Does Vancouver Island have Canada’s best winter riding?

Potentially unpopular opinion: Vancouver Island has the best winter riding in Canada.

Sure, fatbikes are growing in popularity across Canada anywhere snow consistently accumulates. So, all of Canada. But can riding  frozen lakes on the Canadian Shield or in the shadow of the Rockies really measure up to tires on dirt?

We’re open to your counter arguments, but here’s six reasons why Vancouver Island offers the best winter riding in Canada. And they’re not all just different ways of saying “its warmer here,” promise.

Variety of terrain

Vancouver Island offers every kind of trail you could possibly want to ride. As long as what you want to ride is wet rocks, slick roots and “damp” technical features. Who want’s to ride smooth, dusty desert trails, anyway? Wet technical downhill trails in Duncan, slippery all mountain trails in Cumberland, and saturated, technical cross country trails in Victoria, Vancouver Island’s got it all. Plus, Nanaimo has an asphalt pumptrack you can ride year round.

North Vancouver’s trails may be world renowned, but with just one third the average winter rainfall on parts of the Island, why not dial back the Gnar just a little for winter and sail BC Ferries for drier ground. Relatively speaking, anyway.

It’s not just trails, either. If you get tired of mud, you can switch it up and get soaked on endless miles of winding side roads and a wide range of gravel options instead. With all but a small percent of the island logged, then logged again, there’s every mixed-surface road from rail grade paths leading you out of town to the kind of truly remote and rough road where no one will ever find you.

It’s where the pros go to train.

From cross country to downhill, you can find Canada’s top World Cup racers riding through the winter on Vancouver Island. When they’re not in Hawaii or New Zealand or Arizona or San Francisco, that is. There’s a national training centre in Victoria for the uphill folks, while a loss official gathering of downhill and enduro racers hits up the legendary Mount Prevost trails that made Steve Smith a World Cup champion. The two trail networks are within an hours drive of each other, too. And you pass by 4-5 other riding areas along the way.

There’s no snow.

Probably. This isn’t strictly, or even remotely true for the whole island. But there’s always some part of Vancouver Island that will be snow-free enough to ride on any given day. Sorry. When the white stuff does make it down to sea level, you can always head to Mount Washington for the excellent XC Ski trails and nearby backcountry ski touring, just like a real Canadian winter.

Ocean views, mountain views

It’s an island crammed between the ocean and three different mountain ranges. With most Vancouver Island towns nestled next to water, you’re usually looking at ether mountains or ocean, or both. Mount Baker, the Coast Mountains on the Sunshine Coast, Washington’s Olympic Mountains, and the islands own Strathcona Park peaks: if the clouds ever lift enough, you’ll see one of these sets of peaks from the trail, minimum. You’ll probably have a nice view down to the water, too. Again, Sorry.

Brunch and beer

If there’s two things the Island does well, other than build trails, it is brunch and beer. Fuel up for your ride with a hearty hipster serving of brunch, shred trails, then find a craft brewery to rehydrate with after. It’s the perfect way to bookend a day of riding, really. Even the smallest towns have a brewery, or two. With tourism slowly catching up to resource extraction in the island economy, trendy restaurants are popping up everywhere, too. You can still get a Lucky Lager and greasy breakfast, if that’s your jam. Or you can get red velvet pancakes at Jam in Victoria, and follow it up with a Switchbacks IPA. Yes, it’s mountain bike themed beer and yes, the brewery sponsors local trail builders.

The dollar

With the loony and toonie not looking so hot next to the greenback, being able to hit a warm weather riding trip –  – OK, non-snow-bound riding spot – – without having to convert currency is one advantage Vancouver Island has over the warmer American riding spots. Victoria may not be as warm as Wakiki, but every meal and mid-ride snack will cost 25c less in Canada.

Well, what do you think? Is Vancouver Island the best cold weather riding, or is there somewhere better we should head to this January?