simbs mud news jan/feb 2014
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Volume 22, Issue No. 1 | www.simbs.com
Photo contest winners
2014 AGM highlights
Chris Oman’s last trail update
Over the years and as a result of many SIMBS volunteers’, boards’,
presidents’ and individual directors’ influence, SIMBS has taken on some routine tasks, commitments and events. Individuals move on but the expectation seems to be that the tasks are left behind for others to pick up. Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen.
One example is the Mud News, SIMBS’ printed magazine. In the early years of the club, a printed newsletter or magazine was the best way to distribute club-related information to the community. Back then we had a volunteer who worked in the print industry and also enjoyed it as a hobby. It was an easy fit. Since then different people have picked up the reigns and have done a great job of producing Mud News. It was always a major part of each board meeting, trying to get people to write articles to fill each edition, often landing on the shoulders of people not interested in writing. There are also the arduous tasks of securing photos, advertising, editing, layout, working with the printer, stuffing envelopes, buying stamps, etc.
Today the medium of choice for this kind of information dissemination is of course social media. We are strongly considering discontinuing the printed version of Mud News and
moving to a
completely electronic version. We would still produce a printed brochure style communication to have available in local bikes stores, but the Mud News would be strictly online. This is not only less expensive than printing the magazine and buying postage (which is getting more expensive), but will also potentially provide a much more seamless interface with the board and communications. People could submit photos and articles themselves to the media server and have them show up in a much more timely manner.
Events, like Torpedo Run Throwdown, Poker Run, Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, movie nights, pub nights and the Cumberland Getaway, are another example of things we’ve taken on more of over time. When no one volunteered for the Events Director at the AGM It was made very clear that this was not our members’ priority. If no one is interested in the events and the board has other time-consuming priorities, then it is obvious that some events should be let go. This is made slightly easier as a result of organizations like the Dirt Hombres, Pro City Racing and the Dirty Girls, who have formed clubs to do events for interested mountain bikers. Unless people step up to take on these events on behalf of SIMBS, we will be changing them or discontinuing them altogether.
It can be hard to say goodbye to some things that have been very dear to SIMBS, but we also need to consider our priorities and capacity as a board.
Dan Cammiade, SIMBS PresidentP.O. Box 8145Victoria, B.C. V8W 3R8
© Mud News 2014 All rights reserved. Volume 22, Issue 1
Design and Production
Editor
Board of Directors
Rikki [email protected] McGowan
Eban [email protected]
Richard [email protected]
Mike [email protected]
Wayne Rix250.479.2897
Danielle [email protected]
Graham [email protected]
Matthuw [email protected]
Craig Gillette,[email protected]
Mud News is published bi-monthly by South Island Mountain Bike Society, and is distributed free to local bike shops and other outlets. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of SIMBS board of directors.
SIMBS is an affiliated member of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA).
ON THE COVERRider: Liam MorganPhotographer: Max McCulloch
Website hosted by Catapult
Find
us o
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Ride with S I M B SGroup ridesMeet every 2nd Sunday of the month at the Hartland parking lot. Rides depart at 10 a.m. Please RSVP and come at least 15 minutes early.
Intro RideBeginner to Intermediate. Learn skills or just learn the park. RSVP to Wayne Rix at 250-479-2897.
Ladies rideBeginner to Intermediate.Diffi culty level depends on rider level. Girls only! RSVP to Jen Magdalenich at [email protected].
Youth ridePlay with kids your own age! RSVP to Holly Krasniuk at [email protected].
Trail maintenance3rd Sunday of every month.Build and maintain trails at Hartland! Bring boots and appropriate work wear for the weather. SIMBS will provide lunches, but you have to let us know in advance. RSVP to Chris Oman at [email protected]
Board meetings1st Tuesday of every month.Interested in joining the SIMBS board or have an important topic to dis-cuss? RSVP to [email protected]. Meetings take place from 7pm - 9pm.
