Erzbergrodeo

May 29th marks the start of this year's Erzbergrodeo, which takes place in Austria and is one of the toughest enduros in the world. Riders pound it out on ore and take on Mt. Erzberg, a.k.a.The Iron Giant.  As a bit of a testament to just how nasty a track this really is, the field usually starts with 1500 plus entrants and gets narrowed down to a third of that number for the main event, with 500 qualifying to take on the ever changing 35.0 km route up the mountain. Less than 6% of qualifiers actually manage to finish and and the winner usually clocks in at just over 3.0 hours, so technical skills and endurance are obviously a huge factor.

Mt. Erzberg

Trying to qualify for the main event

Ride 'em cowboy

Bucked off

Run for cover

 Last years 'rodeo'saw heavy rain which flooded the staging area and made for a crazy start. Check out the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YubhPT-lkYw

Kickstand Plates

How's this for a cool little bike accessory? Blue Circle had some kickstand plates made up for some of our select motorcycle clients and friends, with manufacturing by Forever Design in Ohio. Replicating our 2014 Motorcycle Club logo, this device can be dropped under the kickstand when parking on soft ground or hot asphalt, providing stability. Since my own kickstand keeps sinking into the recently paved Blue Circle parking lot, the timing of their arrival couldn't be better! Haha.

Last Get Together

With just 16 days before the big event, many of the interested parties involved in Two Wheel Sunday had a final meeting last night and ironed out some important details. This is an 'all club, all comers' event, with everyone and equally vested partner in the endeavour, and all volunteers as well. It's great to see everyone show an interest and pitch in to help, so now we just need good weather and lots of like minded people who want to share their passion for motorcycles. Check the link and see you all there!

Of course, everyone rode over!

Bobby Baum, of the CVMG, is the main man for this year's event

Motley Crew!!haha!

The Man-Van Can

Another successful Man-Van and Ride For Dad event today at the Suncor Building. Brookfield Properties were our kind and gracious hosts and let us set up in the lobby, allowed us to park our bikes on their doorsteps to draw attention to the event, and blocked off a prime spot in front of the building so we could park the Man-Van front and centre. They also bought all the volunteers and Man-Van staff a delicious lunch, so it was quite a boost to everyone who dedicated their time and energy to this great cause.

Ride For Dad executives Ron and Blair are stalwart volunteers!! 

Our generous hosts 

'Motorcycle Only' parking for the Ride For Dad crew

A simple little test with R.N. Brenda

Lots of people stopped by, including some wives interested in their hubby's health

Brookfield Properties were a huge help and helped get this prime spot blocked off for us!

Vintage Motorcycle Police

I have been up to my eyeballs in motorcycles, but not necessarily in the way I'd like. Instead of being out and about, riding my bike and visiting all my friends and fellow riders, I've been riding the desk at the office. Of course, it's typical of this time of year, what with everyone wanting to do the same as me and get out for a spin on two wheels. This means a lot of interest in Blue Circle and their excellent and exclusive motorcycle insurance product and everyone here has been plugging away, trying to deal with the overwhelming demand. Can a guy complain because he has a great job and it's busy? One way to look at it is to say that I've met another 60 or 70 new people in the past  month and they're all a part of the riding community, so that's awesome!

Of course, working the way we have been her at Blue Circle means not as much time doing some of the other fun stuff too, like writing my blog and doing some Facebook posts. Last night I uploaded a bunch of photos I've been compiling on the boys in blue and their connection to the motorcycle world. Have a look at these vintage bike cops and tell me they don't love to ride too!

Quite the fleet!

"run down escaping criminals"?!

Busted!

Sometime in the 40's

Way to go Buffalo!

Everyone's liking the new ride

1933 Montreal Motorcycle Police

Check out the Peacemaker on his hip

Indian also marketed their bikes to the police

Better pull over for these two

I've Been trying to find out just what that knob and cable were for on this old police bike.

Canadian MotoGP Legend

Canadian Mike Duff was born in Toronto in 1939 and eventually went on to be a world class motorcycle road racer, one of this country's first to achieve this kind of success. Duff's best season was in 1965, winning the Finnish Grand Prix in the 250c.c. category and coming in second behind the legendary Phil Read.
Duff had some set backs, including a major accident in Japan that nearly killed him. The recovery is documented in the National Film Board of Canada documentary "Ride For Your Life".
Now in the Canadian Motorcycle Hall Of Fame, Duff eventually went on the become an associate editor of Cycle World Magazine and still rides while making appearances at various events.

