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This Week on My Back 40 Podcast #155

I am this week’s guest on My Back 40. Thanks for having me on the show Steve! Take this opportunity to subscribe to My Back 40  if you don’t already. Steve spends a lot less time talking about bikes than I do, he and his guests instead get to explore the things that help or…

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Silk Road Mountain Race. Part 2 Lessons Learned

The writer reflects on their mistakes in a recent cycling race, identifying issues with route familiarity, electronic device handling, inadequate device charging, food management and other logistical aspects as factors contributing to their performance. They also express regret over not playing to their strengths like sleeping outdoors in colder conditions. In conclusion, the writer realizes…

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Silk Road Mountain Race part 1

Spoiler: I scratched at kilometre 1106 and did not complete the Silk Road Mountain Race.  I was under no illusions. I thought it was going to be hard I did think I could complete it though, so when the race started on Saturday, August 12, 2023, I started riding. I immediately settled in at the…

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Fatbikepacking Adventure With Teens

The teen years mean father and son trips are a lot lamer than they were when my son was young. Not that I’m slower, or less adventurous, but I’m just not as cool as his friends are. [as usual, click photos to enlarge.] The solution to this, is of course, to bring friends.           (more…)

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Fish Lakes Adventure – Amorous Porcupines, Kickboxing with Grouse, Hail, Snow, Mosquitoes, and More.

The difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude.Bob Bitchin Fish Lakes and Pipestone Pass are two of the most beautiful places in the Canadian Rockies. We’ve been before, and we’ll be back, but this time we brought our friends to show them one of our favourite hikes, and so our Fish Lakes Adventure…

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Redemption

Back in June my friends and I went for a bikepacking weekend up the Cascade valley, it was fun, except for the mud, rain, and the broken arm. This weekend, Jeremy and I set out with our daughters for a night at Lake Minnewanka’s LM11 campsite. Our prime goals were “no whining” and “no broken…

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Castle Wilderness – New to Us Route

I tried to talk Tadhg into bikepacking the Alberta Rockies 700 but he thought that sounded like a 2 week rather than 2 day ride. So, in the tradition of compromise, I scaled back. I may have to do it solo next year. I did want to do a new and hopefully a bit challenging…

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Why?

I get asked, like most winter cyclists, “why?” The situation varies between riding with my kids a couple of blocks, to riding in extreme cold, to riding and pushing through snow to go sleep outside somewhere. The implication is that it’s too hard to be worth it. Some of the questioning comes from a mistaken…

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Shadow Lake Fatbikepacking with Fiona

Every year I try to make it out on a couple of trips alone with each of our kids. The one-on-one time is great bonding for all of us. I try to choose something that will be at least some challenge so the kids can take some pride in it afterward. I have high hopes…

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