Big White is AWESOME! Buying property here.

Or... more specifically at Big White.

I'm guessing you have considered it... well if you are reading this. Or maybe you will read this and then say - 'brilliant, what is the number of my realtor?' Or maybe you will say - "Ha! This lunatic is a lunatic." 

Property Values.
Property values at Big White have been on a roller coaster since I arrived in 2000. Back then I purchased a small piece of land in Snowpines for $105k and a small 2 bed, one bath condo for $129k. From 2002 to 2011 the same piece of land had both increased to $200k then back down to around $25k - if... you could find a buyer. 2019? There is no land available but I would guess similar Lots would be in the $100k - $150k range.

Wait... what am I worth?

Big White is a small place, roughly 2400 properties, mostly multi family, very small hotel room size properties to some very large (and expensive) single family homes, at the other end of the spectrum - as I write $109k to $6.3m. The $6.3m property is only four bedroom (nine bathrooms...) but large - the Master Bedroom is 46'x36' or 1656 square feet... to put that into perspective, it is roughly the size of my four bed, three bathroom house. If interested this is the link. It is quite nice... expensive to buy and maintain tho.

$500k would get you anything from a 2 bed 2 bath place to a 5 bed 4 bath - quite the range.

Historical Property Values.
In the last generation (20 years) the market peaked around 2007. My development company was selling 1100 sq ft very high spec condos for around $425k and premium single family homes for $2m (3900 sq ft Edge homes). Four years later the same properties were roughly $200k and $1m respectively - quite a drop eh? Yes, it was painful.

Today (April 2019) they are around $350k and maybe $1.5m respectively. Not bad if you bought at the bottom, not great if at the top of the market.

And that is 12 years later. 12 years and the market has still not fully recovered. 

Shall we buy... or sell?

Factors Affecting Values.
You can look at value from a number of perspectives - Capital Ratio, Replacement Cost and Market Value.

Capital Ratio. Important to Investors
Okay, lets say you put your money in the bank and the bank gave you 1% interest. For every $100 you would earn $1. The Cap Ratio is 1%. Now let's say a property would give you $5 on every $100 you spent, or a 5% Cap Ratio. An institutional buyer may come in and want to buy every available property that gives it a minimum 5% Cap Ratio. 

Let us say a typical property can generate $5k per bedroom per annum. Then a two bed place is worth $200k, four bed $400k. At $6k per bedroom the values are $240k and $480k. At 5% Cap the $6.3m log cabin is worth $400k. The one bedroom $109k studio is worth $100k.

Replacement Cost. 

How much?

Important to buyers who want to live in the property. Current costs of construction are in the region of $400+ per sq ft, plus land. For example, a condo in The Raven 1100 sq ft would cost around $440k plus land ($23k in 2006) plus furnishings ($30k in 2007). The $1.1m house down the road with 3600 sq ft - $1.44m plus $300k for land.

As you can see it is far more expensive to build that to buy something already in place.

Market Value.
Important to investors, buyers and owners.
Or what does something comparable cost? The Raven unit my development company still owns is on the market for $349k. Why? Well the last property sold for $380k, other properties are $370k - $400k. We want to be competitive. 

Comparable Values for the Raven in the example above.

• Historical 2007 - $410k (we refused and offer at this amount)
• Capital Ratio at 5% or $12,500 = $250k
• Replacement Cost = roughly $500k
• Market = $350k

Note - other factors play a part, wear and tear, maintenance, operating costs, taxes, owner usage requirements... the list goes on and on.

However, as important in the equations is Future Market Value or 'How much will it be worth?' How long is a piece of string? I don't know the answer to that either. But, I can make some guesstimates based on some known quantities.

The argument for value growth.

• Revenue - what are the projections? Well, Big White is evolving -



Yep, values are gonna go this way.

• Summer activities. A Timbers property enjoyed $2k of rentals in the summer of 2018 - A 5% Cap adds $40k to the value.
• More buyers are buying to own, reducing the availability of both vacation rental properties and long term rental properties. This is leading to a drop in supply. 
• Values have not reached construction costs. Developers will not begin to develop property until property values are around 20% higher than construction costs. The Raven property at $350k would need to be $600k. Or Construction costs need to drop by 50%...
• Is this likely? No. Construction at Big White uses around 4 times more concrete than similar properties in Kelowna (snow load requirements). The cost of concrete is roughly 60% higher at Big White - concrete is trucked up from Kelowna. If labor costs dropped by half and fuel costs dropped by half and raw material costs dropped by half... then maybe. But if that happened we would have bigger things to worry about anyway.
• Supply and Demand.
• There are as I write (April 2019) 85 properties listed at Big White. An efficient market (number of buyers match the number of sellers) is estimated to be around 5%-8% of total properties. 2400 properties would indicate 120 - 192 listings. Supply is too low, this indicates a sellers market. 
• Will the Supply change? No new places will be built until values jump 40%-50%
• Will demand drop? Yes, if values jump 50%.

