Emily Batty: A Tour of Where She Rides When She’s Home - Video

Jan 15, 2017
by Brian Hunt  

Emily Batty had an incredible year on her mountain bike; she won the Canadian Championships and got third in the World Championships. And though her performance at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil was one spot away from a medal (she got fourth) as Canadians, we didn’t love her any less.

“I just ran out of gas,” she says of her Olympic performance. But don’t think she’s giving up. At just 28 years of age, the Trek-sponsored athlete has two, three, maybe even four more chances at an Olympic medal. She’s already looking forward to Tokyo.

Emily Batty
Emily Batty her husband/coach Adam Morka and Noelle Wansbrough riding in Creemore Ontario.

In the meantime, it’s off season. A chance to forget the races; forget the training, the points, the rivalries and the competition. A chance to reconnect with friends and family and decompress. It’s a chance to ride for fun. And when Emily Batty is at her home in Ontario, she goes back to the same trails and roads where her love affair with cycling began; places like the Copeland Forest, Three Stage and the roads of BruceGreySimcoe.

Colin Field Photo

Along with husband and coach, Adam Morka, if you spend even a minute with these two, it’s obvious they love cycling. As far as ambassadors of the sport go, you couldn’t find a better fit. But don’t let Emily’s friendly smile and stunning good looks fool you; she’s an absolute ripper on a bike. Tearing through technical sections with the best of them she’ll climb roads or singletrack easily.

“This is what I do for a living, but ultimately it started on these trails and it started on these roads. And that’s what I keep coming back to. The roots of what I need to be a world cup professional athlete, stem from these local trails and roads. That’s the reason I keep coming back to them.”

Emily Batty
Emily Batty Ripping through the mud at Three Stage.

If you find yourself on the roads or trails of BruceGreySimcoe, don’t be surprised to see one of Canada’s favourite Olympians right there beside you. Say hi while you can. She’s as friendly as they come, but she’s probably about to leave you in her dust.

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MENTIONS: @trek


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47 Comments
  • 60 4
 You lost me at "husband" ha
  • 16 2
 Husband? *goes to change desktop wallpaper*
  • 1 2
 @w0dge: I do feel cheated.
  • 3 6
 ....You DO realize you are killing our sport with your sexist humor, Right?!
  • 1 0
 @EastCoastDHer: how far in your cheek is your tongue? Or are you a woman? Razz
  • 13 0
 I expected a reference to the Durham-area trails, considering Batty lives nearby and I see her on those trails regularly. Regardless, it's pretty cool knowing someone of this calibre trains on what I consider home trails, and that she's always offering up a wave and hello when you meet on the trail, certainly doesn't show any of the attitude one may assume to expect from one of the fastest/fittest dirt riders on the planet.
  • 11 3
 Love Emily, but this ad has too much of a staged feel.
  • 5 2
 Yeah, everything right down to the music.
  • 16 0
 Yes, it's an ad. Clearly it was produced by the local tourism organisation.
  • 3 5
 @mattsavage: The end were she is splattered with mud I couldnt help picturing someone behind the scenes splattering her with mud just for the shoot. A very manufactured feel to this video for sure.
  • 6 0
 @inverted180: either that or it was just muddy. Imagine that.
  • 2 3
 @COnovicerider: Your right but it's not my fault it seemed manufactured to me. My opinion bro.
  • 6 1
 Why is her husband riding an Evil bike? You'd think Trek would get him on board riding one instead of standing next to same colored Trek on a bike rack? Didn't see anyone riding that Trek model
  • 6 0
 "But don’t let Emily’s friendly smile and stunning good looks fool you; she’s an absolute ripper on a bike."

