Angie's off to the races

Springtime means racing in Squamish

by Angie Ho

It's springtime and the race season has officially begun! For those who are thinking of riding the Test of Metal cross-country race here in Squamish, training starts NOW! The Test of Metal is one of the best race courses around, and the 67-kilometre course includes 1,200 metres of climbing - as well as 35 kilometres of beautiful Squamish singletrack.

This race course has it all. The legendary Nine Mile Climb is gruelling, yes, but unlike most other XC races, at least this one has its rewards. After the climb up to the ancient lava flow rock, you get a switchback-free heavenly 7 kilometre-long descent with an estimated 350-metre drop. Not bad at all.

For the past few weeks, a few of us who have been on our big bikes all winter have taken our hardtails in to either one of our local bike shops here in town - Tantalus Bike Shop or Corsa Cycles - for spring tune-ups.

Boy, did that bike ever need a tune-up. It has been two years since I last raced the ToM, and that long since I've been on my hardtail. At first you'll be a little wobbly, until you discover how easy it is to pedal and accelerate on the thing! WOW!

I had forgotten how much fun a hardtail can be - complete with rear fender and SPuDs, of course... The clicking around on SPD shoes brings back memories of courier days in slippery office building foyers.

But back to the Test. Unfortunately, this year's race was sold out as of 6:41 p.m. on April 24 but you can register online if any spaces become available. (For those of you interested, last year's winning time was 2:44:04 by Carter Hovey from Victoria, B.C.)

And if that isn't your scene, 30 top freeriders have been invited to this year's Freeride Dash for Cash, presented by the folks at Tantalus.


That doesn't look like an XC bike to me...
The freeride event will be held at noon on June 22 - the final day of the Squamish Mountain Bike Festival. It starts on the top of Cougar Ridge, runs to the bottom of Endo, and out into Raven's Plateau. There's sweet singletrack, with steep, twisting lines, big drops, and a ton of obstacles.

You can watch the race by walking up the trail from the finish area at the Climbers Parking Lot, but plan on arriving early to be in place before the riders start heading down. Admission is by donation and the proceeds will go to the winner of the event.

The Test of Metal also continues to be the biggest trials competition in western North America, with competitors like 2002's Pro-stock winner, Jeremy VanSchoohoven from Williams, Oregon, and Zak Maeda from Temple City, Cali, who took first place in Expert Stock.

For those involved this year, "Good luck!" and we'll see you at the finish line!

Cheers, Angie

Angie is the brains and the brawn behind Corerat, a local manufacturer of burly clothing and armour for you and your bike. Corerat gear is produced right here in B.C. and can be ordered from Angie's Web site.

Check out her stanchion protectors that we sell right here on nsmb.com.