A change of plans, but the ride continues!

Sometimes plans need to change...

Due to circumstances this year Skatelife could not run the full Skatelife GranFondo in the Okanagan this weekend. So, this Sunday, June 22 a few of us from Vancouver have decided to ride 100 miles anyway and raise funds for Skatelife’s work with young people across Canada.

We need your help to get us through the day!
Our goal is to raise $5000 in donations to get us around our 100 mile circuit. The good news is we have already raised $3500!

Can you help us in raising the remaining $1500?

It’s easy to donate! Simply follow the links below to the Skatelife GranFondo donation page and give using your credit card. Or, you can reply back to this email with a donation pledge for any amount you wish and we will get in touch with you.


Our ride will be a fun loop around the Fraser Valley from Vancouver and back.
Are you interested to join us for some or all of the ride?
Email us here. We'd love the company!

If you’d like more information about Skatelife’s outreach to young people, check out our website, http://www.skatelife.ca

Thank you for supporting this important outreach!

The SLGF 30 km Challenge

Do big rides make you nervous? Don't fear- we've made the Skatelife GranFondo a ride for everyone with the 30 km challenge.


It’s only 30 km!
These traditional French kilometre markers will be our guide through this years route, marking out the 30 km rest stops. Breaking your ride into 30 km stages keeps your legs fresh and provides fun goals to reach along the route! 

Day 1
Our first stop is at the summit of the climb out of Okanagan Falls. White Lake Road connects here with Hwy 3. At 60 km we break for a hearty lunch in Keremeos. The last stop at 90 km is the beginning of the home stretch as we leave Hwy 3 for scenic Old Hedley Rd.

Day 2
After a 30 km warm up from Princeton we break close to Bromley Rock Park. Lunch is served again in Keremeos at 60 km. then, riders are tested with the day 2 ascent up and over the routes final pass. There is a brief break at 90 km before cruising to victory back in OK Falls!

Register now for this Summer's Skatelife GranFondo, June 21-22. Click here to sign up to ride, or find out more info on the Skatelife GranFondo website.
See you this summer!

2014 Skatelife GranFondo jerseys

The new 2014 Skatelife GranFondo jersey design is out and we can hardly wait to get them on for a ride!

These Jakroo jerseys from Haymann Sport are high quality, and with your choice of sport of race fit they will suit your ride perfectly! Our classic jersey design is provided by Nathan Siemens at Slumberfight Design. We will be adding our sponsor logos to the jersey in April. Is your business interested to get a logo on this sweet jersey? Contact us and we'll set you up as a SLGF sponsor!

Order your SLGF jersey today!
You can customize the size and style of fit to suit you best. Go to the Haymann Sport website for fit details. Once you have found the size you like, go to the SLGF registration page to order your jersey and register for the ride!

Time to register

Now is a great time to sign up to ride the Skatelife GranFondo.
You have 3 registration options- Gold, Silver, or SLGF rider. The registration page has all the info you need. We look forward to cycling with you this year!

Charity rides- the new golf tournament

Check out this article in the Vancouver Province  newspaper the other day. In it they ask, "Is cycling is the new golf?" It is an interesting proposal given the recent surge of interest in road biking. For me the answer is yes- I put away my clubs 4 years ago as I discovered a new love for cycling.

The question I would ask as well is then, has the cycling charity ride become the new charity golf tournament? I have attended many golf tournaments, some as grueling as 100 holes in one day. I must say they can be a lot of fun and a great excuse to walk through some great scenery. However, now that I have ridden in a few charity rides, I can say that I can get a lot more scenery in a day than at any golf tourney!

Both golf and cycling events do a great job at raising funds for many worthy charities. One thing I love about a fundraising cycling event is that the effort needed to pull off a long ride makes me feel like I've accomplished something special. It is also a fun challenge to match the hard work of riding with hard work raising funds for the event. As well, it's hard not to sponsor a rider when they tell you they are going to clock a couple hundred clicks in one event for a charity. If a rider can donate that kind of effort, I can donate some money!

Whether you are a regular rider at charity cycling events, or if you are considering your first one this summer, on behalf of all the great non-profit organizations- Thank You! Your effort to ride and raise funds really encourages our effort to reach out in our community.

