I’ve been looking forward to the VI-1000 all year. I think I was the first person to sign up. Logistically, this was an easy ride to plan. It was a cloverleaf course that returned to the same hotel each night. That meant I only had to carry what I needed for the day on my bike. I had clean kit each day. I could go to bed in real pyjamas. My charging station, toiletries, sunscreen, etc. were all laid out and ready for a quick turnaround.
The ride organizer, Gord, asked me if I would do the pre-ride with him. That sounded like a great idea so my ride moved forward 2 weeks. That gave me less than 3 weeks to recover from a 600km ride but I hoped it would be enough.
Before leaving home, I organized my clothes and food into individual day bags. When I got to the hotel each night, I grabbed the bag for the next day, loaded the food on the bike and laid my kit out for the next morning. With prefect weather, my kit was simple—bib shorts, jersey, socks, sunsleeves, a buff to keep the sun off my head and a reflective vest that doubled as a windbreaker for the cool morning air. I kept leg warmers, a rain jacket and long fingered gloves on the bike but never need them.
The concept for this ride was unusual. This ride started at 2:00 PM on Thursday and ended at 5:00 PM on Sunday. Three sleeps on a 1000 instead of the usual two.
Day 1: 259km
We arrived in Courtenay in time for lunch. After lunch, our hotel room was ready. We had our bags in the room and our bikes loaded and ready by 1:00 PM so we set off. The earlier start meant a 4:00 PM deadline on Sunday but Gord had family commitments, so the earlier finish would be helpful.
It was sunny and warm at the start but not unbearable. We set off on the most confounding course that had us looping around on delightful country roads throughout the Comox valley. We looped in and out of Courtney, Comox, Cumberland and Campbell River. We rode along the ocean shore with views of the islands and the mountains. We rode through forests and farmland. We passed lakes and ponds. We surprised deer and were equally surprised by animals that suddenly appeared out of the darkness. As the light was failing, a harem of 4 or 5 elk ran across the road in front of us followed by a many pointed stag.
Our riding abilities were pretty evenly matched. Gord thought 4 minutes was the right amount of time on the front. So we spent the day 4-minutes at a time. On the front you were responsible for navigation, managing the pace, pointing out road hazards and, of course, doing the bulk of the work. On the back, you could enjoy the scenery, eat, drink and recover. Ascents and descents were done at our own pace. Gord got up hills faster than me, I got down hills faster than Gord but it always seemed to work out. As the ride progressed, the rhythm was less even. In the hot parts of the day, Gord had more energy and would take longer turns on the front. That would reverse at nightfall when I had more energy.
Somehow, through all the meandering, we arrived back at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning. We made better time than we had hoped. We knew this would be our shortest night’s sleep so making good time on day 1 was important. But did we overdo it?
Day 2: 294km
I slept badly, which meant I was worried about how I would perform on a full day of riding with little sleep in the bank and a hard effort the previous day. Everyday had many hills and lots of climbing but day 2 added one big hill that we had to climb from sea level in both directions. The course was much simpler. We did a loop through the Comox valley on country roads and then headed north through Campbell River to Sayward and the turnaround at Kelsey Bay.
The wind picked up throughout the day. By the time we left our lunch break at the Duncan Bay store, we were battling a headwind. We had 9 km (300 vertical meters) of steady climbing into the headwind. On the other side, we were buffeted by the headwind and huge cross wind gusts as we descended towards Sayward Junction.
We made it to the turnaround and were treated to a nice tailwind going back. We stopped at Sayward Junction to fill our bottles before the long climb back towards Campbell River. The climb was much easier with the tailwind! The descent on the other side was fantastic. The road was in good condition, the grade was not too steep and the corners were long sweeping turns that were easily managed at speed. Before we knew it, we were back at the Duncan Bay store. Time for one last bottle refill.
At Campbell River, we were once again at sea level, which meant a 100m climb out of the city. With that hill behind us, it was relatively easy riding for the last 60km back to Courtenay.
