BC Bike Race 2014: Day 2 – Cumberland

Back here at the BC Bike Race, we are now a beautiful ferry ride away in scenic Cumberland B.C. I awoke far too early as has been the case since I arrived Friday. But I don't mind catching the sunrise before I roll out to find the tasty coffee that is in plentiful supply here at base camp. After a quick breakfast, the riders were summoned to the start line on Cumberland's charming and historic main street.

Brad Hunter June 30, 2014

BC Bike Race Cumberland — Cumberland tent city at sunrise on Day 2 of the 2014 BC Bike Race.

Back here at the BC Bike Race, we are now a beautiful ferry ride away in scenic Cumberland B.C. I awoke far too early as has been the case since I arrived Friday. But I don’t mind catching the sunrise before I roll out to find the tasty coffee that is in plentiful supply here at base camp. After a quick breakfast, the riders were summoned to the start line on Cumberland’s charming and historic main street.

BC Bike Race Cumberland start line — Cumberland start line.

Cumberland is definitely a town to come spend some time in if you are in the area and want to explore some exhilarating trails. The race started with a 10-km climb that successfully spread our group out before hitting the amazing singletrack this area hides in the surrounding hills. I knew I burned a few extra matches yesterday on the first stage trying to get a decent start-wave assignment, so today I turned it down a notch on the climbs to give me, I had hoped, some leg insurance in the days to come. One of the great things I like about stage racing is how you settle in with mostly the same people day to day, especially when your technical skills and fitness level are nearly identical. You learn a bit more everyday about them and really start to trust their ability to flow through the most fun sections together. Today, I added one more group to my “humans that rip” list. As I wrote this, the person was called to the podium for a second-place performance on today’s stage.

BC Bike Race teammates — Teammates Torben Jensen and Grant Hvizdos from Canmore, Alta., on their way to a podium finish.

Today’s stage totalled 48-km with my Garmin reading 1,136 m of climbing. Definitely not the biggest climbing day of the week, but many small punchy climbs throughout will take a toll on the legs as the week goes on. I came into the second aid station of the day needing my bottle filled, front tire topped up due to a tire burp earlier on, a seat adjustment and some lube on the chain. The boys at Shimano took care of the bike issues in the time it took to fill my bottle and I was off for about 8 km of fun twisty descending to the finish.

BC Bike Race Shimano — Shimano Canada’s Ben Pye and Adam Trotter taking care of technical issues at Aid Station 2.

The finish line was rocking with great music as I rolled in. Beer and fries were offered up compliments of Rocky Mountain Bicycles. They are offering riders a great lounge setup with couches, umbrellas and a good supply of cold fermented beverages. It has become the go-to spot for some jovial conversation and post ride refuelling. Check in tomorrow for the lowdown on the Powell River stage.

Support for this trip is provided by Shimano Canada.