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Newsletter - Issue 14
November 2004 (hahahahah)
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 2
From The Editor
Autumn 2004... can I be any more excited about
biking? In the month there have been huge devel-
opments here in the National Capital Region. IMBA
came and put on a trail building weekend which was
attended by mountain bikers AND the NCC! A few
weeks later was the NCC public consultation on the
Gatineau Parc masterplan, and Jean-Rene was still
talking about the trailbuilding slideshow at MEC...
so it obviously made an impact on him! So now you
can see my excitement!
On another note... looks like I was caught at the
Poutine stand while I was supposed to be racing
(Background Photo). Mountain bikers from Ontario
came together and raised $5000 for Easter Seals. I
thought I would do a solo race, which you can read
all about later in this newsletter... turns out all I did
was eat a lot of greasy food.
Okay, so I've taken enough of your time here...
on with the newsletter!
Comments?
Send them here: newsletter@mtbkanata.com
Joe
From The Editor pt 2 In this Edition:
I actually did start writing this newsletter back
in the Fall of 2004... and here it is, middle of Janu-
ary and I'm still not complete! Lots of things have
- IMBA Hot Spot Comes to Ottawa
happened since I started the newsletter so many - Gravity Dropped Seatpost Review
months ago... my fiancee and I bought a house, I - Foot Trials (Dr. Game)
gave my Truck back to Ford, mtbkanata bought a - Fragile (Dave Wilson)
new hosting server, I sold my camera... then got
a new camera... ummm what else? Oh, the story - MTB Poem (Alex Slobodian)
on Brat in this issue will have a small addendum... - Interview with Allison Lampi
am I missing anything? So much happens in just - Update on the Brat
one week, that when I miss a month or 5, I can't
keep up!
- mtbkanata.com Swag
- The end
Thanks to Dr. Game though for hassling me
weekly to get off my ass and get this newsletter
complete... After looking at what I did, I see why
now... he has a story in this one! haha
Okay, so now you can kick-back, relax and read
Ottawa's, wait, the WORLD's most anticipated news-
letter... mtbkanata.com style!
Joe
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 4
IMBA HOT SPOT & IMBA CANADA
VISITS OTTAWA
HIGHLIGHTS OF MARK SCHMIDT AND LORA WOOLNER’S VISIT
What I remember most of the Ottawa Hot Spot is opening and closing Mark and Lora’s
Westphalia van door very often during our five-day crusade of getting people “hooked” on
sustainable trail building in the hope of preserving not only our wonderful trails but also our
wonderful sport.
Tuesday night slide show “Around the World” hosted by Mountain Equipment Co-Op
was very well attended not only in numbers (50+) but also in potency. How wonderful to
see two representatives of the Gatineau Park attend. Jean Rene Doyon, director of the
park along with Michel Dallaire, responsible for all recreation activities in the park. Mr.
Doyon took the time to meet with Mark and Lora afterward to exchange business cards and
promised to follow up in a near future.
Wednesday was spent on my new property in Val-des-Monts to analyze the potential of
the rugged landscape as a future location for my mountain bike school and consulting
business. My husband and I got to deepen our knowledge of sustainable trail building. It
was also a wonderful time to talk about the IMBA Canada vision.
Thursday and Friday was spent visiting as many bike shops to introduce Mark and Lora to
store owners/managers and vocalized the importance of having retailers unite and support
IMBA Canada. The response was great! We got the following stores signed up: The
Cyclery, McCranks, Kundstadt Bank St., Pecco’s Hull, Cyclosportif Bertrand, T&L
Bank St, Full Cycle, Rebec and Kroes, Fresh Air Experience and Greg Christie Ski &
Cycle Work (please get your store involved if the name does not appear above).
Thursday evening, 48 individuals participated in the theoretical component of the
Trailbuilding School. We covered allot of material and left inspired. Once again, Mark
and Lora showed us their expertise on the subject, acquired from the 3 years of being the
Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew leaders.
