Archive for the ‘Bikes’ Category
Ride and Reach with Ryan Leech
Thursday, December 17th, 2009My friends at Boréale Mountain Biking in the Yukon Territory of Canada have an incredible mountain bike tour and accommodation operation going on. It is a dreamland for mountain bikers, and after filming a segment for The Ride Guide TV show last year, I knew I’d be back, just didn’t know when, how, or for what.
Another glorious view while on a ride in Whitehorse
A small section of a never ending singletrack downhill
Then a vision came to me about combining mountain biking and yoga in a retreat like setting, and figured there would be no better place than Boréale’s Yurtville in Whitehorse. With Sylvain and Marsha to lead us to all the best singletrack, and myself to work in mountain bike skill development along the way, we figured we were on to something. Throw in my daily yoga sessions/workshops and gourmet catered food (by a fellow rider), and the idea just came to life! We quickly carved out the week of July 3 – 9th for the offering.
One of the many yurts in Boreale's Yurtville headquarters.
The bike blender inside the dining yurt. Breakfast of champions!
There is a certain feeling I get when out riding, it’s hard to describe; most riders know it, but describe it differently. While thinking about some of the custom built log rides and woodwork spanning from giant rock to rock that I rode in Whitehorse, I remember a feeling of my bike and body becoming one, time being suspended, my awareness expanding and becoming razor sharp, the incredible trail flowed effortlessly, I felt ease, I felt flow, the moment stretched, and a great big perma-grin grew.
Short break while taking in the view of the Yukon River.
A couple pups along for the adventure. The ride finished down at the water in the distance.
Getting in the zone often happens randomly, as if by accident, but there are certain things one can do to increase the likelihood of it happening. This is one of the often neglected topics I’d like to talk about and progress during the retreat. It is such a powerful state, and truly indescribable, my weak description above didn’t come close to what it actually felt like.
Often times that feeling is only experienced while on the trail, the only way we have access to this high is by taking off to go riding again…not a bad thing, but imagine integrating this experience in to your everyday life, having access to this kind of experience during the mundane moments, and using it to inform and grow the quality of our daily lives. Yoga is one way to help establish that connection. If you’ve signed up for this holiday, you may already know the benefits of yoga practice. There will be some form of yoga every day. Riding and playing yoga for five days, whew!
Teaching some lunchtime yoga at the Norco Office...
Sylvain from Boreale and Myself atop a great climb.
Generally, the style of yoga I teach is a vinyasa/flow/power, so it is pretty athletic, but since we’ll be going on some epic rides, I’ll modify the yoga practice as need be, some days may need to be pretty mellow, some a little more intense. We will also do a workshop style practice and get in to the details of each yoga pose, and the alignment necessary to keep your often abused joints healthy.
This is a retreat to spoil your senses and an opportunity to explore your edge…then go a little past them. We are going to dive in to the big mountain riding experience, deepen and expand it, fill it out to the max. Skills developed, fears acknowledged, pure pleasure embodied. Whatever your reason to come, it is our (Boréale & RL) common goal and intention to provide and set the stage to fulfill all your riding and reaching desires. Let’s have some fun, eat well, play yoga, and rip it up on our mountain bikes!!
Ryan
Norco Commuting Video
Thursday, October 15th, 2009A nice video about Norco’s involvement in the last VACC bike to work week.
Perhaps it is a little inspiration for that projectbluesky.ca challenge I keep talking about!
Ride ON!
Ryan
Bikes,Yoga,Demos,Trials Park,Charities,Climate Change…
Thursday, July 9th, 2009There has been an endless stream of exciting projects, adventures, and challenges this year; and that’s just what I wanted-to mix it up a bit.
Norco has their 2010 product launch next week. For most riders, this would be a drool fest, having the chance to test ride and learn about all the latest bikes and specs, but it’s reserved for only their top dealers and invited media…and factory team riders! I’ll be doing a show, leading some mountain bike rides and an urban ride, and giving a chat about the Fluid LT (my bike of choice).
I have been brainstorming with another key sponsor of mine, Shimano, about a new project that will involve five of their top team riders and one of the most talented film crews…that’s all I can say though;-)
In a couple weeks I’ll be heading up to the Yukon to film with The Ride Guide TV show. We’ll be hosted by the leading mountain bike adventure company in Whitehorse called Boreale Mountain Biking; they’ll be spoiling us with the best trails and some fine accomadation in their famous yurts…I love yurts, maybe because it’s fun to say out loud, yurt. If you live in those parts, come out to my Trials of Life presentation on July 24th.
A couple days ago, I teamed up with two Olympic medal holders David Calder (rowing) and Stephanie Dixon (swimming) to launch ProjectBlueSky.ca. Using the internets social networking power, we hope to inspire people to use alternative modes of transportation (walk, ride, transit) instead of their car. The goal is to save 1,000,000,000 kilometers of car driving by the time the 2010 Olympics finishes. Incidentally, One billion km’s is equivalent to the 190,000 tonnes of CO2 which is being emmited indirectly from the games. VANOC has offset their direct emissions which is fantastic news, but Project Blue Sky is all about preventing and reducing emissions. Please sign up at Project Blue Sky today, we need everybody’s participation!!
