Western Spirit Cycling

Just got back from the FOX Shox 2010 Media Launch. While not one of the “official media” I was in charge of catering, shuttles, 1st aid and many other logistics. The darling Miss Elayna Caldwell (FOX Marketing Queen) organized the rest of the event at the beautiful Chamberlain Ranch in Los Olivos, CA from March 31st-April 2nd. In years past Western Spirit has supported the FOX press launch, but only for their mountain bike offerings. This year they stepped it up and brought in all their products from the moto cross world, quads, side X cars and even the awesome new Ford F150 Raptor complete with the coolest FOX shocks I’ve ever seen.

Western Spirit guides have been sponsored by FOX for years now and we can’t imagine riding anything else. Their suspension is just light years ahead of the competition. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again, with such reliable product, it takes my mind off the hassles of maintenance and helps me concentrate on my # 1 priority - my guests. The suspension just does what it designed and helps me concentrate on just having fun.

While I did have my top secret belt buckle spy cam, you’ll have to wait a little while longer to see any spy photos. I can assure you though, that if you thought 09 stuff was hot, 2010 will really take it to the next level. Having FOX involved in so many motor sports from snowmobiles & moto cross, all the way up to Trophey truck racing at Baja gives them the upper hand on R & D and consequently what trickles down to the mountain bike lineup. Meeting some of their engineers and hearing how time and energy they put into these designs truly gives you a new appreciation of the product. One of the coolest parts of the week was actually meeting Bob Fox - the man that started it all, and hearing his story of the beginning. Little by little he just kept going and has built the company into the suspension powerhouse that it is today. the other coolest part was the rides in the Raptor with a professional driver behind the wheel - but I leave that story for another time.

Need to do some away from the office team building and bonding?  Not sure what makes a great retreat?  How about a little mix of fresh air, fantastic food, fabulous scenery, and fun mountain biking!  No matter what your biking skills or business budget, Western Spirit Cycling can deliver.  Check us out and give us a call, 800-845-2453, with your questions.  We look forward to helping you to help your business to be the dream team that this world so desperately needs. : )  YES WE CAN!

The Nike photographers and talent were hanging in Moab UT with Western Spirit Cycling these past 2 weeks shooting various athletes in various athletic Nike garb.  Really amazing athletes!  Not only were they European, which is always fun to listen to their funny voices- but the incredible feats these folks pulled off would make your chin drop to your chest.  Two of these guys are base jumpers, crazy I know, but the places they have been and the jumps they have done were amazing.  They have both used those bat suit wing suit suits which basically means they honestly fly thru the air.  A couple of climbers, a mountain biker and that pretty well rounded up the talent portion of their show.

They got the shots they wanted and you’ll probably start seeing them in magazines soon.  I just hope they come back and just chat me up a bit…..love the accents.

I really do think that corporate retreats are worth the money.   There is just something about spending time with co-workers away from work that can change your perspective not only about that person, but about the work itself.  People actually do get to know each other in non-work settings and that leads to easier communication.  And of course, the more smooth the communication, the more efficient the organization.

Western Spirit has done dozens of corporate retreats in the great outdoors. We have done multi-sport events where we stay in hotels and do different activities each day, from hiking to golf to kayaking, in addition to biking. We have also done camping trips way out there in the backcountry under the stars away from the grid.  Out there by the campfire, people can actually talk. On this type of corporate retreat more bonding happens in three days than would happen in three weeks in Las Vegas. (Oooo that is a scary image!)

I am working on a few itineraries right now, one here in Moab, one in Jackson, and one in Sun Valley. I think they will all be fun and productive, not to mention down right cheap. They will definitely be much less expensive than renting 10 floors of the Winn Hotel—is that what Wells Fargo had reserved in Vegas before their shareholders had a fit?  Maybe they could have gotten away with it if they had been planning something more down to earth.

Ashley

Just got off the phone with a friend from college who wants to bring his management team on a Western Spirit trip.  The last corporate trip we did was in late October and it was for Nike Europe. They were celebrating 20 years of All Conditions Gear and we had 30 folks from 17 countries, including Russia, for 3 days. There were Nike athletes; two kayakers, a skier, and a climber, so we went boating, hiking, bouldering, and biking!  (No skiing of course, but you could almost do it here today–lots of snow in Moab right now.)

