the longest day ride: take two

I guess I'm not the only one daft enough to propose a big bike ride on summer solstice. A quick google of "longest day ride" has revealed that others, like me and my friends, have done similar rides in the past and will probably do so in the future.

And after the long winter/spring rainy weather we've had here in Vancouver, who can blame us for wanting to get out and ride until the darkness settles in?

This year the ride was a bit different -- a new group of adventurers were keen on tackling the dream: a 290km circumnavigation of the Sunshine Coast & Vancouver Island in one day. Plans were set in motion earlier this year to have previous participants Tim and Jason also exact revenge on the undulating roads and late ferry schedules, but business travel and a serious season-ending injury sidelined both. Jason's broken ribs, collarbone, scapula, and punctured lung suffered at a Coastal Thursday Nighter was a sombre reminder of the risk involved in cycling -- one that I remembered all too well as I visited him at VGH the night before the big ride. Jason jokingly gave me his spot for the ride... I laughed and said I'd pass this year.

So it was that with Jason (one of the instigator's of last year's lunacy), in mind that 12 brave souls met at the Bean Around the World on Cornwall in Kits for the second running of the Longest Day Ride. It was 5:30 AM, the weather forecast was favourable -- not great, but not cold and rainy either -- and 5 Cat 1/2 riders were looking nervous. Only one, Paul Beard, had done the ride before. The others, Jeff, Owen, Andrew, and young Mike, were all first timers. Jak, the ever supportive 1/2 team manager, provided vehicle support and encouragement.

The guys would need it.



This year a second group would do the "short ride" -- a mere 220km out and back to Earl's Cove. Not having the pressure to make the 10:15 AM ferry in Earl's Cove, we could ride at a fairly leisurely pace and make it back down the coast in time to catch the 2:30 PM ferry back to Horseshoe Bay. 6.5 hrs to do 164km of rolling roads seemed about enough time. We certainly didn't need to ride at 40kmh the entire way.

Corky, Bryan, Ted, Ben, and Kenny joined me for the B Team.

So 11 of us rolled out of the Bean at 6:00 AM and cruised along the low road to Horseshoe Bay for 6:50. It was a nice ride and we saw little traffic so early on a Saturday.

Breakfast and caffeine at Blenz followed, along with the loading onto the Ferry to Langdale. We left at 7:20 AM and sailed the 40 minutes across to the Coast.



The ride starts immediately with the "bypass" climb off the ferry up towards Sechelt. Ben and Ted shot by and joined the lead group -- they were keen on helping pull some of the way for the guys, taking a small amount of pressure off of the 5. We watched them get further and further away at the top of the 2km climb, then after a few corners towards the top end of Gibsons, they were gone. If they were on the same pace as last year, they'd put 10 minutes on us by Sechelt easily.

Like two booster rockets left behind by the Space Shuttle, Ben and Ted would work hard for the others until they couldn't work anymore or they reached the ferry, whichever came first. But now, we'd have to wait another 2 hrs to find out.

Back in the B Group, we pulled through evenly and steadily doing over 40kmh on the flat bits, descending over 60kmh and climbing at a pace that worked for all 4 of us. Bryan and Cork were sporting high-tech Garmin devices, recording the ride with GPS data.

We had a small mechanical stop near Red Roofs Rd, where at the top we discovered the source of Cork's mal-shifting. A missing spacer for his 10 speed cassette had it wobbling a bit and not wanting to engage in that 25 at the back. But really, like Cork needed a 25. Pshaw.

Near the 2hr 10min mark, I noted that the guys better be on the ferry by this point. We were past Garden Bay, but not much. There was roughly 30min still to ride -- the pace wasn't easy either. It was tempo for much, as indicated by my heart rate monitor. I kept wondering how I'd managed to make it last year.

It was humid. With knees, vests, arm warmers, and jersey pockets stuffed with extra gear, I was really overdressed for the occasion. But after last year's freak downpours and frigid winds, I didn't want to be caught out. This year the soaking came from the humidity -- I was drenched 30 minutes into the ride.

We glided through the final corner before the ferry terminal at Earls Cove to find an empty parking lot, no sign of any ferry, and Ben & Ted rolling around. I was pleased to know that the guys had made it -- at least the first leg.



The 6 of us caught up in the small cafe next to the ferry terminal, scarfing back some baked goods, and refilling on water and Gatorade. Ben tried to convince us that Ted was a Nascar fan. We contemplated whether the 2:30 ferry from Langdale was doable. And at just after 11:00 AM we headed back out to ride our 82km back down the road.



It was a great ride down -- 6 guys in a nice formation, rolling through and keeping a pretty good job of staying together. It's not often that you get to ride 80km with little or no stop lights. Even the longest rides in the Fraser Valley have you stopping at intersections or 4-ways. But not on the coast. There's literally 3 lights you encounter. Makes me wonder why we don't do that ride more often.

We stopped at a Wheatberries Bakery and Cafe at 2:00 PM, took in some more caffeine and pizza, sandwiches, and baked goodies, then at 2:10 bombed down the curvy descent into Gibsons, past Molly's Reach, towards Soames Hill, and the awaiting ferry. We pulled in with 10 minutes to spare (they had started loading) and were on our way back to Vancouver on the 2:30 sailing.

Kenny opted for 4 wheels on the way home after doing his longest ride (by double) since April. Ben, Cork, Ted, Bryan, and myself headed back over the Lions Gate in the direction of Kits. "Chocolate milkshake," said a voice in my head -- and a Vera Burger. And so at 4:00 PM, we returned to our starting place, 220km and 2800m of climbing later, to tuck into our post-ride meal.



It was at that very time that the A Group was getting off their ferry - in Earl's Cove. They'd missed the Powell River to Comox ferry by about 6 minutes (their estimate), much the same as we missed it last year. Their ride down the coast and into Gibsons would eventually put them onto the 8:20 Ferry back home, landing in Kits in the dark at 10:00 PM.

Their day was full of stories and epic pulls and big wattage. I'll let Jak or Jeff or Paul tell that tale. Hopefully they'll post something soon.

We met up at the Coppertank that night for some more calories -- pizza and beer this time -- and speculated on whether it could be done. Motor pacing. TT bikes. Pro riders... All options were considered and reconsidered.

So year two, it remains elusive and possibly un-doable. I'm not sure how many years in a row you need to try in order to declare it impossible. I guess we'll find out in 2009.

Congratulations to all the guys for a great ride and their fundraising efforts for BC Children's Hospital. A huge thanks to Jak for giving up his summer solstice to drive the Sunshine Coast and text message the internet with progress updates.

And thoughts of a speedy recovery to Jason, who no doubt, will want a second shot at that ride next year.