Canadian Cycling - Issue August 2022

Training Why more isn’t always better Wout Watch van Aert to race Quebec and Montreal?

Find Your PERFECT Cycling Club The New Golden Age of Canadian DH From Steve Smith to Iles and Goldstone

EBIKE SPECIAL

FARTHER AND FASTER EMTBS AND NEW TRAIL ACCESS ISSUES —————— TOP ADVICE FOR BUYING YOUR FIRST EBIKE —————— BATTERYASSISTED RIDING TIPS FROM LEGEND HANS REY

CONTENTS

THE SCENE

VOL. 13, ISSUE 4

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Cycling Celebrity Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning gets to the show on two wheels

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Canadian Club A good shot of riding with Bedford, N.S.’s Cortado Cycling Club

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48 Hours Road, gravel and trail—North Bay has top routes for every cyclist

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Notes from the Gruppetto How different clubs helped me grow as a cyclist

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Wout Watch for the GPCQM With the Quebec WorldTour races set to return this September, some big names could be on the way

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GEAR IN-DEPTH 48

TRAIL 50

Commencal Meta SX Mixed wheel sizes, singular performance

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Rocky Mountain Element C70 New-school XC ROAD

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Guest Chef Fish tacos by Marco Cassano of the Eatery at Slabtown Cider Co. Nutrition Can tart cherry juice provide a performance boost?

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32 Is Canada in the Midst of a DH Golden Age? Top riders are getting big results at international events Iles, Goldstone, Hemstreet and others are building on their successes. Whether that trend continues to grow with new athletes all depends on the support young downhillers get here at home

FEATURE 64

40 How to Find the Perfect Club for You Roll out, together Whether you’re getting into the sport, taking up a new cycling discipline or looking to deepen your connections with the community, there’s a group out there that will make your riding even more fun

by Molly Hurford

Training Tips Why you shouldn’t chase too many training miles

by Tara Nolan

TOWN TEST Dahon K-One It can transform how you get around

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Maintenance Chain waxing 101

Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625 A bike to power your errands and your jaunts

DESTINATION

FIRST LOOK

Technique XC world champion Evie Richards on rebuilding physically and mentally

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Rip Like A Pro Roadie Th rough the Israel’s Negev Desert You can enjoy the same trails that a bunch of WorldTour riders took on during their bonding camp.

Just expect to go a bit slower

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Patricia Merino rides a De Rosa Idol (derosanorthamerica.com). The hot pink bike is equipped with a Shimano 105 drivetrain, featuring a 11–30 tooth cassette and 50/34-tooth chainring. It rolls on Vision Team 30 Disc wheels, running 25-mm Veloflex Corsa Evo tires. Merino is wearing the breathable Rapha Women's Core jersey (rapha.cc/ca).

The Rapha Women's Core bib shorts are perfect for long rides. To shield her eyes from the sun, Merino has Rapha Pro Team full-frame sunglasses, which also give her a wide field of vision. The Rapha Pro Team socks round out the look.

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Th ree Top eMTBs Take on trails with one of these ebikes

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Great Ebike Gear Outfi t yourself with these seven parts and accessories to boost your riding IN DEPTH

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Image: Specialized/Sebastian Schieck

Photo: Matt Stetson

Editor’s Letter News What’s Hot Vintage Velo Gear Q&A Ebike Special

You Get Less with the New Trek Fuel EXe Lower torque, weight and even tonality for a better trail eMTb RAPID FIRE

ON THE COVER

2 4 5 6 47 60 63

eAccess to the Singletrack With more eMTbs out on the trails, riders, clubs and landowners are working to integrate the new machines into their networks

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by Terry McKall

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod A balanced mix of light weight, aero gains and fi ne handling eBIKE SPECIAL

TRAINING FEATURES

6 Th ings I’ve Learned After 6 Months with Shimano’s Latest Ultegra Insights into the drivetrain, brakes and wheels of the premium groupset

Top Questions to Ask When You are Shopping for an Ebike What you need to know about motors, batteries and more TECHNIQUE

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Switch On with eMTB Tips from Hans Rey The legend shares his advice for electrically assisted trail riding

cyclingmagazine.ca

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EDITOR’S LETTER

It Takes a Club (or Two) to Build a Rider

Editor Matthew Pioro matthew@cyclingmagazine.ca Senior Editors Dan Dakin, Kevin Mackinnon, Dean Campbell Associate Editor Andre Cheuk Photo Editor Matt Stetson matt.stetson@gripped.com Copy Editors Amy Stupavsky, Rebecca Tucker Art Director Warren Wheeler layout@cyclingmagazine.ca [Roseander Main, roseandermain.com]

So many of us got hand from good groups of cyclists showed up to the weeknight cyclocross practice on the right bike, but wearing the wrong clothes. It was years ago when I decided I’d try racing. I had been a lifelong commuter and had done some touring, but riding fast had captured my imagination, as had curly-bar bikes. I had experienced an “oh, hello there, where have you been all my life?” moment, to which racing bikes responded, “Right here all along, waiting for you.”

So I bought an entry-level cyclocross bike at an end-ofseason sale and headed to the skills practice held by a local club, Midweek Cycling. Thinking back to that moment, I remember I was a bit nervous. I’m almost embarrassed to say that—a grown man a bit nervous about showing up to a park to ride his bike over the grass. What’s there to worry about? But this feeling is so common among new riders.

No one said anything about my clothes that fall evening.

I had a few cotton layers on top and a pair of green work pants rolled up to just below my knees. The look was more hipster than racer, but it was the best impression of a serious cyclist that I could do with what I had in my closet.

I acquired a few proper pieces of kit in the following weeks.

I found the lessons were a good mix of instruction, as well as the space to let me try stuff out and fall over without too many people watching. I was progressing with this riding-bikes-fast thing.

I learned a lot from those weeknight clinics, which I’m sure have taught hundreds in the Toronto area about CX. Their openness to new riders is fantastic. Many of the clubs that writer Molly Hurford mentions in her feature “How to Find the Perfect Club for You” (p.), including Midweek, are well-practiced at welcoming novices. If you’re new to cycling, or even if you’re not and looking to expand your

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Online Website cyclingmagazine.ca Podcast cyclingmagazine.ca/cycling-magazine-podcast Facebook @CyclingMag + @CanadianMTB Twitter @CanadianCycling + @CanadianMTB Instagram @CanadianCycling + @Canadian.MTB YouTube Canadian Cycling Magazine Plus download previous issues of Canadian Cycling Magazine using our mobile apps and Apple News+.

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Production Artist Warren Hardy MTB Web Editor Terry McKall terry@cyclingmagazine.ca Web Editor Matt Hansen matt.hansen@cyclingmagazine.ca

“It was the best impression of a serious cyclist that I could do with what I had in my closet.”

Podcast Producer Adam Killick Web Developer Sean Rasmussen Digital Operations Dmitry Beniaminov Publisher Sam Cohen sam@gripped.com Editorial Director David Smart dave@gripped.com Advertising & Sales Andre Cheuk andre@gripped.com Account Managers Joel Vosburg joel@gripped.com, Lorena Jones lorena@gripped.com

riding and cycling circles, you should check out Molly’s story.

Another club that helped me out in the early days was the LapDogs.

(Sometimes, I will confess that I’m a lapsed LapDog.) I learned a lot through workshops put on by the club, clinics, group rides and especially a club trip to South Carolina.

My skills grew and I connected with great people. Bart Egnal mentions the LapDogs and other clubs he’s ridden with throughout the years (p.). I love his openness to dropping in and riding with many groups. He has a veritable peloton of clubs.

How about you? Have you joined a club? If you have, great. If you’re thinking about it, I recommend you join up, for the ride.

Matthew Pioro Editor

Circulation Manager Robyn Milburn robyn@gripped.com Social Media Nikita van Dijk nikita@gripped.com SUBSCRIBE Send $20.95 (1 year) or $38.95 (2 years) to Canadian Cycling Magazine, PO Box 819 Station Main, Markham, ON, Canada L3P 8L3 or call:

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NEWS

Missing a slice during the Giro d’Italia On the last day of May, Alex Cataford was at his place in Girona. The IsraelPremier Tech rider had just returned from Italy where he had finished the Giro d’Italia two days before. Previously, Cataford had started two Grand Tours— the Giro in  and the Vuelta a España in —but crashes and injuries forced him to abandon each of them. This spring, however, the Ottawa native achieved a dream that he had had since he started racing: completing the Giro.

Throughout the Grand Tour, Cataford was on the lookout for the right breakaways, the kind that have a chance of making it to the finish line. On Stage , up Mount Etna, he did get away with a group. He rode with them until the final  km. His other duty was to help manage the race for his teammate, sprinter Giacomo Nizzolo. On Stage , Cataford pulled at the front for close to  km to keep other fast finishers, such as Mark Cavendish and Caleb Ewan, from getting back on following a climb.

Cataford, like all riders, faced many challenges: it was a particularly hot Giro.

Rest and recovery are always tough as a -day race wears on. There are small things riders miss out on, too. Stage  was in Naples, a city known for its pizza.

“We had to hurry up out of there at the end of the stage,” he said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pizza. I was a bit disappointed as I am a big pizza fan. I guess I’ll have to make a trip back there at some point to get a slice.”

Alex Cataford rides up Mount Etna during the  Giro d’Italia

Cycling Canada had a roster of  riders for the Nations Cup, including Sarah van Dam. In , she took eight gold medals at the junior national track championships.

Since then, she’s been building her experience at the elite level. She raced the team pursuit on the first day of the Nations Cup. On the second, van Dam competed in the elimination race against  others.

Late in that race, van Dam, Lonneke Uneken of the Netherlands and five of their competitors came at the line, trying to avoid another elimination.

The Dutch rider passed the Canadian.

“She came down and knocked my bars,” van Dam said after the race. “I didn’t have full control of my bars, so I went down.” Van Dam then hit Italy’s Silvia Zanardi. The two riders slid across the boards. Van Dam was up almost right away. With the race neutralized for a few laps, the downed riders were able to rejoin the group. “I probably should have done a better check over my bike, but adrenalin gets you going again,” van Dam said.

The rider from Victoria stayed in the mix for some more laps, but finished the race in sixth place. Afterwards, in the infield, van Dam felt fine. She was looking forward to the madison, which would run in two days. Beyond the Nations Cup, van Dam had her eyes on the Commonwealth Games in midsummer. It seems she has the determination to get there.

Fighting against elimination on the boards of the Milton velodrome At the Mattamy National Cycling Centre in May, spectators were in the stands to watch the world’s top track cyclists. It was the second evening session of the Nations Cup. The last time elite international and domestic riders competed in Milton, Ont., was more than two years ago. That evening, cycling hall of famer Gordon Singleton, who set three track cycling world records in , was in the  section within the infield. Another Canadian world record holder (-m sprint, . seconds) was on the boards. Kelsey Mitchell was competing in the sprint, the same event in which she won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Photos: Nick Iwanyshyn, Stefano Sirotti

Sarah van Dam, Milton, Ont.

WHAT’S HOT

Garmin Varia RCT715 rearview radar, camera and tail light $520, garmin.com/en-ca The Garmin Varia  is a three-in-one safety device. It features a camera that can record the traffic behind you.

Should you be involved in a crash, the device will have a video record of  seconds before the incident,  seconds during and at least  seconds after. When the Varia is paired with your head unit or smartphone, you can use its radar function to alert you to approaching vehicles and their speed. The device’s four tail-light settings increase your visibility out on the road.

Michael van den Ham at the start of Grinduro California

Photo: Elliot Layda

Now, it’s harder to win gravel races, maybe Cyclocross rider Michael van den Ham came in second place at the first big gravel race he’d ever done. It was Mid South in . He had excellent fitness that March, having rested a bit following the cyclocross world championships a few weeks ahead of the gravel race. “There is no way that would happen now,” he said. “Not a chance.” This year, with about a quarter of that same -km race left to go, van den Ham’s chances of being on the podium were gone. He noted that in the past four years, gravel racing has gotten more competitive and more specialized.

Still, the rider based in Chilliwack, B.C., isn’t doing too shabby at gravel races this season. Even though he didn’t finish at the front of Mid South, he was th. In April, he won Paris to Ancaster. In May, he won Grinduro California. Roughly two weeks later, he was first at Lost and Found. So what’s going on?

Van den Ham is a cyclocross racer first. He picked gravel events that would complement his preparation for the upcoming CX season: generally distances of  to  km. (He said Unbound Gravel’s  km is just too long.) In a way, he’s taking a page out of the playbooks of European pros: ride long races in the early season to do well in the fall and winter. North American gravel is van den Ham’s Spring Classics. As Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have shown, they not only win CX races, but Classics, too.—MP

Roval Alpinist CLX II wheels

Giro Eclipse Spherical helmet

$3,400, specialized.com/ca The team at Roval really beat up its new climber’s wheels in the lab. The result: the new Alpinist  II hoops are not only light—weighing , g (, g with tape and valves)—but tough. The rims are ready for tubeless tires. Roval opted for hooked rims to allow you to run a higher range of pressures should you want more p.s.i. than a hookless setup’s  p.s.i. maximum. Also, you have more tire options with hooked rims. Any tubeless-compatible treads will do.

(A hookless rim can only run tires that have been tested and approved for use.) The  hubs let the Alpinist  II rims spin smoothly, helping you to fly up your favourite climbs.—MP

$360, ogc.ca The new Giro Eclipse Spherical helmet is designed to keep you protected and cool, while also making you faster as well. It’s built with a  layer and Giro’s Spherical technology, which allows the helmet’s outer foam layer to move around its inner foam layer in a crash. Both features work to minimize the effects of rotational forces on your brain. The Eclipse has  vents that channel air and lower the temperature around your noggin.

It’s aero, too. The company says the new helmet is a minute faster than its wind-cheating Vanquish.

cyclingmagazine.ca

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VINTAGE VELO

Claud Butler Track Bike

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The  crank is for a skip-tooth chain with a "-pitch.

The rollers on a skip-tooth chain aren’t spaced the same way as a contemporary one, so the  crank’s teeth engage every second link. That style of chain was common before the Second World War, but did continue on with track bikes into the ’s. Another track-oriented feature is the brace at the nose of the saddle that’s attached to the top tube. In a relay event that has riders swapping bikes, the brace keeps the saddle in the proper position, even if a rider comes on to it too forcefully.

Currently, Selby plans to keep everything on the Claud Butler as-is. If he finds the right wheels, he might put them on. “For now, I’m content with the way it is. It will hang well on the wall.”—MP

Photo: Matt Stetson

n a warehouse space a few doors down from the Ride Away Bikes shop by the West Toronto Railpath, Don Selby has some notable frames. One of them, an old Claud Butler, was leaning against a wall in the office space that Selby and his business partner, Justin Brady, share.

Claud Butler is a British brand named after its founder. He produced highquality steel bikes from the late s to the late ’s. His company then went bankrupt. The Claud Butler marque lived on, and still does, but it stopped being the symbol of top-end machines.

Selby figures his Claud Butler is from the s. Based on the craftsmanship of the frame, he thinks it was made while things were still going well for the company. The steel tubes are connected to ornate lugs just underneath what seems to be the original paint. There’s a Cinelli stem with the Italian brand’s badge on it. “It’s much more rare than an unbadged Cinelli,” Selby says. “I’d bet money that the stem and bar have been on that frame since day one.”

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Stability, Manifest Off the back and leading the pack, our bike-specific Seral and Savu lumbar packs stay snug on gnarly terrain, all while shifting your reservoir and trail essentials directly to your center of gravity.

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THE SCENE

WOUT WATCH FOR THE GPCQM

With the Quebec WorldTour races set to return this September, some big names could be on the way

by Matthew Pioro out is coming! Wout is coming! Well, Wout van Aert is planning on coming. At least, that’s what Willem Bok, Jumbo-Visma’s press officer, confirmed. Over at Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert, communication officer Sarah Inghelbrecht said Biniam Girmay, the Ghent-Wevelgem and Giro stage winner, was aiming to race on the streets of Quebec City and Montreal. Those were the plans in late spring, which seems a long time ago now. There’s so much that can happen—like bumping a knee on a handlebar—in just a few months that can lead to changes in plans.

The Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal have faced a turbulent two years. In , once the compressed WorldTour calendar was released, the races were slated to run at their regular September dates. The Tour de France would also run in September of that year. For the , it was going to be hard to go up against the Tour. But it was even harder to put on a race amid  protocols at the time, so the events were cancelled. The Quebec GPs were called off again in . There were simply too many uncertainties around borders, quarantines and the ability to have large gatherings. As of June this year, things were looking good for the return of the races that had brought Chris Froome, Philippe Gilbert, Peter Sagan and Greg Van Avermaet to Canada.

They have also helped to develop Canadian pros, such as Mike Woods, Antoine Duchesne, Guillaume Boivin, James Piccoli and Nickolas Zukowsky.

Bringing back the  isn’t easy. “Every morning, I wake up and say, ‘OK, what’s next?’” said Sebastien Arsenault, the  of the events. In June, he was looking for cars. “We need more than  vehicles.” Like bikes, cars are in short supply. The cost of the barriers he needs to close off parts of the courses is up by

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

“Since we are close to the world championships, since we are near the end of the season and UCI points are extremely important, I think we will always be privileged with the peloton we get.”

 The riders of the 2018 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec head through the old city

 Canadians cruise the 2018 Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal

Photo: James Startt

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Photo: Pété Photographie

40 per cent. Hotels are up. Flights are up. All these trends affect the races because Arsenault and his team not only set up the circuits in Quebec’s largest cities, they fly the riders, team staff and equipment over from Europe. The GPCQM cover food and accommodation.

