Some Bicycle Things I’m Stoked About On A Friday, June 5th, 2026
I’m punching in with a couple of upcoming events, the first of which is tomorrow! Claire and I will be volunteering at the, 3rd annual, Mount Pleasant Show N’ Shine*. The event is from noon to 4pm and will feature a wide assortment of vintage bikes to check out. Or, bring your rig! It’s $5 to enter your bike in the Show N’ Shine, with categories including: People’s Choice, Pure Vintage, Resto-Mod, Daily Rider, & Best DIY.
Ice cream, BBQ, Main St. wobbly pops, and a DJ. With a promise of some decent weather after a bit of precipitation in the morning it should be a sweet day of two-wheeled classics {bikes & people}. If you do make it out to East 7th and Scotia Street be sure to say hello.
*{Brought to us by: HMPL, F!RSTL!GHT Frameworks, Main Street Brewing, and the Mount Pleasant BIA.}
{Photo: Mount Pleasant BIA}
Fetch Wood, Hammer Nails
Further more, under save-the-date, if you’re North Vancouver localish with the type of schedule that allows you to throw dirt on a Wednesday afternoon, Claire and I are joining our NSMBA trail building friend Penny on June 17th to tackle some much needed maintenance on the Bridle Path.
We’re hiking in from Blairview Avenue at 3:30pm and tools are provided, but you’ll want to bring a pair of gloves. You can register and fill out your waiver on the NSMBA Work Wednesday page. From dating to roller skating, from group rides to patio sides, Vancouver is very well known for its ghosting issue and trail work is no exception. So please be sure you can make it out before grabbing one of those coveted spots doing volunteer labour!
{Photo: MEATengines}
Cy’s Pop-Up Book
NSMB.com played host to the sweetest thing I saw on the bikernet this week, Cy Whitling’s two-wheeled take on the Green Knight. The story and art are fantastic on their own, but the detailed how-to on the construction of the pop-up book adds a whole other level of amazing. What an epic project! If you missed it then I’d highly recommend clicking the link and checking it out.
Thank you for sharing your awesome Cy!
{Photo: Cy Whitling via NSMB.com}
Recalling the Right Way
It’s that time of year again, June, and I’ve heard, one side of, some service and warranty horror stories over the last couple of weeks. I’ve sat on all three sides of the warranty desk {customer, shop, supplier/manufacturer} and I know that, especially when it comes to service, the nuanced truth of any situation is oft easily overlooked, by any and all parties.
But there are clear cut exceptions, and in those exceptions there is only one right way. Here I’m thinking about PNW’s efforts to make customers whole as an example of how to do it. I chose to forgo the free composite pedals, but that was a thoughtful way to keep folks rolling, and I’ve had fresh axles in both mine and Nina’s pairs for a while now.
Another example I’m stoked to share is Stridsland’s ’24 Beachcomber titanium fork notice. Don’t read me wrong, I’m not stoked that they saw a couple of fork failures {I am stoked no one was hurt} but I think it’s awesome any time a company stands up, admits an issue, and clearly executes on a solution. Even sorting out a credit to cover the cost of a local bike shop swapping in the replacement fork for folks who’d like a hand.
{Photos: Stridsland Journal}
Cousin Power!
Whether it’s big cousin empowerment, or little cousin élan, last weekend we were wowed by an epic 20″ wheeled grinding gromathon when Claire’s seven-year-old cousin pedal-powered herself to three full tower laps of Thornhill. I share it both to shout out the supreme effort and as motivation for a plethora of adults I know who head to Thornhill and only spin out a double, never mind that some half of the folks riding there now are assisting their electric motor up the hill. If she can do it, you can do it! Be patient with yourself, but be cruel to your screaming legs. Rise and grind, crank till you creak, and turn through the burn!
{Photo: MEATengines}
Pangorific
Whether that’s ‘terrific’ or ‘horrific’ depends entirely on your point of view. I have a number of friends who would rather never ride mountain bicycles with me than to ever again put rubber onto Team Pangor. I’ll note that it is far too janktastic to fall under the ‘No Boring Trails, Just Boring People‘ clause. It’s simply a truly difficult trail to ride fast and smooth while at the same time it’s not an exceptionally hard trail to plop down. That is to say, it’s accessible to folks who can ride purplish-black level trails, but I know a small pile of shredders who’ve wrecked themselves and some who’ve written off many-hundred-dollar lids trying to find the speed & flow. A plunker’s paradise and a racer’s rigor.
