Magh's Mega Month of May Challenge

***Texte en Français plus bas.

The month of May is International Bike Month, but it also happens to be one of my biggest month of training in terms of volume. This year, we want to put these training hours to good use and we want to invite YOU to join in on this month-long fundraising project for World Bicycle Relief.

I am challenging you to join me and set a personal goal for how many hours you want to ride during the month of May and commit to supporting World Bicycle Relief’s effort to change the lives of others by providing robust bicycles to students, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs in developing regions of the world.

Why should I participate?

There are many reasons why you should consider participating. For one, riding bikes is fun and healthy, so we encourage you to ride as many hours as you can during the month. We think that by doing it together as a community throughout this challenge, it will be even more motivating for all.

Here are a few more reasons why you might want to participate:

• Ride for a good cause: We encourage you to commit to donate 1$/hour ridden to World Bicycle Relief.

• A chance to win prizes: By donating, you will be in for a chance to win prizes from our partners. (See prize list below).

• Weekly Pro tip: I will connect with you during the month by sharing tips & offering live Instagram and Facebook sessions with different training and cycling specialists!

  • April 30th: Live Instagram session with Komoot on how to create routes and explore your area.

  • 2nd week of May: Live Instagram session - Basic mechanic skills with a professional Feedback Sports mechanic.

  • 3rd week of May : Live Instagram session with professional sports nutritionist

  • 4th week of May: Surprise session

Okay, I’m in. How to participate?

1-Sign up for a free @Komoot account. Use code “ MMMM " for a free regional map bundle when you sign up between April 15th and April 19th. 

2- Add @MaghsMegaMonthofMay as your Komoot Friend

3- Follow @Maghroch and @Gagnoncx on Instagram for more details and to follow the Live Sessions.

4- Ride as many hours as you can between May 1st and May31st and tag friend “Magh’s Mega Month of May” in your Komoot rides!

5- At the end of the month, donate 1$ per hour that you rode during the month to World Bicycle Relief. Here is the official link to donate : https://give.worldbicyclerelief.org/fundraiser/3171410  

6- Win awesome prizes from Magh’s partners

Prize list:

3x Prizes from Lizards Skins
3x Gu Packages
2x Package of 3 free PowerWatts Classes @ PowerWatts Nord
1x Summer supply of Beer from our friend at Boréale (This one will be for local participants only)
1x- Essentials Kit + Shampoo & Conditionner from The Unscented Co
1x White Prevail Vent Specialized Helmet
1x - Signed Custom Rapha Pan American Champion Jersey
1x Rapha.cc Online Gift Card!
1x EVOC Bikepacking Kit
3x FBS Torque Wrenches
1x FBS T-Handle Kit!
1x Xpedo CXR Pro Pedals

Français: Le méga mois de mai de magh

Le mois de Mai est le mois international du vélo. C’est aussi à chaque année un de mes plus gros mois d’entrainement! Cette année, on veut faire bon usage de ces heures d’entrainement et VOUS inviter à se joindre à nous pour lever des fonds pour World Bicycle Relief

Je vous invite à vous joindre à moi et à vous fixer un objectif personnel pour le nombre d'heures que vous voulez rouler pendant le mois de mai. Puis, de s'engager à soutenir les efforts de World Bicycle Relief pour changer la vie des autres en fournissant des vélos robustes aux étudiants, aux travailleurs de la santé et entrepreneurs dans les régions en développement du monde.

Pourquoi participer?

Il y a plusieurs raisons pour vouloir participer au défi. Premièrement, faire du vélo c’est l’fun et c’est bon pour la santé, nous vous encourageons donc à rouler autant d'heures que possible au cours du mois. Puis, nous pensons qu'en le faisant ensemble en tant que communauté tout au long de ce défi, ce sera encore plus motivant pour tous!

Voici quelques autres raisons pour lesquelles vous pourriez vouloir participer:

• Roulez pour une bonne cause: Donner une signification à vos heures d’entrainement. Nous vous encourageons à vous engager à donner 1 $ / heure d’entrainement à World Bicycle Relief.

• Une chance de gagner des prix: En faisant un don, vous courrez la chance de gagner des prix de nos partenaires. (Voir la liste des prix ci-dessous).