While the riders appreciate the top logistics, they’re drawn to the events by the spectators and the racing.

“They love to come here because of the fans, the warmth,” Arsenault said. “When the riders arrive, they get into another mood. They feel more relaxed—even guys like Sagan and Van Avermaet. They say to me that it’s different.

They’re away from home, but with a warm, welcoming feeling.” Still, the riders are focused on the business of racing. Each of the Quebec races has more UCI points on offer than La Flèche Wallonne, Het Nieuwsblad or Strade Bianche. “Since we are close to the world championships, since we are near the end of the season and UCI points are extremely important, I think we will always be privileged with the peloton we get,” Arsenault said. He noted that the gossip channels among the pros, what he calls Radio Peloton, have transmitted all this news to riders who have yet to come to Quebec City and Montreal. Wout, have you been receiving these signals?

Riders such as Van Avermaet, Sagan and Michael Matthews dominated the podiums of the GPs from 2016 to 2019. In the first half of this season, their results sheets haven’t been what they used to be. “But never count these guys out. Never,” Arsenault said. “Also remember that there is strategy involved with these races. For example, look at Thomas Voeckler’s win in Quebec in 2010.” The

French rider was 31 that year, the same age as Matthews.

Could van Aert do well at the GPs? Well, come on. Where can’t he excel? He won Stage 11 of the 2021 Tour de France, which featured two passes of Mont Ventoux. Neither of the Quebec courses feature anything as long as Ventoux, but Montreal has more than 4,500 m of climbing, like that Tour stage.

“I asked Bernard Hinault once to describe the climb up Mont Royal. Bernard said, ‘Sebastien, it’s like the Poggio. It’s your Poggio,’” Arsenault said. You know who’s won after descending Milan-San Remo’s famous climb? Wout, that’s who. Oh, and Matej Mohorič, too. It seems he plans to be at the GPCQM as well.

Maybe he should bring his dropper post.

Broken Social Scene’s co-founder gets to the show on two wheels

THE SCENE

Brendan Canning CYCLING CELEBRITY

by Matt Hansen

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

FAST FACTS Brendan Canning Hometown Toronto Profession Musician (bass guitar, guitar, keyboards), songwriter

bucks sometimes,” he says.

His riding isn’t limited to Toronto, either. “On the North American tours, both bandmate Charles Spearin and I would take our bikes and put them in the trailer. It’s the best way to get out and see a city whether it’s Richmond, Va., Oakland, Calif., or New Orleans.”

When  was making Forgiveness Rock Record , the band was based primarily in Chicago. A few members of the group rented bikes while they were living there because it was the easiest mode of transportation. “I bought an old school cruiser with the sort of gas-tank look on the top tube,” Canning says. “I really liked that bike.”

Bands Broken Social Scene, By Divine Right, hHead, Cookie Duster, Valley of the Giants Bikes Old-school beater—an Eaton’s Glider. “I’ve had so many bikes—a Brodie Elan, a Linus, a CCM,” Canning says. “Most get stolen, mostly due to my carelessness, but yes, Toronto is a bike-theft mecca also. Mostly I miss my Cambio Rino. That bike was fucking beautiful, but you know, you get home, couple drinks, let the dog out and you forget the bike was left at the side of the house…”

Photo: Matt Stetson

hen Broken Social Scene’s Brendan Canning travels to shows, or is on tour, you better believe there’s a bike involved. Canning is a firm believer in commuting in his hometown of Toronto. After two years of uncertainty surrounding live shows, Broken Social Scene returned to the stage this past spring in Ontario’s capital. Canning used his bike to get to and from the shows.

“We played Massey Hall for two nights in April,” he says. “I rode my bike to and from both shows. I’m always riding, especially in the seasons when it’s not freezing cold.”

The musician is not only the co-founder of the hit indie supergroup, but he’s also been part of By Divine Right and hHead. It was in  that Canning and lead singer Kevin Drew started , which would ultimately comprise many other familiar names in indie rock, such as Emily Haines, Leslie Feist and Torquil Campbell Although being part of a band involves moving a lot of gear, Canning has roadies to take care of the big stuff so he can get himself to gigs on two wheels. Sometimes, though, he has to lug a bit more stuff than you would even on a bikepacking trip. “I have definitely ridden to shows with my guitar or bass strapped to my back in a soft case,” he says.

Canning appreciates the economic advantage that bikes can offer. Bikes helped him early in his career. “When I was particularly broke, I can recall riding my bike with a Tube-Tech compressor under my arm, which is very expensive gear, but a guy’s got to do what he has to to save a few

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Cortado Cycling Club A good shot of riding out of Bedford, N.S.

THE SCENE

by Rob Sturney

CANADIAN CLUB

“The club is a welcoming landing spot for people new to the area who want to ride with a social vibe.”

PROFILE Cortado Cycling Club Location Bedford, N.S. Established 2017 Members 65

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by Scorbione Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

he cortado—espresso with steamed milk—seems to be rising in popularity throughout the past five years. It was in  that the Cortado Cycling Club, named after the Cortado Tasting Room coffee shop where the group’s social rides begin and end, was created in Bedford, N.S., a community in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

Five years ago, the  was organized around a Monday night recovery ride for weekend racers. Now the regular Monday evening ride might be something you need to recover from.

Catherine Boyd took over the planning of the club’s rides in  with her husband, Blair Cabot. When she first got into cycling, local clubs welcomed her and helped make her more at ease with the new sport. “I want the club to be an access point for people who are gaining fitness and wanting to connect with the broader cycling community,” she says. New riders can learn how to ride in a group, experiencing paceline cycling in as comfortable a setting as possible.

The club emphasizes safety and group-ride etiquette, such as hand and verbal signals, the rules of the road and avoiding overlapped wheels. Boyd also sees the club as a welcoming landing spot for people new to the area who want to ride with a social vibe.

Boasting  members, the Cortado Cycling Club sees around a dozen riders on Monday evenings for each of its two groups. They meet up at the Cortado Tasting Room before one group cycles an undulating -km route at a  km/h pace while the other digs in for  km/h. Boyd leads one group and Cabot the other. The course heads north to Lower Sackville and contains grades of  per cent near Lucasville. “I selected a route that keeps the ride off busy roads and in light-density neighbourhoods,” Boyd explains.

A club, however, can’t thrive on just one ride a week. The Cortados do head out on longer routes outside of Halifax. Although the  doesn’t have a website, it maintains a private Facebook group for members to arrange rides. Boyd has a few favourites, especially the Aspotogan Peninsula route, which officially starts in Hubbards, but can be extended  km if you begin in Upper Tantallon.

This beautiful, rolling coastal jaunt travels along Highway  in a horseshoe shape. The Peggy’s Cove loop starts closer to Halifax. Following Highway , this circuit is around  km. It has the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse as a visual treat around the midway point. “Check the wind direction before you leave to see whether it’s better to go clockwise or counter-clockwise,” Boyd says.

Nova Scotia has a variety of terrain and scenery, tough climbs, as well as accessible trails. There are also great coffee shops, such as the Cortado Tasting Room and Upper Tantallon’s Bike and Bean. Boyd invites all to discover just why she loves cycling in her part of the Maritimes. “Come ride with us whenever you are in Halifax,” she says.

mobilism.org

Photos: Courtesy Cortado Tasting Room, Jeff Sangster

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Gateway to Some Serious Riding

48 HOURS

by Melanie Chambers

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

M

y ride started with a coffee and cinnamon bun, about  km west of North Bay, Ont., just past Lake Nipissing. The route is called Vive Le Nord. The -km loop rolls through the Francophone history of the area—connecting West Nipissing, Cache Bay, Lavigne, Warren and River Valley—with signs appearing in French and English. I started in Noëlville and planned to cover  km to Sturgeon Falls. Riding along the smooth and wide shoulder by the West Arm of Lake Nipissing, I saw glimpses of the water, but rarely a car. I crossed

bridges, and then glided beside meadows with horses, corn fields and sunflowers. Solitude is the region’s biggest draw.

I found Vive Le Nord through Discovery Routes, an organization that has been developing routes throughout the region and beyond.

Other themed rides cover Indigenous culture and art spaces. They are part of the Voyageur Cycling Route, a -km multi-surface trail that extends from Sudbury to Ottawa. It intersects or overlaps with the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, the National Capital Region and Quebec’s La Route Verte, as well as about  km of the Trans Canada Trail.

On my ride, I stopped for lunch at Mashkinonje Provincial Park, an outdoor oasis with  km of hiking trails through marshes, bogs, swamps, ferns and ponds spread beside giant granite ridges. When I arrived in Sturgeon Falls, I pulled up to Twiggs Coffee Roasters at the Minnehaha Bay Municipal Marina.

Literally sitting on the dock of the bay and sipping a fine cup of joe was a Zen way to end this glorious ride.

The city on the east side of Nipissing—North Bay—is growing.

Photos: Discovery Routes

THE SCENE

Road, gravel and trail—North Bay has top routes for every cyclist

Sudbury Sault Ste. Marie

North Bay Ottawa Toronto

Photos: Northeastern Ontario Tourism, Discovery Routes

The riding in the area has probably helped with that growth. From  to , the city’s population increased by more than , people. That’s a boost of . per cent to ,. North Bay is less than four hours away from Toronto by car, and roughly the same distance from Ottawa. Cyclists from the larger urban centres who are now working remotely can be close to a plethora of road, gravel and bikepacking options, as well as mountain bike trails. Even in the city, North Bay has routes. The Kate Pace Way (named after local Olympic ski legend) takes riders along the waterfront. This summer, roadies can tear around the city streets in the provincial criterium championships. (The road races will be in the Municipality of East Ferris, about  km south of North Bay.) Possibly another reason that more people are making the move north, according to a  liveability report from Rates.ca , is that the average house costs , in North Bay. Add to that the growing restaurant and drink scene, and the Gateway to the North ticks off a lot of key points on cyclists’ lists.

For a ride on rougher surfaces, the Ghost Gravel event has - or -km routes that follow part of Old Nipissing Road, which is dotted with cemeteries and ghost settlements. The rides start and end at the South River Brewing Co., in South River, about  km south of North Bay. For a bikepacking trip, I recommend stopping just outside of Powassan. Head west onto some old farm roads that include the super hilly Maple Hill Road.

Another favourite ride of mine is the -km route from Bonfield to Mattawa; it starts out on a paved road, but the second half is gravel alongside farms and rivers. About halfway through, you can stop at the Eau Claire waterfalls for lunch. This region is surprising, even exotic at times.

Mountain biking is also heating up in the region. There’s a weekly race series by the Angry Johnny’s squad and the North Bay Mountain Bike Association (). The races are held on the Three Towers Trail Network, just east of North Bay. During my visit to the area, I began on the most technical trail. Stoneridge starts at the top of a smooth rock slab that leads into a series of strategically placed stones—some you need to hop to navigate. During the first few attempts, I put my foot down. When I finally nailed it, it was glorious. These trails are challenging; the care

and detail that have gone into making them are evident. Many of the trails go through dense forest, but routes such as Hillside Lake lead out to a quiet spot by the water. The trails are a nice mix of open and exposed rock slabs and tight and twisty trails through the woods.

The whole network is -km long. The distance might not seem like much, but the trails are rideable in both directions. It’s easy to get exhausted on a few loops of classic Canadian Shield features: rollover rocks, spine-riding rocks, rock skinnies, steep climbing rocks, dipping rocks, rock bridges, rock jumps and natural bedrock berms. All the rocks.

Over at the Laurentian Escarpment Conservation Area, you can check out the McNutt Family and Richardson Ridge Trails. They form a moderate singletrack multi-use loop that gives you a few hours of riding. Richardson has a historic aqueduct and a lookout point that provides a view of the city and Lake Nipissing. McNutt Family goes by a historic ski jump. Locals are also anxiously waiting for more trails to become legit.  has plans for multi-use cross country trails, downhill trails and a community bike park.

Riders are passionate about making cycling happen in North Bay, especially female mountain bikers, such as Connie Hergott, a Liv ambassador and  board member who organized a women’s-only skills camp in  featuring Charlotte Batty. The  edition sold out in days.

Hergott’s weekly rides attract dozens of new women and regulars. “The women’s mountain biking community in North Bay is dynamic,” she says. “It has become a bike family. Women and girls continue to inspire each other to take risks, get out of comfort zones, push each other a little harder, cheer each other on to tackle a feature on the trail, and continually welcome new bike friends to come and play bikes.”

cyclingmagazine.ca

17

“It’s easy to get exhausted on a few loops of classic Canadian Shield features.”

Details How to get there Riders coming from Toronto or Ottawa will have to drive four hours to North Bay. It’s also a quick -minute flight from Toronto.

When to visit Summer is prime riding time. Autumn, however, is also fantastic: no bugs and the fall foliage is bursting throughout the region.

Where to eat Terry’s Place (facebook.com/terrysplaceNB) is one of those classic small-town diners serving up breakfast poutine and fluffy pancakes.

For healthier fare, such as energy bites, gluten-free snacks and salads, ride over to Good  Go (gdgo.ca). It also has more indulgent items, such as a whipped frozen lemonade—a perfect treat on the patio.

A certified bike-friendly establishment, The Raven and the Republic (ravenandrepublic.ca) has racks outside for bike parking. Inside, there’s live music, local Gateway City beer (gatewaycity.ca) and nachos.

The local caffeine spot is Twiggs (twiggs.ca), which has two locations in North Bay and one in Sturgeon Falls.

Downtown North Bay has many little snack spots. For delicious pastries and carbs, I like the Opera Bakery Café (operabakerycafe.com).

Where to find support North Bay Cycleworks (facebook.com/northbaycycleworks) is the bike hub of the city. You can also head over to Wheelhouse Bikes (facebook.com/wheelshousebikeshop) or Cheapskates (cheapskatesports.com) for bikes and gear.

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Photos: Northeastern Ontario Tourism, Discovery Routes, Northeastern Ontario Tourism

Where to stay The Homewood Suites by Hilton (hilton.com) allows bikes in its rooms. It’s also conveniently located on the waterfront and by the paved bike path, The Kate Pace Way.

Go Extreme 61mm WAM tire clearance and longer wheelbase for extreme gravel but also compatible with fast 35-45mm WAM tires.

Stay Aero Wider downtube and new fork leg spacing to best redirect the air flow coming off a large front gravel tire.

Choose your seatpost Aero seattube with round seatpost for maximum aerodynamics and compatibility with standard, dropper and suspension seatposts.

DISCOVER THE FULL RANGE WWW.3T.BIKE

Bike Clubbing How hopping from pack to pack helped me grow as a cyclist

by Bart Egnal verything I love about cycling has come out of the clubs I’ve joined. About a decade ago, I bought my first road bike to do—gasp!—triathlons. I remember pedalling along bike paths, wearing a T-shirt and thinking that I just didn’t get this whole road bike thing. Then I was invited to ride with Glotman-Simpson, a large Vancouver club. On my first group ride, my wife and I learned to ride two up in a paceline. As we dropped down along Marine Drive, I realized we were doing  km/h and I wasn’t even pedalling. The camaraderie and helpful skills my fellow riders shared made the day fly by.

As I got more into racing, I received guidance from experienced riders in the Glotman team. They explained important things to me, such as, “don’t ride up the side then veer into the front of the bunch dangerously,” or “maybe don’t chop that dude’s wheel in every corner,” or “sprinting from the tops is suboptimal.” As a group, we

E

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

raced, trained and commiserated with each other when someone foolishly attacked early, but managed to win anyway.

But Glotman isn’t the only club from my early days that I owe a lot to. There was Escape Velocity, which poured heart and soul into organizing Tuesday night races that allowed me to test myself and realize how much I had to learn.

When I’d fly to Toronto for work, I raced at Midweek Cycling’s events and came to appreciate the amazing spirit that club put into the world’s best office-park crit. (There should be some award for that.)

When life led my family to relocate home to Toronto, it was hard to leave my club behind, but fortunately I was welcomed with open arms by Morning Glory Cycling. The weekend rides out of High Park were an immediate source of community for me. On those long outings, I got fit and settled back into the city where I grew up, but I also made some true friends who I continue to treasure to this day. Nothing like getting dusted headed for the town line to build a friendship.

While Morning Glory was my main squeeze, I definitely took a polyamorous approach to clubs. My local shop, Wheels of Bloor, was behind a no-mercy ride with top masters. The rules were simple: get dropped and you’re done. (Unless you’re Radek, the owner, then we all wait. Ownership has its perks.) I dropped in and rode occasionally with Lapdogs Cycling and Chain Reaction Cycling.

Throughout the years, clubs have gone. New ones have emerged. The memberships have refreshed and evolved. I ride more on my own now, but there’s nothing better than showing up to a club ride, seeing old friends and new ones, having a good catch up, and then drilling it together to see just how fast you can go.

If you’re a member of a club already, ride on. Or maybe join a second one. Or a third. If you aren’t, look around and pick one that fits your vibe and style. I hope your experiences are as good as mine have been. Find your people, ride together, and your summer will be better for it.

