BC Back Roads 400k - 16July

[conway]

On Saturday I rode the BC Randonneurs “Back Roads 400k”. The ride started and finished in Mill Bay. The ride route followed the back roads of the Island to and from Union Bay the turnaround point of the ride (216k)

The main feature of the ride was the weather. As five of us left Mill Bay we rode north into a light rain shower. This soon turned into torrential rain. By the time we reached Chemainus we were all soaked through despite our rain gear. We stopped at the Subway, the first control, for food and warmth. No such luck regarding warmth, as the air conditioning was going full blast. At this point I gave some thought to phoning Kevin, for a ride, as he was passing Chemainus, on his way to Port Alberni later in the morning. After downing a coffee we were on our way to Schooner Cove (135k) where a hot meal awaited. We arrived dripping wet and very cold, having pedal for the best part of six hours in the rain, only to find a very large sign: “SORRY WE ARE CLOSED”. Without much delay we rode onto Parksville (15K) to Serious Coffee for a well deserved lunch. For the next 100k the rain continued to fall so we arrived in Union Bay dripping wet. I stripped down in the washroom and used the hand dryer to dry my shorts, socks etc.

The ride back was considerably drier. The weather improved considerable - light drizzle with an evening temperature of about 15c. Our clothes and shoes dried, so we were at last able to ride in some comfort. However, due to our relatively long stops during the day, we now had to ride through the night on the very dark back roads of Nanaimo and Duncan. I had a good light but it was not good enough to avoid the many pot holes. I am pleased to say my Brad Head Zed wheels held up and the wheels are none the worse for their rough treatment.

Ride stats:
Ride length – 406k
Average speed - 24.5 kph
Saddle time – 16.6 hours
Elapsed time – 22 hours 55 mins.

Elevation gain – 13,861 feet or 4,225 meters

The ride was not without incidents – one DNF due to weather conditions, two railway crossing crashes and one bridge crash. A rider’s front wheel fell between the boards on a bridge. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt.

Mark

[Rolf]

I drove up to Parksville Saturday morning and thought of you nutballs as we stopped in a downpour at Hilary's Cheese in Cow Bay.

I've been riding with Alan up here and enjoyed a steak & egg burrito this morning at that same Parksville Serious Coffee after a spin to Coombs. I'd be curious, Mark: how many burritos do you eat when you ride for 24 hours?