• Conseil hebdomadaire du pro: Je communiquerai avec vous au cours du mois en partageant des conseils et en proposant des sessions Instagram et Facebook en direct avec différents spécialistes de l'entraînement et du cyclisme!

  • 30 avril: Session Instagram en direct avec Komoot sur la façon de créer des itinéraires et d'explorer votre région.

  • 2ème semaine de mai: Session Instagram en direct - Compétences de base en mécanique avec un mécanicien professionnel de Feedback Sports.

  • 3ème semaine de mai: Session Instagram en direct avec une nutritionniste sportive professionnelle

  • 4ème semaine de mai: séance surprise

Okay! J’embarque. Comment participer?

1-S’inscrire gratuitement pour un compte @Komoot. Utiliser le code “ MMMM " pour obtenir une forfait de map régionales gratuites en s’inscrivant entre le 15 et le 19 avril.

2- Ajouter @MaghsMegaMonthofMay comme ami Komoot.

3- Suivez @Maghroch et @Gagnoncx sur Instagram pour suivre les séances Instagram en direct au cours du mois.

4- Roulez le plus d’heures possible entre le 1er et le 31 Mai et inscrivez vos sorties sur Komoot en identifiant votre ami “Magh’s Mega Month of May” sur vos sorties Komoot.

5- À la fin du mois, faites un don de 1$/heure d’entrainement effectuée à World Bicycle Relief. Voici le lien officiel pour faire les dons à la fin du mois: https://give.worldbicyclerelief.org/fundraiser/3171410

6- Courez la chance de remporter de super prix de la part de nos partenaires.

Liste de prix à gagner:

3x Prix de Lizard Skins Cycling
3x GU Energy Labs Packages
2x forfaits de 3 classes Powerwatts NordNord gratuites
1x Summer supply de bière Bière Boréale
1x- Essentials Kit + Shampoo & Conditionner de The Unscented Company
1x Casque Prevail Vent de Specialized Bicycles
1x Maillot Custom Rapha Championne Canadienne (ou PanAM) signé
1x Carte cadeau en ligne Rapha
1x Kit de Bikepacking de EVOC
3 x Torque Wrenches et 1 set de clés T-Handle de Feedback Sports
1x Pédales Xpedo CXR Pro

Christmas Cross in images

I love to take pictures. It’s a fun skill to learn for me, and a fun way to stay busy during our travels.

Here are a few of my favorite images from Christmas Cross this year.

Cheers,

Maghalie

Morning arrival in Belgium after our overnight flight. We rented the van and are enjoying our homemade oatmeal & coffee while waiting to meet up the guys from Cyclocross Custom who kept some equipment for us.

When gluing tubulars in the hotel room in Europe, you don’t always have the right tools. David got creative and used a latex glove instead of a paint brush to spread the glue.

Our tub of glue got confiscated at the airport. Luckily we were able to purchase some tiny tubes of glue at a bike shop in Hasselt, Belgium.

Travelling with 3 bikes and 9 sets of wheels, the biggest challenge is fitting all the gear in the hotel room!

We rented a big sprinter van for our trip (pro tip: you have to rent those outside of the airport). David got creative and used butcher’s twine to tie up all our bikes and equipment on the side panels of the van.

We left this bike in Europe after Tabor World Cup in November. It stayed in a bike bag in Europe for about a month. Upon arrival, David decided to change the chain. We didn’t know if the bike had been left in humid conditions for weeks. Better safe than sorry.

Cyclcocross Canada crew at the National Team house in Tielt-Winge, Belgium. The house has a huge garage/warehouse where the mechanics work and where we can store some stuff…the only problem? No heating! Cyclocross Canada mechanics are rockstars.

Canadian National Champion Micheal Van Den Ham leading a ride with some Canadian juniors who are in Belgium for the first time.

Belgian cyclocross in one photo.
P.S Not my wheel/tire. Diegem 2019.

Bike Check - 2019/20 CRUX

As the season is coming to an end, I wanted to present to you the bike that I have been riding this season. 

I love this bike. We’ve had a lot of good times together and I’m hoping the two of us have a few more good outings this year!

