Quiver Sail
New to Wild Rock, these kite-like sails provide something exciting if you are a kayaker looking for some easy speed. If you are travelling with the wind in your kayak, you can pull out a Quiver Sail and let the wind do the work! The price is $159.
We have one in our rental program if you would like to try it out for $7/day.
If you are interested in something similar for a canoe, we have a sail and tarp from Ostrom. With the use of paddles you have a sail for your canoe and with a little rope and some trees, you have a tarp. The price for this versatile item is $89.99.
Find out more at www.quiversail.com
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Cannondale Prophet - Your Next Bike!
With the enormous selection of mountain bikes on the market today, narrowing down which genre is right for you can be an overwhelming task - XC, freeride, freeride light, downhill, all-mountain, enduro? In an age of specialization what most riders are looking for is a bike that offers them versatility, the ability to tackle a 5 hour epic ride one day, a technical downhill the next, and finish it off with a lung-busting climb – in short, a mountain bike!. The innovative folks at Cannondale went back to the drawing board for 2005 to produce what could be the best all around, most versatile trail bike on the market today – behold the Prophet! The 2005 Cannondale Prophet is completely new from head to toe and is aimed at the rider who wants to do it all and demands performance. Featuring a newly designed hydroformed frame that is the lightest in its class (a mere 5.25 lbs), and 1.5 degrees of adjustable geometry, the Prophet is just as comfortable going down as it is going up. The real standout on the Prophet is the suspension, redesigned to suit the specific needs of the all-around rider. Front and rear travel is an ample 5.5 inches, the fabulous Lefty Max handles the bumps up front (still a skeptic? go to www.golefty.com) while Manitou’s Swinger shock brings up the rear. Both front and rear suspension feature SPV damping technology allowing the bike to be tuned to any rider’s weight, terrain or riding style while remaining one of the lightest long travel bikes on the market today. On the trail the Prophet really shines, the balance of smooth, efficient travel and lightweight performance is guaranteed to impress even the most particular rider as you tackle anything in your path. Uphill, downhill, singletrack and everything in between the Prophet excels. For 2005 the Prophet is offered in 6 models, all featuring the same frame and suspension design, with enough component choice to suit any riders needs and budget. If you have been searching for that one bike that can do it all and come back for more look no further than the Cannondale Prophet. Need more info check www.divineinnovation.com .
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Scott's Adventures in Cycling, cont'd
When we left off last month I had just started regularly attending the
Peterborough Cycling scene’s various events. These events included the regular
Tuesday night time trials, Thursday night road rides and weekend group rides.
My first time trial was quite amusing… especially for the others. I showed up
with my pump on, water bottles filled and my regular underseat bag. This bag
is now a legend. It appears having something strapped to your bike that can
carry a Saturday Globe & Mail is fair game for ridicule at a race against the
clock! I believe Mr. Eric Wilkinson, the timekeeper, asked going time trialing
or me if I was going camping. Off I went pedaling like mad, huffing and puffing
and generally pulling a solid tomato face. Upon my return I was quite pleased
that I averaged over 30 kmh. A solid last place that blistering pace earned.
That night I learned a lot; I learned I actually like suffering and that being
good at suffering is a great benefit on a bike.
The summer was spent riding whenever and with whomever I could. Every Thursday
I got dropped a little later and later. Each evening I would ride home alone
and then met the guys/gals for dinner and they would comment that I was
improving and offer suggestions and encouragement. One Thursday Kieran took me
under his wing and told me to stay on his wheel for the whole night. We started
out heading to Warsaw and then Birch View Rd. As a hill loomed in the distance
Kieran would maneuver us towards the front. At the base of the hill I would
set my highest sustainable tempo. Slowly people would drift passed me as we
climbed. By the top of the hill I would have drifted perilously close to the
back of the bunch but not actually loose contact with the group. I was still
in! All the other weeks I would get spat out the back and ride home alone.
This week I only lost them 5km from the sprint finish but was able to catch up
again as they were gibbering and gas bagging about the ride on the bike path.
Not been left was like finding the Holy Grail. I was no longer the slowest
rider.