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Bikes for B irthdaysDan Cammiade
As part of my advocacy, I met a woman in Sidney who
has started a great program called Bikes for Birthdays. It evolved from the Toys for Tots program that provides toys for children of families in need at Christmas time. The Bikes for Birthdays program collects used kids bikes and has them checked over and tuned up or repaired. Then solicits funds or donations to provide a new helmet for children of families in need. The families put their names forward at food banks or welfare offices along with information about the child so that an appropriate bike and helmet can be found.
Recently a nine year old boy was given a mountain bike donated in Sidney, and a new helmet donated by the North Park Bicycle Shop. Thanks North Park!
I have started to connect with local industry stakeholders and others I know that might be able
to help to develop a similar program and opportunities for youth in Greater Victoria and the West Shore. If we can find some people who want to help run this sort of initiative, I think it would be a great way for us to help local youth.
Sherry also coordinated a bike related event for the kids up at Panorama Recreation Centre during the Family Day weekend. I would like to applaud Sherry and her efforts to get kids back out on bikes, especially kids who may not otherwise have a chance to learn the fun and independence gained through cycling. Not only does it help us create a community for healthy active children, but studies have shown that adults who cycle regularly often have cycled since they were children. Through this work, we can help build a healthier, happier and more sustainable future for our community.
Faces of the 2014 AGMFrom top to bottom (left to right): Chris Oman, Sarah Mitchell, Wayne Rix, Dan Cammiade
PHOT
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T W
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Congratulations to Max McCulloch (pictured right), our 2014 photo contest winner, and photographer of the amazing sunset image on the cover.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a photo this year. It was a tough choice, and congratulations to all the runners-up!
If you have an unbelievable mountain biking photo you’d like to share with us send it to [email protected] or share it on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/southislandmtb
2nd
John Dutchak
3rd
Sharon Delbeke
4th
marc-Johann knecht
Scott mitchell
5th
Chris Oman
The Past YearAs we look forward to a new year
of trail maintenance and construction at Hartland, it’s time to look back on our accomplishments. In 2013, an average of 25 volunteers came out for each of the 12 trail maintenance days. That is an incredible participation rate. These volunteers put in about 1,600 hours of their valuable time back into the trails. Only one person made it out to every trail day – long time volunteer Andrew Mickelson. Andrew received a Blackburn pump courtesy of Performance Bikes at the annual general meeting in recognition of his outstanding achievement in the field of attendance.
The biggest ongoing project in 2013 was the refurbishment of Who’s Your Daddy. Volunteers worked on the trail on 10 regular trail days and also during the week under the expert guidance of Chad Lazaruk.
Workers moved from the top down, and by late December they neared the start of Night Shift.
This year we replaced the bridge on Shock T r e a t m e n t , thanks in large part to Craig Gillett and his dad. They did an immense amount of work behind the scenes finding and preparing the cedar stringers and decking.
Craig pulled the old structure out with a grip hoist so the volunteers could focus on the new structure.
In April, volunteers also pulled out the kinked bridge on Skull and replaced it with a raised tread. Finally, we installed a new pressure treated lumber bridge on the trail around the west side of Killarney Lake. It makes the climb up from Prospect Lake more enjoyable.
I’m happy to say we completed the sign project this year. Yes, the blocks were heavy, but it’s done now and we shouldn’t have any theft problems.
A number of trails received attention in the past year, including Dave’s Line, the Plunge, and significant improvements to the south end of Shock Treatment.
3627 Shelbourne StreetVictoria, BC V8P 4H1
www.macscyclecentre.ca
Phone (250) 477-7614
685 Humboldt St
JanuarY
© chriS oman
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membership has its privileges
local shop discounts, voting rights at the agm,
awesome trails to ride Cool Volunteer
opportunities
support mountain biking on vancouver’s south island!
More info at simbs.com
Trail Crew member William Steele sporting a new t-shirt.