What if we buy and the market crashes...?
What if we wait and the market jumps...?

The Argument for downward pressure on values.

• International Market
• Exchange rate factors. In 2005 the British Pound bought you $2.5 CDN. US$1 bought CDN$1.65. Today $1.72 and $1.3 respectively. Properties that were cheap for the international market are far more expensive. This factor puts downward pressure on the market.
• The exchange rate is affected by a number of things - US Donald Trump (the wild card puts downward pressure on the Greenback), UK Brexit (the uncertainty again downward pressure) Canada Oil prices (strong oil prices drives up the value of the CDN$).
• Mortgage Limitations
• Banks don't like risk. Your mortgage cost is related to the perceived risk the bank is exposed to.
• For example, a family in Kelowna buying a $400k house to live in is far less of a risk than a speculative investor from the UK buying a property in Snowpines to rent. The Kelowna family maybe able to secure a 95% mortgage at 2%... the speculative investor? Maybe 50% at 5%.
• Big White because it is considered 'Recreational' is a higher risk.
• Snowpines with its unique Company Share Structure ownership title in a Recreational area... is very high risk. Banks don't lend to buyers.
• The Mortgage Limitation puts significant downward pressure on values at Big White, especially Snowpines.

Let me think...

But what is my guesstimate? Okay, take the Raven, if revenue grows as expected in the winter, and grows at 100% in the summer (remember it is a super low base) for a couple years before stabilizing  (maybe $1k, $2k, $4k, $6k...) then $560k in seven years. Or roughly 7% per annum. 

Selling.
What if you want to sell (especially in Snowpines)? Market value is low because of the mortgage limitations. Buyers cannot fund the purchase and they also ask themselves 'who will be my purchaser when I sell?'

So, Market Value is going to be far below replacement value. But if you have been trying to sell you know this anyway. 

But you can still sell... if you can find the right kind of buyer and are willing to employ none traditional means.

None Traditional Purchase Options.

• Rent to Own. 
• The buyer rents the property at an increased rate with a fixed price and fixed future completion date.

  

  What if we did
  that?

• For example, market rent $18k per annum for a $300k home.
• Over payment maybe $24k per annum ($6k towards outstanding debt).
• Future completion - 5 years.
• Price in five years - $300k less the $30k (the $6k x five) already paid.
• Benefits to the owner-
• Property is sold.
• Property costs are covered.
• If the buyer backs out, excess rent is retained by the vendor.
• Benefits to the buyer-
• They step into the property market.
• The future price is fixed - they know the future commitment.
• The future price is reduced by the excess paid - a savings pot.
• They enjoy any capital increases in property value.
• They build a credit history.
• Vendor Take-Back or Wrap Mortgages.
• In this case the owner agrees to finance the purchase for example from 5 - 10 years. The vendor will usually demand a down payment, usually in the region of 5%-10% plus a higher interest rate.
• Benefits to the owner.
• Property is sold.
• A lump of cash is secured.
• Higher interest rate is earned on the capital employed.
• Stable income is provided.
• Benefits to the buyer.
• They own their own property.
• Their payments go to paying down the Capital rather than rent.
• Their downpayment is likely to be less than a traditional purchase at Big White.

Yeah, don't worry... cleaning costs are included in the rental rate...

Revenue Stream Options.
I will touch on this quickly.

• Vacation Rental. 
• Rental Company - Big White need more properties, their demand is far in excess of their supply. The same goes for Vacasa, and Chalets at Big White. The charges are high - as much as 50% of revenue.
• Self Managed - AirBnB, Allura Direct, Owner Direct.
• Their cost profiles vary from fixed fee to a percentage of the revenue.
• You will have to manage cleaning/turnovers.
• This is challenging, cleaning companies are expensive but changeovers can be any day - do you want to drive up from Kelowna on Christmas Day?

Long term tenants have unique hobbies.

• Staff or Long Term.
• Staff - like Big White we are desperate for more properties; again our demand is in far excess of our supply.
• Pros-
• We have a long term track record of providing reliable property management services.
• Our rates are very competitive.
• Our tenants are screened and more often than not are returning tenants.
• We guarantee income.
• We guarantee properties are returned as found. This does not include normal wear and tear.
• We are on call 24 hours a day.
• We have our own maintenance team.
• We hold a deposit from the tenants.
• We cover all utility costs.
• Self Managed long term.
• Pros -
• Higher revenue - despite the huge demand... we don't work for free... However, we do offer competitive rates.

