Maratona Dles Dolomites

For anyone who has ever dreamed of racing bikes in Europe but for whatever reason never made it happen, do yourself a favour, get yourself a plane ticket to Italy and sign up for a Gran Fondo!

Gran Fondo means long distance or great endurance in Italian and my experience was nothing short of amazing. Over the years I have spent lots of time training and travelling in Europe but all of my racing has been contained to the North American continent. After a couple of trips to the Italian dolomites I heard about a race that covered the same roads used in countless Giro D’Italia’s. It was something that immediately appealed to me after years of reading about the epic mountain battles of the Giro in Velonews.

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Go Green

Go Green
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

Cheakamus Challenge 2008 turned out to be a wet and muddy affair. The green team did well with 3 racers in the top 50. Jason Shorter was 5th overall, Tim Graversen was 29th, and John Ramsden was 49th. Over the short course Calindy Ramsden turned in a blistering time to take 6th. After what seemd like an eternity of riding dry trails, the wet conditions and slippery roots snuck up on a large number of riders. The cool temperatures had many riders battling mild hypothermia. Hats off to the race organizers for booking Dusty's at Creekside so we could all warm up as we waited for awards. The mountain bike season is winding down, time to get out the cross bikes!

Day 7 Contemplation at the start

Day 7 Contemplation at the start
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Review
August 17, 2008
Afterthoughts

50 years old today. Ouch! 5 TransRockies completed. Ouch! Ouch! Where to go from here?

I would like to take my hat off to the TR organization this year for stepping up and improving the overall product from a disappointing 2007. The course was significantly harder, perhaps the hardest yet. The food was stellar unlike last year’s European gruel. The camaraderie was again excellent and is what I think separates this race from all the others that I have competed in. The fact that this race occurs on several of its days a significant distance from civilization forces all the riders to get to know each other. The underlying Canadian spirit meshed with a common bond of suffering helps also in setting an atmosphere that I have not seen repeated elsewhere.

I have been asked many times which race is the best, or which race is the hardest. It is extremely hard to pick any one of these race as they all have their pluses and minuses. From my point of view, I guess that I have to say that this race has a special place in my heart as it was the first that I did and I have kept coming back. Next year, I guess, remains to be seen.

Day 7 Finish- One hot day

Day 7 Finish- One hot day
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 7
August 16, 2008
Crowsnest Pass to Fernie
78.8 km/2101 climbing


Last day, 80 km., finish significantly lower in elevation than the start. Easy day right? Ha, ha, once again not so. Off the start we were immediately into a climb up the local Blairmore ski hill. Although, I reached the top before Trevor, I was soon put on my heels as the man found some hidden reserve of energy and proceeded to put a severe beating into me for the next 90 minutes. I crashed twice and all I could think of was “eat, drink, eat, drink, eat, drink, oh please let me get my strength and mojo back”. Finally I started to feel better about 2 hours in and we both put the hammer down. On the last climb we smoked past several Masters teams and on the long descent into Fernie several more.

The last 7 km were some sweet technical single track and we were flying. We came up on a few teams so fast that I think that they wondered what had hit them as we blew by. What an exceptional way to finish a race on a high!

As usual Fernie put on a great show for the finish with what seemed like the whole town out cheering on the racers as they cruised down the main drag. A great beer tent within crawling distance of the finish allowed even the most trashed racers to get a beverage.

Our teams support vehicles woes continued on when they found a cracked radiator as they headed out of Blairmore for the finish in Fernie. No Dodge dealership in Blairmore equaled no possible solution until at earliest 3 days hence. What to do? Blairmore is an awesome town! The repair shop headed the crew down the road to the GM dealership which took mercy on the assembled clan and gave them (yes, gave them with no more that a name and phone number) the shops pickup truck as long as they had it back by Monday at 8am. At the finish in Fernie, we were greeted by a beater brown GM pickup but no one was complaining.

The final party turned out to be a great evening. On the way to the party, Trevor and I were sitting in the pickups box as there was not enough room in the cab. Sure enough, despite the short distance that we had to travel, we got spotted by the local RCMP and some discussion, eventually got a ride in the back of the cruiser to the party. By chance, my 50th birthday occurred at midnight and this made for even more reason to celebrate. Tomorrow we get some well deserved rest, and I can attest that I can hardly wait.

Day 6 Shattered

Day 6 Shattered
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 6
August 15, 2008
Elkford to Crowsnest Pass
102.4 km/2998 climbing

Well there is now no question about it, this year’s version of the TR is definitely one of the toughest ever. This day revolved around the first climb right off the start. The climb covers 250m in about 4 km as you climb toward the Fording Mine. It is all paved and I had hoped that Trevor and I could hang with the front group because at the top you immediately dive into about 5 km of technical single track. This is then followed by about 20 km of slightly downhill road work into the first aid station. Getting into the single track ahead of the majority of riders allows you to gap out on the majority of the field, and this then allows you to ride conservatively during the middle of the day, saving energy for the last few big climbs.

The cards did not fall our way and when we hit the single track we were behind a number of riders unable to manage the single track riding. The leaders were gone, and we were forced to push the pace over the next 20 to 30 km in an attempt to limit our losses. We soldiered on, viewing some fantastic scenery as we crested Racehorse Pass and flew down the other side surfing over several scree falls that push their way over the trail.

The last aid station led to the beginning of several steep walls that unfortunately were essentially unrideable after 6 days in the saddle and in the 35C heat. This was one of the few times during this week that I questioned the course design. Usually suffering up climbs like this will result in some sweet downhill riding on the other side, but on this occasion what we received was very dangerous quad track that was covered with cross ruts and water eroded ditches. We even found deep mud; personally I was not very impressed with eating cow dung in 35C heat. At the best of times I would call it ridiculous; at this time of the day and week it was particularly annoying. Our thoughts were mostly with the vast majority of riders behind us who would be negotiating this in far worse shape than we were in. We really thought that this part of the day was a recipe for disaster.

