NOCS

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Time to come out and give a little back to those trails you ride.

Meet 9am at Cosens Bay parking lot.

Will need shuttle vehicles to get up to top of Big Ed Bring water & snacks for a few hours labour!

TAILGATE BBQ AFTER

Check out their website for more race info: http://interiorcross.weebly.com/index.html

Vernon’s first Cross Event.  Located at the Vernon Army Cadet summer training centre grounds, parking lot at the corner of Paschendaal Dr and Hwy 97, just south of the city centre on the hill out of town towards Kelowna.
October 9th sign on 9am
B Race 10
A Race 11
$15 entry + $10 if you don’t already have a cx race licence and need to purchase one
Prizes, fun racing and community feel

What is Cyclocross?

Cyclo-cross paraphrased from Wikipedia

Cyclo-cross (CX) is ridiculously fun bike racing. Races take place typically in the autumn and winter, and consists of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5  km or 1.5–2  mile) course which may include pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount and carry their bike while navigating the obstruction and remount in one motion. Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions.

Get amped watching this video…sorry for the lack of gals racing, will have to search some more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWxuDZL_420&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWxuDZL_420 An American CycloCros Season

What not to do in Cross…thank you Craig Ritchey!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk-rvdS_UME

NOCS and Silver Star have teamed up to host a costume ride for the last night of extended play on August 31 at the Silver Star Bike Park. Bring your best costume and ride in it!!! Prizes will be at the saloon after the lifts close.

GROUP RIDES

Check out our calendar for more info on group rides. There are ride nights 4 nights a week!

**  GET READY FOR THE WEEKEND!! **

As part of the TWO WHEEL WEEKEND Silver Star is hosting its second annual Dag’s Downhill fun race this Saturday,  11:00 – 1:00.  NOCS will be present with its fabulous volunteers; wonderful Ted Spearin will be running the digital timing.  $25.00 to enter; all the money goes back to the winners.  Anyone under 18 must have a parent or guardian on site to sign a waiver.  Sign up Saturday in the Village…..

**Spin the NOCS Wheel of MisForture at the top of the Mountain on Sunday**

SPANKY’S….  there will be active logging at logging block 85421 for about 1 month … the area around the first switchback across the road above Shy Turtle (or thereabouts).   The contractor has blocked off the trail within the area affected.   So please, where you see the trail blocked off, DO NOT REMOVE ANY LOGS BLOCKING THE TRAIL ENTRANCE…. use the road for this short distance.  The contractor will remove his blockade when the logging is complete.   This will not affect the whole trail, just a short part of it so please be patient.  Please spread the word and tell your friends…. we want everyone to be safe!

MEMBERSHIPS…. just a reminder that memberships run Jan 1 to Dec 31.  If you do not have a membership and are thinking about waiting til next year, we encourage you to buy your membership now; there is still much riding to be done (and as a member you receive discounts at certain venues in town, 10% off SS day passes, invites to participate on trail days and my informative e-mails).  In October memberships will be sold for half price.

ELLISON AND COSENS CREEK…… thanks to John Shumyk and volunteers the kiosk has been erected at Ellison Park.  A map is being produced for the kiosk and Ellison Trail Maps are in the process of being completed.   Cosens Creek Mountain Bike Area kiosk map is also at the printers; will be up at the Cosens Creek kiosk shortly.   Have you tried the Cosens Creek pump track…. it’s awesome for practicing your skills.  NOCS will be organizing a couple trail days for the fall; keep an eye on the website.   AND KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE GROUND; the rattle snakes are abundant this year.  And have you seen the wild turkeys in Ellison Park… I have!

VILLAGE GREEN HOTEL…. is now Vernon’s Bike Friendly/Full Bike Service hotel.   If your buddies are coming into town and you don’t have room on your couch, send them to the Village Green….the Village Green will take care of your buddies and their bikes.

T-SHIRTS… do you have one yet!  Available at all 3 Vernon bike shops.

AFTER THE HILL CLOSES…NOCS is working on some fun events for the fall once Silver Star closes; to be posted on the website and at your local bike shops.  Remember the Wednesday nite ladies rides are still going strong; as well as the Tuesday nite mixed rides and Wednesday nite men’s rides out of Olympia.

