North Shore XC/All Mountain pilgrimage during the fall/winter season

Thanks to the Pacific Ocean the area of Vancouver has a unique temperate climate that permit people to ride Bikes almost all the year. It rains and snows like everywhere but the average temperature is the best of Canada. I am from the East of France, I know, the place where the rain is the more present in my country. To be honest I was positively surprised to ride my bike at the end of November in pretty good conditions. October and November were host of Mr Sun, perfect for me because I arrived just at the end of the summer. The only trouble I had to face is the time of the sunset for my sessions. Sometimes I had to finish my ride with my headlight

 

Every week end I used to ride with my buddy-rider and internship manager Andreas Hestler (when he is not travelling around the world). Andreas is an ex professional racer who rides bikes since 20 years around the world, I couldn’t find a better guide to discover the best of the north shore. I had the chance to ride with all the local friends of Dre and a big part of north shore bike family, like legendary freerider Wade Simmons, people from the Mountain Bike industry, Pete Vallance (Director of sponsorship/marketing @ Rocky Mountain Bikes) great photographer and pro road racer Chris Christie, I was also very glad to meet community legends, like Todd "digger" Fianger one of the most famous trail digger of BC.

During 3 months I have riding every day after work and every week ends a big part of the AM and XC trails around the North Shore and Squamish. Most of the time those rides were epic, 4 hours on the bike is a classic, I was very surprised to see that I can ride a long distance and enjoyed my ride from the beginning to the end. I think it’s the magic of BC trails. The strongest ride was definitely the Triple Crown for Thanksgiving Day. The figures speak well: 3 North Shore mountains, from Deep Cove to Horseshoe Bay. 2500m of positive climbing, 63 km, 8h00 on the bike, crazy descents, 21 dudes who began the ride, only 7 who finished it! Certainly one of the best definitions of the word "Epic"! 

I also really appreciated the ride in the deep Cypress Mountain when Wade Simmons show us some amazing secret trails, I don’t think lots of European people tried that kind of experience.

Seeing black bears around the trails or deers crossing the trails are also the kind of shivering but wonderful memories.

This experience in British Columbia is for me like a mountain bike pilgrimage, ride with legends in legendary places. Every day I am impressed riding a new descent or thrilled seeing a new spectacular view in the middle of nowhere. I enjoy the friendly times shared with riders smiling around a great dinner, satisfied after a perfect session. 

Mountain biking is definitely the best way to discover a new country/region, learn about the culture, enjoy the nature and meet local people. My immersion in the West Canadian would not have been the same without Mountain Bike.

Now snow is in the forest of BC, white landscapes are beautiful, new adventures are coming in, snowboarding, biking in the snow, snowshoeing and more for the next months...

Stay tuned

Walking is for those who haven’t discovered the wheel.

Julien