Author: Mel Saari

Autumn is here and therefore the Killer Beez hiking season has begun. 

On Saturday, October 3rd we have scheduled an urban hike on Dilworth Mountain.  With minimal walking through neighbourhoods, this hike will wind around and over 3 of Dilworth’s four peaks offering spectacular views of downtown Kelowna and North Glenmore (total distance approximately 8 km).  There is also the option of adding Mount Baldy for an additional 2 km.

We will meet at the Bean Scene on Dickson Road at 9 AM for carpooling to the trail head.

Some of us are missing the very popular OSCR Armstrong Ride which was cancelled this year due the pandemic.  Therefore we intend to do the 75 km version of this ride on Saturday, September 12th.  The ride will start from Memorial Park in Armstrong at 9 AM.  Those interested in carpooling can meet at Starbucks, 1970 Kane Rd., at 7:30AM.

Hope you can make it.  The weather forecast looks excellent.

A small swarm of Killer Beez took a trip to Armstrong and Revelstoke in August for some hiking and biking.  A very brave trio even rode to the top of Mount Revelstoke for kicks.

As September is approaching with it’s shorter days, the start time for the Killer Beez Sunday Group yard will change from 8 AM to 9 AM effective September 6th.

Ahh !  An extra hour of sleep.  Not a bad thing.

With all the current buzz about gravel bikes some of you might be considering taking the plunge.  The following two links could help with your decision:

Should your next bike be a gravel bike?

Are gravel bikes slower than road bikes?

It seems like many (or at least some) would like our Sunday Group Ride to start a little earlier during the Dog Days of Summer.  Therefore to reduce the possibility of sun stroke and heat rash, the Sunday Group Ride will start at 8 AM effective immediately.   This start time will remain in effect until further notice (probably for the whole month of August).

Remember to set your alarms accordingly.

I’m sure most of you are aware of the bike / automobile accident that happened on July 10th at the corner of Richter and Clement in Kelowna.  If you wish to see a video of the accident please click here.  The lead member of a cycling group was struck when a car turned right into her path as she was proceeding straight through the intersection.  The driver of the car was fined for failing to yield at a green light.  The cyclist was taken to hospital for treatment of her injuries.

You can draw your own conclusions from the video.  Certainly the driver of the car should have seen the cyclists and yielded to them.  However cyclists should be be ultra cautious when proceeding through intersections, especially when there are cars beside them.  We can’t assume that drivers will always see us and do the right thing.

With the extra heavy traffic conditions currently in effect, please be extra careful out there.

 

Claudio, who rode with the Killer Beez several times last year, is doing the Ride for MS once again this year (July 25 & 26).  Congratulations to Claudio for his efforts on behalf of this very worthy cause.  Please consider supporting Claudio’s ride by clicking on this link.

There’s a lot of buzz about gravel bikes lately.  Killer Bee members such as Lawrence Berg have been seen riding one on the trails in Sutherland Hills Park.  But what are they really, and how do they compare with cycle cross bikes?  Click on this link to display an excellent article which should answer all your questions.

 

In case some of you are finding road biking to be a little tame, or possibly even boring, and are considering mountain biking, check out the attached video.  Started 1000th, finished 39th! This is the most amazing catch up of history done by Maxime Ciriego at the Mountain of Hell 2019 final!  It’s best watched on a larger screen than a phone.  Also it’s over 40 minutes long but you probably won’t notice that.  Not for the faint of heart.  Fasten your seat belt ! !