Breaking News - Cannondale Bikes Return to York Region
Spoke O'Motion is proud to report that we are the newest Cannondale dealer in Canada. Cannondale is a top tier vendor of professional-level road, mountain, and cyclo-cross race bikes. For 2009, under new Canadian ownership, they also cater to a broader demographics than ever before with bikes starting at only $449.99.
Cutting-edge, American manufacturing combined with truly innovative engineering makes Cannondale one the most successful brands in the world whether it be at the Tour de France, UCI World Cup Mountain Bike Championships, or just cruising around the block with your children. The 2009 model line-up will be arriving as soon as it is available.
August 26, 2008
Spoke O'Motion Home to Road Cycling Champions
This past weekend, Elliot Lake played host to the best in the province as the host city for the Ontario Cycling Association's Provincial Championship road race. This event, romantically sub-titled The Jewel of the Wilderness, was a two-day, three event stage race designed to test the mettle of those who dared make the five hour journey north.
The first stage was a 3.5km time trial hill climb. This also served to crown the provincial hill climb champion. Kelly Cullen was the first to attack the challenging ascent flying the Spoke O'Motion banner and she finished in an incredible 10m 07sec. This time crowned her the Provincial Master A Hill Climb Champion and lay the groundwork for a thrilling weekend.
Myles Cullen was the next Spokes rider to leave to starting blocks and blasted his way to a leg-busting 8m 33sec finish. This time was strong enough to win the Master 3 hill climb championship and even bested the times set by the next category, Master 2. Rick Clavir was our last rider in attendance and pushed his up the hill for a 21st place finish in the hill climb.
The next event was a 1.3km criterium course, also held on Saturday. This was a raucous affair made the more so by devastating storms throughout the middle of the day. The weather was so bad that the Master 3 race had to be cut short due to active lightning strikes within a close vicinity to the race venue. Kelly placed fourth, Myles placed second and Rick placed 15th. Most importantly, we all finished the crit without a crash or incident and were, therefore, all in the running to battle for the GC (General Classification), which is the overall event win.
On Sunday, the stage was set for the penultimate battle. The road race was the most heavily weighted event of the three and the winners here would not only be crowned Provincial Champions, but stood a good chance of winning the GC. The Sunday morning weather was cool and dry - ideal for a good hammerfest. The rolling hills and challenging climbs quickly tore each category's peloton apart and all that remained was to see who would rise to the occasion.
The good news: Kelly came in fourth in the road race after some strategic teamwork with some close competitors. This strong finish assured her third place in the GC. Myles won his race after a blistering attack on the final ascent into town that shattered the field that remained. Having won two of three events, Myles earned the jersey of the 2008 Provincial Road Champion and won the GC.
Congrats to everyone who attended and give it their all in The Jewel of the Wilderness! You are all champions!
August 12, 2008
Too Many Victories & Too Little Reporting
With two more Ontario Cup mountain bike races under our Team belt since my last update, it is a great pleasure to report on some phenomenal progress. In Ontario Cup #5, on the slopes of Boler Mountain in London, Team Spoke O'Motion saw several riders reach their highest peaks of the season - and I am not talking elevation!
Ontario Cup #5 - Boler Mountain
Sean Kelly hit the podium in fine style for the first Ontario Cup victory of his blossoming career. This strong finish elevated Sean to third place in the overall standings in the province. For his strong showing, Sean was also treated to a cover story in the local Bradford newspaper. Matt Saunders also rose to the occasion and has officially shaken his early season flu bug. Look for more strong finishes from this established team leader. Myles Cullen, store Manager at Spoke O'Motion, also won his category with a well-executed race strategy for his fourth consecutive victory. In the 1:30pm start, Paul Cooney let loose with his best performance of 2008 and nailed a podium position with a strong 3rd place finish. Congrats to everyone for these personal bests!
This past weekend weekend we witnessed the muddiest, nastiest race yet of 2008. Buckwallow is usually reknowned for it's technical difficulty, but this year it was known more for the molasses-like texture of the race track thanks to a week worth of torrential rainfall. Despite these challenges, Team Spoke O'Motion still managed to put on quite a show.
