Bike Alberta has been a one man show ever since it was created, and 2011 was a very busy year for me and unfortunately, Bike Alberta was neglected like the ugly duckling.  But I think this is a great blog that deserves to keep going, so I’m going to try my best to recruit some help to keep Bike Alberta alive and well.

Anyone interested in coming along for the ride?

-Mike Sarnecki

With the cyclical nature of finances, a lot of people need to sell a bike before they can buy one. On April 1 & 2, 2011, a group of knowledgeable long-time cyclists have put together a bike swap at Bowness Sportsplex, 7904-43 Ave NW. Sellers bring bikes to Bowness Sportsplex on Friday April 1 between 4:00 and 9:00. Seller’s bikes are assessed by mechanically experienced riders, the serial numbers are recorded on the agreement to sell, and the bike is placed on a rack to sell the next day. On Saturday April 2 between 8:00 and 5:00, buyers can peruse the stock of consigned bikes. At 5:01 on Saturday, everyone who brought a bike to sell at the swap comes back for their cheque, or if it didn’t sell, they can take their bike home, or donate it to Good Life bike. There will be hundreds of bikes under one roof in a safe environment.
Though this idea has been percolating for years, it came to fruition after hours of driving around Calgary trying to track down a bike being sold online. We realized that bikes are not always as advertised, and we didn’t always feel safe going to people’s houses or garages. The City of Calgary police said that there
are over 30,000 stolen bikes. Most people have no way of knowing the bike being sold online belongs to the person trying to sell it.

Calgary Bike Swap has done due diligence, there is security, serial numbers are recorded, and Calgary Police will be onsite, making it safe for sellers and buyers. We want to emphasize that we hope to stimulate bike sales by getting bikes out of the man-caves and onto the pathways, trails, and roads. We received a positive response about participating in this bike swap from every bicycle shop in Calgary.

Another charitable feature of this event is that 10% of the profit, if there is any, will be donated to riders for MS, and the Ride to Conquer Cancer events. Riders are asked to provide their information to the the Calgary Bike Swap team. The instigator, Laura, has had MS for over 30 years, is an MS Ambassador, marshals the mountain bike ride in Hinton, has ridden the Airdrie to Olds event, and is a year round bike commuter.
Really hope to see you on April 1 and/or April 2 at Bowness Sportsplex to help us make Calgary Bike Swap a success.
www.calgarybikeswap.ca

March 10th , 6:30 p.m.

It’s not very often you can mingle with a 10-time Tour de France rider, Olympic bronze medalist, and one of the most famous names in cycling!
Please be our guest for an extraordinary evening with former Belgium national cycling champion, Axel Merckx.
Axel will be in town to promote his inaugural July 10th cycling event, the Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan (GFAMO).
Together with Trek Bicycles, we will have meet-and-greet with Axel, he’ll talk about all things cycling, and you’ll have a chance to learn more about his exciting summer event.
As well, be the first to score an official GFAMO jersey by Axel!  Partial proceeds from the sale of each jersey will benefit the Axel Merckx Youth Development Program, in conjunction with the Canadian Cycling Association. And you can find out more about the Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan (Penticton, BC – July 10th) at: www.granfondoaxelmerckx.com.

If that’s not enough, together with Trek Bicycles,we will be offering 2 amazing specials during this event for riders who register in-store on March 10th to participate in the GranFondo:

* Purchase any Trek bike on March 10th and you will receive 15% of the value in no charge accessories.

* Register for the GranFondo Axel Merckx on March 10th and receive a $100 United Cycle Gift Card.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night!

United Cycle is excited to announce its 2nd annual Spring Into Action Expo from March 10th to March 12th, 2011.  Out expo features new 2011 product, instructional demonstrations, technical representatives from our suppliers, exciting prizes and amazing hourly specials each day.
 
Beat the rush by signing up for our Locker Room membership at unitedcycle.com by midnight March 6th, 2011 to receive a special invite to our member only night featuring first pick at our super specials and exclusive in-store enter to win prizes!
 
This Spring Into Action Expo only comes once a year and will show case our Baseball, Bike, Soccer, Lacrosse, Rugby and In-Line departments, not to mention the latest offerings in our very extensive Activewear & Running Department.

Click [here] for more info 
We look forward to seeing you.

