Once a year KS Suspension throw their factory gates open to the world for a festival. They invite riders from Asia and Europe to come and join local people and simply enjoy bicycles. It's one of the biggest things you notice coming here - they don't just make bikes, they love them too and are working hard to grow the sport. That's reflected in this event, it covers nearly every type of riding (except for road) and is aimed at the whole family. Inside the compound they have built a 4X track and street section, one of the warehouses had a children's area and ten minutes drive away is the XC race course around a stable. All of this in the middle of a city with a population of 10 million. It feels like a throwback to the nineties in the very best possible way, there is a sense of people just enjoying it all, without the genres, subdivisions and terminology of modern mountain biking. The XC race reminded me of my failed attempts at XC racing back in 97 or so, when there would be a couple of fit guys with all the gear who smoked everyone and the rest of us on making it up as we went on whatever we had...
I do need to apologise. There was a results sheet for the race, and rider names and numbers, however it was all in Cantonese. To get this all up today, there just isn't time to pull people away from their jobs and ask them to translate it all for me.
www.kssuspension.com
I am a moderate smoker unfortunately (need to stop), smoking before my local trail climb definitely has a negative impact (out of breath faster), but at the same time it gets me relaxed and focused...there's a weird thing going on.
During highschool when I didn't smoke or anything, it was reported over and over by my Lax/football teammates and such who would do a few pinches of chewing tobacco before a lifting session or something and always would say they feel so much more "stronger" in that sense. Nicotine = Stimulant = Increased sense of power.
Enough talking, smoking = bad.
Also, sensational photos and very interesting article, thanks...
stopfrackingaround.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/img_2370.jpg
Something to note here is that you are all American, and therefore don't really bear the burden of smokers' healthcare like we do in Canada.
Having said all this, I am an ex-smoker and don't hold a grudge against those that choose to smoke. I bought an e-cig a year ago and am essentially smoke-free now. I recommend anyone who smokes gives a legitimate (not one you buy @ the corner store that looks like a cigarette) e-cig a try. In Canada, the tobacco lobby is so strong that sale of nicotine e-juice is banned for sale in retail stores. Health Canada's claim is that the ingredients have not been studied well enough yet to be deemed safe, however the main ingredient (propylene glycol) is also used in asthma inhalers...
I'm not trying to be all preachy here 'cause I've been on the receiving end of that enough times to know what it is like, but IF you want to quit and are having a hard time, just look into it. The ECF forums are a great place to learn.
ps:英文水平低,不足以清楚表达以上意见,所以打中文,抱歉。
You guys have to make it cool. get organized. Go on group rides. get on the internet and make videos of these rides and your friends doing cool isht and hucking off stuff like Bender did in the late 90s. introduce mt biking to the city folks as well as the country folks. organize tours for city folks to go trail riding in the country - rent a bus with a trailer and go to it.
I definitely agree. More and more people are riding trail. Just give it time and have fun riding your bike. China doesn't need big races and famous events (or the UCI), just more people having fun on their bikes at events like this one in ShenZhen.
Tony