Image:Russ Tudor

THE SCENE

NOTES FROM THE GRUPPETTO

Marinated jicama  g jicama, julienned  ml beet juice Pico de gallo  roma tomatoes, finely chopped  jalapeño pepper, finely chopped  large lime ⅛ cup cilantro, finely chopped  cup Spanish onion, finely diced Salt Scallion aioli  ml olive oil  scallions, finely chopped  ml mayo  ml Slabtown Cider Co. Founder’s Dry cider Salt and pepper

Fish Tacos THE SCENE

by Marco Cassano of the Eatery at Slabtown Cider Co.

by Tracey Green

GUEST CHEF

W

hen an apple orchard that’s not far from a network of mountain bike trails starts fermenting its fruit, you can bet riders will make the cidery their post-ride destination. That’s exactly what’s happening in Uxbridge, Ont. Lori and Jason Feddema have been running the Slabtown Cider Co. since . They had transplanted apple trees from the nearby Siloam orchard, which was closing. Since then, they’ve been growing heritage apple varieties on their  acres of land. “We love the agri-tourism destination feel. My husband and I always kind of felt like we’re bringing a little piece of Niagara to Uxbridge,” Lori says, referring to Ontario’s main wine region.

Just south of the cidery are the roughly  trails that run through Dagmar North, Durham Forest and Glen Major. It’s no wonder the Feddemas have seen a growing number of thirsty customers in cycling gear. The riders need food, too.

The Feddemas partnered with chef Marco Cassano from Annina’s Bakeshop in Goodwood to create the Eatery at Slabtown. Together, they base their menu on local agriculture.

“We always have bison on our menu, which is a big one for cyclists. There’s local duck, vegetables from our own garden, mussels and a good burger. It’s a traditional atmosphere with modern flair with lots of vegetarian and vegan options” says Lori.

A cosy seating area overlooks stainless-steel fermenters, an area where a band can play and a wood-fired pizza oven.

“Cyclists can just come up, get a glass of cider, sit down and have a charcuterie board or some nachos, butter tarts or fresh baked goods,”says Lori.

Here Cassano shares his fish taco recipe—someNutritional thing simple and healthy. He suggests pairing it with Information Slabtown’s Mint Cucumber or Founder’s Dry cider.

For one serving Calories 650

Saturated Fat 3 g Fibre 6.6 g Protein 50.4 g

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Apple salsa  honey crisp apple, finely chopped ½ English cucumber, finely chopped ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped ½ yellow bell pepper, finely chopped . g chili flakes . g honey  g brown sugar Serves 6  ml apple juice

Directions 1. In a bowl, place the jicama and beet juice. Soak for one hour.

2. For the scallion aioli, add oil to a pan. Fry the scallions, then let cool. Combine scallions, mayo and cider. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. For the pico de gallo, combine tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro and onion. Add juice from the lime. Add salt to taste.

4. For the salsa verde, broil the tomatillos, jalapeño and onion until the skins of the tomatillos start to blacken, about five to seven minutes. Place broiled vegetables and cilantro in a blender. Pulse the ingredients. Add water if the sauce is too thick.

5. For the apple salsa, combine all ingredients.

6. Rub fish with canola oil and add salt.

7. Cook the fish on the barbecue at medium heat until it starts to flake with a fork.

8. Load fish, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsas, jicama and aioli onto the tortillas.

9. Garnish each pair of tacos with a lime wedge.

Ingredients  170-g red snapper filets  lettuce leaves, shredded  flour tortillas canola oil  lime wedges

Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

“It’s no wonder they’ve seen a growing number of thirsty customers in cycling gear.”

Photo: Lorena Jones

Carbs 64.3 g

Salsa verde  tomatillos, washed, cut in halves ½ jalapeño pepper, stemmed ¼ cup Spanish onion, cut into chunks ¼ cup cilantro

THE SCENE

NUTRITION

Are Cherries the New Beets?

When you’re pitted against other riders, you can find a performance boost from the juice of the tart fruit

by Mary A. Barron

I

f your form is right, you might want to sip tart cherry juice. It has to be the tart stuff, not the sweeter incarnations of the fruit. Tart cherries and other brightly coloured plant foods are rich in polyphenols, which can act as antioxidants. Antioxidants help to reduce cell-damaging free radicals in your body. Added to that health benefit, tart cherries might also make you stronger and faster.

A juice that makes you faster? That might sound familiar if you remember the buzz around beet juice more than  years ago. The nitrates in beets work to widen your blood vessels. In turn, this process can increase blood flow to your muscles. With tart cherry juice, the performance boost has different origins than with the root vegetable juice, and different outcomes. Tart cherry juice has high levels of flavonoids and anthocyanins, which have been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory properties. By managing inflammation, you can improve your recovery for endurance and high-intensity efforts. Then, you can get back to peak performance for the next race or training session.

After conducting a comprehensive review of the literature on tart cherry juice in athletes, which appeared in Current Sports Medicine Reports , authors

“The effects of this juice depend on your current level of fitness: you need to be in peak form to realize the benefits”

concluded that the juice or its concentrate may improve recovery of muscle strength, reduce muscle soreness and decrease inflammation. Athletes who were highly trained or who had back-to-back endurance training days got the greatest benefits from cherry juice. The effects of this juice depend on your current level of fitness: you need to be in peak form to realize the benefits.

During the adaptation phase of training—when you are building at the beginning of the season—it is not the time to load up on antioxidants. The literature suggests that huge amounts of antioxidants of any kind during this period may adversely affect training outcomes on your muscles.

Once your form is high, you can start using tart cherry juice or its concentrate to help with your muscle recovery after events. Most studies used  ml of juice two times per day for two to three days after an event to help accelerate recovery and reduce muscle soreness. Some studies suggested using it in the five days prior to a multi-day event, but I have found this practice to be fraught with digestive concerns. What’s more important in the leadup to a big race are hydration and carbohydrate intake. Some studies have used tart cherry juice powder and antioxidant supplements, which both may contain traces of substances that are not approved by , so I don’t recommend them.

When you have muscle soreness following an event and are in recovery mode, head to the organic aisle of your local grocery store and pick up some tart cherry juice. Another bonus: unlike that other super juice from beets, tart cherry juice is much more palatable, which just may be the cherry on top.

Mary A. Barron is a registered dietitian. cyclingmagazine.ca

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More Isn’t Always Better Why you shouldn’t chase too many training miles

“Despite working harder, they got worse and lost sight of their goals.”

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TRAINING TIPS

Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

hen I started cycling competitively in , a century was a huge ride, even for the pros. Today, that same distance might fail to garner a single kudo. It would likely be labelled a Lunch Ride and not shared on social networks if you weren’t riding a gravel bike with a bar bag and a backpack. Is this some sort of ride inflation at work? Has cycling fitness and racing changed? Or is this a case of keeping up with the Joneses?

We have started to confuse performance and training. Performance is showing up and doing a certain thing, on a certain day, and telling people about it. Training means you are trying to get a stimulus that will affect a change in your body or mind. Training is flexible, featuring variation in reps, sets and start times. Usually, no one is watching when you train. (At least, that was true before social media.)

Before I go further, big rides are fun. I get that.

Events, challenges and races are why we train.

If we are training, then it makes sense to plan very long rides or challenges, just like races.

If you are going to ride  km in a day, then consider that as a race or “performance.” Give yourself a “race week” leading in and a recovery week after. That adventure warrants reasonable preparation and recovery.

Reasonable preparation implies that the activities you are doing are ones that you can do for an extended period of time. It’s work you can do throughout weeks or even years. When I interview potential new clients, their interest in coaching generally comes out of struggling with poor results, burnout and even injuries.

Their training wasn’t reasonable. They tried to fit  hours of biking into a -hour workweek, stay married and get the kids to soccer on time.

Or they tried e-races at : a.m. all winter only to find they didn’t care much for biking come spring. Despite working harder, they got worse and lost sight of their goals.

In economics, the law of diminishing returns suggests that for each additional unit,

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you get less benefit. Eventually doing more will actually be a negative. The logic that makes us think a three-hour ride is good but a five-hour ride is better can’t be true forever.

Similarly, doing one more interval or extra hard day won’t always be better. At some point, the risks that come with doing more outweigh the benefits. If you can’t come back to train again soon without injury, illness, fatigue or burnout, then that is a good sign that the training was not reasonable. It is difficult to connect the cost with the thrill of more—more kilometres, more intensity or more intervals.

Beyond challenges and races, busy adult athletes should prioritize consistency, not big spikes in training. Reasonable training starts by talking to your family and working out goals and schedules. From there, look at where the windows for movement are in your day, week, and month. Note that I say movement, not just biking, because you can start to integrate movement into your day by commuting, playing with the kids, walking more and doing strength exercises during your lunch hour. The idea isn’t to be lazy or train lightly but to do enough. Within this framework, it is important to consider time for sleep, nutrition and social connections, which all make for happy and healthy athletes. Unreasonable training overtakes these three important areas of life and leads to doing more and getting less.

Consistency isn’t sexy and doesn’t get kudos, but it does keep you healthy and in the game long enough to get good at it. Performance comes not just from your physical fitness but also from preparation, health, technique and experience.

Your challenge as an adult athlete with a goal is to know the difference between training and performance. Keep your training reasonable so you can ride frequently and with quality.

Peter Glassford is a registered kinesiologist and coach at consummateathlete.com .

Photo: John Gibson

TRAINING

by Peter Glassford

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LIGHTWEIGHT

TRAINING

TECHNIQUE

Evie Richards on Rebuilding Physically and Mentally

by Steve Thomas

“I couldn’t mentally deal with the pressure of racing, and that came out in anxiety and being sick in races, so I got a psychologist to help me.”

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

or an athlete, success can seem to lead to more success.

As an under- rider, Evie Richards landed on many cross country World Cup podiums. She also took two world championship titles in cyclocross in  and . She joined the elite ranks in . The following year was her best season on the mountain bike with seven wins, including the world championships in Val di Sole, Italy.

Yet successes don’t necessarily happen without hardship. Richards, who is now , came up through Britain’s national cycling system. In , she moved to Manchester to work closely with the GB Academy. That organization’s process, however, didn’t always mesh with her. She suffered from both the isolation of being away from her family and the pressure that comes with elite competition.

That pressure can be especially difficult at a young age.

In , Richards was under-fuelling and her menstrual cycle stopped. “I needed to sort out my period,” Richards says, “so I got Renee McGregor, the nutritionist, on board

F

and it took a couple of years to get that back.” Also that year, Richards dislocated her knee and continued to train before finally having surgery and time off in early .

The time off helped. She recovered.

The return to racing, however, came with its own challenges. “I couldn’t mentally deal with the pressure of racing, and that came out in anxiety and being sick in races, so I got a psychologist to help me,” she says.

The mountain biker continued to assemble a team that could help her perform at her best. For coaching, she began to work with Liam Killeen, who, like Richards, comes from Malvern, England. Finally, she brought British Cycling cyclocross co-ordinator Matt Ellis into her group. “Every year, it was bringing someone new on board that I trusted to help me. It was just recently that I got all of these people together,” she says.

The team’s work really came together in , the year Richards won the world championship. At the start of this season, she continued to have good results. There was a win at an hors class race in Spain. At the World Cup in Petropolis, Brazil, she had to contend with a stomach bug (as did other riders). She was third in the short track race, but wasn’t able to take on the  event. Later, though, something really wasn’t right. Her results began to slip. In June, before the Leogang World Cup, Richards revealed she’d been dealing with back pain since February. She needed time to build back once again.

While the injury is another setback, it shows that gaining or returning to top form is a process with many ups and downs. Those undulations, like a whoop-filled section of singletrack, can be easier to navigate with help from the right people.

Photo: Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

How the XC world champion turned to the right people for the right help

TRAINING

MAINTENANCE

Chain Waxing 101 Extend the life of your components by dipping links into a hot melt

by Nick Di Cristofaro

T

he Cat.  tattoo—it’s the greasy mark you get on your calf after you lean on your chainring. I don’t think there’s a rider who hasn’t had this imprinted on their leg.

Wouldn’t it be nice if this never happened again? Your drivetrain would need to be clean and free of grease.

Waxing your chain can fix that. It can also increase the life of your chain, which, in turn, can save you money.

When I say waxing, I mean immersive chain waxing, not the use of a wax-based drip lube you would find in a bottle. I’m talking about submerging your chain in hot, melted wax so that the substance penetrates the component fully. With the right equipment and some patience, you can do this process at home.

A waxed chain resists contamination because the hard, slippery coating doesn’t attract dirt in the way liquid lubes do. The wax creates a barrier so that dirt doesn’t stick. There are some drawbacks that come with waxing. The process is more time-consuming than lubing with oil. You will also have to get some new equipment, unless you have a spare slow cooker lying around. In the long run, however, if done right, waxing will save you money. It can make your chain last three times longer. A healthy chain will also mean less wear on your other drivetrain components.

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Essential gear for waxing Start with a new chain. You can wax an old chain, but you will need to spend more time cleaning it. Also, make sure you have quick links for your model of chain. Later, you’ll want to be able to remove the chain easily to re-apply wax, which you should do after roughly  km. A quick-link tool is nice to have for snapping the link off.

I recommend a bicycle-specific wax such as Molten Speed Wax or Silca Secret Chain Blend. You can make up your own wax melt by sourcing the raw ingredients, such as paraffin for the base. But  wax does make the process a bit more complicated. The bike-specific brands have additional additives with lubricating properties.

You’ll need a way to melt the wax slowly with a low heat source. A small, inexpensive slow cooker works best, but you could use an old pot on a hot plate at low heat. To monitor the temperature of the melted wax, a digital or candy thermometer is the tool of choice. For the initial cleaning of the chain, mineral spirits or a strong degreaser is essential. You’ll also need denatured alcohol for the final cleaning and stripping of any solvent prior to wax submersion.

Make sure you have three glass or plastic jars on hand. Large Mason jars work well. Grab a metal clothes hanger or bend an old spoke into a hook. You’ll use this tool to handle the chain in the cooker. Safety first: use thick rubber gloves and protective glasses or goggles. Rags are necessary for wiping and cleaning.

Aluminum foil can catch dripping wax.

The waxed chain will need a place to hang straight as it dries. A nail on an exposed stud or a hook will do the trick. Finally, I like to run the stiff, freshly treated chain over a piece of plastic pipe to get the rollers moving freely once again.

How to wax right

More waxing tips

In the slow cooker, melt your wax. This process will take a little while so get it started before you begin cleaning the chain and other components. Use your thermometer and monitor the temperature. Do not exceed about  C. Clean your drivetrain fully. Make sure your rear derailleur, chainrings and cassette are spotless. Then dry the parts. Clean the chain. If the chain is really dirty, get most of the gunk off with a rag before submerging it in solvent. You might need to repeat this process a few times. With a new chain, you’ll still need to clean off all the factory oil or grease. After you have scrubbed the chain a few times, throw it in a jar with the degreaser and close the lid. Shake it for a good two minutes. Remove the chain, wipe it, and if you have the ability, blow it dry with compressed air. Allow it to dry before the next step.

Fill another jar with the alcohol. Throw the chain in and shake it up. Remove it, wipe it and throw it in another jar with clean alcohol. Repeat the shake-anddry process. Pour your fluids through coffee filters to strain out dirt. You can reuse the liquids a few times.

Once the chain is dry and your wax is at the right temperature, thread the chain into the J-bend tool and dip it in the wax. Let it sit there for  minutes. Then agitate it for a minute to help the wax penetrate. Letting the chain soak is imperative to allow the metal to heat up and expand, which allows the wax to get in everywhere. Remove the chain from the wax. Let it drip for a bit. Then hang the chain straight to dry. Don’t forget to dip and agitate your quick link, too.

After about  minutes, the wax will be dry and the chain will be super stiff.

Break all the links loose by hand, working them back and forth. Or, you can run the chain over a plastic pipe. Do this process a few times to work in all the links.

Install the chain on your bike. Make sure the quick link grooves are free of wax chunks and that it clicks into place correctly. With your bike on a stand, run the chain through all the gears. Wax bits will fly off initially. Also remember, you’ll need about  minutes of riding to get the chain worked in fully.

After the initial waxing, do not add any oil or other types of lube. If you do, you will need to clean the chain fully once again before re-dipping. You might want to have a few chains in rotation so you always have a waxed chain ready to go. It’s easier to clean and wax a few at a time. Once your chain is waxed, re-dipping is much easier. Simply wipe the chain down, and then place it in a pot of boiling water to remove the old wax. After one alcohol bath, the chain is ready to be waxed once again.

You are now on your way to smooth shifting, extended component life and grease-free calves.

“If done right, waxing will save you money.”

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SHIMANO 105 Di2 marks a new era of affordable performance.

FEATURE

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DH GOLDEN AGE? Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Top riders are getting big results at international events. But to continue to build on these successes, young downhillers need the right support here at home

by Terry McKall

Photo: Andy Vathis

Is Canada in the Midst of a

 Gracey Hemstreet races at Lourdes, France

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

A

t 10 a.m. on March 27 in Lourdes, France, Jackson Goldstone crossed the line with the fastest junior men’s time in the first World Cup downhill of .

The  world champ from Squamish was wearing his rainbow jersey. Thirty minutes later, Gracey Hemstreet got a win of her own in the junior women’s race.

Three hours after that, Finn Iles finished second in the elite men’s race, his careerbest result. There was a Canadian on three of the four podiums that afternoon.

It was a historic day for Canadian downhill. There was a poetic moment of symmetry, too. The triple podium happened  years after Stevie Smith’s first World Cup win, and at the same French venue as the iconic Canadian’s last World Cup podum in .

More important, the Lourdes World Cup isn’t a stand-alone event. In late May, Hemstreet landed another win at Fort William. Goldstone was second at the same event. Those results follow a  season that saw two Canadians, Iles and Mark Wallace, stand together on the elite men’s podium for the first time

 Finn Iles on course, Lourdes

at Snowshoe, W. Va., another big moment for Canada’s downhill program.