© rikki maccuiSh
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The Year Ahead SIMBS’ three year plan is due for an update, so the trail crew
has been working on a draft plan for 2014-2017. The SIMBS board plans to consult with the membership on the draft plan early in 2014. In the past, I have advocated for beginner-friendly trails in the park, which will be included in this draft. Stay tuned for further details from the board.
The revamped technical training area (TTA) and the associated beginner trail had a hiccup in 2013. The watercourse that runs under the TTA is apparently fish habitat and any development has to stay 10 metres away from it, meaning the original plan needs to be adjusted. However, CRD has budgeted $100,000 for the project and is confident it will happen this year.
New Trail DirectorsAfter nine years organizing trail maintenance at Hartland I
decided it was time for a change. I stepped down at the AGM, and I’m happy to report that long-time volunteers and friends Craig Gillett and Greg Cantelon were elected as Trail Directors. You will still see me at trail days, but now I don’t have to worry about getting dirty looks from someone who didn’t get the veggie sandwich with no mayo that they ordered.
I think we’ve got a good thing going at Hartland, and it’s been a true team effort. With the support of the SIMBS board and members, CRD Parks, our sponsors, and an enthusiastic volunteer base we have accomplished a lot. I’m proud to be part of it. Thank you for the opportunity, and I will see you on the trails.
SIMBS President Dan Cammiade thanks Chris Oman for his dedication as trail maintenance director at 2014 AGM.
© rikki maccuiSh
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2014 AGM HIGHLIGHTSRikki MacCuish with notes from Sarah Mitchell
What a great night! Thank you to everyone who attended the SIMBS AGM January 22nd. There were lots of laughs, great prizes from our sponsors, new board members and lots of announcements for the upcoming year.
President Dan Cammiade noted that we are gaining momentum on the Island, with new areas opening up, the TTA expansion at Hartland, partnerships with other bike clubs and a number of new projects on the way. SIMBS was busy in 2013 chasing access to Bear Mountain, Burnt Bridge, Haro Woods, Beecher Bay, Harbourview and Broome Hill.
Partridge Hills was one of the biggest announcements of the evening. SIMBS arrangement with BC Parks will expand to include Gowlland Todd Provincial Park. This will be a multi-year project with a phased approach starting with an assessment of the current trails. Vice President Eban Tomlinson noted that the agreement has not yet been signed and SIMBS is welcoming input from the community. SIMBS is building
a relationship with BC Parks, part of SIMBS’ goal to work with local communities to represent local flavor and increase legality of trails.
Daniel Scott from IMBA talked about the new TTA at Hartland. The initial concept design is complete and includes a pump trail, flow trail, two wall rides and an alternative to Shock Treatment. CRD has granted $100,000 for this project, which has hit a couple of bumps mostly involving potential environmental impacts. The aim is to have construction complete before April, when bird twitter-pating season starts.
Matthuw Ronald-Jones shared a number of advocacy updates and invited everyone to try out Cobble Hill, which received new washroom and bike wash facilities this year. He also noted that SIMBS was in discussion with Island Timberlands about using Burnt Bridge (Shawnigan Lake area near Kinsol Trestle) but unfortunately the agreement would put SIMBS in too much liability risk and the Society had to back out.
Patrick Lucas joined us to talk about Beecher Bay, a positive project that Dan Cammiade has been spearheading. The project aims to get Aboriginal youth out biking and building trails. This may evolve into land-use agreements and the building of new trails, and this interaction
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Lorien Arnold from Sooke Bike Club giving updates on Sooke happenings at the 2014 AGM.
© rikki maccuiSh
Rhys Cammiade helps divvy out prizes© rikki maccuiSh
will hopefully set a model for the entire province.
Sooke Bike Club was represented by Lorien Arnold, who gave us an update on a number of areas around Sooke, including the SeaParc dirt jump area. They are currently working with Vancouver Island Dirt Riders to develop shuttle-accessed downhill trails with a formalized agreement for trail building and maintenance.