I loved it so much, in fact, that I wrote a poem for it, and I’d like to share it with you. So, before going through the nuts and bolts of the bike built, here is my poem:

“When the sun sets - an Ode to the Crux”.

Illustration by Pip Claffey

Look at that sunset fade…

You may have noticed throughout the season that ‘Make it Count’ was written on my top tube. Make it Count has been my motto this season, and the poem is based on the same idea…
- Photo from Balint Hamvas

And now, for all the bike setup details -

**Disclaimer: I am sponsored by all of the companies I mentioned here. However, I believe and I truly mean 100% of the things I said here. No one asked me to write this. And I partner with these companies because I truly think they make great products.

The first thing to know is that I have changed from the Crux Expert to the Crux S-Works this year. The frame is the same, but it comes built differently.

Model: Specialized Crux S-Works. I ride size 49cm. 

• Front/Rear 12mm Thru Axle (100mm wide in front, 142mm rear)

• Made with the “Rider-First Engineering” which means the lay-up and the tube shapes of each size frame are refined across the size range to accommodate to the requirements of different height/weight of the cyclist.

Wheels: Roval CLX50 tubular wheels

Weight: 16.0 lbs (fully built, pedals included) 

Tires: Challenge Tubulars Team Edition. 

Here’s what I utilize in one season: 

• 3 sets of wheels mounted with Chicane

• 2 sets of wheels mounted with Grifo

• 2 sets of wheels mounted with Baby Limus

• 4 sets of wheels mounted with Limus

Group set: I ride the SRAM Red E-Tap AXS group set. I ride the 1x group (12speed) 

Derailleur: Red E-Tap AXS 

Shift Levers: SRAM RED eTap AXS HRD Shift-Brake System

Brakes: Flat Mount Disc with ‘specially made - prototype’ extreme metallic brake pads because I find they brake better and last longer.

Cassette: SRAM RED XG-1290 Cassette (10/33T) 

***Note about the cassette - I’ve been using the RED cassette on all my wheels that have ‘fast’ tires glued on them. However, all of my mud wheels are setup with the Force (XG-1270) cassette. Although the shifting is extremely smooth with the RED cassette, we found that when the mud is heavy, the shifting is smoother with the Force cassette because there is a tiny bit more spacing between the cogs which helps to clear mud better. 

Chain: SRAM RED Chain 

Crankset: SRAM RED 1 Crankset with Quarq D-Zero Carbon power meter 

Chainrings: 38T and sometimes 40T

Handlebar: Zipp Service Course SL-80, Aluminum, 42cm (250g)

Stem: Zipp Service SL Speed, 100mm (123g)

Seatpost: Zipp SL Speed (20mm setback) 

Saddle: S-Works Power with Mimic 143mm (159g) 

Bar tape: Lizard Skins DSP V2. 1.8 or 2.5mm

Computer mount: K-Edge Garmin Race mount (32g) 

Pedals: Xpedo CXR Pro (240g)

So, that’s how my bike is built. A 16lbs of pure pleasure. However, now that you know how I chose to build it, I’d like to share a few of my favorite things about this bike. 

The beast in its natural ‘foggy’ environment

Some of my favorite things 

SRAM (AXS) - 12 speed -

The 12 speed (AXS) cassette from SRAM has been a game changer for me this season. With this cassette, I’ve been riding the 38T chainring at all events. That set up has been good for every courses I’ve raced on this year, from the hilliest to the fastest. 

I find there is another advantage in running this setup… When I travel for racing, I only bring my cross bikes with me and they are all built with a single chain ring and the SRAM E-Tap AXS group set. The wide range of gearing has allowed me to do all my intervals on the road when travelling without being spun-out and without messing around with changing the chain ring for every training ride. 

The batteries on the SRAM RED eTap last quite a long time. They are also very easy to change. You just pop the battery out and replace it with another one.

12 speed (AXS) cassette. This is the Force cassette, which I use on wheels with mud tires.

SRAM RED Chain with flattop to enable X-Range (AXS - 12 spd)

So light -

I’ve said it last year, but I’ll say it again. This bike is so light and that is one of my favorite thing about it. It’s also extremely agile and responsive. After just a few rides (or really, after a few minutes of riding swoopy trails), you feel as one with the bike - you feel like you can move your weight around the bike to ride over humps and obstacles and it responds very efficiently. Or try one full-on sprint out of the saddle and you’ll automatically feel what I mean by responsive.

