PedalTrout

The beginning of the NSMTBTA as captured by Sue Earle's laptop

Twenty passionate people gathered in Truro on December 5th to discuss the state of mountain bike trails in Nova Scotia. The public forum led by Garnet McLaughlin of the Cobequid Eco-Trails Society and Sherry Huybers started as an information and idea session and ended with the committment to organize a non-profit association with the mandate of advocating for mountain bike trails across the province.

Along with providing useful information on everything from land access to funding to cooperating with other user groups, Garnet made a very poignant observation - that mountain bikers in this province have lost out time and time again when trail use is discussed between builders and governments. The problem is that we've never had an organization to represent us, therefore we're frequently overlooked.

The Nova Scotia Mountain Bike Trails Association (NSMTBTA)will be the answer to that problem. As soon as the association is registered we will hold our first AGM to elect directors, establish a plan of attack and begin our work of securing land and developing trails that mountain bikers in Nova Scotia will be able to ride for decades to come.

If the positive energy present at yesterday's meeting was any indication, great things are about to happen. Want to get involved or be kept up to date? Send an email to NSMTBTA@gmail.com and we'll add you to our mailing list. Things are looking up for mountain bikers in Nova Scotia.

Those who knew me long ago, know this.  For those who don't, here is the scoop.  I was a fat guy. 

I wasn't morbidly obese or anything, I just carried too much extra weight.  At my heaviest I was 214.  You might think that's not bad, but when you are only 5'6" it is.

So, I bought a bike, worked out and and ate right, became ripped and muscular and felt great. 

Then I met a girl, we got married, settled down in the country in an old farm house and became a mature responsible adult.

I continued to ride my bike, but being so far from the city made it very inconvient for me to get to a gym, and the responsibilities at home didn't seem to leave much time for it any way.  Instead, I started brewing home made beer and wine, eating delicious barbeque and rode my bike.

I began to get fat again.

I was quite proud of my accomplishment to lose the weight before and was disappointed when I gained some back.  When I reached 185 I decided it was time for an intervention.

Sue, being the awesome wife that she is, thought it would be a great idea for me to set up a gym in a vacant room here in the house.  We purchased some good quality equipment, rubber mats, a large mirror and a wall mounted Tv. 

On November 1st I began to take back control and started training my body back to the way it is supposed to be.  I have curbed my excessive appetite for large steaks, chocolate and good beer, and have managed to shed 16 lbs as of today.

I have decided that I never want to be as muscular as I once was, but rather, lean and strong. One great investment we made was in some Spinervals DVD's.  My cardio fitness has increased by leaps and bounds and I am feeling stronger than ever on the bike, plus it makes burning the fat a little more fun.  Since I began tracking my trainer time in December I have logged 1511 minutes of spinning.

I plan to keep updating this with my progress.  My goal weight is mid 150's.
I haven't been there in a very long time... time will tell I guess.  Wish me luck!

... Aplogiuse to everyone will be riding hill with me this Monday morning. It will be the first trail ride this year. So i suspect any slowness on my part will be made up in comidic crashing and the like.


 Thank you!

