They’ve been lying to you. Keeping things back. It hasn’t been malicious; they’ve told you morsels and dropped hints. But there simply aren’t the words to do it justice. Nobody you’ve spoken to about riding in British Columbia has adequately described just how good the trails over there are. I’m not going to try, either – you need to find a way to go and experience them for yourself. That’s what I did, after years spent dreaming of riding in this sacred destination. I entered the BC Bike Race, and here’s what happened…
I landed in Vancouver on the Saturday before the race, unaware that it was Canada Day, a celebration in which a higher-than-usual proportion of people wear red, and maple syrup flows like wine. Apparently. My transport strategy of ‘winging it’, and neither booking a hire car nor looking into public transport options, appeared unwise. Even more so when I learned that Canada’s noisy southern neighbour would be marking their own Independence Day just a few days later.
Complicating matters further, my bike for the race
