The 5th Annual Blackstone TransRockies Kids’ Bike Rally basked in perfect weather and was enjoyed by almost 100 participants. The Kids’ Bike Rally is for kids, five to nine, and is a fun and educational stage rally, themed and staged alongside the TransRockies. The TransRockies is celebrating it’s 10th year!
Straightline Bikes started the kids off on their big adventure with the help of local bike celebrity Paul Attalla. Attalla has competed the TransRockies twice and came 3rd in this years Tour Divide race. The kids bikes were spruced up with event plates and accessories.
Next stop was the Fernie Heritage Library where the kids’ decorated their bikes. Then Colin at the Fire Station enticed everyone with an rally course. From there Overwaitea hydrated and fed the kids for the last leg to Freshies where faces were painted and the streets came alive with chalk and water sprinklers.
The event is free and the highlight of the Fernie TransRockies. If you missed it, be sure to bring your kids out next year. These pictures tell the story (click for a larger rendering):
The TransRockies is the first North American epic to reach its 10th Anniversary and Fernie is the only town to host all ten events. The riders who turned up in Fernie for Sunday’s start were treated to perfect clear, dry high mountain weather for the 32km Stage 1 Time Trial. Two racers were to be held on the trails at the same time: TR3, a UCI-sanctioned three-day solo event and TR7, the classic 7-day team event.
Run on much the same course as 2010, Stage 1 is the shortest ride of the week and gives the riders and chance to stretch their legs and get used to the endless singletrack before the first mass start on Day 2. Given the vastly different conditions from 2010 to 2011, finish times were faster even though the route contained even more trail and less doubletrack. On the start line, riders were more concerned about sunscreen and hydration than mud and traction.
Defending champion Max Plaxton of Team Specialized honestly assessed that he thought he’d be his own toughest competition before starting Stage 1 and, given his run of results which included his first-ever senior National Championship and his 2011 US Pro XC Series title, the confidence was well earned. In order to give the elite riders the clearest run at the trails, they started in the first wave and Plaxton left the line first at the stroke of 9am.
He shredded the course 6 minutes faster than the year before setting a new course record of 1:48:41 and laying a marker down that would be difficult for the rest of the field to follow. Sure enough, the next closest finisher was American Barry Wicks of Team Kona who was half of last year’s TR7 winning team. He finished in 1:54:32 edging third-placed Neal Kindree (Republic Cycles/SRAM) of Squamish, BC and fourth-placed Matt Hadley of Cycles Xprezo who finished within a minute of Wicks meaning a wide-open race for the podium placings.
In the Open Women’s division, multi-time TR7 winner Mical Dyck followed up on another strong showing at the Canadian National Championships with a first place finish on Stage 1. She was followed across the line by former World Cup mountain bike racer-turned Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid who showed she’s still a force on the bike beating current National Team members Catherin Vipond (3rd) and Jean Ann Berkenpas (4th).
Three riders from Alberta showed early dominance in the Master 40+ Men category led by current Canadian National Champion (40-49) Ian Auld who scorched the course in a time of 2:03:17 which would have placed him well into the Top 10 in Open. Second placed went to former TR7 Champion Jeff Neilson and he was followed closely by former Xterra Masters World Champion Cal Zaryski only a minute behind.
When it began in 2002, the TransRockies was the first marathon stage race in North America and the 10th Edition of the TransRockies (TRX) is not only another chance for riders to test themselves against the epic riding of the Rockies but a moment of celebration. A number of riders from the wild and woolly early days have returned to be part of TRX. During the week, we’ll catch up with some of them to hear about their most memorable TransRockies experience.
The migration of some elite teams to TR3 to grab the important UCI International Ranking Points offered has thrown the competition wide open in the TR7 team event wide open. Stage 1 gave a good indication of who’s going to be fighting for leaders’ jerseys and stage wins during the week.
Fittingly enough given that it’s the only stage host to have been part of all 10 TransRockies, Fernie was given strong representation by their local riders and as their local riders grabbed the leaders jerseys in the Open Men’s and Open Women’s Divisions. The Team Fernie Men’s duo of Martin Vale and Carter Hovey both have long and impressive resumes which include National Championship medals and World Cup appearances. While they’ve switched gears to the recreational side of riding, they powered through Stage 1 in 2:04:46, over three minutes ahead of the Swiss duo of Mat Haussener and Damian Perrin (Zaboo Pro Team) to grab the first leaders’ jerseys of the week.
The Open Women’s team representing local lifestyle magazine the Fernie Fix, Krista Turcasso and Angie Krasnay likewise put in an impressive ride to finish in 2:46:10 and wear the the first leaders’ jerseys as they set off in front of home town fans tomorrow for Day 2.
