Back to Biking
Unusual turn of events, or how I got myself a Banshee
So, after all the excitement upon which this blog was started, my new bike was stolen!
About a week (maybe a bit more) after I purchased, it was stolen from a bike rack at a very high traffic spot at my university’s campus. Oh well, lesson learned, don’t leave your bike, anywhere. Shit.
I got to ride it on some local dirt jumps as well as at Hartland “the dump”, local system trails. It was slightly too heavy for the trails - possibly just me, being weak and all. Overall, fun. But oh well, what’s gone is gone.
Having this “back to biking” mindset, I quickly found another great deal (much better, even). Over the following weekend I visited my great friend in Vancouver, and got myself a very custom Banshee Chaparral, model year 2004, which looks and performs like it is brand new. We rode tons of dirt jumps, and glanced at some North Shore trails - and I went back to the island.
I am now a proud owner of a full suspension truly all-mountain/freeride bike that rides like a street bike. I swear, this bike handles that well. A truly ecstatic feeling, actually. I am a Banshee convert now :-) Best thing on two wheels I ever had a chance to ride.
Check out my thematic sticker at the back of the bike. (click for a large image)
And another thematic sticker ;-)
Now that I have a bike, I should get a small camera to carry around with me, and maybe even one of those POV cameras - to fill this blog with some media content. Probably will cook something up by new years.
Much Ado About Nothing
Hello!
My name is Grigory, and this is a diary of my journey back into the world of mountain biking. I used to be big into urban/dj/xc riding. I love bikes, biking and great things that those two bring into my life.
This blog (as much as I would like to avoid the word “blog”, I suppose it does describe what’s about to happen) will be my way to vent a bit, as well as share some hopefully interesting photos and stories. Stories should, probably, take me to trails around Vancouver Island, as well, at some distant point, into Mainland BC. Now, some background…
I used to live in Toronto, 2 minutes away from the Don (awesome mtb playground). It was great, I loved my greatly cared for Specialized P.1 (bent rigid fork, impossible to clean 2005 frame, hookworms, no breaks, single speed…). We used to spend whole summers with shovels in our hands and geometry of take offs/landings in our minds.
I moved to Victoria, BC, and my bike got stolen soon after that (nice first impression!). Theft of my older Trek 4300 did not made me wait long as well. They even stole my mom’s new KHS Alite! Thankfully, police recovered that last one from some junkie in downtown. It was slightly beat up, but OK for commuting.
Long story short, for the next three years my bike (khs alite) was a means of transportation. Sometimes I would take my friend’s bmx, downhill or awesome street bike for a 10 minute spin and a couple of badly executed 180s, but nothing exciting. Lately this became very depressing and I started to climb rock cliffs above the ocean just to get that similar adrenalin rush - a point in time at which mountain biking seems like a safer/cheaper way to continue living in one piece.
I start this blog with a purchase of used-but-completely-mint 2006 Kona Stuff, mostly stock (except for minor details like grips, tires and maybe something else), and with a great Manitou Nixon Elite on it. I’m very, very excited, even to a point of starting yet another tumblr.
Enjoy!
