June is Bike Month

It rains in Vancouver. It rains a lot.... No really, it rains A LOT. England doesnt have rain, it has drizzle. Meanwhile, I'm beginning to understand why the rainforest thrives here. But it's Summer right? It's June? It's guaranteed good weather - why else would they make June Bike Month? Well, you're part right, it's June. But after that false start to "summer" with us all being baked within an inch of our lives in Whistler 2 weeks ago, the weather has turned distinctly miserable. June showers.



Of course, we are used to the rain here so it doesnt stop us getting out on our bikes and into the mountains (does it Jon?) and so last saturday's downpour was no match for our Squamish Club ride.

We actually had a great ride :-)
There were ups, downs and more ups but it was great to get up into them there hills (mountains)










After the final hour-ish climb we topped out above the clouds - well, some of them anyway

Riding here's not without its risks of course - it's not only mozi's that bite here - a couple weeks back they found a Grizzly Bear wandering around not far from Squamish - a long way from home and this week a biker in Whistler was chased for ages down by a Cougar - (Mountain Lion). But I think one of the more obvious risks on this ride (aside from Pneumonia) was that of taking a wrong turn into an impromtu base-jump!


I can easily imagine a biker taking the right fork at the top of this trail and heading over the edge thinking he was entering a steep section - I suppose the sudden shift from looking down at tree roots to tree tops will keep most people safe.

The descent was good - as usual - there were some pretty crazy corners - really steep, rocky and tight and a few lovely log rides but all fun, all the time - despite the rain.






And here's moody photographic masterpiece that I like to call Granite in the Mist - to get this shot of The Chief I used a very careful set up consisting of a camera phone, a tinted, rain soaked window of a moving vehicle and a last second lunge of my left arm in the rough direction of outside the van ;-)








And in last minute shock news, here's evidence of me wearing blue in public at the graduation ceromony last month :-)

These are the official photos - available to order for my fans ;-)