More personal bests were laid down as Jordan Doner launched himself to victory for his first Ontario Cup podium finish. This has somewhat become Jordan's home track as he is teaching a mountain bike course at a camp located nearby the infamous Buckwallow Cycle and Ski Centre. In the same category our rising star, Sean Kelly, captured third place to hoist him to first place overall in the Ontario Cup standings.
On the theme of personal bests, there are a few more in need of mention that emerged from the muck of Buckwallow. Another podium was contributed by the fastest teacher in Newmarket, Mr. Paul Cooney. In his second trip to the podium in as many races, Paul is showing a return to the form that causes his competitors to quiver in their clipless. This time, Paul finished in second to improve upon his previous third place result. Dmytro Mulyava, a late addition to the Spoke O' Team, reached fifth place for his top finish in O'Cup competition. Kelly Cullen also cracked the top 5 for the best finish of her career - with the blood and scrapes to prove how hard she fought for it.
Karen Thompson also resumed her stellar season with another podium finish (2nd) followed by Claudia van Vliet (3rd) who has also become very familiar with standing atop those confidence-inspiring wooden boxes.
Other notable finishes at Buckwallow include:
Brian Burnside, 6th, Master Expert 40-44
Myles Cullen, 7th, Master Sport 30-34
Luke Mione, 9th, Cadet Sport Male
Sam Rykhoff, 10th, Cadet Expert Male
Rick Clavir, 11th, Master Expert 45-49
Jeremy Cummins, 11th, Master Expert Male 30-39
Daniel Hope, 12th, Cadet Sport Male
Matt Saunders, 13th, Master Sport Male 35-39
Brad Cox, 18th, Master Sport 40-44
Chris Glover, 18th, Master Sport Male 30-34
Provincial mountain bike chapoinships are on September 7th, so look for Team Spoke O'Motion to peak just in time for the biggest race of the year. Congrautaltion again to you all! You are doing Spoke O'Motion proud!
June 16, 2008
Spoke O'Motion Women Seize the Day!
Another Ontario Cup and more stellar performances. Despite a very demanding and technical course, and it's corresponding number of DNFs, several Team Spoke O'Motion riders had standout performances. Most notably, our women's squad. Claudia van Vliet garnered her first podium finish in Master Expert having jumped uip from Sport Class after an exceptional year in 2007. The whole Team sends out a big "woo hoo" to you, Claudia! Congrats.
On another interesting note, the Ontario Cycling Association has updated their Club Challenge points tally - this is the where an every teams' cumulative results are totalled. Team Spoke O'Motion is currently 6th place in Ontario out of 118 provincial teams. Click here for the full list. Congrats to everyone involved!
June 3, 2008
Seasons has arrived!
"Seasons" is the highly anticipated third film from the award winning mountain bike DVD film makers The Collective, producers of "The Collective" and "Roam"
Description: Seasons is a film that follows 7 of the world's best mountain bikers through the course of 4 seasons of one year. Seasons explores what it means to be a full time mountain bike athlete as told through the lives of downhill racers, slopestyle competitors, and big mountain freeriders.
June 3, 2008
Team Spoke O'Motion Shows Their Colours at the Canada Cup
This was a weekend of personal bests for the Spoke O'Motion race team at 2008 Canada Cup at Hardwood Hills. Several riders posted their best finishes of the year. The usual crew dominated the podiums, with Sam Rykhoff and Myles Cullen dominating their categories in the style they have become accustomed to. Sam pulled away from second place by more than 30 seconds and Myles left the field behind by more than four minutes.
Steve Prosser saw his season best finish result in a visit to the podium for a strong third place finish. Matt Saunders, having finally shaken off a nagging flu bug, also produced his best result with a strong fourth place finish.
For our women's squad, Karen Thompson finished second for her third straight podium. Claudia and Kelly also put forth strong efforts with 4th and 6th place finishes.
Gee...think Spoke O'Motion is serious about cycling?
May 18, 2008
Spoke O'Motion Hosts High School Cross Country Race
On Wednesday, May 14th, several hours before our weekly Coulson Hill cross country race began, Spoke O'Motion played host to more than 50 high school cyclists from around York Region. This was but one stop of many on the circuit for these athletes as they compete throughout Ontario representing their schools and helping to build cycling at the grassroots level. Who knows where the next Seamus McGrath may come from?