I choose to not use a chain catcher -

Early in the season, when we were figuring out the new group, I thought I would need a chain catcher to make sure my chain would not drop. Turns out we just needed to put the chain at length that SRAM suggests to have it, which is a little shorter than what we had it originally installed. The shorter chain creates more tension, and prevents it from falling off, and it helps to have a very smooth, direct, and instant shifting.

My chained dropped once this season in all my training rides and races, but it was my own fault. The system is very reliable without using a chain catcher.

E-Tap (Magic at the tip of my fingers)  -

It’s no secret that e-tap is amazing. It is an electronic shifting system that works wirelessly. Pretty freaking awesome. Easy for the mechanic to install, easy to sync, easy to repair, and so smooth to shift. 

But the situations where I found it to be the most incredible?! In a cyclocross race, when your drive train is full of mud and you can’t feel your fingers because your hands are completely frozen. In those situation, you can trust that a small tap of the finger on the shifter will do the trick and change the gear. The muc does not really affect the efficiency of shifting. And even better - since the left side downshifts and the right side switch to a harder gear - you are certain that you are shifting the right gear, even if you can’t feel where exactly your hand is on the shifter. Magic!

XPedo Pedals -

I switched to XPedo pedals this year. What attracted me at first was the shape of the pedal. If you look at it, you can see that the X shape allows the pedal to be more open. I thought that would be super helpful to clear the mud, and I was right. The pedals have been designed specifically for cyclocross and they are really good in the mud. 

Another feature I like is the tension gauge on the pedal. You can see exactly how tight your pedal is and adjust easily depending on the conditions. 

On top of that, the pedals work with SPD cleats, which made it very easy for me to adapt, and they come in all sorts of fun colours. Finally, they are also lighter (and much cheaper) than the competition. 

Roval CLX 50 wheels -

I’ve said before that the Roval wheels almost feel like an unfair advantage…I feel like they give me so much extra speed and that they allow me to keep my momentum and speed in transition of terrain. Another thing I love is that the rim is really wide, which allows for the tubular to sit well on it and it makes for a bigger surface of contact.

New fit, New position -

This spring, I visited the Specialized head quarters and did a Retül fit. Having a good position on the bike is crucial for many reasons. Being comfortable will allow you to spend more time on the bike, to enjoy that time spent on the bike, and to focus your attention on the task at hand, rather than being annoyed by an aching body part. And, if you can slightly adjust your position to optimize your power output, why not do it?! 

Here are a few things that we changed when doing the fit: 

Saddle: I switched from the S-Works Power saddle to the S-Works Power saddle with Mimic. The Mimic is a women specific saddle. It has a soft compound that helps to absorb and distribute pressure, which helps to minimize swelling in soft tissue. In other words - no more pain on your va-gay-gay and no more annoying swelling. 

Being more comfortable on the saddle allowed me to have a better pelvic support (I could tilt my pelvis backwards a bit more) which then allowed to put the saddle a little further back. That allows my knee to be more in line with the pedal, making sure no power is lost. On top of that, the saddle position allowed to put a stem 10mm longer. 

All of these changes give me a longer reach on the bike which makes it more comfortable for me to be in the drop bars. That position is more stable on tricky descents and more aero, so it’s nice to feel more comfy there for the CX races. 

Size: Last year I rode a 49cm Crux. During the fit we determined that I could have an efficient position either on the 49 or on the 52cm. In the end, I decided to settle for the 49cm size, because I feel like I have a better reach with my arm when I put the bike on my shoulder to run. 

Bar tape -

In 2019, the Lizard Skins bar tape got even better than it was. They changed the bar end plugs, which has been a real game changer. I used to loose the bar end plugs pretty often. But now, they make a screw in bar end plug, and it is still super duper light and extremely efficient. 

Last year, I was pretty adamant with riding the 1.8mm bar tape from Lizard Skins. This year, I decided to try the 2.5mm and it’s been really nice. I have small hands and both of these thickness offer a really good grip, control, and feel for me. The 2.5mm obviously has a bit more cushion, which is nice when riding super bumpy terrain. However, I wouldn’t want to do thicker, because the rough CX conditions often sees us riding with thicker gloves. And obviously, I love all the nice colours of bar tape that Lizard Skins make!