The finish required a short run against traffic on Hwy. 3 into a really annoying head wind before we turned under a bridge and headed for home. As usual our support crew was waiting with recovery drinks in hand, but I really think that this time we really scared them with how shattered we were at the finish. We both had the “thousand mile stare” going on. Trevor’s dad was particularly concerned that I was about to keel over. As usual, it only takes about 15 minutes of recovery and everyone looks entirely different.

Trevor’s dad has a reputation for exceptional BarBQ skills on prime Albert beef. He brought along his own BarBQ and our treat later was to reveled in one awesome dinner at the cabin. The results show that there is now less than 5 minutes separating 6th from 11th in our division after 6 days. We are currently in 9th. If we want to finish top ten, I do not think that there can be any sight seeing tomorrow.

Last day is tomorrow. Fernie here we come.

Day 4 Stream crossing

Day 4 Stream crossing
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 5
August 14, 2008
Whiteswan Provincial Park to Elkford
88.5 km/2247 climbing

Day 5 starts with a 14 km road ride. I bridged up to the first group and had the benefit of nice cruise to the first climb. Trevor unfortunately got stuck in no man’s land and had to work the whole way.

After the time trial in Nipika, Trevor commented that after viewing the evening video of the day, he had seen none of the spectacular scenery we were riding through. When you are hammering and it is a technical trail, you rarely have time to look at anything else other than the trail in front of you. He insisted that he wanted to make sure that he had the chance to look at the scenery around him over the last 4 days of the race.

Stage 5 rolls through some spectacular scenery. The initial climb is under the shadow of Mt. Doorman, a spectacular peak that towers over Whiteswan Lake. We took the time today to make sure that we enjoyed the scenery available. After yesterday, we made a plan to stay well within our comfort zone, especially seeing as tomorrow is an epic day. The temperature has been progressively rising all week and when combining tomorrow’s long mileage and major elevation, with the expected 35C I am sure we will see taxing conditions.

As planned we held it in check until the last aid station which is just before the climb to the top of the rock garden. We then let it loose, and over the climb we reeled in several teams, and extended on others. We survived the descent, in fact for the first time I actually cleared the vast majority of it only becoming unglued when a team of absolute crazies came flying by. Trevor was also put off his bike by the same pair. At the time it was annoying, but in retrospect, it was an awesome piece of riding.

The finish arrived and Trevor got to high five his mom and dad as we rounded into the finish chute. He hadn’t seen his parents in quite a while so he bolted quickly to our accommodation doing laundry on the way. (What a guy!) I hung for a while, getting fed, showered and having a massage.

The adventure continued on our way back to our accommodation as we lost the serpentine belt on our vehicle and had to park it half way up the Crowsnest Pass. Thankfully, Trevor’s dad has a lot of connections and amazingly we were towed into Blairmore in under an hour. By chance, we had arranged to stay in Blairmore two nights and seeing as the finish is here tomorrow, losing the car to repair should not put too much of a crimp in the overall plan. Trevor’s parents will drive us to the start tomorrow and we hope that by then end of tomorrow we will have the van back.

Tomorrow may be the toughest day of the week as we crest the Continental Divide riding over Racehorse Pass. The mileage is high and it end with three vertical walls of 200m plus before descending into Blairmore.

Whiteswan Lake- Mount Doorman

Whiteswan Lake- Mount Doorman
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 4
August 13, 2008
Nipika Resort to Whiteswan Provincial Park
109.7 km/2567 climbing

As I said yesterday, eventually you pay the price for every energy expenditure in these races. Today was that day. 110 km of hell! Right from the get go, I did not feel right. I was having great difficulty keeping down both fluid and food, in general, I just felt like crap. The day finished with about 60 km of road work all slightly downhill but invariably into a head wind. Today it was my turn to be regularly popped off the back of pace lines.

We spent a good part of the day riding with Andy and Moe Handford, owners of Different Bikes in Vancouver. Andy is truly an elite athlete and paired with his wife were making an attack on the 80+ mixed lead. I tried to help at the front, but there was just nothing there. Eventually, Trevor was the one to come back and say, “Lets back it down John; we still have 3 more days.” The rest of the ride became survival hidden in behind Trevor’s fantastic windbreak.

If Nipika is in the middle of nowhere, Whiteswan Lake is at the end of the earth. Thankfully, the organization had seen the need for early food, and the BarBQ was on. Trevor and I inhaled 3 cheeseburgers each in the space of about 30 minutes and we both felt much better. It is becoming apparent to me that multiple long days in these races can not be maintained on gels and electrolytes. One half of a cheese and salami or a PB and honey sandwich can do wonders to settle a stomach and provide some slow burn calories that last much longer than the peaks and valleys of power gels. I vow that from now on there will be some of these calories in my back pocket during these races.

The awards ceremony that night included a section for multiple year participants and I received my “belt buckle” for five years of participation. While on stage with the other recipients, it was sort of funny as we all recognized each other with the “Oh yah, I remember you.” On the trail when your head is down, you don’t always recognize the other racers.

From past memories tomorrow is a great day that finishes with a ride down the infamous rock garden made famous by Tom Zidek when he cleared it on his bike carrying his partners’ bike attached to his back by an inner tube. Trevor’s parents are planning on meeting him in Elkford so it should be amusing to see what they think about the TR circus.

Day 3 Watching the time trial

Day 3 Watching the time trial
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 3
August 12, 2008
Nipika Time Trial
49 km/1514 climbing

Last night at awards we got the scoop on how this time trial was going to take place. Starts at the TransRockies are usually separated into 3 start blocks. The first start block holds in general the first 60 teams on overall standings, the second start block the next seventy, and the third holds the rest of the field.

The second start block went out first thing in the morning at 0900 hrs, starting with the fastest team in the block and finishing with the slowest. Each team went out at 30 second intervals. This was followed at 1030 hrs with start block 3 following the same pattern. A break then ensued until start block 1 went starting at 1300 hr. Intervals were 1 minute for this block. Our start time was 1332 hr as we were in 32nd position overall after our Day 1 result.

