Exile on Steel St.

Checked it out today. Excellent line. I'll try and take some sharp implements out this week to hack out an exit to Highside.

I'll probably get to it tomorrow evening after work, have a friend with a saw coming out too to take care of the log at the start too…rode a sweet loop out there tonight, it adds a nice amount of fun riding to that area. now we just need to start extending Farside up towards the bottom of SCAP

I'll probably get to it tomorrow evening after work, have a friend with a saw coming out too to take care of the log at the start too…rode a sweet loop out there tonight, it adds a nice amount of fun riding to that area. now we just need to start extending Farside up towards the bottom of SCAP

Kind of scraped out the last bit. Visible and rideable both ways.

Kind of scraped out the last bit. Visible and rideable both ways.

thanks, got sidetracked bucking out some logs in the vicinity last night, going to do final clean up after work/before toonie tonight…..so stoked to have a no road linkup from SCAP to Highline now!

thanks, got sidetracked bucking out some logs in the vicinity last night, going to do final clean up after work/before toonie tonight…..so stoked to have a no road linkup from SCAP to Highline now!

Me too. I usually have the dog so I avoid roads if I can.

finally got around to registering. did i miss any emails/updates?

for boom….

Mood Setter [HTML_REMOVED] Reminder

Hi there,

Thought this would be a good time to re-hash my words from the Show N Shine last year to get you psyched up and to share the love I have for my bike. They seem kind of fitting as we set out on another epic together! Also a reminder to please send JF your "Chromag Family" word to [email protected]. Also looking for a few more vollies…no first aid needed this time. So let me know if you know of anyone who can help out for a few hours….enjoy!

Oh, The Places You’ll Ride!
By Dr. Horn

Congratulations!
Today you will ride.
You’re off to cool places
On trails NOT too wide!

You have steel in your tubes,
You have soul in your frame.
No suspension at all,
For those bikes are all lame!
You’re one of a kind and I love you, you’re fine!
Because you were the winner of the 6th Show N Shine.

You’ll look up and down trails. Look ‘em over with care.
But you’ll never say, “I don’t want to go there”.
With your sparkly black paint and Hans Dampf on your wheel
You give all that dirt such a beauty, sweet feel!

And if you ride all the trails
don’t worry, don’t frown.
In that case of course
We’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there
in the Chilcotin air.

Out there good things happen
and frequently do
to bikes as nimble
and groovy as you.

And when things start to happen
Don’t worry, don’t fret.
Just roll right along,
You’re the pimpest bike yet!

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL RIDE!

You’ll be pedaling up
With no dabs on steep climbs
Because pedaling is fun,
It brings such good times.

You won’t lag behind, because you’re fast and you’re light.
You’ll pass the whole gang with your rigid, steel might.
All dressed up in pink, you’re the best of the best.
Like Ryder, a winner, laying waste to the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because sometimes you won’t.

I’m sorry to say
but sadly it’s true
that wipe-outs
and crash-outs
can happen to you!

You can get all hung up
on a rock or a root.
And the pack will ride on.
They will give you the boot.

You’ll come down from your crash
with a terrible sound.
And on your frame, oh most surely,
a scratch will be found.

And when you’re all scratched
You’re not in for much fun.
Un-scratching yourself
is not easily done.

There will come a time when you’re replaced that is true,
perhaps a new frame with the colour “Celeste Blue”.
But before that day comes let’s ride every trail
Because steel lasts forever, it never will fail.
Do you think we can do it? Do you think that we dare?
As instagram shows there are new trails everywhere!

And to ride them all there are so many starts,
Perhaps up on Westside, perhaps right at Bart’s!
Or way up north with Comfortably Numb.
I love that trail though some say it’s dumb.
(and even with steel it can hurt your bum!)

It can get so confusing
That you’ll start to race
Down rough, cobbled trails at a breath-taking pace.
And grind on for miles across a mutant built space
Headed, I fear, for a most devastating place.
The NO FLOW place .

For bikes NOT flowing.
Not flowing, moving like a snail,
Not flowing fighting tooth and nail,
Trying to pedal but soon you’ll bail,
Your bike bucks around, for sure you’ll fail.
Just give up and grab an ale!
Every bike is NOT flowing.

