Is there an ultimate whip for BC Bike Race? We asked 28 riders and crew about what they ride and why - we also asked for their best advice for anyone who is thinking of signing up for the race.
Registration opens today for the 2019 BC Bike Race at 12pm (PDT). | I ran the dropper post this year, last year I went a little more full XC with the high post, so I'm enjoying the descents a little more this year.—Geoff Kabush |
Geoff Kabush
Bike: Yeti SB100
Tires: Maxxis 2.25 Aspen EXO (except in North Van: ran a 2.35 ForeKaster EXO up front)
Front PSI: 21-22.5
Rear PSI: 22-24.5
Fork: Fox Stepcast 34 120mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float 100mm
Front Ring: 32
Rear Cog: 10-51
BCBR Advice: "Definitely don't go full XC. Don't bring your hardtail, long stem, and skinny tires."
| I am actually riding with a seat dropper for the first time ever and it's been awesome! I'm still learning too! I started mountain biking in the 90's so I can high post, but once you use the dropper, it's just a lot more fun. You end up enjoying the descents a lot more and I think ultimately, you're just faster, so that's good!—Katerina Nash |
Katerina Nash
Bike: Orbea Oiz
Tires: Maxxis 2.2 Ikon EXO and Maxxis 2.25 Aspen EXO
Front PSI: 19
Rear PSI: 20
Fork: Fox iRD SC32 100mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float iRD
Front Ring: 34 (first 5 stages), 32 (last two stages)
Rear Cog: 11- 45 OneUp
BCBR Advice: "I try to tell people to think about the multiple days of racing, to think about their nutrition and to have that dialled, bring enough chamois', and bring the right gear. The bike [you bring] makes a big difference. It would be so fun to ride it on the trail bike, but then you're racing so you just have to make the choices that are best for you and your riding style."
| The fun lines are sometimes also the fast lines and you can rest up when you are in the air, so it's good to do jumps when it's possible. It's only for half a second, but it's great! —Francois Bailly-Maitre |
Francois Bailly-Maitre
Bike: Santa Cruz Blur
Tires: Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.35 (front), Rock Razor (rear)
Front PSI: 23 (1.6 bar)
Rear PSI: 24.5 (1.7 bar)
Fork: Fox 34 120mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float Evol 100mm
Front Ring: 34 Shimano XTR
Rear Cog: 11-40 Shimano XTR
BCBR Advice: "Comfort is really important because you have a lot of singletrack with roots, having an efficient bike is important but also a comfortable bike."
| I asked Jakroo to design a tux and wedding kit for Emily and I to take photos in at our wedding. We planned a group ride on the blue ridge parkway and thought it would be cool to wear the kits for it. Rather than get only one use out of them, we thought it would be cool to wear them for our honeymoon, BC bike race. —Kerry Werner |
Kerry Werner
Bike: Kona Hei Hei
Tires: WTB Trail Boss
Front PSI: 21
Rear PSI: 24
Fork: MRP Ribbon Air 120mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float 100mm
Front Ring: 34
Rear Cog: 11-42
BCBR Advice: "Spend some time in the woods pedaling on some rough trails. The smooth, loamy trails are a real treat but there are some sections with rocks and roots as far as the eye can see that can trip up even the most technically savvy rider. Exercise the smile muscles because they will be getting a lot of use too."
| I'm super happy with the bike I'm riding. It's on the aggressive side of an XC bike; definitely still an XC bike but with 120 mm of travel up front. —Sam Schultz |
Sam Schultz
Bike: Rocky Mountain Element
Tires: Maxxis Ikon (front), Aspen (back)
Front PSI: 22
Rear PSI: 23.5
Fork: Fox 34 120mm
Rear Shock: Fox
Front Ring: 34
Rear Cog: 52 SRAM Eagle
BCBR Advice: "Just make sure you have the right tires that you're comfortable on and a set up that you're going to be happy riding interesting technical trails on."
| We have been racing pretty technical trails at home lately and we are getting ready to go to nationals at Snowshoe, so this will be the bike I run at nationals as well. —Kaysee Armstrong |
Kaysee Armstrong
Bike: Liv Peak Advance
Tires: Maxxis Ikons
Front PSI: 24
Rear PSI: 25
Fork: DVO (60 psi)
Rear Shock: Fox Float Evol 100mm
Front Ring: 34
Rear Cog:
BCBR Advice: "I would say run a 2.35 in the front, definitely on North Vancouver day."