There are risks...

So, finally... ownership can be complicated, there are risks, future value projections complicated. But if you are interested in property at Big White, ask yourself why you want to own...

• Long term investment?
• Revenue generation?
• To live?
• To spend time (weekends, holidays) with the family?
• A combination of any/all of the above?

Answering these questions will help you choose the property that is right for your needs.

A little self promo here - if you are looking to buy as an investment, we are looking for long term rental properties.

In addition, if you are looking to sell and willing to offer 'Rent to Own' or 'Vendor Finance' terms, we are actively searching for property to acquire.

Please contact us at solidorentals@gmail.com if you interested in either.

Sólido Properties Ltd has been doing business at Big White since 2001. From property development, property marketing, property sales, property maintenance and renovation. Our development portfolio includes - The Raven, The Timbers, The Edge and Glacier Lodge.

Big White is AWESOME! Am I proud...? What...? Of being a ski instructor...?

Yes! Yes I am god-damn proud. Not that the cursing counts, not religious you see; and if there was some weird entity, wouldn't they be better off saving innocent kids? Just sayin...

Not Johny. But somebody else in the middle of
their mid-life crisis... probably.

I am proud to be a ski instructor, it is the best job I have ever had. Of course people did shoot at me when I was in the army and the UN (a bit more stressful you see). But as far as job satisfaction goes, ski instructor is numero uno (I've been studying a little bit of español... 'ole!').

Why? Because I change peoples lives. Bit of a bold statement I know, but it is true.

"How?" I hear you ask and I appreciate you asking or else this blog would be ending here.

Are you sitting comfy? Good. Let me tell you a little story...

Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away... wait... scrub that. Recently (last week) here (Big White) I was teaching a lesson (level 4 ski) with a couple from Bermuda (yes, famous for triangles). To protect the innocent (me) I will call them vitamin A and vitamin B. Or Johny and Sue. 

Johny was not really a level 4, he was more of a level 3 but he was confident (typical man) and keen to learn, oblivious to risk (males again). But Johny was going through his mid life crisis and he wanted to get into skiing, with his family.

Now... what is the best way to
torture Johny...

Wait, just going off on a tangent - male vs female skiers. Can be encapsulated in two sentences - 

• a female will look at a risk, let's say jumping off a cliff, on skis, blindfolded, backwards... whilst drunk... and think "hmmm... I probably shouldn't do that..."
• a male will say (post event) "hmmm... I probably shouldn't have done that..." assuming they are still conscious.

Sue, was also not a level 4 skier, more a level 3... like Johny, but risk aware... not keen on skiing (beaches and margaritas were more her gig), and not going through a mid life crisis. Sue was not keen, this became apparent about a hour into the lesson...

Ooh, another tangent... ever skied powder? Powder is the bomb, it is awesome, it is fantastic, it is the best thing ever for an experienced and let's say advanced skier... Powder is also unbelievably difficult if you are a novice... like Sue...

Sue (the novice) was trying to ski in the powder... in a lesson way above her capabilities... in poor visibility... in ski boots that did not fit... surrounded by more experienced (and thus more capable) skiers... who where very politely waiting for her... to try and pick herself up... again... Johny had put her in the group lesson... and yes - he 'probably shouldn't have done that'. See what I did there? Pretty good eh?

Anyhoo... Sue's patience appeared to wear thin... two things could have happened - tears or an explosion... on rare occasions both things happen. Incredibly Johny survived... and then (despite all previous indicators...) he did something smart - a private lesson for Sue.

The next day the sun was shining, the temperature was up, Sue had new boots, there were no other clients - it was a lesson just for her, tailored to her needs, moving at her pace, giving her the skills to boost her confidence... controlling her speed, managing her direction, improving her balance (so her quads don't scream)... Sue... had fun... Lots! Sue had so much fun she had another lesson the following day... then so much fun she booked another full day lesson for her, Johny (now out of the dog house) and her two boys the third day... Sue became hooked and Sue has already booked two weeks next March...

And me? Proud? Yes, 'none, existent, entity-dammit' I am. I am proud that I was able to change Sue's life, proud that I was able, (no, not to convert her to skiing), but to open up a whole new world of experience for her, her family and of course, help Johny enjoy his mid life crisis.

Yes, proud of being a ski instructor. 

