Some Bicycle Things I’m Stoked About On A Friday, December 5th, 2025
I stare the red-faced punter dead in the eyes and growl out an ungentle, “Suck it up.” The belligerent blaggard, his cheeks swollen, eyes sunken, breathing heavily just from walking up a flight of stairs, meets my energy full on. It’s a grimy, low-down battle of wills.
Finally, with grudging acceptance of the statistically no-win situation, without ever breaking eye contact, we lift our helmet up over our head and plunk it down, adjust the fit dial, and let out a defeated sigh. Then I turn from the mirror, click on my rear flasher, and pedal out into the night, away from whingey inside-Mandrew on my way to Mt. Fromme.
I’ve been low-level, don’t stand too close to me, cold-warring with the weather, and if I’m going to end up under it, well, that’ll be at my own discretion. The Wednesday Night Lights ride is going to cook me, but there’s always a chance it will fry what ails me at the same time. Yep, I’m storming out of the trenches, and I’m going to either feel better or worse for the effort.
The ride managed to be fun, but only thanks to the company. On the climbs, my lungs felt like two businesses trying to survive a Translink construction project. They weren’t officially closed, but flow was all but nothing, and no person alive could guesstimate how many years of survival would need to happen before they’d be back to normal.
On the descent, I managed to almost eat sh*t off the steep side of some light-blue-level bench cut. As my tires slow-motion slid off the side of a large root, both of my lights suddenly went out at the same time! Pitch black. Then I opened my eyes and saved myself.
But the good news is that when I arrived home, I felt better than I had in days, and the next morning I was improved from there. I’m not saying sweating it out is always, or even often, the solution. But a proper night grind in the woods could be the cure for what ails you.
Wonder Wheels X Chris Carter
Wonder Wheels made last week’s SBTISAOAF, but I wanted to include a little update I’m stoked about. Chris Carter is a genuinely kind, long-time local rider, who you may know from gigs on Global News and at the CBC, who has stepped up to match up to 6K in Wonder Wheels donations.
“One of my earliest memories of Christmas is getting a bike. It was a red single speed CCM with a coaster-brake and anything but fancy by even yesterday’s standards. It was my nine-year old ticket to freedom and little taste of independence; to ride over to a neighbor’s house and sometimes further. I loved riding that bike and it launched a lifelong love affair with 2-wheeled toys that continues today.” – Chris Carter
If you’re interested in making a monetary donation, here’s the link to Family Services North Shore. Thanks, Chris!
North Shore Extreme 6 – Diggin’ It
Okay, so if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then so is 2002’s NSX-6. Featuring some brief snow jumping antics from Wade Simmons & Thomas Vanderham, and then, starting around 17:00, some epic snow-bound trail sleighing by Jay Morrisey. The latter is my favourite riding in all of Digger’s film series, and by extension my favourite riding in any mountain bike video, so I’m stoked to share it on the first Friday in December.
I’ve never been much into riding videos, but Todd ‘Digger’ Fiander’s North Shore Extreme series is the sort of exception. Specifically, I love the parts of Digger’s video that I can put myself into. Not at the same level of riding skill or guts, obviously, but having ridden or attempted some of the same or similar trails and features. For example, when Jay surfs into the iced-over rock armouring at 17:32, I’m in his head: “oh, f*ck – oh, f*ck – oh, f*ck.” I’ve been there so many times.
Outside of Jay’s winter sequence on some of the most classic Fromme trails, there’s a typical mix of NSX insanity featuring Dangerous Dan, the Flow Riders, and then some absurdly awesome Wade Simmons action that all ends, well, famously abruptly.
Anywho, when you’re lining up your Christmas TV time, consider carving out fifty minutes of stoke for my favourite mountain bike movie.
{Above shots: Digger Know Fear}
Ride Ritual Generations
As The Clairebarian and I were watching NSX 6, the name Nigel Quarless flashed on screen, and she mused, “Nigel… Quarless… I am sure that I know that name from somewhere.” Yeah, of course, that’s the artist who made the Gnomette sticker on your helmet.
And it dawned on me that in a world of endless branded noise and R&D {ripoff & duplicate} artwork, some folks reading MEATengines may not know about, North Shore local, Ride Ritual:
“Drawing the roots of mountain bike culture; Ritual is a visual exploration of mountain bike culture. Inspired to distill mtb’s history and ethos into compelling images. We hope to inspire you to more fully engage in your riding and connect to the trails and environments you ride.” – Ride Ritual
Nigel’s unique Shore-inspired artwork captures his experience in limited editions (50 units per printing) and ties back directly to the trails. Actually, the new Honey Badger lineup kicks all the proceeds into some of the best trails in North Vancouver.
I know many MEATengines readers are fully on the Merino program, but if jerseys and tech-tees aren’t your thing, definitely still stop in to check out the sticker collection. I mean, who doesn’t love stickers?
Claire’s Crew & Crocodile Tears
Springtime. I’m sitting in the forest at Fromme, crutching distance from the car, flipping through something by Patrick DeWitt, when I hear, then see, The Clairebarian exit the woods with our friends Penny and Kelsie. The pack of them is laughing about something as they roll up the hill, and from the sh*t-eating grin on Claire’s face, I’m guessing it’s at my expense.
“Papa, we’re starting a ride group called Claire’s Crew! There’s going to be stickers! The only rule is you have to go on two Claire’s Crew rides to get a sticker.“
Oh, well, I’ve been on tons of rides with you, so I guess I’m… wait… why is your smile growing even bigger? Wait, why is everyone looking at me like that? “Well, it’s starting now.” Oof. With friends and progeny like this, who needs enemies?
