Category: bc bike race

BC Bike Race – July 5, 2012

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BC Bike Race is an amazing 7 day adventure bringing 500 mountain bike riders in search of some of the world’s best singletrack.  Every year there are a combination of world class racers, international adventurers, and weekend warriors who tackle the course.  Three of the seven days are spent right here on BC’s Sunshine Coast.  I caught part of Wednesday’s action…the longest course of the tour at 63km and 2,100m of elevation change…when they hit the finish line in Sechelt.  Have you ever seen 500 identical tents in a row in one field?  Assembled & disassembled daily?
Today was my favourite part of the race, though,…and for many of the riders as well.  It’s a ‘short’ course at 40km, but a serious climb from Sechelt up and over Roberts Creek and Mt. Elphinstone to finish with 7km of straight downhill into Langdale.  This last section of riding is the part of Mt. Elphinstone that I often hike…around Sprockids Mountain Bike Park.  The riders emerge from the rainforest a block from my house and cruise down our steep hill to the ferry terminal.
Yes! – thrilled to emerge from the forest toward the finish line

Neighbourhood kids came out to watch and cheer along the street.  Many of the riders waved and appreciated the young fans.  One man even stopped to chat with the kids while he waited for his teammate to emerge from the forest.  Pretty cool…and inspiring for the kids.

As one rider popped over the hill, all I heard was “Wow..look at that!”.  The view opens into the deep blue water of Howe Sound, heavily forested Gambier Island, and the Coast Mountains in the backdrop.  Yes, this is the view I’m lucky enough to see every day when I leave the house.

2 person team excited to cross the finish line

The finish line buzzes with activity as the racers shower…bike shower first of course…then personal shower, food, new clothes, medical tent if necessary and off to catch the ferry to the campsite in Squamish.

In line for the bike showers – lots of mud!

Langdale Trail – June 23, 2012

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I can’t believe a nearly a month has gone by since I have had a good hike in the forest.  We’ve had lots of rain and I’ve let work and meetings take too much priority.  I had a sunny afternoon to myself and made the most of it.  I decided to go exploring in my own backyard.
Langdale Trail – easy & level hike
Our street ends a block from the house and is the beginning of a trail through the forest.  This is the first trail I ever explored on the Sunshine Coast.  My neighbour, Jo, took the ladies of our cul-de-sac on a guided tour to share an easy trail we could all hike.  Jo passed away last fall, and I was thinking of her today and thankful that she shared this trail with me and starting my hiking trips.

The trees here are fairly young…new growth I’m sure after logging.  These are skinny, fast growing trees…maybe alder.  Almost all deciduous…the mighty Douglas fir and yellow cedar are further up the mountain.  Looking straight up at the sky the leaves rustled in the slight breeze.  The walk was very peaceful with birds singing and enjoying the sunshine.

Salmon berries are ready to eat

 The trail is lined with what I believe are salmon berries.  They are orange and turn red when ripe.  A delicious snack along the way.

Ten days from now this trail will be the end of stage 5 of the BC Bike Race.  500 riders from around the world will fly down the trail descending from much higher on Mt. Elphinstone as they race to the finish line at the ferry terminal below.  I look forward to cheering them on.

BC Bike Race – July 7, 2011

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This week’s highlight was BC Bike Race’s annual appearance on the Sunshine Coast. This is a premier mountain bike race with over 400 riders from all around the world competing for 7 days. The Sunshine Coast is proud to be home for 3 days of the race.

Today, riders made the trip from Sechelt to Langdale…38km with 1,400m of elevation climbing. Serious stuff, but they all love the 7km downhill decent at the end. These are the same trails that I hike regularly on Mt Elphinstone. The last kilometer comes down through our neighborhood with the finish line at the ferry terminal.

The fastest riders made the trip in 2 hours. A good number were in by 3 hours and some made a day of it. There is obvious relief & joy when they hit the finish line.
The first rider I spoke to was from Belgium and the next pair was from the UK. Love to see people come from around the world to ride in my backyard. The brits loved the course, but were disappointed that they hadn’t seen a bear yet. I told them that was probably a good thing.
One rider said, “The most fun you can have on your bike.”
After the race, there is still much work to be done. The support team for the event is as least as big as the riders themselves.


Each day there are celebrations and awards for top finishers. Teams of 2, individuals, and two race categories. There are a number of women racing, and the best are right up there with the guys. These women rock.


What better after 3 hours of gruelling riding than a massage by this caring crew?


The first task after the race is food & drinks. Tables are layed out for the riders with fruit & drinks to rehydrate. The second task is to give the bikes a quick shower and get them loaded up on the truck for easy transport on the ferry.
Once the bike is taken care of…its time for the riders to have a shower, too. Yes, there is a mobile truck for that, too.


Then its time to hit tent city a have a good long sleep. Afterall, there is more singletrack waiting the next morning.
Good luck to all the riders in stage 6 & 7!

BC Bike Race – July 1, 2010

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Happy Canada Day!
In true Canadian spirit, we went out and supported the 500 riders competing in the BC Bike Race. This is a 7 day mountain bike trek from Vancouver to Vancouver Island across to the Sunshine Coast and over to Squamish & Whistler.
This is the 4th year for the race. Best part for me is that it literally races down our street! There is a trailhead at the end of our street that I have always enjoyed hiking. This trail connects into Sprockids Mountain Bike Park and over the mountain to the reputable Roberts Creek trails.
Thus, the last segment of the day’s ride is the decent down our trail and onto our street for a mad dash to the ferry and the finish line.
Riders cover a very wide spectrum. We’ve had Olympians and world champions. We have riders from many countries. We have men & women of all ages. There is a 60+ riding this year and there is a 15 yr old. It is hard to tell in this photo, but the guy in the center is a unicyclist! Can you imagine riding mountain bike trails…40km/day…on a unicycle?

They were muddy and wet today after a bit of rain last night…but the riders loved it. “Best trails I’ve ever ridden,” said one of the racers we talked to. The heart of the group took 5 hours to ride today’s course….and this was his quote.

I have a lot of respect for the race organizers. They have traffic control, trail markings, a bike shower, food at the finish line, first aid stations along the route, camping tent city every night, 24 hour repair crews to keep the bikes in top shape, and on-site massage teams to keep the riders in shape.
Very cool. Can’t wait to see you again next year! For more information on great Sunshine Coast mountain biking, visit www.sunshinecoastcanada.com/visit/activities/biking.php or www.bcbikerace.com.