Solido Properties Ltd, owns, manages, maintains, renovates, builds, cleans, preps and... (last but not least) rents seasonal properties to seasonal staff (only the good ones please). Wait... what is that? Am I looking for more properties to manage... why yes, yes I am... why not send me an email? 

Big White is AWESOME! You're a fork in Sane...

Nope, Big White has nothing to do with Japan... No, I have no idea why you would be interested in this... Yes, you probably do have better things to do with your time... 

Wait... are you... still reading...? Should I continue then? Wait, before I do start, it is about cycling, not skiing, or snowboarding; just in case if you were wondering.

The Japanese Odyssey, tomorrow (or October 31st 2018, for those not reading today...) it starts. 2600kms around the southern half of Japan, 50,000m or so of elevation gain... 10 days to finish... 10! Two or three ferries, 472 mountains (not really, just checking you are paying attention... but lots), washed out roads, no support, no beds, no food or water stations - just Checkpoints, no medical, no tracking (yes, I am lying)... and a partriiiidge in a pear tree. Sorry, I mean on a bike.

'My thoughts are with you...'
Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo.

Training.
"You're a fork in Sane..." That was Ana; it was 10pm, -6.5 degrees, snowing heavy, 1700m elevation, Big White road on a Friday night. Fork in sane? Not sure what she was on about (she (and John) have a number of restaurants... maybe it was a cutlery analogy... maybe...) and I have no idea where Sane is... Anyhow, Ana was the fifth person to stop and ask if I was okay - one guy didn't even ask, just stopped 50m ahead, got out of his car and started prepping his bike rack... "I'm okay but thanks" I told him. Ana, was the Fifth of maybe seven people who passed me that night - true you don't expect to see a cyclist riding up a mountain, on a Friday night, during a blizzard. Of course some people just ignore the 'idiot' on the bike... my boss for example - Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo, (real name, honest) the assistant director at Big White Ski School. My buddy... not, you understand, my best buddy...


That was three weeks ago, and yes I was training. Actually by the time Ana stopped, I can't deny I was ready to call it... Cold...? OMG - I had those booty overshoes on, but they were neoprene, wet-suit material, the stuff that soaks and uses body heat to create a warm barrier... unless the water freezes... not surprising really considering the wind-chill factor... if only there was a handy dandy chart somewhere...


Not that I could go that fast anyway... my gears had also frozen so I could not select the fast one...

I copied this image all by myself - true story.

But, I could get home, jump in a hot shower, melt in front of the fire and drink a scotch... not on this event though... I get to keep my stinking, sweaty (or frozen) bike gear on and climb into a bivy bag... on the side of a road, on a deserted mountain road, in a strange country 8,000kms from home... in November... speaking and reading absolutely nothing of the language. Oh... and on a completely separate note, my wife increased my life insurance... Training... fun times! Not really.

The bike.
I have a Giant TCX - it is a carbon cyclo-cross bike; like a race bike but slow... Oh, and it has some mods...

Does this bike make my saddleback look big,,,?

Wheels - Hunt, 650b Adventure, dynamo disc. Link These wheels are smaller than my original set but they allow a much larger tire (47mm are fitted). The bike fits almost perfect, ("can you make it 1cm smaller...?" "Er... No.") but you can adjust things - seat height, location on the rails (fore/aft), bar stem etc. but increasing the tire to a fatty, you raise the overall height, and you change the gear ratios - about 6% on a 700c, going from 25mm to 47mm. Not that the frame would fit 47mm...

6% more distance is 6% more work. If you ride mountains you know, if you don't...

Cassette - 

11-46, changed from 11-42. The bike is loaded with 12kg of gear, riding mountains hitting 25% grades... no one ever said my gears are too easy... did they Craig Lloyd?

Dynamo Hub

I need light, I need power to charge my phone, my bike computer, my power banks, my rear lights, my mobile wifi hub, my flashlight, camera. I need power. The hub will run my front light and I can also charge items whilst riding. Realistically I'm only charging power banks, and then charging the electronics from the banks.

Seat.

I tried four, I finished up with a Sella SMP drop nose - 16 hour days... I like to choose my seat the way I choose my TP - comfy bum in mind, durable, and able to take a lot of crap... well 'abuse' but that didn't fit my joke.

TT bars.

They reduce weight on the saddle (I did say 16 hours...) they reduce wind resistance - this directly equates to speed, 2-3km per hour... 16 hour days, 10 days... it is the difference between finishing in 10 days or 11... Woohoo! Well, doesn't that sound like I know what I'm talking about? Ha! No... saw it on TV I did.

Chain

Ultegra 11 speed. Cos it is sexy... oh and pretty cheap.

Disc brakes with 160mm disc.