I have to admit that I found this day sort of cool. I had not competed in a time trial until the prologue in this years Cape Epic. That race lasted about 50 minutes; our expectation was that this one would take about two and a half hours. Interestingly, since our cabin was on the start/finish line we got to watch the whole thing under the comfort our blankets. The course went out of Nipika on a large loop to the north. It then came back through the start/finish area and did a loop to the south. At 2.5 hrs into the race, not even the first teams had completed the first loop, so Trevor and I were quickly revising our expectations.

We were discussing our strategy at about noon, when the owners of the Nipika resort came up and asked if we were ready for our day to get significantly worse. A few minutes earlier my 12 year old son Blake had headed out to ride his bike around Nipika’s skills park and apparently had immediately fell off an A frame and landed on his out stretched hand against a cut off stump. Crash against stump equals fully displaced radius and ulna fracture right arm.

Thankfully, the TR travels with a fully equipped medical team and they quickly had an IV started and with the help of some drugs had it splinted. The fracture needed to be set, and I thought that there was a good possibility that it might need open reduction and internal fixation. What to do? Race, or go to the hospital? Blake is one tough dude, and it was decided that we would race, and that my wife and eldest daughter would make a sprint to the Banff hospital.

Off they went, and shortly after off we went. What a wicked course; lots of technical single track interspersed with rolling fire roads! It did take far longer than initially expected. By the time we came through Nipika after the first loop in 2 hours and 20 minutes, we had passed two teams and had been passed ourselves by one. Another team was passed as we rode through Nipika, and then we really put the hammer down. Our second loop was one of the fastest of the day and in the end we finished 5th in our division and 28th overall. Trevor and I were both pretty trashed. On the course today, it was pretty clear that many teams were pretty shattered after yesterdays off course extravaganzas. We were both pretty worried that our time to blow up was soon to come. Tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, eventually in these races you will pay the price for every expenditure of energy.

Once the race was over, and we had had a chance to recover, I began to worry a great deal about Blake. Nipika truly is in the middle of no where and despite attempts to call my wife on the owners’ satellite phone; I could not contact her. We were about to try again when out of the window of the cabin who should appear but Blake with his arm in a cast. Thank god for Alberta medical care. Blake had been in and out of the hospital in less than two hours without an operation and was now back in Nipika, seemingly no worse for the wear and tear except for a plaster cast.

What a day! Tomorrow is another tough one finishing with 60 km of road riding into Whiteswan Lake.

Day 2 Off Course Hike a bike

Day 2 Off Course Hike a bike
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 2
August 11, 2008
K2 Ranch to Nipika Resort
73.7 km/3813 climbing

Well it wouldn’t be a TransRockies without some sort of controversy. What a frustrating and painful day. An early start out of the K2 ranch quickly resulted in a nice pack road ride down the west side of Lake Windermere and around the bottom before heading back up the highway to the entrance of Fairmont Hot Springs resort. This was the start of the first climb of the day, initially pavement, and then gravel. We reached the bottom of the Fairmont Springs ski hill and I thought here we go again. See ski hill, climb to top. Thankfully we just rode up the main hill a short distance before we jumped into the trees on a rolling double track trail and continued up. A quick descent down a gravel double track with some hidden water bars and nice switchbacks almost caught me off guard a couple of time. We then rode about 10 km of rolling double track into the first aid station.

37 km down, 1000 m elevation completed. Uneventful day, right? Well ha ha, now the fun began. Out of the aid station we began the second climb of the day, supposedly about 1000 m over 6 km. The climb started slow and then ramped up after about 1 km. From our point of view, pretty much unrideable! As we kept going the route just kept getting steeper and steeper until we were all climbing straight up an avalanche chute covered in loose scree rock. From our location about 40 teams back from the front, the route was to say the least extremely scary and intimidating. It was so steep you could not push your bike; we all had to sling them on our backs and literally move one step at a time to make sure that we did not slip and fall. I am not sure that you could have stopped had you slipped and fell, and I am quite sure that your bike would have been long gone unless someone grabbed it on the way by. Every once and a while, a hail from above would have you avoid a massive falling rock. The air was full of curse and invective, sort of like a fog flowing down the hill.

Trevor and I climbed for about an hour, and we were about three quarters of the way to the summit (we figure we climbed about 600 m straight up), when the leaders actually summited. We heard what they found as they all made their way back down past us, and we all looked for the marked trail. I gather that the top was quite scary; the other side was essentially a cliff into thin air. An exploration in both directions along the spiny ridge revealed no flags and no rideable terrain, and so the descent began.

The view behind us as we all headed back down was kind of surreal; a long line of 300 to 400 riders snaking down this chute, with those at the bottom recently informed of the mistake frantically looking for the trail as many saw their opportunity for a good result. The trail was eventually found with the marker on the uphill side of a tree and not visible from below. To the chagrin of those formerly at the front, when we reached the entrance, our path was blocked by those formerly at the back. The trail was quite technical and many ahead of us were unable to ride the single track. A long walk ensued, but we all understood that essentially we were to blame for our own misfortune. The fun soon started, with bets between teams being laid as to who had the mojo and skill to ride many of the sketchy short descents without dabbing.

Eventually, we all got back on our bike and the race began again in earnest as we all tried to limit our losses on the day. A third climb up to the start of the infamous Bear Creek trail let us accumulate the last of the 3800 m of elevation over the day and then we headed down Bear Creek for the finish in Nipika.

Bear Creek trail was slashed out of the bush two years ago as a relatively direct way to get across the mountains in TR 2006. Although we climbed it that year, for the last two years we have been riding down in the opposite direction. I highly doubt that there are any other riders on this trail over the rest of the year, so I have been quite amazed that each year we have used it, it has become significantly more rideable. Perhaps we have the bears to thank for this as they must use it as an easy way to get to the multitude of berries that line the trail. Apparently, our course designers had to “encourage” a grizzly sow and cub off the trail earlier in the day.

Whatever the reason, better trails, more skill on our part, lack of oxygen from the earlier climbs or just stupid luck both Trevor and I cleared the vast majority of the trail. Out the bottom, we had about 8 km of road riding to the finish, so we put our heads down and pace lined home.