That fall I spent a week of my vacation with my great friends Kieran and Scott
Wood in Mallorca, Spain. This was my first riding session involving big climbs
(10-20km long at a gradient of 60%-10% and back-to-back 100km+ days. I loved
it. Everyday we woke drank really good espresso longues, road our bikes in the
mountains and then drank red wine, ate good food and slept. This is the life.
By the fall my fitness had crept up into the mediocre road rider level. The
illusive search for speed and not getting dropped turned me into a reasonable
facsimile of a serious cyclist that winter. I cross country skied as much as
possible, read at least 10 books on training, mapped out a training plan for
the winter and spring, and received a trainer for my bike for Christmas so I
could train indoors for the winter. I was hooked, addicted, lost to the cause
and on many trainer sessions I thought perhaps addicted or masochistic.
During the winter my good friend Tim “helped me out” by running me through a
lactate test on a Compu-trainer. I put this is quotes because anytime someone
straps you to your bike and tells you every minute to go slightly harder than
you did the last minute until you are non-functional bag of flesh… “help” is
used loosely. The results were…well the results. I maxed out at 290 watts and
my lactate threshold (highest somewhat sustainable effort) was around 240 watts.
I had a way to go to catch Lance Armstrong who on his time trials can sustain
over 400 for over an hour! At least I had something measurable to shoot for.
The next spring proved eventful. I arrived to the roads of spring down to
180lbs with some solid trainer miles in. On the road with the normal crew I
was suffering like a daemon but hanging in for most rides, most of the way!
This training stuff actually works. The year previous I had raced at
Springbank in London and lasted exactly less than 1 lap with the peloton. Why
that was almost 2.5% of the race… notice the decimal. This year I lasted the
whole race and was even on the front for a brief moment. Of course by the
finish I was near the back.
The rest of the summer showed continued slow improvement. If a little training
got me this far think how far a lot of training would get me! So obviously
with this attitude I entered the dark nights of winter armed with a solid
training plan and serious amounts of time and energy to dedicate to training
due to the implosion of my love life. A powerful concoction! That spring
found me light, fit and filled with an ability to suffer. It seemed the more
the better.
So Spring ’04 found me at Springbank once again. I lined up with the boys and
rolled around the course in the pouring rain. The pack was nervous, as it was
slippery, cold and miserable. I thought to myself, “ I am either going off the
front or out the back but hanging around this peloton is scaring the crap out of
me. Up to the front I pushed. As I got near the front I could see one of my
team mates had just returned from a break or at least a hard pull on the front
so I put on the gas and road off the front. After 500m I looked back and lo
and behold I was alone but I could see a couple of folks working hard to join
me. Towards the end of the lap we had formed a group of 3. Some laps later 4
more joined our group as we road about in the rain. Each of us was taking our
share of the work on the front and the gap to the peloton began to grow. At
first it was only 10 seconds and then it grew and grew. One half hour later it
had grown to over a minute and I began thinking… they will never catch us. Up
until then I thought I was living in a very temporary house of cards. The
peloton would chase us down and swallow us up and I would take my rightful
place at the back. In the end we stayed away but this brought it own stresses.
Suddenly I realized if these guys dropped me I would have some serious
explaining to do as I drifted back to my teammates in the peloton. It would be
something like “Hi guys, there are 6 guys up the road, pretty far ahead really,
now that I am here that leaves us with nobody from out team in the break…. So I
guess we can duke it out for 8th. Sorry about that boys.” The internal team
pressure was on to not screw up. There is nothing that makes you dig deeper
than having your teammates rely on you. In the end I bollixed my first sprint
but at least got a 5th that would pay for the beer! I was finally racing.
It was going to be a great summer. I thought I’d just keep training and get
even stronger; however, my body had different ideas. As I poured on the
training, it turned off the energy. I entered a reasonable state of
overtraining. For weeks whenever I walked up stairs or pushed on my pedals my
quads screamed. I started getting dropped on Thursday nights again, my time
trials were getting slower and I was getting pretty blue. I learned all about
over-training the hard way. What a mess. All that hard work down the tubes.
It took me almost 2 months to re-cover. A good lesson to learn in the end but
I would have rather seen the movie or read the book.
Later I will tell the tale of this year as it unfolds. I hope this summer I
have the right balance of training and rest. Year three might take me from
mediocre to reasonable!
