getting chubbier and generally looking at your race bike collecting dust leaning against the wall in your Dad's basement. Unlike in British Columbia you simply cant grab your bike and hit a few laps down Blue Mountain or Calabogie Peaks in December. The winter of 2003/2004 was a strange one in South Western Ontario. We'd had a couple of really good dumps of snow really early but then a cold spell took over and that was it for the snow. Around the end of December it warmed up. It warmed up enough that I was able to ride home from the McPhail's Cycle Christmas Eve bash in a hoody and jeans and sweat, not freeze. Got thru Christmas, and all the space between that and the end of the year, and then come New Years eve it started to rain. And I mean West Coast rain! I eventually woke up New Years day to my phone ringing. It was my very good friend Rob Calma. He had this crazy idea to go shred our local trails within a couple hours since the weather was really warm. It was still raining cats and bats but warm. A few hours later I was putting my rain jacket on, my yellow rain pats on and a downhill helmet. 2 dudes, 2 DH bikes and a dog.....time to kill it.
Hands down that day was one of the most memorable days I've ever had on a bike. The trails were so icy, literally icy that skates would have made more sense. People tend to rip on mountain bikers for riding in the real wet over the thought of trail damage but believe me, the dirt was well hidden under ice and snow! The highlight of that ride was trying twice before success to rail a very tech and fast gully with a decent sized drop half way down....on ice. My first attempt upon the high speed landing the bike slid from under me like it was never there and I slid a good 20 meters on my ass. When I stopped I was then mobbed with kisses from Chester the dog who more than likely thought it was hilarious. The second attempt I actually landed it but before realizing it I had clipped a tree with my new to the scene at the time wide bars. I don't care what anyone says, my Azonic World Force 2" risers were the best. Hands down! On my third attempt I managed to stick it and survive the switch backs all the way down. The pair of us agreed after and all year that New Years that year was such an epic day on the bike.
Ever since then New Years Day I head out on the bike no matter the weather in search of some off the wall, out of place ride. 2005 I built a massive double out of the piles of snow at the end of my driveway and the house beside us using a sheet of wood to harden it up. Another year I was out on my fixie winter bike in a massive blizzard riding down the middle of the roads. 2007 was an off year as we were racing at the Burnaby Six Day. Ever since then Ive gone out on the 1st, grabbed my road bike or fixie winter bomber and headed for the local trails. You cant get anymore out of place and silly than that! All though last year I was out celebrating that it would be the last cold outdoor ride Id do for a long long time as I was flying to Melbourne two days later for a good amount of time, This year was no different. Good old fun!
Yes I managed to ride that skinny, I actually rode most of them on the trails that day. I stopped when I fell off one. I'm glad no one saw that ha!
For 2012 I thought about things I could add to my blog that would help really keep it unique while being a porthole into my life that surrounds bike racing. Its no secret that I'm usually doing 3 things at once, one of them almost always listening or singing along to the plethora of music I've come to know in my life. As long as I can remember to do so as the music changes I will make note of whats playing, for added stimulation!
Tonight was a non musical night, I'm currently listening to my basement room mate playing X Box and half watching a documentary about the glowing orb UFO phenomena.
I hope everyone had a safe and fun New Years and has a rockin' 2012!
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