The weather this morning was a little cooler but that did not dampen the racing at the front. The pace was on up the first climb and the field only really broke up once we entered the first singletrack. I had a good day, maximising my strengths in the techy singletrack, while consolidating on the open bits. In the end I rolled in 10th overall and 6th in class.
I want to talk a little about the bikes that are here and what changes I’ve made to my Trek Superfly FS in order to make the next 7 days as fast and comfortable as possible.
It’s pretty clear that most of the local Canadians are not riding super fast 100mm dual suspension 29ers. The locals opt for something a little more plush in the 120-140mm range. Rocky Mountain is really the standard flavour and I must say they are a nice looking machine.
Most of the internationals, myself included, are riding 100mm cross country dually’s. In order to get my bike ready for BC Bike Race I made a couple of key changes. The first was adding a RockShox Reverb dropper seat post. This allows you to get the seat out of the way on steep descents or more technical sections, allowing you complete control. I also switched to a SRAM Twist shift for the event. This again was a control and ease of use thing for me. No matter what the situation is, you can always shift in a mirco second and get it done!
Highpoint
The whole course today. It was a great mix of climbing and descending. Nothing too long so you always got the rest needed. The trails were prime. Less technical than yesterday and with more flow!
Low point
Within the final 5kms there was a road section that I was alone on and I just had to drill it. I had 2 Spanish guys chasing me and I did not want to be caught. It hurt but the moral to the story is I stayed away.