If you want to make this your summer to try to Skatelife GranFondo, now's the time to sign up! Click here for registration info and much more. See you this summer!

Get ready now for cycling ahead

 

Five ideas to get you prepared for Skatelife's GranFondo June 21-22.

 

Depending on where you are spring may or may not have sprung already. Whether you are seeing daffodils or snowbanks here are five ways you can prepare for Skatelife's GranFondo, June 21-22!

1. Get your bike tuned up. Avoid the warm weather bike tune up rush and take your bike to your local bike shop now for some servicing. Then your bike will be ready when the roads are ready.
2. Got an indoor trainer? Start spinning! whether it's a trainer, rollers, or even a cycling trainer at your local pool, getting some regular spinning now will prep those legs for the rides to come.
3. Get active. Shake off that winter rust- even if you can't pedal, with an exercise routine. A regular, brisk walk, run, swim, etc will get your heart back in shape- an important muscle for cycling.
4. Build up your core. Strong core muscles are surprisingly important for strong cycling. Find a few excersises you can work on at home that develop core muscles (abdominals, lower back and hips). You will find greater power, stamina, and comfort on your bike with a regular core work out now.
5. Watch some cycling videos. Nothing gets you excited to get on the road like a fun video. The spring classics are coming up soon if you want to watch some races. Or, enjoy a film like Breaking Away if you have a couple hours.

Get ready for a fun cycling season- and a great time at the Skatelife GranFondo!

SLGF 2014 Route

More back roads, better scenery- 
Here are the Skatelife Granfondo 2014 routes!

Images courtesy of Map My Ride 2014

Day one of the SLGF takes cyclists119 km from Okanagan Falls to Princeton. Our route begins on backroads through a grassland reserve then connects to Hwy 3 at Yellow Lake. From this summit we have a nice downhill cruise to Keremeos for lunch. Then, after taking on the Keremeos head wind we turn off to Old Hedley Road for a fun stretch through Princeton farm country. Riders finish in Princeton after a great first day!

 

 

 

 

Day 2 is 112 km from Princeton to Okanagan Falls. Our route is generally the same, but with a tail wind and more descending. Again, the main stop for the day is Keremeos. After a break the work begins as we ascend up and over Twin Lakes Rd. Our much deserved home stretch is a fun rural descent back to Okanagan Falls to complete a fabulous cycling tour!

Announcing the 2014 Skatelife GranFondo!

We are thrilled to announce this summer's Skatelife GranFondo, June 21-22, 2014.

This two day cycling charity event takes riders through beautiful Okanagan and Similkameen scenery on a return tour from Okanagan Falls south of Penticton to Princeton and back. Accommodations will be provided for cyclists at Young Life's fabulous Rockridge Canyon Resort just outside of Princeton.

The ride is fully supported with multiple support stations en route, including meals, snacks, and bicycle adjustments if needed. Whether this is your first cycling season, or if you are a seasoned rider, come enjoy a great weekend supporting a great charity.
Many more details will be released in the coming days and weeks so check in regularly on our blog, or on the SLGF facebook page.

Registrations will open in January. Maximum participants for this summer's ride is 20. You can pre-book your spot now by emailing a confirmation of your participation to skatelife@younglife.ca.

Looking forward to riding with you this summer!

The SLGF team

We did it!

The third annual Skatelife GranFondo is in the books!
Warm sun, great roads, awesome support team, and fun company made this ride a complete success.

Thank you to all of our donors, volunteers, riders, well wishers and sponsors.
In the coming days check back for some fun pictures of the weekend.
If you missed out this year, plan now to ride the Skatelife GranFondo 2014, June 21-22!

Our SLGF 2012 riding team!

Last days of prep for the big ride!

Here's an article from Velo News with some good tips for riding just prior to a GranFondo. It's all about tapering the effort down to allow your body rest prior to a big effort.


"Tapering before your Gran Fondo is important. Trying to get in a last minute 100-mile ride to boost your endurance in the week prior to the event will not help. You’d be better off tapering to make sure that you are rested before a long challenging ride.