A day that we expected to take about 6 hrs ended up taking about 8, and I am sure that we will pay for the extra expenditure later in the week. Thankfully, pretty much everyone is in the same position.

There were a significant number of upset people at the finish because of the “poor course marking”. From our point of view, it seemed a little unfair that our weeks overall result was going to hinge on this issue. At the finish it became apparent that a number of teams had cut the course as they descended the scree field and had bush wacked through the trees and eventually found the trail ahead of the majority of the riders. The rules state that if you go off course you must enter it again at the point where you made your wrong turn. Further, the trail markers were such that it wasn’t just one or two teams that missed the trail; it was essentially the whole field. I am quite sure that if the top teams had continued over the top in their search for the trail, eventually every single other team would have been up there with them.

In the interests of fairness the organizers decided to let the days results stand, but not to include the results in the weeks overall standings. Both Trevor and I thought that this was the right decision.

Tomorrow, we time trial a 50km course around Nipika on trails that I have ridden several times over the last few years. I am really looking forward to this as it should really cater to one of our fortes, technical single track riding.

Day 1 Finish K2 Ranch

Day 1 Finish K2 Ranch
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Day 1
August 10, 2008
Panorama to K2 Ranch
52.3 km/2478 climbing

Off we go!!!

Out of the start we headed straight up the mountain that loomed behind at the start. A quick spin through the resort stretched out the field and then the pain began. A la TransAlp, see ski lift, climb to top. The climb was all rideable but very steep in places and certainly had everybody on the rivet for the first hour. As we passed the bottom of the Summit Quad and then the top of the Champagne Express, all I could think of were those riders smoking “down” the bike park and then riding “up” the lift. A short hike a bike led us to “Outback Ridge” which is winters access to double blacks like “Devils Drop” and “C-Spine”. It felt a little unreal to be riding my bike past double black ski run signs and looking straight down chutes that would probably cause a significant cremasteric reflex in the winter. (look it up!)

The elevation here is about 2400m and as could be expected the temperature was a tad chilly. I suppose I should have expected that a climb to the top of a ski resort would be associated with a snow storm and sure enough as we exited “Outback Ridge” the wind came up and the snow started. The last 7 multi day races that I have done have never seen temperatures less than 25C and have reached highs of 43C. I guess I have become complacent because we were way underdressed and I was sure worried that if the snow kept up or changed to rain that we would be in danger of significant hypothermia and forced into survival mode on the first day. Thankfully, we were required to hike some significant hills which kept our core temps up, and by the time we started our major descent, the wind had decreased and the snow had stopped.

The sun eventually peaked out, and it immediately warmed up. Trevor and I were having difficulty moving forward because of the severe sketchiness of the trail. The consequence of a mistake would have led to a quick slide down a very steep scree slope in similar manner to the rider that went over the edge in this years “Tour de France”. Our road block ended when Trevor blew by me and cleared a long, steep, and extremely muddy slope traversed by lots of eroded roots and rocks. Clearly, I had to step it up as he went by, and we must have passed 8 teams as we hailed “rider up” and slid our way to the bottom. Being in the back, I heard the impressed comments of the riders as we went by them, but at the bottom I had to remind Trevor of rule #2 “Live to ride another day.” The gap that we achieved was enough to send us through to a great finish after we hammered the last km on gravel road; 7th overall in our division and 34th in the field.

Not a bad start!!!

Tomorrow looks really ugly with three major climbs and the nasty descent down Bear Creek. At least it starts with about 20 km of road. If we can get out in the top pack we can hide and cruise to the first climb.

Afripex Tygirs

Afripex Tygirs
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

TransRockies 2008 Preview
August 9, 2008
The Road to the Race

Hello again from the TransRockies. This is the fifth year in succession that I have competed in this race, so I am feeling a little bit like an old hat at this.

The course appears somewhat similar to last years, although quite a bit harder as they have toughened up day 1 and 2. Day 1 now heads out of Panorama to the K2 ranch south of Invermere with a massive climb right off the start straight to the top of the 3rd highest ski hill in Canada. Last years day 1 was over in about 3 hours, this year promises to take about 5. Day 2 attacks the Rocky Mountains from a different direction from last year as we loop around the south of Lake Windermere and then head into the mountains through Fairmount Hot Springs Resort. The day quotes a massive 3800m of vertical which Trevor and I hope might be a typo but it will certainly take at least 6 hrs to complete. The fire hazard remains manageable this year, so it appears that we will be able to take on last years proposed Day 6 over the Continental divide as we climb through Racehorse pass. All in all, an intimidating course.

My partner this year is Trevor Linden, recently retired hockey player extraordinaire. He loves to ride his bike and since the end of his season, has put in a significant number of miles. Last week, we were riding in Whistler and combined two great technical trails. (Kill me, Thrill me, and Comfortably Numb) Our ride time was by far the fastest that I have ever done, and it seemed to me like our technical skills will prove to be one of our strengths. He is super enthused and I highly doubt that I need question his competitiveness. In fact, I am quite worried that I may be on the short end of the stick this week. Of course time will tell.

Our drive to Invermere was not without problems as our support vehicle appears to be acting up with intermittent starting issues. A long wait on the descent of Rogers pass as an accident is cleaned up has also put us into Invermere a little behind schedule.

Today we did final prep on the bikes replacing chain rings, cog sets and chains. A quick 75 minute ride with a few sprints tuned up the systems as we made sure that we had no shifting issues and that we were happy with our shock, fork and tire pressures.

Registration revealed many familiar faces including quite a few riders that have made there way here after riding this springs Cape Epic. Amanda Brooks from New Zealand is here riding with her boyfriend from Great Britain. As well, a large contingent of South Africans has arrived including Simon Hough and his partner. They make up the famous Afripex Tygirs and will be wearing their classic tiger skin suits all week. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the technical riding here as my experience in South Africa suggests that they are in for a big surprise.

