| Old spokes, new wheels...

Yesterday Yan and i drove to Burlington, VT, the customs were packed and it took a bit more than 2 boring hours to cross the border. It's funny how the service is always very bad along the lines, take for instance any other professional fields and imagine the same level of motivation, efficiency and courtesy as most custom officers provide. How would it work for restaurants, shops or administrations? simple... it wouldn't, employees would all be fired on their very 1st day!

Anyways, we eventually reached our destination: Old Spokes a nice little local bike shop i've contacted a few days ago for a test ride. They do have an amazing selection of fat bikes for such a small place with Surly, Salsa, Borealis and 9:Zero:7. After relentlessly searching for information about "fatties" I've narrowed it down to 2 similar mid-range models which seem to offer the best bangs for the bucks, the 2015 Ice Cream Truck and Mukluk 2.

Great service and charming shop, check Harris' customized ICT

so here are the 2 beautiful models we tested!

we took the bikes for a ride around the block, going through the cemetery and we had a blast rolling through the blocks of ice and snow, going up and down the hill and smiling like kids on acid! nothing but yourself can stop these beasts.

On paper i gave the Mukluk an advantage for it has a suspended Bluto fork and appears to be lighter, both bikes are made by some of the most dedicated companies in this field, they have very good reviews, as well as comparable basic equipment/parts. The best solution is to try them and see which one fits the best right? 

Yes indeed and now i know that the trail-oriented geometry of the ICT has definitely a more familiar vibe, i like downhill/dirt jumping and on top of that it confirmed my slight preference for steel frames VS Aluminium. If you feel concerned by the weight of those excellent products, don't be, they ride well, are easy to maneuver and feel surprisingly agile. 

there is a bike museum upstairs too with unbelievable showpieces... it's really worth it!

Before heading back to Canada, we stopped at the Our House Bistro to enjoy some Mac 'n Cheese specialties (they have a lot of choice actually). Yan insisted on buying some fuel at the Beverage Warehouse after what we left with some rare beers and Vermont ciders, what a great day!

oOohh... did i say we are going back soon to pick up some Ice Cream, glitter blue flavor if possible ;-)

#OldSpokes

| Winter and "fat bikes"...

So now i have to accept it, winter is here and it's getting really cold! fortunately we've changed the tires of the van the week before the 1st snowfall and i didn't miss the opening at St-Bruno despite being completely sick (which explains the donuts for moral support and my zombie face).

Yesterday I had the chance to try Sylvain's fat bikes, this is something i was eager to test for a while and it was the perfect day in Beauharnois to do so. We took a ride on the banks of the river where there is enough snow to give me a good impression of the "fat" experience. Honestly the 1st time i saw one of this bike, it didn't seem to be legit, i thought it would be another expensive gadget for a very niche activity. Two years later, the trend is on fire, big companies are starting to join the bandwagon and they are not one-season bikes anymore, you can actually use them as your primary vehicle, especially in cold countries like Canada.

I had to try because it could potentially replace our 2 folders which sleep all winter long in our living room, it'd be the perfect bike to bring on camping trips because it works on any terrains; sand, mud, snow, rocks and of course flat clean urban trails. Sylvain took his Surly Moonlander and i rode his GF's KHS 1000 (entry-level bike), the temperature was averaging -8°C, sunny and windy.

Just looking at the size of the tires makes you laugh, you would expect them to be very heavy but in fact the bikes are surprisingly light, they handle well, of course they are not as nimble as a regular mountain bike but it is as close as you can be considering the volume of the wheels.

Simply put, it's a BLAST!!! it's fun and makes the simplest trail look like an adventure, the tires can swallow every chunk of obstacles you throw at them, just look at the field of rocks below and it gives you a good idea... i need one.

the ultimate adventure bikes have fun anywhere!!!

thanks for the ride!

| Riviere St-Charles, Trip #01

Not long ago we went to the whitewater park on the St-Charles river in Valleyfield. It's a surprising place, stucked between 2 old factory/brick buildings with a post-apocalyptic and peaceful atmosphere. The water comes from the lake above and is really well regulated, it is maintained by a local kayak organization that i encourage to support > the CEEVV. The place is beautiful, it feels very intimate and has safe crystal clear waters, despite being small it has a lot of gates, strong streams and challenging obstacles, enough for us SUP-WW noobs. Here is a little edit of that last session, watch it in HD, enjoy!

J'ai trop hate d'y retourner l'ete prochain, surtout dans les zones plus difficiles :) c'etait egalement l'occasion de publier cette video pour l'ouverture de la page Facebook SUPWWQC/SUPEVQC dont le but est de rassembler/partager toutes les informations possibles a propos de la planche-a-pagaie en eaux-vives au Quebec.

| SUP Lachine Rapids, Trip #01

One of the rare leisure days i have enjoyed this summer, easy whitewater SUP with my friend Herve. We went to a small island with lots of birds, located in the lower part of the Lachine Rapids in Verdun. It's safe with small waves and a slow stream, a great place to practice and improve your moves. This is also the day i discovered my allergic reaction to poison ivy.

Music Copyright - Explosions In The Sky: Trembling Hands.

| Parc de la Mauricie...

We are back from an amazing WE of camping at the lake Wapizagonke in La Mauricie National Park.

Not too far from Montreal the park is easily accessible for a short stay and we were lucky to find  a spot at the last minute during this busy weekend. I've heard a lot of good things about it we needed some fresh air.

underwater weirdness...

I really want to go back and see more of the hidden places in this beautiful park!

| Poison Ivy/Herbe a Puce...

This is the kind of high grass area that we have to go through when going down to the water in Verdun, it's fun and exciting (reminds me of my childhood adventures). Unfortunately i recently discovered something less amusing, i am really allergic to Poison Ivy/Herbe a puce (Toxicondendron radicans) and it sucks!!

It's been already 2 weeks and it itches a lot still, the rash is very strong and my wounds are evolving every day with many blisters appearing, you can really see the points of contact with the plant, it's disgusting. I bought a cream with Colloidal Oatmeal/Avoine colloidale (Aveeno or equivalent) and it helps a lot, but it never last long enough :-(

So it's definitely a painful lesson, Nature is tough, we'll be more careful next time.

| Ultimate SUP clinics video...

Here is a little edit of the SUP weekend in Ottawa, i bought a new GoPro hero 3+ to keep some footage but as usual i forgot to use it on a constant basis, at least i did get some moments from the 1st clinic. But then the mount sticker got loose so i couldn't film during the Introduction to River Surfing class, this is due to the pad texture on the Starboard Stream, next time i'll get a proper surf mount.

Ultimate SUP Clinics from BARONTiERi on Vimeo.

In fact i realize now i had an helmet's mount :-)