Check out Part I of this article by going to: http://wildrock.net/newsletter/june_05_newsletter.asp
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Not a Teddy Bear - Bear Safety!
It’s amazing how TV and myths can give people certain ideas about wildlife. Movies like Anaconda or Arachnophobia can certainly make some people scared of snakes and spiders. On the other hand, images of Yogi the bear or a teddy bear make us think that bears are cute and tame. Movies and myths — that’s all they are and unfortunately they are far from reality.
Many people still believe that bears in parks are tame. I have even heard about people trying to put their kids on a bear to ride. Others try to take a “National Geographic” photograph, often getting dangerously close to a bear.
The black bear (Ursus americanus) is by far the most common bear in Canada; the estimated population in North America is over 700,000. At approximately 150 to 400 pounds for a wild bear, the black bear is the smallest of our three native bears. Those found in a dump can even weigh up to 800 pounds.
Normally shy and reclusive, black bears usually flee at the first sign of humans. However, they can easily become habituated to people, which is when they become a problem. This is usually caused by people feeding them; as a result many bears like to hang around campgrounds and parking lots. People who don’t know any better think that these bears are tame and don’t take proper precautions. In fact, this is when a bear can be extremely dangerous, thanks to the lack of fear toward humans.
Every year bear attacks on humans are reported, most occurring when people try to feed them, despite all the warning signs! An attack from a truly wild bear is extremely rare. However, females can be very aggressive when it comes to protecting their cubs. This means it is important to learn about bears’ behaviour and recognize the signs that they’re in the area. (See below)
One of the main questions people have is what to do if they encounter a bear. I know it can be hard, but the best thing is NOT TO PANIC! Bears can run, swim, and climb trees better than any human being. And running is an invitation for the bear to charge you. They don’t like noise, so the use of a pot or a whistle is very helpful if one approaches you. Pepper spray should not be used unless is an emergency situation. The spray at long range can actually attract the bear’s curiosity.
Black bears are survivors of killing winters and urban growth and are a true symbol of the Canadian wilderness. Therefore, understanding this mammal is crucial for their survival and for our own safety. They are certainly very cute, but remember: it isn’t a teddy but a big black bear!
Learn the signs that bears are in the area
· Fresh bear scat or tracks announce the presence of bears in the area.
· Bears eat berries, apples, beechnuts, acorns, etc. Be extra careful when walking in areas where these are abundant.
· Bears can eat carrion, so the presence of many crows, ravens, or vultures might suggest carrion in the area; it’s a good idea to stay away.
Some bear dos and don’ts
• Avoid using perfumes while hiking or camping
• Bring your food in a barrel and hang it on a tree while not using it
• Keep food, fuel, and dog food away from your tent
• Do not leave leftovers near your camp
• Do carry a whistle or other noisemaker
My own bear experience
One day, I was enjoying a nice sandwich in the beautiful boreal forest of Pukaskwa National Park. I had had a nice morning of birding and was taking a break. In the middle of my breakfast I spotted a big black bear walking towards me. It was a truly wild bear from the heart of a boreal forest, so cool, and so intimidating!
My heart began to beat very fast and my legs could hardly support me. I quickly put the sandwich in my backpack and started walking slowly towards a nearby pond. I thought the bear was following me, which did not help my nerves! This is not Yogi, it’s real, I thought. So I walked to the pond, which was surrounded by a fence. I went behind the fence and waited for the bear to walk by. At only 10 feet away from me, the bear neither looked at me nor asked me for my sandwich, but just kept walking and eventually disappeared in the forest. After that my bear encounters became more frequent, with them visiting my backyard at least twice a week. My best weapon against them was a pot and a spoon, which drove them away every time.
This article was written by our own Rodney Fuentes. Check out his bio on our site at http://wildrock.net/about/staff.asp
Here is a link to an article from Parks Canada, www.pc.gc.ca
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Sidewalk sale starts July 2 and goes until July 9. As always, there will be many great deals outside under the tents. There is also a sale inside! Men's and Women's shorts, short-sleeved shirts and tanks are 10% off for one item, 20% for 2 and 30% off for 3 or more. A great selection of other apparel on sale at 40- 60% off!