    BigPapa

In these days of pulaskis, loppers and various Trailblazer made doodads, it's nice to go back to a more traditional tool. Now before the chainsawers get all worked up, keep in mind I miss my Husky 55. But, in the spirit of physical work much akin to riding a bike in the woods, the good old axe is a rewarding bit of kit when yeilded properly.
It can be much easier to pack than a powersaw. There is no "giveaway" noise. No smoke. No fuel and oil to carry around. It is pretty easy to keep sharp and in good condition once you get on to it. You can get through a considerably thick piece of wood fairly quickly as well.
I thought I would just share a few points with you to keep you stoked for trail work. And now is the perfect time to clear those fallen trees and try new lines.
First off is safety.
Make sure when you use your axe that the handle is fastened well to the head, and that the handle itself is in good shape. If it's loose, try to use a wedge made just for this purpose to tighten it up. This only applies to wooden handles. Some old timers would soak the head on water to swell it up, but that's lazy and will help rust your axe. A loose axehead can be a pretty sick missle when she lets go...
Also keep your axe SHARP. A dull axe is more likely to bounce and glance off your work rather than cut keenly and cleanly. With that said, keep it in a good quality sheath to protect both you AND the cutting edge. And try to invest in a good file and stone to keep it sharp. There are decent videos on Youtube on axe sharpening to get you started, or you can befriend an old timer with no teeth, a flannel shirt and leather-topped rubber boots to show you. Just clean off his toque and share some bannock or sourdough with him.
Anywho, on to weilding this beast! Wait... you need to pick one first. Don't go too cheap on an axe. You really DO get what you pay for in tools. Department store branded stuff is usually junk. Hard to get and keep an edge on, bad balance and poor quality are their usual merits. However, having said that, if you can get yerself one of those Fiskars jobbies from Finland, they are AMAZING bang-for-buck units. They look a little unorthidox, but they are made with beautiful steel and the handles are maintainence free and virtually indestructible. I have their hatchet and the 23" chopping axe. The axe is very light in the handle, the head is heavy enough to get the job done very well but is still light enough to ride with in my usual pack. You can find them at better stocked Canadian Tire outlets. Just a word of advice on them; get the Fiskars sharpener to go with them. It is the only tool that get's them to their best, in my opinion, every time.
Regardless of manufacturer, pick an axe that you can comfortably yeild. Too long a handle may be hard to aim and pack, specially for the novice. Too short a handle is awkward for both hands and can make you more likely to hit your legs in some situations. Too heavy a head will wear you out quickly and too light will not cut very efficiently.
Carry your axe at you side, hand just below the head with the blade pointed down and away from those meaty mountain biking legs in case you slip or bump the handle while walking. Stay away from restrictive clothes and don't use slippery, wet or muddy gloves.
As with a chainsaw, clear the area around where you will be working of brush and debris. Keep bystanders away and make sure the footing is good. If you are actually felling a tree, or clearing fallen trees under stress or "springy", make sure you have and escape route in case something goes poopy.
When you actually are chopping through the wood, cut into the wood across the grain with the head of the axe at about a 45 degree angle. Never cut straight into the wood. It will hardly do a thing for you other than dull your axe and get you frustrated. The key is getting the chips to come out of the wood.
Here's a few hints. When chopping through a log, make you "V" cut about the same width as the thickness of the log you are chopping. Go until these two cuts meet in the middle of the log, then turn around and cut the other side until you hit the first cut. You have now chopped through your first log. Chop alternatively left and right to keep the chips flying.
And when you are limbing those trees, go from the root end of the trunk to the crown, or top of the tree. Stay on one side of the tree at a time. Don't straddle it. Please. Don't. Chop the underside of each branch. If you try to chop at the springy crutch or top side of the branches, your axe will bounce all over the place and probably give you a good gash someplace meaty.
With a little practice and patience, you will be swinging with the best of them! Just develop a rythym, let the axe do the work as opposed to using brute strength, and you will be on your way to being Paul Bunyon of the mountain bike world.
Happy trails!

Oh yeah... here is a good vid, despite the vintage.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcR28Yqt4mY&feature=related

Several years ago I lived in Ellershouse. One day, while exploring the woods a few kilometers from my home I found a place with big trees, a deep ravine, well-drained forest floor. I knew it needed a mountain bike trail. With no one keen to help and a lack of knowledge on my part the trail remained a dream. Eventually I moved and that was that.

 3 years ago I moved again, back towards that forest. This time I had a willing accomplice and lots of experience. We went to work with a common vision and explored those woods in depth, marking lines, discussing routes, building a place to ride and spending every free minute expanding out blister collection for the sake of having a close-by trail.

 Those woods became a second home of sorts. In the first year, when the leaves started drifting to the ground we had almost 3 km of singletrack –a short distance, but it was technical and challenging, old school trail at its finest. Over the second year we continued to add and modify and groom. 3 years later we had almost 8km of singletrack buried deep within the woods. The trail improved every day we worked on it, hiked it or rode it.

 Grunter (as we called it) also became a sanctuary of sorts for me. Often on rainy days I would leave the bikes at home, take the dogs and slip into the woods to meditate on life, clear the stresses of work and bills and stupid people. There were owls and deer and bears, once I even spotted a flying squirrel. The humongous old growth trees, mossy banks of the ravine and the way that the forest repelled noise was soothing and wonderful. Grunter became my ultimate happy place.

A few weeks ago as Troy and I hiked through Grunter a yellow ribbon waved at us from a tree on the trail. We stopped dead in our tracks to ponder its taunting.  No other ribbons could be seen, perhaps a hunter was marking a spot for a deer stand? Perhaps someone had found the trail and decided to mark it? We crossed our fingers that it meant nothing more and carried on. But then a week later another ribbon appeared, and another.

Yesterday as we hit the downhill section of Grunter I stopped. The sounds of heavy machinery were closer than I was comfortable with. When we finished up the ride and popped through the hidden entrance that separates sanctuary from the rest of the world, shock grabbed my heart and stopped it dead. The old decrepit fireroad that bridged the upper and lower sections of Grunter now sported a fresh new topcoat of shale, complete with a culvert noosed by that same yellow ribbon. People don’t spend money fixing up dirt roads in the middle of nowhere without a reason.

We knew that if not tomorrow, then the next day or the day after that, Grunter would fall victim to the chainsaws and tree rippers that would clear cut this chunk of land that had become my second home.

I guess we should learn something from this experience. Perhaps the lesson is to always obtain permission and determine the end-purpose of a piece of land before building a trail. Perhaps the lesson is that nothing good ever lasts. A part of me feels like 3 years has been wasted, but I know that isn’t true.

Grunter may be falling as we speak, but there are parts of Grunter they can’t cut down. I’ll always have the memory of the exquisite beauty that lay in those woods, the experiences that Troy and I shared while raking or trimming or pondering, the skills that I gained every time I cleaned a new section of tough singletrack. Perhaps someday we’ll go back and resurrect Grunter from the rubble, or perhaps this is our cue to move on and find another sanctuary. Only time will tell.