Saturday morning, 27 enthusiastic trailbuilders showed up at 9 am at Alexander Lodge to
put to practice the theory learned the previous Thursday. How interesting for me to see
past members of CORBA (Capital Off Road Biking Association) and NCMBA (National
Capital Mountain Bike Association) attend, their determination in having this sport survive
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 5
still burning bright in their heart. Michel Dallaire came to say hello, proving again
that he wants to support us in our efforts.
We spent the first part of the day armouring and bench cutting the new trail that
had been started by my teenagers at camp during the summer. We had a blast.
The 2 o’clock torrential downpour stopped us in our tracks but we felt that we
accomplished lots.
As for the Skyline side, a small but solid group also created some great results.
Peter Suderman also got his hands dirty and shared the DH rider’s enthusiasm.
Mark and Lora were very impressed by Robb’s (and following) hard work and
definitely acknowledged the potential of the place.
During the Saturday, Greg Christie (Ski & Cycle Work) also had a full IMBA table set
up at his store in Chelsea and had a year end sale to celebrate the Hot Spot.
All in all, the IMBA Hot Spot was a great success. The fact that Mr. Doyon
acknowledged my call and participated in one of the Hot Spot program was
definitely the highlight for me. Also key is the fact that IMBA USA recognizes the
importance for Canada to have its own office. Wow! That is huge! And to have
such great committed individuals as husband and wife team Mark and Lora to lead
the office, simply amazing!
I remember in 1997, when I started the mountain bike camp at Fortune, there was
nothing happening other then local racing/riding. Now, not only do we have two
active side of the mountain operating but also we can be very proud to say that our
efforts are framed by sustainability and the NCC has acknowledged our efforts. If
you look at the new NCC Park map, you will see the IMBA rules appear, along with
the recognition that Camp Fortune is the hub where most advanced mountain bikers
ride, leaving the rest of Gatineau park trail system for entry level riders.
My goal for the next five years will be to work with the NCC, Camp Fortune, IMBA
Canada and you, to hopefully create pilot projects with trails #32 to start, followed by
trail #14, #22, #34, #6 and have them re-opened to bikers. Call me a dreamer but I
would rather dream then give up! But for this to happen, it will take time, patience,
diplomacy and for all riders to give energy back either through supporting Velo-
Fortune (buying a membership) and/or coming out and joining trailbuilding days
organized on the Skyline and Valley side. To become involved with the trail building
on the Valley side, e-mail me and ask to be put on the RPM (Repair, Protect,
Maintain) Trailbuilder’s list. As for the trail building on the Skyline side, I suggest you
call Rosemarie at Camp Fortune at 827-3117 since I am focusing most of my efforts
on the Valley side.
It has taken 8 years to get here. It will take another 8 year to get there! One day at
a time. We can be grateful that our sport still exists in the Park’s Master Plan for the
next seven years. We can only keep building on the success of the past years.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 6
For Kanata Trail users who still don’t have a Camp Fortune pass because
you don’t ride Fortune, don’t forget that if we ever loose Kanata, at least, by
having supported Camp Fortune financially now, you will have contributed
to it’s survival. We need all the support we can.
I take this opportunity to thank ALL of you for making it happened. We
have come a long way. To become IMBA Canada members, please fill
registration form (PDF format provided by Joe on this site) and send
directly to Mark and Lora in Wasaga. This way, you are not paying in US
dollars. Mark and Lora will also be attending the Camp Fortune Open
House in May and hope to offer another Trailbuilding School on the Skyline
side.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a
miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle”.
-Albert Einstein
Dominique Larocque
LaRocca XC Mountain Bike School
Director
To download and print your own form,
please click on the form at the left.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 7
Product: GravityDropper seatpost
Description: Height-Adjustable Seatpost with Remote Switch
Price: $250 (US)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Performance: 3/5
Cool Rating: 4/5
Value: 2/5
Review by: Dorin
The Review:
I was really stoked to get my hands on this seatpost and try it out.
I first got interested in mountain biking back in the days of the Hite
Rite (a spring that bolted to the seatpost quick release and the seat-
post, allowing the rider to lower/raise the seat on the fly) and I always
appreciated the idea. The GravityDropper is the high-tech modern in-
carnation of the Hite Rite, unfortunately with the modern price tag to
match ($250 US is a lot of money, especially for a seatpost).
