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Ride Don’t Hide Training Schedule
To help Jess prepare for the 60-km Ride Don’t Hide group bike ride, our cycling experts at MEC have created an 8-week training program geared to get her across the finish line. Over the course of 8...
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Bikefest: Celebrate the Awesomeness of Two Wheels
One of the most enduring childhood memories can be getting your first bike. Not just because it was a new toy to play with, but because that bike gave you your first taste of independence, the freedom...
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Ride Don’t Hide – Learning to Fit and Maintain My Bike
I spent last Sunday as a cycling cheerleader, hitting four different spots along Vancouver’s marathon route to shout inspiring things to my boyfriend as he pounded out 42km in the blazing sun. The...
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Have Kids, Will Paddle
It’s never too early to get out in the wilderness with kids, and Dan and Alice Clark are proof of that. In 2012, they set out in a canoe with their two young children (aged 3 and 5 years old), and...
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Ride Don’t Hide – Refueling and Hydrating on The Road
Intro: I’m terrible at refueling/hydrating on the road. Actually, not just on the road. I’m terrible at eating before exercising, period. I’m a morning person, so for me, getting up for a 6am yoga...
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The Simplicities Of Commuter Cycling
Commuting by bike does require me to sacrifice some things. Like wallet-crushing stops at the gas station. Or the chance to get up close and personal with strangers on rush hour transit. Hmmm, no...
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MEC Alpinelite Packs Get a Major Redesign
Veteran climber Gord Betenia doesn’t suffer fools – or foolish design – quietly. That’s why we love having him as our Field Testing Coordinator and Lead Gear Tester at MEC. If something’s not cutting...
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Waddington/Homathko Ski and Kayak Expedition
MEC supported Maxi Kniewasser through the MEC Expedition Support Program on his adventure to Mt Waddington last spring. We recently caught up with him to ask him a few questions about his inspiring...
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Ride Don’t Hide – Somedays, It Feels Like An Uphill Battle
The thing about training in Vancouver is that hills are inevitable. My quads have confirmed that. And the further you ride, the more you seem to encounter. Thankfully, the Ride Don’t Hide 60km route...
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Review of the Ballard Market Pannier
Growing tired of my bombproof-but-not-very-stylish pannier, I acquired a Ballard Market pannier a few months ago and have been using it to commute to work. Don’t be fooled by its good looks: not only...
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Commuter Challenge: Annual MEC Calgary “Canute”
It’s 6am, and I already have a soaker. I forgot my paddling booties again, and now my foot is going to be cold and wet all the way to work. Two hours in a canoe with a wet foot, and no cup of coffee...
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Ride Don’t Hide – Go Away Injuries, and Stay Away
Overall, I feel like things are really starting to click with my training schedule. Last weekend, I did my 50km long ride in a pair of chamois shorts, arm warmers, and a jersey, and it was amazing. I...
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MEC Envoy Amy Sutley Crowned Youth Nationals Champion
MEC Envoy Amy Sutley recently celebrated a win at the Youth National Championships in Saanich, BC, where she was also awarded the Canada Cup, given to the best overall climber in each category. We...
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MEC Paddlefest: Dive into The World of Paddling
What I love about paddling is its endless variety. By switching up your time, place and boat, you can make it as easy or as challenging as you want. I’ve taken people who’ve never been in a kayak...
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Tales from the Trails
In 2012, Expresso was the trail adopted by MEC through the NSMBA’S TAP program. Over the course of the 2012 season for MEC there were: 6 trail days, 47 volunteers, 380 volunteer hours, 30+ feet of...
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My Big Wild Challenge: SUP from Vancouver to Victoria
Six months ago, the phone rang, and Duff Gibson – Olympic Gold Medallist, Torino – was on the other end, asking questions about paddling stand up paddleboards on the West Coast of Canada. I told him...
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Ride Don’t Hide – The Pack Mentality
June 2–8 was Commuter Challenge week. As one might imagine, this is an event in which MEC staff are creative and willing participants. The group I hooked up with for our epic commute to work met at...
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Ride Don’t Hide – Where Rubber Hits The Road
Two more sleeps until the race. The miles are logged, the hills have been climbed, and (with complete elation) the speed work is over. So now, with race package in hand, it’s just the waiting game...
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We Came, We Rode, We Conquered
Photo Source: Vancouver Sun By all accounts, Sunday’s ride was a success. 1. The volunteers were amazing – from pushing “walk” buttons to help get riders across the street faster (and safely), to...
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In Praise of Tunnel Tents
Camping newbies often get the idea that freestanding tents – the kind that stay up as soon as the poles are in place – are the only way to go for performance and safety. Tunnel tents, which have to be...
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