Make sure you are well rested before a Gran Fondo.
How best to taper?
•Do your last endurance workout 4-8 days before your Gran Fondo.
•Avoid “big gear” workouts for 1-2 weeks before the event.
•Avoid exhaustive aerobic workouts for the three days prior to leaving for your Gran Fondo
•Intervals (LT) are OK in the last week, but should be avoided in final 2 or 3 days before you depart for the event
•Use an active recovery ride (very, very easy) in the days before, or simply rest if riding isn’t an option
•Treat the first few kilometers of the Gran Fondo as a “warm-up” to get your legs accustomed to the effort

If you’re looking to peak for your Gran Fondo event you’ll want to reduce volume in the week before but maintain your intensity. High volume makes recovery more difficult, and lower volume allows the rest required for replacing glycogen stores, while giving you time to psych yourself up for the hard efforts ahead. As your schedule permits, you’ll want to continue to ride, but keep in mind that you’ll benefit most from decreasing the duration of your intervals while maintaining intensity."

Article from

Training for Gran Fondos, part 5: Tapering and tips

• By Curtis and Kristi Eastin, Chris Jones
• Published Jul. 20, 2010
• Updated Dec. 14, 2012 at 3:36 PM EDT

 See the entire article here.

Mapping out the ride

Here is a complete picture of the day 1 and day 2 routes of the Skatelife GranFondo. Included are elevations, re-fuel stop locations, and even grades. Now all that's left is the biking!
We are excited to have a great support team backing us up en route for the weekend- Thank you volunteers!

Day 1 of the SLGF, 2013

Day 2

Route adjustment = better day 1 riding

New day 1 route around Skaha Lake (image Map My Ride)

Our Skatelife GranFondo "route consulting committee" has come up with a slight adjustment for the day 1 route which will offer quieter roads and better scenery for the first 19 km of the ride.

The new route will lead all our cyclists from our start point in south Penticton along the east side of Skaha Lake to Okanagan Falls. From there the main group will begin the ascent to the Hwy 3a Junction

A great ride around Skaha Lake (photo The Doctrine Training and Racing)

and beyond toward Keremeos.

We will provide the first rider check point at OK Falls where cyclists can grab snacks, adjust their gear, etc if they want. Of course our luxury support vehicles (Van of Shame) can offer 'assistance' to riders at any point up the ascent toward Keremeos.

On Sunday's return home we will stay on Hwy 97 from the 3A junction in to our finish in Penticton.

Jerseys are on their way!

Is your jersey collection looking a little too 'retro'? Does your jersey stand on it's own after a ride? Has it developed new pin striping rings under the armpits? Tired of all the comments from that old Livestong jersey you got a few years back?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions then this summer's Skatelife GranFondo has a treat for you!

Check out our new jerseys for this year's ride! They come from Hayman Sport in the Okanagan, and they are great quality, stylish items guaranteed to make you faster! (or look like you are faster!)

All participants raising funds as Silver or Gold riders will get a jersey as a big thank you for helping support Skatelife's important work with young people.

If you are coming and would like to pick one up- they are available for $85 and come in sport fit and race fit.

Or, you can pre-order one right now by emailing skatelife@younglife.ca.

 

More GranFondo Training Tips- Speed

Our second training tip comes again courtesy of Velonews. Enjoy!
 
Excepts from...
Training for Gran Fondo's, Part 2: Speed
by Velonews.com
Published  --> Mar. 26, 2010
Updated  Jul. 23, 2010 at 1:23 PM EDT -->

"When we talk about “speed work” in the context of this article we don’t necessarily mean racing. What we mean is keeping the pace of whichever group you find yourself riding in, be it two or 20 riders. This has many benefits for riders of long tours; sticking with a group and drafting helps to save energy and promote recovery.

Riding with a “quicker” group could save you energy in the long run, so safely practicing speed in groups could be an option.

When pedaling, think about spinning in circles. Be aware of picking up your power stroke as early as possible over the top of the pedaling cycle. Similarly, at the bottom of the cycle, think of scraping mud off a shoe to help get through the so-called dead-spot.

Don’t avoid speed work, even if you’re not a “racer” per se, and try to avoid gear mashing.

Pushing a big gear fatigues the leg muscles more quickly than spinning (in a smaller gear)."

