On June 7th Specialized will be rolling into Bellingham with a van full of their 2012 mountain bike lineup. Stumpjumper EVOs, Safires, Cambers, Epics and more will be available for test rides. This is a great opportunity to try out a new bike. Curious about 29ers? Want to ride a carbon fiber frame? This is your chance to see what all the hype is about.
Come to the Galbraith Lane parking lot beginning at 3pm to take a fancy new ride for a spin. See you there!
Ski to Sea Race (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With only three weeks left until Ski to Sea weekend, now is the time to make sure your equipment is ready for the big day. Skiing and biking are our specialties, so we’re going to focus on those legs of the race in this article.
Bike Preparation
Whether you’re signed up for the road or mountain bike portion of the Ski to Sea, it’s crucial to make sure your bike is in good working condition. The last thing you need is for a mechanical to hinder your performance on race day. Check your brake pads, chain and tires for wear. If you’re not sure what to look for, take a look at our previous article on bike maintenance, or stop by the shop for a tune-up. We’ll make sure your bike is dialed in and race ready.
Bike fit is important – even if you’re using a borrowed or rented bike it’s important to make sure the bike fits. Go for a few test rides before the day of the race to make sure you are able to ride in comfort – numbness and pain are never fun, especially during a race. Little things, like installing a shorter stem or a different seat can go a long way towards improving the comfort and fit of a bike. We offer professional bike fitting which is designed to maximize your comfort and efficiency on the bike.
Ski Preparation
Got a need for speed? Our ski shop is stocked with some of the fastest wax money can buy – the same stuff the World Cup and Olympic racers use. Drop your skis off and we’ll get them buffed out and ready to fly. Even if you don’t need the World Cup level wax, our basic wax will help ensure your skis are running smoothly.
Need skis? We have rental skate and classic cross country ski packages available. If you rent them now, you can keep the equipment through race day – skate ski packages are $120, while classic ski packages are $85. This way, you’ll be able to try out the equipment a few times before the race.
Want to brush up on your cross-country skiing technique? Todd Eastman will be holding a skate skiing technique on May 11th from 10am-1pm at the Heather Meadows base area. Sign up at the shop for this educational on-snow clinic.
We do have one final tip, and it’s the most important: Have fun! Sure, the Ski to Sea is a big race, but it’s also a great way to get outside with your friends and enjoy the recreational activities Whatcom County has to offer. Don’t forget to look around and soak in the views while you’re cruising to victory.
With Bike to Work Day a little over a month away (it’s on May 18th ), you can be sure you’ll be hearing more about the benefits of bike commuting in the coming days. But there’s an often overlooked place where you can add more biking to your life – getting to the trailhead.
How do you get to your favorite local mountain biking destination? Did you know that in Bellingham, the Birch Street entrance to Galbraith is only 3.7 miles from downtown (using the Bellingham Library as a starting point), while the North Chuckanut trailhead is only 4.7 miles away?
It’s easy to get accustomed to the convenience of driving to the trailhead, but when you factor in the time to load up the car, and the stoplights and traffic encountered along the way, driving really doesn’t save much time. Plus, biking to the trailhead is a great warmup – a nice 20-30 minute spin to loosen up your muscles. And, with the money you save on gas, you’ll have more cash for the shiny new bike parts you’ve been drooling over. Take a look at this map to plan your route. Pick the right combination of side streets and trails and you might even find it’s faster to ride than drive.
There have been numerous studies on how long it takes to form a habit, with no clear conclusion. However, one thing is certain – it takes dedication to develop a new habit and break out of a routine. Start small – maybe commit to riding to the trailhead once every week or two. As you get more accustomed to this new routine, start decreasing the driving and increasing the riding. If you live a little too far to make riding to the trailhead feasible, don’t forget about Bellingham’s bus system. The buses all have bike racks, and for a buck or two you can get to pretty much anywhere in the county. There are even some creative mountain bike rides which involve taking the bus to Alger and then riding back through Blanchard and the Chuckanuts…stop by Fairhaven Bike & Ski for more details.
See you on the trails!
Happy Friday! Today’s photo is from a recent mountain bike ride in the Chuckanuts. Rides in the Chuckanuts have a little bit of everything – steep climbs, steep descents, roots, rocks, views – all the ingredients necessary for a memorable day.
Do you have any photos you’d like to share? Send them to us via Facebook – we’ll feature the best ones in an upcoming Photo Friday. The only requirement is that they’re outdoor related – biking, skiing, snowboarding – we like it all! Have a great weekend.
The 2012 Specialized Demo 8 is a speed freak – slack, low, and ready to rail. With two lift-served bike parks (Whistler and Stevens Pass) less than 3 hours away, and excellent shuttle opportunities to the east of town, the Specialized Demo 8 makes a perfect addition to any Bellingham downhiller’s quiver.
The Demo 8 is available in two configurations – the fully blinged-out II, and the more affordable, but still high performance I. The Demo 8 II is an ideal choice for the rider looking for a bike that is race-ready right out of the box. Trying to win the Northwest Cup? Snag one of these and you won’t be able to blame your equipment (Troy Brosnan just piloted his to the Australian National Championships. Highlights include a Cane Creek Double Barrel rear shock, a Boxxer Word Cup front fork, Sram XO DH cranks and XO rear derailleur. Stopping duties are handled by custom Avid Code XO brakes – these brakes have enough power to control your speed on the steepest gnar you can find.
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| 2012 Specialized Demo 8 II |
Pockets not deep enough to afford the Demo 8 II? The Demo 8 I is no slouch, and considerably less expensive. Reliable, low-maintenance suspension is provided by a Fox Van RC rear shock and Rock Shox Boxxer RC fork, while the light but strong Truvativ Descendant cranks and X9 rear derailleur create a dependable drivetrain.
Lists of components are great, but how does the Specialized Demo 8 ride? For a bike with 8 inches of travel, the Demo is incredibly nimble. Short chainstays make quick work of any corner – the Demo loves to get sideways. Combine this with a low BB and you get a berm-slaying machine. Take a lap down A-line on a Demo and try to get to the bottom without an ear-to-ear grin – we’re pretty sure it’s impossible. It’s one of those bikes that doesn’t seem to have a speed limit – stability at speed is excellent.
Fairhaven Bike & Ski 