Author: Mel Saari

Mountain biking might not work in downtown Kelowna, but it certainly seems to in Medellin, Columbia. 

Hair raising, to put it mildly !!

Strap in and enjoy the ride.

After two very successful group rides in the Kootenays, it seems as though the Killer Beez are interested in considering another out-of-town group ride in 2023.  One of the areas suggested was Vancouver Island.  Some of us participated in a very enjoyable 6 day Vancouver Island Ride in 2014 which was organized by Michael Malkowski and Bob Perra.  I recently met with Michael and Don Brown, who also participated in the 2014 ride, to discuss the possibility of another Vancouver Island Ride.  Since the 3 day ride format used in the Kootenays was so successful, we mapped out a 3-4 day loop for consideration which can be accessed through the following links.

Day One – Sydney to Lake Cowichan via Salt Spring Island.

Day Two – Lake Cowichan to Sooke.  This could possibly be broken into two days with a layover in Port Renfrew.  However, accommodation there is limited.

Day Three – Sooke to Sydney.  This is partly on the Galloping Goose Trail.

These routes are subject to fine tuning and are intended to show approximate distances and elevations only.

Cars (except support vehicles) would be parked at the Tsawwassan ferry terminal.

I look forward to receiving your comments in this regard.

The Snow Gods worked their magic early this year so it’s time to dust off the skis / snowshoes and hit the trails at the Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club.  

Starting this coming Saturday and Sunday, we will meet near the pavilion (the usual place) at Mission Creek Regional Park by 9:15 am latest for carpooling.   Skiing / snowshoeing will start at Nordic at approximately 10 am.

Let’s go play in the snow !!

Now that Winter has arrived in BC, it’s the time some us like to dream about our next cycling adventure.  Here are a few Cycling Tours to mull over as you shovel out your driveway.  Be aware that the tour prices are quoted in US dollars.

On Saturday we will hike scenic Dilworth Mountain.  Gorgeous views of West Kelowna, Downtown Kelowna and the Glenmore valley are available from the Dilworth Mountain trails and summit.  The hike will start at 10 AM from the parking lot on Glacier Crescent.  Ample parking is available at this location. 

Hope to see you there.

The following email was received from Jordan Boultbee, a student at the University of BC, Okanagan Campus:

My name is Jordan Boultbee; I work under the supervision of Dr. Jonathan Little in the Exercise Metabolism and Inflammation lab at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.

We are doing a 2 x 2 study design on immune function, and one group that is of particular interest to us – is endurance athletes!  We are currently looking for master’s athletes.

If you could please share the attached study poster with your members or on your website/ Facebook page, that would be much appreciated.  It offers eligibility criteria and so on! Thank you for your consideration,

Jordan Boultbee

HES Honours Student | Exercise Metabolism and Inflammation Laboratory

The study poster is available below.

If you are interested in participating or learning more about the study please contact Jordan at [email protected].

Recruitment Poster

Have a desire to cycle some hairpins and don’t mind flying to get there?  Then this might be the hill for you.  600 hairpins could be a considerable exaggeration, however there certainly are enough to keep you busy.  Starting at an elevation of 3,197 meters may be a bit of an inconvenience.  Click here for the hill specs.

Haven’t put the bike away yet?  Click here for the closest airport.

Recently an enterprising swarm of Killer Beez lead by Paul Stephenson (including 2 of our Queen Beez) found a new riding area not currently populated by our main enemy, the automobile.  It’s called South Perimeter Road and is not currently used by cars as it is awaiting it’s second layer of asphalt. 

So get there fast if you want to be able to ride it before it opens to traffic. 

It’s a climb to get there however.  Our Beez buddies took Uplands across Kettle Valley, Southridge, and then Upper Gordon.   Taking Gordon all the way would obviously make for a long, nasty climb.

Thanks to Paul Stephenson and Mike Wagstaff for the photos.

Climbing a hill is usually considered to be a lot less dangerous than descending.  However there is a certain dangerous activity to be aware of when climbing in a tight group or pace line.  Click here for details.

With the weather cooling down (whew, finally), the Killer Beez Saturday and Sunday Group Rides will start at 9 AM (instead of 8 AM).  The Wednesday Group Ride will start at 4 PM (instead of 8 AM).  These changes are effective immediately.

A little more sleep – not a bad thing.