The "All But Three" 200 km route currently shown is the route as pre-ridden on March 28th. The bridge Sooke road was not open at the time.  I have had reports that it is open now.  If it is open, please choose that over the detour route along Wale Rd and Ocean Blvd. The pre-ride showed that all the roads are ridable. They are working on East Saanich Rd, north of Wallace Dr. The northbound lanes are a mess of gravel.  They have also cut rectangles on the shoulder after the roadworks and filled them with loose gravel.  It is fine if you ride closer to the fog line.  Everything else was as should be expected this time of year. Shoulders were generally clear with some debris left over from the earlier windstorms.  The trails and paths were well maintained.  The water fountains on the CRD trails were being turned on when we rode.  The one at the last "Lost Airmen" control was not working.  It is controlled by the Airport Authority, not the CRD.

The event starts and finishes in Cordova Bay.  There is plenty of street parking if you are driving to the start. 

The route is mainly along roads with bike lanes or shoulders and on trails. The CRD water fountains should be running by April 1st. There is plenty of opportunity to refuel with Randofuel at service stations and coffee shops as you traverse all but three of the greater Victoria municipalities.  The route only has about 1400 metre of elevation gain over the 200 km. That is about as good as we can do for keeping it at a minimum for the first brevet of the VI season. 

In keeping with the name and tradition of the ride, there will be two homemade chili dishes, one vegan and one meat, available at the end of the ride. There are no Google reviews yet, but.......  Reload on the protein and carbos as you rehydrate and work on your recovery!