| I really enjoyed the bike all week, it was fantastic, really stable at speed and really good in a lot of the aggressive singletack sections that BC is known for. —Jeremiah Bishop |
Jeremiah Bishop
Bike: Prototype Canyon Lux CF (available now)
Tires: Ardent Race 2.35 (front), 2.25 (back)
Front PSI: 19
Rear PSI: 21
Fork: Fox Stepcast 34
Rear Shock: Fox Factory Float
Front Ring: 36
Rear Cog: 42
BCBR Advice: "BC is chalk full of rocks, roots, and technical features, so I have a Fox Transfer dropper post."
| Since I've never done this event before I set it up for what I think is the best bike for all scenarios. I chose the Maxxis Ikons because I think they are one of the best tires for all terrain and having never done this course before I was really confident in their ability to hold out for the entire week. —Hannah Finchamp |
Hannah Finchamp
Bike: Orbea Oiz
Tires: Maxxis Ikon 2.2
Front PSI: 18
Rear PSI: 19
Fork: Fox Stepcast (66 psi)
Rear Shock: Fox Float (130 psi)
Front Ring: 32
Rear Cog: 11-46
BCBR Advice: "I think comfort is really key, so that was one of the things I took into consideration was running all the things that I'm comfortable with and confident in. I would say the gear ratio for me is really important. I went with a 32 instead of a harder one because I know it is steep around here."
| No dropper, I haven't joined that group yet, but I think I will after this week. Everyone else had a dropper, so I think I have to give it a try. I like my bike to be simple and it's just one more thing that could go wrong, but I think it's the way to go.—Cory Wallace |
Cory Wallace
Bike: Kona Hei Hei Race
Tires: WTB 2.5 Rangers
Front PSI: 21
Rear PSI: 21
Fork: MRP Ribbon 120mm (80 psi)
Rear Shock: Fox Float (150 psi)
Front Ring: 36
Rear Cog: 11-40
BCBR Advice: "Don't go too crazy, there's a lot of climbing and pedalling in it still, so I think 120mm in the front is more than enough and 100mm in the back is more than enough suspension. Tire-wise, I wouldn't go bigger that 2.25, I think you still have to be efficient on the uphill. The tire pressure is key. A lot of people run too much pressure. And I like the foam grips, they are just a little softer on your hands. Just little things like that cause a little less fatigue over the week."
| This year my dad came along to give me a little extra support over the week. I am very happy to share the weeks experience with him as he has been there throughout my bike career. He had almost as much fun as I, which speaks to the incredible vibe of the race! —Quinn Moberg |
Quinn Moberg
Bike: Rocky Mountain Element Carbon 99
Tires: Maxxis 2.2 3C/EXO/TR Ikon skinwall tires
Front PSI: 22 (21 on stage 6)
Rear PSI: 23 (22 on stage 6)
Fork: Fox 34 StepCast
Rear Shock: Fox Factory Float
Front Ring: Shimano XTR 34
Rear Cog: Shimano XT 11-42
BCBR Advice: "My advice to a mountain biker coming to do BC Bike Race would be to come rested and relaxed. The readier to go you are, the more fun you will have out there!"
| I changed everything about my bike for the race, but it wasn't enough! —Karl Platt |
Karl Platt
Bike: Bulls
Tires: Schwalbe
Front PSI: 18 (1.25 bars)
Rear PSI: 19.5 (1.35 bars)
Fork: Fox 34 Stepcast 120mm
Rear Shock: Fox 105mm
Front Ring: Shimano XTR 34
Rear Cog: 46
BCBR Advice: "I would come a week earlier, and I would preride the North Shore trails to get more used to the terrain and for your brain! It's definitely an eye-opener to ride here for BC Bike Race, I'm not used to the terrain, but going race speed and your comfort zone are different. Sometimes it's good to get a little bit of a taste of the north shore trails to be more familiar with the trails."
