Bikes and Beers Adventures

Guelph Lake

Mon, 25 May 2026 13:08:23 -0700

If you’ve been looking for the kind of trail system where you can introduce a friend to
mountain biking, build your confidence after a winter off, or just spend a
couple of hours stitching loops together without ever feeling overwhelmed —
Guelph Lake is the answer. It’s flowy, it’s scenic, it’s welcoming, and it’s
less than an hour from most of our home base.

We think this one is underrated, and we’re happy to help fix that.

What You’re Actually Riding. The Guelph Lake mountain bike trails sit on roughly 1,600 hectares of land surrounding the lake itself, leased and maintained by GORBA — the Guelph Off-Road Bicycling Association. There’s around 20 kilometres of trail in the system, spread across more than 30 individually named segments, with the emphasis squarely on flow.

You’ll find soft soil through pine plantations, gentle rolling terrain, the occasional rock
garden, and a constellation of optional features — small jumps, berms, rollers,
and skinnies — that let you progress at your own pace. The trails are
well-marked, well-built, and on land that drains reasonably well, which makes
Guelph Lake one of the first places to come back online after a wet spring.

The emphasis here is flow. The trails reward smooth lines, looking ahead, and trusting the bike — exactly the skills that pay off everywhere else you ride.

Who It’s For - Almost everybody. Honestly.

New riders: This is one of the best entry-points to mountain biking in southern Ontario. Green and blue trails are wide, well-signed, and forgiving.

Returning riders shaking off winter rust: The flow here is exactly what you want for the first few rides of the season. You’ll find...Read More

Hydrocut:

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:39:29 -0700

There’s a reason riders pile into cars from Toronto, Hamilton, Burlington, even London
and Windsor, just to spend a Saturday morning at one trail system in
Kitchener-Waterloo. The Hydrocut isn’t the longest network in Ontario. It isn’t
the most technical. It isn’t even on the radar of anyone outside the mountain
bike community. But ask a hundred riders in southern Ontario where they’d go
for the best day on a bike, and a very large chunk of them will say the same
thing: Hydrocut.

If you’ve nevermade the trip, this is the season. And if you’ve already worn ruts into those
trails, you already know we don’t need to talk you into it.

What You’re Actually Riding

The Hydrocut is a connected network of more than 30 mountain-bike-specific trails strung together across multiple parcels of land in west Kitchener, linked by a hydro
corridor (hence the name). All in, you’re looking at roughly 40 kilometres of
uninterrupted, flowing singletrack. The trails have been built and maintained
since 1998 by volunteers from the Waterloo Cycling Club — thousands of hours
every year, free to ride, supported by donations.

The system splits roughly into two halves: the Landfill side (accessed from the Glasgow
parking lot) and the Pines (accessed from Snyder). Most riders start at Glasgow
and work their way west, picking up trails as they go.

Who It’s For (Hint: Pretty Much Everyone)

This is the part we love about the Hydrocut, and it’s very on-brand for how we ride at
Bikes and Beers. It works for everyone.

• Newer...Read More

The Yukon is Calling - Are you in?

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:41:22 -0700

A once-in-a-lifetime mountain bike adventure is taking shape, and there are four spots left with your name on them.
This September 2026, a group of riders is heading deep into Canada's wild north for eight days of world-class singletrack, jaw-dropping scenery, 24-hour daylight, and the kind of camaraderie that only happens when you're far from home and deep in the mountains. The destination? Whitehorse, Yukon — North America's best-kept mountain biking secret.
Whether you ride with a club here in Ontario or you're a solo rider looking for your next big adventure, this trip is open to you. We need four more committed riders to make it happen.
What Makes the Yukon Special?
Forget what you think you know about northern Canada. The Yukon isn't just remote wilderness — it's a mountain biker's paradise with professionally built singletrack, stunning alpine descents, and trails funded and crafted by Indigenous communities with pride and precision. The trails flow through boreal forest, drop from sub-alpine ridgelines, and finish at the shores of pristine glacial lakes. Every day on this trip is a different trail system, a different view, and a different kind of stoke.
The Itinerary at a Glance
The trip runs 8 days out of Whitehorse, with the heart of it spent at the legendary Boréale Ranch — a year-round adventure lodge built for...Read More

Tune-Up Time — Get Your Bike Ready for the Season

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:36:00 -0700

You’ve got a big season ahead.Group rides, epic weekend trips, a Quebec adventure, possibly a 24-hour race… the last thing you want is to be sidelined by a creaky drivetrain or a fork that hasn’t been serviced since 2022. Trust us.
Before the first real ride ofthe season, take some time to give your bike a proper once-over. Here’s a simple pre-season checklist to get you rolling smoothly and safely.
Your Pre-Season Bike Checklist

