Technological Advancement

Brad's new BFF

The past few months I’ve been lucky. I’ve had the opportunity to ride all over Canada with my Dad and from time to time my siblings have also joined the trek. I’ve always loved going for a ride with my Dad and my brother (its been nice getting to ride with Maddy the last few weeks too!) but since we’ve left Vancouver, something has been different from those childhood excursions. As far back as I can remember those rides, I always remember Dad on the same bikes: a red Bottecchia road bike, a red Tesch road bike and Bontrager Mountain Bike. All three bikes were top of the line when Dad got them (as he always reminded us) but the newest of the bunch, the Bontrager, he received in 1992 as a gift from his Red Wings teammates for playing his 1000^th game.

It was a thrill when I grew tall enough to ride those bikes but as a young kid I never did fully appreciate their “vintage” appeal. That said it was a little strange to be out for a ride with Dad and see him riding on his new bike; its carbon frame with black on black finish far different from the steel tubing and red finish of those old bikes. I’m just not used to seeing Dad being up with the newest sporting technology. Heck, up until last year he had the same Micron Medallion Skates he wore when he taught me to skate 23 years ago. He was finally was forced into a pair of Zdeno Chara’s old Bauer’s and when I asked him about the new skates he said, “I’ll be dead before these are broken in!” The stick he used when he played seemed more like a piece of lumber than a scoring weapon, his shoulder pads have numbers from each team he played for written in Sharpie on them because he hadn’t gotten a new pair his whole career. All you need to do is look into his hockey bag to see that Brad Marsh is a traditionalist when it comes to new technology.

This time though, it seems to be different. He has a little extra power up the hills, he is a little quicker to match the tempo when Pat tries to take off and drop us. Maybe this is a symbolic turning of the page. After all, this year Dad has finally wrapped his head around Facebook (not Facepagebook as he used to call it) and he even has a Twitter following. He’s got a smartphone and no longer asks if we have the UPS with us on a long drive (it’s a GPS, Dad). Maybe Dad is proving that you can teach an old dog new tricks, or maybe he’s been training harder than ever and that’s why he looks so fast on that new bike. Either way, Dad is looking right at home on his Trek 5.2 Madone and I can’t wait to tackle “The Rock” and finish off the 10^th and final province of our ride.

Erik Marsh (son and co-pilot)

Between Calgary & Edmonton or A Rock & A Hard Place

Former Flames Captain Brad 'Marshy' Marsh

Phase one of our trip is over. We worked hard to get through the mountains, the snow and the rain. We had a great time at the Boys and Girls Club and we got ourselves off to a great start with our goal of raising money and awareness for the Boys and Girls Club. Now we start phase two and it’s just Dad and I and the prairies ahead of us. We upgraded our support van to an RV (believe it or not its cheaper than another rental car) and now we’re faced with the challenge of conquering the most monotonous part of our beautiful country.

           

Not your average size 'bike riders' Brad & Erik

After an amazing reception in Calgary and an enjoyable day off with Pat and his fiancé, Annie, we re-evaluated our plan of attack. Dad is holding up pretty good but his Achilles tendon is inflamed and his foot is swollen up like a football. We’ve been asked by Trek, our bike sponsor, and the Edmonton Boys and Girls Club to swing through Edmonton on our tour. Considering its out of the way and keeping in mind Dad’s injury, we opted to drive up to Edmonton and give the tendon an extra day to heal before we continue from there. We’re looking forward t making an appearance at United Cycle in Edmonton, which should be lots of fun. It’s a bit funny that we’ll be making an appearance on behalf of Trek, and any avid cycling fan would see why. The average pro cyclist, the kind of guy they’d normally have making these appearances, is about 5’8” and 140lbs. Dad and I are both over 6’3” and tip the scales at 230lbs and 220lbs respectively. In the context of a pro peloton we’d not only be slow but also gigantic. I often wonder what it’d be like to meet Lance Armstrong. He’s a man so huge in stature yet he’s only 5’9” and 153lbs.

We’re looking forward to starting Phase two of our trip but there are definitely some mixed feelings about our starting point of Edmonton. In short, we hate Edmonton but that’s another story for another time…

Erik

Press and Luck

Brad in the Kamloop News

Former NHL'er to pedal into Kamloops for floor hockey match with kids club here

The Kimount Boys and Girls Club wishes Brad luck on his ride across Canada here

Bike Pick Up

Brad with Ridley's owner Ron

We just got to Calgary and after a long flight it’s nice to have things for the trip in motion. We’re headed to Ridley’s Cycle in Kensington to pick up our new Trek 5.2 Madone bikes. Ridley’s is one of the biggest Trek dealers in western Canada and we’re lucky enough that my son Patrick works there.

Ron, the owner, greets us at the shop and after some catching up, we get changed into our bib shorts and sit upon our new bikes for the first time. I went first and spun on the rollers similar to when we originally got sized up at Bushtukah, in Ottawa, except this time the adjustments are more minute. Cycling greats like Lance Armstrong and Eddy Merckx were known to be fanatical about their bikes, stressing perfection down to the millimeter, so I know the importance of a good fit.

Pat takes a look and has Ron take a look for a second opinion. They seem to be channeling the spirits of those legends’ mechanics as he moves the seat forward slightly and swaps out the stem for one that’s slightly longer to accommodate my long gorilla arms. Erik goes next. It’s interesting to watch the process from a different perspective; you really can see how the smallest adjustments to the bike or seat position affect the way the rider moves on the bike. The more efficient we can make our riding, the easier it will be on those long days in the saddle that lay ahead.

Brad and son Patrick

Once we’re all fitted up, Pat starts up “The List.” With our spring start date and the unpredictable nature of the Rocky Mountains, we have to be ready for anything from rain to snow to sub zero temperatures. We gather all sorts of gear so we’ll be ready for anything and grab some spare parts so we can make minor repairs as needed. It may be a flat tire, snow over the mountains, or maybe even something worse but the more prepared we are to cope with what’s thrown in our path, the better.

Wheeling my bike out of the store, I’m excited to get out and go for a ride with Erik and Patrick around Calgary and try out my new bike. I’m feeling fast and strong and I can’t wait to dip my tires in the Pacific and start the journey.

Shiny New Bike for the Open Road

After 25 plus years of riding the same bike, it was exciting to head to Bushtukah back in early March to get fitted for a new bike along with my son Erik, and so I thought I'd share the experience here as we will be picking up our bikes in Calgary this weekend as my bike ride across Canada in support of the Boys and Girls Club of Canada gets started.

Its 8pm on March 7th and Erik has just arrived at Bushtukah in Ottawa. We're getting fitted for our new bikes from Trek today. Trek has been kind enough to get behind our cause and is donating equipment for our ride. I've always prided myself on being a part of a good team and Trek is a great partner to have on this ride for so many reasons. On top of that, I haven't bought a new bike for myself in over 25 years and bike technology has come a long way. My old steel bikes are classics and I've kept them in great shape but it's definitely time for an upgrade.

           

Dan is our bike fitter and gets right down to business, asking us questions about our riding history and our trip as he grabs a bike off the showroom floor and guides us to the fitting room.