One of Whistler’s biggest secrets in the mountain bike scene is the underground local Toonie($2 coin in Canada) Ride series.

It started years ago as a “Loonie Race Series”. Everyone would bring a dollar and put it in the pot and the winner would take all of the money. It was a bunch of the valley’s best riders getting together to have a fun night out while the fastest one on the night take the cash and buy the beers. As with anything cool, it grew and a lot more people would show up. At one point Chad Miles, local legend XC and all around ripper, was making a enough money to pay his rent from winning the race every thursday night.

Today with anywhere from 100 to 300 plus riders per week, the race is a bit of a big deal in Whistler. The top  20 or so people race their butts off to get a chance at the prize. Now that prize is only $50 for the winning man and $50 for the winning woman, while the rest of the cash goes to WORCA to prove a budget for to maintain build new trails. The 300 riders have their own little races within the pack or are just out for the ride and social aspect.

The race is always sponsored by a local business who decides the course. Some are really technical, some have savage climbs that are actually hike a bikes and others are more like a typical xc race. The consistencies the race time about 35 to 40 minutes for the winning time and just over an hour for the most recreational rider, the price (2 bucks), the great social with dinner and beers included and the challenging Whistler riding. When you look around the start area at the 300 plus people, you see all ages all types of bikes, DH, XC, old ones and strange ones. You can here accents from all over the worlds and best of all you get a real sense of our community.

I started doing these races 2 years ago and was instantly hooked. I was somewhere around the 30th places on my first race and was determined to make it into the top 10 at some point. Being a free rider and not an xc racer, that was a bit of a hefty goal for me. This season I have done 3 and been in the 10-15th spots and last night I cracked that top ten I was looking for with a 6th place finish. Now I can die. Haha. Matt Ryan, local import form Oz won as he often does.

If you haven’t been out to a Toonie or you are visiting Whistler and want to get a real sense of our community, come on out and give it your best shot. You won’t regret it and it is the cheapest meal and beer in town, just a Toonie.

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This June in Whistler has been so epic! It has been sunny everyday and felt like August. It makes it so easy to want to be out riding everyday. My friends and I have take full advantage of the situation and hit up a ton of cool stuff this last week.
Sunday; shuttling in Pemberton; Gravitron to Overnight Sensation, then a short pedal up and down Meat Grinder. A quick can of Tobourg and shuttle back up to Mackzie Cruz.

Monday; Comfortably Numb for the first time. Whistler’s xc epic trail. Cool ride.

Tuesday chillin.

Wednesday; hangin with Willow and rode Lost Lake trail right after a quick thunder storm.

Thurday; Took Willow to the airport, rushed home and did the Loonie race (Whistler’s weekly XC race series) got 15th and was very tired. Lots of climboing.

Friday; Chromag ride in Squamish. Four and a half hours of sweet single track and good times. Even had a session at BRT’s new pump track on our all mountain bikes. Cool.

Saturday; Preroad the BC Bike Race Day 7 Whistler stage with Dre Hestler and gang 5 hours of heat and not so exciting trails. Too hot. Pretty much crushed from the week.

Sunday; worked on bikes all day with Lenn Hornige then had my first real pump track session in Alta Vista. So fun, but hard work and technical.

Hope this week will be just as fun as last. Riding is the best and we have so much variety here it is insane. This week I will ride the bike park and maybe even go dirt jumping.

[caption id="attachment_188" align="aligncenter" width="337" caption=" Sean Dimwitty, rockin out with his boobs out."][/caption]
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My  2007 Black/grey 5.7 liter Tundra TRD is one of a kind with 22″ wheels a 4 inch lift and all the options possible all work done by Toyota. Navigation/DVD/back up camera, blue tooth system, Eclips stereo and sub. Box liner and hard cover. Heated leather seats and TRD shifter. Mint condition. I am selling it for $41,995.00 obo. I bought a new vehicle and so this one needs to go. http://www.bcauto.ca/search_quick_detail.asp?adID=14354

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As I sit here with Willow, sipping on red Italian champagne, I am reflecting on how many sunny days I have experienced this year.  When the sun is shinning, everything is better.

I just returned from two weeks in Europe, in which I experienced only a few days of bad weather.  My time was filled with great riding, cool friends and perfect shooting locations.

My first stop was Gieskoff Bikpark.  It was super fun with some really gnarly DH style descents.  After visiting with some friends in Germany, I continued on to Winterburg.  Yes, it felt like winter there.  The sun comes out for a minute, then it rains without warning.  The riding is a miniature version of the Whistler Bikpark.  Needless to say, I loved it.

The festival put on by Mountain Bike Rider magazine has all the gravity events, which brings all the freaks and gravity-heads in Germany out for the weekend.

I am thinking this weekend in Whistler is going to be pretty sweet.  Descents in the bike park, xc rides,a garage sale, followed by a block party with a killer DJ and some liquid fun. . .. . come by if you want!  7295 Spruce Grove Lane.  We will be getting Groovy.

Just another fun chapter in the Schley Chronicles.

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