I run a season with four Crux bikes -

Why 4 bikes? Good question.

On race day, it’s useful to have 3 bikes. One that stays on the Feedback Sports Omnium trainer, one that I am riding, and one that is in the pits with David.

On a muddy race day, we run 3 bikes during the race as David keeps 2 with him in the pits, in case I need to change bikes every half-lap or in case I break one of the bikes.

Why the fourth? This year, I left my bikes in Europe between the races, so I kept one at home for training.

3 out of 4 bikes are equipped with a Quarq D-Zero power meter.

You can see this is bike 3. All four bikes have a number on them to help us keep track.

One last one, because it looks good in any kind of environment

2019 Holiday Gift Guide

We are already halfway through the month of November, temps have been below 0 for weeks at home, and we have more than 30cm of snow on the ground, so that can only mean one thing…winter and the holiday season are approaching!

And although Christmas festivities are mostly inexistant when you are a cyclocross racer, I still thought it would be fun to keep up the tradition and create a holiday gift guide with some of my favorite cycling related products.

This year’s guide will be a little different…I’ll pretend that I was gifting my own family, and I hope you will be able to relate one of your loved ones to some of the characters I’ll present. 

Note 1: My family members are actually much more complexe and interesting than described below, but I kept the description about cycling & sports to simplify this project.  

Disclaimer: Most (but not all) of the products I share are from companies that support me. Just know 2 things. One, it’s normal that these are my favorite products because they are the one I actually use. Two, I would not bullshit you, friends. If it’s in there, it is actually a good product that I like.

- My mom: The biggest supporter who loves watching races -

For the person who is a big fan of watching the cycling races on TV and even more in person. She loves following the sport, and likes to ride a little bit, but she is not someone who will ride every week and she has absolutely no interest in racing for herself. She is active and likes to run, hike, play golf, and travel.

Flobikes Account

Allow your supporter to watch the races with ease, without spending long, frustrating minutes searching the internet to find an illegal stream in flemish.

Karpos Storm Jacket

We all know it; Cyclocross races often happen under horrendous conditions, under which most sain people would never go out. But your supporter goes out and stands in the rain for hours. They deserve the best jackets. I’ve been using this rain jacket; it left me amazed and dry.

Sportful Giara collection Jersey

I wore this Sportful Giara kit (biib + jersey) for our 450km bike packing adventure this summer and it was so comfortable. A cute & comfy kit is always a nice gift!

E-Bike

We all know I love E-Bikes, and E-MTB. This is quite the gift, but think about it - it’s about more than the object. By offering this, you offer the gift of exploring. You may also be offering a few fun dates where you can go ride with your partner. I could be doing intervals with my mom - imagine that! I may also be stealing my mom’s e-bike if I offered that to her…

A weekend Retreat to spend quality time together (HappyFitness Retreat)

My sister had a really cool company and she organizes weekend retreats, with good food, nice people, some activities - basically, everything is taken care of and all you need to do is enjoy q!

Rain Boots

It’s crucial to have rain boots at a cyclocross event. I’ve never actually tried these Pendleton Boots but I think they are pretty cute. Short boots are fun because they are easier to travel with.

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- My sister: The very active person who kind of likes riding, but who is not crazy about cycling -

The person who is very active and likes to ride once in a while, but cycling is definitely not her favorite sport - she does plenty of other. Although, she is starting to get into mountain biking. Owner and manager of a health/fitness/outdoor business for women.

EVOC Stage 18l

Who doesn’t like a new bagpack? I LOVE exploring new bags and finding all the secret pockets and innovative features. Now the fun thing here is that EVOC makes packs for all kinds of sports or hobbies, from skiing, to hiking, to riding, to photography, to travelling. This one is cool for riding and other exploration days.

Helmet with ANGI system

On top of being the most confortable helmet, the ANGI device allows you to be stress free when your loved ones rides alone. The ANGI system will contact you if your significant other has had a crash. It’s also possible to purchase only the ANGI system and add it to your own helmet.

