Cloudraker

I'm sitting at our hotel in the small town of Lourtier in the Val de Bagnes region of French-speaking Switzerland. We're taking a morning off from riding to relax, stretch and work on some bikes. This afternoon we're heading out for a few local shuttles. Tomorrow is a big day as we pedal up and over a pass out of our backyard to Aosta Italy for dinner and a gelato. The fun continues!

New trail

This afternoon i went for a ride with local XC lung Laurent for a super fun alpine ride. First we drove up a mountain in the backyard to 1700 m and traversed and climbed to 2350 m. There were a few hike-a-bike sections in there that nearly killed me. Must have been a combo of jetlag, altitude and fitness, i think. I did feel better about an hour in to the ride. The views were staggering with big-ass peaks all around and the clouds came in a out providing peek-a-boo views. After crossing the base of a glacier we started down for 1000 m (3000 or so feet). It was a nice descent and very technical at times. I will do this trail again, I'd love to ride it in blue skies and views.

In Switzerland: snow and yodelling

Rolled in this week for another summer of Alpenrippppping to fresh pow on the hills. I left BC's 30c blue bird days for snow...what's up? I guess it happens in the big mountains. The good news is that it's sunny now and 25c, the mountains look killer with a fresh blanket of white.



Have i told you how much i LOVE my new Trek Remedy 9? Talk about the perfect all-mountain bike! And my new Crank Bros Joplin seat post is a dream come true and my Rock Shox Lyrics eat up the track like a hungry teenager lapping up a Slurpee on a sticky summer day. I'm not saying this because im biased. It's true!

Mr. Tinker

Wondering what Tinker Juarez is up to these days? Me too. Check out his website for some interesting tid bits on one of mountain biking's most enduring competitors and colourful characters.

Here's a photo of Tinker with Big Mountain friends Michael Costigan and Andrea Kraft while on the BC Bike Race. Nice goat Costigan, love it!

BC Bike Race - a success!

Big Mountain guide Ryan Sullivan and myself were kindly invited by Dean Payne of the BC Bike Race to participate in the final day of his 7-day stage race from Victoria BC to Whistler. I lived in Whistler for 12 years so i was pretty pumped to come up from Vancouver for a day of punishment. And that's what i got...punished. 47 km later with lots of climbing and technical singletrack later i rolled through the finish line pretty wiped. I was in good shape going in, but just good shape. Hats off to all the 400 competitors who where on their 6th day when we rolled in for our first. You are animals. Read more about the race here.



Big Mountain guide Ryan Sullivan: big smiles before the pain began!



The start of Day 7 in Whistler's Creekside. Ready, Set, Go!

Fueling the engine with Andreas Hestler from BCBR

BIKE MAGAZINE: check us out the July issue!