Twitter twitter twitter twitter, I guess I’m a twitterer twit. Check it out if you like….
The YogaThon is this Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium (UBC). Sign up here to help raise money for children affected by HIV and give them the opportunity to go to Summer Camp. . I actually had the opportunity to visit Camp Moomba, the summer camp these kids go to, to do a trials show and teach some yoga. I had a blast, the kids loved the bike riding of course, and that gave me some cred for the yoga sessions. The kids probably won’t start doing yoga, but perhaps later in life they’ll think back to this camp and consider giving it another try. If you can’t go or don’t live nearby, please consider donating some money to the cause. I’m on a fundraising team captained by Eoin Finn called the Bliss Army, you can donate on our behalf here!
Talking about Eoin, I was only able to teach yoga to these kids because of the teacher training course I’m halfway through. I wrote an article about my experience during the first 100 hours of this course, and reflected on what the ancient practice of yoga looks like in our modern world.
After about four months of volunteer work, the Port Moody Rotary Trials Park is now open with fresh lines and challenges. The highlight is an obstacle my dad and I designed which has now been tagged the Trials of Life platform, and because of it’s four quadrants of varying height, it will appeal to all levels of riders. Fun!
One Day, two goals, all good…
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009The first goal was to collect some video content to be used in promotion of the new Sea to Sky trail. The second was to shoot some photographs in Pemberton with Margus Riga for Norco and Mace.
So, part one. Picked up Margus in North Vancouver and blasted to Squamish in time to help with an interview of David Suzuki. The world renown scientist was kind enough to offer some thoughts on the environmental benefit of a good multipurpose trail through nature (in this case, from Horseshoe Bay to Lillooet). He was a real pro in front of the camera, not surprising considering his television resume; he arrived, made his on camera spiel perfectly on the first take, and was off to his next appointment in a flash. The key to his message was that humans protect and preserve what they love; so if they have increased opportunity to ‘get out in nature’ with a trail such as the Sea-to-Sky, they may be more likely to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
Photo Credit: Margus Riga
It was a pleasure, as always, to work with Jack Christie who was the director/personality for the shoot. He promotes the outdoor lifestyle in myriad charismatic ways, whether on TV, in print, in books, or most importantly one on one with full authenticity. Margus asked me if there was anything he didn’t know about the outdoors becauseas he was constantly sharing stories and spewing out unique facts about the area. Be sure to check out his website and perhaps purchase one of his quality books. He’s good people.
A couple youngsters, Evan and Shawn, came down from Pemberton to be in the video shoot. Photo Credit: Margus Riga
Robin Harvey, the marketing/promotional gal behind the Sea to Sky Trail has been busy coordinating this day of filming, and she was able to squeeze it all in for us by the early afternoon so Margus and I had time to blast off to Pemby to get our ride/shoot on. We rode up and then down a trail called (can’t remember right now) and took photos along the way. It was glorious, except for the onslaught of giant Pemberton Mosquitos!
Photo Credit: Margus Riga
Photo Credit: Margus Riga
We got back to the truck by 9pm. Grabbed some snacks for the drive home quite content with the days efforts.
I picked my trailer up on the way home, switched my gear and bikes for the trials variety, ready to head out the next morning for some shows! Good times all around!!
Bike to Work Week is ON!
Monday, May 11th, 2009Welcome to Bike to Work Week 2009!
What a fantastic time of year to be out on the road, path, or trail, riding your bike. The weather (in BC anyway) is perfect for riding, the spring flowers are in full bloom with their fragrance’s blowing in the wind; delightful in every way…well, it’s actually pouring rain this morning 
May 11-17th is Bike to Work Week, a celebration to thank all the dedicated bicycle commuters and a promotion to recruit and convince potential cyclists to give it a try.
For all those folks who don’t need to commute to work every day (students, self employed, parents, or pro athletes), we’re not leaving you out, this week is still for you because you still need to go places—to get groceries, mail a letter, pick up a movie rental, or visit a friend. So why not hop on the bike this week!
Are you training for a race or do you work out at a gym? If so, then save some time by getting your training in while you ride to work or as you ride to get all your errands done! Or, if you ride to recreate, then do it while en route to your family’s house instead of driving there. It just makes sense in so many ways!!
Now, for all the existing commuters, I think it’s safe to say we’d love to see more bikes on the road; but often when we’re racing to and from work, we enter in to battle mode, righteous bike against evil car. It’s so important to create a positive reputation for cyclists, so please obey the rules of the road, don’t blast through red lights and pull sketchy moves that freak out vehicle drivers. These may be potential cyclists, or people with political power (actually that’s all of us), so we need to be responsible; a nod, wave, or smile can go a very long way (for both the driver and you for that matter).
