The BC Bike Race is a 7 day mountain bike stage race which takes you through some of the most technical singletrack on the British Columbia coast. This year the racers checked in on June 26 with a prologue day in North Vancouver which was a short course to allow them to get the bugs out of their bikes and give them a feel for what was in store for the days ahead. The next morning the racers boarded the ferry and travelled from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island to begin stage 1 with each stage of the race being held in a different community.

One of the changes the BC Bike Race made this year was the introduction the Challenge course which is described as the “lite” version of the Epic course at 30 km/day, which is approximately half the distance of the Epic. The riders still started and finished at the same place, did many of the same trails, and on two of the days the Epic and Challenge courses were the same. The Challenge course is what attracted unicyclist Kris Holm to the BC Bike Race while the Epic course attracted pro racers such as Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro), Geoff Kabush (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain), Kris Sneddon (Kona), Mical Dyck (Trek), and Melanie McQuaid (Specialized).

The route this year took the racers to the community of Powell River for the first time. The race was well received with many of the residents coming down to check out the action and cheer the racers on. That evening the racers were greeted by the Mayor of Powell River and received a blessing from the Chief of the Tla’Amin First Nation. It was definitely one of the most scenic stops with the base camp set up right beside the beach.

After 7 days of racing through an amazing network of singletrack trails, the BC Bike Race ended in Whistler with a final awards ceremony and dinner. To see more of the challenging terrain the riders faced over the 7 days, check out the  fantastic videos Dave Norona took of each stage, the photos by Dave Silver Photography and the Garmin stats from Mical Dyck of Team Trek Canada. Thanks for sharing them Mical!
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When it comes to mountain biking in British Columbia, Canada most people hear about the trails around the North Shore in North Vancouver and the trails and bike park in Whistler. However, taking a 1.5 hour ferry ride over to Vancouver Island is well worth the trip with most of the trails being within 2 hours of Nanaimo.

There are four ferry routes to get to Vancouver Island from the Mainland, which are found on the BC Ferries website.  The most scenic are the Tsawwassen to Schwartz Bay route or if you have time, the Sunshine Coast route which is a series of three ferries and is the route the BC Bike Race follows. Reservations are highly recommended if you’re planning on travelling in June, July or August.

After disembarking the ferry head north to Campbell River, a 2 hour drive from Nanaimo, and check out the trails in the Snowden Demonstration Forest.  The Snowden Demo Forest has something for everyone however make sure you pick up a map of the area from Cowabunga Coffee which is on the way there. (You can’t miss it, it’s a trailer painted like a cow.)  It’s easy to lose your way in this 150 km network of trails the first time you visit.  The owner of Cowabunga is a fellow mountain biker and is extremely knowledgeable about the trails in this area so don’t hesitate to ask him questions.  If you plan on travelling there over the Labour Day Weekend in September, enter the Campbell River 50 km Trail Challenge and experience the best the trails here have to offer. Continue Reading