Video & Photo Story: Emily Batty Showcases the Incredible Riding in Victoria, BC
Words: Canyon
Victoria, BC has forged a name for itself as a training destination for endurance athletes over recent years. Thanks to its location on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, it offers a more temperate climate and stays drier than the mainland- perfect for making those big training blocks that little bit more bearable. Alongside the weather, the terrain and trail network create an ideal training ground. Whether its XC trails, gravel loops, or road rides- everything is on the doorstep.
With the winter months kicking in, it was an easy decision for XC World Cup Racer Emily Batty and team mate Laurie Arseneault on where to head to prepare themselves for the season ahead.
Having spent the majority of her adult life traveling around the world for racing, Emily has rarely spent so much of her time in Canada and has been enjoying reconnecting with her home.
 | Canada as a country is so beautiful, we have some of the most diverse terrain and nature in the world! It's great for training on the mountain bikes and the gravel bikes and everyday is a bit of an adventure when you go out on the bike. |
Rob Parkin and Sterling Lorence headed to Victoria to capture what makes the place so special. Safe to say- mission accomplished.
Emily Batty and Laurie Arseneault in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
| The feeling of being home is what makes Canada so special for me. It’s really hard to describe, but when you’re home it’s a feeling like no other. |
Coffee stops are an integral part of an endurance athlete's training program
Winter training could be worse. A lot worse.
Photography by: Sterling Lorence
Video by: Rob Parkin and Nandoo Production
With support from: Canyon Bicycles
Featuring: Emily Batty and Laurie Arseneault riding for Canyon MTB Racing
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Emily Batty, who is 3000+km west of her home in Ontario, lol
lol
Victoria isn't a riding destination.
Anyways, riding here sucks, and the ferry is expensive. Everybody, just stay on the mainland.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, would love to get back home one day.
I lived in Victoria for 6 years of the nineties, finishing high school at St Michael’s (Steve Nash was a classmate of mine), and then later going to UVic. At the time, mountain biking in Victoria was thriving... lots of great shops and local races going on too. Word was that many of the Canadian Olympic team members trained there... I believe Andreas Hestler did, and a few others. The weather was pretty good for riding year round (except for the blizzard of 96, and even then I tried my best to ride).
The terrain was different from the mainland. Lots of craggy rocks and boulders, and lovely arbutus trees. Not much of a North Shore freeride thing going on at the time though, so I was in for a huge shock when I moved to Vancouver and hit the trails here.
Got out of biking for a long time, and now just getting back into it. Looking forward to heading back to the island when Covid settles down a bit, catching up with friends, and revisiting some of the riding spots I recall enjoying. My guess is that like everything else in this sport, they’ll have changed a fair bit too.
Fun place.