June 19, 2007 – Even the unseasonably cool and wet weather which made the 2007 edition of the Squamish Mountain Bike festival one of the most challenging in memory, couldn’t keep the riders and the enthusiastic Squamish volunteers from coming out in force.

After a record 48 minute sell-out, almost all those registered for the 2007 version of the North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal were lined up at the start line of the race.

“We had almost 850 riders at the start line and about 775 of them finished the race,” said race director Cliff Miller on Saturday.

A heavy early morning downpour on Saturday and steady showers all day made for a sloppy course especially for the back half of the pack.

“The first two hundred riders through get it pretty easy compared to the last five or six hundred,” Miller said. “On a day like today, the trails take a real spanking.”

For a second straight year, the race was won by Squamish local Neal Kindree who finished in a personal best time of 2:40:04 to take top spot in the men’s pro-elite category. In the women’s pro-elite category, Catherine Pendrel beat last year’s champ, Squamish local Meghan Kindree, with a time of 3:19:08.

The Test of Metal is the centre-piece of The Squamish Mountain Bike Festival that brings the community together to celebrate mountain biking for all ages and all abilities.

The Mountain Bike Festival weekend got started a week early this year with the introduction of the “Pre-Test,” a multi-lap race open to riders of all age, on June 9.

The riders, aged 12 and to 59, from the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast and Washington State raced through a gnarly seven km. single-track loop course in the Cheekeye Fan for a chance to win an entry into the Test of Metal.

On Sunday following the Test of Metal, more than 175 young riders took part in the Mini-Metal morning, an annual event for the 3 to 9 year olds. Sponsored by Corsa Cycles, the Mini-Metal challenges young riders bike handling skills through an obstacle course located behind Squamish Station Square.

The rainy weather did manage to postpone Sunday’s other big event, The Rockstar, an invitational downhill race through some of Squamish’s steepest granite.

“We could not ensure a safe course, so we decided to postpone,” said organizer Al Ross from Tantalus Bicycles. “But we will be holding it, sooner rather than later.”

Miller once again took some pains to thank the hundreds of local volunteers and supporters that help to make the event happen.

“If you factor in the organization, the Pre-Test, the set up and take down, the on-course volunteers, the business community and the spectators, this is really the work of thousands of people in the community,” he said. “This is a real Squamish event.”

This year a new volunteer component was added in the form of the Test of Metal Ambassadors. These ten experienced Test competitors rode the course with packs loaded with tubes, Cliff Bars and gels and tools to help and support racers on the course.

“We’re kind of like the BCAA of the Test of Metal,” said Ambassador coordinator Don Petrocco. “This year the biggest issue was cleaning and lubing chains, but our role really was to be ten more pairs of eyes and ears on the course and to help people who were struggling so that they could find their way to the finish line.”

Entries to the Test of Metal 2008 will be done through a random draw process to ensure fairness.

“Based on the 48 minute sellout this year, a random draw seems the fairest way to ensure everybody has an equal chance to participate,” Miller said.

Details about the random draw process will be released in the fall.