Tires 

WTB 47mm Byways (tubeless), big, fat, comfortable with low rolling resistance and some gravel tread/capabilities. And they have tan sidewalls so they look cool... which you will agree is the most important bit, yes sir.

The only other thing really are the pedals - I have Garmin Vector 3, yes they are Fork In expensive but I need to monitor my power output... to ensure I'm not working too hard... we wouldn't want to do that now would we?

Accessorizing :)

You know, bags n' stuff. Cos I'm carrying a cutlery load of stuff... (I was gonna say fork In, but this needed a description bigger, better, faster, more... Two points for the first to name the band.)

Sleeping gear.

• Sleeping bag - goose down, -2c
• Thermal mat
• Bivy bag
• Blow up pillow.

Spare clothes

• T-shirt - merino wool
• Socks bike, x2
• Climbing pants - cos they are lightweight and a sexy yellow colour.
• OR shirt - technical light weight.
• Lightweight NB shoes - actually these are women's, as there is no men's version - I look sweet.

Spare bike gear

• Bib shorts - for those Tom Dumoulin moments.
• Cycle shirt, cos.
• Socks, 
• Cycling gloves - regular.

Cold weather clothing.

• Packable puffy - goose down again.
• Waterproof jacket - Hump, a little heavy, but durable.
• Windproof vest.
• Knee warmers
• Arm warmers.
• Cycle hat
• Thermal hat
• Neck warmer x 2 - one doubles as my towel.
• Mid temp, leather palmed ski gloves. 
• Warmer packs 3x foot and hand.
• Booties

Spare parts

• 1x inner tube. Running tubeless... fingers crossed.
• Three air cartridges and adaptor... I plan on only having three tire incidents.
• Tire plug kit...
• Spokes x2... I plan on... I know I've already used that joke, shut up.
• Pump
• Chainlinks
• Spare batteries.

Tools etc

• Multi bike tool with chain breaker.
• Mini multi tool
• Knife
• Gorilla tape
• Electrical tape
• Zip ties

Lights

• Three usb rechargeable rear lights - they last, and are bright.
• One Knog light/powerbank combo... 
• Exposure Revo dynamo light.

Electronic equipment

• Mobile wifi router 
• 20,000 ma powerbank
• Knog thingy/powerbank 5,000 ma
• Tiny powerbank with tiny flashlight - 1,000ma
• Wifi router came with its' own powerbank - not sure but guessing around 5-10,000ma
• iPhone 7
• Wahoo Element bolt.
• iWatch
• Wahoo Tickr - HRM
• Charging cables and plugs
• Ear phones.

First aid and Washing 

• Lightweight basic first aid kit
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Floss
• Razor
• Breath thingies
• Painkillers... strong.
• Asthma puffer
• Vitamins
• Lip balm
• Chamois cream.

Other stuff-

• Credit cards
• Cash
• Drivers licence
• Sunglasses
• Bike lock.
• Waterbottles and cages x2
• Glasses - cos I'm old and going blind.
• And TP... 
• Food.

Dude...! I know right, a shit load of stuff... and I gotta carry it.

• Saddle bag.
• Frame bag
• Top tube bag x2
• Handle bar roll
• Accessory bag.
• 2 light mounts.
• One phone mount
• One Wahoo Element mount.

So... that is it. Well for now anyway... In the next instalment of 'you're a fork in Sane' we'll talk about not panicking when your wheels don't arrive, or your dynamo hub... or even more fun, the airline losing your transport and accommodation for the next 11 days... also known as your bike bag.

I usually do one of those smart witty sign off things, you know plugging my company... some links, some calls to action... you know the 'pro' stuff. Today...? Well... I just can't be buggered.

Tell me what you think of the gear list... oh, yes, and those that have those complaints, the email address as always is idontcare@goaway.com 

Wait... not gone yet, here are some random pics to try and make it look a little better.

I found this place yesterday... and... finders keepers.

Rubbish pic #1... what do you mean delete it?

Some idiot thought this was the Nihonbashi bridge... Ha! I am so embarrassed.

Tree... but you probably worked that out.

Bike around Tokyo event - it looked cool, I wanted to do it... 

Another potential Nihonbashi Bridge...

Road... with Trees... 

Belgium in Japan... hmmm... Stella.

And finally rubbish pic #2... but don't worry, I did delete that one.

Big White is... no wait... Japan will be AWESOME! Or rather - Hubris...

Hubris? Unreasonable or excessive pride or confidence in oneself...

Excessive confidence in my case, me thinks. What have I done I hear you ask... (no, I can't really hear you... I'm just saying that as convenient segue), yes, I know it is supposed to be without interruption... yes, I did fail... shut-up.