The GravityDropper is basically a coil-sprung telescoping seatpost with two locking positions allowing the seat to move up and
down by 70mm. The locking mechanism uses an ingenious magnetic actuator design that’s remotely operated by a handlebar mounted
switch. The seatpost is CNC’d from 7075 T6 aluminum and it’s a well-made piece of kit. Unfortunately it’s also not the lightest piece
of kit around and it weighs a good pound (460g).
The remote switch is a bit too stiff to use and the cable length is a little on the short side; meaning that the switch isn’t easy to
mount on bikes with sloping/interrupted tubes unless one goes out and replaces the cable. Sadly the cable seem to be a proprietary
design rather than a standard derailleur cable (note: I did not take the mechanism apart so I could be wrong about it being a propri-
etary design). The switch can also take up valuable handlebar real-estate if you’ve got a full complement of shifters and brake levers.
However, if this takes too much away from the usefulness of the remote switch, there is also a cheaper version of the post with a
post-mounted switch (DescenderPost, $180 US).
Design quibbles aside, the GravityDropper does work as advertised. The rider can easily weight the saddle a bit, flick the remote
switch, and either lower or raise the seat. It all works without any problem. Unfortunately the telescoping mechanism does allow a
little bit of play in the post and I found that to be noticeable and annoying. I am far from being a light rider though, so maybe the play
would go unnoticed by a more spindly type.
So if it works, then what is the problem with the GravityDropper? Well the problem is that I’m not sure what sort of use it’s best
for. As well made as it is, it definitely doesn’t seem to be strong enough to take the abuse of downhill or freeriding. It would work well
on a cross-country bike, but then the extra half-pound (or more) compared to a conventional seat post becomes a weighty issue. In a
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 8
way it seems best suited for general trail riding, but is that the
sort of situation/user that calls for the ability to lower and raise
the seat all the time? Even if it is, does it warrant the $250 US
price tag? I could see myself wanting to use the GravityDropper
on an urban/commuter bike so I can comfortably pedal on the
road and then drop the seat if I come across something I want
to session, but how many people use their commuter bikes as
their urban bikes and would they feel comfortable locking up
such an expensive seatpost?
So in conclusion, the GravityDropper is a neat and well-made
concept that unfortunately falls short on the practical applicabil-
ity front. That wouldn’t be all that bad if it wasn’t also so darned
expensive.
Pros:
- well made
- it works
Cons:
- expensive
- relatively heavy
- some play in the mechanism
Shameless Plug for my mtbkanata's own hosting service!
http://www.mtbhost.com
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 9
Foot Trials
What is Foot Trials? You might just be asking yourself the very same thing.
Where did it start, and what has it evolved into? Most people mistake Foot Trials as
a sport, when in fact it is an art. What will the art of Foot Trials be like in ten, twenty
years down the road? And more importantly, will there be a high demand and need
for Foot Trials Artists in the near future? It is really difficult to answer most of these
questions; for, the art of Foot Trials is not widely understood by others.
Real Foot Trial athletes recognize Foot Trials as an art. Like trials itself, the same
moves and techniques are involved. Yet, far more skill and a highly intellectual mind
is needed for Foot Trials. Foot Trials requires smooth precise jumps to land perfectly
balanced on your target. The ability to calculate gaps is only for those mathematically
inclined, to insure their skilful execution. Proper equipment is mandatory. In this case
I use Velcro shoes and a skate helmet to do all my stunts. Shoe size is very important,
I generally like to go about 2 sizes smaller then my regular size to have more control
over my shoes. To be able to negotiate gaps takes guts and know-how. It comes
naturally but, you can work up to it. Foot trials is much like trials; all the same moves
and techniques are involved, but there may be more skill involved in foot trials as it is
more difficult to jump forwards far while standing still.
Experts ponder what this art-form will be like in twenty years with the vast
improvement and high skill level dedicated to Foot Trials. Would you believe me if I
told you artists will be equipped with spring loaded shoes for farther and higher jumps?
The better a person can jump, the more thrilling Foot Trials is. Says Kevin from Ottawa.