True. Friendly good looking people usually can't rip. Wink
  • 8 1
 Husband!?...what was all that one in a million talk!?
  • 1 0
 Awesome!
  • 6 0
 Three Stage! Best XC trails in Ontario... but damned if I get lost in the woods every time
  • 3 0
 make sure to bring trail forks.
  • 3 0
 @inverted180: Don't bring Trailforks, get lost instead!
  • 1 0
 We can help, three stage is one of our tour locations.
  • 2 0
 Grateful to have been part of this project with the tourism board. Please feel free to give us a call if you're in the area (shameless plug, sorry)

Emily and Adam are wonderful ambassadors for the sport and it was very exciting to ride with them.
  • 2 0
 looks pretty awesome in the fall
  • 6 1
 This video so made me miss Ontario riding. It's just beautiful. Dusty Kamloops just doesn't compare.
  • 8 0
 Not sure if sarcastic or...
  • 1 0
 Ill trade ya
  • 1 0
 hahaha, awesome!
  • 2 0
 @alijabosdotcom: Not at all sarcastic. Kamloops definitely has fantastic riding...better quality than the places I rode in Ontario for sure. But the scenery is such a big part of why I love mountain biking and Ontario is so lovely to ride in while Kamloops is dry, dusty and dull.
  • 1 0
 @gpowell: You have stuff like Revy, Vernon, Pemberton, Whis etc not too far away for weekend voyages.
  • 1 1
 @alijabosdotcom: True. I've only ever ridden the trails in Kamloops. Done downhill at Silver Star and Whistler. Oh wait...I rode the North Shore once. Honestly, Ontario is home and I find it spectacularly beautiful to ride in, especially in the Fall. BC just can't compare. The caliber of trails here might be superior but I just don't get the feels when I ride here.
  • 1 0
 @gpowell: Having been to Ontario, especially outside the cities, and having ridden Kamloops, the Kootenays, the Shore, Squamish, Whistler and more, I've got to say you are nuts. Yes, there are parts of Ontario that are beautiful, but if you think it's prettier than Squamish or the Shore, than you either rode on a bad day (is there such thing?) or you were lost.
  • 1 0
 @rrolly: We'll agree to disagree then.
  • 1 0
 @gpowell: you don't agree you're nuts? Wink

cheers, brother!
  • 1 0
 @rrolly: Not a dude. Also, I think everyone has some bias towards their home riding spot. I happen to find the leafy trees of Ontario far more beautiful than the rocks and pine trees of BC.
  • 1 0
 @gpowell: my bad! Home is always home, for sure. But home for me is the Fraser Valley, where the trees are leafy and the rocks are few. Just dirt and more dirt. Yet, when I rode Whistler and Squamish for the first time - wow.

It is always preference, of course. If you're still out at the left coast, and you haven't yet, you should try connecting with the mud bunnies group. I see them on the trails occasionally. I'd connect with them for sure if I was "not a dude."

Happy trails!
  • 3 0
 @rrolly: Doesn't appear to be a chapter in my area. I like the idea of a women's ride, but the name Mud Bunnies is absolutely abhorrent.
  • 1 0
 @gpowell: haahha +1 for the use of the word abhorrent
  • 1 0
 @gpowell: my +1 as well! They don't take themselves too seriously, I think that's why the name works. Some of them can really ride though. It's a great mix of levels. If my wife was a rider, I'd connect her up with them for sure.
  • 3 1
 Copeland sucks, stay out and go ride Mansfield or something. Wink


I'd say Copeland are my home trails now, though I live about 40 minutes away. I barely ride my local trails now because Copeland is just that much fun. Though the video is kind of funny, y'all mention how many km's of trail there is, but then show double track and literally just the entrance trail. My normal loop in there takes 2 hours, which includes absolutely no double track. This can easily be extended to a 3-4 hour ride, but that's a lot of climbing hah.

That said, Copeland is an absolute maze of trail. If anyone wants a tour, send me a PM. Wink
  • 1 1
 Steady now, that's our job :-p

Seriously though, Copeland is a great place for all abilities to ride and there is a lot of single-track
  • 3 1
 I'm happy to say, she doesn't look very comfortable on a road bike... Wink
  • 1 0
 You win this one!
  • 3 2
 But who cares about road biking. Honestly.
  • 1 0
 USA cycling! ! !
  • 1 0
 Dammit wrong window. You didn't win
  • 1 3
 She grew up (and still lives in the off season) 5 minutes from where I live. This is a paid/sponsored ad from the local tourism department that's a 2 hour drive away. Definitely not "local".
  • 1 1
 Leave me in her dust?

I'd rather play in her mud. Wink
  • 1 2
 she's so cute.. but married (T..T)







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