Look a little further back and you see a string of junior successes from Elliot Jamieson, Lucas Cruz, Seth Sherlock, Ethan Shandro and Patrick Laffey in  and , Miranda Miller’s elite women’s world championship title in  and lles’s own  junior world championship, with Magnus Manson on the podium in second.

What emerges from all these stats is a picture of a national program approaching critical mass. Exceptional individual results are turning into a culture of racing.

That culture, the wider scene within this country, has momentum. Could this be the start of a new golden age for Canadian downhill? Maybe it’s started already. cyclingmagazine.ca

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Cindy Devine at the  NorAm MTB race

A golden age,

but not the first (a Devine history)

Canada’s success in downhill racing dates back to the sport’s beginnings. In fact, Cindy Devine is the first ever official DH world champion. She won that title in  in Durango, Colo., after a string of similarly strong results in the “unofficial” years before the  took over.

“It was a different era back then,” says Devine, looking back at her own golden moment. “The tracks were quite different and we rode different bikes. We didn’t have much suspension. You’d be cornering and everything would be shaking in your front end.”

Coming from a road touring background, Devine had her first taste of mountain biking while travelling around New Zealand in the mid-’s. When she returned to Canada in , she fell in with the Deep Cove bike shop crowd in North Vancouver. They convinced her to start racing. At the time, it was common to see race times of more than  minutes and tires rarely left the ground. Those conditions suited Devine. “With my pedalling power and being a strong athlete, I was able to hold onto the bike better than any other woman at that time. That’s how I excelled so quickly. You were holding onto a rigid bike at high speeds.

A lot of it was who could hold on the most and not get a flat or lose a chain,” she says.

When Devine won in , a second Canadian, Elladee Brown, was standing right beside her on the podium with a silver medal. Both Devine and Brown recall having to travel south to race at a serious level. “We all had to go to the States to race in the ‘s at the  nationals. The circuit started pretty late in Canada,” Devine says. Brown, who spent much of her early career in Colorado, adds, “There was just an unbelievably supportive scene down there that really fostered my growth. I wasn’t really in the Canadian scene other than coming up for nationals and racing Whistler when I was at home.”

While the racing was U.S.-based, the emerging Canadian brands did try to support local racers. Devine’s first sponsor was Rocky Mountain in . Brown later rode for the Vancouver brand in the mid-’s.

“It gave me a lot of pride to ride for a sponsor that was from my own country,” Devine says. Rocky Mountain’s support allowed her to travel to races. “That was the beginning of people noticing that these Canadians were pretty good. If they show up, they get results.”

Brown continued racing for the next decade, eventually specializing in downhill over cross country racing, before switching her focus to freeride in the late ‘s. “An opportunity came up to join the K Gravity Team,” she says.

“After  years of racing, I wanted to get outside of the tape and do more exploration again.”

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

The birth of freeride, a dearth of downhill

Just as Brown moved away from downhill, much of the Canadian scene followed.

As racing became more specialized, Canada’s successes shifted toward cross country, driven by the Olympic achievements of Alison Sydor and other riders performing well internationally throughout the s.

Deep in the heart of B.C.’s lush forests, a different revolution was on the Elladee Brown at the  NorAm MTB race

Richie Schley rides the Whistler Bike Park, 

Brett Tippie shreds the Todd Gravel Pit, Kamloops, B.C., 

Photos: John Gibson

Wade Simmons while filming New World Disorder, 

rise. In the late ’s, freeride exploded out of Vancouver’s North Shore and Kamloops’s dusty chutes to capture the mountain biking world’s imagination.

With the global mountain bike scene focused on B.C. freeride, the nation’s focus shifted. Wade Simmons, Brett Tippie and Richie Schley were superstars in a predominantly Canadian freeride scene.

If you were getting into mountain biking, you were either chasing podiums uphill or dreaming of hucking yourself off a giant drop on the way back down.

“At the time, freeride was kind of everything, or at least that’s what I thought growing up,” recalls Finn Iles. “I think that might’ve just been within Canada,” he adds.

On Vancouver Island, Mark Wallace took to the gnarly and video-friendly form of riding. “I was like a lot of kids who grew up in Canada, a freerider until I was about ,” he says.

Iles and Wallace now lead Canada’s international downhill program. For Wallace, the switch to racing started with a chance encounter with a national champion, Andrew Mitchell. “I was set up to go on a ride with him because his aunt worked with my mom and he suggested I try racing,” Wallace remembers.

“I owe my start to him, and carrying on to Stevie and Gabe Fox.” Gabe Fox is going on two decades as a major driver of the Canadian downhill scene. He started with the Cove team around  before moving on to run the Evil, then Devinci and now Canyon Factory Racing programs. Fox traces the start of Canada’s DH revival in the s to racers such as Mitchell, Dustin

Adams and, before he switched to freeride, Jordie Lunn.

These riders, and many who came before and followed after, were important in Canada. But they didn’t have the same impact internationally. “The first global contender to put everyone on the map was Dustin Adams,” Fox says, referring to the now  of We Are One Composites. “At that point, no man in Canada was coming close to even a top- result, right? It just wasn’t happening.”

Then came Stevie. cyclingmagazine.ca

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The Canadian Chainsaw Steve Smith grew up in the small Vancouver Island town of Cassidy. In , Fox brought him on board the Cove team and, riding longside Mitchell and Tyler Morland, Smith started to get results, fast.

He rose through the elite ranks like a rocket. He earned the name “The Canadian Chainsaw” from downhill commentator Rob Warner. In , he came in second at the world championships at Mont-Sainte-Anne. It was in , with a win at Hafjell World Cup in Norway, that his success started to have an influence outside the small Canadian downhill scene.

“When he won in Norway, that was pretty eye opening for a lot of people,” Wallace recalls. “They started paying attention to Canadian racing a lot more. In ’, when he won the overall, that exploded.”

The World Cup overall is considered to be downhill racing’s highest achievement. Smith won his  title in dramatic fashion, passing British powerhouse Gee Atherton in the overall standings at the final race of the season. The win achieved something that no one had thought possible for a Canadian in the modern era of downhill racing. The effect was almost immediate.

Even for a rider who was already racing, such as Wallace, Smith’s success caused ripples. “It was very motivating and eye-opening to know that, you know, you’re from the Island and you can be up there and racing against people you were watching in videos and on live feeds. It makes it seem much more attainable,” Wallace says. “It’s just really exciting when someone you’re friends with is crushing it at the World Cups.”

“Stevie doing what he did flipped the switch in a lot of people’s minds that racing was cool and the thing that they wanted to do,” Iles says. “Having someone to look up to, and someone from your country being the best at something has such an influence on people that it changes the culture.”

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Steve Smith (second from left) on his fi nal World Cup podium at Lourdes, 

Smith takes the overall World Cup title in 

Photos: Red Bull Content Pool

Steve Smith:

Long live chainsaw:

A growing legacy and a new golden age After a series of injuries in 2014 and 2015, Smith looked to be back on track for the  season. At the season opener in Lourdes, France, Smith returned to the World Cup podium with a second place finish. One month later, he died in a motorcycle accident.

While the arc of Smith’s career came to a sudden halt, his effect on the sport continued. On the same weekend Smith stood on his final podium, Iles won the junior men’s race. Later that season, he would win the junior World Cup title and world championships with Magnus Manson beside him in Val di Sole, Italy. Wallace continued to rack up World Cup podiums. Then, in , Miranda Miller earned Canada’s second elite world championships title in Cairns, Australia.

From there, Canada’s success has only grown. Elliot Jamieson won bronze at the  world championships. In , there were four Canadians—Ethan Shandro, Patrick Laffey, Lucas Cruz and Seth Sherlock—on junior men’s World Cup podiums.  made the next two years difficult for the young riders, but did include standout results, such as Iles and Wallace’s historic shared elite podium.

What’s important from all these stats is that it’s no longer one exceptional individual. What started with Smith is turning into a trend of Canadian riders excelling at DH events.

“The guy who really turned it on was obviously Stevie.

In every country where you see a surge in young talent, it’s always led by someone who shows everyone what’s possible. Someone to aspire to be,” Fox says.

“Stevie was pretty passionate about Canada being on the map for downhill racing,” Wallace adds. “He was a big

“Having someone to look up to, and someone from your country being the best at something has such an influence on people that it changes the culture.” supporter of that and so excited to see any Canadian going fast. He made an effort to elevate the scene in Canada in the community.”

Another change was the introduction of the junior World Cup category in . While it took young Canadians a couple years to hit their stride at that level, they’ve since seen success, and crucially, more support.

The ability to race as a career, not just a passion, is something  world champion Miranda Miller says has changed throughout the course of her career.

“The people I looked up to were doing something cool; they were fulfilling their

Finn Iles in Lourdes, 

Photos: Specialized/Sebastian Schieck, Specialized/Sebastian Schieck, Red Bull Content Pool

Miranda Miller on the board as the  DH world champion

Miranda Miller takes the  DH world championship title in Cairns, Australia

cyclingmagazine.ca

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Three Top DH Bikes When Gracey Hemstreet won the first two World Cup races of 2022, she did so on a Norco Range. The Norco Factory Team uses a custom linkage and long-travel RockShox Boxxer fork to turn the enduro bike into a downhill race rig. While that’s not currently available to consumers, the Aurum DH is. It’s the carbon frame, with its idler pulley, that started Norco down the high-pivot design path that led to the Range. The Norco Aurum HSP C1 ($9,999, norco.com) comes with 27.5" DT Swiss FR 560 wheels on XS/S and S/M frames. For the M/L and L/XL frames, you can get the same 27.5" hoops or 29" DT Swiss FR 1950.

The Wilson DH is Devinci’s long-running downhill race bike. It’s what Steve Smith raced during his career. Patrick Laffey, from B.C.’s Comox Valley, pilots the Wilson as he chases podiums around the globe. The bike has seen significant updates since the Chainsaw era, but the aluminum frame, which has a lifetime warranty, is still made and assembled in Quebec. The Devinci Wilson GX DH 7S ($6,999, devinci.com) features a Fox 40 Performance fork with 203 mm of travel and a Fox X2 Performance Elite shock with 204 mm of travel. A SRAM GX DH shifter, derailleur and cassette work with a Truvativ Descendant crankset to fill out the drivetrain.

Junior DH rider Tristan Lemire from Montreal is racing a Commencal Supreme DH v5, a bike that was until recently a team-only prototype. The Andorran brand has announced that the new bike will be available to consumers near the end of the year. Until then, the Commencal Supreme DH Öhlins Edition ($7,900, commencalcanada.com) is a close match. It’s what the Commencal/Muc-Off riders raced, and won numerous medals on, in the past. The aluminum frame is designed around a mixed-wheel design—29" on the front, 27.5" at the back—to carry momentum without losing agility. The race-ready Öhlins TTX22M shock and DH38 Air give you 200 mm of travel. Four-piston Shimano XT brakes scrub your speed when you need to slow down.

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

dreams. But you didn’t look up to that as a viable career,” Miranda Miller says. “Stevie was the first who I knew was making a living. Now, you can look and see Finn making a good career.”

That support allows riders who might not have been able to pursue racing at a high level to do so. In concrete terms, brands are adding more juniors and more women to their race teams. “With that support, growth is just bound to happen. It just kinda makes sense that as the industry is putting more money behind younger people and women, we’re seeing more of them do well,” Miller says.

In order to attract attention from sponsors, though, riders need to be able to compete. Every rider approached for this story mentioned the need for local races and more events. “There isn’t a ton of opportunity to get that high level of racing in,” Miller says. “Right now Dunbar does an amazing job with the Summer Series, but that’s really only three rounds. If you can’t make those weekends, you can’t really do that much racing.”

In the U.K. and France, by contrast, the national series are complemented by regional and local races. Those riders in those countries simply have more chances to compete and grow. “People need to organize events,” Fox says, adding that it’s not up to national federations to be the organizers.

“That’s the hardest thing. You can’t force someone to organize an event: someone has to take that on.”

Tristan Lemire, who is one of the few exceptions to Canada’s largely B.C.-based talent pool, now races with the powerhouse Commencal/Muc-Off by Riding Addiction team based in France. But to get into the sport, and attract the attention of sponsors, the Montrealer had to travel. “I got into racing because I saw Eastern States Cup advertised on the Internet. I was  when I started racing those.”

At the time, he was too young to enter local races in Quebec, so he had to head south across the border. Later, he went to B.C. to do the Kidsworx events at Crankworx, then nationals. “With those results, I got onto Commencal, but I started racing because of how accessible those U.S. races were to kids.”

Events aren’t just about getting noticed, Lemire adds. “More races throughout the country mean more opportunities for young kids to get better at racing. It sounds funny to say, but you can’t get better at racing without doing races.”

“That’s something that’s missing in mountain biking,” Iles says. “I learned how to race through skiing. That translated to mountain biking, but it definitely needs to be learned when you’re younger.” Iles started racing on skis when he was six years old. In downhill mountain biking, you can’t race BC Cups until you’re . Events such as Kidsworx, the youth-focused wing of Crankworx, do provide some exposure to competition for the groms.

Another avenue involves two wheels, but no mountains.

“I am a believer in -as-training,” Devine says.

“Feeding our  kids into mountain biking is a great angle.

They have learned to spring, corner and jump already.”

There is also a price difference. Mountain biking is, to be blunt, an expensive sport. “The thing that makes  and lower-cost cycling events really cool,” Brown says, “is that the barriers for entry are much lower.”

“It just kinda makes sense that as the industry is putting more money behind younger people and women, we’re seeing more of them do well.”

Jackson Goldstone races to the win at the DH World Cup in Lourdes, 

A New

Photos: Red Bull Content Pool

Golden Era?

Downhill moves fast, between the tape and outside of it.

The next generation of Canadian racers is already here.

In , Jackson Goldstone won the junior men’s world championships and the World Cup. Gracey Hemstreet was third at worlds that year. She started  with back-toback junior women’s World Cup wins, and third place at Leogang in June. Riders such as Lemire, Tegan Cruz and Bodhi Kuhn are logging top- World Cup finishes. The next wave of riders is already racing at Kidsworx, Dunbar Summer Series and the Eastern States Cup. Something golden is going on. It could simply be the continued glow of Smith’s influence or the beginnings of a bigger presence for Canada internationally. Whether we are in a golden age or just at its cusp, it is an exciting moment. It’s no longer exceptional to see the maple leaf within a sea of flags from Europe and Oceania. Every weekend, you can expect to see at least one Canadian on a podium, often several. More are showing up to race, and move through the ranks, every year. It can continue as long as the scene here at home has the support it needs, so riders can keep growing.

Goldstone on the podium in France

cyclingmagazine.ca

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Image: Jordan Peterson

FEATURE

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

How to Find the Perfect Club for You Whether you’re getting into the sport, taking up a new cycling discipline or looking to deepen your connections with the community, there’s a group out there that will make your riding even more fun

by Molly Hurford inding the perfect cycling club is akin to finding a new best friend or significant other. In fact, looking for the ideal cycling club or group ride is a bit like online dating: you spend some time scrolling Instagram and Google to see what’s available in your area, perhaps send a few quick messages to see if the vibe feels right, and then—if you like what you’ve seen so far—you go out on that first ride (date). From there, maybe you call again, or maybe you just don’t click. But when you find the right club for you: fireworks.

“There’s a huge amount of pent up demand for social rides and events right now,” says Ian Lowe, executive director for , Squamish’s mountain biking association that offers group rides and a vibrant weekly series.

“People are craving that community.”

So let’s begin the search. It will lead to an exciting, wonderful new relationship. Don’t be afraid to go on a few dates before you find The One, either. As with a great bike ride, part of the fun is in the exploration process.

F

Start with some self-reflection Before you start Googling local clubs, pull up a blank doc or open a notebook and do some soul-searching. It’s better to have the answers to some personal questions sorted.

Then it will be easier to narrow down your options or hone your search terms.

What kind of riding do I want to do? Are you looking for competition and a road-racing vibe, chill coffee rides, bikepacking, mountain biking or a cyclocross practice?

Who do I want to ride with? Are you looking for people of the same age, gender or culture, or are you just hoping to meet a wide variety of people?

Where do I want to ride? Are you willing to drive to farflung trailheads? Or are you more of a “if I can’t ride to the start, I’m not riding” kind of person?

When do I want to ride? As founder of Toronto-based Saddle Sisters of High Park Sandra Fletcher says, some clubs might sound perfect for you, but only host evening rides. If you’re a morning-ride person, those evening outings won’t be the right fit for you, so decide what your time frames are, and adjust your search accordingly.

Stay open to possibilities Even if you’re hoping to take your racing to the next level with a speedy team, you may still want to consider popping into more beginner-friendly, open-to-everyone rides, especially if you also have the goal of making new friends. “A lot of the clubs are specific to a certain niche of cycling, which is fine for them,” says Cassandra Powell of the Toronto-based women’s cycling collective Gyaldem.

“But one of the great things about our club and our bigger relaxed-pace rides is that if you have a niche or something that you’re interested in, chances are we have somewhere that you can go ride for that, too, because we can connect so many people and point you in the right direction.”

“A cycling club should be about community, friendship, experience and being a part of something where everybody has common values,” says Kristine Thody, executive director at Glotman Simpson Cycling in B.C. “They’re coming together to support the development not just of each other on the bike but as human beings.” And everyone doesn’t have to have the same cycling prowess to do that.