Kevin is an expert who studies the science behind Foot Trials and has already invented full body armour, and super light thin clothing that is almost
see though. However, Kevin is well on his way to designing suction cup shoes to enhance wall running. Many retired Foot Trials artists are afraid
that technology will over shadow skill as people with money can buy the technology. What do you think foot trials will be like in 20 years from now?
Trails Wannabe from mtbkanata.com, who is an expert on the expansion of recreational events, answers that question, After it gets more publication,
I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to be recognized as a sport. Unfortunately, if you look Foot Trials up in the dictionary you would not be able to find
it, hopefully by then they will have the decency to put it in. Trials Wannabe once stated it as, Foot Trials is merely a mix of long jump, high jump,
gymnastics and rock climbing which I think makes this the perfect thing to actually get into.
We are looking for new people who are interested in Foot Trials. If you are interested contact Dr Game on Mtbkanata for lots more information
on Foot Trials.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 10
Fragile - By Dave Wilson
This past season has been both my best season, and my worst season. On one
hand I progressed a lot more than I thought I ever would, I gained sponsorship from Phat
Moose Cycles, and I got to film so many amazing riders! On the other hand - which is
still a little sore as I type this – I found out that I am fragile. At the beginning of the sum-
mer I broke my right clavicle at Bruce Pit, then mid-summer I broke my left clavicle and
cracked some ribs trying a rail gap in Rockland after already riding for eleven hours that
day, then a little over three weeks ago I broke my 3rd, 4th and 5th metacarpals in my
right hand at Seb’s dirt jump.
Andy and Sheila were with me when I broke my first clavicle. It was a gusty day, and
I launched to big jump at Bruce Pit for the first time that day. When I landed my front tire
caught a rut and my bike went left, while I was slammed down to the right. I blacked out
from the pain and remember waking up with a face full of sand wondering what had just
happened. After any untangled me
from my bike I pushed myself up,
and that’s when I realized something wasn’t right. At this point Andy was going on
about some disc brakes that he wanted to buy and was wondering if they were worth
it if the guy selling them included a wheel, even though he didn’t need one. Sheila
drove me to the hospital where I met up with a fellow MTBK’er who had just broken
his arm at Kanata Lakes when one of the structures broke, sending face first into
a swamp. I was a little stressed out of with the first break of the summer, as I was
just about to start work for the summer, and I was told that it was going to take 12
weeks to heal. Luckily the bone set up within 2 weeks so I was able to work, but it
was about 7 weeks before I was able to ride again.
Just as I was getting back on par with my riding I decided to try a rail gap in
Rockland. I had already been riding urban for 11 hours that day and was feeling a
little woozy, but the rail gap looked really easy. I took a few practice run ups, then
just gave’r, but apparently not quite enough. I didn’t fully commit I guess, because
the instant before I started to j-hop I brake-checked. It was too late to stop though
and I was already going really fast so I hopped, but soon found out that my brake-
check had killed all of my speed. My back tire hooked the rail, and over the bars I
went and once again blacked out from the pain. When Seb asked if I was alright I
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 11
said, “I’m just a little winded”, but quickly realized that I had managed to break
my left clavicle and apparently cracked a couple ribs too. This time it was a
mere 5 weeks and I was on my bike again (I think my body remembered how
to heal from the first time!).
I was really hoping that I wouldn’t break any more bones this season, but
bad things come in threes, so on October 11th I broke my 3rd, 4th and 5th meta-
carpals in my right hand. Once again it was at the very end of a day of great
riding and was really getting the feel of Seb’s dirt jump. I pumped the tranny
really hard to try to get some speed and that’s when my front wheel decided
that it should be pointing the opposite direction. The crash happened so fast
that there was no way that I could react and my right hand got caught between
my body and the ground as I hit. After rolling around in pain for a few minutes I
remember telling Tombo that it felt as though my hand had folded in half back-
wards. It didn’t hurt too bad aside from the first hour or so, but two days later
the swelling and bruising in my hand was still getting worse so I decided to go
to the Hospital. After getting x-rays I found out that my hand apparently did fold
in half back wards, snapping the three bones in the process. Luckily I’m left
handed so having the splint on for 3 weeks was more of an annoyance than
anything else, and being unable to ride, I was able to finish off most of the film-
ing for Capital Punishment, and get a good portion of the editing done too!
