Pumpkin Cross and More Fall Fun

(l-r) Chelsea Bilsbarrow (Local Ride Racing) 4th, Joele Guynup (Island Racing) 2nd, Jean Ann McKirdy (Local Ride Racing) 1st, Sandra Walter (Local Ride Racing) 3rd.

Last Sunday, Local Ride Bike Shop hosted the annual Pumpkin Cross cyclocross race - a Halloween-themed event with scary racing, a free kids' race and great prizes, including Best Costume. It's a total blast and this year's edition was no exception. The Local Ride Racing gang got up super early to mark out a very tricky and entertaining course - thanks to the Maple Ridge Equi-Sport Centre for the use of their cross country field by the North Alouette River. With obstacles like the "Coffin," the "Spooky Forest," and some integrated horse jumps, it was a howling good time!

Local Ride Elite Women's MTB Team's Jean Ann took her second victory in as many days (she also won convincingly at BC Cup #4 in Port Coquitlam on Saturday), chalking up another BC Cup win and adding to her BC Cup Series lead. Dressed as the "Jean-Animal," she played it cool on the first lap, testing her two hangers-on, Joele Guynup of Island Racing and her Local Ride team mate, Sandra. Jean Ann and Joele upped the pace on lap two to shed Sandra (who was dressed up as Super Clean Girl - her own superhero creation), and later the Jean-Animal would attack Joele to take the lead, and eventually, victory.

Sandra makes a special appearance as Super Clean Girl!

Disappointingly, Sandra did not win the people's choice Costume Award. "I guess people are just afraid of what they don't understand," she said. "They chose the Incredible Hulk instead of my original creation. That's okay, I'll try again next year."

For more photos and results, click here.

The Local Ride Racing crew gets ready for Pumpkin Cross 2009!

The Friday before Pumpkin Cross, it's tradition at Local Ride to have a special evening of pumpkin carving and pizza eating.

Jean Ann carves the Local Ride pumpkin!

Sandra's Kicking Horse Coffee pumpkin - thanks for the caffeinated support KHC!

Nothing tops pizza and pumpkin carving!

Also on the menu this fall: fun mountain bike rides! Fall is the best time of year to tear up the trails and spend some quality time on the mountain bike - without a heart rate monitor, but with good friends. Last Sunday - after Saturday's discovery of a new whoop-worthy trail on Burke with Paul and Jeanine - Sandra and Ryan sped up to Whistler in the Subaru for a bout with Comfortably Numb - a 20-something kilometre demanding singletrack epic replete with rocks, roots and twisty trail. Sandra has also been exploring the trails in her backyard and has made some exciting discoveries in the form of new paths and chanterelle mushrooms... mmm....

Sandra nearly tossed her Xprezo off a cliff on the Comfortably Numb Trail: "This trail is not comfortable at all!" Luckily she realized how much she really loves her bike before she let go....

Ryan and Sandra at the end of Comfortably Numb.

Wild Burke Mountain chanterelles... exquisite!