| I can really tell that my bike is designed here, if you have the right speed and the right momentum you fly over the roots and those sections. It's so much fun! —Hielke Elferink |
Hielke Elferink
Bike: Rocky Mountain Element
Tires: Maxxis Rekon
Front PSI: 23
Rear PSI: 23
Fork: Fox Stepcast 100mm
Rear Shock: Fox
Front Ring: 30
Rear Cog: 9 - 46
BCBR Advice: "I think it's good if you prepare yourself technically. I recommend a 120mm or 130mm travel fork, a little more travel. And be fit - not just your legs, core stability is important and strong arms. Then, if it goes wrong you can catch yourself and possibly prevent a crash."
| I usually ride a long travel Stumpjumper, but for this event I'm riding the short travel because there's a lot more climbing, but it still rides like a little trail bike, but it's a lot nicer for the long distances. It's a good balance. —Hannah Barnes |
Hannah Barnes
Bike: Specialized Stumpjumper
Tires: Specialized Butcher Grid (front), Slaughter Grid (rear)
Front PSI: 21
Rear PSI: 23
Fork: Fox 130mm
Rear Shock: Fox
Front Ring: 32
Rear Cog: SRAM Eagle 50
BCBR Advice: "Come into it with an open mind and no matter what the weather or if you've got to get off and run or walk, or if you get a mechanical or a puncture, it doesn't matter if you lose five minutes because everyone over seven days are fighting their own little battles - no one is going to have a seamless race. It's just one of these things that make it more memorable. If you can laugh about it and share it with the people around you, it's good!"
| Our Bike Patrol team is made up of 8-12 people who have all done the race as participants and have been hand selected based on their skills in everything from trail-side mechanics to first-aid. We deploy a strategic plan to cover 630 racers over the entire race course. Some of us leave well before the race starts to ensure course marking protocols are correct and in place, some leave just before the race start and the rest of us go in each wave so that the racers have our support should they need it.
I provide everything from moral support and trail etiquette suggestions to reminders to eat and drink. Over the last seven years, I have straightened wheels, replaced derailleurs, offered guidance on skills and line selection, and done everything within my abilities to help racers achieve their sought-after Finisher’s belt buckle! —Kelli Sherbinin |
Sam Whittingham
Bike Patrol
Bike: Naked Raven plus
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF and Chronicle (width 3)
Front PSI: 11
Rear PSI: 12
Fork: Fox 34 Boost 140mm
Rear Shock: All business, lip popp’n, harden the phuk up hardtail (aka N/A)
Front Ring: 30
Rear Cog: 11-46
BCBR Advice: "Be the stoke you want to see in others. Embrace the suffer and enjoy the journey. Always follow the pink [tape]."
Kelli Sherbinin
Bike Patrol
Bike: Rocky Mountain Element
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHR2 (front), Aggressor (rear)
Front PSI: 23
Rear PSI: 20
Fork: Fox 34 140mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float 100mm
Front Ring: 30
Rear Cog: 47
BCBR Advice: "Definitely choose a shorter stem. A more aggressive stem and handlebar set up and having a little bit more fork in the front is helpful for some people on the terrain here. If your strength is climbing I would focus on descending bike preparation."
| We travel with every components you could ever imagine on a bike, work stands, tents, lighting, and bench space for 10-14 mechanics at any given time. It's a rolling bike shop that has the largest output capacity of anywhere in BC for a week. —Fraser Newton |
Fraser Newton
Obsession:Bikes Tech Manager
Bike: Fred Deeley Banana Frame
Tires: Maxxis Minion
Front PSI: 23
Rear PSI: 20
Fork: 97 Girvin Vector J-Stroke
Rear Shock: N/A
Front Ring: 40
Rear Cog: 17 (single speed)
| The year I raced (2014), I spent most of my time partying with the crew instead of resting and being responsible and preparing for the race itself. I decided that if I came back, that was the part I wanted so I should just come back and be on the crew. —Tom Danger |
Tom Danger
Bag Team Manager
Bike: Yeti SB5.5
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF (front), DHR (Rear) 2.5
Front PSI: 20
Rear PSI: 24
Fork: Fox 170mm
Rear Shock: Cane Creek DBcoil
Front Ring: 32
Rear Cog: GX 11-speed SRAM
BCBR Advice: "Build your bike for fun, don't put on lightweight, fast rolling race tires so you can go faster and shave a few seconds. Put on something that you're comfortable with. So, when you are on fresh trails that might knock you on your ass, you're ready for it!"
| I am on the Green Team, I pick up the trash and recycle. I make it look beautiful all the time! I genuinely care for these people. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for them to come and why not come to British Columbia and see beautiful British Columbia! We are working really hard to keep it green; separating out the cardboard and refundables. At every site we have someone in town who needs our refundables and that's an important part of the program for me. And for the meal times we are almost 100% compostable! — Kathleen McKay, Green Team |
| I've been riding it for four years, so any other bike would have felt weird to ride. —Charlie Patterson Jr. |
Charlie Patterson Jr.