I found that the worst part about breaking all of the bones wasn’t the pain,
though I can’t say that it felt great. The hardest thing to deal with was being off
of my bike for so long. Luckily I was able to keep myself busy with work during
the summer, and filming and editing during the Fall, and of course, plenty of
MTBK! This summer I plan on drinking lots of milk, and beefing up a bit to protect
my bones, because I’ve got some crazy plans for next season, and breaking
more bones isn’t one of them!!
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 12
Ed: This is in
response to the
trail restrictions
that mountain
bikers face every
day... Alex felt
she needed to say
something about
the problem.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 13
Interview with KHS Rider Allison Lampi
Interview by asilvertouch’s Marc-André Casavant
Photos by MTB Kanata’s Joe Eliott
Born and raised 40 minutes West of Sudbury Allison has been racing since the age of 14. Using the knowledge that was taught
to her by the many coaches in her racing career she has been able to build a strong base which has led her to some impressive
results as Elite cross country mountain bike racer.
During the 2004 race season, Allison has been able to place 4th at the Hardwood Ontario Cup race, 8th place in the Ontario
Cup Overall Series standings, 19th in the Overall Canada Cup Series, 1st place in Ottawa’s local Sunset Series race and a 2nd
place finish in the 24 hour Summer Solstice 5 woman relay.
I had been hearing a lot of good things about Allison from word of mouth and as Ottawa’s KHS rider, her profile and personality
seemed very interesting.
1. When you left Sudbury, where did you go?
When I left Sudbury at the age of 18, I went to school in Waterloo for 5 years where I did my B.Sc. After that, I moved to
Ottawa to do my Masters.
2. What are you first memories on a bike?
I had this little fixed gear yellow bike that I would ride up and down our driveway (which was 600m long).
3. Where did you begin biking?
I used to ride my road bike a lot in Sudbury. When I was 14 years old, I was a ski racer and my dad bought me a good Marinoni
road bike for me to cross train. I did a little bit of training with the Sudbury cycling club at the time and had an awesome Italian
coach who had lost his leg in a mining accident. He would ride around on a scooter during our training telling us to go faster
and work harder. After riding a bit of road, I got bored of it… especially up in Sudbury where there aren’t very many women
cycling, and in racing, even fewer.
4. When did you pick up mountain biking?
In 2000, in Waterloo, I got back into ski racing and met a bunch of people who were really into mountain bike racing and this caught my interest. I borrowed my mom’s bike until
I found myself a mountain bike- a Gary Fisher Tequila-- and started riding... that's pretty much when I started mountain biking.
5. How was your first mountain biking race and how did it turn out?
My first race was in Mansfield and it was an Ontario Cup XC race. I entered in the beginner category and didn’t end up winning the race… I was third (laughs). I had been training
since I was 14 (for ski racing) and had pretty high expectations when I entered the race. I didn’t know what to expect, but after riding the hydro cut everyday, I remember going
to Mansfield and being so disappointed with the course because I knew that, as a beginner, I was able to ride this course from start to finish without getting off. I thought it wasn’t
technical enough.
6. How many times did you race that summer?
I had two races. I was able to win the second one in the beginner category and finished 7 minutes faster than the second place. This was at Sault Ste-Marie (Searchmont). The
year after that, I moved up to the Sport category.
7. How was your first full season of racing?
I started my first full year of racing in the Sport category and by the end of that year I had moved up to Expert.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 14
8. When did people start approaching you for sponsorship?
I think that’s an enormous misconception. People normally don’t get approached for sponsorship, they usually work their way through connections and people to get a sponsor.
The summer I moved to Ottawa, my goal was to get good and to try and get some sort of deal at a bike shop to help me with my racing. I needed a new bike and started hanging
out at bike shops and found this one shop on Rideau Street, Unchained Independent Cycles. It ended up being a cool shop to hang out at. After hanging at the shop for a little
while, the owner gave me a job and I worked for parts. After a little while, I talked him into giving me a deal through
the store and so he talked to Hugh Black at True North and they ended up sponsoring me.
