Kamloops and the Bicycle Cafe

Jan 14, 2009

Anyone who has paid attention to bike videos and magazines in the past few years (or since the dawn of Freeride) has undoubtedly heard of Kamloops B.C, the mystical city of rolling hills and hot orange sunsets. Home to many fast trails sprinkled with dust and sage bushes, Kamloops is a dream destination for mountain bikers everywhere.

Here's Why?

Because the city has everything you could ask for. Epic single track, easy to shuttle downhill trails, huge dirt jumps and an endless list of happy people to ride with are just a few characteristics worth mentioning. Once you spend some time and scratch the surface of what Kamloops has to offer, visitors discover a whole lot more. At any given time there is someone riding with a group of friends who are more than happy to guide you on an adventure. Even if you are by yourself and don’t know anybody, a short stop by the Bicycle Café will often land you some riding buddies and maybe even a few friends.

[PI=2870081 size=m align=c]Rider: Taylor Hollstedt Photo: Kaleb Trozzo[/PI]

At the shop you will always find other riders hanging out. Good music, bike movies, a big leather couch and a cute boxer puppy make for an inviting pit stop in between laps down the trail. It’s hard to think of a moment without a friend in the store getting their bike checked up or having a soda. This is nice during the summer months because we receive visiting riders from all over the world and we consider it a pleasure to set them up for a ride with people, as opposed to sending them into the forest with a small hand-drawn map. Working at the store definitely sets us the in the midst of all the action going on around town. We are privileged to always have first dibs on news concerning cyclists in the area and we always have someone to ride with as soon as the shop closes. We probably wouldn’t be as connected to the riding community if it weren’t for where we work.

[PI=2870078 size=m align=c]Rider: Graham Agassiz Photo: Kaleb Trozzo[/PI]

The riding Community in Kamloops is certainly unique. It’s a huge group of people ranging greatly in age and style. Everybody is super stoked and always willing to lend a hand. It’s hard to drive down the road without seeing pick up trucks covered in bikes or kids pedaling toward the bike park. You’re also hard pressed to go for a ride without running into friends somewhere. The different groups of people appear fairly exclusive at first but you will quickly find them more than inviting to a new rider, regardless of your riding style. This community is also very strong with building and maintaining stunts and trails. Everyone is grateful for what we have and works hard to preserve it. Over the course of a season jumps and trails are continually ridden to their demise, reconstructed to perfection and ridden some more. During the months of spring and fall riders can be spotted with shovels as often as with bikes. These are probably the best times to visit because it rains a bit more and the dirt is perfect. In these months it seems as though there is always something new under construction. In turn we never get bored and the riding stays quite fresh.

[PI=2870083 size=m align=c]Rider: Dylan Sherrard Photo: Kaleb Trozzo[/PI]

Kamloops always has something exciting going on. Some weekends you might catch a race at Sun Peaks, others you may run into the New World Disorder crew building and shooting for their newest movie or maybe the local kids are hosting some sort of event like the Spring Break Brocation. Whatever the case, there is always a fun event to get in on. We especially enjoy this aspect of Kamloops because we have friends from all over and events are an easy way to make sure we see them more often!

[PI=2870079 size=m align=c]Rider: Graham Agassiz Photo: Dylan Sherrard[/PI]

The main reason why Kamloops is such an amazing place to live and ride is that the riding is so dynamic. As with anything else in life, the riding in Kamloops is continually growing and changing. From the eye of the store, we have seen a lot happen since we’ve opened. In the past two seasons alone we have seen a lot of activity. The iconic Rose Hill trails were lost to make room for housing developments and the famous jumps in Carcass Valley were made as flat as the tables once thrown on them. Some good friends moved away to pursue new careers, others were plagued with injuries. Thankfully, those who ride in Kamloops have a positive image towards growth and change. Working together, newer and arguably more exciting jumps and trails have been built to replace those we’ve lost. New friends have moved in and become monumental figures in the riding community. Our scene is truly one of regeneration. Always growing, always changing, and always exciting.

-http://dylawn.pinkbike.com/

Come visit the Bicycle Café website for events in the shop and in Kamloops at: www.bicyclecafe.com/kamloops

For updates and stories from the local Bicycle Café Team visit: bicyclecafe.blogspot.com