Interview the club Do a bit of research on the clubs that fit your search parameters. It’s a great problem to have if there are dozens of clubs around you to choose from, says Michael Longfield, president of Ontario’s Midweek Cycling Club. But how do you choose? He recommends scoping out a club’s social media pages. “Social media is a bit of a performance art, but at the same time, it does kind of give you a sense of what a club prioritizes, the images they’re putting up there and who’s represented in the club.”

Not sure if your bike is up to the job? Nervous about riding in a group? Email or direct message the club and ask your questions. “Any questions or concerns—reach out to somebody on the executive board or the club’s contact page,” says Shauna Wadden, president of the Nova Scotia Ramblers. “We try to be very inclusive and as informative to people as we can be.” How a club responds to your question is also a good gauge for fit.

Many clubs have certain bike standards—disc brakes required for MTB rides, no hybrids allowed for road rides.

If you’re not sure if your bike is going to work, it’s always a good idea to ask. (Maybe even email a photo of the bike in question.) Edgar Tolentino of the Ontario Pinoy cyclingmagazine.ca

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Mountain Bikers, a predominantly Filipino club, says that he’d rather see new members try riding on the bikes they have versus not coming out at all, or spending a lot of money before they’re sure they want to mountain bike.

He adds that being part of a club makes buying used bikes a bit easier, since many club members are often selling bikes to buy new ones.

Check on costs before you commit. Good news: not every club charges hundreds of dollars for membership.

Looser organizations, such as , have low costs to join—only  for adults—and then may charge nominal fees based on the events that you opt into. Some clubs will be pricier, but offer cycling kit, coaching and even some race-day support. Lowe points out that often riders will start in  and eventually join other local clubs with more perks as they get more serious about riding. Every club or group will have a different structure, so look into what you get with each membership.

Finally, ask if you can do a trial ride to get a feel for the culture, the vibe, the community and the people, says Thody. (While you’re at the ride, she adds that you should set a goal of talking to current members about their experiences.)

Now, it’s time for that first ride.

Embrace a beginner mindset, even if it’s not your first ride Even if your  is  W and you’re riding a , bike, show up like a beginner. Also remember, a year of Zwifting doesn’t mean you’ll be amazing at group riding. “When you come to a new group, ultimately you want to feel like you belong,” says Melinda Davie, founder of the Torontobased women’s mountain biking group the Wild Bettys.

“We try to make sure that our rides feel welcoming, and feel like a fun group outing. You’re never going to hold us up.

We’re expecting to stop and talk and snack.”

If you are actually a cycling newbie, even better.

“Skills clinics are great places to start no matter what your current skill level is,” says Amy O’Rourke of the Contagious Mountain Bike Club in Yukon. “It’s OK to be a beginner, even as an adult. It’s hard to do, but really, being a beginner is like the best thing in the world. Everything is a celebration.”

Check riding requirements Some clubs require introduction sessions for new riders.

“When a new rider joins, we have a mandatory rider information and practice session, where experienced club members will work with a small group of new members to teach them to ride safely in a peloton, before they can join group rides,” says Jacques Cardinal of Vélo Détente Laval in Quebec. The club, with just less than  members, is nearly  per cent women, and primarily made up of retired people.

It hosts two rides each week with roll-outs at : a.m. He also adds that ebikes are becoming more popular with members: If you’re riding an ebike, definitely email the club and make sure it’s OK if you show up with a motor.

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Look at ride descriptions Assuming you can skip the information session or required training ride and hop right into a group ride, look for intel on the ride itself before committing, Fletcher says. Most clubs list the average speed for the ride, whether it’s drop or no-drop, and many even post links to the route so you can see how far the distance is and what the elevation profile looks like. If you’re truly nervous about the group riding aspect, you can even consider pre-riding the route ahead of time so you know what you’re getting into.

If you’re a nervous rider or not sure you’ll be able to keep up, start with clubs that are more focused on community rather than wattages. “Our goal is to be accessible for all women,” says Powell. “No matter when your last ride was, you’re fast enough, you’re cool enough. All the barriers you’ve put up, know that you can put them aside and come give it a chance. Sometimes you do have to take a leap and just take a step.”

Be prepared for your first ride You know the Scouts motto of always being prepared? Think like a Scout for your first—and every subsequent—group ride. Don’t rely on other riders to have pumps, spare tubes, mini-tools, extra water and spare snacks. It’s much better to be over-prepared. You’ll make more friends if you have extra stuff to share than if you’re asking everyone else to borrow things. Always assume you’ll be an hour longer than the predicted ride time and plan accordingly with food—that way wrong turns, long stops and just plain slower days won’t leave you bonked. A little extra? Yes. Useful? Incredibly.

Making friends as an adult “It is a hard thing to walk into a new space,” says Davie of the Wild Bettys. “When there’s a group of people you don’t know, it’s scary.” Fear of public speaking and fear of striking up conversations with random people are top fears for many. It’s awkward to roll up to that first group ride, especially one where most members already know each other, and just start chatting away. But good news: they’re all there because they love bikes, so you already have something big in common.

“When you’re new and you see the spandex and the bikes and the attitudes, it can seem intimidating and even off-putting,” Longfield says. “Our goal is to rip away that feeling and make our races and rides feel friendlier, happier and more fun.”

When a club isn’t the right fit Some cycling clubs might feel a bit awkward at first, but end up being amazing. Typically, the first ride or two always feels a little uncomfortable as you work to figure out everyone’s pace and group-ride etiquette, especially if you’re newer to a certain cycling discipline. There are some clubs, however, that simply aren’t great, or aren’t the right fit for you. You may see some redflag behaviours that have echoes from high school: club members looking down on you for not knowing something about your bike, or judging your bike/kit based on their monetary value. Rides where you try to start conversations, but get ignored.

One caveat here: if you show up for a group ride that’s labelled as a drop-ride and the ride info reminded you to bring your own flat-changing equipment, you can’t be too upset when the group rolls on without you if you puncture and don’t have the stuff to repair it. Should they stay? Maybe. But are they terrible for not staying? Honestly, not really.

Bottom line, not every club is going to be a perfect fit, even if it seems like it might on paper. If you don’t get a great vibe, simply don’t return. “If you join a club, and it’s not for you, you haven’t signed a lifelong contract,” Longfield says.

“It’s more than OK to join another club. It happens all the time.”

Hate the music, but love the scene?

Image: Jordan Peterson

If you went on one ride with the club and the people and vibe were great but the ride was too fast/easy/long/short, try another type of ride with the same group. “In Saddle Sisters, we have multiple levels of rides,” Fletcher says. “It doesn’t matter what kind of bike you have, as long as you are able to hold the pace that is published for that ride. So it’s OK to try multiple rides if one wasn’t right for you.”

“We offer a wide range of riding groups to cater to the variety of skills and abilities,” Thody says. “Our goal is to be as inclusive as possible, so everyone can find a ride that works for them.”

I’m in! Now what?

If you want to be a member and just show up for rides, cool, you can. But if you want to help out, there are areas that can get you involved at a deeper level. Helping out at races,

“No matter when your last ride was, you’re fast enough, you’re cool enough.” bringing the tent to events, helping with kit orders, posting on social media or just leading a ride are all great ways to get more involved. If making friends is one of your primary goals for joining a club, the more non-ride events you help out with, the more likely it is you’ll develop lifelong bonds.

“Coming back from , we’re low on ride leaders and we’re always looking for women who are willing to help with that,” says Davie. “Becoming a ride leader is a great way to help the club, deepen relationships and to learn more about riding for yourself as well.” cyclingmagazine.ca

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What if I can’t find a good club for me where I live?

Before you decide to start your own club—which we’ll get to in a second— consider any clubs that are in your area that may not have been the perfect fit for you—yet. You may be able to work within a club that’s “close enough” to what you’re after. For instance, if your local cycling club is entirely made up of men and you don’t love that vibe, you may suggest developing a women’s-only ride that they can promote.

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No Club? No Problem While there are many cycling clubs in Canada, there’s a decent chance that unless you live in a major city, there isn’t a club around you that suits your exact cycling needs and wants. That doesn’t mean you’re condemned to a life of solo pedalling though. You can always start a club yourself. Here are a few tips to get rolling.

Do start small. It might be tempting to envision starting a massive program, but you’re likely better off starting with a group of five to  of you who just agree to ride together at a set time once or twice a week, no strings attached. That’s how the Saddle Sisters, Gyaldem and the Ontario Pinoy Mountain Bikers formed. Start slow, grow organically.

Make your club an official organization. You don’t have to do this step if your club is simply a gathering of a few friends.

Images: Jordan Peterson

You may not want to race, but you can always volunteer to support your club at a race. The Ontario Pinoy Mountain Bikers are big fans of making the most of race day. At the local -hour race, you can always find their group: just follow the smell of roasting pig. Club members keep the party going and work the roasting pit while their team of racers competes on the trails.

You can also help with maintaining trails with mountain bike clubs—a great option if you’re currently sidelined with an injury. “We are the trail stewards of Whitehorse,” O’Rourke says. “We have trail-building nights and that’s helped develop our community as much as the rides themselves.”

But if you are starting to attract riders you’ve never met, creating an official club through your provincial cycling body might be worth it in order to protect you from liability.

(It’s usually pretty easy to register online.)

Reach out to local bike shops. Often, local shops are great places to connect with other riders and get intel on the best routes in town. They can even provide you a place to start your rides. You may also find that a shop is interested in sponsoring a club, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Take it up a notch with swag. Even a five-rider group can have a strong cycling kit game. Use a free design program, such as Canva, to create a logo for your group (or ask a graphic designer, if you have the budget). Then, work with a company that does custom kit, like Jakroo, Giordana, or Pearl Izumi to design the cycling kit of your dreams.

“At the local -hour race, you can always find their group: just follow the smell of roasting pig.”

Luckily, most of these companies work with fairly low minimums, so it doesn’t matter if you only have three or four people ordering kit.

Finally, spread the word. Post flyers in local shops and post on social media.

Start a Facebook Group or Page or blog in order to share ride information. Ask your fellow riders to invite others on the ride, assuming you want to create a larger club. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised at how many people are interested in joining in. cyclingmagazine.ca

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GEAR

In-Depth Shimano’s Latest Ultegra R8100 Groupset p.48

Trail Commencal Meta SX p.50 Rocky Mountain Element C70 p.52

Road

Photo: Matt Stetson

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod p.54

cyclingmagazine.ca

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by Andre Cheuk oughly a year ago, Shimano announced its new Dura-Ace R and Ultegra R groupsets at the same time.

The top-end Dura-Ace drew most of the attention at launch, but this latest update brings Ultegra closer to Dura-Ace’s performance than ever before. With the same servomotors, internals, electronics and ergonomics, the two groupsets are indistinguishable in performance, function and feel. The only notable differences between Ultegra and Dura-Ace is  to  g (depending on configuration) for the former, and a matte grey finish on the second-tier group’s parts compared with the glossy black of the top set. With such minor differences, Ultegra is clearly the smarter buy of the two. Only the most dedicated weight weenies will opt for Dura-Ace. After six months of riding Ultegra, here’s what I’ve found.

GEAR

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IN DEPTH

6 Things I’ve Learned After 6 Months with Shimano’s Latest Ultegra Insights into the drivetrain, brakes and wheels of the premium groupset

Faster? Possibly. Smoother? Definitely.

For both of the new groups, Shimano has eliminated mechanical shifting. Battery-powered shifting only. The company touted its new derailleurs as the fastest yet, but the previous version of Di was already very fast and consistently so.

Even with a stopwatch, one would be hard pressed to find a difference. On my rides, what I can feel is smoother shifting compared with the previous Ultegra. More powerful servomotors and updated shift ramps on the cassettes and chainrings mean the chain moves seamlessly from cog to cog. I don’t have to break my cadence or back off the power.

Another minor benefit I quickly got used to is the ability to downshift at the last minute as I come to a stop. You only need half a pedal stroke to get into a lower gear.

The Ultegra rear derailleur’s -tooth capacity opened my eyes to the benefit of wide gear ranges. The extra low gear allowed me to stay in the big ring more, improving efficiency.

The  cogs keep the steps small between gears despite the range. The few times I encountered short yet steep pitches, I was happy to spin past my ride companions who were overgeared. With the /-tooth chainrings at the crank, I won’t have to worry about swapping cassettes or rings the next time I travel somewhere mountainous. I already have a : low gear.

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Photos: Matt Stetson

Wide-range gearing is not just good for mountains

Easier-to-live-with brakes A major focus of this update for Shimano is the brakes, not just in terms of performance, but user-friendliness. Shimano claims an additional  per cent clearance between the pads and rotor. The space, combined with rotors that are less susceptible to warping, means rubbing is all but eliminated. Keep in mind,  per cent more of a very small space is still very small. Careful installation and alignment is crucial. The brakes still squeal in the wet; there is no getting around that. The new brakes feature Servowave, a technology that improves power and modulation by varying the pull ratio as the brake levers are engaged. The effect is … subtle. The brakes feel like normal brakes. They modulate speed well, with very good power. It’s what I want in a set of brakes. What I don’t want are brakes that have a drastically different behaviour and require some getting used to.

Excellent hood ergonomics The new hoods are subtly curved and canted, with a softer rubber that fits tightly around the internals (no sliding around!), and feels very comfortable in my hands.

The slightly taller horns give another hand position that is nice on long rides. Yes, the hoods are slightly longer and wider than the previous models. How much that change matters is personal. I wager that most riders who liked the R generation’s ergonomics will like the new hoods, too.

Wireless for modern builds The shifting on the Ultegra (and Dura-Ace) is wireless, which cleans up the front of the bike and makes bike builds easier. For riders, it means wireless communication with other devices is standard. There’s no additional module to buy. Being able to change the display on my Garmin with the buttons on top of the hoods is a luxury.

Having my Garmin automatically update with a page showing battery life when Di is detected, however, has saved me from at least one dead-battery ride. That’s a good thing as the new wireless system is more power-hungry. Expect to charge the new Di more frequently than before.

Wheels that match The Ultegra lineup comes with its own wheels, too. With this new range of hoops, Shimano has addressed the weak link in the prior generation. The latest C rim has a wide aero shape, shared with Dura-Ace, that pairs well with wide tires. The difference between the Dura-Ace and Ultegra wheels is in the hubs, with Ultegra naturally slightly heavier. Where Dura-Ace wheels feature a freehub spline design that only works with its own cassettes, Ultegra retains the Hyperglide freehub, which lets you use Ultegra, Dura-Ace or even the new  cassettes. Not being limited in my cassette options is a total win in my book. cyclingmagazine.ca

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Commencal W Meta SX Mixed wheel sizes, singular performance

hen Commencal released the Meta SX, it joined a growing wave of brand’s releasing “mullet” or mixed-wheel enduro bikes. That’s not to say the Andorran brand is hopping on a trend. No, Commencal’s already put years into mixed-wheel development through its downhill program. The Meta SX is a bike that bucks trends, instead of following them.

Where some brands cut existing frames into mullets using new linkages or rear triangles, Commencal created a new frame for running a 29" wheel at the front and a 27.5" at the back. The company did, however,

TRAIL TEST

reviewed by Terry McKall Commencal Meta SX (as tested) Components SRAM XO1 Eagle 12-speed cassette with SRAM GX derailleur and shifter.

Shimano XT Trail brakes with 203-mm rotors, RockShox Reverb Stealth dropper post (200-mm travel), Burgtec The Cloud saddle, Ride Alpha Freeride stem (40 mm) and bars (780-mm long, 35-mm rise) Suspension Fox 38 Factory fork with 170 mm of travel, Fox Float X2 Factory shock with 160 mm of travel Wheels e-thirteen LG1 Race Carbon (29" front, 27.5" rear), 2.5" Maxxis Assegai WT front, 2.4" Minion DHR II rear, DD casing Sizes S, M, L, XL Price $9,707 (as tested), frame $2,300 Website commencalcanada.com

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draw from the 29" Commencal Meta AM. Since the company works entirely with aluminum, it was able to develop the SX quickly, without driving up prices.

The reach of the SX is shorter than the AM by 10 mm. Unlike many bikes mixing wheel sizes, the chainstays of the SX are actually extended 10 mm compared with the dual 29" AM. Why? To keep you in the centre of the bike. The result is a bike that is balanced, without some of the less-desirable handling traits of a mullet. The Meta SX stays stable at high speeds, instead of starting to feel twitchy. But, for a long enduro-style bike, it still cuts around corners tighter and faster than a bike with two 29" wheels. With the SX’s slack 63.6-degree head angle, you can feel confident putting your weight forward to get the most momentum out of the big wheel in the front.

Shorter riders will appreciate the smaller wheel not buzzing their pants when they get deep into the travel. The mixed wheels pay off for riders of all heights with more control, and speed, when the trail gets steep. With the Meta SX‘s stout aluminum frame and burly linkage, it holds a line well and lets you charge into chunder without bouncing off line.

The bike is focused purely on downhill speed. It has 160 mm of travel, via a four-bar linkage driven single-pivot suspension design, and a 170-mm Fox 38 fork. It does pedal reasonably well for a bike in this category, aided by the efficient Fox Factory suspension. The frame, however, isn’t light. It’s more concerned with getting to the top comfortably rather than quickly.

Commencal keeps the Meta SX frame design simple with an eye to durability and easy maintenance.

Cable routing is mostly internal, except to bypass the bottom-bracket area. Pivots and the linkage are burly. The width of the linkage might cause slight clearance issues for some riders. There’s excellent standover height and plenty of room for a water bottle in the front triangle.

My Meta SX was built up using Commencal’s A La Carte system and featured a full run of top-end parts.

The appeal of this customization program is that you can put your money where it matters most to you.