The early afternoon conditions were perfect as the rain had not yet started and the course was fast, hilly, and full of flowing singletrack. Home town favourite, Huron Heights, dominated the Senior and Junior ranks with Spoke O'Motion riders Sam Rykhoff and Justin Stearns taking wins in their respective categories.
Click here to view the lap times for every participant. Click here to view a photo gallery from the event. If you would like a high resolution image from the gallery, please email me with the image number you would like.
May 12, 2008
Team Spoke O'Motion Collects More Medals
It's official: Team Spoke O'Motion is on a roll. This past Sunday ,at the second Ontario Cup mountain bike race of the season, Team Spokes proved that the fantastic showing at Ablion Hills was not just a flash in the pan. Held at Albion Hills Conservation Area, O'Cup #2 offered riders a blend of fast, rolling doubletrack punctuated by blasts of flowing, technical singletrack. Both fitness riders and technical junkies were rewarded with sections that catered to their strengths.
To that end, we saw the usual cabal of victories handed out to: Sam Rykhoff, Karen Thompson and Myles Cullen. Of even greater significance, we saw a new face on the podium in Sean Kelly. Sean battled hard in his second O'Cup to clench third place in Sam's category and is reaping the rewards of a winter's hard work. Congrats from the whole riding community.
Mechanical issues put the brakes on some riders' performances over the weekend, but another top ten finish was also nailed by Jordan Doner who remains within moments of his first podium finish. Very strong showings were also a highlight for the women's side of our team where Kelly Cullen improved upon her previous best 10th-place finish to move into 6th. Cluadia van Vliet also made her best showing with a fourth place in the in Expert category after cleaning up Sport in 2007.
Keep your eyes out for the Spoke O'Motion crew at an event near you!
April 30, 2008
Team Spoke O'Motion Also Owns the Dirt
This past Sunday marked the official start to the 2008 mountain bike race season. Mansfield Outdoor Centre witnessed an onslaught of over 700 riders intent on battling it out to test their early season fitness on a fast, flowing course littered with open fireroad.
With representation in almost every category, from Try an O'Cup all the way to Pro-Elite, Team Spoke O'Motion was there en force to make a display of the store's commitment to grassroots cycling.
And what a display it was! The early start saw our squad of young riders in Cadet Sport Male clean up with three positions in the Top 10 including the most coveted position of all - that atop the podium. Special mention goes out to Sam Rykhoff for his win, Sean Kelly (7th), and Jordan Doner (8th).
Once the Sport Male and Expert Female categories launched, Team Spoke O'Motion was again able to flex their cycling muscles and pulled in two more first place finishes and another top ten (Claudian van Vliet, 6th)! Congrats to the whole team for a such strong showing.
As part of our ongoing involvement in community events and social causes, Team Spoke O'Motion recently attended Alcona Glen Public School to help raise awareness for the Ride to Conquer Cancer. This was a great time that drew a healthy crowd and generated lots of smiles in the Innisfil area - for kids and adults alike!
In order to get the kids talking about the benefits of healthy living and an active lifestyle, we constructed a bike course through tightly-spaced pairs of pylons.
The goal was to work your way through the pylon course as quickly as possible. Every pylon you hit added three seconds to your total time. Just like in life, precision counts for as much as speed!
We raised a modest amount of money for our Team at this event. Please visit the Ride to Conquer website and donate to this worthy cause today.
All of our lives are touched by cancer and, united, we can beat this dreadful disease and see that our kids never have to lose their friends, families, and partners to this beatable affliction.
April 23, 2008
Spoke O'Motion Race Series Starts April 30th
The season is underway in every way. The sun is shining, the trails are drying, and the racing gauntlet has been laid. Be sure you come and join us for the greatest race series in Ontario. Starting next Wednesday, April 30th the Coulson Hill Weekly Race Series is underway.
Breaking news: Norco Performance Bikes has just signed on as our new primary sponsor. They will be assisting with prizing, logistical and technical support throughout our entire series. This is just one more sign of Norco's commitment to you – the cycling enthusiast – and grassroots cycling in general. Spoke O'Motion and Norco - a team that can't be beat!
