Ridewithgps Route

Pre-ride

Please note that there are some changes from Dan’s tcx file. The Sooke control is now an information control and Queenswood has been bypassed. We had good cycling weather for the pre ride. It was a little bit on the cool side but no significant precipitation. You can expect little traffic at first but that changes after the first control. Shortly after that you will be on the highway and the traffic will be heavy and moving fast. Once you pass through Goldstream and begin the ascent you will be dodging gravel and rumble strips. Conditions are not terrible but not great either. Use caution and common sense. When leaving the control in Duncan be cautious. There is no right turn out of Tom Hortons so you should go up the hill and do a legal U-turn. After that you will be riding through Duncan on the highway. There is not a lot of shoulder so be cautious. If the traffic is bad you may want to consider walking your bike in the pedestrian lane when you cross the bridge. After climbing out of Shawnigan Lake you will have the rumble strips and gravel on the Malahat again. The shoulders in some parts of Goldstream are narrow. After the turn onto Westshore Parkway there is a Tim Hortons. You won’t see much else in the way of food until you reach Sooke.

There is a lot of climbing throughout this ride so pace yourselves. You are also going to be a long time between services for long stretches so make sure you have what you need in the way of food and parts.