This swap is for summer gear including bikes, camping gear, tents, packs, canoes and kayaks. No skiis or snowboards at this swap.

If you have items you would like to sell, bring them in before Friday September 28th to register them. We can help you set a price if you wish. If it sells you can get 100% store credit or 80% cash back.

Get your credit or cash by the Monday and please pick up any of the unsold items before October 7th or they will be donated.

If you are in the market for a used mountain bike, road bike, camping gear or paddling gear drop by Saturday for the great deals.

Our winter Gear Swap will be Saturday November 10th. Cross-country skiis and snowboards are welcome but no downhill skiis.

Wild Rock is proud to support Paul's Dirty Enduro. It is an annual bike race and fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association, held at the Ganaraska Forest Centre. This year it is on Saturday September 22nd. There are brochures and registration/pledge forms at the store.


Basic Maintenance Course Tuesday, September 11th, 6:00pm. $10, one night only, maximum class size 10 people. Cover the basics, change a tube, basic chain maintenance.

Zac and Dave had the pleasure of attending Trek World in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin recently. They were both impressed by improvements to the road and mountain bike lineup. Here are their comments:

Let's start with road bikes. Trek has always been a leader with carbon technology for bicycles. Indeed eight of the last nine winners of the Tour de France rode a Trek bicycle. The release of the new Madone however, seems like a giant leap from carbon bikes. Trek has certainly hit a homerun with this bike. There are many improvements but one of the most significant is an incredible, wide( 90mm) bottom bracket shell which increases downtube stiffness by 48%. What does this mean for you? More of your energy is transferred into going forward (Think faster or further). On our test rides it was quiet, comfortable, agile and responsive. Read more about the new Madone at www.trek bicycles.com/madone or drop by our store for a test ride as these bikes are already here.

Mountain bikers don't despair! There were major improvements in the mountain bike line as well. The all new EX suspension platforms makes five inch the new standard in performance and comfort. The new R1i is the name given to three technologies included on the EX line of bikes. The Full Floater technology connects the rear shock mounts allowing the shock to float on two moving linkages enabling the suspension to be active on small bumps and at the same time be ready for the bigger "hits". Say good-bye to brake jack (the loss of suspension during hard braking) with the Active Braking Pivot or ABP. This technology puts the pivot on the rear axel giving full suspension travel under the most extreme braking conditions. The proof is in the pudding as they say and Zac was all smiles after his test ride on a new Fuel EX 9.5. The new EX will be released in November so keep an eye out for the new bikes arriving soon.

As buyers we are always looking for interesting products to bring to the Peterborough market. For any of you who have read my articles over the last few months you will know that our focus has shifted from product-driven search to one that is much more balanced. We are now on the lookout for companies with innovative, excellent quality products that also have a strong environmental and social consciousness.

We have found a gem in the form of Mountain Khakis, a member of the 1% for the Planet group of companies. From Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Mountain Khakis is focused on doing one thing and doing it very, very well. They are absolutely focused on making the best pants money can buy. Here is what the founder has to say about how they build each pair of these great pants.

"Mountain Khakis are crafted with attention to every detail, and we pride ourselves on producing one of the highest quality products in the outdoor apparel industry. Our obsession with quality is found in the construction of our pants (bar tacked reinforced stress areas and triple-stitched seams), as well as our careful choice of premium materials (abrasion- resistant fabric, high-grade threads, unbreakable buttons, and solid brass YKK zippers)."

I am very excited about this addition to the Wild Rock line-up. Not only does Mountain Khakis make a great product but they are also committed to supporting both their retail network and customer base. To achieve this they commit to having stock available on an ongoing basis and rarely changing their styles/fits. This means that when you find a style or fit that you like you should be able to get more at pretty-much any time. What is worse than wearing out your favorite pants and not being able to replace them?

All of the Mountain Khakis styles are available in one- inch size increments as well as a range on inseam lengths.

Next time you are in the store you will probably see me kicking around in my new Mountain Khakis "original mountain pants". Yes, you guessed it, probably with an Icebreaker top on. Come check them out.

Cheers,

Kieran

Kieran Andrews is one of the co- owners of Wild Rock. He spends as much time outside as he can.

