I first competed in the BC Bike Race in 2024, thanks to the support of Rocky Mountain Bikes, and in the process, formed a new posse of friends. When we saw that the 2026 edition of BCBR would be the final race in the traditional 7-day format, some of us decided that we would reunite at the 2026 event.

Like in 2024, the 7 days of racing were all located on Vancouver Island. Some zones and trails were repeated, but others were brand new for 2026. This year, since I was driving out, I opted to car camp, but did pay for the race meal plan (because the catering is phenomenal–and its way easier than trying to arrange my own food for 7 days of racing bikes).

So on Friday, I rolled up to the first base camp in Cumberland, BC for racer check-in, and promptly started reconnecting with old friends.

Stage 1: Cumberland

Cumberland is a BCBR classic, and so it seemed appropriate to start the race with a quick sample of some Cumberland hitters. The course was short, just 17 miles, but hefty, with over 2,500 ft of elevation. After a long, steep gravel climb, the fun started, as we dipped into singletrack and started descending.

If I’m honest, the 40-hour drive across the country did me no favors, and my legs felt like total garbage. I blew up hard on the climb, but was happy with how I felt descending, despite super dry trail conditions and a soft rear brake that made things feel a bit extra spicy.

Results:
GC: 14th
Fox Timed DH: 9th
Weekly GC: 14th

Stage 2: Campbell River

This was another zone that we rode in 2024, and though I remembered thinking the trails were beautiful and cool, I also recall hating how much pedaling there was. LOL. The Campbell River trails, rather than being long climbs and long descents, are fast and flowy and rolling.

This year, however, Campbell River ended up being one of my best days. All that time at the pump track this winter must have paid off in efficiency through the rolling terrain! I still got dropped hard on the gravel start, but tried to stay consistent all day once I hit the singletrack. Just before the Fox Timed DH section, I caught up with one of the other pro women, and ended up leading her into the Timed DH and passing 3 or 4 riders while very much over-riding the blue flow trail that was the DH segment. In the end, we ended 1st (Katie) and 4th (me) on the Fox Timed DH, split by two former EWS pro racers–a result I’m very proud of!

Better yet, when we got back to Cumberland, Sam and I headed into town for some New Zealand-style real fruit ice cream–soooo good!

Results:
GC: 9th
Fox Timed DH: 4th
Weekly GC: 10th

Stage 3: Cumberland

The forecast consistently predicted rain for day 3, but overnight, it barely drizzled, making everyone hopeful for some hero dirt conditions…until about an hour before the race, when the skies opened. Still, I was enthusiastic, feeling confident in my ability to ride wet roots and rocks.

The stage started by climbing the “million switchbacks” of the Cumberland climb trail, which snakes its way up to the top of the mountain with a very manageable grade. I kept it steady, then dropped into the slick singletrack descent and opened it up. I was rallying, with Sam right behind me, when I came up on a slower rider and attempted a pass on the outside of a corner, only to be taken out by a sniper root. Ouch, but entirely my fault.

I collected myself, and took a few hesitant pedal strokes as my knee and elbow had taken the brunt of the crash, then resumed my original pace, only to be stuck in traffic for much of the ensuing miles. One of the crux portions of the course, Race Rocks, is an exposed, rocky ridge trail, which, in the wet conditions, was slick, causing many racers to choose to walk large portions of the trail rather than attempt to ride it, which in turn caused congo lines and frustration for those of us who would have preferred to at least attempt riding. But, such is racing, and, at least I got to ride the final rock roll exit to the trail!

The final descent of the day was completely clear, which meant I got to totally let it go, throwing my trusty little Rocky Mountain Element down the trail and hooting and hollering the whole way. So, so fun!

Results:
GC: 14th
Fox Timed DH: 11th
Weekly GC: 12th

Stage 4: Parksville / Hammerfest

New to BCBR, the Parksville / Hammerfest trails were a good time!