Low Down Gloves (long fingers)

Life is more fun without blisters on your hands. MTB is more fun with gloves! If you know someone getting into mountain biking, long finger gloves is always a good idea! Those are my personal favorite and they come in many colours.

A MTB trip

A trip to a cool MTB area, where you can also do other things than just ride (like Burke, Sedona, or other). That’s something I’d love to do !

A Book

I find books to be some of the coolest gifts. “Leading with the heart” is a great book full of wisdom for anyone who is a leader of a business, a coach, or anyone who seeks to improve. But I guess the idea here is to find a book that relates to the person you want to make happy.

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- My dad: The biggest cycling enthusiast (also, the guy who has everything and loves to geek out on new material) -

The person who is probably the biggest cycling fan you’ll ever meet. He loves watching races, reading about races & racers, and loves to know the behind the scenes stuff. He absolutely loves to ride all kinds of bikes, he loves to train, and although he used to love racing, now he’s more into less competitive and more fun cycling events. Dad loves a challenge and loves to work hard & find ways to improve his riding abilities and his fitness.

Lizards Skins Bar tape

Just look at those colours. If you are like my dad, you like playing with the look and design of your bike. One thing that makes a big difference in look? The bar tape. Change the colour and experience “new bike day” more often. Lizard Skins bar tape is also the best. New model also include a screw-in bar end plug which is kind of amazing.

Roval Terra CLX - Gravel Wheels

Okay, that is a solid gift! But those wheels are next level. The lightest gravel wheels on the market that accommodate tires from 28-47mm. Ride on any surface, anywhere. I assure you they are what dreams are made of - they have too many engagement points to count, they are very easy to mount tires on, and ride so well.

CyclePhotos CX photo Album

Any cyclocross fan will be very pleased reading that book & looking at the beautiful images. I’d be very proud to put it on a coffee table once read. You’ll learn a ton of unique facts and deepens their passion for CX. The one from this year has really cool stories going back on the past 10 years of cyclocross history, plus the highlights of last season.Hurry up - that one ships from Europe so get on it if you want it for Xmas.

Registration for a fun Gravel or MTB Event

(Rasputitsa, Grinduro, etc) I think that one is super cool, but your loved ones might think it’s a poisonous gift….unless you register with him/her! ;)

Unique Cycling Art

Cycling art, friends! Who doesn’t love that?! It’s unique. You encourage an emerging artist. You hang that stuff in your office and are inspired all day while staring at it. Unique photograph prints, cycling illustration, posters, sculpture, etc. Recently I’ve been working with Pip Claffey from Rune Creative - she’s been really cool and I love her work!

Challenge Gravel Grinder TLR

Those tubeless tires are pretty much bomb proof. I’ve ridden 5000+ KM on those tires (in trails, on gravel, on the road, on the trainer, etc,) and I FINALLY just got a flat the other day (and it sealed, so I’m good for a few more KMs!!).

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- My boyfriend (David): The adventurer & the mechanic -

The person who loves to ride his bike for long days in the saddle and who enjoys adventures on the bike. Also the person who works a lot on bikes and spends hours in the pits/under the rain for me.

Rain pants

If he spends the days pressure washing bikes in the mud for you, give him a pair of nice rain pants.

Sportful Fiandre Jacket

I just love this jacket. It’s the one jacket you can carry everywhere, at all times. A little warmer than just a normal rain jacket, it protects from the wind and from the rain. It folds quite small, and has 3 pockets at the back.

EVOC Bike Packing bags

Give your friend what he needs to go on longer rides. These bags are “fairly small” but are perfect for a normal ride where you want to bring a lot of stuff, or for over nighters at some hostel/auberge/friend’s house. The best about them is the BOA attaching system - it’s rock solid and easy to install/tighten on the bike. Fits on MTB and Road bikes.

Shoe Covers

Cold feet sucks. Make sure your friend is well equipped if he/she’s going to ride in all conditions.

T-Handle Set from FeedbackSports

This is David’s favorite tool. You may not think you need T-Handle allen + torx wrench when you already have a multi tool. But trust me, those are a game changer. If you still don’t trust me, just go ahead and unscrew your bottle cage from your bike with you multi tool ;)

Ass Savers

This little plastic thing doesn’t look like much, but I promise your butt will think it’s the best thing in the world next time you go on a wet ride and come back with a dry ass.