NO!
That’s not for you!

You’ll get with the flow
All railing and jumping.
You’ll find the sweet lines,
go so fast, you’ll be pumping!

Oh, the places you’ll ride. There are trails to be hit.
Just ride a Chromag and you’ll be the shit.
And the magical things you can do with this bike
Will make you so happy, all trail you will like.
Ride it hard, get it dirty, they call it brown pow.
Coz dirt is the bomb, it makes people go wow!

Except when they don’t
because, sometimes they won’t.

Not everyone knows what makes a great ride,
all shiny and new with no mileage, no pride.
They haven’t see dirt, not even tonight.
And that most surely, most purely, shouldn’t seem right!

Not you, you’ve been ridden all over and far.
From Deer Pass to Tyax you’re always a star.
Full Nimby, Middle Earth, all the way to the Peak.
In Squampton , the Treasure Trail, it’s not for the weak.
From Kashmir and Zanksar to Business Time too,
From Function, cross Westside, all the way to the Soo!
With scratches and dings you’re showing your age
But the stories you’ve written so great, turn the page!

And will you succeed?
I think yes, most indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed)

KID, YOU’LL RIDE MOUNTAINS!

So
Be your name Velnes or Ritzy or Hine
Or any other name, for sure, that’s just fine.
You’re off to cool trails
And hard-tailing’s your way!
Your Chromag is waiting.
Go BUY one today!

well that didn't go so well. cramp-fest! ouch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BjQYQ5p2Ko

Yep I am shattered today. Just getting off the couch seems to be a lot of work.

Amazing ride yesterday. Plenty of highs and a couple lows.

30x36 on a 29'er wasn't a low enough climbing gear.

Well that was about the biggest day I've had on a bike. According to a friends strava it was 72km and over 7,700 vertical feet. Definitely a tough day and some awesome moments. I did feel it was punishment solely for the sake of punishment in some cases. Hardtails are a lot of fun on steep rough trails (up and down) but suck ass on flattish rough trails and a big part of the day was on the latter. Not wearing a chamois was a mistake! Snapping my derailleur on Duncan's was unfortunate, but High Society, AC/DC and the final stage made it all worth it.

I didn't realize the Chromag crew were quite so XC oriented and was surprised the timed sections were all very XC and the bonuses were for extra pain and suffering; would have loved to have seen some optional hairball lines get bonus cards as well, and one timed DH only section. But it wasn't about the time or the cards; it was about being on a ride with 50 or more people that 'get' hardtails. No excuses, since we're all in the same boat. I don't remember the last time I rode with another hardtail, so this was a great change for me.

The food, beer and icecream was awesome. Wish I could've stayed longer at the party and figured out who more of you were, but did get to meet Flip as I was about to head back to Squamish.

Definitely have a feeling of accomplishment today and although I felt like I was hit by a truck when I woke up, I am already thinking about my next ride.

Yep I am shattered today.

this

the bonuses were for extra pain and suffering

haha they don't call 'em _hard_tails for nothing

for boom….

thanks flip. i'd love to get ahold of julian's poem that tony read out at the party: "all hail the riser, BECAUSE HE'S THE FUCKING MAN!"

Excellent times. Thank you to all who made it what it was.

Flip's strava has 2832m of climbing. 9,291 feet. I know he rode from his place in Bayshores to Alpine but can't be an extra 1591 feet between the two.

the guys i finished up ampm with clocked ~2700m on strava, so yeah closer to 9000 feet all in i think

even that number doesn't do the day justice though

i barely pulled out the camera but here are some pictures from the ride. flip's already posted some bangers on instagram

seb the bard sends us off

on the way up to uncomfortable bum, trippin and crampin

chromag hq was a rad place for the apres… but could have used more seating ;)

Just taking the low point of each side to the high point is 1591m. This doesn't take into account any undulation, none of the climbing in Emerald including up to the pump track, none of the pain and suffering of Uncomfortable Bum, Danimal backwards, and other sections of climbing.

Strava might not be super accurate, but it was a hell of a lot more than 3,500 feet.