Bike: Salsa Bear Grease
Tires: Surly 4.8 (front), Maxxis Mammoth 4 (rear)
Fork: N/A
Rear Shock: N/A
Front Ring: 28-36 (2x10)
Rear Cog: 36
| The Powerplay allowed me to carry more gear (a drone, in addition to my standard equipment) on course and access more locations than past years with far less effort. —Dave Silver |
Dave Silver
Photographer
Bike: Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay C90
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF WT Maxx Terra 3C Tubeless Ready 27.5 x 2.5
Front PSI: 18
Rear PSI: 20
Fork: Fox 36 Float EVOL FIT4 Factory 160mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float DPS EVOL Factory 150mm
Front Ring: Race Face Next Cinch 34T
Rear Cog: Sram XG-899 11-48
BCBR Advice: "Ride lots, try and ride techy singletrack before the race or come early and preride a stage."
| It's what I've got and it's what I'm used to, I like riding single-speed, and I just wanted to see if it could be done. It was brutally hard most days, but I had some fun out there too! —Kevin Claus |
Kevin Claus
Bike: Niner Air9 RDO
Tires: Maxxis Ikon 2.2 (front) 2.25 (rear)
Fork: Rockshox Sid XC 100mm
Rear Shock: N/A
Front Ring: 32
Rear Cog: 20
BCBR Advice: "Don't ride a single-speed."
| We had a rider crash on the middle of Roller Coaster on Day 7, he had taco'd his wheel and he had possibly hit his head. We assessed him to make sure he was medically sound, but his bike was unrideable. He had a somewhat unique boost wheel sizing and between Shimano, Obsession: Bikes Tech, and BC Bike Race, we didn't have a replacement wheel to run to him. But what we did have at the aid station was a loaner bike from Shimano. Due to the logistics, we didn't have a safe way to drive the bike to him, so we strapped it to my backpack and I rode it out the couple of kilometers to get it to the rider, so he could still be a BC Bike Race finisher! —Stu Davidson |
Stu Davidson
Medical Team
Bike: Rocky Mountain Altitude Carbon 90
Tires: Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5 (front), Aggressor 2.4 with a Cushcore insert (rear)
Front PSI: 25
Rear PSI: 26
Fork: Fox Factory 36 160mm
Rear Shock: Fox Float DPX2 150mm
Front Ring: SRAM XO1 Eagle 34
Rear Cog: 50
BCBR Advice: Don't just train for fitness, work on your technical skills!
James Beaudoin
Medical Team
Bike: Pre-production 2018 Knolly Fugitive Lt
Tires: Maxxis Minion
Front PSI: 24
Rear PSI: 26
Fork: Fox 36 Elite with Grip Damper
Rear Shock: Fox DPX2 Elite
Front Ring: One-Up 30
Rear Cog: Shimano XT 11-46 11 speed
BCBR Advice: "Train hard. Smile lots."
| My brake levers are kind of flat for easy reach in attack position in steeps. The fork is stiff to eliminate diving in steep terrain. I keep my seat is adjusted flat for most riding but tilted a little bit forward for days with lots of climbing so it sits flat when bike is pointed uphill. The bars rolled back from center a few degrees for stability. And I will reduce tire pressure for wet, and slippery conditions. —Brett Tippie |
Brett Tippie
Director of Good Times
Bike: YT Capra 27 with custom glow in the dark paint job by Erik Irmisch
Tires: Maxxis Assegai 2.5WT 3C Maxx Grip (front), Maxxis Minion DHR2 2.4 3C Maxx Grip
Front PSI: 25
Rear PSI: 28
Fork: SRSuntour Durolux fork 180mm (85 psi)
Rear Shock: SRSuntour prototype TriAir shock 180mm (220psi)
Front Ring: Rotor Q-Ring 32T
Rear Cog: Shimano 11 speed cassette with a OneUp custom Shark 50T mod
BCBR Advice: Run a little more psi in the rear tire than the front so you can slam some rocks with back tire yet have good traction up front.
