In search of gravel, mud & fitness
With the Leavenworth Gravel Fondo three weeks away some of us decided we should cram some distance and gravel into our schedules. Our 4-person group departed Sunday morning after critical caffeine consumption at Moja Café in Vancouver.
The route would take us over multiple bridges, through various pathways, dykes, trail systems and roads in Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta and Tsawwassen, British Columbia. Check it out here!
Crossing the Queensborough Bridge en route to the Alex Fraser Bridge in the background
After crossing the Queensborough and Alex Fraser bridges we started the first dirt sector, 8.75kms long. This fantastic hardpacked dirt trail system under some amazing trees took us all the way south to Mud Bay.
Once in Mud Bay, the longest segment of gravel starts, 16.75kms long. This sector is absolutely stunning as it follows the shoreline of Mud Bay and Boundary Bay. This is where the headwinds picked up and we were treated with rain and hail!
After crossing through Tsawwassen and portaging a lovely murky canal we started on the final two gravel sectors, about 7kms long.
Pockets, bar bags, frame bags, all great places to carry your fave snacks. It’s amazing how windy days can really make a ride that much more challenging, longer in time and more calories consumed.
(…and yes, that’s my butt!)
Although Hornby Bars are delicious, fuzzy peaches were a definite hit this day
Pallets save the day and our shoes
The wind really took it out of us this day so by the time we rounded the top end of the southern portion we were ready for snacks…and beer. Four Winds Brewing saved the day with their superb tacos and brews. Now “all we had to do” was get back over the two bridges.
And there’s the interesting thing. Crossing the Alex Fraser Bridge my left knee started to have some serious pain. I could still pedal but also felt doing so would make whatever the problem was even worse. Probably trying to do too much too soon after a couple months of minimal activity.
So when we got to New Westminster thankfully a Skytrain station was right there so I hopped on and glided the last 10kms home. Those things do almost 80km/h!
My new 11-speed 11/34 cassette, chain and Easton Cycling Cinch 47/32 chainrings were a superb pairing with these Challenge Strada Bianca TLR 36mm tires for this type of ride. The gearing was great on the road as well as any steep stuff and the always supple Challenge tires, at 36mm, made the whole day smooth like butter.
This frameset has been through quite a lot including; the BC Epic 1000, a gravel ride from Calgary to Vancouver, a couple years of cyclocross racing, some bike-packing, a few very long gravel days and all the other mixed terrain silliness I manage to get myself into.
Definitely looking forward to the upcoming Summer and I have a feeling the Leavenworth Gravel Fondo will be a great way to kick things off!