Ridewithgps route

Highway to Hell Pre-ride Notes – May 14, 2016

Administration Bits

· No late starts, please!! The organizer (Dan) will be riding the day of the brevet as well. If you are running late, please give me a call at 250-661-4561 before 3am and I’ll wait for you.

· As you may have guessed, this route was not pre-ridden this year. The route sheet was based on previous years and has been double checked for accuracy. The route is also fairly straightforward: mostly involving pedalling your way along the highway to Union Bay and back!

· The start will be at 810 Mary St, in Victoria. There should be adequate parking available in the area. Please give yourself a few extra minutes to find a suitable spot and make it to the start. Also, please be mindful of the noise level as it will be 2-3am in a residential area.

· The finish (also at 810 Mary St) will not be officially manned. There will be a discussion at the start of how to mark the final control, submit your control card (don’t forget to sign) and collect your pin. That said, if the inside lights are on and the hour is reasonable, feel free to knock/ring the bell for a congratulatory coffee/beer/soda, otherwise, the organizer is either not back yet or is hoping to sleep (in advance of a flight on Sunday afternoon)!! J If you are in need of some help (non-emergency issue, need to call a taxi, etc), don’t hesitate to try knocking in any case, though I may not be back yet.

· If you are abandoning the ride, please call or text 250-661-4561 to indicate that you are abandoning (as noted on the route sheet and control card). A follow up call/text/email to indicate that you are safely back at your vehicle or home is appreciated. As I’m riding, I won’t be able to answer calls immediately. Please leave a message.

· Call 911 (not me) for any emergency!!

Special Thanks!

· Stephen and Carol Hinde have graciously donated their Saturday (and their home) to man the two Nanaimo controls. You will see friendly faces on the way to Union Bay and on the way home! Thanks again Stephen and Carol!

Route Notes

· We’ll be going over the Malahat (twice) and riding on the shoulder of the highway where glass, rocks and other debris often lies. Spare tire, tubes, tire-boots, etc are extra wise for this brevet.

· Lights: We’re going to be starting in the dark. You’ll need a good front and rear light with spare batteries. I recommend having a flashing rear light running for the entire ride.

· Controls: If you arrive at the Tim Horton’s in Nanaimo and Stephen/Carol are not present, please have your control card signed by someone else and carry on. Union Bay Market will also be a self-sign location.

· On the return, note that there are no 24h services on the route after Duncan (km 350) until entering Victoria about 50k later. Mason’s store in Shawnigan Lake (km 367) closes at 11pm.

· In my opinion, the southbound descent of the Malahat (km 381-390) will be the most hairy part of the brevet. You’ll be tired and it will likely be dark (or getting dark). As you get close to Goldstream, you’ll also be riding beside a rock face, where small aggregate often remains on the shoulder along with rumble strips. At the same time, drivers on this section seem to always have especially bad cases of “get-there-itis”. They don’t appear to notice the poor shoulder conditions for cyclists, nor their own speed and inability to stop fast on a downhill. Use extra caution on this stretch please! Note that you also have degraded stopping ability coupled with having to dodge the aggregate/debris and rumble strips. I recommend doing a quick mental-awareness check-up before the turn at km 381, perhaps eating a caffeinated snack or getting off your bike and doing a wakey dance (take a selfie J ).

Note about bike routes at highway interchanges (particularly in the areas of Victoria and Nanaimo South)

· The only bike route that takes you off the highway that I've entered on the route sheet is a bike route that avoids the double-lane on-ramp at Millstream Rd (km 398) on the return. I felt traffic at this location may be heavy in the evening and, coupled with tired riders, I thought it prudent to include it on the route sheet. The bike route goes through a small tunnel under the on-ramp that should be lit.

· There are some other highway interchanges on the route that have marked bike routes taking riders slightly off the highway and back again, however I've not added any on the route sheet. That said, it is safety first!! You may use any marked bike route around a highway interchange that is not indicated on the route sheet, or simply exiting the highway on an off ramp and re-entering via the associated on-ramp if you feel it is safer to do so. Also, depending on conditions, you can also skip the small bike route at Millstream at your discretion without penalty and carefully cross the double on-ramp at Millstream Rd.

· Again: always take great caution when crossing any highway ramp!

Thanks for reading. See you on the 14th!