The ABES Winter Bike Festival

This could be our finest winter bike festival yet. There are a bunch of activities and people can ride as little or as much as they want. Weather has changed the event every year and the start times are flexible, but here's how it might play out.

The Day…

Super-Happy-Fun Group Ride – a moderately paced ride on paths, roads, alleys, parks, rinks, and under a giant easel, you know, ABES style. Expect a knockdown contest or two for good measure. 2:00

Alley Cat Race – it’s a scavenger hunt on bike. Ride solo or make your own team. Clues will be out-of-towner friendly. ABES Alley Cat Race Coordinator of the Year, Myron Dyck is sure to make this race memorable; It’s kinda what he does. 3:30

Roller Races – Woodcock cycles will provide the bikes and the technology for head to head indoor sprinting action. 4:30

Potluck Supper. Rink dogs will be supplied and lovingly boiled to perfection by Sawatzky and Sons Electric. 5:30

Slow Race – are you tired of being the slowest of the slow? Now it’s a good thing. Be the last to cross the finish line in this fun test of balance. 7:00

Duke V North Carolina basketball game - Duke is still looking for their first bike festival win. This could be the year. 8:00

The Details…

Saturday, March 6

The Exchange - 116 Main Street, Altona

Registration/coffee begins at 1:30

$5 per person or $10 per family

Bring a salad, dessert or chips to share at the potluck supper

Coffee and hot chocolate provided

Wii available - BYOG

BYOB

JS

Check out this crazy awesome dude

Into the Void - Johnny Devlin from Shadow Conspiracy on Vimeo.

Thursday night ride report

It was a superb night of riding, possibly the best ride of the year. The Super-Happy-Fun route delivered on all accounts. The weather was mild, the roads, lanes and trails were cleared, and the hill climbs and knockdowns are always a good time. Gavin had the best crash of the night skidding down the hill, pulling a 180 and almost avoiding the spill – almost. Lorne enjoyed his first ever knockdown contests and David made it just in time to meet us at Grumpy’s (apparently he crashed too). Other ABES riders included Charles, Shaun, Paul B, Lorne, Bruce, DAN and me. Clubhouse conversations included the upcoming winter bike festival, Paul’s folk tour experience, the 24 hour race in summer, southern cross grand prix, the delightfulness of Barbados, work, family, wiener kids, etcetera. Lorne, David and I shut down the clubhouse. Lorne said he had trouble buttoning his zipper. No doubt. JS

Lorne gets the lowdown of the footdown

Paul "super cool" B

Charles and Shaun playing on the hill

Gavin making it look easy

Insert your own caption here

Thursday night

The ride is on. We'll test ride the ABES Winter Bike Festivals Super-Happy-Fun Group Ride route. This years festival is brimming with bike fun and promises to be the best one yet (once). The festival is open to all and will rock on Saturday, March 6. More details coming soon. JS

Introducing the TLC of TCC

James Friesen and his band of merry men at Tinker Creek (south of Morden) have relaunched their website for Tinker Creek Cycle. James has a deluxe bike shop at his house tucked away in the woods. He sells Rocky Mountain bikes and does bike repairs. TCC plan races, have weekly group rides, build and maintain some of the best singletrack trails in Manitoba, and enjoy the blessings of the bike. JS

Upcoming awesomeness...

ABES, with our FGBC brethren will once again host a redonkulously good time right here in our quaint hamlet. This year Southern Cross will be coupled up for a Saturday/Sunday Cross series that will be the highlight of the season. Back to back races for an overall weekend warrior champion. More details to come as soon as we figure them out.

The upcoming Manitoba Cyclocross schedule has been released...

Sept 12 MBCX #1 Belgian Supercross Olympia

Sept 19 MBCX #2 Wildwood Woodcock

Sept 25 MBCX #3 CMU FGBC

Oct 3 MBCX #4 Omand Creek Training Co-Op

Oct 16 MBCX #5 St. Malo, MB Olympia

Oct 17 MBCX #6 Altona, MB FGBC

Oct 24 MBCX #7 Whittier Park FOG

Oct 30 MBCX #8 TBA Red River Racing

Nov 7 MBCX Provincials TBA Woodcock

Also, if you want to blow off the Sunflower Festival for some real fun, come out for a weekend of awesomeness...

ABES should put in a team. I guarantee a good time. I will NOT be riding for the win. I'm riding for the FUN. Let me know If you're interested in joining me. Details can be found here.

For those with aspirations that are un-ABES, check out this fine race series of biking immoderation...

The races are epic in nature, the pain is very real, and the memories will be incredible.

2010 is looking to be super sweet. JS

Thursday night ride reports

Gavin, David, Ben, Shaun, Curt, James, and I left ABES headquarters for a spin around town; stragglers Charles and Duke joined us mid/late ride Knockdown comps took place at the Ash st. rink, hill climbs at the park were mocked by Charles and his new studded tires, Gavin showed his rad skillz popping off the snow ramp. James proved that wearing yellow goggles at night is not a good idea; headlights look too much like parking lights. Conversation at Grumpy's included the awesome times in Barbados and the winter storm we missed here. That's the price we pay for leaving Manitoba.

The report from last weeks ride was submitted by DeShaun...

Five riders showed up in spite of ABES HQ being shut down (with the front door open). Lorne, Dan, Ben, Jeff and Shaun took to the streets on a mostly leisurely cruise around Rock-tona. Highlights included ripping through freshly laid snow, Dan's big save from a seemingly imminent wipe-out and the sheer awesomeness of riding bicycles over icy streets in -4ish temps in mid January.

The ride concluded at Ben's twin snow fortresses - which featured slides, tunnels and an excellent opportunity for snow ball fights. These are some pretty sweet forts

Apparently no post ride drinks last week? That's not right. What do people think this is - a bike club?

JS