By this point in the week, I was beginning to lose hope that my legs would ever “show up.” I didn’t feel sore or exceptionally fatigued, just felt like no matter how hard I pushed, that I was still slower than expected on every climb. I didn’t actually put the pieces together until the last day of racing, but was incredibly perplexed and frustrated by the contrast between how I felt (surprisingly decent) and the result (very slow). What I realized on stage 7 was that the pre-existing injury to my knee which had prevented me from pushing with my right knee while rock climbing was likely also preventing me from really producing any power with my right leg while riding–meaning that I was effectively pedaling with just one leg. No wonder I was slow.

Regardless of my frustrations climbing, I pushed as hard as I could on every climb, then “gave ‘er the beans” on the descent. I did, however, miss the sign signaling the start of the Timed DH section, and only realized I’d been on it when I saw the finish (oops). Still, I was flirting with my original goal of top 10 in the GC, and, more importantly, having fun!

Results:
GC: 13th
Fox Timed DH: 9th
Weekly GC: 11th

Stage 5: Mount Tzouhalem

For the final three days, we moved to our second base camp, which was in the Cowichan Valley, a bit further south on Vancouver Island.

The trails at Mount Tzouhalem are incredibly fun, but my Strava summary is a pretty good description of how I felt for most of the day: “I feel like I just keep drifting backwards on all the climbing… all the while hoping that my legs will turn on.”

Perhaps most frustrating is that, as a slow climber, I kept getting stuck in congo lines of slower descenders when it finally is time to go downhill. Worse, on a rock roll that started with an up-and-over move, I nailed a tree: a spotter at the top of the roll was yelling “it rolls, it rolls” but neglected to mention that there were several people walking the roll in front of me, so when I came hurtling over the top, only to realize that there wasn’t a clear line, the only option was to skid sideways into a tree in the center of the rock to avoid hitting the two riders below me. Ouch.

After the stage, I was glad to join Emma, Sam, and Tascha for a swim (wade?) in the ocean and some coffee before heading back to base camp. Friends are the real reason for racing anyway, who really cares what place you finish in?

Results:
GC: 15th
Fox Timed DH: 1th
Weekly GC: 14th

Stage 6: Nanaimo

The only thing I remembered about Nanaimo from 2024 is that I liked it. Turns out, that’s probably enough.

As expected, I got dropped like dead weight during the “neutral” road start, but dieseled on up the climb anyway. Being solo off the back of my wave also meant that I saw the biggest black bear of my life cross the trail in front of me!

Once again, my takeaways were those of frustration at my lack of power for the climbs, and absolutely loving the singletrack. The trails themselves were awesome, though this stage did have a lot of gravel connnectors in it, which were less fun.

Results:
GC: 16th
Fox Timed DH: 13th
Weekly GC: 14th

Stage 7: Maple Mountain

I was looking forward to the descent off of Maple Mountain all week, having remembered it as my favorite section from 2024. Upper Maple Syrup starts with several rock rolls, then drops into a steep (dusty) chute, which is just so much fun. Admittedly, it would probably feel very chill on an enduro rig, but on the xc bike, its a bit spicy and a lot of fun.

The climb, too, was probably my favorite climb of the week. It was singletrack, and mostly fairly gradual, but littered with techy rock bits that kept it interesting. (It was while doing some of these rock moves that I realized that, without existing momentum, I was unable to create force with my injured leg).

The course itself was split into two “stages,” with the Maple climb and descent as one stage, an untimed road transfer, and then a gravel/grass final “sprint” stage back to basecamp to finish. Sam and I “party trained” the whole day, which was a super fun way to finish out seven days of racing!

Results:
GC: 16th
Final sprint: 10th
Weekly GC: 13th
Weekly Fox Timed DH: 10th

I didn’t meet my goal of 10th in the overall GC, but I did have a great time with friends new and old! And, who knows, even if I ended the week discouraged about my ability to climb fast (and claiming that I hate to race uphill), maybe I’ll be back again someday–the rumor is that the BCBR of the future will include an enduro option, and I do love some blind enduro stage racing! But for now, it’s time to get the enduro sled out to recover, ride bikes with friends, and get ready for the North American Enduro Cup next weekend!