Hope this helps. Check out the rest of the article here.

It's training time!

The weather has turned & it's the perfect time to prep for a great weekend of riding this summer at the Skatelife GranFondo.Preparing now for your ride will allow you the fitness and endurance you'll want for the event.

We've searched the internet and found some great articles to help your training, so stay tuned in the coming days and have fun riding!

Excerpts from- 
 Training For Gran Fondos, Part 1: Endurance

•    By Curtis and Kristi Eastin, Chris Jones

•    Published Feb. 23, 2010

•    Updated Dec. 15, 2012 at 11:23 PM EDT

From Velo News

“Since we’re speaking of training for endurance and not for “speed,” your most important ride will be your long ride. It is important not to mix your weekly endurance rides with speed, strength and power workouts. Avoid the local group ride on these days.

Find a friend who likes to ride steady i.e. you can still hold a conversation — yes, even uphill and on your favorite town-line sprints! Avoid those friends who insist on half-wheeling you. The objective is to train not only your muscles and your cardiovascular system — both of which receive benefits from strength, speed and power workouts — but also to train your digestive system and your ability to use energy efficiently.

The key is to plan and build up the miles slowly and consistently and enjoy your cycling!”

This year's SLGF sponsors- Making a great event even better!

A big shout out to all of our SLGF '13 sponsors. We are grateful to have these partners helping make this summer's ride the best yet.

This years' partners include Cannondale, Different Bikes in West Vancouver, New Line Skateparks, and Kelowna Cycle.

Register to Ride the Skatelife GranFondo

Registration is now open for this summer's Skatelife GranFondo, June 22-23.
Simply click on the registration link on the right to set up your rider page and you'll be ready to ride!
This year we are offering three rider options: Gold, Silver and SLGF Rider.

Thank you for joining us as we raise funds to help Skatelife reach out to young people across Canada!

SLGF Brochure

The Skatelife GranFondo Brochure is here!
We have a great route planned taking us from the Okanagan Valley to the Similkameen Valley and back. Our registration page will be online by the first week of March, so book off June 22-23 now and get ready to ride!

New web page- slgf.ca!

Hello cycling fans,

Soon you will have another option for getting the latest on the upcoming Skatelife GranFondo, June 22-23, 2013. You can continue checking us our on our Blogger page, or you can soon go to our new website, slgf.ca. Either way you will be connected to the latest info as this amazing cycling event approaches!

See you online again soon!

Skatelife GranFondo 2013!

It's never too early to think about a good ride!
The SLGF 2013 poster is here- and more info is coming soon.
Next summer's dates are June 22-23, 2013. Set the dates in your calendar and put the weekend on your Christmas list.
Check back in regularly for more details...

Day 2 pics

Day 2
It was hard to imagine anything more epic than day one's amazing morning scenery, and the afternoon's storm of the year.
But day two was unforgettable with a massive ascent, wild horses, a one hour downpour, and warm sun to get us home.

Check out the photos below...

Geoff Ratzlaff is the real reason for the success of the trip! Thanks Geoff for all the back up work.

Imre Kovacs, takes time for a photo before crushing the mountain

Dean, Peter & Alex representing Team Puke

Only 103 km to go

Shawn Hoffarth grinds up the mountain

RJ Dueck earning the SLGF black & blue jersey

Peter Sinclair pretending he has a flat so he can make his 2nd place in the 'King of the Mountain' look even more spectacular

Torrential rains prove to be the only thing that can get the whole SLGF team into the Van of Shame!

Amiel Flett- Brown mentally prepares himself for the final leg of the tour

Another happy VOS visitor

Another great showing from the Marvin Penner & the Vernon Wheelers

Marvin happened to roll into the Merritt Starbucks parking lot at the front of the pack, & unwittingly takes the coveted SLGF yellow jersey for first overall

Peter takes the SLGF green sprinters jersey

Dave Stew uses the front seat of the VOS to get him to the top of the climb first, and is awarded the SLGF poka-dot king of the mountain jersey

Amiel takes the SLGF fastest young rider white jersey

Alex is deeply moved by RJ's acceptance speech of the SLGF painful endurance black & blue jersey