New Brands, New Bikes, New Race Season

At the top of Noble Nob, Mt. Rainier, WA

This has been a whirlwind summer, or really, a whirlwind year.  In the last two months I picked up two new brands - Swagman Racks and SpiderTech Physio tape, Drew and I repainted the outside of our 50's stucco box house, raced a bit, travelled a lot, and managed to sneak in a couple drinks on summertime patios in Victoria.

Top of Mt Finlayson with little (but taller) sister Sage

I learned a few lessons - BC deserves more travel.  100mm cross country bikes really don't cut it when one is chasing down more talented, more experienced riders who are also on 140mm+ of travel over rough terrain.  This year I broke down and bought a Marin Mount Vision (actually, Drew and I both did...we take gender equality seriously in this household!).  140mm of active, plush, Fox suspension complemented with a full XT group.  Just under 30 lbs it flies down hills and holds its own uphill (although I'm not sure its rider does).  I never thought the bike meant that much.  I thought it was rider skill.  I thought I just needed to let go of the brakes more.  I had a lot of thoughts of what I could and couldn't ride.  I was really wrong.  This summer has been amazing. [Author's note: I still race a 100mm travel Marin CXR 29er...it goes fast too...just a bit bumpier]

Palisades Trail, near Mt. Rainier, WA

New Brands - I think in April I told one of my dealers "no, I'm not looking for more brands, I'm plenty busy as it is." Yet another thing I was wrong about.  As of June I started representing Swagman racks.  They are car racks, they carry bikes (actually, in one shuttle over a weekend in August our Quad rack carried over $30,000 worth of bikes at one time).  Except that they are more, they are solid, backed up by some amazing people in Penticton BC (read: BC born and bred), with great features and some killer 2013 product coming out!  Ok, time to dial it back, I'm sounding like a commercial....not the point.  As of Sept 1 SpiderTech is also ready to hit the market with its Olympic tested physio tape (remember all the brightly coloured red, blue, pink, etc tape on all the athletes...yeah, that stuff), I'll be offering SpiderTech to bike stores, running stores, and sporting good dealers.

Sage, Mom, and I in Oak Bay

New Race Season - It is cross season again (already?) and Drew and I just ordered a new round of bikes to prove it (I'm seeing a disturbing pattern here).  We finished up our last mountain bike race of the season at the Capitol Forest 50 Miler in Olympia, Washington.  This race was probably one of the best courses I have ever ridden, 50 miles with 80% of that on fast, swoopy, eye watering descents, beautiful views, and a solid female contingent.  I came in 2nd (which was a shocker considering the bulk of my training for two weeks leading into that race was stair repeat runs and pie eating contests with my sister Sage) and Karen Truman came in 3rd after dealing with a mechanical and some major traffic to make a BC heavy podium.

Waterfall Swimming - Goldstream Park, Langford, BC

East Sooke Park, BC

Now we are on to Wednesday Nighter Cross Races, Cross on the Rocks, a weekend in Vegas with the Guynup family to celebrate a 100th birthday, Cross Nationals in BC, hopefully some SSCXWC action (can SOMEONE update that website and tell us when it is??) and then - assuming the USGP series finds some sponsorship help - Bend USGP's in Oregon.