This Douglas Fir Tea

Because there is nothing like a cup of warm & delicious tea after spending a day under the rain. This tea tastes like Christmas tree and it’s so good.

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-My brother in law: The performer-

The person who always seeks ways to improve his performance. This person is kind of crazy passionate about racing, trains everyday and tries to perform to the highest of his abilities. 

Note: In my case, this person is actually a professional cyclist. Technically, he does not need anyone to gift him any of these and since his job is cycling, I’d definitely not give him something related to cycling. But, for the purpose of this gift guide, we’ll call him “the performer”, and we’ll imagine the performer to be someone who is trying to be a professional or trying to be the best racer he/she can be at the amateur level. 

RETÜL Bike Fit

I had one this year and it has been a game changer. More comfort AND more power. If you love someone who seeks improvement, offering a RETUL bike fit may be the best gift ever. Find out with your local Specialized Dealer if they offer Retul fits.

Omnium Over-Drive trainer

Why this trainer over another one? You can EASILY carry it everywhere. It is light, easy to use, and stores easily.

Xpedo CXR Pro Pedals

That one is cool for the person who geeks out on material, or for the performer. Lighter than any popular pedal. The CX model clears mud very effectively because it is wide open. Pedals come in many colours which is cool for the person who likes to play with the looks of the bike. In MTB, I use the MForce8, which is also amazing.

QUARQ

Powermeter

Okay, the crank + power meter on this photo is dirty. But that’s exactly my point. I’ve tried many power meters, and the Quarq is the only one I’ve used that has NEVER let me down. And as you see, I repeatedly put it through horrendous conditions. If you want to improve, having reliable and objective data is crucial.

Cross Spikes - Pro Kit all Condition

Horst engineering Spikes - If you race cyclocross somewhat seriously, spikes will make your life so much better once mother nature decides to open up the skies. The kit is nice because it comes with the wrench and all the spikes sizes you could ever need.

Forfait d’entrainement

Si vous habitez au Québec, un forfait d’entrainement chez Powerwatts Nord, c’est plus qu’un suivi d’entrainement de qualité - c’est une communauté et une nouvelle famille avec qui faire du vélo!

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- A gift for me or someone like me -

Cycling related gift for The person who rides a ton, but who also loves doing other things sometimes. like taking pictures, reading, cooking…

EVOC Hip-Pack for camera

Super awesome hip pack made to carry your camera on rides. Camera is safe and secured and the pack holds quite nicely in place.

Specialized Deflect Gloves

I absolutely love those gloves. I live in Canada where, in October, it’s often cold and rainy outside. These gloves are my fave because they are warm enough, but they aren’t too big so I can still control the bike quite well. In fact, I even raced with them at the Rasputitsa gravel event this year.

Stix/Switch light

This light is super cool. I have one on each of my bikes. You can charge it in a USB plug. Be safe, friends. Put a light on your bike :)

Cycling related cookbook - Velochef in Europe

I love to cook and I like this book a lot. But really that one is good for any cycling enthusiast who likes food.Good recipes, fun stories.

World Bicycle Relief : A gift that gives back

World Bicycle Relief is an organization that sends bikes (and educates people on bike usage/maintenance, etc) in Africa. The bike, as a mode of transportation changes people life. They can increase their productivity, or attend school easier. The bike literally changes their life. This t-shirt is expensive, but the price equals the price of one Buffalo bike sent to Africa. So by gifting this shirt to a friend, you also gift someone with a life-changing bicycle. May be a fun gift for the person who has everything.

ZIBO! gift card. A dinner with friends

I often away from home, and therefore, I don’t see my friends often. If you have a friend (or many) that you don’t see often, a night out at the restaurant is a pretty cool gift! In Quebec, I like ZIBO! because the food is good and it’s a fun place to invite many friends.

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-For everyone- 

A the end of the day, I guess Holidays are not really about the gifts. It’s about spending time with the people you love. I always knew that, but “skipping” the Holidays to attend CX World Cups over the last few years helped me realize it even more. When I’m away from home on Christmas, I could not care less about not having any present on Christmas day, but it’s always so difficult not being with the family. 

