Vancouver Island 1000, 1985
by Harold Bridge

BC Day weekend 1985 was the point of origin of the Vanc Isle 1000.
At that time I was planning to ride the cenntenary of the "North Road 24 hour time trial".
The NR Club had originated in 1885 and I knew I would need to put in some hard miles (kms came later).
My previous best 24 hour time trial had been a modest 409.8 miles (about 660kms) in 1954.
While I doubted I would improve on that, I thought there was a chance that under perfect conditions I might do 400 miles.
Another rider, whose name escapes me, suggested that it was a 1,000 kms from Naniamo to Port Hardy and back and that became the basis for the first Vanc Isle 1000.
A heavily built Aussie rugby player, Ron Johnson, was interested in this ride and we set out from Bino's all night restuarant, Naniamo, at 0300.
First breakfast in Victoria, a few flat tyres, and one crash each put us a bit behind before we stopped for a few hours sleep in Port Hardy.
We finally got back to Bino's about 0300 and dozed over a few coffees while waiting for the first ferry back to Vancouver.
My Daughter Vanessa met us at the ferry and "enjoyed" the cramped drive in my pickup back to Coquitlam.
Our 1000 time was 72 hours and some minutes.
The "24" was a wet, cold and windy weekend and I was a bit dissapointed with my 354 miles, or about 570 kms.
The German winner did, I think, about 450 miles.

May 31, 2011