Tomorrow’s stage start will quickly tell whether our fitness is anywhere close to that needed, as we will have to pin our heart rates immediately as we climb Panorama ski resort. It might be bit difficult to sleep tonight with that on our minds.

BC Bike Race Day 8

BC Bike Race Day 8
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

Day 8
July 5, 2008
Last thoughts

I would like to congratulate the BC Bike Race crew for putting on one of the best multi day races that I have ever competed in. It was obvious that they took the comments and criticisms from last years race and acted on them in a positive manner. This is a mark of a well run race organization.

Particularly I would like to congratulate on them on the three things that I think are most important in bringing people to races like these and then having them come back for more or encourage other to come and try them.

1. Food: The menu this year was awesome and the quality and quantity of food was excellent. If there is one item that can make or break an event this is it. After a hard day on a bike, and knowing that you have another hard day coming, recovery and fueling the machine is key. The only improvement that might be made would be to have some sort of kiosk selling wraps, burgers or some such immediately at the finish line. This might actually decrease the amount of food needed at the evening meal.
2. Course: The course was just amazing. It was hard to believe that you could ride so much single track in just one week. A number of people complained about the second day of mostly road work that was our nemesis, but I think that this day actually adds to the overall experience. I think in these race that you should try to cater at least a little to everyone’s strength and weaknesses, and having a road day allows some teams that might not be stellar single track riders to shine. Further to this point, I think that in the future it would be great if you added in “the epic climb”. The potential is there to add a single 1000m amazing climb up Whistler Mountain and then get an wickedly long technical descent back to the valley. As they say in the TransAlp, “See ski lift, climb to top”. This would also add to the overall experience and again potentially let other riders shine.
3. Community: The BC Bike Race crew was spot on this year in creating a great atmosphere. I think congratulations are due to Dean Payne, Keven Thompson, and Kathy Lilyholm and the team building exercises that they went through over the year to set the tone. Everyone was incredibly helpful, and they always had a smile on their face. My vote for volunteer of the year goes to Joanne Bragg who seemed to be everywhere helping out. Keep up the good work.

This race has now firmly established itself as one of the premiere multi day races in the world. It currently accepts 200 teams and I have heard that they will likely cap it at 250 for the foreseeable future. I think this is a good thing as it maintains the community feel.

As a last comment my support person who is a Canadian road cycling legend was blown away by the organization and particularly by the camaraderie shown by the organizers, the competitors and their crews. He kept telling me that if I was a roadie I should have immediately bolted the finish to lie in my hotel room and rest my legs. He was surprised that almost nobody does this as it would mean that you would miss the best part of the day as you get to rub shoulders with other smoking good riders and talk about the highlights of the day.

Once again hat off to the BC Bike Race crew!

BC Bike Race Day 7

BC Bike Race Day 7
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

Day 7
July 4, 2008
Whistler to Whistler

Once again, we are treated to riding in home territory. The start is just down the hill from our winter home and the initial climb basically goes right past the front door and then up the ski hill. We drove up to Whistler last night and spent the night at the cabin thereby missing another early morning wake up call and bus ride from Squamish to Whistler. The start was at 1000hr so we moseyed down to the start at about 0930hr. My legs were definitely showing the signs of our maximum output yesterday. I was not sure what they would feel like as we immediately attack the mountain out of the start with a several hundred meter climb most of which requires your granny gear.

Out of the start, it was clear that there would be no records set today. My legs felt like concrete, and my speed was comparable to having a bike made of concrete. I tried desperately to hang on to the front pack as we started the initial climb but was quickly dropped. Tim was gone and then disaster struck. As we headed up the first gravel road to reach the ski hill, I stood on the pedals and my chain broke. The rest of the field sailed by as I struggled to break out the broken link and insert a quick link. Thankfully, fellow Steed rider Trevor Stone stopped and helped and I was soon on my way. Only downside, now I had to pin it on the climb to catch Tim and make up time.

It was clear that today was just not going to be our day. As I made my past the field on the climb up Whistler Mountain my legs just had no spring. The descent down Babylon by Bike and on to See Colors and Puke was difficult with all the back riders. I was flying down the Riverside trail at the bottom when again the abuse of six days of hard riding came through. I hooked a bar on a tree trying to cut corners and did about three barrel rolls into the bush. No injuries, bike OK, but maybe we should tone it down a bit. Tim was waiting as we climbed out of Farside and headed for the Highline trail. I think that he must have waited for about 15 minutes. Soon after I witnessed one of the greatest crashes I have ever seen, we again had mechanical issues. As I descended down the steep rock face on Tunnel Vision, one of the riders of the third place women’s team endoed at the bottom right in front of me. She landed right on her face and I was sure that she would not get up. But surprise, surprise she popped up, shook herself off, and kept going. Tim was again waiting at the bottom of Tunnel Vision, but now had sheared off one of the bolts holding his front brake caliper to the fork. The adapter was swinging in the breeze off the bottom bolt, but fortunately not catching in the rotor. The brake still worked (sort of) so we soldiered on while we discussed if there was anything that we cold do to fix it. We decided there was little that we could do, and felt that it was still possible to reach to the finish so headed through the first aid station.

The rest of the day just seemed to never end. The highlights were that I rode a few trails that I had never before seen in Whistler, particularly a trail called Danimal that has been the recipient of a lot work this year. There were some really cool linked wall rides and the trail flowed super well. Pretty much every trail for the rest of the day was super technical and required a lot of short bursts of power to navigate the rocks, roots, and stunts. Eventually it ended with my body pretty much at the end of its tether.

The final party was at the top of Whistler Mountain in the Roundhouse and was extremely well organized. Final awards were presented with the lead changing in our division as the team of “Grip it and Rip it” passed the team of “Different Bikes” on the last day and won by about 1 minute. It shows that you have to push in these races everyday to the maximum, as you just never know when disaster will strike.

After the award ceremony and dinner, the whole pack descended on the GLC to celebrate the conclusion of the 2008 version of the BC Bike Race. The party went on until the wee hours of the morning.