The Master Men 80+ Years combined ages always offers some close racing and it lived up to expectations with the top two teams coming in on 26 seconds apart. Multi-time TransRockies champions Milan Spolc and Martin Horak were forced into second place by a great ride from the Team Deadgoat pair of Geoff Clark and Devin Erfle while another pair of Deadgoat riders Pat Doyle and Craig Bartlett finished third. Other category winners on the day who’ll claim their leaders jerseys at the nightly awards ceremonies included Ryan Schellenberg/Trish Gracyzk (Open Mixed), Clint Ball and Karen Tremaine (80+ Mixed) and Stan Magee/Jon Gould (100+ Open).
Tomorrow riders will leave in a mass start allowing teams in the same category to race head to head for the stage win and overall leadership.
Mountain biking is a big industry worldwide, and there’s no question that Fernie is on the radar.
Although the TransRockies was not the first multi-stage team endurance mountain bike event, its sister European event, the TransAlps, was. And all these new events like the BC Bike Race or the Furious 3, they have been copied from the TransRockies.
And this is good! Because more events means more riders participating in racing, these riders will eventually return to the TransRockies. The TransAlps and then the TraansRockies set out to create a whole new category for Mountain Bike racing, and they did.
Judging by the TransRockies 10th Anniversary event, they succeeded, and so did Fernie. Yes indeed. Fernie is the only community to have hosted all ten TransRockies events. And this year Fernie hosts three stages, keeping the riders in town for at least five days.
The TransRockies is good for business. It fills hotel rooms, restaurants and stores, and draws media attention from around the globe. In fact, TransRockies has taken been Fernie’s biggest summer event for some time.
As industries go, cycling is a growth industry around the world. The particulars change from year to year, but these days road riding is leading the popularity contest – just look at events like the RBC GranFondo, which will bring 6,500 riders from Vancouver to Whistler on Sept. 10.
BMX is also making a huge resurgence in popularity, boosted by the sport’s inclusion in the Olympic schedule since 2008, and its prominence at events like the Summer X Games.
Commuter bikes of all descriptions are selling quite well as the price of gas reaches new heights and city planners are starting to overlay bicycle networks onto urban roadways.
But while mountain bike sales are down slightly – a result of people buying fewer bikes and spending less per bicycle – it’s still a healthy industry. At one point in the 1980s, mountain bikes represented roughly 60 per cent of all sales in the U.S., although that number declined to around 22 per cent in 2010. Before the economic crisis of 2008, mountain bikes represented 25 to 30 per cent of the entire market. Given the number of things people use bikes for, that’s a huge market share.
Exact bicycle sales numbers are hard to nail down, but a search on global sales turns up statistics like Shimano increasing sales of components by 46 per cent in the first half of 2010.
Over $6 billion in bikes have been sold in the U.S. each year over the last decade, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association of America, representing close to 20 million bikes.
The exception to growth was in 2009, a particularly bad year for the U.S. economy, with less than 15 million bikes sold – the fewest since the association started recording total bike sales in 1992. The rebound was significant – 19.8 million bikes in 2010 is the second-highest tally since just over 20 million bikes sold in 2000, and represents almost a 25 per cent increase over the previous year.
Further north, the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada said in February that bike sales by independent dealers – not chains like Sears or Canadian Tire – surpassed $250 million for the first time ever in 2010. Bikes in the 26-inch wheel category, which includes mountain bikes, were down 15.58 per cent in total dollar sales, but still rank second to road bikes and commuters. Comparatively, road bike sales were up 21.13 per cent, and youth and hybrid bikes also increased slightly.
But while sales of actual bikes may be down, that decline comes after years of sustained growth.
And in our part of the province, where every town has its own network of trails and the Fernie trails being in our back yard, the popularity of mountain bikes has never really declined at all. There are four bike shops in Fernie, all doing well.
Mountain bike events are extremely popular, with the Furious 3 selling out 300 spots in its first year. The seven-day B.C. Bike Race also reliably sells out 450 spots.
Both events generate revenue for hosts.
Mountain biking may have lost a little popularity overall, but that’s certainly not the case in this part of the world. Take the economy out of the picture and it’s as successful as ever.
While TransRockies may represent the best of mountain biking, it’s always been an inclusive event. Every component is open to the general public. That’s because in the end TransRockies isn’t about showing the evolution of biking, it’s about sharing it.
For more information on events and registration, visit www.transrockies.com.
