Thursday night ride report

David, Evan, Gavin, Ben, Charles and I were the ABES bikers for the night. Evan learned that nobody shows up 15 minutes early for an ABES ride. He also had the misfortune of riding all night with his brakes on. Tough break - he did seem a little sluggish. Other highlights/lowlights included riding through the hockey nets, hill climbs that were climbable, Lorne crashing and Paul B showing up for his “regular” drink. Conversations included the Olympics, stupid knee surgeries, The AWBF, the mens bonspiel and the awesomeness of Barbados – good times.

Evan scores

David driving with the net stuck on his hump

Lowered seat score

Gavin sidesaddles the smaller net to no avail

Pre ride

Special

Thursday night ride

Bike for life.

Riding bike is fun. We should try it again. Say, Thursday? My place at 9:00? Lets see how it goes. It's usually awesome. I'll see you spandex queens then. JS

The AWBF

Myron put this poster together to announce the upcoming festival. I assume the alleycat race will explain the skeleton wearing gitch. All part of Dukes master plan. JS

Thursday night ride report

I thought last weeks ride was outstanding but this week’s ride was even better. We started by riding to the hill for some feeble hill climb attempts; it was not a climbable hill but valiant attempts were made. Even riding downhill was sketchy. The knockdown contests were treacherous on sheen ice. James was knocked down several times by the phantom rider and he needed to make some on ice (and at home) bike adjustments to his extremely taut chain. David S made my day when he announced he had a surprise time trial race organized. He had snowploughed a sweet track around his yard. Two laps that were hard to ride clean and sent some (me) off the bike and into crash friendly drifts. Shaun won the bronze, anD took the silver (and some rum) and I got the gold (and a chocolate bar). The prizing allotment was indeed askew. David also proved that he is top-notch by offering a round of delightful Barbados rum punch. Lorne pulled the best trick of the night with his 180 spin on the road in which he managed to keep vertical. That guy’s nimble like a cat. David (who’s qualities do not include being nimble) fell in front of oncoming traffic on the way to the ABES headquarters for the second week in a row. Other ABES on the ride included Jeff, Charles, Paul, and newbie Evan. Welcome to ABES Evan. Duke joined us at the clubhouse where discussion included the Dyck boys upcoming alleycat race, the real Miss (Jane) Moneypenny, chips, magic tricks, ear candling, acedia, and music. Our server provided free pizza. It was a very good time. JS

Thursday night ride

Those magnificent men on their flying machines

Group ride - check.

Cold temps - check.

Get your A off the couch - check.

Post ride relaxing on your A and drinking some B - double check.

If anybody wants to join me for the FGBC Sloth Cross race this weekend let me know. The 24 hour "race" includes riding as much bike as you want, non-stop bike movies, a Salisbury House breakfast lap and you get to hang out with some excellent dudes. I can't wait. JS

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

Thursday night ride

DSwat and I should be back in time to get the bikes rolling on Thursday night. Will anybody have the stones to join us? See you suckers there. JS

??????

Where's the Thursday Night ride report? Did you dudes hit the road?

We didn't bike on Thursday. Too busy swimming and drinking rum punch. No complaints though. It was awesome. We'll be back for next week.

Thursday Night Ride report

Fantastic ride!

Ten riders...Lorne, James, Jonny, Dan, Ben, Paul B., Shaun, Jeff, Charles and Myself. Actually eleven. Albert tried to catch us but we were so super awesome fast he couldn't. Or something like that.

Spun around the town, skidded on the ice, cruised up and down the big hill and just merrily rolled along. Check out the pics.

After ride ended up at the usual spot and we hung out. Talked. Discussed. BSed. Always good times.

I've experimented a little with new technologies. Glitches may be in order. We'll see. But check out the poorly lit video below and find out if the GPS ride mapping worked. I'm curious as well.

Respectfully submitted,

El Presidente



http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ca/mb/winkler/737126365333135823

Thursday night ride y'all

We should ride bike. And when I say ride bike, I mean ride bike - probably. See you then. JS

Thursday night ride report

The - 40 weather did not deter Giles, Charles, Shaun, Lorne, Paul, David, Myron and myself from meeting at The ABES headquarters. It did prove that some of us are brave and some of us are reasonable. The ride was probably awesome. The company was first-rate. Libations flowed. It was one of our finer nights. JS

We don't need another hero

Dr. H shows off his impressive chin-sicles and sweet winter sideburns.

Has anybody notice that it's really cold outside?

Riding to ABES headquarters to warm-up before riding directly to the clubhouse constitutes a weekly ride (unless a hero steps up to inspire us). See you at 9. Feel free to bring a bottle/flask to my place to help with the warm-up. JS

Thursday night ride…

…is on.

Can the director of posters (aka Myron, The Duke, Duker, The Duck, The Dyck, Maurice, Moron, alleycat organizer of the year (others?) whip up a little something-something special to make this ride extra official?

See you at 9:00.

The people have spoken!

Star Wars - The Best Alleycat of the Year!

The race featured an ewok dictionary, crokinole sharp shooting, Dans Jedi warrior outfit, I had an unfortunate flat tire, Gavin took the win (was it also the debut of his clipboard/bike attachment?), and Tom and Lorne went to the wrong checkpoint and crashed a party at the art gallery - that was awesome.

Myron knows how to make things clever, then make them funny and finish with a dash of Right-On. Well done Duker.

Dans Sign of the Times finished second and Davids oh canada! rounded out the top three alleycats of the year. Well done boys. The future of ABES looks good.

Speaking of race organizers, we need one to put together a course for nordic cross #2. A race in the next two weeks would be ideal so step up and take your turn.

Did a new years eve ride take place? Keep us in the loop.