Cheakamus Challenge 2009

One of my favorite things about the Cheakamus Challenge is that it starts in Squamish and ends in Whistler so my wife and daughter come and meet me at the finish line. It gives me a chance to grab a photo with Cara at the end of the race. The Cheak Challenge remains one of my favorite events to do because you get some pretty nice flowy single track and some great views along the course. It is not a technical ride, and even less so this year with the removal of a big section of Trash because of Olympic construction, but it is long and has a ton of climbing. I getmy ass handed to me every year by all the riders that can climb but don't necessarily know how to handle the bike once things get rough.

The race really starts to open up once you get through Brandywine Falls. There are more and more sections of the Sea to Sky Trail added each year and this is as smooth and flowy as you can find in Squamish or Whistler. It is also in this section where you will find the best feed station at any local race. I look forward to downing a can of Coke, a couple of chocolate chip cookies and finish it off with banana and watermelon.

I was able to set a personal best this time round coming in at 4:13. Maybe next year I will get my ass on the road and learn how to climb to try and break the 4 hour mark.

Thanks again to the crew at Steed Cycles for the great ride in the AnthemX. It is an amazing XC bike and I look forward to racing it again next year.

Fromme Mountain Challenge

There is a new event that is turning into an annual event that a colleague and I do - The Fromme Mountain Challenge. He is a ultramarathon trail runner and he challenged me last year to a race on Fromme. He would run up Mountain Hwy to the gravel pit and I would cycle up. He would then come down the road and I would come down 7th to Pipeline and then Baden Powell to the gait.

Last year he beat me by 61 seconds and round 2 goes this Sunday. I have a new strategy this year. Instead of riding my all mountain bike to try and make my time on the downhill I am going to ride my XC bike and get him on the climb and then try to maintain my time on the downhill. We both claim to have faster lap times this year so we will have to wait and see who comes out on top.

Edit Sept 21: I came out on top by just over 2 minutes. The climb to the gravel pit was 34 minutes and the decent was 20 minutes. Rubber match comes in fall 2010.

Bummer break in a solid season

Well after coming off a very solid Test of Metal finish where I not only just beat the 4 hour mark finally I demolished it with a solid 3:28, I went down in The Gear Jammer and posted a DNF. Coming down a rocky decline to get back to Mamquam road my front tire went flat and I lost control of the bike. Down I went and off to the hospital I go with a decent gash to my knee. 16 stitches later my riding has ended for about 3 weeks. This picture is just over a week after the stitches went in.

Well this past weekend was a time to finally get the Anthem X out to stretch its legs and get some serious climbs in.  One of my favourite loops to get some quad burning action is to ride up the power line trail from Lougheed Hwy to Panorama Drive at the base of Eagle Ridge (470 m of climbing in under 6km) and then up to the lookout on the power line rode on Eagle ridge.  It never ceases to amaze me how much the Anthem wants to climb, this bike is a mountain goat.

After enjoying the view for a few minutes and downing some Gatorade it was time to drop down to Buntzen lake.  If I hit Buntzen on a wet day I can poach the Buntzen lake trail and not have too many hikers on it.  Sunday was definitely not one of those days.  Up to the power lines I go.  The trail is not as flowy but it sure is fast ripping back down to the road.

I could sit all day at the North end of Buntzen Lake.  You don't get crowds of people at that end, the beach is decent and the views are awesome.  With the dread of the climbs on the Lakeview trail there was even more incentive to chill on the beach, oh well another day.  

The Lakeview trail has some really nice sections to it, it also has some lung busting, quad burning climbs.  None of the climbs are really long but they are all steep and loose.  I have cleaned them all individually at one point or another but have yet to come close to putting that entire section of trail together.  After coming out of the Lakeview trail it is very tempting to keep along the road and head back out through the parking lots, but one more climb awaited.  The Saddle Trail.  5 granny gear switch backs later I am at the top, all down hill from here.  The old access road down to Sasamat Lake is fast and treacherous at the same time.  Come over a rock outcropping too quicky and you are barely hanging on through a garden of baby heads.

One of my favourite sections of this loop is the hiking only trail down to Sasamat Lake.  I have yet to see a hiker on it and it is a beautiful ribbon of single track winding through the forest.  It is so much fun.  Once pavement hits I hang a left and head home.  Until next time.