9. How long did you race with True North?
I raced with the True North for approximately three years. What I found was that they didn’t have enough support
at the races; it’s really nice to be able to put your stuff inside a tent, have a mechanic to take care of your bike
during the weekend and have someone feed you in the feed zone during the race. I found that I didn’t have enough
support at the races from True North.
I had a friend on the KHS team and he loved it. At the time, KHS also had a good production of bikes that everybody
knew about and also had a big tent with lots of racers and a support crew. I was convinced to go over to the KHS
team by a friend.
10. How does KHS treat you?
KHS treats me quite well. With KHS I know what my deal is; it’s always their cost. I can call them up, tell them what
I need and I know that they are not making any money off of me. They are also extremely reliable; I’ll call them up
for some parts and two days later the stuff is at my door… that's really good. The first year I rode with them, I had
a feeder and a mechanic at all the races but this year, with a much smaller team, there is much less on site support. Most of last year’s team have gone fully road.
11. Do you at least have a mechanic at the races?
No more mechanics at the races (the only team that does this now is Gears). What I do have is a really good deal with Cycle Logik- a local store that deals with KHS. I approached
them when they were starting up to see if they could help me out either with their race team or simply as a KHS rider. I got a fantastic deal with them and they keep my bike in
perfect order... It’s really good considering I’m not wearing their jersey or anything… so I bring coffees, beer (laughs) to the guys. I really appreciate their help.
12. What are you expected to do as a sponsored rider?
As for what I have to do... I have to race a lot, be a good ambassador and keep my bike clean... we don’t have a contract really. I don’t have to send them race logs but I do
because I think it's a Toronto.
13. What is your training like in the off season?
Off season training starts about a month after my race season stops. During the fall, it’s more about training to start training (building a base) and that lasts for about 4 months.
After that I work on more specific base training, and then in the spring it’s the preparation phase where you do a lot more intensity training (intervals) in addition to the base training
that you’ve been doing during the winter months. I go down to South Carolina for a week and a half in the spring with a bunch of guys, where we do about 20 hours of training
in one week.
14. Can you describe a normal week of training in your race season?
There is the ideal and then the practical. The ideal has the Monday as a recovery day, Tuesday morning reserved for some spins and at Tuesday night is pack riding (criterium)
with the roadies. Wednesday’s I have a longer ride. Thursday is like Tuesday except that in the evening, it’s a mountain bike ride and Friday is a day off. Saturday is a pre ride
and Sunday we race. This is based on an Ontario Cup schedule.
15. What is a pre ride day like?
Depending how long the lap is we usually have enough time to do one lap really slow and then do the hard sections over and over again to be able to do them as quickly as we
can. After that, we do a "hot lap"; a hot lap is a lap that you do as fast as you can to get a good idea how long a lap is going to take, therefore you can approximate how long the
race is going to take. It’s also a good way to get your muscles firing after the rest day.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 15
16. I’ve been hearing that XC racers are starting to complain more and more about the technical sections of the courses making them easier and easier each year.
Is this really happening?
It’s not as much the top riders that will complain about these technical sections but mostly the people racing in the Sport
category. It’s the racers that don’t ride as much who complain the most. They come and they will be saying; “What are
you trying to do? Kill us?” The thing is that the organizer’s bread and butter comes from the Sport category because
there are so many racers in that category. They have to make the courses easy enough to keep these people happy and
that’s basically what I’ve heard from the organizers that I’ve talked too.
There is also a difference between stupid technical and good technical. The stupid technical is the stuff that nobody is
going to ride and everyone will end up walking over it. There is just no point of putting these crazy technical sections in
a race course because it just ends up being a run. The good technical is the one that will separate the good riders from
the not so good riders. A good technical is for example what the Hardwood Hill has; it’s a section called The Boneshaker.
It’s scary looking when you first look at it because it’s all rock and boulders...people are sliding all over the place and it
looks like you can endo in a number of places, but the good riders can ride it and others get scared and run it. That’s
where there is a good separation between the good riders and the not so good riders.