Belgian GP in the 60's

Mike Duff in action

On the podium, left to right, Phil Read, Mike Hailwood and Mike Duff

Winning the Finnish Grand Prix in 1965

Ram Falls

We took a hike back into Ram Falls, via the upriver route. It was no small feat, as there is no way to get to the top of the falls on the west side of the river unless you want to rappel down the side of the cliff or swim  in the river. The east side also has fairly steep cliffs but there are a few spots where you scramble and work your way to the river bed just above the falls. It was a bit icy and hiking poles and Khatoolas helped. It was pretty cool to stand on the edge but the better view is from the hill along the east side, heading back up past the falls and looking back. For the more cautious, stay on the west side, drive in to the provincial park and walk along the path and down the stairs to the observation deck.

Don't slip on that ice or else...

Invermere

I was in Radium on the weekend and made a trip down to Invermere to check things out there too. Such a beautiful drive/ride along Hwy. 93 and lots of scenic vistas to stop and view. It's the 'shoulder season' and Radium was pretty quiet, which is why we wanted to go in the first place.
Of course, we had a few dips in the Radium Hot Springs, so named for the traces of Radon in the water. Less than what you'd find in the luminous dials of an old school wrist watch, but there none the less and something I never knew!
We went in and checked out a lot of the great art galleries in Invermere, including Bavin Glassworks, where we met Pat Bavin, the founder of the hotshop. Pat and his son, Ryan, have worked in tandem to create some unique pieces, as pictured below. The detail in colour and shading of their fish is truly amazing and it's hard to imagine just how they've managed to form such beautiful works of art from molten glass.

We also checked in at the Kicking Horse Coffee, locally roasted in Invermere. We sure like it and stopped in to get some directly, plus it happens to be across the lane from Arrowhead! That's the local brewery that provides un-pasteurized beer to local merchants, meaning you can only get it in and around Invermere proper. Reminds me of the old Big Rock days, before they hit the big time.
So, if you're up for a gorgeous ride that takes a couple of hours and ends with a soak in the spa, check out these two little gems of a town!

Invermere's Iron Moose

Bavin Glass workshop

Nice details in this Bavin glass

Kicking Horse Coffee has a pretty cool building

Arrowhead brew room

83 Honeys was tasty enough to warrant a dozen to go!

Until now I never knew that Radium Hot Springs has traces of Radon in the water, hence the name.

Eccentric Radium home

Yup, wild turkeys walking around in Radium, co-incidentally near the unusual home shown in the previous photo!

Less Than A Month....

Two Wheel Sunday is fast approaching and there's less than a month to go before this first time event brings motorcyle enthisiasts of all kinds together in one place! Anyone on two wheels, or anyone who loves two wheels, is invited to come down and meet like minded people and talk about bikes and riding. There will be representatives from all kinds of motorcycle groups and clubs, so if you are looking for people to ride with or share your similar passion for a certain type of bike or outlook, you can find your kind here!

Global Warming, My Ass!

May 3rd and this is what we get! Grrrr!

Rex is not amused!!

Hot And Sunny and Too Cool

Went up to see the Too Cool Motorcycle School crew as they put their student riders through the paces on Wednesday. It was a beautiful day to be on a bike and these new riders were getting a taste of what that means, while getting some expert advise on how to do it properly and safely. Every rider wants to get home in one piece and there's nothing better than some professional guidance from experienced riders like Trevor, Rene and Jordan who share the passion of two wheeled freedom! It was great to see them in action, teaching the skills required and having some fun doing it, and it was a bit of a refresher for me too! Thanks for letting me hang out!

Rene is on the bullhorn!

Who can't remember the amazing feeling of your first cruise around the 'parking lot' on a motorcycle!

Smaller classes allows for some one on one instruction 

Jordan readies one of the bikes

A Too Cool tradition of class photos and 'nicknames'

You can already see these new riders looking ahead and prepping for the turns

Discussing emergency braking techniques

Not a Doe!