Anyhooo... what was I saying before my ADD kicked in...? Ah yes, Hubris.

Two years ago I started riding bikes... it was tough, it was hell, it was brutal... but as Katie Kookabura says - 'it is only riding a bike' ha! Bitch.

Five weeks ago (as I write) I signed up for the Japanese Odyssey. 

Two years ago, for the first time, I rode up and down Big White road -

• 45km
• 1000m elevation gain loss
• Roughly 2 hours and 30 mins

Fog Me! It was hell, I think I left part (if not all) of my soul on that first ride...

I then took Fall, Winter and Spring off, starting again in May 2017 - unfit, and the opposite of un-fat. Again it was brutal. I didn't stop this time though, I got a trainer and rode through the Winter, courtesy of Zwift. Spring came (for those struggling with the math, this is May 2018) and even though it was tough again, it wasn't complete hell... not complete.

Four months later and I'm kinda fit, enjoying riding, 250kms, and 4000 meters climbing a week... I'm even watching GCN - don't start watching it, (it is too late for me) it will show you stuff you didn't know you need, can't afford to buy, but will definitely get. And watching things like Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, La Vuelta... Yes - I have become a mamil - middle aged man in lycra. No, not a pretty sight. But there is a good reason - it is my mid-life crisis and I will do what I... wait... what my wife allows... yes. Besides, I couldn't afford a real crisis. 

And then Hubris kicks in... all by itself, nope, I'm pretty sure I had nothing to do with it. 'Let's sign up for this bike ride...' it says... 'er... okay...' I say.

Ever been to Japan? No, me neither. Did you know that Japan is basically a mountain range? No...? Nope, I didn't either... not until after I'd signed up anyway. I'll give you some statistics about the odyssey vs the 21 day Grand Tours

• Distance about 2600km - in ten days... compared to-
• Giro d'Italia 2018 - 3572kms... 170km per day
• Tour de France 2018 - 3350 kms... 160km per day.
• La Vuelta (Spain's grand tour) - 3254 kms... 155km per day.
• Climbing or Elevation Gain - approx 50,000m... actually my first route showed 119,000m... I nearly cried...* but now down to 5000m per day - woohoo!
• Giro - 44,000m - 2200m per day.
• Tour de France - 21,125 - 1000m per day.
• La Vuelta - I don't know, can't find it... I imagine it is like 12 meters.
• Average weight of Rider, Bike, and carried gear.
• Japan Odyssey - well, this is just me - 
• 75kg... on a good day, with the wind blowing in the right direction.
• Bike 9kg... 
• Gear - 12kg... I hope.
• Total - 96kg.
• The Grand Tour Riders-
• Weight 65kg average.
• Bike - 7kg+/- 200g... usually.
• Gear - ha! Zero.
• Total 72kg.

*Why did I nearly cry? Well, I one climbed 8880m... it took 27 hours!!!

So... I'm 50% heavier, riding almost double their distance, and climbing 2-3 times their daily elevation gain... Why? Why would I sign up for this..?

And no I don't have...

• Neutral service.
• Support Vehicles
• Team bus
• Team cars
• Team masseuse
• Team chef
• Team physio
• Team nutritional consultant
• Spare bikes
• Spare wheels
• Spare components - well, not many, I have a tube and some chain links.
• Spare shirts... no wait, I have a spare shirt, and shorts too!
• Medics, doctors, police escort, closed roads, tv coverage...
• I have a phone... with maps on it, yes sir... oh, and a GPS tracker that will put a blue dot on your screen... if you wanted to follow progress... not quite Eurosport coverage...

They will ride 1-5 hours per day, me (I'm hoping only) 12-16... And they have all their gear given to them... and their bikes are so modern and cutting edge they could be one of those fancy Japanese specialty knives... mine? Mine could be a bucket... with a broken handle... and holes in it... and they will be aero... Me? I will have so much surface area I could be a sail.

Hubris eh? Hubris sucks.

Sólido Properties... rentals, property management, beer drinking, bike riding... time wasting, procrastinating (at the expert level), ski instructing (not at the expert level...) blog writing, ADD enjoying (yes it can be fun, just ask my buddy Mike - he likes being a doctor, but he is also a little crazy, you should see all the vehicles he has - I bet he has 20 of them, no I don't know why, seems strange I know, I can't imagine his insurance costs... or maintenance...) wait... back again - yes... I'm off to Japan, to 'just ride a bike...' cos it will be AWESOME! I hope.