[Editor's Note: I plan on trying out the women's version which will also be in stock - in case you were wondering whether these pants were just for guys! ]

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I recently found myself in the camping section at Wild Rock Outfitters during the planning stage of an all female canoe trip in the Kawartha Highlands. The camping department manager, Bart Spiewak, was happy to help me. When I asked him what was new and fun in camping, he assured me that the 3-day trip was a perfect opportunity to try out squishy bowls.

Squishy what? Bart instantly had my attention.

Squishy bowls are bowls and cups that are manufactured from food grade silicone. Hence, they are collapsible and light, and for me, this meant no more trying to cram my hard plastic plate, bowl and travel mug into my pack. In fact, as I was assigned to bring the pot set, I knew I could cram the squishy bowls into the nested pots, which has some immediately obvious advantages:

1. 1) I would know my eating vessels were together and would be unpacked right at the "kitchen" site;
2. 2) I wouldn't be eating from something that had been dragged through filth at the bottom of a pack; and
3. 3) I had an excuse to leave the plate behind and see if I could survive with only a bowl and a cup.

Food grade silicone is crazy stuff - it doesn't act or feel normal and many people don't trust it. I had seen food grade silicone baking trays and mats at my local kitchen store and heard users espouse the virtues of the non-stick, easy clean, easy storage, heat and cold resistant material. Squishy bowls are all of these things and are rated heat resistant to 400 degrees farenheit.

I was sold and took a bowl and cup set of celery coloured squishy bowls home (yes, celery is a colour as well as a vegetable). They scrunched up perfectly and fit in the pot set with no problem. I must admit, I packed my bowls with a fleeting doubt and I very briefly wondered how they would work with food in them. Would I need to borrow a friend's bowl or eat out of the cooking pots?

My belief should never have wavered. When I opened the pot set at the campsite the bowl and cup initially looked rather unlike anything that might hold food or drink. However, as soon as I wrestled them out of the pots, I was pleased to discover how they bounced back into their original shape and structure for eating and drinking. They were fully tested over the course of the canoe trip with both hot and cold food and drink. It took no time to discover why there is no need for a plate when you have squishy bowls - even though some things, like French toast can be a bit awkward to eat out of a bowl, the reward comes when you discover you can turn it inside out to lick out every drop of syrup! Then, you can wash it along with the rest of the kitchen stuff or, well, you decide. [Editor's Note: ask Kieran how he "cleans" his dishes on trips]

Now that I'm back in town, I'm not packing my squishy bowls away until next summer. They are perfect to store in the car and squeeze into a glove compartment better than any travel mug or water bottle I've ever come across. If you're interested in saving styrofoam, you might try packing the squishy bowl to see if take-out places will serve soup or chili in it for you. That's next on my list of things to try with the bowls.

On my next visit to Wild Rock, I checked in with Bart to thank him and let him know how much I love the squishy bowls. He had more in stock and showed me that they come in fabulous fashion colours that a woman would appreciate - tahoe blue, slate, tomato and celery. But remember, if you're buying them for a guy, they come in blue, black, red and green.

At $17.99, squishy bowls are a fabulous gift for many folks. They would be a treat for an outdoor enthusiast, a practical gift for those looking to save a little styrofoam whenever possible, and something fun for those who appreciate eating out of fashionable dinnerware while on a canoe trip.

Lynn Kostuch is a long-time customer and married to Dave Woodfine (one of the owners of Wild Rock). Lynn has plenty to keep her busy with work and school but still has time to make us laugh. She is an outdoor enthusiast in her spare time.

The third annual KNSC BBQ is very soon! Do you have your ticket yet?

The Kawartha Nordic Ski Club is once again hosting a fabulous gathering - the 3rd Annual BBQ & Silent Auction Fundraiser. Please come out and meet other club members for an unforgettable evening of lively socializing, scrumptious food, great music, fantastic auction items and unique prizes. Again this year, the BBQ will be held in a beautiful outdoor venue - the Art Gallery of Peterborough, on the shores of Little Lake.

Tickets on Sale at Wild Rock! $50 per person