Nike invited editors from all different types of media, and everybody was so happy to be in Moab and to go camping.  Hanging by the campfire is where the bonding really happens.  A backcountry retreat, where you travel under your own steam, and see almost nobody is so different from a hotel based event, where everyone goes back to their rooms to check their email. While the trip was only 3 days, we really got to know each other and spent some great time with the Tinker Hatfield hearing about the early days at Nike.

So I will be working to recreate that type of magic for this next event. It’s all about providing interesting outdoor challenges with minimal logistics. At these events, it is so important to have some down time for people to really get a feel for where they are.  The Nike guys loved their time on the Colorado River. It was a sunny day and Take Out Beach was warm. They couldn’t believe they were walking around in warm sand barefoot at the end of October.

Of course planning something for a management team of 10 to 12 folks is easier. They will hopefully arrive at the same time and already know each other–at least in the context of work. Our job is to lay the groundwork for a shared experience that will make working together easier.  There is something about making it to the top of the pass, or through the thunderstorm, or just gliding through the red rock on bikes that makes showing up at work on Monday better.

Maybe we will take the next corporate trip to Lockhart Basin, or the White Rim, or Bryce to Zion.  I have a bunch of groups that went for 3 days last year, that are thinking about 4 for this year, which is great. It means we have more time to really get them out there.

If you’re like me and we’re born during the summer of love -1969 then you’ve got a significant birthday coming up next year. Some will hide it, others will go all out to party like never before, while others still will treat it like just another b-day. Since we’re in the business of throwing parties I’ve got a few recommendations. 1st - figure out if you really need to make this special. Guys only trip? Family? Couples? Kids too?! Yikes - maybe a solo vision quest is in order. Just this fall I personally helped three of my friends with their celebrations. It was kind of like being a wedding planner for your bros.The most memorable was a weekend extravaganza that included two nights of camping and bonfires,  one all day epic mountain bike ride and two nights of incredible feasts. Oh yeah, some tasty breakfasts “the morning after” we’re darn good as well. The ride was a guys only affair, but the rest of the weekend had kids, family, and even a few dogs.

Forty has some significance as “mid-life” but I’ve also heard “50 is the new 40″ so there you have it. When ever you’re ready for an excuse to party - and want to include cycling as part of it, then give the folks at Western Spirit a call and we can help out. I’m already planning two big weeklong trips for friends next summer and hopefully I’ll have enough energy left to plan my own. Who ever thought getting old could be so much fun?!

Wow - another Bike Week is in the books and boy was it ever fun. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bike Week here’s a quick intro. Bike Magazine’s publisher, Mr. Derek DeJonge invites his favorite advertisers out for a week of riding with Western Spirit Cycling. It all started six or seven years ago, but we missed one year in there. Regardless, this was the fifth installment and it did not disappoint.

The Western Spirit gang brought the group of 30 up to the majestic Red Canyon area of Southern Utah for this year’s edition. With a pre trip BBQ with none other than BearClaw, Matt Hunter & Andreas Hestler, three of Canada’s most prolific drinkers… er I mean riders, we we’re all feeling the altitude after we climbed over 8,000 vert in the Western Spirit shuttle vehicles to the high country. For the next two days we rode such classics as Thunder Mountain (think a rollercoaster amusement park built of singletrack) and a 30 mile X-country classic in the Casto/ Losee canyons area. Each afternoon finished up w/ high five’s, cold beers and abundant food courtesy of the Western Spirit guides. Campfire stories got bigger & bigger as more tequila was passed around, culminating in Dr. Troy Rarick’s rendition of tinkerbell over the campfire. After waking up to 3″ of fresh SNOW on the morning of Day 3, the group packed up the vans and shuttled back around to the famous Gooseberry Mesa, just outside of Hurricane, UT. The following day and a half consisted of more epic trail riding on Gooseberry & the GEM trail that led us right to the front door of Troy’s newest Over The Edge bike shop in Hurricane. The crew from BIKE agreed it was one of the best editions yet with some of the sweetest singletrack we’ve ever ridden.

Thanks go out to Sue Weiss, Simon Stewart and John Miner for their remarkable job guiding, cooking, bartending, wrenching, driving and strumming guitar -late into the night. More thanks to Derek and his crew at Bike Magazine, Quentin & DJ @ OTE/ Hurricane, Mr. Jude Monica at Magura for helping us lug around gear & bodies in his sweet as hell van and all the participants who really made it possible.

For a lot of us on the trip it’s one of the highlights of the year and reminds us why we’re in this industry in the first place. Good friends, good riding, food, beer, etc…….. it makes one’s life complete. Thanks for an awesome week everyone. See you in Vegas if not sooner,

Sevy