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Paulo LaBerge

@crankngrind

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You could use a lil adventure, eh?
Based in Guelph, Canada 🇨🇦
RIDE BIKES, BE HAPPY! 🤘

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BIKE CHECK!! // I love snapping portaits during my adventures. Each one is taken in a different location. Here are the setups for all for of us.

Mine is a new @eskercycles Lorax Ti in size large clad with trusty Tailfin luggage. I had a medium frame, and being 5'9.5" with 32" inseam, I feel much more comfortable on the bigger frame. More space in the frame for gear as well!

Jos borrowed my Esker Hayduke Ti. And I might've been secretly trying to inspire him to get a hardtail - and it might've worked!

Hope y'all have been enjoying these photos. Feel free to ask questions about bikepacking, my bikes, and the route 😊 by @crankngrind

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5 days ago

Canadians just celebrated the Thanksgiving long weekend—a time when many of us pause
to reflect on what we’re grateful for. I was fortunate to spend part of it riding through the
scenic Muskoka–Haliburton backcountry, where the beauty of the forests, the freedom to
explore them by bike, and the friendships I’ve found through the cycling community gave
me plenty to be thankful for.

A few top-notch friends joined me to test my proposed reroute of the Ridout–Bigwind
Rugged Ramble loop—a bike-camping overnighter with one simple goal: fewer trail bogs and wet socks, more riding and scenic lookouts. We rolled through a fun and challenging mix of terrain while the surrounding forests showed off their peak autumn colours. As the temperature dropped at the end of day one, we gathered around a warm fire for plenty of laughs and good conversation.

Between the incredible scenery, the freedom of the ride, and the company of great friends,
it was the perfect Thanksgiving reminder of just how much I have to be grateful for.

#ridebikesbehappy
#ridoutbigwindruggedramble
#bikepacking taken in Baysville, Ontario, Canada by @crankngrind

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6 days ago

Another amazing On The Rocks is in the books! 🎉 A huge thank-you to everyone who joined us this year—hikers and riders alike—you’re what made this event so much fun. I had the pleasure of taking a fun crew on a tour of the rocky woodland before the festivities at Kelso. Shout-out to Jack at @9point8.ca , Chef Simon, and the HAFTA OTR Committee for serving up such delicious food on Saturday and Sunday. And @janymitges —wow! You outdid yourself with those two beautiful pieces for the attendee draw. Thanks also to our generous sponsors for the great raffle prizes. We may have had some of the best weather in years, and the trail conditions were about as good as it gets! Here are some photos I snapped on Saturday. I’m so proud to be part of this incredible family. You all rock! 🤘 😊

— Paulo LaBerge ( @crankngrind ) , HAFTA President taken in HAFTA - Halton Agreement Forest Trail Association by @crankngrind

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25 days ago

An old SUV - designed to be a pavement princess - slowly approached from behind on a rough logging road deep in the Haliburton woodlands. The window opens on the passenger side, and an obviously frustrated senior couple kindly asks, “Do you know if this brings us out to a main road?” Only relying on an old Backcountry Roads Mapbook, they definitely made a wrong turn at some point in their roadtrip. I responded "Yes, but...!"

With August being one of the best summer months to visit Central Ontario, I was back to re-explore my ol’ Ridout Bigwin Rugged Ramble route. But this time I had a goal in mind – determine if I can find a re-route to bypass a notoriously muddy section that has worsened since the original publication of the route.

This time I would go from Bigwind Provincial Park straight to Hwy 35 via that logging road the old folks [unfortunately] found themselves on. From Hwy 35, head north for a small bit and loop back using an ATV trail that would link to the path that leads to the scenic Pairo Lake campsite (the best spot!).

The Result: Less mud although waaaay more rugged! A ‘new to me’ ATV trail in my proposed reroute would challenge the best of technical terrain riders. It makes the @agreementforest seem easy! Despite that, I passed by countless beautiful vistas, wandered through lush green forests, and seen all the animal tracks (lots from wolves and moose). By the time I reached camp, I was beat!

Will this reroute be a winner? I’m not sure yet. While I enjoyed this reroute, I am not sure if it would be ideal for many other bikepacking enthusiasts alike. If any of you would like to give it a go and provide me feedback, hit me up for a RWGPS link. But be warned – it’s gonna be tough AF!

Oh, and about that senior couple… they chanced it since that logging road did exit on a main road. But they ended up turning back after scraping the bottom of their old Acadia SUV on exposed bedrock and small boulders not long after I saw them. That logging road only got rougher, too. A mountain bike for the win!