BC BIke Race Day 6

BC BIke Race Day 6
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

Day 6
July 3, 2008
Squamish to Squamish

I must say that we have been looking forward to these next two days all week. These are our trails! This is our home territory! We know what is coming. We know when to push and when to conserve. We should be at slight advantage to the rest of the field. The track today consists of portions of two classic local races the Test of Metal and the Gearjammer. Today, every single climb will be rewarded with a completely wicked descent.

It rained a little last night and I wondered if the trails might be a bit slick but there was only enough rain to knock the dust down. The race started with a neutral roll out up into Garibaldi Heights. The lead moto pulled out ahead as we hit the road climb up into the heights. This stretched out the field so then when we were released up Mashiter trail. From Mashiter we flew into Tracks from Hell which starts with a board ride of about 100m of 25cm wide plank. This is surrounded on either side by 10 inch deep mud, don’t slip off! I was really afraid of hitting this point and getting stuck in a bottleneck but as luck would have it I was by myself and despite pretty much my max heart rate I managed to stay on the planks.

My best description of this day was that of a feeding frenzy. The intensity of the riders around me was incredible. I have never been involved in a race at this level before. One mistake and you could kiss the podium good bye. Several of the top Masters teams were really starting to show the wear and tear of the week. The Different Bikes crew were continuing to struggle and now the Spike Shooters team in second were showing weakness. This division could still be up for grabs.

We were having a great day absolutely ripping up Skookum and then down IMBA smart, through to Recycle and then down Pseudopsuega when a wrench was thrown our way in terms of a flat tire. Several masters’ teams went through before we could get going again. The rest of the day apparently was going to have to require 105%.

Through the aid station, we headed up the infamous Nine mile hill. We were told later that Andreas Hestler broke from the field on the climb and gapped them as he hit the summit. He finished the day in an incredible time just over 3 hours. For Tim and I, we caught a couple of the teams that had gone through as we fixed our flat and the ride down the Ring Creek Rip into the Powerhouse plunge was totally awesome.

The plunge is extremely technical riding and I usually ride it in the spring when it is very damp and slippery. Today it was dry and pitches that are usually quite scary were easily attacked. It is amazing what 5 days of technical riding can do to your skill level, and lines that I have never considered or even seen before were suddenly visible and achievable. Suffice to say, that I have never come down it so fast in all my life.

I thought that we had gapped out on several of the teams that we had passed on the way up the climb but it appeared that not only had we improved our riding skills, so had every one else. As we blitzed through the aid station I turned around and “Yikes” they were all there. We headed into the climb up Crumpet Woods and again we pinned it, trying to get a gap on the other teams. In the end it was to much, I was just so spent as we came down out of the woods that I was making huge mistakes and eventually crashed several times as my front wheel washed out on a couple of the corners. In the end I think that the top five Masters teams finished within 8 minutes of each other.

What an awesome day!

BC Bike Race Day 5

BC Bike Race Day 5
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

July 2, 2008
Day 5
Sechelt to Langdale

OH MY GOD!!! Let’s think of adjectives. Rippin, smokin, flying, hardcore, unbelievable, smooth, technical, death defying, wicked, knarly, come on people work with me, this day tops them all. If there is one reason to come and do this race, do it so that you can ride this day.

Out of Sechelt in a 10+ km neutral roll out to get your legs in gear, and then right into the singlet rack. Unfortunately Justin Mark got knicked in a road crash soon after the start that ripped his derailleur and hanger clean off. Hats of to he and Jeff because they had the spare drop out installed, and the new derailleur working in a jiffy. They jumped on their bikes and time trialed back through the pack so fast that they caught me just after we hit the first single track climb.

I had so much fun last year on the last descent that I had forgotten that there was some significant effort required to get there. Ah, who cares, the Rat Race trails rock. We had another great day, eventually finishing 4th in Masters but well up the overall field.

The smiles in the Langdale ferry terminal were huge. Every one was on a huge endorphin high. We all had a quick shower in the finish area, and then jumped into some clean clothes before we walked onto the ferry for the trip to Horseshoe Bay, and then a bus ride up to the adventure capital of the world Squamish BC.

The weather again co operated and all our visitors were treated to some spectacular scenery as we made our way up the Sea to Sky highway. The highway is currently under construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympics and that alone can keep you amused for the trip. Squamish is currently transforming from a logging town into a tourist based economy and the moniker “Adventure Capital of the World” suits it well. Not only is there amazing mountain biking, but there is world class hiking, climbing, whitewater rafting, windsurfing, and kite boarding as well, Accommodation was at the recreation centre in town and we all had access to the swimming pool as well as the hot tub. We will be staying two nights in Squamish so no pack up tomorrow. Yeah!

I would love to say more about the amazing riding on this day but it would all be repetitious. You just have to come try it!

BC Bike Race 2008

BC Bike Race 2008
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

July 1, 2008
Canada Day
Happy Birthday to the best country in the world. (in my opinion)
Day 4 (Hump day)
Earls Cove to Sechelt

Early morning wake up calls get very difficult as these events progress. Jeez, it was hard to drag my ass out of bed this morning to make the ferry. Another stunning day greeted us and the ferry ride rewarded our visitors from other countries with some spectacular scenery on Canada Day as we crossed the Straight of Georgia back to the mainland and then a second ferry ride to the Sunshine coast.

For Tim and I, the day started well as we both buried it on the climb out of the ferry terminal and were well in the top 25 teams at the top. Here’s to the hole shot! This set us up well for the rest of the day. As my history has shown in these races, I seem to improve as the week progresses, or maybe I do not deteriorate as much as the rest of the field. Whatever it is, I felt great. Good power, good pace, pretty much everything I could ask for. The route followed a hydro cut for a good portion of the route with lots of really fast sections and some sneaky tight turns. Several teams went smoking past and merrily sailed off into the distance. Believe me, the course was marked quite well but when you are in an anoxic haze sometime you just focus on the wrong things. On occasion Tim and I noted some rather “blue” air and the occasional disparaging comment thrown out at the offending individual, but in the final analysis most people were really impressed with the quality of riding to be had. Having done this race two years running, I am really impressed with the trails to be had on the Sunshine coast.

