Posted for Nicolas Robitaille – WCW FB Ride Leader:
“Had another great WCW fatbike ride tonight! It was sub-tropical today, so you might expect the trails to be quite icy/muddy/slushy, but no! They were super hardpacked with minimal ice! So long as we avoided roads and sidewalks it was perfect, so we stuck to the monkey trails.”
“Super fun and fast group tonight!”
Posted for Nicolas Robitaille – WCW Ride Leader:
Had a fantastic Woodcock Cycle Fat Bike Club group ride tonight!
The trails were mostly well travelled and the weather was forgiving.
Stuck mostly to the monkey trails and got some technical riding in.
The crew had lots of fun tonight!
Posted for Nicolas Robitaille of WCW:
Another fun Woodcock Cycle Fatbike Group Ride done & dusted! A hardy group of six made it out tonight, along with newcomer Stephane. The monkey trails were passable but the new snow made some sections challenging and different. Made for an adventurous night on the monkey trails.
Posted for Wayne Bishop:
Come and hang out with a lot of awesome people as we kick off the Actif Epica with our Fat bike friends at the Forks . We have a Strava challenge for you, 850 M starting under the walking bridge.
Come celebrate the efforts of these amazing endurance athletes and the pilot grooming project put in motion By the legendary Alex Man.
You might even see me on my SnowDog I used to groom the trail …
Come have a rip and show your support of fat bike if at the Forks . 6:30-8:30pm Friday and Saturday Night 16/17 Feb 2018!
You can even buy someone a beer at the Common!
Posted for Dan Lockery and the Actif Epica Trail Crew:
Sunday, February 11, 2018 – Final Recon Ride for Actif Epica 2018
Six of us convened in St. Malo and were met with moderate winds (20km/h from the NW) and a reasonable starting temperature of about -15C (5F) at the start. The forecast was calling for the winds to pick up from the North West later in the day and cool off.
Gravel road conditions have changed somewhat since our last visit to this section of the route. The surface still has ice on it but some of the snow that has fallen since has collected, providing a bit more traction.
The trail sections have blown in and not seen any traffic, so we walked the majority of those. Closer to the Senkiw bridge, the field still has some strong ice-crusted surfaces where riding was possible but nearer the trail that leads to the suspension bridge was soft and deep, similar to last year.
We went as far as the suspension bridge and marked the route on our way back with pink flagging tape. Upon leaving the protection of the treed areas the wind had indeed picked up and was somewhere between 40-50km/h sustained and gusting. Gearing up for the return trip we took a slight detour to avoid more walking and made it back to the vehicles after about 3.5 hours of riding time.
Thanks again to those that came out and joined us for a bit of excitement this past Sunday! Trail conditions are shaping up nicely with more snow in the southern sections and closer to Winnipeg having a bit less. There are minimal flurries in the forecast between now and next weekend so we don’t anticipate much change before race day.
We look forward to seeing you all next weekend!
The Trail Crew
Posted for Adrain Alphonso with info from RMNP:
Try winter cycling in RMNP!
Join cycling enthusiast and former area resident Adrian Alphonso at a free outdoor workshop as he explains some of the finer points of winter cycling, the morning of February 10, 2018. In the afternoon, Adrian will lead guided rides for visitors on two hour-long outings.
Bring your own bike, or register in advance with Friends of RMNP at 204-848-4037 to rent your bike. Events take place at the RMNP Learning Centre, 154 Columbine Drive in Wasagaming. Number of places limited for outings.
Posted for Nicholas Robitaille at WCW:
Had a pretty great Fatbike club ride tonight … until I snapped my chain… twice in a row! 😦 Besides that, all the trails were in great condition and we gave the singletrack in the Royalwood Forest a good shred! Another cold one, but this group doesn’t let it stop them!
Posted for Dan Lockery and the Actif Epica Trail Crew:
With registration closing tomorrow night (friendly reminder if you are still thinking it over) and a little over one week to go. That means we are planning our last recon ride for this year’s event:
Date: Sunday, February 11, 2018
Time: 9:00am
Location: St. Malo, we will meet at the checkpoint location (in the parking lot at the arena)
Purpose: To scout the trail conditions and put up some course marking from St. Malo to the Senkiw suspension bridge along the Crow Wing Trail (note: this is part of the longer courses, 162km and 200km).
Who: The trail crew will be (mostly) riding at a slow rolling pace (on fat bikes) and would love it if you brought ANY type of bike and joined them (bring friends on bikes too!).
The Plan: To put up course marking materials, take a few pictures of trail conditions and enjoy a fun, sociable ride from St. Malo to the suspension bridge (and just beyond). We will return along the same route and the distance estimate is about 37km to the bridge and back, adding in a short bit of planned extra south of the bridge might push that up to 40km round-trip at most. We will roll out at 9am from St. Malo and as always, if you happen to be late, you can follow our tracks and the Crow Wing Trail signs (white arrow on blue background) to catch up with us as we will be stopping periodically to take pictures and put up course marking. We estimate the total riding time to be approximately 3-4h. Also, there will likely be a post ride discussion over coffee/food at a local establishment should you feel so inclined and have the time to join us. In addition, if you would like to come out but have a shorter time budget to spare, with the out-and-back route planned, you can join us for however much time you can spare and then double back the same way.
