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GEAR WE LOVE
The following are a few of the things we have in-store that currently turn our respective cranks.

Intense 6.6 - by Cat Horbatiuk
Ok, so I'm short. And yes, it's been a bit of a challenge to find a bike that feels big enough when I ride it yet without injuring me when I stand over it. I ride localy (Ingolf, Brandon Hills, Minaki, Sandilands, Spruce Woods) lots with Gord's Bike Club and I like to do as much gravity assist as I can (Lutsen, Panoama...). After much research during the winter we came to the conclusion that the Intense 6.6 was the bike for me. Lots of travel (6.6 inches) lots of standover height (27 inches) and lots of street cred, Super cool colors and highly recomened from this guy I'm currently dating (JF). I ordered it in December... and Thursday May 17th was my first ride on my baby. Built by Mike, Greg, JL, Latonas and a guy they call Sideshow James (thanks for the rotors, James!).

I Love my new bike! Getting on this gorgeous ride, first thing I noticed was the smooth efficient pedal stroke. The bike feels abnormally light considering its beefy frame and fork. An optical illusion if you will. I had anticipated it being more work to keep up with the cross-country style bikes, but had no problem whatsoever.

This thing goes down steep hills and drops like a lazyboy on wheels. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Climbing? I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the bike climbed. Going up stairs was especially smooth. Not much bounce and the natural position on the bike allowed me to get my weight over my handle-bars easily. Something that’s always been difficult for me and my Ukrainian anchor of a rear-end. On my 6.6 I feel like I’m sitting on the bike rather than in the bike.

My favorite item on the bike is my “magic button”. The IT switch on my sweet new Manitou Nixon Platinum lets me drop my fork down from the original 6+ inches down to anything I desire. Allowing me to get my weight over the front end giving me better body position on steep climbs.

I can’t wait to take this out on the Epics, better yet Panorama. Should be a great season!

SheBeest Boardrider Capri’s. -by Ruth Lowen
Why I love my new SheBeest Boardrider Capri’s is that they are unbelievably comfortable on or off the saddle.  The fabric is the story here.  The outer is made of Microflex stretch nylon and can be worn with or with out the clip-out liner.  I ride to work in these and then wear them all day.  The “SmoothMove” liner is equipped with the seamless ergonomic “SheLastic” chamois which has “laser cut out technology” (like a bike seat), and it is made of all-way stretch microfiber.

We sell these for $119.95, and they come in Black or Coffee Bean.
The Breezer Boardshort that we sell for $109.95 has all the same features with a 5 ½ inch inseam, and the Triple S - 8 panel short also has the “SheLastic” chamois. Wicked!

Rocky Mountain Element 50. - By Ryan Loiselle
First off let me say that making the jump from 14 years on a hard tail to a full suspension has opened doors and riding possibilities that I didn't think existed, the control that you are able to maintain over all riding surfaces is unbelievable. It might not have the top end speed of my old hard tail, but my new ability to maintain this speed over logs, washboard, or rough surfaces far outweighs the slight loss in speed (as my avg speed has now increased)... I am still learning all that is possible with 4" of travel front and rear, and I am sure it will lead to a summer of endless riding possibilities! OH, and the most
noticeable difference is that I am comfortable both during and after a ride
or race of any length, a big plus considering I had struggled to ride my mountain bike for the past couple of years due to back pain...

Camelback H.A.W.G. - by Dave Degelman
It's simply the greatest. I purchased my H.A.W.G. (a larger then average sized Camelbak) about 3 years ago. I started using it for riding into work and it had more then enough room for a lunch and a change of clothing. The nice thing about the bag is that if I want to use it for a ride and I have very little to put in it I can simply pull on the straps on the side and compress the pack, allowing a nice tight fit to my back. I can't imagine going on a ride without my pack.

Oakley Sunglasses . -By Tony Bonomo
Maybe bulletproof is a slight exaggeration, but they are quite shatter resistant, lenses and all. JF provided us with the proof last summer. We were building a mini bike park (ok, so it was really just makeshift ramps made out of old crates, but anyway) outside L1 for the Mountain Bike Club. At one point, JF found the need to snap a plank in two. Unfortunately for him, the plank retaliated and smacked him in the face. Fortunately for him, he was wearing a pair of Oakleys, and if I recall correctly, he ended up without a single scratch because the plank hit the side of his face, where the Oakley's arm was 'protecting' his cheekbone and eye socket. Before that, I knew Oakleys were awesome, but that was the best display of a product performing beyond the call of duty! His lenses did not even get scratched in that episode.

Enervit Power Sport Apple Flavour. - by Daniel Gravenor
I love the Power Sport bars because they have a great apple flavour that does not taste artificial, and it is a soft-chew bar making it easy to eat while riding.  Each bar is just the right size to quench my hunger: not too little to make you want another, and not too much so that you are full half-way through.  The bar easily mixes with water, and after having one on a bike trip, I have sufficient energy to last until my next meal.

Jamis Xenith Comp - by Sean Campbel
The Jamis Xenith Comp just looks fast.  I love the way that the colors all match, from the black carbon and silver frame to the chrome components.  That just say wow. Riding this bike was a blast, it was super fast and stiff, however the frame was still super damp on the long road rides.The 105 compoentry gives precise shifting and breaking and still makes this bike a great price with out sacrificing quality, or performance.  All around an awesome bike.