But here we are, many months later, my foot is mostly healed, and look at me, a sticker sporting member of the only ride club that I know was invented to take the piss out of someone. And please, see straight through my crocodile tears. Where I come from, if we’re not teasing you, we don’t like you, so this was a win on a couple of levels.
Kole Cycles Stooge Interview
This one popped into my world through the MEATengines reddit {r/MEATmeatengines}. I think it’ll be an interesting interview even for folks who have no interest in riding rigid rigs, or who love double-hardtails but maybe aren’t sold on Stooge-Andy’s geometry or aesthetics. At the end of the day, he’s doing his authentic thing, and you can’t not love that.
I tried to choose a pull quote, and I keep going back to the conclusion:
“The story of Andy Stevenson… is a rare example of coherence: someone who has united life and work while holding onto a clear ethic, a personal philosophy, and a direct connection with what he creates.“
If you’re looking for interesting reading on the bikerweb this week definitely head over to Kole.
{Above photo: Stooge via Kole Cycles.}
M8130 Drivetrain Packages
From U4000 through XT M8130, I’m an unabashed LinkGlide fanboy. Wireless this, wireless that, but riding behind all the beep-booping battery crap, Shimano has truly advanced the cable-actuated drivetrain in our time.
I’ll add the same caveats I always do. XT(LG) doesn’t have the beautiful light action of my 11-speed SRAM XX1 drivetrain, but then the whole crate drivetrain costs less than the SRAM cassette. It also doesn’t quite equal the range of ShiRAMano’s 12-speed stuff, and the shifting is a bit slower and clunkier compared to Shimano HG+. The cage is now-normal-long, where I’d personally choose a smaller cassette range and shorter dangling bits.
But what M8130 delivers is a cassette that lasts ‘forever,’ works with any 11-speed chain, and meets current rider expectations by quickly and authoritatively shifting gears under any pedal load. By whatever magic, the derailleurs take more of a kicking and keeps on shifting compared to their 12spd counterparts, and the shifters themselves are the quality we’d all expect for an XT-badged product. Personal preferences aside, it’s the perfectest cable-actuated drivetrain for the set-and-forget every-rider, whether me or e-powered.
Yeah, so. Nothing new here, but what is stoke-worthy is that almost two years after I started my LinkGlide adventure, it’s actually possible for shops and riders to regularly acquire all the parts. And, even better, for about CA$400 there are upgrade packages floating around that include an XT shifter, XT rear derailleur, LG700 cassette, and the bomber LG500 11-speed chain {for 9/10/11-speed LinkGlide!}.
I know a bunch of bike industry folks and gear nerds who have hours on SRAM T-Type, cable & AXS wireless, and Shimano HG+, cable & Di2 wireless, but haven’t ridden the XT LinkGlide drivetrain, and I’m positive it’s going to be the cable-actuated option of note once more folks have time in the woods on M8130.
Fall & Winter Trail People
I’ve not put my tires on snow yet this season, but even on the driest of dank, damp, dreary Oct-Nov-Dec days, there’s a decided decline in the number of folks in the forest. And, whether they’re running, hiking, walking dogs, diggin’ on trails, pedaling bikes, or hunting for mushrooms, on average, the greetings are more genuine, and the folks are friendlier compared to the warmer months.
Not that I’m ever really in a hurry, but I’ve met some very nice hounds and their humans in the last few weeks and bantered broadly with folks who I can be certain are my sort of people just by the fact that they’re in the forest. I always forget how much I enjoy this time of year, from the sun rays to the wettest days, until we’re in it.
I was having a quick coffee on my way to pick up Claire and happened to overhear a fellow patron lamenting that we’ve only begun what promises to be a long, wet winter. And as I exited, I couldn’t help but think, I hope so.
Anonymous Bicycle Shop Shoutout Of The Week
I was going to add this feature in the new year, but Bicycle Valentines submissions have dried up, so here’s another reader participation opportunity. If you want to shout out a shop anonymously, then drop me an e-mail with the five WTFs (where, what, when, why, how) along with any names of specific staff members I should mention.
This week’s ABS²OTW goes out to the Orem, UT location of Hanger 15 Bicycles. “Super cool folks work there,” and well, that’s true for most shops, but Hanger 15 is receiving a shoutout for having one of those bike shop cultures that we love, where they’re happy to help out the DIYer who finds themselves mechanically in over their head. Doing piecemeal work, filling in for that one tool a rider doesn’t own or helping them over the line when they mess up, isn’t much of a way to make a buck, but it’s an important part of building a riding community.
Six locations, three decades in business, and still managing to maintain that personal service feel. Queue intense* congratulatory clapping.
*{Shia LaBeouf at the end of Rob Cantor’s live presentation of Shia LaBeouf-level}
Larry Talker Tunes
Okay, so it’s outside of our one-decade maximum rule {more than double it}, but The Clairebarian and Nina both agreed that this week’s assignment for Model-T should be the greatest Christmas album of all time. And, well, it is beautiful.
Terry Walker, we present for your consideration: Hawksley Workman’s Almost A Full Moon. The album was re-imagined in 2011, but we’re all voting that the 2001 version is better.
Claire Fontaine is my favourite track, although I always laugh during First Snow of the Year when he sings “It’s the first snow of the year / put the bicycles away“. Hahaha, as if. It’s a truly great album beginning to end. Definitely worthy of breaking the rules.
Alright. So, the outro goes at the bottom now? The more things change. That’s a wrap on SBTISAOAF for this week. If you have something you’d like to share for Bicycle Valentines or Anonymous Shop Shoutouts, please drop me an e-mail. Likewise, if you have any questions about jumping on the Wednesday Night Lights Bike Bus Ride.
Happy Trails,
Final blurb goes here:
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