The 2014 board elections saw some directors leave, some shift positions and some new directors step up. The 2014 board is as follows:
• President: Dan Cammiade (now in second year of two-year term)
• Vice-President: Eban Tomlinson• Treasurer: Richard Baer• Secretary: Mike Wulder (who will be
sharing the duty with Nic Scott)• Trails and Environment: Craig Gillett
and Craig Cantelon• Communications: Graham Powell• Community Rides: Wayne Rix• Membership: Danielle Stevens• Cobble Hill: Matthuw Ronald-Jones
There are still a few positions open, including Events and Mud News. SIMBS also welcomes other volunteers who want to help out but not take on director positions.
The night ended with happy members with armfuls of prizes and beer-infused smiles. See you all again next year!
© Shannon Graham
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Special thanks to our sponsors Accent Inns, All Season Auto Racks, Bicycleitis, Coastal Cycles, Cycles West, Driftwood Brewing, Fairfield Bike Shop, Goldstream Bikes, Mac’s Cycle, Martys Mountain Cycle, Mountain Equipment Co-op, North Park Bike Shop, Oak Bay Bikes, Oak Bay Bikes West Shore, Outpost Bike Co., Recyclistas, Rumble, Shimano Canada, Trek Victoria ProCity, Wayne and Pam’s Performance Bicycles & William.
Greg Carmichael2004
In 2004, the board was up to 18 members, and jump parks would be the focus for some of the new blood on
the board. Successful lobbying by these local residents resulted in land being set aside in North Saanich and Metchosin by forward thinking councils. By joining SIMBS, these new board members gave the municipalities an established group to work through. In Saanich, a temporary terrain park was built at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre for the Bike Derby. Other temporary jump parks were built in Haro woods and Orchard trails near Feltham road. Both were victims of their own success when they became too popular.
SIMBS members attended the first North Shore World Mountain Bike Conference
at Capilano College. Going over the list of presentations seemed important and relevant so it was good we had several members attending. Lorien was also scheduled to speak on our own South Island situation. After a day full of presentations from different parts of the world it was apparent our situation was unique. With a limited area of public land available and working with a progressive land manager, we were succeeding. So far so good. There were numerous questions after about insurance, procedure details and the licence agreement. Later that year the Southridge Skinny was featured in the International Mountain Bike Association newsletter as an example of an approved stunt in a public park.
photo: matthuw ronalD-JoneS© DaviD cuSack © DaviD cuSack9
Meet the Dirt HombresVik Banerjee
Like many fun mountain bike ideas, the idea for the Dirt Hombres was conceived in the magical atmosphere around a smoking campfire after a day of riding amazing trails and with more than a couple empty beer bottles in the vicinity. We love to ride bikes on trails in the forests of Vancouver Island to explore as far and away as we can manage. Being mere mortals with day jobs and families, the desire to ride doesn’t always manifest into actual riding as often as we would like. So we formed a bike club.
A club transcends the trials and tribulations of any one person and at its best is a family of likeminded people coming together for a common purpose. In our case that’s to shred, and only slightly less important - to hang out afterwards with a beer in one hand and a taco in the other. The club is a focused common point of energy in every member’s life that can be drawn upon to fight back when other priorities are trying to eat up our precious ride time - “Sorry boss man, I can’t come to work on Saturday, I’ve committed to a club ride!”
If you are new to town, it’s easier to penetrate the social barrier of a club than it is a private group of friends that ride. Victoria has many amazing things going for it, but the ease of making friends and getting to know people isn’t one of them. If you add in the requirement that your friends be bike-obsessed trail fiends – well it can be tough to connect with the right folks.
Riding with a group of amigos that can facilitate your access to the many
amazing riding areas on Vancouver Island is a real blessing if you aren’t the sort of rider that wants to pioneer your way through unknown territory. Even just some help getting your gear and skills dialed for the local riding conditions, which, are considerably gnarlier than much of the riding in the rest of the Great White North, can be a blessing.