Cowbell is a mini-doc film that follows 4 Alberta cyclocross racers, Mike Sarnecki, Bridget Linder, Jason Redfern and Ken Hurd during the 2010 Alberta cyclocross season.

Interviews, combined with race and event footage from Edmonton, Calgary and Devon combine to make up these 3 web-isodes.

Filmed on Kodak Playsport

EP #1 has pre-season racer interviews, talking about goals for the season, and Alberta CX culture. It also includes both the ERTC School of Cross and Hardcore Hop n’ Hurl races.

Cowbell – an Alberta cyclocross season, EP1 from Sheldon Smart on Vimeo.

EP #2 follows our racers as the season gets underway in both Edmonton and Calgary, including the CMC/Bow Cycle Oval Cross, Juventus Jim Horner GP, and Red Bike Red Cross.

Cowbell – an Alberta cyclocross season, EP2 from Sheldon Smart on Vimeo.

EP #3 finishes off with Lion’s Den Provincial Championships in Devon, and the Pedalhead Super Prestige. Did our racer’s seasons pan out the way they wanted? Did they meet their season goals? Watch and find out.

Cowbell – an Alberta cyclocross season, EP3 from Sheldon Smart on Vimeo.

If you have ideas for next year, suggestions for what you want to see in our next CX season film, let us know. Thanks for watching. Keep ridin’!

-Mike & Sheldon

By Ottawa-based, Michael Haynes, Director of TransActive Solutions and publisher of the AT-Canada blog http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com

Thursday, November 25, 2010
6:30 pm 4th Floor Meeting Room W. R. Castell Central Library 616 Macleod Trail SE, T2G 2M2

Open to the Public

Sponsored by the Calgary tour de nuit Society and the Calgary Public Library.  Made possible by funding from the Government of Ontario
Hear and discuss with one of Canada’s foremost authorities on active and sustainable transportation trends affecting the growth of mode share of bicycle, running and walking transportation in Eastern Canada.
In the last five years, Haynes has conducted workshops and presentations on Active Transportation in more than 60 communities. From 2003-2008, he was the National Active Transportation and TrailsCanada Coordinator of Go for Green, the national coordinating body responsible for cycling promotion programs such as Commuter Challenge and Carfree Day.

He is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for Active Transportation (Public Health Agency of Canada), the Steering Committee for the Ottawa Pathway Patrol and the Public Advisory Committee on Segregated Bike Lanes.

This is the second in a series of public forums on active and sustainable transportation sponsored by the Calgary tour de nuit Society and the Calgary Public Library. The series was inaugurated by Hans Moor, Economic Affairs Officer of the Royal Netherlands Embassy and President of Ottawa’s Citizens for Safe Cycling.

Calgary tour de nuit Society is a member-based, non-profit active and sustainable transportation organization promoting more people cycling more often. In January, CtdnS working with City Aldermen proposed segregated bike lanes for 5th and 6th Ave. SW, the ‘Road Diet’. The City of Calgary Transportation Department substituted a multi- year study.

There were two Alberta Cup Cyclocross races in Calgary this weekend, and they were totally awesome; well organized, swarming with volunteers and spectators, and most importantly brilliant and very punishing course design. To top it all off, the weather was absolutely fantastic, dry, warm and sunny.

A personal highlight for many on Saturday at the Brian Kullman Memorial CX ( put on by Speed Theory) was participation of international women’s road cyclist, Julie Beveridge, who rode a strong race, showing spectacular superiority on the straight flats, but revealed some weakness in the technical sections. Local rider Bridget Linder, of Hardcore Bikes in Edmonton, came from behind after a crash on the first lap. Bridget is well respected in mountain biking and cyclocross for her technical abilities, and she employed these methodically to wear Beveridge down and eventually build a gap to take the win. It was an excellent spectacle.

On Sunday at the Beans n’ Barley Halloween CX (put on by Terrascape Racing) there were many highlights. First, there was beer. Second, in the spirit of Halloween, many racers came in costume. In the women’s race, nearly every racer was in masquerade, with appearances from Wonder Woman, Super Woman, a run-away-bride, a pirate, Little Bo Peep and a bumble bee, to name a few. As if she needed to earn even more respect from the Expert field, Katy Curtis (Bow Cycle) made a bid for the win in full Tim Horton’s uniform. By far the most crowd-pleasing was a cardboard and tin-foil robot who contested the Elite field.