With no course of action left, no way to stop the carnage, all I can say is Grunter, I’ll miss you terribly. It may sound cliché, but get out there and enjoy what you have because it can vanish in a snap and then it’s too late.

Grow back fast, old friend.

Known for his gigantic smile, heart of gold and the ability to supply a cold beverage trail-side at the strangest of times, the first Propeller Brewing Company Rider of the Month for 2010 will undoubtedly put his prize to great use. Mike Phillips is no slouch on the bike either, and the local scene benefits from his tendency to bubble over with positivity.

If you had fun riding the 8 hours of Gore last year, you can thank Mike for his role in that event. Mike put in serious time prepping the course, running the race, and encouraging riders to love every painful minute. It’s hard to moan about how much things hurt when someone like Mike is there to chase you down with a bad case of rabid enthusiasm.

Mike can often be found at Sportwheels in Lower Sackville where he seems to treat selling bikes and gear as a privilege more than a job. It’s obvious that Mike wants people to love bikes just as much as he does and he carries that infectious attitude onto the trail where he frequently leads rides geared towards mountain bike newcomers.

Happy 2010 to you, Mike and we hope to see you on the trail really soon. You shouldn’t have any trouble keeping those Camelbak-chilled Propellers cool in this weather. Cheers!

Know someone who should be a PedalTrout Rider of the Month? Send your nomination to us now!

I had recently had a 29er and wasn't overly impressed with it's performance. My decision to purchase another one was based on the changes that have been made to  geometry, and suspension and handling characteristics to 29ers in general.

The Shinobi is the middle of three levels of 29er full suspension models available from Norco.  The specs include a SRAM X9 rear derailleur (2x10), RS Revelation fork and Fox shock and Elixir 7 brakes.  Everything works great period.  The fork was damaged in shipping, however, Norco stepped up and had a new one to me in no time. 



The ride is amazing! Obstacles are definitely easier to roll over and the bike is so much easier to get up hills as it maintains it's speed.  The geometry allows the rider to sit in the bike as if it was a traditional 26er, thus little to no transition from a 26" wheeled bike.   Lofting the bike over obstacles takes the same effort as with my Fluid 1.  My confidence level increases as I ride this bike.  It's no wonder that 29ers have been ridden to victory in World Cup events!

The wider bars did take some getting used to as did the 2x10 drivetrain. Nothing a few rides didn't iron out.  The only thing that I have changed so far were the heavvvvvyyyy Kenda Nevegal tires.  I picked up a set of Kenda Small Block Eights and the bike actually seems faster and more enjoyable to ride.

Overall, great bike, and I am officially a convert to the 29er!

How come its totally unacceptable to ride a wet trail...


...but ok for 50+ people to race on it?

What can I say that you don't already know about this guy? Tom IS mountain 
biking in Nova Scotia! Former proprietor of "The Bike People" bike shop in 
Halifax, ex-cross-country racer, ride promoter, master trail builder, crazy 
bike handler, friend to every cyclist in the province no matter what shop they 
are loyal to, fun-loving Irishman and all-around great guy! Tom can barely be
squeezed into one month, he's the rider of the decade!

I have had the pleasure of riding with Tom on a regular basis for the 
last three years, and I know we'll be riding buddies for the rest of our 
lives. He lives and breathes biking! He is an active member of Bicycles 
Plus Cycling Club and not only runs their weekly mountain bike rides, he 
also puts on their points series race, A-GORE-Aphobia in Gore every year 
and does a heck of a job!

Only getting his driver's license when he turned 40 to be better able to 
drive his new daughter around, he has lived on his bike for most of his 
life. He is connected with every generation of cyclist in the province, 
from senior racers and enthusiasts to children of all ages. He is a 
certified commissaie and routinely volunteers his time to officiate at 
local cross-country and downhill races. He has been a card-carrying 
member of IMBA for many years and is an experienced trail builder. One 
of the few 'Master" trail elves we have here! He is also the mastermind 
behind the Shubie Park Ice Races held every year on Lake Charles, 
getting cyclists of all ages out and riding even when the weather is 
miserable!

Tom loves nothing more that to bring his faithful dog, Fergus, out to 
Spider Lake any evening of the week and hammer the young bucks into the 
ground for hours. We call him "Mad Skillz" Kavanagh for his abillity to 
stay upright and pedaling through the gnarliest terrain! You can always 
count on him to join you for a post-ride "beverage" usually in the Irish 
Ale variety, and keep the conversation bright and filled with 
bike-related ideas!

I could go on and on and still never come close to covering all that Tom 
has done for the sport in Nova Scotia. Someday he'll receive a lifetime 
acheivement award for his contributions, but for now, I'd like him to be 
the December "Rider-of-the-Month" on PedalTrout.

Thanks for the submission, Geoff, we'll be sending Tom some Propeller Beer
and if you're lucky he just might share it with you!
Know somebody who you think should be Rider of the Month? Drop us a line
and tell us why. Include a photo if you can!