17. What do you find yourself fighting with the most
mentally, physically and technically during races?
Mentally it’s judging the pace of a two hour race. It’s hard to
find the point where you can push yourself to where you’re
feeling bad, but not so bad that you can’t finish the race. I also
have difficulty with my starts; I end up at the back of the pack and have to fight my way to the front throughout the race.
Physically, I sometimes have back pain which stops me from applying as much force to the pedals as I regularly can.
Technically; it’s a two hour race and sometimes you loose your focus and end up thinking about other things than what’s
coming ahead. You might be thinking about a song that you were listening to earlier in the day or maybe thinking about
something that happened during the week...you simply can’t do that… as soon as I loose focus ahead, I crash into a tree
or loose my wheel in a corner… I always know when this is going to happen.
The mental thing about having a good race that you have to remember is that everyone else is going through the same
thing as you are. You can’t have your mood get you down and you can’t think “oh this sucks”. At Mont Sainte-Anne at
the Nationals for example, there was thunder, lightning and it was pouring on us… there was soupy mud everywhere.
On my first lap I crashed in this big puddle of mud and ended up being completely covered in mud. When I got back on
my bike I was thinking about the movie “Finding Nemo” and singing to myself “Just keep swimming, just swimming…la
la la la la” and so I was doing this trying to keep myself in a good mood because it was almost a three hour race in nasty
conditions. I needed to stay positive and keep racing.
18. Is there such a thing as a mental game between racers before a race?
The mental games tend to happen at the start line. You’re chatting around and then someone will be saying; “Oh you
know, I haven’t done any training for the last month…” saying this while sandbagging. You’ll also have others saying;
“Yeah, I’m feeling great today…” trying to make you feel like you aren’t feeling as good as you should. I just tend to not
listen to people at the start line. Instead, I try to think about the course as I see it and how I feel.
19. What was your best race?
My best race was at Hardwood this year where I was able to finish in 4th place in O-Cup.
20. Do you travel to the West every year to race the Canada Cups?
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 16
This was the first year I actually went out west. I always told myself that I would only go if I was having a good
year and this year was a good year. I thought that the West Coast was going to be a lot more technical and
had bigger climbs, but in reality it’s not what I expected it to be. The riding and the technical wasn’t harder
than over here. As a matter of fact, they have more dirt left on the trails than we do here in Ottawa and it was
actually easier to ride a lot of stuff compared to over here. Here in Ottawa, we have the same riders going over
and over the same course and it gets eroded pretty quickly. Rocks get exposed and we end up with courses
with rocks and roots everywhere. In the West it’s beautiful; lots of little drops, beautiful dirt, nice turns…it was
awesome…but not as awesome as I expected it to be.
21. What are you plans for next year?
I would like to train a little bit more consistently and try to get top 10 in the Canada Cup.
22. Who do you look up the most too in mountain biking racing?
My friend Danelle Kabush. She is so consistent with her training. She does all of her stretching, she does all
the strength training on the ball, she does all the training she needs to do, she watches what she eats, etc…
She started at the same time as I did and she is now top 5 in the Canada Cup. She’s motivated all year long.
23. You had two DNF in the Canada Cups but your race reports are really upbeat and positive. How do you stay positive?
I had to take responsibility for both of those DNFs. In my first DNF, I just told myself that it was simply bad luck and that I had a bad day. But I wouldn’t have learned anything
from that. When you take responsibility for something going wrong in a race, you can figure out what you need to do next time which improves the likelihood of success in the
next one. You keep looking forward and that’s pretty much how I do it.
24. What do you consider your strengths and weaknesses?
I personally think that I am a pretty good technical rider and I have a lot of experience in training which helps a lot. I also have a good perspective of the sport and where I am
going with it. It’s not really my goal to be an Olympian but I’m having a lot of fun doing what I am doing right now and I’ll continue doing it as long as I am having fun…that’s a real
strength. Knowing how much you are willing to get into the sport and how far you want to go with it is a real strength.