Tires: Check sidewalls for cracking, inspect tread wear, re-seat and inflate tubeless
tires, top up sealant.
Drivetrain: Degrease and lube your chain. Inspect cassette and chainring teeth for
shark-fin wear. Replace if needed.
Brakes: Squeeze each lever. Check pad thickness. Bleed hydraulic brakes if the lever
feels spongy.
Suspension: Check for stiction or oil weeping on your fork stanchions. Verify your sag
settings and service intervals.
Bolts and pivots: Go over all fasteners with a torque wrench. Check pivot bearings
for play.
Dropper post: Make sure it moves freely and returns crisply. Lubricate the collar if
sticky.
Controls: Check handlebar clamp torque, lever positions, and grip condition.
Don’t Want to DIY? We’ve Got You Covered!
Not everyone wants to spend aSunday afternoon elbow-deep in their drivetrain — and honestly, that’s fine. We’re lucky to have some great bike shops in our community who know our crew and...Read More

BNBA Season Kickoff — Let’s Ride!

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:26:22 -0700

Winter is officially in the rear-view mirror (I never thought that would end :-). The trails are waking up (Turkey Point is good to go with skinnies - just need the rain to cool its jets), the days are getting longer, and the Bikes and Beers crew is ready to get back out there. Welcome to the 2026 riding season, everyone — we’ve been waiting for this!
Whether you spent the off-season spinning on a trainer, hitting the gym, binge-watching trail edits on YouTube, or honestly just eating pizza and waiting for spring — no judgment here. That’s the beauty of this club. We ride together, at our own pace, and we always end up somewhere fun.
A Season Worth Getting Excited About
We’ve been busy behind thescenes putting together what might be our best year yet. The 2026 calendar is packed with everything from local weekly rides and race events to two truly bucket-list adventures that you’ve got to hear about — more on those in upcoming posts.
We just launched a new BNBA club app which should put all our rides, events, communicatiuon under one roof. This App is built for us and will grow based on feedback from each of you.
We also changed our weekly ride schedule. We are now hosting weeknight rides on Wednesday nights only starting at 6:30pm. This does not mean there will be no other rides during the week, rides on other days will be posted ad hoc so others can join. We are also starting at 6:30pm to allow people that have to go back to the brick and mortar to get home in time for a nice stress relieving ride with very cool people.
Here’s a quick taste of what’s coming:
• Mansfield Epic 8 Hour Race — May...Read More

Mountain Biking for Stress Management

Wed, 04 May 2022 09:29:46 -0700

A friend of mine sent me this link for an article that was recently published in the Globe and Mail. The article highlights the many benefits of riding a bike on the trails with a focus on the mental health side of riding. The demands of Mountain Biking are such that you need to pay attention the entire time you are moving the bike, hence it promotes focus on the activity at hand, subsequently allowing you to clear your mind.
I know this feeling very well. The one thing that always clears my head on a stressful day is to take the bike and hit the local trails. On top of the beauty of the surrounding nature, the ability to clear your head for the 1.5 to 2 hours provides so many benefits. I no longer see problems as problems and in many instances I can look at a situation differently and hence react differently.
Check out the article for yourself and see what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section if you want to share :-)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-looking-for-a-way-to-reduce-work-stress-try-mountain-biking/moun

Read More

BNBA Group Ride at Turkey Point

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 14:35:10 -0700

It was great to get out on some nice dirt trails again - long time coming. Trail conditions were perfect at Turkey Point on Saturday and even the weather cooperated. We did have to drive through some pretty heavy rain at times to get there, but not a drop while we were riding.

Read More

Getting your Bike ready for another Season

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 09:35:35 -0700

With a new riding season upon us comes the opportunity to make sure you are prepared to enjoy your rides by undertaking a few things prior to hitting the trails.
This is great time to start by getting your bike tuned up at your local bike shop, DIY, or for members of our club you have access to Northern Spokes (Don Green).
If you are willing and able to do some stuff on your own, then here is what we recommend;
1) Clean the bike. You have to start somewhere so if your bike has been sitting in the garage or shed all winter with last years riding dirt, then it is time to bring it out and clean it up.
Use a good mild soap to wash the bike and use only garden hose pressure (power washers are not recommended).
On the chain and cassette use a degreaser to ensure you get all of last years lubricants off. An old toothbrush goes a long way here to get the hard to reach spots.
We recommend using rubbing alcohol to clean your discs for the brakes. Just wet a spot on a clean towel and rub the disc on both sides to get any grime off. As far as the brake pads go, a little fine sandpaper can be used to clean off the grit on the pads. This is also a good time to check the brake pads to make sure they do not need replacing.
2) Lubricate the chain and cassette. Use a good chain lube for starters and apply it generously while you are circulating the pedal to get full coverage. Once you are satisfied that you covered the chain, use a clean rag to lightly remove any excess lube on the chain.
3) Check the shifting. By propping up the back tire and spinning the pedals with your hand, click through the gears and make sure that the chain is moving up and down freely with each click. If there is any hesitation with the gear shifting or it takes multiple clicks to shift a gear, then you may need to make some adjustments with your deraileur.
4) Check the brakes. You...Read More

Spring is Coming........