Post Script...
But the question - Why? Why did I choose to do this...? The reason...? Well, I asked myself (many, many times) should I, could I... can I do this...? Eventually, I stopped asking could I... eventually the question changed and became 'will I regret not trying...?' And the answer to that...? Well, that was an easy yes.

Big White is AWESOME! The cycling edition... Part 1.

Exactly! Absolutely nothing to do with Big White. Cool eh?

What...? I don't care, you don't have to read it.

But for those still around... "Welcome; to the GCN... Cycling... edition"

Yes, GCN, (Global Cycling Network) my new favourite show, well, that and GOT... both start with 'G'... spooky...

Confused? Well, yes, you would be. It was gonna be called the GCN edition, but then I changed it... okay?

Anyone cycle?

Anyone cycle? I started mid 2016, May to be exact. I used to play a lot of squash, but eventually the dreaded day arrived, yes my physio suggested I quit (actually he used words more like 'idiot' and 'you', but not necessarily in that order...) Trail running, judo, army, squash, skiing... eventually took their toll. Skiing was not too bad, trail running uphill okay, downhill... not so much, squash pretty bad. And since I live in a ski resort and spent my winters as a ski instructor... skiing was staying.

On December 5th 2015 I hung up my racquet... a sad sad day... And by May 2016 I had become much more of a man... yes... I had become a chubster. Always had been really, always fighting the flab. Squash helped... until it ended. Now you would think skiing all day would help too... it did. What didn't help was the end of day decompression sessions... also know as beer and hot salty chips. Apparently I needed lots of decompression... over 20lbs... not good.

In May I came across this second hand bike - old, too small, but inexpensive and in perfect condition. I figured if I could start riding, and 'get into it' I could upgrade - you know, maybe buy some shorts... or proper pedals, (with shoes), a water bottle, shirt, gloves, repair kit... So I bought it and went for a ride... 

I live at Big White (the AWESOME! bit) but the cycling options are pretty limited - down the road and er... back up... 

Hell! OMG! To the junction and back is a 45km round trip... with a 1000m elevation gain... peaking at 1850m - i.e. great for altitude training... IF... you wanted to actually do altitude training... When you first start to ride up the mountain you think the road will never ever end. However after a few weeks you realize that your original assessment was correct - it never ends. You want to live longer? Try riding you bike up Big White road - 90 mins will feel like 8 hours...

Hell! I tell you. Even downhill has brutal uphill segments.

But... that 'Hell' did burn calories. Yes sir - about 1500 each ride, and imagine how much good it was doing your cardio system... as long as it didn't kill you... Incidentally that summer I got my heart rate up to 221 bpm... yes... my max was only supposed to be 172... :( I survived though.

In July I entered the annual Big White road race - 60km, Kelowna to Big White, 1800m total elevation gain... I even bought some shoes and clip in, clipless pedals (no, I don't know why, don't ask). The day before the ride I tested my pedals by doing the junction and back ride... this would also ensure I was adequately exhausted for the race. No not smart, yes my IQ brings the overall average down... meaning more people move into the 'above average category...' yes, you are welcome.

Of course I still did not have... shorts, shirt, water bottle(s), food... who needs those eh? Just because every other rider had them... I was unintentionally proving I had no idea what I was doing... a resounding success. 

A successful non plan.

Again, the ride proved to be hell... again. I thought I was doing okay until these two old batty-bats passed me on the last hill... chatting away as if it was a stroll in the park... whilst I was struggling to achieve two things - keep moving, and stay alive... "Hi" they said... "Fog off!" I would have said... if I could summon the energy to respond... and my brain was not so oxygen starved that it was able to retain the ability produce coherent thoughts... and then verbalize them... within an appropriate timeframe... (cycling is tough), anyway, what was I talking about... ah yes - bitches.

And then it was over. Of course my poor time had nothing to do with my fitness, it was obviously due to my substandard, and limited equipment... time to upgrade... by Wednesday I had a newish (still second hand) bike, (but it was the right size - yes, bonus), shorts, shirt and and and... a water bottle - apparently they are very important... who knew? Well who knew, apart from every other cyclist on the ride... but who else could have worked that problem out? I know every other... please shut up!

Come Monday I was out on the Big White road. And guess what? Yes! I crushed my best time by a whopping 0.427%. Bugger.

By October cycling season was coming to an end, but I had managed to become less of a man again... and the Hell? Well... the funny thing is, the 'Hell' did not really end... I just got to the point where I kinda enjoyed the suffering... kinda...

Sólido Properties owns, manages, cleans up, repairs, inspects, (and is disappointed by), maintains, renovates... numerous internal and external properties at Big White Ski Resort. Providing both short term (summer) and long term (winter) accommodation. Visit our website or Facebook page for more information, or if you would like to be ignored you can contact us via the website or FB page. We are a Human Rights company - we ignore everyone.