As for my weakness, I could talk a little bit about not being as good of a climber as other people or I’m obviously not as thin or strong as some…I don’t know…my weakness would
be the difficulty I have balancing work with my training and riding.
25. What do you think about the newly proposed UCI rule, where XC racers can have support during in a race?
There are two sides to this. On one side, you are an athlete and you train for the whole year and even many years to get somewhere like the World Championships. You hit your
derailleur and end up not being able to fix it and end up being 20th instead of being 2nd or 3rd…or out completely …that sucks! It sucks to do three laps with a derailleur that’s not
working and you know you can be up there, 2nd and 3rd because of the amount of training that you’ve done for the past 5 years. I agree with being able to get help with that and
to have someone to fix the problem so you can move on with the race. You will still lose some time because of the technical problem even if you are allowed to get help to fix it.
The other side of the new rule is that people are worried that some of the smaller teams will not be able to support their riders as much as the bigger race teams and that those
smaller teams or independent racers would not be able to take advantage of the rule. It doesn’t often happen that you have a mechanical. I’m also a racer that hates to carry
tools, tubes and stuff like that…I hate it. I would love to be able to just put a spare derailleur and a couple of tools somewhere on the course so that I could pick them up and
fix the mechanical if it would ever happen. I think that this new rule is not a bad idea. If you are a racer, you know what the common problems are; a broken chain, a broken
derailleur…these things don’t cost too much money and it would be great if I could leave these things on the side of the trail somewhere, in the feed zone, and if I’d need it I’d
know I’d only have to run that far to get it to finish my race.
26. Who would you like to thank?
I would like to thank my parents, Cycle Logik, KHS and the rest of my sponsors; Smith sunglasses, Schwalbe tires, Fast Fuel energy bars, DMT shoes, Joe Eliott and everybody
at mtbkanata.com who posted words of encouragement and took an interest in me this year.
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 17
Allison Update: The Brat...
Just after this interview was sent to me... and I procras-
tinated, Allison had a little accident in Kanata Lakes. So,
one fall, a million little kneecap pieces, a hospital stay and
a operation later, the Brat is now on her way to recovery...
And she told me that Fall is the safe time of year (When
DH is done!)
You can read more and send Allison your well wishes here:
http://www.mtbkanata.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=20335
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 18
mtbkanata.com Swag Shop!
Stop by and pick up all your favourite swag at the
mtbkanata.com Swag Shop! Shirts, hoodies and
more! All money raised goes back into the site...
to make it even better for you! ;)
Here is the link:
http://www.mtbkanata.org/swag/catalog/
mtbkanata.com newsletter- Issue 14 - November 2004 - Page 19
Well, that's all folks. Thanks for stopping by and checking out
the newsletter... I know I should do this more often, but my
attention span just isn't long... ohh look, a Balloon!
Before you close this and swear about how you'll never get that
hour of your life back again, check out the following links. I
know these will make you smile.
http://www.mtbhost.com - This is mtbkanata's own web
hosting service. Basically I ran out of resources on the servers
that I ran mtbkanata on, so I got my own. The problem is that
I can't use the whole thing and this way I can also help pay for
it! Plans are very reasonably priced, and offer a good range of
services. If you're in the market for a webhost, please consider
mtbhost.com
http://www.asilvertouch.com - This is Ottawa's only Mountain
bike related online 'zine. Unlike me and my newsletter, Marc
always seems to be able to keep things up-to-date. Drop by
and see what's happening (*After you visit my site of course*).
http://www.freuban.com - Ottawa's ONLY freeride/BMX comp...
ever. This year is going to be HUGE. Jose has teamed up with
the folks at Sk8City to offer an indoor event, the likes have
never been seen in this area before! This is going to rock. A
whole weekend devoted to two wheel mayhem! Check out
the site and see the list of Pro's who are making the trek to
compete in the event. You can also sign up and compete too!
http://www.mtbkanata.com/forums.html - Our forums...
I'll plug this every month I think. Think of this as your little
brother or sister... a pain in the arse, but something you can't
live without. See what's really going on in the community, as it
happens! Never be out of the loop again, this will guaranty it!
Until next time! So long!
