My friend, Michael Barry, has been a professional cyclist for nearly fifteen years and is widely recognised as one of the "super domestiques" who do the grunt work to support their team leaders. For a taste of what it's like to lead the nomadic life of a pro in the peleton, go here.

Our vice president, Tony Winter, will be leaving us shortly to take up new employment in Victoria. Tony has done a lot for the club so far and his presence on our committee will be sorely missed. However, this presents an opportunity for an interested, hardworking individual to become part of our small group and to have an impact on MIVA's development as one of the top clubs in BC. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please submit your name to pakamac@gmail.co before April 6th. If you have any questions, please let us know and one of the committee can address your concerns.

If you are looking for good routes and circuits for training or just recreation, go here. The site will show routes created by others and it will enable you to create your own favourite routes for others to use. Unlike Advanced Google Maps Distance Calculator, you can indicate a few points on the road and the program automatically adjusts your line to fit the road.

Phil Birrer is organizing a ride from Nanaimo to Comox this Sunday 20 March 2011. He will be leaving Nanaimo around 7am in order to get to the Comox half marathon for 11am. If you are interested in joining, please respond to this post.

Pre-season, for many years, there takes place an epic ride from Toronto Zoo to the shores of Lake Simcoe - about 75km. Some of the route is on paved roads, but the majority of the course is along old rail beds, disused trails and the occasional ditch.  The Hell of the North was started by the father of Pro Tour super domestique, Michael Barry and was traditionally held on the same day as the Paris Roubaix. A number of different clubs  have organised this tough, off-road challenge over the years and in the early part of the present millennium, the Midweek Club kept the ball rolling. For the past few years, Toronto's La Bicicletta club has done a fine job of continuing the tradition.By the way, the "winner" of this "non-competitive" ride is presented with a trophy made from one of the actual cobbles from the Hell of the North lanes of the Paris Roubaix, hence the name. Here is a video of last year's event, courtesy of Ed Veal.