So if I was home, I would bring a pack of Boréale Artisan beers, get over to my family’s house, and have a good chat with them over a nice beer while baking Ginger Bread cookies. That’s literally all that I crave to do when I’m away from home during the Holidays. 

Happy holidays to all of you! :)

Maghalie

The fight for the Maple Leaf

"My biggest enemy is my inner me" . David and I have been watching a rap series called Rhythm and Flow, and one of the young rapper on the show keeps saying this.

I can totally relate to that quote. For the longest time, I've always been my own worst enemy and my most fierce opponent. In a sense, I still am, but I've grown to really know and understand my inner me a lot better. I'm now more able to control myself and I've developed tricks & strategies to get the best out of myself on a regular basis.

I'm sure everyone has been in a situation like this before: Let's say you're playing basket ball and shooting hoops. You tell yourself: "Alright, let's see if I can get 3 in a row". You hope to get 3 in a row. You get the first two and then you start really hoping you can get the third one. But is it really up to chance if you're going to succeed?

What if, instead of hoping to succeed, you focused on exactly what you have to do to get the ball in the net? Place your hands that way, look at that specific spot, use that amount of force, etc.

Racing is the same for me. I used to be nervous about being nervous. "Will I be able to race to my full potential today?" That made me nervous because I felt I was not in control of it. But I've been working on it and I know it's my decision to perform to the best of my abilities - it's not up to chance.

Nervous, focused, ready...and cold! Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn

The Race

I'm telling you all that because yesterday, I was nervous. Championships are special in a way that all you did in the season prior to that event does not count on the day. It's all about that one race to decide who will be the champion of the country for the following year. Everyone wants it, and anyone can take it.

I was nervous because I really wanted it. I knew it would not be easy. Jenn Jackson is a fierce competitor and I know she wanted to win as much as I did. But I embraced the stress - I was happy to be nervous, it was a confirmation that I wanted to win, and I was prepared to work hard for it.

From the start, Jenn Jackson was right there on my wheel and putting pressure. No surprise there. The first time at the barrier, she bunny hopped them as I ran them, and she gain a bit of time on me. "Noted". We rode the first lap together. I would gain a bit of time in the pedalling sections and she would gain that time back in the technical sections. My plan was to play it safe in the technical sections because I wanted to be sure not to make any mistake. But she was riding really well and it made me think maybe I would need to ride those sections more aggressively. On the second lap, she took the lead on the pavement, so I recovered on her wheel. I felt I maybe had a little bit more in the pedalling sections, so I knew the only way to win was to be at the front and put pressure from there. I adjusted and bunny hopped the barriers too, but other than that, I still played it safe. Hard, safe, hard safe...that was my strategy. After about 3 laps, I was staring to open a slight gap, so I kept pushing and pushing. It was tough - it was 0 degrees and raining outside, so we could not feel our hands and had to pay attention when shifting (luckily for me, the SRAM e-tap was super helpful here!). After a long race of digging deep and riding safely, I was able to create a gap and keep it until the finish line to take the win.

It felt really good. Even more so because it had been such a hard race. I can thank Jenn for that - she brought the battle to me and brought the best out of me on the day. That's super cool. I'm very happy to be representing the Maple Leaf for one more year.

Jenn came out firing today! Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn

Digging deep. Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn

Photo : NIck Iwanyshyn

Conclusion

I've done many, many mistakes in my career so far, and in a sense it's really nice because I feel I am finally starting to benefit from all those mistakes. I can't count the number of National Championships I messed up. But it's really cool to be here a few years later and be able to respond better to a similar situation where I would have flunked before. I think it's that progress (which David and I have been working on) that makes me the happiest.

It was a very quick trip for David and I. We drove 5h Friday, raced Saturday and drove 5h back home right after the race. But it was a great trip - my parents were there (which is always very cool) and it was pretty awesome to hang with the Canadian cyclocross community. Thank you everyone for cheering yesterday!!

As always - it just so happens that my job on the team is to pedal and cross the finish line. But the truth is that jersey belongs to many more people. Thanks for making it happen :)

Happy and tired :) Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn

Thank you for the good battle Jenn! Photo Nick Iwanyshyn

CX Fever!!!! by Nick Iwanyshyn