April 12, 2012 (Ontario) – With Mansfield just weeks away, time is running out to register for the full series and save! Your full series registration includes a limited edition t-shirt as well as registration for the Trek Store Canada Cup at Hardwood Ski and Bike (also O Cup #3). You must register for the full series by April 25th to take advantage of the savings. Register HERE.
Haven’t got your licence yet? Head over to the Ontario Cycling Association and fill out your online application today.
Plastiglas Ontario Cup #1, Mansfield, April 29
The Plastiglas Ontario Cup is sure to be a blast from Mansfield to Provincial Championships at Duntroon. Our mild winter and early spring have left the trails in amazing shape and all of the staff at Chico can’t wait to get the season started. New for 2012 is the addition of the Naughton Trails venue in Sudbury. Think open, rocky terrain with awesome flowy singletrack that’s sure to impress even the most seasoned riders.
Learn to Race Clinic 2012
Back for 2012 is our 3rd annual Learn to Race Clinic. Come out to Mansfield April 28th (Saturday before O Cup #1) and learn from some of Canada’s top riders including: Amanda Sin (Scott/3Rox), Andrew Watson (Norco Factory), Peter Glassford and Cayley Brooks (Trek Canada) and Mike Garrigan (OCA MTB Coach/Lapierre Canada)
The morning’s youth group will focus on core skills such as climbing, cornering and descending, as well as topics such as bicycle fit, race nutrition, and how to fix flat tires. In the afternoon it’s the adults turn to learn with an in-class session featuring a race nutrition tutorial by Peter Glassford (all the way from California!). Next we’ll head out to the trails to perfect our skills.
Cost is $25 + HST per person and includes your Mansfield O Cup pre-ride fee. Register now as spots are limited!
Crank The Shield 2012
For 2012, compare your times to World Cup super stars and Olympic hopefuls Geoff Kabush and Derek Zandstra (Scott/3Rox). Who knows, maybe you’ll even sit at their table for dinner…
The best way to enjoy the amazing trails and scenic views is to arrive prepared. Sign up for a free Crank The Shield training plan with Peter Glassford of Smart Athlete Training and learn what it takes to get the most out of your CTS experience. Sign up now, training starts May 1st. This is the Smart Athlete Signup link.
Mud Hero – Aug. 25
Only for Chico Racing supporters and friends – Sign up by April 22 for Toronto and save $5 on registration! Promo Code: chicomudhero . Chico Racing is involved with this event taking place at Albion Hills, August 25.
Visit www.mudhero.com for registration and more information.
24 Hours of Solstice, June 23-24 – 85% Full – Info
The 15th Anniversary 24 Hours of Summer Solstice is one of North America’s most popular mountain bike relay events. It’s a non-stop weekend of mountain biking and excitement getting even better. This is a weekend focused on friends, mountain biking and camping that has been a tradition for many over the years.
If you haven’t done one of our 24 hour events in years you will absolutely love the course improvement we have made. This course offers more flow than ever before (we’re going to offer a few more easy/hard routes for the more advanced riders).
Top 3 Reasons to do the Solstice this year:
1) You need to reconnect with your mountain bike, why not spend a weekend doing it.
2) Sitting around a campfire with friends after completing your lap is magical.
3) With only one 24 hour event this one will sell out quickly.
Opus Spring Epic 8 Hour, May 26 – Info
Mansfield Outdoor Center plays host to Ontario’s most popular 8 hour event. For some this is the perfect warm-up for the 24 hour, while others find the 8 hour event their main focus.
Top 3 Reasons to do the Epic 8 this year
1) With an early spring, you’ll be in top form for the Spring Epic 8!
2) Once you climb up the first hill, the rest of the Mansfield course is rolling and fun with some amazing downhill sections.
3) The Epic Kid’s Race makes this a great event to bring to whole family to.
Word from Chico
With Emily Batty, Subaru/Trek and Derek Zandstra, SCOTT/3 Rox being the top North Americans at the last World Cup MTB Race people are wondering why Ontario is so successful. Here are a few of the reasons I feel Ontario mountain biking works so well:
1. Hardwood, Lapdogs, Two Wheel, Walden, Cycle Solutions and Esteem Training are just a few of the clubs who have been working very hard developing and attracting more people to mountain biking.
2. Teams like SCOTT / 3 Rox Racing and Trek Canada are centered in Ontario and have helped take the best talent to the next level in Canada.
3. Mass participation events, and weekly series races, have been a great feeder for the Ontario provincial race series.
4. Race organizers in Ontario focus on the fun side of mountain biking, getting better turnouts, attracting more participants and in turn having the most competitive racing in Canada.
5. The Ontario Cycling Association is definitely more forward-thinking than many of the other provincial organizations when it comes to mountain biking.
6. Ontario has a lot of great mountain bike venues with committed trail builders and venues. Just look at the course HBCC developed for the Ontario Championships at Duntroon!
I look forward to seeing you out at some of our Chico Racing events in 2012, and thank you for your support. Come out and be part of one of the best mountain bike event scenes in North America!