For the first time in the 10-year history of Fernie hosting the TransRockies, a stage finish will be hosted at Island Lake Lodge. Fernie is the only community to have hosted each of the TransRockies events. Stage 3, which will start in downtown Fernie on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011 – will highlight many of the most popular trails in and around Fernie. Passing through Mount Fernie Provincial Park, the race will finish at the spectacular Island Lake Lodge – home to Island Lake Catskiing in winter.
Island Lake Lodge is situated in the Lizard Range of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, 10 km from Fernie, BC and has twice been named one of the Best Hotels in Canada by National Geographic Traveler Magazine. The property boasts 7,000 acres of catskiing in the winter and in the summer is open daily for hiking, spa and fine dining. “We’re looking forward to hosting TransRockies for the first time,” said Doug Feely, CEO of Island Lake Resorts. “Having such a prestigious event at the Lodge is a great way to showcase our facilities and the incredible recreational opportunities that we offer.”
TransRockies – North America’s original epic mountain-bike stage race and Canada’s best mountain bike adventure, runs from Fernie to Canmore over 7 days through the spectacular Canadian Rockies. While Fernie has long been either a start or finish host community for TransRockies, 2011 will be the first time the event made a stop at Island Lake. The spectacular stage 3 finish will be a highlight for all riders, especially those completing the 3-day solo TR3 on stage 3. “We are thrilled to be finishing stage 3 at Island Lake,” said Aaron McConnell, president of TransRockies Inc. “The spectacular setting at Island Lake epitomizes TransRockies – complete participant support in the midst of a beautiful natural setting.”
The stage finish will be positioned directly in front of the lodges at Island Lake and supported by two full-service restaurants, accommodation and spa packages. TransRockies participants, friends and family can stay in luxury at Island Lake Lodge any time from August 7-10 for a special price of $129 per night. Spa packages (reservations required) are the perfect way to relax after three epic days of mountain biking. For accommodation or spa reservations, call 1-(250)-423-3700 or email info@islandlakeresorts.com. Parking is limited on-site, and shuttles from lower parking lots will be in place when the lodge parking is full.
With less than two months until the start of the 10th TransRockies and with the above average snowpack finally retreating to the alpine, we finally had an opportunity to ride Stage 3.
Stage 3 begins in Downtown Fernie with a mass start and quickly proceeds to North Fernie for perhaps the most grueling Fernie day in the history of the TR. Seven climbs starting on Mt Proctor, on to Mt Fernie, to the Lizard Range and back to Mt Fernie with a spectacular finish at Island Lake Lodge is the route in short. Short the stage is not and the cold beer and great food at ILL will be tasting really good after many hours of sustained single track! I should also mention the seven sweet downhills and endless single-track that will make this day extremely enjoyable!
Here is some footage taken last Saturday by Aaron McConnell:
Renowned sports protographers Blake Jorgenson and Mark Gallup are offering a mountain sports action photography clinic during the world renowned TransRockies Mountain bike race.
This workshop is for any photo enthusiast who is particularly interested in shooting outdoor and action photography. The first 2 days will be a combination of classroom instruction and on location outdoor shooting with pro mountain bikers. Both natural light and flash photography will be covered, tips, techniques and pro secret’s! Each day will be followed by an après session to unwind, talk about the day and keep the conversation rolling. For the last 2 days you will have the unique opportunity of photographing a world class mountain bike event. We will focus on assignment shooting. It’s “game on” as you cover everything from start line to finish line, high speed action, interesting characters, muddy faces, victories and defeats. It’s as real as any assignment will get! In fact, instructors will give you a mock client to shoot for and lead you through the day followed by classroom analyses and presenting your images.
Throughout the program you will also be working on your own 3 minute slide show to showcase at an awards dinner on the last evening. Lunches are included on each day plus the wind up dinner on the last evening.
All participants should love to be active and enjoy the outdoors with knowledge that changing conditions will be part of the fun! Locations will be accessed several ways including hiking, biking or 4×4. The only mode of transportation you are required to bring are your legs! A bike is optional if you desire.
A basic understanding of photography and the use of your own digital SLR camera is required. Also, a backpack is recommended for your equipment. Artificial lighting/strobe techniques will be part of the program. Your own flashes are recommended. Limited lighting equipment will be available through the instructors or for rent from The Camera Store in Calgary. Each participant should have their own laptop. Applicable software such as Adobe Light Room or Photo Shop should be installed on your computer.
At this time we are accepting reservations that can be confirmed with a $400 deposit. Upon confirmation, more information will be provided in the Welcome package including itinerary, curriculum and more details on what to bring.
