Rumours abound. Me like:

New Specialized Demo? – spy video from Maribor from Tri-Ridedotcom on Vimeo.

Some perspective.

XC Squamish Style

XC for me has typically meant riding the same trails I would on any other bike with less armour and a little helmet, but going a little slower down and hopefully with a little less pushing up.

That shot is from a lap today in Squamish which was unfortunately cut short by a twisted ankle for Jon, but still gave up some epic views, turns and laughs.

The trails in that place between Whistler and Vancouver – that so many steam through via Tim Hortons and the rest of the stripmall wasteland in the valley – are varied, and today were riding fast and loose. The trails seem to be pitched at the perfect level – good fast ripping and gnarly sections to keep you on your toes, with climbs to get you worked over without hour long fireroad slogging. The views too… this definitely isn’t the Shore, where the view = trees, lots of them. Squamish has huge snowcapped peaks surrounding it, and epic flowing mountain landscapes, and vast, looming, moss coated granite monoliths.

It’s XC country. Bring your 29er.

Ok, maybe stick with a real bike, this isn’t California.

Craig Bullen 2009 edit from Taylor Loughran on Vimeo.

Here’s a video of a friend of mine Craig Bullen – another ex-pat Brit lining up for residency handouts here in Canada. He’s living the dream in Squamish, and recently had his 15 minutes of fame. Slick moves, Captain.

A clinometer is not just an elusive woman’s part, but is also part of a cows second stomach which can be removed and connected to wires to measure the angles of things.

Some clever dick synthesised the tissue using Podnology and made it available to all for 59p, for the next level of angle-weenery competition among bike forum addicts.

Name that headangle:

Or perhaps not. This is one of those trails that actually doesn’t exist, and probably for good reason.

Fun in the woods from NSXSKI on Vimeo.