Cruiser Ride October 10th!

Ever wanted to be a part of a massive Cruiser ride in your own town? If your answer to this is "yes", here's your chance. October the 10th (Holiday Monday) there is a Cruiser Cruise starting at 12:00 Noon at Pro City Cycle on Craigflower Rd. Also, they will be collecting donations for SIMBS, so it is for fun and you can help out SIMBS as well!

Rules:
9 Speeds or less (all others including MTN bikes, roadies etc. ride at the back of the pack).

Pro City Cycle
416 Craigflower Rd.
Victoria, BC

For more information contact Stacey here.

Note: This is NOT a SIMBS sponsored event, we are simply advertising this for them, and they have offered to help us out with donations to SIMBS..... That rocks!

Women's Ride for September 11th Canceled!!

Sorry folks, but the Women's Ride for this Sunday the 11th of September has had to be canceled. Due to to other obligations, Katherine Wright has had to cancel this months ride. She (and we) tried to get someone to fill in for her this month, but alas were unsuccessful. Next month the Women's ride will take place as usual, so see you out there then.

Sorry for the inconvenience.
SIMBS

2005 Sugoi Dirt Series presented by Rocky Mountain

Mountain Bike Instruction Comes to a Trail Near You

(Victoria BC Camp Date: September the 10-11th).

In the past four years, the coaches of the Sugoi Dirt Series women's technical mountain bike camps have given hundreds of women new skills and confidence on their bikes. More than that, lives have been changed as the self-esteem gained from conquering fears and riding the previously impossible inevitably carries back into everyday life.

From the very first year of the program, the Sugoi Dirt Series' Victoria camps have been something special. With great local shops like this year's host Rider's Cycles, an enthusiastic riding community centered around the South Island Mountain Bike Society and a one-of-kind singletrack oasis in Hartland Mountain Bike Park, Victoria is a center of mountain bike culture.

This year, the Sugoi Dirt Series will cross the Straight on the weekend of September 10-11, bringing their unique combination of skills, community and fun to Victoria. Each morning, campers will gather at Rider's Cycles before heading to SJ Willis field for skill sessions tailored to each rider's needs. In the afternoon, Hartland Mountain Bike Park will be the setting for group rides which will allow for lots of new skills practice in real-world trail settings.

A Dirt Series' weekend also includes a host of opportunities to demo new gear, including the latest in full-suspension bike technology from Rocky Mountain, and a Saturday night session at Rider's Cycles. During the evening session, campers will have the chance to learn new mechanical skills, get some one-onone bike fit time and get super deals on products from the great group of sponsors who make the Dirt Series possible.

With a limit of 36 riders per camp, the participant to coach ratio never exceeds 6:1. The range of skills taught covers everything from the fundamentals of correct body positioning, shifting and braking, to advanced maneuvers such as wheelie drops, bunny hops and manuals. The Sugoi Dirt Series coaches are world class and the small camp size ensures that every rider gets the individual attention and personal feedback that they need to progress.

Based in Whistler, BC, the Series began with three camps and the simple goal of getting more women excited about the sport. Since then, it has grown by leaps and bounds every year. Its 2005 schedule features a total of 19 camps in four states and two Canadian provinces.


Exact camp details and registration information can be found at www.dirtseries.com .
The Sugoi Dirt Series is presented by Rocky Mountain and supported by PowerBar, Nokian, Fox Racing Shox, Syncros, Hoots, Deuter, Carrera Eyewear, Lake, Giro, WTB, Pedros, Timbuk2, Brave Soldier, Sole Custom Footbeds, Kryptonite, Sea to Sky Ford, Red Bull, Sleeman Breweries and Kicking Horse Coffee.

For more information, please contact:

Candace Shadley
Sugoi Dirt Series
candace@dirtseries.com
604-905-8876

Important Notice:

Trail Maintenance for Sunday August 21 st Canceled!!

Hello All,
Unfortunately we will not be holding our usual maintenance day this Sunday (August the 21 st) due to many key volunteers being out of town. My apologies for the late notice. We will be back in September, see you then!

Regards,

Russ Campbell
SIMBS Vice-President and Trail Committee Chair

SIMBS First Annual Poker Run Recap

If you didn't come to the poker run last Sunday on the 14th of August, you missed a great day. Over 80 participants took part in the Poker Run helping to raise over $700 for SIMBS. Yes, it was a very hot day, and over $1600 in prizes were given out to eager participants.

For the blow by blow, check out the full wrap up from Rene Godin here.

SIMBS EGM Wrap Up


Simbs President and Directors in front of the EGM crowd.

SIMBS EGM Wrap up and a few words from the Prez...

In all, 78 people attended our first ever Extraordinary General Meeting held August 10th at the Archie Browning Center. The topics of the evening were discussions on our insurance issues and advocacy. We had plenty of response from the audience and many questions were answered and rumors put to rest.

The long and short of it is, Hartland will remain open and SIMBS can get insurance albeit at increased rates over last year. We will be looking to partnerships and corporate sponsors to assist in this financial burden.

On the advocacy front, many ideas were discussed along with a wish list of future riding areas to work on. SIMBS will be striking up a new advocacy committee in September to work on the various aspects of gaining access. Due to our month to month license agreement now in place with CRD due to a legal case, SIMBS will is unable to create new license agreements with CRD Parks. This however, will change come April of 2006 so we will be laying out the foundations of our strategy over the next 8 months. If you wish to assist us in our efforts to gain access, please contact me at president@simbs.com. The next few years are going to be critical if SIMBS is to "break out" of the Hartland only identity. Therefore, we will need all of the riding community to join us in our fight for our right to recreate on public lands.