While I found the e-thirteen rims nice to ride, I might trade in the carbon-fibre wheels for an alloy option so that I could afford Fox’s Factory suspension. Other riders might prefer the opposite. Commencal offers seven other stock builds, too.

The Meta SX offers a very speed-focused approach to mixed wheels. Whether you want to race or just want a big bike that isn’t a bear to get around corners and injects some rowdy fun on the trails, the SX is an excellent option. It’s not the lightest, but it’s tough. And it sure is fast.

Photo: Terry McKall

GEAR

“You can feel confident putting your weight forward to get the most momentum out of the big wheel in the front. ”

ADVENTURE AWAITS.

Auto. Home. Pet. Find Your Fit. 888.905.6287 | WeatherTech.ca

Rocky Mountain Element C70 Components Shimano XT 12-speed drivetrain. Shimano XT twopiston brakes with 180-mm rotors, Race Face Turbine R dropper post (125- to 200-mm travel, depending on size) Suspension Fox 34 Performance Elite fork with 130 mm of travel, Fox Float DPS Performance Elite shock with 120 mm of travel Wheels WTB ST Light i27 TCS rims with Race Face Trace hub, 2.4" Maxxis Rekon WT EXO tires. 27.5" for XS, 29" for S to XL Sizes XS, S, M, L, XL Price $7,879

GEAR

Website bikes.com

TRAIL TEST

Rocky Mountain Element C70 New-school XC

reviewed by Terry McKall ocky Mountain has a long tradition of race bikes with the Element name. The newest version, completely reimagined as a 120-mm rear travel and 130-mm front travel cross country bike, pushes this classic name into new territory.

Cross country bikes typically target pure XCO racing. If you take that extreme use case out of the equation, what does “cross country mountain biking” mean?

The new Element is one answer. It is still fast, light and efficient on the climbs.

But it also has more travel, and a more supportive geometry, to be confident on a wider variety of trails. It’s a bike for race days, but also for having fun every other day of the week. This design might require a bit of a shift in perspective for some riders. For others, it will be just what they’ve been waiting for.

I’ll admit up front that I had really high expectations for the Element. It promises to be the bike I wish I had when I was competing more, but still wanted to push my riding on harder trails between races.

Rocky Mountain keeps the frame’s weight low by using long, thin tubes in the front triangle. They are matched with a slack head-tube angle, between 65 and 65.8 degrees, more suspension travel and a long wheelbase. All this makes the Element stable at higher speeds and more comfortable attacking technical terrain. XC geometry is evolving rapidly; Rocky Mountain puts the Element at, or ahead of the curve.

Rocky Mountain’s Ride-4 chip goes a long way to helping the bike cover more ground than you might expect. It’s a simplified version of the Ride-9 found on many Rocky bikes.

Adjusting the chip system, mounted on the shock linkage, pushes the bike to either side of the trail/cross country line.

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I found Element performed best at the extremes, in the slack or steep positions.

In the slack setting, the Element does give up some pep on the pedals and some precision when climbing slow, tight uphill corners. A taller front end and 76-degree semi-steep seat tube angle don’t help the Element here. Pick up any speed and the Element digs into the trail, carrying momentum through corners and letting you ride more aggressively with less risk.

In the steep setting, the steering gets snappier without getting anywhere near twitchy. Since Ride-4 also adjusts the Element’s suspension characteristics, the

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

bike accelerates faster and feels more supportive in the steep setting.

As far as details go, the frame fits in two water bottles comfortably, making the Element an excellent marathon or stage-race option. Internal cable routing throughout, removable frame protection and a chainstay guard that also quiets chainslap are nice touches on the maple leaf-themed paint scheme.

The C70 build splits the line between XC and trail. Maxxis Rekon tires and twopiston Shimano XT brakes are light and fast, while sturdy WTb alloy rims and the long dropper post skew toward trail. The Fox 34 Performance Elite fork and DPS shock, as well as the XT drivetrain, are comfortable in either style of riding, making it easy to push the Element one way or the other with burlier tires or a lighter wheelset.

Rocky Mountain tries to cover a lot of trails with the Element. That requires some sacrifice. It might not be a World Cup bike, but would I be happy racing it at my local XC? Definitely. Doubly so at a stage race or technical marathon event. It’s also not a full-on trail bike. But I did find myself comfortably riding on harder trails than I expected to.

Where I had the most fun, though, was putting the Element’s Ride-4 in the steep setting and using the extra suspension to attack harder XC trails with more confidence, and more speed. The fact that I can do that one day, then race, then switch it to slack and hit harder trails all on the same bike is impressive.

Photos: Terry McKall

“Would I be happy racing it at my local XC? Definitely. Doubly so at a stage race or technical marathon event.”

Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod A balanced mix of light weight, aero gains and fine handling reviewed by Matthew Pioro

I

n , when Cannondale revamped its SuperSix, I watched my inbox as photos of my colleague on the new bike at a launch event in Vermont rolled in. Cool-looking bike, great roads. Three years later, a SuperSix sporting the latest paint scheme and parts, but the same geometry, arrived at the Canadian Cycling Magazine office—during the Great Bike Shortage, no less. Finally, it was my turn to test the race bike.

The previous SuperSix I had tested was equipped with rim brakes, which says something about how long ago that was, or really, how long ago that feels. Since then, the bike has been outfitted with rotors. In 2019, it got a big makeover: its seatstays got lower, no longer meeting at the seat and top tube area. That top tube wasn’t parallel to the ground anymore, but had a slight slope to it. Truncated airfoil shaping appeared on many parts of the frame, which the company says reduces drag by as much as 30 per cent. The SuperSix got aero-ified.

The next year, you saw the same thing happen to Giant’s TCR, Trek’s Émonda and Specialized’s Tarmac. Traditionally, aero tube shapes added more material and weight to a frame.

Yet, all those bikes that were designed to climb got more aerodynamic without gaining, or barely gaining, any mass.

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Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-Mod Changes and improvements in carbonfibre production meant a frame could be Components SRAM Red eTap AXS drivetrain with a 12-speed, light and aero.

10–33 tooth cassette, In 2021, Cannondale went through a 48/35-tooth crankset, big change. Even though the company 160-mm SRAM rotors is known for its roots in Connecticut, I Wheels HollowGram 45 SL Knot had considered it secretly Canadian up Sizes (cm) 48, 51, 54, 56, 58, 60 to that point. In 2008, it was bought by Montreal’s Dorel Industries. Last year, Price $16,000 Dorel sold Cannondale to Pon Holdings, Website cannondale.com a Dutch company that purchased the Canadian brand Cervélo in 2012.

On the latest SuperSix, I found a familiar quality, something I remembered from the rim-brake model. The new bike, like the old, is a well-balanced package. On the road, it corners smoothly and predictably. Its 7.45 kg mass isn’t a lot to haul up an incline. It has more than enough stiffness in its frame to manage my watt bombs, which are probably more watt BBs at the moment. Kilometre after kilometre, the SuperSix gives you top-of-the-line performance without being showy. Quietly, almost on the down-low, it gives you a spectacular ride.

A common feature of Cannondale bikes are Save rear stays. They’re designed to reduce the effects of road vibrations on you, keeping you from getting rattled too badly on less-than-perfect surfaces. With the bike’s clearance for 30-mm tires, you can further reduce chatter by using the right treads. As with all bikes looking for aero gains, the SuperSix has all of its cables and hoses running internally. When you turn the bars, you’ll notice a lock that prevents them from going too far in either direction. This feature protects the cables that run through the head tube. The lock doesn’t interfere with your steering on the road. I only noticed it when I was off the bike, manoeuvring it into parking spots.

I was surprised and impressed by the house-brand HollowGram 45 SL Knot wheels. Not only do they roll well, but they can take a hit. I had an unplanned meeting with a pothole during one of my rides. It was the kind of bump that makes you stop and check things over. I didn’t find a thing. Perfect. I then got back on the SuperSix to enjoy the ride, the kind of ride I had been waiting for.

Photo: Matt Stetson

GEAR

ROAD TEST

How to Find the Right Gearing Setup with SRAM Drivetrains Tips for choosing the best cassette and chainring combination for your rides

hat gearing setup do you need for your bike? Since it’s common to see -by setups on mountain bikes and two chainrings on road bikes, you might think the bicycle’s style decides the cassette and crankset. Brad Menna, product manager for road drivetrains at , says the cycling discipline doesn’t always dictate gearing.

“I love to use the example of Paris-Roubaix,” Menna says, “because it’s a very flat race. You will literally never shift the front derailleur.” Menna remembers how riders used to need two chainrings. They’d run a large smaller ring because they didn’t have a very wide range in their cassettes. The small ring helped them to grind it out on the cobbles. Today, with ’s wide-range cassettes—-speeds from – to – tooth configurations—pros can run a -by setup at Roubaix easily. “The Trek-Segafredo women’s team rode mostly and -tooth chainrings. Riders like Mads Pedersen ride a .”

You don't need the legs of a pro roadie to get the benefits of a -by setup on the road. “’s based in Chicago. I ride nothing but -by. I can do every single bike race within  miles of here because it’s so flat,” Menna says. So it’s not a matter of what type of bike you’re using when it comes to finding the best drivetrain for you. It starts with what terrain you’re going to be riding, followed by your level of fitness.

When you are deciding on a cassette, terrain and the type

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GETTING THE CORRECT COGS

of pedalling you do on that terrain are key. Take a cross country course. You go up, down, over a feature and then up again. There are many quick changes on the route, so a cassette with a wide range—such as the XX Eagle’s – tooth arrangement—lets you find the gearing for whatever the trail is throwing at you.

On the road, the changes are more subtle. Getting the right pedalling cadence is important, especially at higher speeds. On ’s road cassettes, you’ll notice the small cogs increase in size by one-tooth increments: , , , ,  and  for the high end of the Rival’s – tooth cluster. This arrangement allows you to find the right amount of spin in your pedals on a fast group ride. Once you get to a climb, and the group blows apart, you can get into your own rhythm on the , , , ,  or  sprocket because it’s a lot easier to adjust your cadence when you are riding more slowly. Things get trickier when you face a gravel race with long, flat, fast sections mixed with steep, loose climbs. ’s – tooth  cassette aims to balance the steps between the cogs and a wide range so you can go fast on the roads and the hills.

How do you know if you have the right setup? Well, if you have a   group with electronic shifting, you can see what gears you used the most on a particular ride with the   Web app. If you have a -by setup and find yourself sticking with gears at the high or low end of the cassette consistently throughout many rides, you might consider changing your chainring. The change can shift (pun intended) your gear usage to the sweet spot on the cassette instead of its limits.

There’s also a lower tech method of gauging your gearing according to Menna.

“Successful gearing is when you’re riding your bike and you’re not actually thinking about your gearing,” he says. “That’s really what it’s all about.” sram.com

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orry about the driving. But we want to catch up with them.”

I was in a Subaru Outback with two other journalists and our driver bouncing along a rough road through Israel’s Negev Desert. We weren’t far from the Dead Sea. At one point, I got a text from my service provider welcoming me to Jordan. No, we didn’t cross the border, but at times I could feel its presence.

The driver was Hillel Sussman.

He’s the lead project manager of the Israel Bike Trail. A better title, bestowed upon him by a colleague at the Ministry of Tourism, is the father of the . Roughly  years ago, he came up with the idea of making a network of singletrack and dirt roads from Mount Hermon in the north to Eilat on the Red Sea. In late October , a new section of the trail opened up:  km of singletrack from Arad to Masada. Two weeks later, eight riders from the WorldTeam Israel-Premier Tech (or Israel Start-Up Nation as it was known at the time) left their road bikes in Tel Aviv to ride mountain bikes in the south. My colleagues and I were getting rattled in a car trying to keep up with the pros.

“Usually, once we make the trails, it’s faster to get from place to place by the trails than by car. You see them?” Sussman added pointing out the window. “Wow, they’re fast. They can’t help it.”

The roadies couldn’t help it simply because they’re roadies. Chris Froome figured they’d be a little feisty on the ride. No one had raced in some time. They were all in Israel as a part of the team’s bonding camp.

New riders were getting to know their fellow roadies as well as the team staff. Even the continental squad, Israel Cycling Academy, with younger riders still developing their talents, had been flown to Tel Aviv.

The mountain biking, however, was a treat for a select few. With Froome was Guillaume Boivin, who does ride trails when back at his family cottage near Bromont, Que., which isn’t too often. Also charging through the desert was Daryl Impey, Guy Sagiv, Tom van Asbroeck, Rick Zabel, Rudy Barbier and Matthias Brändle—all guys who had been on the team at least one year. It seemed you had

Rip Like A Pro Roadie Through the Desert You can enjoy the same trails that a bunch of WorldTour riders took on during their bonding camp. Just expect to go a bit slower

by Matthew Pioro

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Mount Hermon

Tel Aviv Jerusalem Arad

Masada National Park

Eilat

 Guillaume Boivin sneaks his roadchamp kit off-road along the Israel Bike Trail

Photo: Matthew Pioro

“S

Photo: Noa Arnon/Israel–Premier Tech

DESTINATION

to have a bit of rank to get on this special outing.

The squad had to roll out of their hotel in Tel Aviv before  a.m. that morning for the two and a half hour long drive to Arad. The night before, all the athletes and staff attended a reception at team co-owner Sylvan Adams’s two-storey penthouse apartment by the beach in Tel Aviv. Many headed out on the town afterward. If any of the eight were feeling rough that morning, they didn’t show it.

The other reason the pros were covering the trail quickly is that the track is mostly downhill. The section starts at about  m above sea level and at the end in Masada it’s  m. If you continue on to the next section— km to the Dead Sea—you drop to  m below sea level. From the trailhead, the group could see the salty body of water. Many wanted to ride all the way to take a dip. Froome said they could carry their swim shorts in their jersey pockets. Their handlers said no. Instead, the squad was advised to ride easy. Enjoy the scenery. Take selfies. No one wanted a broken roadie just as management was making plans for the season ahead. Also, if the riders went too fast, the team photographer and the videographer, who would be chasing them in another car, would miss them at the prime locations along the route.

We raced along the road with signs warning of dangerous curves. Then we pulled over and got out of the car.

There was time for a few quick snaps.

Then we were off.

Later, we pulled over once again and spread out, each person on a solo photo stakeout. Off-piste, the rocks are sharp and loose. The trail itself, however, is smooth and flowy. “All the trails you see in this desert were built by hand,” Sussman said later.

“No machinery is allowed because it’s all nature reserves, and a fragile environment. There’s no green grass or trees to cover up your mess when you are building the trail. If you look now, the trail looks like a , year old trail.”

A bit of the new trail was once part of an ancient Roman path. There are archaeological digs in the area. “We had archeologists supervising us as

ISRAEL

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 Trail building in the Negev Desert

 Hillel Sussman is the lead project manager of the Israel Bike Trail

Photos: Matthew Pioro, Hillel Sussman, Matthew Pioro, Matthew Pioro, Noa Arnon/Israel–Premier Tech

   Trailside artifacts, bones and a spent smoke grenade

“Please, put a current coin in the ground so if someone comes later, they won’t think the trail is , years old.”

we worked. One said, ‘Please, please, please, put a current coin in the ground so if someone comes later, they won’t think the trail is , years old,’” Sussman said.

The stretch from Arad to Masada took Sussman and the volunteers he assembled two years to build. (The pandemic hindered their progress.) The  km added to the existing Israel Bike Trail, which now totals roughly  km.

Sussman is hoping all  km will be finished in the next two years. The route is designed so that every  to  km you can find food, water and a place to sleep. You can bikepack with a load of gear, or just your toothbrush. You need to carry a lot of water, though.

During that Israel-Premier Tech bonding camp, I had already followed along in a car as the pros rode out of Jerusalem to the hills in the west. I knew many would be riding around the Sea of Galilee the day after the big mountain bike ride. While it’s nice to watch talented riders do their thing in races, it’s a little less fun to watch them on their fun rides. The day before we went to the Negev Desert, I did jump on an opportunity to get in a ride of my own instead of going to the Sagol Centre for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, which was the plan for the journalists. (Team co-owner Adams gently chastised me for skipping the sports medicine tour. I’m sure it was as interesting as he said it was. Still, as someone who likes riding bikes, too, I’m sure he understood my decision.) The riders of Israel Cycling Academy, the continental-level squad associated with the WorldTeam, as well as team support staff went for a rip on the trails at Ben Shemen Forest, about  km southeast of Tel Aviv. The bikes that were rented for everyone were very well-used. They sported triple cranksets, V-brakes and often kickstands. Of course, you don’t need top-of-the-line equipment to have a good time. Everyone had a blast taking on the beginner to intermediate trails. There were a few tricky inclines on smooth, polished rock. The trails

were pretty dry and dusty, but later in the winter, they aren’t as loose.

When you put strong riders on old bikes, things can break. The only reason I caught up to Riley Pickrell—who’d go on to win a stage at the  Baby Giro—is that his derailleur got mangled. I’m guessing it couldn’t take the Victoria rider’s big watts. Oded Kogut, the  Israeli under- road and time trial champion, snapped a chain.

My bike held up. No problems there. But I couldn’t keep up with continental guys at all. I was in the laughing group with the soigneurs, which was cool. On a pro team, it’s the soigneurs who really know how to have fun.

One press officer could keep up with the under- riders.

He also started the mountain bike ride with Froome and company in Arad, but ended up in a gruppetto of one. They all came together at the end in Masada. It was important to Sussman that the Israel Bike Trail include the ancient fortress. As a guide explained to the riders, it is a symbol of pride and resistance for Jews. It was where roughly , people made a last stand against the Romans in year . Before the Romans breached the fortress, the people of Masada committed suicide, choosing death over slavery.