Jamis Xenith Comp - by Sideshow James
As much as I love a fast bike, I place much value in the comfort of a bike. It could be the snappiest thing out there but if it isn’t comfortable I won’t ride it that much. I’m pumped when I can find something that does well in both categories. That’s what the carbon fiber Xenith Comp road bike has accomplished. The 58cm model I’ve been putting some miles on doesn’t seem the least bit flexy under my 190 lbs and gets up to speed with little effort. At the same time it mutes road vibration quite well. You can still feel what is going on under your tires but you don’t get beaten up, something that will pay big dividends on longer rides. That same vibration damping also pays off in another way, cornering. The smoothness of the ride makes me feel more secure in the turns. The boost in confidence this gives you encourages faster
riding, a good thing in my books. Lastly it’s worth mentioning that you get a solid spec at a reasonable price and a frame that’s worthy of top drawer parts further down the road.

Camelback Scorpion. - by Ryan VanDusen
I love my scorpion!!! NO not the crazy stinging type but my wicked camelback!!
Great in any season and perfect for the on-the-go biker or boarder (or even a skier!!). It features an insulated hydration tube great for keeping water cool in the summer and flowing in the winter. The scorpion also has a ton of extra cargo space for tools, food and any extra items that one would need on an outdoor excursion. The resevoir is easy to clean and strong as hell!! With a giant opening, filling is a snap! It is one piece of equipment that no person should be without!!!

Blackburn Airtool. - by JF Ravenelle
"By combining nine must-have tools with a powerful Co2 inflator, the AirFix puts everything you need in the palm of your hand. Built-in pressure regulator allows you to control the rate of inflation, and a safety switch keeps the AirFix from firing accidentally."

That's what Blackburn puts as a descriptor on their website (www.blackburndesigns.com) about this little marvel of design and function (check out the pic at the top of this page). What gets us all excited about the Blackburn Airtool is the fact that it [a] comes with Blackburn's over-the-top lifetime warranty and that [b] it's just so freaking cool. Ok, so maybe it's not the best multi-tool on the market... (Pedro's makes an amazing multi tool that we'll get to at some point) but to have all the basic tools you need (like the very well-done chain-breaker) nicely bundled-up with what is arguably the best CO2 inflator out there... Simply Brilliant.

Camelback Water Bottle. - by B3
Since getting one, I actually drink more water.  There is no lid to pop open, or unscrew to get to the water.  Just bite and sip.  And because of the plastic that it is made of, you don’t get the ‘plasticy’ taste.  It also seems to be near unbreakable, so no need to worry about dropping it.  Then there is that little handle, which makes it so easy to carry.  This is definitely my favorite water bottle.

Camelback Water Bottle. - by Alex Desrosiers
The Camelbak water bottle is THE BEST water bottle I have ever owned. It is extremely durable and fun to drink out of. The bite valve on the straw ensures that water will never leak out, essentially it is spill proof. What I like most about the Camelbak water bottle is that it comes in a variety of colours for all to enjoy! It is a really good deal for what you get. I have never been happier with a water bottle before.

Tri-flow Lubricant - Greg Keeler
"Tri-flow Superior Lubricant" is just that; it is the best multi-purpose bike lube on the market. Speaking as a tech with over 10 years experience fixing all kinds of bikes I can tell you with certainty that nothing works better. Whether you are trying to revive a beat up heap of s#~! bike, or just lubing the chain on your big deal bling bike. Tri-flow is the best. It penetrates, restores, loosens, lubricates and protects. Tri-flow does it all. The only lube you absolutely need.

Jamis Nova. - by JF Ravenelle
Some of us like road bikes... but only from afar. These drop-bar things inspire little excitement for the DH crowd... They can sometimes be twitchy, they are mostly pavement-only devices that don't allow for much RCMP-eluding offroading... And plus, if you don't own any Lycra... well... you're out of luck. UNLESS... of course, you own a Jamis NOVA.

The Jamis Nova is a road bike designed for the much misunderstood discipline of cyclocross. (let's not get into that right now. If you don't know what cyclocross is, you needn't trouble yourself with such mundane data). Let's just say that a Nova is a sweet drop-bar road bike that can also go off road! It's got slightly knobby tires and a sumptuous steel frame designed to go fast fast fast but in a comfortable, less-spandex kinda way. It's the über-commuter bike, it's the bike for those amongst us who aren't seduced by things that sound like "Campi", "Dura Ace", "Stage 5" or "EPO Doping".

The Nova is for the guy who hates taking corners with his carbon-fiber race road bike in April because of all the crap on the road. The Nova laughs at stuff like that. The Nova, in fact couldn't care less if there is or isn't pavement. The Nova will pull your Chariot, double as a cross-country pannier-loaded touring bike AND do the job as a half-decent triathlon bike. Oh, and did we mention the sweet black and orange paint-job? The only downside about The Jamis Nova is that your twin on his race-ready road bike will always beat you to Lockport (unless you take the off road shortcut) and you'll never win a time-trial with the thing... But you'll get there more relaxed, with a larger smile on your face. THAT's just a few of the many reasons why we simply LOVE this old-school machine.

Check back for more cool stuff... and make sure to refresh your screen... There's lots more to come.