For all these reasons, we formed the Dirt Hombres. Don’t let the name fool you: we have more female members than male on many rides. If you are a Hombress you are very welcome to join us and you will be made to feel welcome. Most of our rides are social in nature and fit for anyone who can safely get down our local trails, even if you are a bit slower and have to walk the tougher sections.
We don’t teach total newbies, but we can help point them towards competent instructors who can give those lessons. And when they are done getting their basic skills honed, we’ll be waiting for them with an icy cold beer and a juicy taco.
The open house for the new 3 Parks Plan (Thetis, Francis King and Mt Work Hartland) gave us access to 24km of trails. A small land swap on the north end of Thetis Lake park provided a good connection to Hartland. The CRD was establishing connectivity from Sooke to Hartland using trails, the Galloping Goose and low traffic rural roads. The south entrance via Woodridge road would be maintained within the residential development. The newly acquired east
entrance in the Killarney parcel would also be upgraded. In Sooke, a movement by local associations was started to promote Broom Hill as a legitimate riding destination.
At the end of his second term Lorien was leaving on a high note. The society was leading the way for the sport in many aspects. And like the sport itself, there would be ups and downs in the society’s future.
© vik banerJee
photo: nicole ronalD-JoneS
• Free Events • Bike Shop Discounts • Group Rides • Trail Maintenance • Voting Rights • News Name(s) q$20 Supporting Member q$35 Supporting Family
I would like to volunteer for: qTrail Maintenance qMud News qEvents qFundraising q Other ______________________ Email Address Postal CodeEnclosed payment by: qcash qcheque PAY ONLINE at http://simbs.com/about-simbs/join-simbs/RELEASE AND INDEMNIFICATIONI, in consideration of my right to participate in events and otherwise to use the mountain bike trails at Mount Work/Hartland Park, assume all risks and hazards incidental to such participation and use and agree to release, absolve, save harmless and keep indemnified the South Island Mountain Bike Society and the Capital Regional District and their respective employees, officials, agents, servants, volunteers and representatives from and against all claims, actions, costs, expenses, and demands in respect to death, injury, loss or damage to person or property, howsoever caused, arising out of or in connection with taking part in this program. It is understood that this Agreement is to be binding on me, my heirs, administrators, executors and assigns.
Signature___________________________________________________________ Date____________________________________________
Name (please print) ___________________________________________________
SIMBS, PO Box 8145, Victoria, BC V8W 3R8
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Our rides tend to be slower paced affairs with the faster folks heading out at a brisk clip and everyone behind them finding their own comfortable pace. We then wait and regroup, often make sure everyone is okay and that nobody missed a critical turn. You’ll find someone who’s going your speed and is happy to keep you company. We don’t cover as many kilometres a day as a pack of hammerheads, but our smiles per hour ratio is off the hook!
That said, we do have some advanced rides. They will be clearly posted as such and they give the more experienced Hombres a chance to crank out a ride at a consistently fast pace. It’s good for the soul and keeps us honest about our fitness levels. It also gives slower Hombres something to aspire to if they want to build their speed. If you are reading a Dirt Hombres ride posting, it will say “intermediate” or “expert” if the ride is not suitable for everyone.
Although most of our events are local Victoria area rides, we do have quite a few adventures that will take us further afield. For 2014, we have rides planned to
Cumberland, Hornby Island, Squamish and the Chilcotins. And that’s just what’s in our calendar now. Pemberton, Bellingham, WA, Sedona, Moab and some Interior B,C, rides are also being worked on.
We ride a lot. At least once on the weekend in winter and 3 rides a week in the spring/summer and fall is the plan - plus our longer trips. So no matter what your schedule there will be a Dirt Homres Club Ride that works for you.
So if our shtick sounds like it would be of interest to you feel free to come out for a ride and see what you think. You can find info about our rides at www.dirt-hombres.com and on Facebook - just search for us.
We don’t ride a mountain bike every day, but when we do, we Ride Hard and Ride Spicy!
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