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!

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!

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.

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!”

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!

A Great Ride!

The first annual Skatelife GranFondo is in the books!
Thank you to all of our riders- it was a great adventure.
Thank you as well to all our sponsors & donors! At this year's event we raised $5000 to help Skatelife reach young people across Canada this summer!
A big thanks to Adam Trodder for his great help as our support driver in the VOS.
Thank you also to Rockridge Canyon for the awesome accommodations.
Here are some pics from the event... Enjoy!

SL GranFondo. Day 1 ride- June 18

June 18 route. Courtesy Map My Ride, 2011

In case you don't have an account with Map My Ride, here is some detail about day 1 of the SLGF, June 18.
The route leaves from Penticton along the east side of Skaha Lake. We'll make our way down to Osoyoos through Oliver riding a mix of the Hwy 97 & backroads. This stage of the ride will be a great warm up as the route gradually descends to Osooyos.
Coming out of Osoyoos is our most challenging climb- a long ascent that is largely cat 3. From there we coast into Keremeos, and finish with a gradual ascent to Princeton.

June 18 route elevations. Courtesy Map My Ride 2011

Skatelife GranFondo

Skatelife's GranFondo is just over a month away!

Skatelife's first charity ride, June 18-19 is a ride through the beautiful Okanagan valley from Penticton to Princeton BC- and back again.

Stay tuned here for all the updates & info for this summers amazing cycling event!
Also, click on any of the highlights to connect to detailed route info & elevations, Rockridge Canyon accommodations, and more.

Interested to know more about Skatelife's work with young people? Check our website at skatelife.ca.

Skatelife is a part of Young Life of Canada's mission to youth. Find out more at younglife.ca.

Be a rider! Sign up on our registration page.

Or, sponsor one of our SLGF riders. click here to make an online contribution.

Give us a call any time.
604 807 3718

Thanks for joining us as on this great ride for a great cause!