The last half of the race saw lots of tight twisty single track, and it seemed much more manageable as there appeared to be less roots. OK, maybe there were as many roots but we all are just getting better at riding them. Who knows? There were a lot of smiles at the finish and for the longest time we thought that we had hit the podium in third for the day but through some computer glitch, a Masters team ahead of us was missed. Rats, I guess we will have to try harder tomorrow. The leading team in the Masters division from Different Bikes in Vancouver is showing some signs of wear. One of the riders is feeling ill and having a hard time keeping down sustenance. I have to say that this year this is one hard core race; the level of competition is really up there. It sure is fun riding with the rock stars!

Once again hats off to the BC Bike race crew, the food is great and they are now getting into the swing of the daily routines and everything seems to be running real smooth. A quick watch of the sunset over the Straits sent us off to bed. The course tomorrow is my all time favorite. When I did this race last year, day 5 became the number 1 best day of mountain biking that I have ever had. The course is so cool; it finishes with a 13 km downhill rip to the ferry terminal in Langdale. You start down the trail and it just seems to switch back and forth forever. You can smell the ferry exhaust, but it seems like it never arrives. You never get out of your middle ring and rarely do you see an inner cog. It is just one incredible rip. See you tomorrow. I cannot wait.

BC Bike Race Day 3

BC Bike Race Day 3
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

June 30, 2008
Day 3
Port Alberni to Cumberland

I sure didn’t sleep very well last night. I was pretty shattered when I finished. The last 20 km were pure hell as far as I was concerned. Massage by Sherry sure helped but internally I was really worried whether I would recover enough to be able to ride strong after a day with that kind of power output. Our support person Tom really helped by basically just doing anything that was asked while we rested our legs. The results showed that we had lost about an hour on the top teams and that we had moved back in the Masters field to 11th Place.

Monday dawned with an even earlier start as the logistics of moving camp from Cumberland to the Sunshine Coast requires some tight timelines what with the ferries and all. We were relegated to the 2nd start block and I knew that we had to make up as much ground as we could on the several km neutral roll out if we were to have any chance of moving up in the field. With the smell of the local canon club gunpowder in the air we were off at 0800hrs. We made our move quickly and when we hit the first single track climb, we were well up the field and thankfully never had to get off the bike. Some really fast double track descents led into what seemed like a very long slight uphill gravel road climb. Tim was gone off the front after the descent, and I could not bridge up to his group before the climb. No man’s land ensued until a few riders came along and we worked together to make the suffering a little less for everyone.

Our cohesive road work led first to where Tim was waiting by the side of the road and then to a raging creek crossing with water up to our hips. The far side revealed a steep scramble up a slope that required the course marshals to help with our bikes. Yeah to all the volunteers that help at these events. As an athlete I think that we often forget to thank them enough for all their support. These types of event could not happen without them!

Back on the road again we traversed across to the Comox valley and had some stunning views of the Straight of Georgia with Hornby and Denman Island in the foreground. Last year my daughter did this leg of the race and she suffered through a serious hike a bike to get into the Comox valley. The route this year is much better, rideable all the way. We were now into the hottest part of the day and you could see the heat sapping peoples strength as we made our way up the last real climb of the day so that we could enter Cumberland’s legendary single track trails.

I can now attest that the legend is true. Cumberland does have some fantastic trails. The course planner linked together multiple trails and even built a few new ones to make it flow better. It was extremely rooty, probably as rooty as any trail system that I have ridden, but that just added another element to the day with power moves required everywhere. My hands were so sore at the finish that it was becoming difficult to get my thumb to move the shifters.

The result was OK. No cramps, no bonks, and up to 10th overall with several other teams very close on the horizon. The rest of the Steed riders are coping well. Justin and Jeff are close to the front; Justin has had a few tough days in the heat but appears to be adjusting. The Steed Sistas; Michelle and Alex are also having a hard time with the heat with Alex suffering the most. That is the recipe of these races, you have to be prepared for anything and make the best of whatever happens. Everyone appears to be still smiling; it is hard not to after sweet single track to finish the day.

Tomorrows wake up call is at 0430hrs!!!! Ouch! We have to catch a ferry at 0630 to Powell River and then a bus ride to another ferry that takes us to Earls Cove. The start will be at 1100 hrs right in the ferry terminal. How cool is that.

BC Bike Race Day 2

BC Bike Race Day 2
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

BC Bike Race 2008
June 29, 2008
Day 2
Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni

Oh, what a sorry day! Off the start in a controlled neutral pack for 12 km before the hammer comes down. Then it is 110km of gravel road, road, road, so much that it almost makes me think that I am back in South Africa. Unfortunately, just before the pack release, some sketchiness ensues and boom, down goes Tim. Apparently, someone was riding up the shoulder and pulled into the pack just as a number of people braked ahead. Unprepared, our illustrious fiend slammed on the brakes and careened into Tim, hooking handle bars. All I heard was the big crash, and then everyone telling me that my buddy was down. Once out of the pack, I headed back hoping that a) he was OK, and b) the bike was not broken. Well one out of two isn’t bad.

Tim was up and walking but complaining of a sore back. Examination revealed that he had landed on his CO2 canister and it had exploded in his back pocket. Hey, nothing like a little freezer burn to go along with the bruises and abrasions. The bike was in worse shape. Tim’s front wheel was tacoed and it looked like the race might be over. Medical arrived and I borrowed a phone to call Tom and get him to bring out the spare wheelset. The phone rang but he didn’t pick up. Why didn’t he pick up? Well why else… he had decided to follow the field out on his bike and when I looked up there he was. We grabbed his wheel, but had to do some quick work on Tim’s brakes as he runs 175mm rotors and Tom runs 165’s. We think that it took about 15 minutes to get going but with the pack running at 30 kph, we must have been 3 to 4 km back. Worst of all we would have no help over this day as the field would undoubtedly pull farther out as the day progressed.

