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2024 Singletrack 6 rides heat wave into West Kootenays

Day 1 and 2 sees Rob Britton chasing Disera Brothers in Castlegar and Nelson

Photo by: Jena Greaser deep in Nelson old growth. Photo: Jean McAllister

Canada’s roaming XC stage race classic, the Singletrack 6, is back for 2024 and underway in the West Kootenays. Even before the race start, riders are feeling the heat. A rather intense heat wave rolled across the province just as riders were arriving in Castlegar for stage 1.

After two days of racing, Quinton Disera and Jenna Greaser are off to early leads. Both, though have stiff competition chomping at their heels.

Quinton Disera drops in, and drops the competition on Day 2 in Nelson, B.C. Photo: John Gibson

Pro men and women: Castlegar and Nelson

Quinton and his brother Peter Disera, currently second by 2:37, are carrying momentum from fast finishes last week at the BC Bike Race on Vancouver Island. Rob Britton, though, is poised in third to take advantage should that momentum turn into cumulative fatigue.

Peter Disera is starting steady, and in second, at his first Singletrack 6. Photo: Jean McAllister

While the Disera brother’s are formidable opponents on trails, Britton found himself face to face, or face to hind with a much more daunting trail user on Day 1 in Castlegar:

Rob Britton, possibly the only rider who could out-pace a Grizzly on the climbs, gains elevation in Castlegar on Stage 1. Photo: John Gibson

“I saw a lot of dust [on the downhill] and thought I was catching somebody. Then I saw the hind-end of the biggest grizzly bear I’ve ever seen, running down the trail,” Britton recounted after the stage.

Sonya Looney on the move in Castlegar. Photo: John Gibson

On the women’s side, Jena Greaser is being pursued by Sonya Looney and, a little further back, Amber Steed. Greaser and Looney are both very experienced stage racers, so it should be exciting to see that battle develop over the next four days of racing.

Singletrack 6 is about more than the pro races, though. Six days of some of the Kootenay’s best trails makes this a challenge for any racer to complete. With the intense heat forcing early starts, riders are getting plenty of time to “recover” and enjoy all the West Kootenay’s have to offer outside the woods.

Here’s reports from the race, and beyond, from James Williams and Carl Decker, both up from Bend, Oregon for the race:

Carl Decker dwarfed by big B.C. trees. Photo: Jean McAllister

ST6 ride blog: Stage 1 – Castlegar

Tired of 5-hour gravel slogs? Want something shorter, sharper and more engaging?

We found the solution: Singletrack 6.

Today’s deceptively difficult, short stage—22 km, 1,200 m of climbing—delivered full-value mountain bike racing. First, a beautifully built climbing trail traversed cedar forests and rushing mountain streams, its playful nature belying a quick gain of over 1000 m. From there, the descent, with steep boulder gardens, countless delightful rock rolls, and rowdy straight-line rooted sections presented an opposite challenge. During pre-ride, several such sections had us off our bikes scratching our heads and asking, “we’re riding down that?” But as race-brain took over, we found flow through the melee.

The 7am start times ensured we’d beat the heat—in fact we were scarfing finish-line watermelon and sipping fizzy water by 9am, contemplating second breakfast.

What a treat.

Other Highlights:

  • Soaking in the mighty (icy) Columbia River, post-race with competitors/new buddies
  • Impeccably marked course (in a world of gravel races which aren’t marked at all)
  • The surprise and amusement from local bike shop employees upon seeing our cute little XC bikes and their suddenly puny-seeming XC tires.

ST6 ride blog: Stage 2 – Nelson

The climbing trails continue to be a revelation. How often does one get to race up 1000 meters of wooded, serpentine singletrack, replete with beautiful wooden bridges, pitch changes and perfect dirt? Rarely? Never?

Perhaps for good reason: put hundreds of racers on the same track and you need to create places for them to pass (read: doubletrack climbs). But put a couple hundred kind, stoked souls on some of BC’s best, however, and the passing issue ceases to be a thing. Today’s climb up Bottoms Up/Upper Bottoms/Fairly High and Very High was proof of that. We’d like to shake the hands of the skilled craftsmen who built these trails.

But we wouldn’t have any grip strength to do so. Today’s descents—the steep chunder of Blue Steel in particular—left our forearms feeling like a hot bottle of Perrier. It was great. With effort (and occasional bravery) you could thankfully find rhythm on a trail that was seemingly anti-flow.

We’ve found rhythm in the pacing of our long, post-race days too. The early start allows for plenty of relaxation by the river, chilling (get it?) at the well air-conditioned Kootenay Co-Op grocery store and plenty of snacks, naps, reading and goofing.

Want to see more of the Singletrack 6 experience? Head to the ST6 blog or scroll through the full results.