Tentative: Tahsis Gran Fondo Saturday June 25

[Lister Farrar]

It's not ready for announcement yet, but in case your Gran Fondo dance card is filling up, you might want to pencil this one in.

I'm researching a proposal for a gran fondo from Campbell River to Tahsis, through Strathcona Park, with an economic development group in Tahsis. It's a village of 350 on Nootka Sound that was a mill town, and is now an outdoor recreation destination; fishing, kayaking, caving, hiking (Nootka trail), surfing (offshore) and wild life watching. Think Tofino before the road got paved.

The road through Strathcona is quiet, smooth pavement and spectacular views. But the real Paris Roubaix adventure is Gold River to Tahsis, which is 65 km of former logging road, of which 40 is unpaved. It's pretty well groomed in summer for the recreation visitors. Two graders work it 5 days a week all year, so it's not like the road to Bamfield, for example.

It's 155 k for the Gran Fondo, 65 km for the Medio Fondo (Gold River to Tahsis). Tahsis wants you to hang out after the ride so accomodation and a bbq would be included. Return to Campbell River options Sunday, include the MV Uchuck http://www.mvuchuck.com/ back to Gold River, then bus back to Cambell River.

The recommended bike will be a cross bike with 25 or 28 mm road tires, or road bike if the tires fit. Seamus McGrath (former pro) rode it in June with 23's and had one flat.

A couple things still to do before any announcement are to get the ok from the Minstry of Forests to groom the road; the maintenance foreman says he can get it hard packed and dust free (his dad is an ironman triathlete so he 'gets' it), but needs his bosses to ok it. We're also working on overflow accommodation in Tahsis using a tent village like the BC Bike Race. If those happen, this should go ahead.

[Lister Farrar]

PS The road from Gold River to Tahsis would be closed while the cyclists are on it, as they do now for the Great Walk.

Here's some pics:
http://www.villageoftahsis.com/
http://www.villageoftahsis.com/pdfs/map ... ve-map.pdf
http://www.strathcona.bc.ca/

Some photos of a motorcycle trip on the road. Scroll down about 20 photos.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthre ... 605&page=3

[AlW]

Definitely interested, primarily from a sentimental standpoint (my parents met, married and lived in Tahsis before moving to Victoria), but may also be able to use this to justify a cross bike with the home office....

[Brian S]

Gorgeous country (OK more than the occasional clear cut). Some spectacular climbing and descents (on gravel?????), and the promise to smooth and back that road better be solid. I have washboarded over that road a couple of times in the past 2 years on my way to Nootka Sound to fish. Definitely interested.

[BearPope Recruit]

Also interested - good reason to dig out the 'cross bike in the summer. Please keep us updated as you know more - thanks Lister!

[EricS]

Sounds epic! Especially if it rains!

I am interested for sure.

Eric

[Lister Farrar]

Gorgeous country (OK more than the occasional clear cut). Some spectacular climbing and descents (on gravel?????), and the promise to smooth and back that road better be solid. I have washboarded over that road a couple of times in the past 2 years on my way to Nootka Sound to fish. Definitely interested.

Most of the hills are where the 20-25 km of pavement is; fishermen and logging truck drivers don't like gravel on hills either. But there are unpaved hills, hence the effort to get them graded, packed and swept.

But either way, you'll probably have to take your tri-bars off .

What time of year did you drive there? June last year was pretty good, even by a triathletes standard, November was much worse, but only in places. Logging (and the logging truck effect) takes place in winter because of fire. The ministry of forests director in Campbell River says it's probably the best maintained road (in Van Island or BC? Can't remember.) under their jurisdiction.

[Brian S]

OK so I had to map it out
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ca/bc/go ... 9588156114

I only drove the western 10-15 km then turned towards Nootka Sound. Long way to go for very few fish! Interestingly I mapped the ride on googlemaps, and when you select bicycle, it tells you to take the boat. Hmmmm, there must be a message there somewhere. And remember, they don't call the MV Uchuck the "Upchuck" for nothing. I have attached a pic of a sunny day in Nootka Sound. Yes, those are the hills you go over.