This year’s Chili 200 will be starting in Saanich close to Vic West.  The route is a variation of the ‘All but Three’ route. The route is back to the original in North Saanich as the bridge on Chalet Rd has been rebuilt.  The deviation off the Galloping Goose onto Cecilia Street, to return to the start is new.

There will be an alternate start at the Lost Airmen of the Empire control to make it convenient for those who wish to come from across the water to participate. PLEASE INDICATE IN YOUR REGISTRATION NOTES IF YOU WISH A NORTH SAANICH START.

Please note that both starts will be staffed.

The extended weather forecast looks good for March. If it holds true, it should be a mostly dry day with highs in the late single digits. 

For those who start in Saanich, there will be a choice of vegetarian or meat chili’s (or both) upon completion of the ride.  Those who get to that control mid-ride, I guess you will be riding to the last 20 km to your final control at the Lost Airmen of the Empire with full bellies.

The pre-ride will be taking place on Tuesday of this week. The route sheets and control cards will be posted in the database and sent out after any needed changes are made.

We are looking forward to seeing you out on the second brevet of the season!

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Pre-Ride Report

Our March 22, 2023 pre-ride started at 7 am on March 22 with clear skies and temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius with very light winds. The clear skies and light winds remained all day!  The sun was just rising and rode in daylight for the whole event.

The road conditions on the route were excellent for this time of year.  Shoulders were mainly clear of debris.  There were a few construction zones that limited shoulders, but nothing that was hazardous.  One item to note were the tree branches that must have fallen in a recent wind event on West Saanich Rd, just after the Wallace intersection by the Red Barn in Saanich.  They only blocked one half of the bike lane.  In the last year, the municipality has installed stanchions on the corner of W. Saanich Rd and Interurban Rd. Ensure that you are going slow enough after the descent to make the turn onto Interurban safely.  A positive bit of news is that for the first time ever there was no gauntlet of glass shards on the climb into Brentwood Bay by the metal recyclers!

Traffic was not a concern. Traffic on Wallace Drive after passing through Brentwood Bay was heavier than expected, but the vehicles were respectful of the cyclists. The next portion of West Saanich Rd up to the observatory was noisy but safe. 

The route passes by plenty of stores, coffee shops and service stations, so provisions will not be a concern. The COOP gas bar on Wale Rd with about 25 km to go is a great stop to get water and use the other amenities for the push home.

Buddy and I navigated with our GPS devices.  The usual glitches trying to steer us off the course on the Goose between Atkins Rd and Wale Rd and a couple of other places were there even though I had tried to eliminate the extra instructions in RwGPS.  Melissa used the route sheet to navigate and found a few places where directions will shortly be edited for clarity.

Saturday looks like it is shaping up to be a pleasant March day. Forecasters are suggesting a 5 degree start and a high of 9 degrees with only a chance of showers. And there will be a warm bowl of Chili awaiting the finishers. We hope to see you Saturday March 25^th.