Big White is AWESOME! Not a bad place to Everest...

"I'm gonna keep going..."

"What?"

"I'm gonna keep going, riding..."

"For how long?!"

"Dunno, I'll keep going until, I cannot."

"But for how... Wait... are you gonna Everest?!"

"I dunno, it depends how tired I get, I'll keep going... until I can't..."

"But, but, but..." there were lots of 'buts' 

And 'Why now?'

I could understand the questions - I had not planned an Everest attempt... or prepped apart from riding my bike up and down that road... Big White road. I had talked about it, I had thought about it, I had picked and ridden some routes... figured out how many laps... and the number of kilometres I would travel. 

Wait... you don't know what I'm talking about when I say 'Everesting' do you? Silly me.

Everesting - I think I came across it last, or early this year on GCN (it's a YouTube channel) interesting if you like cycling. I didn't really pay much attention to Everesting when I first came across it, riding a bike the equivalent height of Mount Everest. And then you hear about it again, pay a little more attention think about it a little... height of Everest (8848m), riding the height of it, on one ride, on the same hill (or mountain), repeat until you get to the number 8848m... no sleeping allowed.

Why would I need sleep...? I'll just start early. Ha!

They have a website, they have videos a calculator, - pick a Strava segment, plug in your expected speed, weight, bike weight... add some rest breaks... Big White road usually takes me 1h 50mins, +/- if I 'press-on' 2h 30mins if I take it easy...

I do the math in my head, the ride is 985m gain over 45kms... nine laps... 9x1h 50mins... ooh,... 400km +... ouch, add some breaks - six times 10 mins... ahh... that's 19 hours. Hmmm... maybe I'll get up really early...

I'm still not really paying attention... and it really does not appeal much. It sounds tough, it sounds brutal, it does not sound like fun... 19 hours... riding up and down a hill? Not for me thank you very much. 

...Then I see the phrase 'Earning the Grey Stripe Kit...' What is this grey stripe kit...? I find out - hey, yeah, that looks cool... What do you mean IF you have Everested you can wear it... If? IF...!?! I can wear Chris Froome's replica yellow/red/pink/green/polka dot jersey(s) from whatever Grand Tour he has won or lead... I can wear any team jersey, I can wear any race jersey... but I cannot wear, or even buy their shirt...?

Whatever you do, do not fall into their trap. It is just a scam I tell you. A Scam!

Cos I don't want this Grey Stripe Kit... do I? No, not until they tell me I can't have it... then I want it... 

So, there I am responding to my wife's but... (s) (almost forgot the 's') contemplating Everesting. It is 8:00pm (ish) I have been riding since 3pm, I have finished my second lap... at this point I'm thinking maybe another 15 hours... if I can keep going... Ha! Damn Grey Stripe Kit.

Six hours and two laps later I am still moving and everything is... perfect. Yes, it is cold (bottomed out a 6 degrees), yes I am tired, yes I am not even half way (that's a sobering thought after you have been riding for hours...) yes I don't have much light, yes I saw a grizzly (small one... you know, the slow, friendly kind... I hope) but man the night sky is perfect, brilliant, vibrant... I am just riding and looking at the sky, staring at the milky way, just... just looking. That was the best part of the ride - two laps, dark skies, no light pollution (not even the moon) milky way and shooting stars... my breathing is steady and strong, I can hear the rhythm of my carbon wheels... you know if you know...

Awesome!

Nine hours and three laps after that... not so much. I am only on lap 7... my 11am goal was gonna be closer to 4pm... if I can speed up... Ha! Temp is rising (it does get to 32...) but everything is holding up, I'm not exhausted (fatigued yes), knees, feet, back, neck all seem okay, hands are getting stiff and numb but manageable. Do I want to stop? Not really, I didn't really consider doing this; but to get this far, and then stop? If I keep going I only have three laps to do (I can do three laps can't I?) If I stop...? Well, then I have nine more laps to do... pretty easy choice really.

I finished just before 6pm... 27 hours total, 22 in the saddle - (I found out the little rest breaks were not so little...)

So was it worth it? Well, you will have to try it and find out. Will I do it again...? Yes.

Finally, I have to say thanks to my wife and son - despite the short notice they really looked after me all night. The home made, double burger, with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, sautéed onions and a coke (not home made) at 2:30am is a meal I will probably never forget.

Sólido Properties often used to write a blog about rentals, seasonal staff/work, living and doing life at Big White... and then... procrastination...