Still dusty from the ride, the pros took in the history lesson.

After lunch at Masada, the roadies loaded up into a minibus for the trip back to Tel Aviv. They had showed me how fast and fun the Israel Bike Trail can be. It would be nice to return to ride it, at my own pace. cyclingmagazine.ca

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Meaghan Hackinen

“There’s something awesome about the shorter events like a sprintdistance ultra.

It’s still 1,000 km.”

Q&A

Riding really, really far, and even setting a record

by Dan Dakin or -year-old Meaghan Hackinen, a “short ride” is covering hundreds of kilometres on her road or gravel bike in a single day. In , she rode across the country from B.C. to N.L., and she hasn’t looked back since.

Not only has she ridden across Canada (, km), but she’s completed the Trans Am Bike Race (, km), the North Cape  (, km) and Paris-Brest-Paris (, km) and won the  BC Epic  (, km) and  -hour time trial world championship ( km).

The Vancouver native now living in Kelowna is also putting her post-secondary education—which focused on writing—to good use. She published her first book, South

F

Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels , in . A second is on the way in . She also documents her adventures on her blog at meaghanhackinen.com .

Hackinen works for the Federation of BC Writers, helping other writers like her land funding and opportunities. She’s able to do her job remotely as she takes on new long-distance adventures around the world.

I caught up with Hackinen in May just before she left Denmark following a -km one-day race in that country.

STATS Lives Kelowna, B.C. Born Vancouver Discipline Ultra distance PB 741 km in 24 hours

You’ve done all of these wildly long races and rode  km to win the world -hour TT title in . Do you feel like there’s a constant desire to up the ante and try harder things?

I think in the beginning I wanted to go longer and farther. I did the Trans Am, which was , km, and then I signed up for the NorthCape-Tarifa, which is , km, but I ’d in that. There’s something awesome about the shorter events like a sprint-distance ultra. It’s still , km, but it’s completely different than a trans-contintental race. How you tackle each distance and discipline is very different.

So I see them each as their own little bubbles. I just did the -km Tour of Denmark and just buried myself the whole time, which I couldn’t do in a longer event.

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Why is writing and documenting your travels so important to you?

I started cycling, and then wanted to write about my experiences to share them with other people. But I realized I wasn’t that good of a writer, so I took some classes and took the master of fine arts in creative writing from the University of Saskatchewan. My first book was my thesis project, and then I found a publisher. I have another book called Shifting Gears coming out in  about competing in the  Trans Am Bike race from Oregon to Virginia. It’s a bit more about ultra cycling from an insider’s view and the bizarre world that it is.

Bikes Cannondale Synapse (road bike) named Epona, Salsa Cutthroat (adventure bike) named Ameila, Cervélo P3 (TT bike) named Sarah

You’re registered to do the -hour TT world championships again this November. Is there more pressure on that race because you won the women’s title in  and set your PB? It’s an A race for me. I have the course record there so I would love to beat that. That’s always my goal: to compete against myself first and then the others around me. I’m very competitive. I’m not one of those people who signs up for a race because I think it would be fun. I’ll put the time in and make sure I’m prepared.

I hold that race at a higher level because it’s such a time and financial commitment. In , I did all the planning for it but it didn’t pan out, so I feel like I have unfinished business.

Photo: Mallorca Bike Fotos

You’re in the midst of a very busy . How have you stayed motivated this year?

After , I was really amped up for a great  and then everything just kind of stopped for two years. I worked a lot and stayed close to home. But this year, as things opened up, I just thought ‘I’m out of here.’ I had race rollovers from , and I finally have a job that I can do remotely so I hope this is my new reality.

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EBIKE SPECIAL

Feature eAccess to the Singletrack With more eMTbs out on the trails, riders, clubs and landowners are working to integrate the new machines into their networks.

Groups are trying to balance inclusivity, safety and ecology.

Though the route forward—like a well-designed trail—is anything but straight-ahead

by Tara Nolan p.64

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FEATURE

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s s e c c eA he K C A t R o T t E L G N I S

by Tara Nolan

With more eMTBs out on the trails, riders, clubs and landowners are working to integrate the new machines into their networks. They’re balancing inclusivity, safety and the environment. The route forward though—like a well-designed trail—is anything but straight-ahead

Photo: Dave Silver

W

e’ve all seen the influx of new cyclists on bikes.

They’re on road bikes, gravel rigs, mountain whips and even, as my friend adorably calls cruisers, doo-di-doos. Ebikes and trail-focused es are very much a part of that surge. Those battery-powered bikes may have taken some flak by analog purists as the new models emerged. But it seems the derision, as well as pro/anti debates, are fading, somewhat. There are occasional headlines when new policies are implemented or disagreements occur in a community over fresh rules that either ban or allow them. Since the pandemic has brought a lot more people outdoors and on the trails, there have been more voices and opinions added to the mix throughout the past two years.

With es, the conversation is evolving as landowners and stakeholders across Canada try to define the parameters around which types of battery-powered bikes should be granted access to singletrack—and which trails are off limits. All parties face tough questions. As es gain in popularity, how do trail networks adapt? Who makes the final call around policies when there are multiple landowners, regions and conservation authorities involved?

What discussions should be had around ecology and ableism? How does a club or landowner communicate etiquette to new trail users? How are rules enforced? How do we welcome all users to our beloved sport?

What, exactly, do you mean by eMTB? When we speak of ebikes—you, me, other writers in this magazine—we mean pedal-assist bikes. No throttles. But the term ebike is often used for machines with throttleassist. Those ebikes can get lumped into a category that also includes scooters and motorbikes. Language really needs to evolve with the different types of bikes now available.

What does seem to be pretty standard is the definition of the type of ebike allowed on mountain bike trails across the country: the bike must be pedal-assist, reaching a maximum speed of  km/h with an electric motor of  W or less. These bikes fall under the category of Class  ebikes. They are also called pedal-assist mountain bikes, or simply es.  Canada uses much of the same language, as do provincial regulatory bodies. “ Canada is against the use of throttle-controlled ebikes,” the organization writes on its website, “and believes that only those which are activated by the use of pedalling should be considered on mountain bike trails in any context.”

e-welcoming trails One of the first land areas to establish an official e policy was the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.

Matt Grossnickle, a current board member and former cyclingmagazine.ca

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nt e m ge a n ma r r e e h t p , ra o “Pro g to y a s, w n e a h pb is t u t gh i a r st n a st u th j ey h t use a c be k.” r o ’t w n o d 66

Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

president of the Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society was an early advocate for integrating es into trail networks.

“Proper management is the way to go, rather than straightup bans, because they just don’t work,” he says. As one of the owners of Cycle Therapy in Duncan, he saw where industry trends were inevitably headed as ebikes grew in popularity in Europe and then started gaining traction in North America.

After the region hosted the BC Bike Race in  and , it was tapped to run the  Mega Volt, an ebased event, in . “I thought when we launched the race, we’d get a lot of hate,” he says. “But that was not the case.”

Grossnickle regards es as a segment of the sport. But he is realistic about the benefits, as well as the challenges.

Riders can now get deeper into the backcountry more quickly and more easily than they could before. If they are not properly prepared, they could face trouble. Some trailside fixes can be more of a struggle. How far are you hiking out if your bike is beyond repair?

Another big safety issue comes when riders climb

and stakeholder (specifically ) engagement, as well as with consideration of ebike policies set by senior levels of government for areas in Whistler (recreation sites, Trails BC and BC Provincial Parks) and provincial Motor Vehicle Act regulations. We also consider the reality of search-and-rescue access, and values related to environment and trail-user experience.”

Over in Revelstoke, B.C., provincial policies inform that area’s guidelines, but there are specific exceptions. “We polled our membership on multiple occasions to ask what they wanted to see on our trails,” says Meghan Tabor, president of the Revelstoke Cycling Association. The polls determined, for example, that there were safety concerns on Frisby Ridge. Though some think it’s due to the presence of caribou, the ban of es stemmed from the risk of collisions between ebikers speeding up and fast downhill riders coming down. “Frisby Ridge is a two-way trail in a fragile alpine environment where people already ride too fast downhill, leading to many close calls,” Tabor explains. “We are looking at ways to alleviate this in the

what are typically considered to be downhill trails. That two-way traffic could lead to serious consequences.

Providing direction, going up and going down

future. There’s potential for separate up and down trails.

However, right now, it is an extremely busy trail with user conflicts that we are trying to manage.” All the other networks at Revelstoke permit es, which is based on the provincial policy.

In Whistler, Trevor Ferrao, executive director of the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association () explains how the practice of riders going up trails primarily intended for descending was raised as a concern on their singletrack. “We added signage to make people more aware of that for safety,” he says. Another main concern is general wear and tear, though it can be hard to tell if specific damage is done by es or s. “With , we really just maintain the trails and make sure they’re safe for everyone to use,” Ferrao adds.

Backcountry access is also carefully considered as part of the policy that was established in . “Access is determined through a number of ways,” explains Penelope Buswell Lafrance, communications officer for the Resort Municipality of Whistler (). “It’s through community

As uphill/downhill debates over trail usage go on, trail design is evolving. “What I think will be most interesting to learn about es, given their different dynamics and their different system of psychological interface in the trail systems, is how they will show us things we haven’t seen before,” says AJ Strawson, the executive director of  Canada. He thinks new ideas in trail design, especially on climbing trails, could potentially offer ways to manage safety. “People are using es to climb trails that are traditionally descending priority—maybe not flagged, but culturally and socially, just descending. Should we be trying to build challenging climb trails for e and  alike? I think some of those unique things will pop up.”

Photos: Dave Silver

The BCBR Mega Volt, the first multi-day eMTB challenge in B.C.

A new challenge for trail design

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y n a ith

pw u ow h at s h u w o ow “I f y n k ou y o re d , a e s bik ion t a l gu se e r o h e h w w all t o kn u o ?” n y o o d lly a u and ct a e r u’ o y land

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Canadian Cycling August & September 2022

Grossnickle also figures that trail design will change. “I can see a future of ebike-specific trails or different ratings,” he adds.

Unveiling policies and updating infrastructure Bike-trail networks in other provinces are also putting e policies on their websites. You can often see on Trailforks which trails are open to them. For one-way trails, like the ones at the Hydrocut in Waterloo, Ont., and others throughout Eastern Canada that are more loop-based, the ascending/descending debate from the West Coast is moot. But policies still need to be made for a myriad of other reasons.

Surprisingly, according to Strawson,  hasn’t had anybody reach out to say they need specific policy language. Setting out protocols can be complicated given how many stakeholders might be a part of a single trail network, from private landowners to conservation authorities and municipalities. But gradually, groups make progress.

In a Facebook post from , for example, the Hydrocut posted, “Well, after many (many!) meetings and discussions, both amongst our committee and with the Region of Waterloo, and in adherence to the region’s stance on the topic, Class  ebikes…are currently admissible in Region of Waterloo trail systems, including the Hydrocut.”

At various networks in different provinces, from Sugarloaf Bike Park in New Brunswick to Vallée Bras-duNord in Quebec, Class  ebikes are currently permitted. For other trail networks in Canada, it seems as though there is still some figuring out to do. In general, infrastructure needs to catch up, says Grossnickle. “ and the mass outdoor-recreation boom gave us the opportunity to envision what mountain biking is to a community and what mountain bike infrastructure is required,” he explains.

Good etiquette and the odd bad seed

Photo: Dave Silver

As with all cycling, good etiquette is necessary. As we’ve seen even on roads and recreational trails that are mixeduse, there can be good cyclists and bad cyclists. The bad ones, unfortunately, can ruin everyone’s reputation.

“If you show up with any bike, do you know what all the regulations are and do you know whose land you’re actually on?” says Strawson. “That’s a problem that’s not just related to ebikes.”

“We try to promote good trail etiquette to reach as many people as possible, so all trail users are happy and working collectively,” says Ferrao of ’s communication initiatives.

Part of the challenge, though, is this new technology.

The difference in speed can be startling, especially to newer riders on the trail. The hope is that those on es can be mindful of how their presence can affect other riders, especially on busier trails.

Balancing ecological concerns Of course, the environment is always taken into consideration when establishing trail development and usage rules for everyone, whether they are on bikes or on

foot. Mixed-use singletrack can be obliterated by hikers on muddy days just as it can by bikes. At Whistler, for example, though the resort municipality follows provincial guidelines for ebikes, it makes an exception for alpine trails, like Lord of the Squirrels. Those trails are off limits to pedal-assist machines.

In Jasper National Park and Banff National Park, ebikes are permitted on certain trails. But in a written statement, Parks Canada explained that “in order to ensure the safety of our visitors and maintain ecological integrity in national parks, the use of pedal-assist ebikes is limited to select trails with low potential for impacts to the environment and other visitors’ experiences.”

Attracting new riders What’s important as everything falls into place with e policies is clear communication at trail kiosks, via social media, on apps and websites. More people on bikes has been a boon to the industry, one that all riders hope continues long past the current bike and parts shortages.

In Europe, ebikes have greatly benefitted tourism.

While Canada is not totally there as far as attracting visitors for e-specific trips, you are starting to see tourism guides that make e riding part of their activity suggestions.

In Duncan, Grossnickle says the first tourists who came into the store did so because of the  Mega Volt.

They were from Switzerland. So it’s starting. But it’s also gaining traction from a local perspective.

Tabor says that Revelstoke is seeing more es on trails where they’re permitted. “I think we are going to continue to see the momentum as ebikes get lighter, potentially more affordable, and as the mountain biking sector ages,” she says. That leads to one last point about es.

Making mountain biking accessible to everyone Pedal-assist mountain bikes can get many more folks onto trails: those who may not be able to ride classic mountain bikes or those whose fitness may hinder them from riding.

“Supporting new activities,” writes Parks Canada, “such as pedal-assist ebikes, allows Parks Canada to meet the evolving needs and expectations of visitors, enabling more Canadians, of varying backgrounds and abilities, to discover and connect with nature in new and innovative ways. Pedal-assist ebikes also provide greater accessibility for people who could not otherwise discover Parks Canada administered places.” ’s message around accessibility is clear: ebikes can further the mission of ensuring that Canada is home to a strong and vibrant mountain biking community by allowing those with disabilities to be involved in mountain biking.

“We’re expanding opportunities for people to be able to experience mountain biking,” Strawson says. “I think that’s a really important step in making sure we are sharing our public lands with the public at large and not being exclusive, so everyone can experience the benefits of being outside and welcoming them onto our trails.” cyclingmagazine.ca

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Dahon K-One

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Dahon K-One Components 28–14 tooth, 7-speed cassette, 46-tooth chainring, Dahon-branded rear derailleur, mechanical disc brakes, 6-V front light Drive Bafang RM G350.220.D hub System drive motor with 28 Nm of torque, 313-Wh Samsung battery Wheels 20" with CST tires Price $2,600 Website dahon.com

I

began reviewing the Dahon K-One by putting it in a car. That move wasn’t a cop-out commute from my office to my home at the end of a workday. I was actually taking advantage of the bike’s flexibility when it comes to transportation options. You see, I had three bikes to move that day. The K-One needed to come home, as did my road bike and a gravel bike that I was also testing. My wife, who usually commutes by bike, had to take the car to work. Toward the end of our workday, I pedalled the K-One to the lot where the car was parked. I folded the bike up, put it in the car, drove to my office and put the two other bikes on the car’s rack. Then I drove back to pick up my wife. We got our kid, and then got home, where I unloaded all the bikes. It was a logistical success.

“He drove his car, while I rode the K-One. I beat him easily, coming and going.”

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Packing up the bike is a breeze. It has well-placed latches that let you fold it up to a 65-cm-high by 83-cm-long by 38-cm-wide bundle. The bike tipped my scale to 17.5 kg. It’s a bit hefty. After all, there is a hub-drive motor and 313 Wh battery on this K-One. (Dahon also makes the K-One Plus with a mid-drive motor.) Yet, the bundle is fairly easy to load into a car or carry up a few steps.

My kid got a kick out of the wheels. The 20" rims are the same size as the ones on her bikes. On the K-One, the wheels spin up quite quickly, especially with the pedal-assist helping out. The bike’s head unit lets you cycle between four assist levels. I didn’t really go beyond the second level, mostly because of the bike’s gearing. It has a 46-tooth chainring and 14–28 tooth 7-speed cassette. It was really easy to run out of gears. To be clear, that’s not a brag. That never happens to me, honestly. So I’m more mystified that I found myself constantly spinning the cranks at high r.p.m. As a result, it was hard to hit 32 km/h, and I never went faster than that—at least not without the help of gravity on a dip in the road.

Even though the bike is undergeared, it still crushes short commutes. A co-worker and I had a meeting about 5 km from the office. He drove his car, while I rode the K-One. I beat him easily, coming and going.

The K-One really is a bike for winning your commutes. The assist adds a zip that gives you some speed so that you won’t have to break a sweat. The bike itself is nimble and fun. It also allows you to be nimble with your plans. Need to get into a car or onto a train? No problem. Whatever the situation, you can bring the K-One into the fold.

