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!

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.

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.

 

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!

Fueling the Fondo- Coffee time

Cafe for Contemporary Art

A big thank you to Cafca- the Cafe for Contemporary Art who will be keeping us fired up at the Skatelife GranFondo, June 23-24.

If you are in North Vancouver, don't miss the best coffee in town. They are at 140 East Esplanade- half a block east of Lonsdale.

Check them online here, or see you there!

Wild horse crossing / Horse power

Wild peloton action close to Logan Lake

Wild Horse Crossing

The other day I was talking about the Skatelife GranFondo route to someone who regularly travels through the area. I thought it was a bit unusual that the first thing he mentioned about the roads was to 'watch for the wild horses on the road between Cache Creek & Merritt'. So I looked into it & turns out he's right. The highlands around Logan lake are home to over 250 wild horses. I don't think they will be any trouble, but it would be fun to see them during the ride. Keep your eyes peeled!


Horse Power

Everyone has their own system to prepare for a long ride like the Skatelife GranFondo. If you are looking for another pre-ride training idea, or need some guidance in your training, check out this article from Bicycling.com.   They suggest a variety of rides each prep week including a long ride, a steady ride, and a speed ride to build strength & endurance for the event. Check it out.

Elevations!

After checking out the actual route of a ride, the very next thing I want to figure out is how many hills am I going to be climbing?
Thanks to Map My Ride we have all the details of this summer's Skatelife GranFondo elevations.
Day 1 from Merritt to Cache Creek is actually not a strenuous day of huge elevation changes (save that for day 2!). We will actually lose altitude over-all. Check out the general altitude chart with the expanded categorized climb chart following it.

Overall elevations for day 1

Climbing details

Day 2 is the big climb day. After a 12km warm up from Cache Creek to Ashcroft it's up, up, and away on a 17 km ascent to high country ranch land- and a surreal open pit copper mine. You'll feel like you'll have ascended up into an alien landscape!
Not to worry, from the peak its a great & beautiful cruise South- East for the remaining 70km back to Merritt.

Day two elevation overview

Climbing details

Sight lines. Some of the views from the SLGF

Here are some pics of what we'll be looking at as we ride the Skatelife GranFondo.
We're only two weekends away!

Vaseau Lake, km 25

Osoyoos Lk, km 55

Richter Pass, km 70

Cawston, km 100

Bromley Rock, Day 2, km 22

SL GranFondo. Day 2 ride, June 19

Day 2 of the SL GranFondo is generally a shorter & easier ride. Our slow ascent from Keremeos to Princeton day 1 turns into a gradual descent along the Old Hedley road beside the river. From Keremeos to the Oliver junction is the most difficult portion of the ride, including a a Cat 3 climb. Then its all down hill to the finish back in Penticton!

Day 2 route courtesy Map My Ride 2011

Day 2 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!