XC BIKE CLINIC… our very own Julie Melanson and Cindy Garvin have become Vernon’s most recent certified coaches and have held two successful XC bike camps this summer; Single Track Summer School Women’s clinics… next clinic September 17/18.  Contact NOCS or check the website for details.

NOW GET ON YOUR BIKE AND RIDE!!!

Cynthia

One of our members was riding at Ellison the other day. He stopped in the trees just above the parking lot and noticed a suspicious black VW Jetta, plate # 692WEA drive by the lot slowly then come back and park near his car. Our club member rode out of the woods towards his vehicle and the car left.

Remember don’t leave any valuables in your vehicles as unfortunately there have been break ins.

By Jennifer Smith – Vernon Morning Star

Along with putting the brakes on bicycle sales, the HST is curbing efforts to reduce traffic, pollution and ultimately health care costs, says a Vernon bike shop owner.

Peter Dorey, owner of Olympia Cycle, says when the harmonized sales tax came into effect almost one year ago it tacked on an additional seven per cent to everything that rolls out of his shop.

“Even if you get your bike fixed you’re paying seven per cent more,” said Dorey, of the tax that deters those who choose a healthier and greener mode of transportation.

“Instead of encouraging you’re discouraging. It just doesn’t make any sense.”

Under the old taxation, bikes, parts and repairs weren’t subject to PST, only five per cent GST. But HST has bumped the price an additional seven per cent.

Even helmets are subject to seven per cent more tax.

“So for your safety you have to pay extra,” added Nikki Inouye, former Okanagan-Shuswap federal NDP candidate. “And it’s the law to wear a helmet.”

Michelle Mungall, New Democrat MLA for Nelson-Creston, was in Vernon Monday to address the impacts of HST on small business

“A ‘yes’ vote to get rid of the HST in the upcoming referendum is good for small business and the communities who rely on them,” said Mungall.

As an example, she pointed to the impact of HST on restaurants, which were forced to tack an additional seven per cent onto customers’ bills.

Even though sales appear to have increased during that time (three per cent from June 2010 to January 2011 according to Statistics Canada), now servers are feeling the hit.

“I was speaking to a waitress recently and asked her has this impacted her tips,” said Mungall.

“It has.”

Inouye adds: “Even as a consumer, I don’t tip as much as I used to because my money is going towards my bill.”

Therefore between the $100 extra customers have to pay for a $1,500 bike to paying more for a gym membership and everything in between, Dorey says he knows exactly how he will cast his ballot – if it ever arrives due to the Canada Post lock out.

“Vernon is mostly made up of service-based businesses and the HST has hurt us, which impacts the community as a whole,” said Dorey.

“No HST persuasion campaign can change the fact that it’s a negative any way you slice it. I’m voting ‘Yes’ in the upcoming referendum to scrap the HST, for my business, for my friends and for my community.”

The average family paid $1,169 a year in sales tax under the PST/GST. Under the HST, that family now pays $350 more in sales tax, although there are rebates involved and the government’s pledge to reduce the HST to 10 per cent in the future.

NOCS Trail Day is set:

- Sponsored by: Sun Country Cycle

- Sunday June 19th 2011

- Meet at:  Kal Park Cosens bay Gate: 9:30 am

- Sole purpose, completing pump track in Kal Park Cosen’s Bay Area

- Tools will be provided

- Dinner: Pizza provided free of charge @ NOCS supporter “Uncle Dave’s Pizza”  Kal Lake Road.

Sick of getting an eye infection everytime you ride by the Dump Track??? Come out and help for this great event!

X- Builder.

There have been many sitings of a nude male hiker at  Cosens Creek around Twista, Twisted Sister and the High Rim Trail. So far he seems harmless but probably want to steer clear of him.

North Okanagan Cycling Society will host the BC Parks 100 Years of Adventure Run and Ride Poker Event at Ellison Park. This exciting day of adventure will bring hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers together in a fun non-competitive environment. This event is for families and people of all ages. The event will consists of an 9.5 km loop for hikers and runners, and a 10.5 km loop for mountain bikers.

Registration is at the parking lot between 10:30 – 11:30. Event starts at 12:00 noon with the BBQ around 2:30 – 3:00 by donation.
Directions for the course will be given just before race time.
Available for all levels… bike course is intermediate, can walk harder areas.

All participants must also sign in when they complete the event at which time they will receive a poker hand and a gift for participating.
Prizes for best poker hands and draw prizes.