The Birch Fall Classic was the first mountain biking event I have participated in. Whilst I was coming off long days touring with a loaded trailer, I did not envisage having 8 hours of trail riding in me so I asked the organisers to pair me with another rider. What the event proved to me is that Manitoba does have hills if you know where to look! It was a warm and prerty tough day... and an enjoyable one.

In planning my return from Canada to Australia I looked into the options available for what to do with my trusty Cannnondale. These ranged from selling in Canada and purchasing another in Australia on my return, through to keeping and shipping it. I quickly determined that purchasing another in Australia was not a viable option. Exploring the latter became something I invested a lot of time into, starting in November 2006.