Yeah, so. Shout out to Sven who kept it running for many years and shout out to Dave & Owen who are shouldering that responsibility now. Your work is appreciated!
Lately, The Clairebarian has been adding a few trails to our regular rotation and on Seymour, Pangor has managed to climb the stoke ladder to stake out the second favourite spot, after Forever After. She’s boss-moved the climb and seems to add a feature every time we ride it such that there are only a few stand-out no-go moves now on the mainline and we’re starting to peak a couple of the options. Nifty.
{Photo: Penny Deck}
In Acknowledgement of Charlie Cunningham
I want to recognize the inseparability between the mountain bicycles we love today and the innovator who was Charlie Cunningham but I couldn’t know where to start, so instead I’m copying someone who knows way more about bikes than me, Steve ‘Gravy’ Gravenites, in quoting someone else who knows way more about bikes than me, Richard Cunningham* {no relation}:
“To put it bluntly, if it had to do with mountain bikes and it was either invented or became popular before the year 2000, there is a good chance that Charlie Cunningham had either filed the patent, sketched a drawing, made a prototype, or discarded the concept as fruitless. I can say that without modification. Charlie’s rare combination of creative and analytical genius, combined with a soul that always seemed to be in the moment, rendered him immune to cycling’s most toxic poisons: historical precedence and current trends. Freed from the litany of recurring mistakes that so often dim the industry’s brighter lights, Cunningham laid down the DNA of the modern mountain bike so early in its history, that many so-called inventors are still congratulating themselves for reinventing his inventions.”
–RC on Charlie Cunningham’s Prototype CC
So long, Charlie Cunningham, and thanks for all the bikes!
*{I see that Other-Mike from Pinkbike did the same in his piece about Charlie Cunningham! Or, maybe we’re all copying each other, copying RC in a big rotating wheel?!}
{Photo: The Radavist}
Climbmax
Yes, the Show N’ Shine is rain or shine. It should be a perfect angsty afternoon with the standing threat of a light drizzle keeping things cool for everyone sporting their classic Roach & Core Rat jackets. You know, with just the right amount of sunlight to make all the rad bicycles sparkle beautifully while being impossible for someone with my limited photographic {or artistic in general} talents. I’m going to let Claire loose with the camera instead so look for a best-of-show bit from her at some point.
Thank you to the universe, or trail gods, or whomever for the nice bit of precipitation. We went after school today and rode the trail we raked on Wednesday and it was a sweet mix of silky fast dirt and slip-and-slide greasy roots and rock armouring. Très bon.
I’m going to exit here with nonchalantly dropping some hard bicycle service truth. You thought the ‘vid service part shortages were bad? The bicycle industry is rolling straight into an even worse scenario as parts and assembly lines are re-committed to building complete units, to stave off a shortage of bikes, after sale support be damned. There are growing number of service parts that are now sporting an ETA of next fall, so hoard hard me hearties and service your suspension ASAP.
{Photo: MEATengines}
Larry Talker Tunes: By Terry Walker
Pink: Last week’s “randonneur-ready” selections were strong, with the standout—and real album-saver—being the Just Like Fire/Heartbreaker pairing.
This week, I was excited to share the new release, ‘It Was in the Month of May I,’* by the UK band Albion. After more than two months of waiting since the announcement, last week’s release lived up to expectations. As I’ve mentioned before, I have a soft spot for the “Old Country”—my ancestry, history, tradition, and mythology. Unfortunately, there still doesn’t appear to be a complete album video available online.
In the meantime, I’m going back to 2024 and Albion’s debut album, Albion Lakesongs of Elbid**.
While not as dramatic as the new release, it offers a good introduction to Albion’s folk-rock-metal sound. You’ll also hear clear echoes of Jethro Tull throughout, which makes sense given the band’s Tull connections.
Turn it up and enjoy.
*{Drewitors note: in a tie-in to Cy’s pop-up, It Was in the Month of May I has a song called The Green Knight.}
**{Drewitors note: the Albion cover of Stan Rogers’ Barrett’s Privateers is awesome.}
{Photo: Albion}
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