BC Bike Race is back for 2018 with new stages and more singletrack

With a new starting location and more single track, BC Bike Race is back for 2018. The full route announcement confirms the multi-day mountain bike stage race will start in the Cowichan Valley for the first time, hitting two mountains on the opening day. The remaining stages have seen revisions aimed at bringing more singletrack and less road to the route this year. The second big announcement is that Squamish will host the final day or racing. Whistler remains on the calendar, but as a “choose your own adventure” option after the conclusion of racing.

“It is important for us to always be looking for ways to enrich the event experience for our racers; we are always looking to evolve our event,” adds BCBR Marketing Director, Andreas Hestler. “BC Bike Race is dynamic. There are so many incredible communities and quality built singletrack in British Columbia, that we feel lucky to be able to continue to share them with the world.”

For the first time in its history, BC Bike Race will start in the Cowichan Valley, traditionally called Quw’utsun’ by the local First Nations. 2018’s opening stage will be split into two timed segments, connected by an eight kilomtre neutral roll through adjoining farm lands. The race starts on Mt Tzouhalem, climbing the newly built Grand Traverse trail before hitting Tzou classics like Field of Dreams, Rocky Mountain Ridge, and Chicken Run. Finally, racers will descend the fast and flowy berms and whoops of Double D, Tzouhalem’s popular flow trail. A short neutral segment through private farm lands will give racers a view of Maple Mountain, their next summit. The next timed stage will start as racers pass under a totem pole arch onto Story Trail, build by local Coast Salish First Nations youth. Xylem, a winding, flowing climbing trail, takes riders through Arbutus and Garry Oak forest to the summit before dropping into Maple Syrup. A classic technical trail, Maple Syrup makes full use of the mountains topography, testing racers descending and ascending skills with the rocky, rooty terrain that British Columbia is known for. “Maple Syrup Trail is one of my favorite climb trails in British Columbia,” says BC Bike Race President Dean Payne. “I’ve ridden some incredible trails in our province, but this is definitely high on my list.”

Staple BC Bike Race stops in Cumberland, Powell River and the two Sunshine Coast stops connecting Earls Cove to Langdale have all seen significant reduction in road and service road miles in exchange for more time on singletrack. Last year’s North Vancouver stage remains unchanged, and will be the penultimate stage before the final race day ni Squamish. Consistently voted the crowd favourite over the last decade of BCBR courses, Squamish will now host the last stage and the celebratory banquet in 2018.

Any racer with extra time after racing can upgrade and add on an additional Day 8 experience in Whistler, with options ranging from a day of lift-access riding in the Whistler Bike Park to a spa treatment to help recover from the previous seven days of racing.

BC Bike Race is sold out for 2018, but if this all sounds too good to miss, get on this year’s wait list and keep a close eye for when 2019 registration opens. The last several years have sold out within 24 hours.