Proudly riding my @eskercycles Hayduke with gear from @dismount_to and @tailfincycling

#Ridoutbigwinruggedramble
#ridebikesbehappy
#eskercycles taken in Bigwind Lake Provincial Park by @crankngrind

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2 months ago

Azilda - The land of Birch and Rocks // When I was a kid, I spent a few summers in Sudbury with my grandparents who resided on the outskirts of town. And most days I spent wondering around in the backcountry with my bike, accompanied by my francophone buddy that lived down the street.

I remember the landscape as birch trees, blueberry bushes, large granite rock outcrops, bogs and hearing white-throated sparrows sing their famous call in the distance. I have fond memories from those days and have wished I could ride trails like those I did in the past.

Azilda Trails made that wish a reality! It was as close as it gets to what I used to experience as a kid and I was literally smiling ear to ear the whole time while exploring this challenging little trail network.

If you're looking for rustic, technical trails with an endless feast of blueberries, this is the place to visit. You might even see a moose! taken in Azilda by @crankngrind

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3 months ago

30 Wet Pairs of Shoes and 1 Wise Dude with Sandals // As the old saying goes, "April Showers bring May Flowers". In our case, those showers also left our wetlands and watercoures brimming (a good thing really)!
But that didn't deter this adventurous, fun crew from exploring the rugged backroads and mushy trails around Luther Marsh.

It was an absolute blast generating a 60km route and leading the @dismount_to Spring Ride for '26. All I could see was smiles for miles as everyone embraced the this big water-themed ride through one of southern Ontario's largest wetlands and prized wildlife reserve.

These pics are in no particular order. Just wanted highlight the the good times had on this memorable group ride.

Thank you Nathan, Pat, Megan and the wonderful Dismount Bike community!

#ridebikesbehappy taken in Luther Marsh Conservation Area by @crankngrind

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4 months ago

Spirit of bikepacking // Dirt, grit, mud, mosquitoes, sweat, fatigue, places you shouldn't be, laughs, wonder, amazement, and fond memories.

... Let's repeat.

Captures from an Almaguin adventure in Summer '24

@the_riding_realtor
@intrepidphotographer
@mlat_ed
@derekteed1 by @crankngrind

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5 months ago

Petra and the stick.
If I have a big ride planned, my day usually first starts with a hike with Ms. P. Hikes often include fetching a bike stick - probably her favourite game. Splinters on the tongue are optional.

🐾 taken in Guelph, Ontario by @crankngrind

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5 months ago

Spring Gravel Ride & Coffee Outside - Sunday, May 24!

Our friend @crankngrind has planned an incredible day of gravel, and coffee outside around the beautiful Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area.

📍 Meet: Grand Valley Community Centre
🕙 Rollout: 10:00 AM sharp
🗺️ Route: 60km of mostly gravel

Check out our Strava (link in bio) for route details, recommended tires, and gear suggestions.

Looking forward to getting outside and riding with everyone. See you out there!

#springgravel #gravelbikes #ontariocycling #communityride #dismountbikeshop taken in Dismount Bike Shop by @crankngrind

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5 months ago

Check out this @santacruzbicycles Stigmata that our friend @crankngrind built for himself.

Paulo chose to run G3 front and RG3 rear hubs in cobalt blue, built to very fine @weareonecomposites convergence series hoops to deliver quick and efficient pickup and power transfer, while also providing super comfortable ride characteristics.

What do you guys think?

#project321 #weareonecomposites #madeincanada #bornintheusa by @crankngrind

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6 months ago

Vignettes from our inaugural ‘The Everyday Carry Issue’ - released today. Our 28th magazine. It’s sometimes hard to believe how fast time flies when we’re having fun! Find yourself a copy. Everything looks better in print. by @crankngrind

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6 months ago

Nowadays, with the cost of gas and travel, I feel especially fortunate to live in a great, charming, little city that's within biking distance to scenic trails, quiet gravel paths and interesting landmarks. In about 20 minutes, I can find myself in rural country, smashing the pedals through a gusty headwind while enjoying a breathtaking sunset, or dodging beavers and geese along a riverside trail. Heck, it's part of the reason I made Guelph my home.

If you're an avid cyclist from Guelph, you'll probably recognize many of the things I photograph. In this photoset, I snapped pics along a typical route of mine - St. George to downtown, then through the Ward and towards Arkell via various trails.

And yes, that's a new bike of mine. The Santa Cruz Stigmata was one of those gravel/CX bikes I've always appreciated. So, Im pretty stoked to have one for myself now. (In case yer interested, there's a medium available at @flowstatebikeco rn 😉)

The beaut wheelset from @project321 in Cobalt blue is the icing on the Stiggy cake! More on those in a future post. I'm a fan!

Enjoy friends, stay safe, and see you on the trails!

#rideguelph
#ridebikesbehappy
#santacruzstigmata
#project321
#getoutthere taken in Guelph, Ontario by @crankngrind

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6 months ago