A week ago my Dad was out visiting my Brother Dustin and I out here in Victoria. It was a perfect excuse to take an easy weekend on the bike and play some mini golf, eat bison burgers and watch hockey games instead. On Tuesday my Dad headed back into the Mountains, Dustin started another week of work at the Coast Guard and I started another week on the bike. It was an epic week, 30+ hrs, snow, rain, sun, wind, and a whole lot of great west coast riding. Two mtb rides with Mr Plaxton were a stellar way to get back on the xc bike after weeks on end of road miles. The trail riding out here is hard as you’re either climbing straight up steep pitches or ripping down off camber decents full of dropoffs, slick rock outcrops and roots. Following Max on his home trails is nerve racking but it’s the fast forward way of getting your skills to the next level.
The were also two solid road rides during the week.
1 was your average March ride out here as I hopped a ferry to saltspring island and had 1:40 hrs to catch the ferry from the other side of the island to Crofton. I was ahead of schedule before a cloud of darkness moved in and started sleeting hail down sideways. I ducked out below a big spruce tree for 20 minutes but was soon in danger of missing the ferry so I made like a sponge, soaked up some rain and caught my boat. Over in Crofton the sleet turned to snow for a bit. I hid out in a coffee shop for 1.5 hrs eating and waiting. Eventually the sun made a showing. I paid my bill, then started the 80 km trek back to Victoria. I soon found out I had a stomach ache from 1.5 hrs of eating at the cafe and the rain/sleet returned about 10 mins. into the ride. This is west coat riding at its finest. 3 hrs later I rolled in Victoria, looking like a drowned rat. Another training day checked off the calendar.
On Sunday the sun was out in full force which led to an excited bke rider who grabbed a handful of larabars and a bunch of bananas and headed off up the west coast to Port Renfrew. This is a trademark west coast ride as the 110 km highway winds its way along the west coast up to the small port town of Port Renfrew, best known for being the starting point of the West Coast Trail. From here there is an old 60 km logging road through the mtns to Lake Cowichan. This has been paved and makes for a very quiet / spectacular bike ride. Being 7 hrs into the ride, lk Cowichan makes for an ideal lunch spot before the last leg of the journey begins back to Victoria. The first 50 km is on the Trans Canada trail as it heads along the Cowichan river, over the Kinsol trestle and eventually to the south end of Shawnigan lake. From here it’s 20 km of highway riding and then another 20 km on the galloping goose bike path back to Victoria. This is an unreal 260 km loop with only 20 km of sketchy highway riding, the rest on tranquil backroads and trails.
This ride also marked the end of 2.5 months/ 5000 km of base kilometers.
Break time.
Off to Kelowna to see my good friend Luke Way at Balance Point Racing for some bike fitting and fitness testing.