No whining please, just get about the work. We started off working well together and eventually started to reel in riders. The heat was relentless and there was very little shade to be found. Once again, I bonked about 3 hrs in and the day deteriorated into survival mode. For the first time in ages both legs started cramping and it seemed like they just wouldn’t go away. I felt so stupid at one point as we ripped into the only single track of the day and as I tried to finesse the bike, I cramped up and promptly ran into an uprooted stump. The marshals came running down the trail and Tim pulled up, I am sure with some exasperation.

Eventually it ended, and we appear to have lost about an hour to our competition. Hopefully over the next few days we can claw some of it back.

BC Bike Race Day 1

BC Bike Race Day 1
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

BC Bike Race 2008
June 28, 2008
Day 1
Shawnigan Lake to Lake Cowichan

An early start to the day ensued for 0700 hr breakfast in the main hall and then it was back to the room to get kitted up for the race. My partner in this race is Tim Graveson another Steed Cycle team member. Tim has extensive experience racing all types of bicycles and is quite a treat to watch as he flicks the bike back and forth on the trails. Watching him ride downhill on a XC bike really brings home to me what “flow” is really about. While I run into things and bang and crash my way over roots and rocks, Tim seems to effortlessly be one with the bike. It seems sometime like the bike never even touches the ground. He is 31 years old and compared to me a rocket. Since I am 49 we just squeak into the Masters category, but it remains to be seen if I can hang on to his wheel as the week progresses.

Other Steed riders here include Michelle Newton and Alex Watson riding in the female open (Steed Sistas), Justin Mark riding with Arrowsmith rider Jeff Riemer (Helly Hansen-Vancouver Island), and Trevor Stone riding with buddy Clive Russell (Spin Doctors) in the male open. Here’s hoping for some stellar results.

Day 1 starts off with 2 quick laps of the school grounds… and oh how eventful they were. If there is one thing that you must expect in this business it is to expect the unexpected and then figure out how to deal with. The last part of the lap lead us into a freshly cut hay field and a wander into the cut grass quickly resulted in the drive train mayhem. Tim and I watched as pretty much every one of the top teams pulled off and started pulling grass out of their cogsets. Last year’s winner Chris Eatough appeared to rip off a derailleur. Tim and I emerged unscathed by sticking to the edge of the field. By the time the second lap led us through the field grooves in the grass appeared to set up and it was not as much of an issue.

30 minutes in and “Oh my god” is Tim ever fast. My heart rate was pinned wide open and still it was all I could do to keep him in sight. Thankfully a little side slope single track ensued and allowed me to get back in touch. My last few races have seen me as the stronger rider so I guess some might see this as a little payback. I quickly learned again that when you are going flat out, time flies by and you tend to forget to eat and drink. The heat was unrelenting, and just as we headed up the longest climb of the day, el bonko arrived. It appeared that most of the double/single track climb was rideable but in my condition it didn’t quite happen. At least the hour that passed allowed me to rehydrate and fuel up. I can’t say that I felt great at the top aid station but I seemed to come back to about 80%. They say that 20% dehydration decreases your power output by 60% because it was sure hard to find that middle ring on the way up. A quick fire road descent spit us out onto the Cowichan rail bed and it was then 28 km of slightly uphill track to the finish. Man, did that ever hurt after a long day. It never seemed to end, but Tim pulled through and led it out most of the way.

I think we were both a little surprised after my mid day bonk to finish 5th in Masters and only 30 some odd minutes off the lead Masters team. There was much discussion amongst the regulars that the organizers had managed to put together one of the toughest first days ever.

So far, my overall impression as a second year rider at this event is they have listened to the competitors and turned it up a notch. Dean Payne the founder of the race says that two of the three most important items are food and then course. So far, he is spot on on both. Tomorrow brings the “road” day as we connect Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni. Hopefully, Tim and I can find a reasonable group and hide for the day.

BC Bike race Day 0

BC Bike race Day 0
Originally uploaded by Steed Cycles

BC Bike Race 2008
June 27, 2008
Day 0
Vancouver to Shawnigan Lake

On the road again, we’re on the road again…

Off to the 2008 version of the BC Bike Race, 7 days of supreme single track riding from Shawnigan Lake, near Victoria on Vancouver Island to mountain bike heaven in Whistler, BC.

The bikes have been prepped by Kris. A test ride has confirmed everything is in order. Our support crew, Tom is ready to keep us in the zone. The plans have been made and ferries and hotels booked. Now we just have to get there and race.

Often the hardest part of one of these multi day races is getting to the venue. The start at Shawnigan Lake requires a ferry ride or sea plane flight across the Strait of Georgia and through the Gulf Islands unless you arrange a commercial flight directly into Victoria. The two lead sponsors of this years BC Bike race, BC Ferries and Harbour Air do exactly that, so many racers were treated to some spectacular scenery on the way over.

Our plan was to take the ferry from Vancouver to Swartz Bay and drive the short distance to Shawnigan Lake. Ferry reservation in hand we headed through Vancouver to the terminal. One never knows when adventure will strike in these races, and for this race, adventure started very early.

Halfway across town the cell phone goes off and it’s a fellow racer clearly in a panic and demanding where are you????, no exactly where are you???? The ensuing question is obviously why, what does it matter???? Well the story soon comes out the he is already in the ferry line up and guess what: through some sort of mix up he has forgotten his bag with all his bike gear at home. Excuse me, how do you forget the bag with all your gear before a seven day bike race????

Once over to the island we made our way to Shawnigan Lake School. What a beautiful place! Registration in the central hall (think Hogwarts, I kept looking for Dumbledore). Accommodation in spotless dorms, and a quick ride to get the legs loose. Dinner in the central hall and then the mandatory race briefing. A brief discussion about tactics and the expected high temperatures?? And then off to bed ready to give her in the am.

Cape Epic - Complete Story

Cape Epic was just that, an epic! John Ramsden writes about his experiences leading up to this crazy race and accounts for each day in detail. If you thought about this race, make sure you read what you are in for!

Cape Epic Diaries>>>