But sometimes vehicle drivers are irresponsible and ignorant, putting cyclists at risk. As a vehicle driver, I have been guilty of this myself—so I would still suggest that you maintain good form and trust that as long as they see you (or you make yourself noticed), that they’ll register their mistake and hopefully not do it again; but if instead you started waiving your finger, banging on their vehicle, and yelling profanities, it may trigger their road rage and possibly put them in the camp of belief that cyclists don’t belong on the road in the first place. Cycling advocacy groups don’t need any roadblocks in their already uphill battle for better cycling infrastructure! We need everyone on our side!!
Many cities have bicycle commuter stations set up along popular riding routes this week with free coffee, mechanical support, advocacy information, and general good cheer. In my own locale, Norco Bikes, Caps Westwood, and Secret Cycle will be on hand to help out at both the Port Moody and Coquitlam stations. The local VACC committee will also have fresh baked goods to share….I’m a sucker for baked goods!
So please take advantage of Bike to Work Week (or month) and spread the good word; this officially dedicated week gives you an excuse to start a conversation with your friends, family, co-workers, and yet-to-be-involved city councils. Share your experiences and speak about the myriad benefits that come along with a cycling lifestyle. Amen to the bicycle. Ride safely. Have Fun!!
New Bike
Sunday, April 5th, 2009Just finished building up a new trials bike yesterday, and am looking forward to giving it a go at a local rock riding area today.
It should be a little lighter this year. The Saint rear hub I use is much sleeker and lighter, I’m trying out an FSA carbon fibre handlebar, and I’m using a lighter front tire. I have a fresh grind on my rear rim too, perfect brakes make a trials rider smile.
It’s that time of year when sponsors send their new gear along. I basically ask for enough stuff to build two identical trials bikes, and a mountain bike for both Caryn and I (Norco Fluid LT’s). So my basement bike room turns in to a bit of a mess, a good mess albeit!
I’ll be leaving for the Sea Otter Classic in Monteray, CA, in one week today. It’s a two day drive, and we (Norco and I) like to arrive early so it’s easy to maneuver our trailers in to position at the expo area. The event goes from April 16-19. After my ride today, I think I’ll go pick up some plywood and make a platform on the roof racks on the canopy of my truck so I can jump from my trailer to the top of the truck during my demos. Always nice to add a line option.
Then this afternoon, it should be nice and warm, so perhaps I’ll set the hammock up in the backyard. Nice!
Hope you all have a nice Sunday!
RL
Bike Magazine Gag
Monday, March 2nd, 2009The friendly crew at Bike Magazine shipped me a special bike last week, it’s called the sh*tbike. Have you heard of it? Do you remember those softride bikes from years ago, that’s what it is, and they send it to a variety of riders and to a variety of pros to do their thing on. For me, I had to do trials. Sketchy.
I met up with senior photographer at Bike Magazine, Dan Barham, to do a photoshoot on the thing. That’s Dan and the bike in the picture below. I now have to write down ten things I learned by riding the sh*tbike.
You can see in the image there is a yellow strap on the softride beam and the toptube. I tightened that up to give myself an extra little bit of saddle clearance for bunnyhopping over a little stream. –RL
Riding
Friday, February 6th, 2009It’s foggy and wet out today and the snow piles are rapidly disappearing—glad I got out yesterday to ride trials on them, they make for some fantastic early season practice sessions. And early season it is, my trials muscels are sore. My mind is there but the body isn’t necessarily doing what I tell it!
I think snow piles are one of my favorite things to ride. Around my neighborhood, we had some diligent snow shovelers, so the piles were pretty solid and in all sorts of shapes. It is only after a lot of freeze/thawing that they become great riding obstacles though. It was actually quite warm yesterday, about 8 degrees, so the pile is still firm, but with some forgiveness on the surface, and surprisingly grippy. Anyway…
While on my California trip, I was visiting Mountain Bike Action, and shot photos for “Inside the Pros Bike” section. They took pictures and specs of both my Fluid LT, and my Manifesto trials bike. Turns out my trials bike weighed in at 28.5 pounds. Shouldn’t my bike be getting lighter as I get older?! So I figure I should put my bike on a diet—thing is I like a bike that is super durable so I don’t have any issues during the show and filming season. Hmmm.
From Suzuki’s to Bikes
Sunday, November 16th, 2008I have enjoyed reading Sarika Suzuki’s diary from the trip she made to Europe with her dad to film a documentary on sustainability. An excellent read with some obvious and eye opening thoughts and observations. I highly reccomend the read, got to:
The Suzuki Diaries at CBC Online
You can watch some of the interviews online aswell, be sure to watch the piece from Ikea in Copenhagen – they actually have bike trailers to take all your stuff home with, brialliant!
This prompted me to youtube Copenhagen cycling, check out this amateur video of a cycling city, extraordinary! Yes, it is possible, and the benefits are truly endless.
For more cycling, Copenhagen style, this is a great website:
Ride ON Everyone, lets all strive to be a little more like Copenhagen!! I know I’m inspired!
Norco Fluid LT 2009
Friday, November 14th, 2008Just a quick and simple video promoting my bike of choice for 2009, the Fluid LT. Fun
