Monday, June 27, 2011

Race Team Updates


The past few weeks have been busy for the Black’s Cycle mountain bike race team.  June 18th marked the 12 Hours of Cumberland.  As the name implies, racers rode laps of a 7km course as many times as possible in 12 hours.  The race could be done solo, in teams of 2, or in teams of 4 (teams would treat the race as a relay event, with 1 rider riding at all times).  Since we weren’t feeling mental but still wanted a challenge, we opted for the 2 person team.

Heather and Chris posing before 12 hours of fun!
The weather forecast was dreary in the days leading up to the race, and when we woke up Saturday morning at 6AM the sky wasn’t looking too promising.  The prospect of riding for 6 hours each (or even worse, sitting around waiting for 6 hours) wasn’t looking too appealing, but we had faith that the day would turn out ok and packed our stuff up and headed to the #6 Mine Park in Cumberland.  We set up the Norco tent and hung the big Blacks Cycle banner and headed over to register.  Once we paid our fees there was no turning back. 

Heather still smiling after 5 hours in the saddle
The race started just before 8:30, and I took the first pull.  Our plan was to ride in 3 lap intervals, which worked out to around an hour and half on, followed by an hour and a half off.  


My first 3 laps were quick and dirty, and I was good and tired when I passed the torch off to Heather. As the day progressed, we got into a nice rhythm.  While I was a bit more vocal about my fading legs, Heather was her usual self, and banged off her laps nice and consistently without any complaints.  Her 4th lap was probably the fastest of the day after she ran into a couple bear cubs and their mom just before Black Hole.

For the most part the rain held off and the course became dryer and faster with each run.  Good thing too, because by late afternoon we were getting good and tired.  Our laps times stayed consistent though, and at the end of the day we finished 23 laps in 11:40.  That’s more than 160km of west coast trails, and good enough to get us a 3rd place finish.

Next on our hit list was the long awaited return of the Hornby Island Bike Fest.  Anyone who raced in BC during the 90s will no doubt remember this iconic event.  The fast, flowy trails of Hornby are about as fun as it gets, and when you throw in a laid back but very well organized couple of races you’re sure to have a good time.
Heather leading the charge in the Hornby XC





Heather bucked up and raced back to back days, tackling the 14km/1000 vertical ft XC course on Saturday, followed by the Super D on Sunday.  
Gotta love that Hornby singletrack!
Heather DP’d (Double Podium), with a 3rd place photo finish on the XC (1 second behind 2nd place) and a solid 2nd in the Super D.  Not only was she super stoked on her results, but she rolled off the island with the phone numbers of 2 new riding friends.  
Heather obviously stoked on her 3rd place XC finish

My Norco Range - All ready for some Super D action!
I put all my eggs in the Super D basket, and it paid off beating my goal of a sub 6 minute run with a time of 5:56, good enough for a 3rd place finish in Expert.  My legs and lungs have never hurt so bad, and I can honestly say I gave’r 100%.

The coolest part of the weekend was having our good friend and longtime Black’s Cycle customer Kevin Reid show up and race (not only is Kevin a great guy to ride with, he’s also a kick ass realtor – If you’re in the market check him out at www.kevinreid.remax.ca).  This was K-Ninja’s first time racing, but he manned up to the plate and raced Intermediate.  After watching his pre-run helmet cam footage 25 times on Saturday night, he managed to shave 20 seconds off his already fast prerun time (one more reason to buy a helmet cam, and a shameless reminder that Black’s Cycle is an official GoPro dealer) and finished with a time of 7:21. 

Turns out lycra really does make you go faster!
We all left Hornby pretty worked over (especially DP Heather), but pretty stoked on the weekend.  The race was amazingly well run.  From the staging to the timing and instant results, we were blown away that a race with such a laid back feel could be run so professionally.  Huge shout out to all the organizers and volunteers.  You guys (and gals) put on such a great event, and we’re already looking forward to next year.

So, that’s pretty much a wrap for June.  The next big adventures are the Black’s Cycle Double Down (stay tuned for more info on this!), and the Yana Century Ride.  See everyone out there! 




Thursday, March 10, 2011

Spring Update

Spring is in the air and there's a lot happening right now at Blacks Cycle. There's something in this note for everyone, so have a seat and grab a drink because this is gonna be a long one...