We didn’t slow down at night. That created some risk. Two of our night rides were on the Inland Island Highway. It was a, mostly deserted, four lane highway with wide shoulders. The riding was fast and easy. The grades were gentle. Shoulder debris and animals were our biggest fears. We caught the occasional glimpse of deer as they disappeared into the forest. There were often bits of tires that had to be avoided and a disturbing amount of broken glass but that was as bad as it got.
The last control of the day was 10km from the finish. We stopped and ordered pizza so that it would be ready for us to pick up when we got into town. It was a fast and chilly descent back to Courtenay. We would go through pockets of cold at the valley floor. Again, we had made good time, which meant we would have a relatively good sleep.
Day 3: 296km
Today’s course was south. We started out on the Inland Island Highway but were finished with it before traffic got heavy. We had some pleasant riding through fields and forests to a control near the village of Errington. From there, we descended into Parksville where we stopped for a remarkable lunch at French Press Coffee Roasters. Refuelled and refreshed, our next treat was a loop through the town of Nanoose Bay. The roads were winding and hilly…and quiet. It was incredibly fun riding that ended with a long, hot, climb.
Next we rode through Nanaimo to the village of Cedar. Nanaimo was a mixture of bike paths and city streets but the approach from the north was on a busy highway with heavy traffic. The shoulders were wide so safety wasn’t a worry but it was noisy and stressful.
We were treated to more forests and farms and more undulating roads around Cedar to the control at Yellow Point Park. This was our turnaround. Now it was time to head back through Nanaimo and Parksville. It was hot and I was feeling tired. In Nanaimo, a sign flashed 28 degrees. That didn’t make me feel any better.
We were back on the Inland Island Highway before sunset. We had two long climbs ahead of us but the grades were easy. The cooler evening air gave me back some of my energy but by this point, my body had had enough. The best way to describe it is “uncomfortable”. There was nothing that was sore, my energy level and leg strength were okay but I couldn’t settle into a comfortable position.
We ended with a very fast descent into Courtenay on a smooth four lane road. We stopped just before the hotel to pickup some food at a 24-hour Tim Horton’s. The restaurant was closed but they served us at the drive-through window. That was a relief because some places won’t serve bicycles at a drive-through. I got a chicken wrap, an apple fritter and a large chocolate milk. This might not be the healthiest dinner but I had only two things on my mind—calories and sleep.
Day 4: 154km
Last day! We got up an hour earlier to give ourselves a little buffer. We checked out of the hotel, packed our stuff in the car and were on the road at 6:30 AM. We had a hard deadline of 4:00 PM. There is no grace period. If we didn’t arrive before 4:00 PM the ride would not count. This year had the added consequence that would mean a later start wave at next year’s Paris Brest Paris.
It took some time to get the legs warmed up sufficiently. My quads were stiff and sore at the start. Today was a mostly coastal ride south to French Creek. It was comfortably cooler along the shore. We rode through Fanny Bay, which is famous for its oysters, past anchored oyster fishing boats, past landing stages and past the occasional, stinky midden. And, of course, there were verdant islands and snow-capped mountains for the backdrop.
At French Creek, we turned inland and climbed to the turnaround control at Errington. We were making good time, which meant treating ourselves to a lunch break in Errington. We stayed on a relatively flat, inland plain as we pedalled north through more farms and forests. Eventually we arrived at the busy Alberni Highway for the descent back to the coast at Qualicum Beach. 60km to go. My bum is sore. Only two hills of note on the return north. If I coast on the descent, it hurts to get my legs spinning again. It’s better to keep spinning but my heart just wants a break. With the hills behind us, we have a long, flat stretch along the beach through Fanny Bay, Buckley Bay and Union Bay. I mentally check off each as we ride through. A short climb through Royston and then we are back in Courtenay. We finished on the Courtenay Riverway Heritage Walk—despite the name it is also a bike path—past the tiny airport with a handful of single-engine planes parked on the grass.
And then it was over. With time to spare. I’m happy, sore and tired.