If you don’t have a dropper post, get one!! If you do have one, make sure it’s working well. Bring me some good jokes, please! PS: Red bikes are 3% faster!
| I wanted to (obviously) ride a Knolly bike in this event. The Fugitive is a technical trail / enduro light bike and bigger category of bike than what most of the fastest riders would be riding, so I built the bike to my weaknesses (climbing) and sacrificed performance where I was strongest (technical descending). —Noel Buckley |
Noel Buckley
Bike: Knolly Fugitive 29" set at 120mm travel
Tires: Maxxis Forekaster EXO 2.35 (front), Maxxis Ardent EXO 2.25 (rear)
Front PSI: 35
Rear PSI: 40
Fork: Fox 34 29" Factory w/ 140mm travel
Rear Shock: Fox DPS Factory w/ Trunion mount and 50mm stroke
Front Ring: Raceface Next R crankset with 30T Flipped Ring and 57mm chainline
Rear Cog: SRAM XO1 12spd Cassette 10-50
BCBR Advice: "The race is big and the biggest days are right in the middle of the event: make sure you're comfortable spending time on your bike. I purchased new XC shoes before the event (I know that's not the smartest thing) and while they worked great, the stiff carbon plate did cause my lead foot to get a bit crampy after some of the longer descents. Otherwise, though I settled into them nicely and this became less of an issue as the race went on. Active recovery played a huge part for me and really enabled me to be about as fresh as possible: in particular, the last two days I put down much better times than days 4 and 5."
| I changed the tires for the race; I put a faster tire on the back and had a faster tire on the front for the first three stages but then changed to a bigger tire for the last couple. —Denise Ramsden |
Denise Ramsden
Bike: Juliana Furtado
Tires: Maxxis Minion (front), Maxxis Ikon (rear)
Front PSI: 20
Rear PSI: 20
Fork: Fox 34
Rear Shock: Fox Float DPX
Front Ring: 30
Rear Cog: 56
BCBR Advice: "I know there are people riding without a dropper post, but I think a dropper post is really helpful for all the up and down, changing terrain that was probably my favourite. And I think having a bigger bike doesn't hurt. There are XC bikes here but having a trail bike is nice for the terrain just to be comfortable."
| I always ride a hardtail in Europe, I did the race in 2011 on a hardtail as well, so why not do it again! It's doable. The North Shore stage was rough, I had a lot of walking on the first downhill, but the rest went well. —Tom Naome |
Tom Naome
Bike: Independent
Tires: ONZA downhill (front), XC (rear)
Fork: Rockshox SID (customized)
Rear Shock: N/A
Front Ring: 32
Rear Cog: 42
| It's the best Rocky Mountain Altitude to ever come out of the factory because it's done six BC Bike Races. Thanks to Rocky for building an almost indestructible bike - not a single mechanical in six years. —Graeme Fitch |
Graeme Fitch
12 Time Finisher of BC Bike Race
Bike: Rocky Mountain Altitude
Tires: Maxxis Aggressor (front), Ardent (rear)
Front PSI: 20
Rear PSI: 20
Fork: Fox Talus 160mm
Rear Shock: Fox
Front Ring: 26 (2x10)
Rear Cog: 36
BCBR Advice: "Know your bike and be happy with it - just ride your bike!"
Photographers: Dave Silver, Margus Riga, and Erik Petersen
@BornOnTwo: I'm guessing its likely for the weight saving loonies but I know after having one on my bike I would never own a trail bike without.
Your first comment kinda came across as "girls are slow" though, probably why all the downvotes.
I will say it's extra nice when they're cool with riding together 50-75% of the time, and you get to attack a climb and a fun downhill bit of trail. Guess I'm lucky.
Then regroup for snacks. Never forget snacks.
(Just in case it isn't clear, that is sarcastic!)
Haha - worst advice ever for 99% of the people at the BCBR. Awesome.
www.flickr.com/photos/vikapproved/albums/72157697172569871
@BC Bike Race Only thing I wish was included was each racer (or participant's) hometown. Cheers!
And thanks for the Endless 20T that got me through the week!
Awesome bike!
"I guess they are riding mellow and short climbs"
Nope.