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 09:12:26 -0700

We are getting warmer temps this week with March break and we have pushed out the clocks by an hour so it is time to get ready for spring riding.
We will be updating our ride calendar in the coming weeks so you can get a feel for what we have scheduled this season. We will send out an email blast to update you when that is ready.
Starting in April, we will schedule rides on Saturday's based on trail conditions. Turkey Point, GORBA, and Puslinch are typcially the best for spring riding as they seem to drain well with rain and the winter melt. Of course that does not mean that these rides happen 100% of the time so everyone needs to be flexible with cancellations or trail changes.
In June, we will start our weeknight rides which will follow a similar format to last years riding schedule. Monday night will be a group ride held at Christie Lake (this is also ladies night). Thursday will be a group ride for all members and will primarily be held at Kelso, however, we will look at GORBA, Hydrocut, and Puslinch as otpions on Thursday nights as well. Wednesday night will be challenge nights with a little more focus on skills development for all levels. Wednesday night rides will be held at Kelso and will be for all levels of riders. More details will be forthcoming on how these will be managed.
You will start to recieve emails in the coming weeks to renew your membership, for those that have already completed their renewal - thank you. Renewals will be important this year as we are considering capping the membership at the current level so that we can ensure a great experience for all members at all times. We will provide an update on this in the coming weeks as well. We are now over 50 strong so thank you to all of you for your support.
We are planning a couple of big trips this year, so hoping there will be a few of you interested in tagging along. Keep an eye on this blog for updates on trips and the Ride Calendar for...Read More

Whitney's Training Journey

Fri, 01 May 2020 09:54:14 -0700

Training in Tucson - Part Two
Training days consisted of rotating through Intensity Day, Endurance Day, and Rest Day. Here's a summary of hours and km on the bike:
If you’re keen you can find my routes and other data from the rides over on Strava → www.strava.com/athletes/wsurgenor
Some memorable training moments:
"Wednesday Worlds" ride. Powered up a hill sprint and made a break off the front only to remember I didn't know the route and didn't know where the next turn was. Resulting in me waiting at the top for the group to catch up and continuing on. Note to self if you're going to "attack" the group, know the route.
Sprints and pace lines on both the Wednesday and Sunday rides. Great mock race rides to start getting my head in the race mindset for the season.
Long rides bonding time with my teammate Lindsay. 6 hr rides is a the new trend or at least Lindsay and I were trying to make it a thing, especially if there's delicious pizza and cookies from Time Market (www.timemarket.xyz/) at the end.
Swinging by a farm at the end of the rides close to the house where there were miniature horses. Gosh I have such a soft spot for those little fellas.
Tasty stop at Time Market
Lindsay and I after interval training session on Old Spanish Trail. Don't let the smiles fool you the efforts were felt soon after.
My Friends
Cruising along The Loop to head out to Gates Pass with these two ladies.
Training Week Summary:
11 days training days Tucson
998.73 km cycled
35h 10m on the bike
3 rest day
0 bolt lost during bike deconstruction and assemble for plan travel...Read More

Bikes and Beers Adventures

Guelph Lake

Hydrocut:

This is the part we love about the Hydrocut, and it’s very on-brand for how we ride atBikes and Beers. It works for everyone.

The Yukon is Calling - Are you in?

The trip runs 8 days out of Whitehorse, with the heart of it spent at the legendary Boréale Ranch — a year-round adventure lodge built for...Read More

Tune-Up Time — Get Your Bike Ready for the Season

Not everyone wants to spend aSunday afternoon elbow-deep in their drivetrain — and honestly, that’s fine. We’re lucky to have some great bike shops in our community who know our crew and...Read More

BNBA Season Kickoff — Let’s Ride!

We’ve been busy behind thescenes putting together what might be our best year yet. The 2026 calendar is packed with everything from local weekly rides and race events to two truly bucket-list adventures that you’ve got to hear about — more on those in upcoming posts.

We just launched a new BNBA club app which should put all our rides, events, communicatiuon under one roof. This App is built for us and will grow based on feedback from each of you.

Here’s a quick taste of what’s coming:

Mountain Biking for Stress Management

BNBA Group Ride at Turkey Point

Getting your Bike ready for another Season

Spring is Coming........

Whitney's Training Journey

Training in Tucson - Part Two

Training Week Summary:

This is the part we love about the Hydrocut, and it’s very on-brand for how we ride at
Bikes and Beers. It works for everyone.