Photo: Matt Stetson

EBIKE

It can transform how you get around

reviewed by Matthew Pioro

Cube Kathmandu M Hybrid Pro 625 A bike to power your errands and your jaunts Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625 Components Shimano Deore derailleur, shifter and 11-51 tooth cassette, adjustable Cube Comfort stem and 700-mm Cube Comfort Trail bar Drive Bosch Performance Line CX System with 85 Nm of torque and 625-Wh PowerTube battery Suspension X-Fusion Mig fork with 110 mm of travel Wheels Cube EX23 rims with Shimano hubs Sizes S, M, L, XL Price $5,499

eco, tour, sport and turbo. I found tour had plenty of zip to get me moving quickly. But manoeuvring this big boy into my condo’s elevator and into the apartment … well, it’s more cumbersome than a full-suspension mountain bike. The irony is that this bike could help an urbanite to ditch a car, but it almost needs a suburbanite’s garage to store it.

Once the Kathmandu is in motion, it is a joy. Not only grocery shopping, but all my errands became a bit more fun. Still, the bike is not just a hauler of stuff. With the 100-mm-travel X-Fusion Mig front fork and Cube suspension seatpost, it’s comfortable on long distances. You can get pretty far on the big, 625-Wh battery, too. The head unit helps to keep away any battery anxiety. It not only displays the charge of the battery, but it can give you a range estimate.

That estimate gets recalculated when you switch the power-assist mode. You can’t actually get to Kathmandu on the Kathmandu, but the bike will take you on battery-boosted adventures.

TOWN TEST

Photo: Matt Stetson

EBIKE

Website cube-bikes.ca

y favourite moment with the Cube Kathmandu Hybrid Pro 625 was outside the grocery store. The bike was leaning on its kickstand. I waddled up to it with about 18 kg of groceries in two panniers. I hooked the bags onto the integrated rack, slipped the Bosch head unit into place, powered up, knocked the stand into place and zoomed home. So easy.

I should mention that I’m actually a pro at grocery-getting.

If there were some sort of local legend status for moving produce from my store to my home, I’d have an unassailable lead. I’ve done it so much that I instinctively compensate for the front-end sketchiness that appears when I plunk the panniers on my old CX-bike-turned commuter. With the Kathmandu, the long, 1,155-mm wheelbase and its front-end geometry make it behave practically the same way unloaded and fully loaded. Although, it does have one handling characteristic that I didn’t like: in a slow-speed turn, the front end tends to pull you farther into the turn. You need to manage your input when you’re taking a corner. That bahaviour comes from the bike’s trail and the big, pillowy tires: 2.15"-wide Schwalbe Big Bens. Still, I wouldn’t trade in those treads.

Cruising on rough city streets was great on this bike. (We went over choppy pavement? Oh. I hadn’t noticed.)

Each of those tires weighs more than 1 kg. Yup. They’re heavy. In fact, the whole rig is 26.8 kg (almost 60 lb.). The powerful Bosch motor, Generation 4 Performance CX with 85 Nm of torque, has no problems getting the Kathmandu up to speed. The system has four power-assist settings:

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EBIKE

FIRST LOOK

You Get Less with the New Trek Fuel EXe Lower torque, weight and even tonality for a better trail eMTB

by Matthew Pioro t first glance, the torque output on Trek’s new Fuel EXe seems a little low. The trail bike—with 150 mm of travel up front and 140 mm at the back—has a new motor developed

by TQ, a company based in Bavaria that worked with the bike maker from Waterloo, Wis. Many eMTb pedal-assist systems give riders 85 Nm to get up climbs, and get over rocks and roots. The TQ HPR50 only does 50 Nm. Trek actually had a certain rider in mind when it began developing the Fuel EXe more than two years ago. It’s not a rider who wants a 85-Nm motor. That kind of power can take most of us wherever we want to go. I’ve approached a feature a little timidly on an eMTb. Had I been on an analog bike, I wouldn’t have had enough speed to keep riding. But the sudden punch of the pedal assist got me through. Well, the Fuel EXe is for a rider who can handle most features and doesn’t need big power. That rider benefits from a little less torque and less weight to ride far.

“The full-power bikes are awesome rides,” says senior industrial designer Ben Fullerton at Trek. “But a lot of the time, there are people not using that full power. Compared with the Fuel EXe, you feel how the heavier bikes have a bit too much power blasting out of corners. They don’t handle the same and you really have to change your riding style. So there are some negative sides to that awesome power. The goal with

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the Fuel EXe was to provide a lot of the sensations of an ebike but without the trade-offs.”

Trek says the Fuel EXe 9.9 model with SRaM XX1 aXS weighs 18.4 kg. (The analog Fuel EX 9.9 X01 aXS is 12.8 kg.

The 170-mm-travel Rail 9.9 XX1 aXS with a Bosch motor is 22.5 kg.) The TQ motor is responsible for 1,850 g of that mass. The 360-Wh battery is about 1,835 g. It should give you between two and five hours of riding. Trek has another number in its stats for the bike: 0.1 t.u.HMS. That’s a new one for me. Trek measured the tonality of the motor, or how unpleasantly noisy it is.

It turns out that 0.1 t.u.HMS means the buzz of the motor is barely perceptible to most of us on the trail. Most motors are greater than 0.4 t.u.HMS, which means they are distracting. In a presentation, Trek played the sounds of high-powered and light-assist motors.

They both sounded whiny and grindy. In comparison, the TQ motor had a softer whirring sound. That tonality combined with the Fuel EXe’s low weight and just-right torque all sound pretty good, don’t they?

EBIKE

Three Top eMTBs Take on trails with one of these ebikes

Moustache Samedi 29 Trail 7 $9,599 moustachebikes.com

Bulls Copperhead EVO HD Wave 750 $7,299 bullsbikesusa.com

Scott Patron eRide 900 Tuned $13,500 micasport.com

RAPID FIRE

In April, Moustache announced two new models: the Samedi 29 Game and Samedi 29 Trail. They each use the same alloy frame, but have different suspension setups. The bikes with the Trail moniker have 150 mm of travel. In the case of the Trail 7, a Fox 36 Performance Ebike fork and Moustache’s own shock, the Magic Grip Control 150, are responsible for the squish. A powerful 85-Nm Bosch Performance Line CX drive system, with a 750-Wh battery, helps you get up climbs with ease. The bike rolls on the company’s asymmetric alloy wheels and 29 x 2.5 Maxxis Assegai tires. Shifting and braking are handled by Shimano XT and Deore parts. Look for the Trail 7 in 2023.

Can you have a step-through aluminum frame that’s capable of taking on trails?

Yes. Yes, you can. If you are just getting into riding singletrack or need the ability to get planted quickly and easily, the Copperhead

by Bulls is a fantastic bike. Even with the Performance Line CX unit, you might find yourself needing to put a foot, or both feet, down on an incline. You want to make sure you can find stability and balance in a hurry; a step-through frame lets you do just that.

The bike has a 120-mm-travel R Suntour Lytro 34 fork and a 10-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain. The 27.5" Ryde wheels give you easy-to-manage manoeuvrability.

Should you want to go on an overnight trek, you can outfit the Copperhead with a rack and panniers. Its weight limit, if you can call it a limit, is 150 kg. So take whatever you need on your bikepacking trip. The folks at Bulls do. They call it ebike glamping.

Debuting in fall 2021, the Scott Patron eRide 900 Tuned is designed for big rides on challenging terrain. Its 160 mm of travel comes from a Fox 38 Factory fork and Fox Nude T eRide EVOL shock. Don’t see the shock in the photo? Well, it’s there, integrated into the carbon-fibre frame. If you need to get at it, pop open the panel at the underside of the top tube. With this setup, you have room to put a water bottle in the front triangle. At the left side of the Patron’s handlebar, there’s a lot to keep your thumb busy. It can adjust the level of assist provided by the Bosch CX system. It can manage the suspension with Scott’s TwinLoc lever. Finally, your digit can activate the dropper post. Really, that all gets two thumbs up.—MP

cyclingmagazine.ca

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Great Ebike Gear Outfit yourself with these seven parts and accessories to boost your riding

bike? Check. With your pedal-assist machine on hand, you can now trick it out with handy accessories. These items will keep you and your ride safe. Some will help your performance and expand your on-bike adventures.

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The Abus Pedelec 2.0 helmet ($250, hlc.bike) is your urban brain bucket for all conditions. It has an integrated light for early mornings and evenings. (Heck, run it during the day.

Added visibility is always a good thing.) If it starts to rain, you can pull out a hood from a compartment at the back. If you’re a winter rider, you might opt for an added accessory: padded ear covers. The Pedelec is truly a lid for all seasons.

To bring your ebike to routes or trails farther from home, you’ll need something like the Yakima OnRamp rack ($1,000, livetoplaysports.com), which is built to carry the weight of pedal-assist bikes. The rack comes with a ramp that you can use to roll your bike into place. Note, if the OnRamp sits high on your vehicle, the ramp will lie at a steep angle. Still, the roll will be easier than a lift, especially if your bike approaches the rack’s limit of  kg per bike. With the OnRamp, you can even haul cruiser bikes with fenders or touring rigs with racks of their own.

Your ebike’s battery has a lot of juice, which you can often use to power lights, such as the Magicshine ME 2000 e-Bike headlight ($240, livetoplaysports.com). The ME  casts a beam as strong as , lumens to a distance of  m. It has daytime and flash modes, as well as settings at ,  and  per cent power. The light is compatible with Shimano, Bosch, Brose and Yamaha systems. The cables to connect to those batteries are extra.

The Lezyne E-Bike rear fender light ($35, livetoplaysports.com) has two LEDs that send an -lumen beam to the road behind. The light sits securely on your fender and draws power from your ebike’s battery. A -cm-long power cable is included, but you might need another connection to patch into the battery, depending on the system you’re running.

Your drop-bar ebike could use some highperformance treads like the Schwalbe E-One tire ($105, schwalbetires.com).

The tire is built with the Addix Race compound, which rolls well on the road.

The company’s V-Guard layer adds puncture resistance. You can choose between a -mm-wide E-One or a -mm. Go bigger if you can.

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EBIKE

RAPID FIRE

Mix hydration with security. The Topeak Ninja+ Cage Z with AirTag Mount bottle cage ($18, livetoplay sports.com) not only lets you carry a drink, but you can stow an Apple AirTag between the cage and your frame. The AirTag lets you keep tabs on your ride from your smartphone.

The Kryptonite Evolution 790 folding lock ($270, kryptonitelock.com) is one of the company’s ebike approved products. It features .-mm hardenedsteel links, which have a rubber coating to protect your bike’s frame. The lock clicks into its bracket keeping it secure as you bump over potholes on the way to the store.—MP

Top Questions to Ask When You Are Shopping for an Ebike

EBIKE

What you need to know about motors, batteries and more

IN DEPTH

by Jake Williams

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en years ago, if you went into your local bike shop looking for an ebike, the choice would have been made for you. Today, however, the fast-growing ebike market means you’ll find many options, and yeah, even more jargon. It’s more important now than ever to ask the right questions to make sure your new electrified ride gets you where you want to go.

also means adding more weight to your bike.

I recommend bikes with removable batteries. It’s usually easier to charge and store the battery with it off of the bike, especially throughout winter when the cold can affect the cells.

What style of e-riding do you want to do?

What kind of assistance do you want?

Since there are ebikes in every bicycle category today, consider where and how you’ll be using the bike. Long rides on pavement will point you in the direction of a lighter weight electric road bike. If you’re chasing singletrack, opt for a hardtail or full-suspension e. Cargo ebikes are becoming realistic replacements for city-dwelling commuters looking to ditch their cars, while still having the ability to haul groceries (and even the kids’ hockey equipment).

It’s important to know the different ways ebikes give you assistance. In Canada, a Class  ebike can help you up to a speed of  km/h. That assistance is only delivered when you are pedalling, which, as a cyclist, you’ll find more natural compared with a throttle system. Most ebikes allow you to change the level of assistance on-the-fly: helpful if the wind picks up or the road gets steeper.

The assistance is provided by either a mid-drive or hub-drive motor. A mid-drive motor gives power through the crankset of your bicycle, whereas a hub-drive directly powers the rear wheel. A mid-drive ebike tends to handle more like an “acoustic bicycle” and doesn’t put as much stress on the rear wheel. Mid-drive motors are common on es. Because a mid-drive motor is at the bottom bracket, the weight is close to the bike’s centre of gravity, making it handle almost exactly like a non-assist mountain bike. Mid-drives tend to sport more torque and bigger batteries than hub-drives, giving you the punchy power

How far do you want to go?

Typically, the biggest question you face when shopping for an ebike relates to the size and range of the battery. Most ebikes will give you a range of anywhere from  to  km. When your battery is dead, it will take between four to six hours to charge fully. Many factors can play into the range of the ride, including the weight of the rider and their gear, tire pressure, and even temperature.

Some bike brands offer expansion batteries as add-ons, however, be aware these high-end lithium-ion units can easily boost your final bill by ,. A battery’s watt hours (Wh) indicate how much energy it holds. It’s common to see  Wh batteries, as well as cells as big as  Wh. The more energy you carry, the farther you can go on a single charge. But adding more watt hours

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MARKETPLACE British Columbia Bike Barn 300 Westminster Ave. W. Penticton, BC 250.492.4140 info@bikebarn.ca bikebarn.ca Ontario Racer Sportif – Oakville 151 Robinson St. Oakville, ON 905.815.2100 info@racersportif.com racersportif.com Racer Sportif – Toronto 2214 Bloor St. W. Toronto, ON 416.769.5731 info@racersportif.com racersportif.com

“Since there are ebikes in every category today, consider where and how you’ll be using the bike.”

you need on trails. Hub-drive motors are generally lighter, so you’ll see them on many road bikes.

How will you keep things running smoothly?

Maintenance is another important consideration when you’re doing your e-homework. Most ebikes are manufactured in partnership with companies like Bosch or Shimano, who are responsible for designing and implementing the motor and battery into the bicycle. Those systems can require software and firmware updates, work that often needs to be performed by an authorized dealer. Also, know the details of your warranty, along with how many charging cycles your battery can undergo before it starts to affect your bicycle’s range.

Trysport Inc – Parry Sound 77 Bowes St. Parry Sound, ON 705 746 8179 Trysport Inc – Bracebridge 83 Manitoba St. Bracebridge, ON 705.637.0383 sales@ontariotrysport.com ontariotrysport.com The only full-service triathlon shop north of Toronto.

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877.880.2453 escapadesbiketours.com/canada Holland Bike Tours Road bike tours in the Netherlands. hollandbiketours.com

How can you transport your ebike?

After you’ve picked the right bike, it’s time to get it home. Ebike-specific car racks are a serious consideration given the weight of your new bike, most tipping the scales between  and  kg. Installing a hitch on your four-wheel vehicle and a tray-style bike rack is best, as the bike then sits close to the ground. Some racks even have built-in ramps to make unloading at your local trailhead a breeze. cyclingmagazine.ca

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Switch On with eMTB Tips from Hans Rey

TECHNIQUE

by Steve Thomas hroughout Hans “No Way” Rey’s long mountain bike career, he’s always been keen to try new and emerging technology. He embraced riser bars, shorter stems, suspension forks and dropper posts quite early. He first pedalled an ebike in . (One of his early rides was with former U.S. president George H. W. Bush in a conference room.) Today, Rey continues to explore pedal-assisted riding, mostly on gnarly trails. Here are some of his tips to give your rides a boost.

T

What are the key technical riding skills or techniques you need to learn on an eMTB? Actually, uphill riding requires some getting used to, especially technical or steeper sections. Also, there’s a lot of finesse required: being in the right gear, not putting too much power on the wheel and keeping your weight on the back wheel for better traction and to prevent spinning out.

The e also requires precise steering to keep the front wheel from running into obstacles or off the trail.

When you put your foot down on a steep section, make sure to place it next to you or in front of you. Shift your weight forward immediately when you have to dab. If you put your foot behind you, you can flip over backward from the weight of the bike.

For someone just getting into eMTBing, what are your top tips?

If you don’t have prior off-road riding experience, you will need to learn the basics, such as braking, shifting and trail etiquette. Give the right of way to other trail users.

You really only want a Class  pedal-assist bike. Don’t ride beyond your limits. It’s now relatively easy to go up, but make sure you have the skills to get down.

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Hans “No Way” Rey

Do you ride differently when you’re descending or taking air with the extra weight?

The bike does feel more stable when descending or jumping. But it also takes a lot more effort to bunny hop the bike. I would say to bunny hop up a curb you need to give the pull and explosion twice the effort.

On our local downhill trail in Laguna, I’m about as fast on an e as on a regular .

How differently do you plan and pace rides on an eMTB compared with analog mountain bikes?

It depends on who I ride with and where, but e rides do have a different approach for me. I often ride trails that would be almost impossible on a regular bike. Other times, I take two batteries and explore new faraway places.

I ride trails now out and back, which I would hardly ever do before. Also, I ride uphill trails that used to be hike-a-bike that are now rideable.

Most e rides are, on average, less time-consuming because you can cover more ground. Pacing is important, especially if you want to do long rides or get the most out of your battery range.

I tend to ride conservatively in eco or trail mode. The Shimano EP allows a lot of customizing with the company’s software and E-Tube app. Some of my power profiles are set so I don’t burn too fast though my battery. But I also have a profile that allows me to tap into the full capacity and power. That mode will put a dent into the bike’s range.

How do you figure out that power management?

It takes experience. “Battery anxiety” is a new term you have to live with. The good news is that you can still pedal a Class  pedal-assist bike home, even if the battery is dead. It’s not the end of the world to run out of power.

Plan ahead. Ride in eco mode when you start to get low. Batteries can be a bit unpredictable when you get down to the last  per cent: sometimes they last longer than other times.

I’ve gotten really good at making it home, or almost home, on the last bit of juice.

Photo: Steve Th omas

EBIKE

The mountain bike and trials legend shares his advice for electrically assisted trail riding