Our longest standing corporate sponsor Lighthouse Brewery supplied some much needed award winning Beacon India Pale Ale and Lighthouse Lager to finish off the night, thanks Paul.

Note: For a copy of the background info on SIMBS insurance issues handed out at the meeting, click here.

Want to Join SIMBS as an "Advocate Member"?

What is an "Advocate Member"? Well I am glad you asked. The SIMBS definition of an Advocate Member and their role in SIMBS is as follows:
"The purpose of an Advocate member is to add their voice to our efforts for increased land access and build our membership numbers. Advocate members do not receive MUD news or the incentive discount program but they can take full advantage of our web resources on the SIMBS website".

If you are already a paying member of SIMBS, you do not need to re-sign up as an advocate member, you are already filling that role. However, should you not be able to get together the scratch to pay for a standard, student, or family membership, this is your way to help out!

Remember, to have our voice heard by those who count, we need members. The more members we have, the more we stand out. Click here to join as an "Advocate Member" or to sign up for a full membership! Thanks for your support.

**Important: Updates on Youth rides for the next few months. (Posted July 18, 2005)
The following dates and or times for the Youth rides have been changed. Please make note of these times should you wish to attend:

Youth Ride for August 2005 cancelled!!

Sunday September 11th 2005 Youth Ride time changed to 10:00 AM!!

VERY IMPORTANT MEETING!!

On August 10, 2005, all SIMBS members are invited to attend an extraordinary general meeting. The purpose of the meeting is twofold:

- SIMBS board members will inform the membership of recent developments regarding insurance and operation of Hartland Park. If you've been feeling "in the dark" about what's really happening on the insurance issue, you won't want to miss this meeting.

- All members will have an opportunity to provide input to the Board with respect to their preferred direction and focus for SIMBS in the coming months and years.

Between now and the meeting on August 10, SIMBS president James Brown will be meeting with CRD staff to seek further clarification and information on these important issues. Depending on what develops over the next few weeks, you - the members - could play a very important role in defining SIMBS' role and where we concentrate our efforts.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to have a say on the future of mountain biking on the south island.

MEETING DETAILS: Location: Archie Browning Center., 1151 Esquimalt Rd. ("Crowsnest" room, located upstairs between the two hockey rinks)
Time: August 10, 7:00pm.
Beverages: Will be available on-site after the meeting.
*Note: Safe bicycle parking will be available outside courtesy of Chain Chain Chain.

click for full sized poster

SIMBS First Annual Poker Run

SIMBS would like to invite you to the try a POKER RUN on the 14th of Aug 2005. All proceeds will go towards raising funds for advocacy and insurance costs for mountain biking!

Sign up is teams of two people and the entry fee is $10 per person. Pick up your pre-race registration at your local bike shop and send it in by the 8th of Aug (all details will be on the registration form). On poker run day, the check in time will be at 10:30 am, with the race beginning at 11 am. For all the Johnny come lately's, there will be race day registration beginning at 9 am. Coffee and snacks will be available prior to the poker run commencing. The best part of the event is after the poker run. There will be a barbeque with refreshments and the Ton of draw prizes to give away from our amazing sponsors.

(By the way, what the heck's a poker run?). A poker run is a day of fun for all riders regardless of skill level and suitable for all ages. A Poker Run is a card game where riders depart from a starting point (TTA) to four random checkpoints in the Hartland Park. Riders pick up one playing card at each checkpoint, the rider with the best poker hand at the final checkpoint wins. Riders can chose any trail available in the park to get to the pre-determined spots therefore ensuring all rider skill levels can participate.

If you should have any questions or would like to volunteer please contact René at rene@simbs.com or call 370-2872. So, mark your calendars today for August 14 th 2005, and be sure to capture some of the excitement of taking part in the SIMBS Poker Run!

link to PDF version of Poker Run Poster

June 4, 2005 - SIMBS fundraising party and dance! (Posted May 15, 2005)
No doubt, you've heard that SIMBS was having some trouble finding the insurance we need to work and play in Hartland. Well, we found temporary insurance that will see us through most of the summer. However, the new insurance is significantly more costly than in previous years (blame a nervous insurance industry) because legal action at outdoor recreation areas like Hartland has not increased substantially).In order to help ensure the park will remain open and our activities in it can continue, SIMBS needs to raise more funds to cover future insurance costs.

So, come on down to the Victoria Event Centre @ 7:00 PM (1415 Broad Street, near the New VI) for a great party to support this important cause (duh - keeping your bike park open!). We are bringing in a hot and very danceable band that will get everyone groovin'. The event will be licensed, so 19+ can enjoy delicious and cheap beer (sorry, no underage at this event). The good times start rollin' at 8pm on Saturday June 4th and go till late. So bring some cash, come early, stay late, drink and dance and hang out with your friends for a good cause. This sacrifice will put you in good standing in the mountain biking karma department, too!

Sundry details. Admission is $10. Chain Chain Chain across the street will provide parking for your 2 wheels - or take a bus or a cab so you can really kick back. If your SIMBS membership has lapsed, you can even renew it at the party! Tickets are available at: Chain Chain Chain, Marty's Mountain Cycle, Mac's Cycle Centre, Oak Bay Bikes, Rider's Cycles, Russ Hays The Bicycle Shop