For this first Wednesday, please be sure to show up around 5:30pm so that we can deal with registration, plate assignment and general information regarding the series. It will be a very busy place, so please come early and come as organized as possible. Note that an Ontario Cycling Association Citizen's Permit is a requirement for this event. A UCI race licence is the only suitable substitute.
At the inaugural road race of the season, a lone Spoke O'Motion team rider, Paul Cooney, road a tight race but was impeded by a crash in the peloton as the group neared the finish.
Race number two, held at Calabogie Motorsports Park near Ottawa, offered a different narrative altogether. Rick, Richard and Myles hit the course with modest expectations but realized quickly that our winter training was paying dividends as some of those around us seemed to struggle with what seemed a modest pace.
As the day wore on and the finish line slowly became a tangible reality, the Spoke O'Motion crew positioned themselves at the head of the pack, primed to compete in the sprint finish.
Once the tire smoke had settled, the crew had shown that Spoke O'Motion is not only a mountain bike team to be reckoned with, but a tour de force on the road as well.
Myles crossed the finish in first for the first road victory of his cycling career, while Richard and Rick finished with the main pack and recorded the same times.
In the women's field, Kelly Cullen rode the first road race of her life and pushed hard to finish three minutes behind the main field. The finish was strong enough to earn her second place and a pay cheque to boot! The experience has energized Kelly to compete again and we look forward to improving the profile of women's road racing in the Newmarket area.
At Spoke O'Motion we know what we sell.
When you shop at Spoke O'Motion you are being served by cyclists. By people who live, eat, and breathe the sport.
Thanks to two spirited young women – Kelly Cullen and Sara Jane Doner – our store now has a presence in what will surely be the biggest charity ride in Canadian history.
Think of the Ride to Conquer Cancer as a history-making opportunity for you to do something big about cancer, something epic. Like cycling from Toronto to Niagara Falls. Over 200 kilometres in two days on the weekend of June 20-22, 2008. Sure, it sounds like a lot… and it’s meant to be. That’s because we’re on a conquest. And those don’t come easy. But make no mistake, this event isn’t just for athletes or cycling enthusiasts. The Ride to Conquer Cancer is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves for a great cause. Even people who haven’t ridden since they were twelve.
All you need is motivation, a bike, and a helmet. The rest is history. Be part of it.
Please support our riders – they are working hard to save the lives of people you love!
Click here now to donate! Or, even better...join our team!
February 15th, 2008
Tax Benefits for Cyclists - No More PST
In an effort to entice Ontarians to get off their couches and get into a more active lifestyle, the provincial government recently announced a one-year suspension of the provincial sales tax on all bicycles less than $1000.
Safety equipment such as: Helmets, lights, mirrors, and reflectors are also covered in this new legislation. The complete government document can be see here.
What an honour! The accolades seems to keep rolling in here at Spoke O'Motion. For the third consecutive year, we have earned enough votes from the readership of the Era Banner to be named "Bike Store of the Year" for 2007.
Thank you to all of our loyal customers who took the time to get their votes in. Nothing matters as much as the opinions of our customers and an award like this speaks to the strides we have taken to improve the service and sales experience here over the past four years.
Most importantly, though, a big shout out to the staff. Without our dedicated team of passionate professionals, recognition like this could never be a reality. We pride ourselves in delivering the best customer service available in any retail environment, period. Bike store or otherwise, caring about the customer's needs and having knowledgeable, friendly and passionate staff who actually use the products they sell is a recipe for success. Congrats everyone!
November 1, 2007
Spoke O'Motion Receives 2007 Extraordinary Business Achievement Award
What an honour! We are humbled and honoured to be spoken of in the same breathe as our co-nominees. To come away as winners was a distinction to be relished. Spoke O'Motion will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008 and this recognition of Jan's dedication to the greater Newmarket community reflects our ongoing commitment to you – our customer. Click here to check out our accolades.
October 24th, 2007
There is certainly a lot of attention being paid to environmental issues these days – and for good reason. Click here to find out what your favourite local bike store is doing about it.
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This past Sunday marked the official start to the 2008 mountain bike race season. Mansfield Outdoor Centre witnessed an onslaught of over 700 riders intent on battling it out to test their early season fitness on a fast, flowing course littered with open fireroad.