To summarize; if you race ‘Cross in Alberta, and you missed the races this weekend, you really missed something special, they may have been the best yet. If you don’t race ‘Cross in Alberta, then you have my sincere sympathy; you don’t know what you’re missing!

The fine-tuned staff at the ABA has already posted results for you to check out [here]

And check out more of Bill Quinney’s photos [here]

Get ready for Bike Expo 2011 with all the hottest gear for the cycling season. Meet celebrity riders and manufacturers’ reps and take advantage of special pricing on those items you need to get rolling next season. On November 6th, United Cycle will explode with events and excitement for riders of all type.

EVENTS

Pork Chop Throw-Down – 11AM to 2PM
Prize: Trek Ticket Frame
Raw Round – Bring in a wrapped pork chop to be judged on cut, freshness, tenderness, fat content, appearance.
Cooked Round – Eligible pork chops will be cooked by a trained cook. Entries prepared similarly for fairness.
Judges will choose a pork chop winner based on best tasting.

Trials Team Demo – 11am and 2pm

Challenge a Pro – Compete on a TacX Flow for your chance to win one! $700 value.

PRODUCT

* 2011 Shimano XTR
* Trek Session 88
* Trek Speed Concept
* Specialized Shiv
* Specialized Demo 8
* Specialized Epic Evo
* Norco Range
* Norco Shinobe
* AND MORE

PERSONALITIES:

Paula Findlay 2010 World Cup Triathlon Gold Medalist – London, Kitzbuhel

Jay Hoots Norco Team Rider and Bike Park Designer

Carl Matson: Trek Speed Concept Developer – 10:30am for a private sit down. Please RSVP
Famous on SlowTwitch.com, Paul is the head designer of the Speed Concept project with over 15 years composite engineering and 20 years racing experience. Paul spent 10 years working for the Materials Engineering Division of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where he provided composite materials engineering support to several US Navy & Marine Corps air vehicle and R&D programs. His multisport racing history goes back over 20 years and includes Team USA age group experiences at ITU Worlds events in both long and short course duathlon as well as long course triathlon.

Lori-Ann Muenzer Olympic Gold Medalist and Author

MANUFACTURER REPS:

* Trek
* Specialized
* Norco
* Shimano
* Intense
* Electra
* Look
* BMC

HOURLY GIVEAWAYS – OVER $5000 IN PRIZING:

* Electra Cruiser
* Mirraco BMX
* Chariot Cougar I
* Giro Helmets/Camelbaks
* Sugoi Clothing
* AND MORE!

Don’t let the snow & cold get you down.  Come on out to United Cycle to see all the new gear for 2011 at the United Cycle Bike Expo!

The last regular Tuesday Night Cyclocross Race of the year was held last Tuesday in Goldbar Park. The Fiera Race Team was well represented with Jan, Darren, Derek, and myself all lining up in the B Category.

My lunch wasn’t sitting too well as I waited for the start, wishing I’d taken a quick trip to the dunny before lining up.  I had a pretty good staging, and was in the first row, and could see Daren and Jan together in the second row on the opposite side–Derek apparently snuck in to staging late, and had about the worst spot for starting a race, but the best view of the field.  I was a little bit distracted by the noises my lower intestine was making, but immediately forgot about my discomfort when I heard the word GO!

I had my best start of the season and hopped on the wheel of the leader as he put a steadily increasing gap on the field. By the end of the first of 5 laps the gap had grown to about 15 seconds. The leader began to fade, but the course was poorly marked and I hated to take the lead, feeling that i’d rather benefit from his course errors and hesitations than vice versa, so I slowed down too, resting and waiting. Soon a rider bridged the gap and blew past us, I managed to grab his wheel and hold on, and felt good approaching the third lap, I looked back and could see Jan gaining on us, bridging the gap on the wheel of another racer. Suddenly that lunch I mentioned earlier, the one that was not sitting so well, made its status known to me in the form of an intestinal cramp, the urgent kind, not easily ignored.
Read More  from the Fiera Race Team [here].

After careful consultation and much deliberation, the United Cycle Tuesday Race Crew has decided to cancel the race tonight planned for Capilano Park.
We do not want to risk our situation with the city by destroying a whole lot of grassland. Capilano is especially under very strict scrutiny by the neighborhood residents.
So see you all next week at Goldbar Park, same time. Please start bringing lights if you are not already. Don’t need anyone getting smoked by a car, that would really suck.