First off, the time change is this weekend, which means group rides begin next week. Tuesday night will mark the first mountain bike ride, and Thursday will be the first road ride (the road ride will be weather permitting since Les is made of sugar).

Next up: Ever wanted to have access to a $2500 Zipp wheel set to use on race day? How about training with a $2700 CycleOps Power Tap set up? Well, we've found a way to allow you access to these high end goodies that won't break the bank. We'll be renting both these items out at very reasonable rates over the course of the season. This is a pretty unique opportunity, so if you have a big event coming up and want an edge over your competition, give us a shout and we'll fill you in on the details.

We have a bunch of new bikes going on sale, and the prices are REALLY good. All Felt road bikes are up for grabs, as are mid price point mountain bikes ($500-1200). We're taking offers on the last few Pinarellos and won't say no to anything reasonable. In short, if you're looking for something or know anyone that is now is a really smart time to stop by the shop for a visit.

We have all our Norco kids bikes and Chariot trailers in stock. Spring break is coming up, so gear up now so the whole family can get out and enjoy the first few days of spring.

The repair shop is still relatively quiet (although we've seen a definite increase in volume over the last week), so now's the perfect time to get your ride dialed in. Beat the rush, get your bike tuned up now so when the sun comes out and others are waiting you'll be out there riding.

So that's a quick taste of some of the things going on. As usual, if you haven't been in the shop for a while stop on by. There's lots of new and exciting stuff we'd love to show you, so come by and have a chat.

Friday, February 11, 2011

New or used - Getting The Most Bang For Your buck

So you're looking for a new bike.  Like most folks out there you want to make sure you get the most bike for your buck.  You've been to the local bike shop and checked out their offerings, and are pretty stoked, but the model you want is a bit beyond your means.  They also have a few used bikes, which sparks the idea that maybe going with something used might be the ticket to getting that higher end spec without throwing down quite so much dough.

The lure of used bikes is often tempting, but used bikes can come with hidden catches.  Worn drivetrains, stressed and fatigued components, and even hairline frame cracks can often be overlooked.  Presentation plays a big part in a buyers decision, and for most people, a clean bike with a good spec at a fraction of the original purchase price seems like a good deal, but this often ends in disaster. 

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about:  Last year one of the shop regulars bought a used bike. He was originally looking at a mid-level bike, but found a "good deal" on a used higher end version.  Sucked in by the prospect of having the high end version he bought the bike.  Unfortunately, straight out the gate there were problems.  Even though the bike was only a year old, it had been ridden lots and ridden hard by the previous owner.  Within the first week he was already 3 figures deep in repair costs, and as time went by the number multiplied many times over.  A year later, his repair costs alone were almost equal to what he paid for the bike, and combined, significantly higher than what he would have paid for a brand new bike.

Beyond the product itself, there are a couple other things that can add value to a new bike.  The manufacturers warranty on most cycling products applies only to the original owner, and while genuine flaws covered by warranty have reduced in recent years (manufacturing and engineering has improved significantly), warranty claims are still something we deal with regularly.  All new bikes sold from Blacks (and most shops) come with a year of free labour.  It's inevitable, your bike will need adjusting, fixing, and tuning down the road, and buying a new bike will help ease the pain for at least that first year.  If you're a faithful customer (and maybe bring in a case of beer every once in a while), you might find yourself at the receiving end of some discounts down the road as well.  These three factors can add up to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

The final thing to consider when looking at a used bike is the actual value of a used bike.  The technology found on bikes in almost every category is constantly improving, and what was high end only a couple years ago is often commonplace on mid-price point bikes today.  What this means is that when you're doing your price comparison, you need to look at what it would cost to buy bikes with the equivalent ride quality, not just spec level.  What the young man in the example earlier failed to realize, is that despite the fact the used model he was buying was the high end version, the new mid-level version of that bike was actually lighter, stronger, and more durable than the older high end model.  In short, the new mid-level bike is a better bike than the older, high-end model.


While there are some great deals out there, it often takes a skilled and discerning eye to catch them.  A good bike shop should be able to help with this.  Most shops, including Blacks, will do a quick check over of a used bike at no charge, and will be more than willing to provide you with their two cents, including a quick comparison of what your options are for new bikes at the same price.  This way, you can make a solid, informed decision on how to best spend your money.