March 2008 - Posts

• Island Cup Series 2008 - DH Race 1 Nanaimo March 23rd

  What better way to spend your Easter Sunday than ripping up the forest trails of Vancouver Island? Come on out this coming Sunday March 23rd for the first DH of the 2008 season.   Racing on Vancouver Island is underway and this Easter Sunday, the DH scene heats up with the newest race course in Nanaimo host to DH #1. Roller Coaster is the trail, located in the Mount Benson area, this downhill course should provide some great riding. The 5 minute rolling course is almost completely loamy singletrack. Mud holes are happily absent as are intense pedalling sections. The course lends to all riders with no excessive steeps or jumps, but natural berms and off camber logs and roots will keep you on your toes. The top of the road still has about 1 foot of snow so shuttle trucks will leave with a short walk to the start of the course. For those of you wishing to pre-ride the course, Island Timberlands limits access past the yellow gate on Nanaimo Lakes Rd. Parking near the gate will be your access before sunday leaving about a 30-45 minute hike to the start depending on how heavy your bike is. No pre-race shuttles are permitted. On Sunday, access will be through the gate and up the road 1km to the gravel pit, location for registration and the shuttle pickup. Racers this season must be a GRMBA licensed member. This can be paid for through their home club, on race day at registration, or occasional racers can pay $10 for a 1 day race license at the event. There will be three categories, beginner, intermediate and expert. All beginner category racers will race for free, but must pay for either a GRMBA club license or 1 day event license. There will be prizes for the winners of the expert and intermediate races. Race fees are $20 and shuttles are $5. Shuttles start at 9am and registration at 10am. Racing fires off at 12 noon. The next DH race is Hammerfest in Parksville on Sunday May 4th, and the first XC race runs in Port Alberni on April 6th. For more information contact Arrowsmith Bikes in Nanaimo www.arrowsmithbikesnan.com and be sure to check out www.islandcupseries.com for Race Results, Forums, Photo Galleries, Maps and more. This year's Island Cup is brought to you by: Arrowsmith Bikes Nanaimo & Parksville, Arrowsmith Mountain Bike Club, Dodge City Cycles, Experience Cycling Duncan, Riders Cycles, Riding Fool Hostel, Rumblefest, Ozzie's Cycles, United Riders of Cumberland, River City Cycle Club, Comox Valley Mountain Biking.com Grass Roots Mountain Bike Association Posted Mar 19 2008, 10:30 AM by Skifreak with 1 comment(s) Filed under: General Racing, Island Cup Races, Cycling Events

• 2008 Island Cup Series fires up this Weekend - Nanaimo Super D March 9th

  Need a great way to drop some of those winter pounds? Think you can handle 15 minutes of heart pounding action as you line up for a mass start and do your best to navigate single track, fireroads, climbs and decents? Then come out this Sunday March 9th to the Nanaimo Super D, this year's first stop on the 2008 Island Cup Mountain Bike Race Series.   Located just past the Wastelands Motocross Track, the Doumont Road Mountain Bike Trails are home to this and other Nanaimo races this season. Maps and driving directions are available on the new Island Cup Series website www.islandcupseries.com. Registration for the race is $10 and it starts at 10am at the upper yellow gate, with racing commencing at 12noon.   Racers this season must be a GRMBA licensed member. This can be paid for through their home club, on race day at registration, or occasiona racers can pay $10 for a 1 day race license at the event.   There will be three categories, beginner, intermediate and expert.  All beginner category racers will race for free, but must pay for either a GRMBA club license or 1 day event license. There will be prizes for the winners of the expert and intermediate races.   A Super D is a downhill race on a mix of fireroad and cross country trails with the total race taking 15-20 minutes to complete. A great race for a 6/7 inch bike.    Proceeds from this event will be going towards the Nanaimo and Area Land Trust, to help in their efforts to save Nanaimo’s green spaces.   The next race is Sunday March 23rd in Nanaimo, downhill race #1.   For more information contact Arrowsmith Bikes in Nanaimo www.arrowsmithbikesnan.com and be sure to check out www.islandcupseries.com for Race Results, Forums, Photo Galleries, Maps and more.   This year's Island Cup is brought to you by:   Arrowsmith Bikes Nanaimo & Parksville, Arrowsmith Mountain Bike Club,  Dodge City Cycles, Experience Cycling Duncan, Riders Cycles, Riding Fool Hostel, Rumblefest, Ozzie's Cycles, United Riders of Cumberland, Comox Valley Mountain Biking.com Grass Roots Mountain Bike Association Posted Mar 05 2008, 06:46 PM by Skifreak with no comments Filed under: Island Cup Races, Cycling Events

• New Comox Valley Junior Mountain Biking Initiative Ready to Go

  The Comox Valley Cycling Club and Comox Valley School District teachers have partnered with Black’s Cycle and Norco to create the first ever after school mountain biking program in the Comox Valley. The Black’s Cycle After School Special mountain bike series is aimed at introducing students to competitive cycling in a fun and supportive atmosphere. The program is open to all students in the Comox Valley from grades 7 to 12. It will consist of a one day  introduction to mountain biking as well as four after school mountain bike races on the trails of the Northeast Woods in Comox. The introduction to mountain biking will include a skills clinic with valley resident and pro mountain biker Kiara Bisaro and Cycling BC Youth Coach, Dan Proulx and also a maintenance clinic hosted by the staff from Black’s Cycle.   The fun begins at 1:00pm at Cape Lazo School Thursday, March 13.  Although the racing doesn’t start until April, the skills and maintenance clinic will prepare participants to take to the trails and improve their abilities. The primary goal for the series is to make mountain biking fun and accessible to all students.  This is cross country mountain biking and there are no jumps or extreme obstacles.  The races will be taking place on a 2 km loop within the Northeast Woods in Comox.  Races will start at the trail head at the Torrence entrance to the park.  The course is on easy single track trails and non-vehicular gravel roads.  There will be qualified OFA Level 3 first aid at all events.  To participate in the series all a student needs is an interest in improving his or her cycling skills, a mountain bike in good working order, a certified helmet and a parental permission waiver form available from the students school phys.ed teacher. For more information contact Andrew Brown at 250-898-3336 or Frank Holatko at 250-339-4418. Posted Mar 04 2008, 10:16 PM by Skifreak with 1 comment(s) Filed under: General Racing, Cycling Events, High School Series