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Highway to Hell 400 km May 10, 3 a.m. Lindsay Martin Victoria - Tim Horton's: Saanich Plaza, 3501 Ravine Way |
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(cum.) |
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G0 kms |
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Tim Horton's 3501 Ravine Way @ Blanchard |
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| 0.0 | L | RAVINE WAY | 0.1 |
| 0.1 | SO | Cross Blanchard (@lights) | 0.1 |
| 0.2 | L | CAREY | 0.1 |
| 0.3 | R | HIGHWAY #1 (north) | 3.8 |
| 4.1 | R | EXIT #8 (Helmcken) | 0.5 |
| 4.6 | SO | Cross Helmcken onto on-ramp | 0.3 |
| 4.9 | SO | HWY #1 Caution! Rumble strips! | 0.5 |
| 5.4 | R | EXIT #10 (Colwood) | 0.4 |
| 5.8 | L | HWY #14 (left lane to Colwood) | 0.6 |
| 6.4 | R | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 North | 0.0 |
| 6.4 | R | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 North | 0.0 |
| 6.4 | L | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 North | 0.2 |
| 6.6 | L | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 North | 0.1 |
| 6.7 | R | HIGHWAY #1 (north) | 3.9 |
| 10.6 | R | EXIT #14 (Millstream) | 0.9 |
| 11.5 | L | OFF-RAMP to Langford | 0.1 |
| 11.6 | R | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 North | 0.2 |
| 11.8 | R | HIGHWAY #1 (north) | 46.0 |
| 57.8 | SO | North through Duncan | 27.5 |
| 85.3 | SO | North through Ladysmith | 17.0 |
| 102.3 | SO | HWY #1 (Hwy #19)(top of hill) | 1.6 |
| 103.9 | SO | HWY #1(Hwy #19A) (into Nanaimo) | 3.5 |
| 107.4 | SO | NICOL (Hwy #1)(entering Nanaimo) | 1.6 |
| 109.0 | SO | TERMINAL (Hwy #1)(@Commercial) | 1.0 |
| 110.0 | SO | TERMINAL (Hwy #19A)(@Stewart) | 0.5 |
| 110.5 | L |
7-11 Terminal @ Townsite |
0.0 |
| 110.5 | L | TERMINAL (Hwy #19A north) | 0.8 |
| 111.3 | SO | N. ISLAND HWY (Hwy #19A) | 10.5 |
| 121.8 | SO | HWY #19 (@ Mary Ellen) | 17.9 |
| 139.7 | R | HWY #19A (old Is. Hwy. Exit 46) | 5.5 |
| 145.2 | SO | North through Parksville | 10.9 |
| 156.1 | SO | North through Qualicum Beach | 46.4 |
| 202.5 | L |
Market |
0.0 |
| 202.5 | R | HWY #19A (south to Nanaimo) | 46.4 |
| 248.9 | SO | South through Qualicum Beach | 10.9 |
| 259.8 | SO | South through Parksville | 5.5 |
| 265.3 | R | HWY #19 (south to Nanaimo) | 17.9 |
| 283.2 | R | HWY #19A (exit 29) | 0.7 |
| 283.9 | SO | cross Hwy #19 (Nanaimo Pkwy) | 10.5 |
| 294.4 | SO | TERMINAL(Hwy #19A)(@St. George) | 0.8 |
| 295.2 | R |
7-11 Terminal @ Townsite |
0.0 |
| 295.2 | R | TERMINAL (Hwy #19A south) | 0.5 |
| 295.7 | SO | TERMINAL (Hwy #1)(@Stewart) | 1.0 |
| 296.7 | SO | NICOL (Hwy #1)(@Commercial) | 1.6 |
| 298.3 | SO | HWY #1 (Hwy #19A) | 3.5 |
| 301.8 | SO | HWY #1 (Hwy #19) | 1.6 |
| 303.4 | SO | HWY #1 (south towards Victoria) | 17.0 |
| 320.4 | SO | South through Ladysmith | 27.5 |
| 347.9 | SO | South through Duncan | 11.1 |
| 359.0 | R | COBBLE HILL (Rest Area on left) | 2.6 |
| 361.6 | SO | SHAWNIGAN LAKE (at Hutchinson) | 4.5 |
| 366.1 | L | SHAWNIGAN LAKE (at lake) | 2.7 |
| 368.8 | R | SHAWNIGAN LAKE (to Galley Café) | 0.8 |
| 369.6 | R | SHAWNIGAN LAKE | 10.6 |
| 380.2 | R | HWY #1 Caution! Rumble strips! | 15.1 |
| 395.3 | SO | Cross Spencer | 1.2 |
| 396.5 | R | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South | 0.1 |
| 396.6 | SO | Through underpass | 0.0 |
| 396.6 | L | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South | 0.1 |
| 396.7 | SO | HWY #1 (to Victoria) | 3.0 |
| 399.7 | R | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South | 0.2 |
| 399.9 | L | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South (stop sign) | 0.1 |
| 400.0 | L | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South | 0.1 |
| 400.1 | R | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South | 0.0 |
| 400.1 | SO | Cross Hwy #14 (pedestrian light) | 0.0 |
| 400.1 | L | BIKE ROUTE Hwy #1 South | 0.2 |
| 400.3 | SO | HWY #1 (to Victoria) | 0.9 |
| 401.2 | R | EXIT #8 (Helmcken) | 0.5 |
| 401.7 | SO | Cross Helmcken onto on-ramp | 0.4 |
| 402.1 | SO | HWY #1 (to Victoria) | 3.8 |
| 405.9 | L | CAREY (@ G. Goose overpass) | 0.1 |
| 406.0 | R | RAVINE WAY | 0.2 |
| 406.2 | R |
Tim Horton's 3501 Ravine Way @ Blanchard |
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| Note: This is not the official route sheet. Ride organizers may make last minute changes because of road closures or other problems. The route sheet you receive at the start of the ride is the official one. | |||
Ride organizer's message on the discussion list - May 8, 2008:
The Vancouver Island 400 km brevet is scheduled this Saturday beginning at 3 AM.
The 3 AM start (not a typo) is chosen to avoid most of the traffic when crossing the Malahat pass on what is an out-and back highway route. The dominant character of this ride is high traffic volumes.
The highway is in reasonable shape, with only the usual amount of detritus littering the shoulders. Gravel from our recent blast of winter is still evident on the Malahat and the climb north of Nanoose Bay. Fortunately, this hazard is only present on the uphill sections; the downhills have been swept clean.
Rumble strips are widespread between Goldstream Provincial Park and Ladysmith, and erratic to Nanaimo. The old highway north through Parksville has no rumble strips, but several narrow bridges without shoulders. If the traffic is heavy, consider riding the sidewalks on these structures.
North of Qualicum Beach, the riding becomes pleasant. Food and refreshment options become more scarce however.
Evening (and daytime) temperatures remain quite cool. I recommend a jacket, shoe covers and a skullcap for night riding. I also highly recommend Manfred's trick of using an earplug in your left (traffic-side) ear. Daylight and warmer temperatures usually trigger a hatch of straight-pipe Harleys, which buzz about annoyingly in swarms.
Beware the ducks near Bowser on the return leg. They are breeding in the ditch beside the road, and vigorously defend their nests by chasing tired cyclists!
See you early on Saturday morning.
Lindsay Martin
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