Important Note: All participants join us at their own risk (e.g. please be safe, wear appropriate winter riding clothing, a helmet, bring blinky lights for improved visibility, enough food and water for the ride and a basic repair kit). Citing a famous quote, “YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU”, so please respect the nature of a winter riding adventure, it can be unforgiving.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
Actif Epica Trail Crew
Here’s the Winnipeg “Winter Bike To Work Day” poster for this Friday, 9 Feb 2018: Giddy up Fatties – Lets Roll! 🙂
Posted for Nicholas Robitaille of Woodcock Cycle Works:
Another great Woodcock Cycle Works Fat Bike Group Ride! The trails were fast and hardpack, but not too icy. We avoided the rivers for the most part and rode the monkey trails, and hit the Seine right at the end … 10 riders braved the daunting -3c conditions this evening! 😉
Posted for WCW’s Fat Bike Club Ride Coordinator (say thanks to Nic!):
Man, this weather’s got us stoked. So stoked in fact that Marcus couldn’t help but practice his technical maneuvers in preparation for Thursday night’s Fat Bike Club Ride (6 Bells – 25 Jan 2018 – meet at the shop).
Posted for Adrian Alphonso:
On Saturday February 10th 2018, I will be hosting a Fatbike workshop and 2 group rides in Riding Mountain National Park. Come join in!
Posted for the Actif Epica Trail Crew:
Meeting in St. Pierre-Jolys this morning, six of us set off to scout a bit of new trail for this year, along with some favourite stretches that we don’t get to see often enough. Temperatures were mild again at -7C (20F), with a light wind from the North East.
The recent warm weather with temps above freezing and the previous extreme wind conditions left the fields and roads scoured with minimal snow/ice cover except for spots with shelter where drifts tended to accumulate. That made for a mix of mostly ride-able surfaces for wider tires and the odd stretch where the crusts were thin, finding us punching through and walking for a bit to break up the ride.
One of the usual roads near St. Malo (Goulet Rd) that has been un-plowed in years past appears to now be included in regular clearing. This happened last year as well and racers might find this to their liking as it certainly sped up travel from St. Pierre to St. Malo and back for us today.
On our return trip we opted for a slightly shorter route to be respectful of everyone’s time. That left us a chance to revisit the short section of new trail that is being used this year on the dike around St. Pierre-Jolys. The approach to the dike is off Parenteau St. In St. Pierre and it wraps around town, crossing highway 59 and Provincial Rd 205, before turning in toward the checkpoint location at the Museum (Cabane a Sucre).
Thanks to those that came out and joined us! Not to worry if you were unable to make it out, we have plans for a couple more scouting trips yet. That being said, next week we are taking a break again as another of the triple crown events is happening (the Arrowhead 135). Good luck to all taking part!
Actif Epica Trail Crew
Posted for Dan Lockery and the Actif Epica Trail Crew:
After a short break for some fun with the 2WR crew at Falcon Ridge last weekend, we’re heading back out to scout the trail, including one of the changes to this year’s route. Come join us:
Date: Sunday, January 21st, 2018
Time: 9:00am
Location: Meet at St. Pierre-Jolys (in the parking lot of Le Routier restaurant).
Purpose: To scout the Actif Epica course heading South from St. Pierre-Jolys to St. Malo along the Crow Wing Trail.
Who: The Trail Crew (Dallas, Pete and Dan) will be riding at a slow rolling pace (on fat bikes) and would love it if you brought ANY type of bike and joined them (bring friends on bikes too!).
The Plan: To go have a look at this section of the route (which includes an update for this year), take a few pictures and enjoy a fun, sociable ride-out from St. Pierre-Jolys to St. Malo along the Crow Wing Trail and then time permitting, either return the same way or take a shorter route back. The total distance will be approximately 40-50km. We will roll out at 9am and estimate the total ride time to be somewhere between 3-4 hours. In case you are late setting off, you can follow along with the blue-and-white-arrow, Crow Wing Trail markers (and look for our tire tracks!) to catch up with us along the route as we will be moving at a comfortable pace and stopping to take pictures now and then. Also, there will likely be a post ride discussion over coffee/food at a local establishment should you feel so inclined.
Important Note: All participants join us at their own risk (e.g. please be safe, wear appropriate winter riding clothing, a helmet, bring blinky lights for improved visibility, enough food and water for the ride and a basic repair kit). Citing a famous quote, “YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU”, so please respect the nature of a winter riding adventure, it can be unforgiving.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
Had a fun Fatbike ride yesterday with Simon Koster and his friend Rik from Rotterdam, Netherlands. I offered to guide the two of them around for a local Fatbike ride after a request from a ‘friend of a friend of a friend’ – giddy up of course as they are avid cyclists and interested in trying out a ride on snow and ice (new for them). We made plans to meet at the Forks after lunch – on a day with warmer temps (-2C) … 20+ degrees up tick!
Turns out someone tipped the CBC off, because suddenly Leif Larson is interested and they sent Holly Caruk (video reporter) to meet me and the Dutch visitors for a chat about FatBikers and all the Winnipeggers out enjoying the outdoors at the Forks today … yikes, was the place packed with folks walking, skating, biking and smiling! 😃
* Bonus coincidence – David Cobb and his buddy Chris (on a shiny new Fatbike) were at the Forks and ended up in the CBC video/photo shoot … yup Cobber, there’s more visual proof of us riding together! Kinda like we’re buds! 😉
Cobber and Chris had to head home, so I played local guide and off we went on a fun ride that was a lot like our Winnipeg GFBD Ride. We rode by the Canada 150 sign, by the CMHR, over the Esplanade Louis Riel Bridge, down by the Red River below the St Boniface Cathedral for a scenic picture of course …
Then through the Whittier Park trails and down into the Seine River for a good length until past the Tremblay Footbridge … then back to the Forks for beers!
An interesting encounter with media and a fun ride with two nice ‘new Fatbiking loving’ cyclists from the Netherlands! 🙂
Cheers, Fat Tom K
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