Riding on Galiano Island

I spent the past few days on Galiano Island for a small family vacation.  I had heard there was some decent XC riding on the island so I brought my Anthem X to get a couple of rides in.  This website has some decent maps of the southern part of the island that I brought with me.

My first ride was a pedal from our B&B to the Sturdies Bay Trail.  This trail follows right beside the road as you come out of the ferry terminal. 

 From the end of the Sturdies Bay Trail I headed up to Bluff Park and over to Mt. Galiano.  The trails were a mixture of single track and double track and it was all flowy and smooth.  The views from the Bluffs and from the top of Mt. Galiano were awesome, time it right and you can see the ferries coming through Active Pass.

None of the photos I have are during my XC rides but I did some hikes in the same areas.

The second ride that I did was along Bodega Ridge.  This was a very cool ride.  The entire ride was a ribbon of single track that followed the edge of Bodega Ridge.  The views were incredible.  

There was very little climbing as the road leading to the trail head took you to close to the height of the ridge.  The single track ended on private property and what looked like miles of old double track logging roads.  I wish I had more time to explore.  To get back to your car simply turn around and follow the same route.  

In the summer months I would imagine that 

Bodega Ridge would have a lot of hikers on it.  This could get quite frustrating as the trail is very narrow.  This would definitely be an early morning ride depending on the time of year.

I am sure that there are many more trails that are rideable on the island.  Apparently there is a guy that works at the Bodega Resort that also rides and may be able to point you in the right direction.  There is also a bike rental company that can be found in the brochure on the ferry.  She got me started in the right direction.

I wouldn't necessarily head over to Galiano just for the riding, but if you are going for a vacation then definitely bring your XC bike.

A new ride!

Gone are the days of lugging a 33 lb bike through multi-day epics and marathon races.  I just got myself a new XC machine - a Giant Anthem X2.  Thanks to Kim, Scott, Steve and the rest of the boys at Steed Cycles for the wicked service and for introducing me to my new friend.

In my first week with my new ride I was bed ridden with the flu and the lower mainland went through 2 more snow flurries so riding has been limited.  I was able to squeeze in a nice light ride on the Poco trail though.  I always enjoy the views up the Pitt River.

On the to do list this year are the Ore Crusher, Test of Metal, NS XC Marathon, Gear Jammer and Cheakamus Challenge.  Hopefully a Northern or Southern Chilcotins trip as well as 7 Summits can make it into the cards this year.

-Graham

Cheakamus Challenge

Well the Cheakamus Challenge went off on Saturday.  The day started great in Squamish (after a slow drive through contstruction on the Sea to Sky), it was fairly warm and a very light rain was starting to fall.  Great conditions for riding.  This day called for shorts and a bright green Steed Cycles jersey with Steed arm warmers.

Last year I did not put a big ring on my bike and rode 

with a bash guard.  That was a mistake as the opening rode section was fast and I basically spun out and was left nearly at the back of the pack before we even hit the trail.  I did not make the same mistake this year and what a difference it made.  I was able to hold about middle of the pack (that is good for me) all the way through the rode section.

As you start climbing up above the Cheakamus Canyon I get reminded of why I love this race.  The views are awesome.  The race pretty much follows the Cheakamus Canyon from Squamish to just before Whistler and you get to see some views that you would never see from the car ride up.  For the 2nd year in a row I even got to see the Whistler Mountaineer come up through the canyon (maybe they plan it this way, I am not sure).

About half way through the race the rain picked up and it got colder with the elevation gain.  The trails were in great shape though.  The Sea to Sky trail is starting to come together and there was a new section that had just opened prior to this race.  The nice smooth single track felt great and was a pleasure to ride, it really flowed as the trail rolled between Brandy Wine and Loggers Lake.  At this point I am feeling great and am well ahead of my last year's pace.  I push until the 2nd feed station where I chow down on bananas, coo

kies and Coke.  Less than an hour to go and 2 big climbs left.

Up the Cheakamus, up the microwave tower road to Tunnel Vision and then back up Kadenwood to finally come ripping down into Creekside.  I am wet, cold and loving it.  30 minutes faster than last year and the burgers and beer are waiting.