This past week I spent with my good friend Dean Payne (BC Bike Race) in his hometown of Ontario. Our goal was to participate in the 3-Day Crank the Shield Mountain Bike Race held in the Haliburton Forest through the Canadian Shield. Crank the Shield is also the only multi-day mountain bike race in Eastern North America and it does not disappoint with epic climbs and descents, punchy terrain and mud bogs so big a guy like me can disappear in them!
Our adventure began as we picked our mini van from the airport and made our way to Buck Lake to stay with Dean’s parents. They are like my own parents and fed us well for the two days leading up to the event. Buck Lake also provided us with some amazing swims!
A day later we were on the start line of the race leaving the comforts behind as we rode into the twisty single-track trails of the Haliburton Forest. Each of the three days consisted of 80 kilometers of dirt roads, atv paths and sick muddy single track, yummy!
Dean and I found our pace which allowed us to enjoy the terrain and for me to capture it through video. We also met up with awesome friends Bob Miller (course designer) and Trish Westman who I go way back with in Adventure Racing.
By the end of Day 1 Dean and I were keen on some beers and the awesome boyz at Shimano (Ben, Phil and Andrew) dialed in our rides for the next day. Each night we stayed in kid’s camps that nestled along the lakes that litter cottage country and dined on amazing food. Actually the food at Crank the Shield is the best race food I have ever experienced!
After three days and 250km of racing Dean and I crossed the finish line with big smiles on our faces. Our bikes ran flawlessly and our bodies left every ounce of energy out on the racetrack. It was now time to sit back and enjoy a beer with friends.
Thanks to Adam and Sean Ruppel for having the BC Bike Race Boyz at your race, we look forward to it next year. If you are looking for something a little shorter than the BC Bike Race or a multi-day race to start out with then look no further than the Crank the Shield 3-Day MTB Race. You will not be disappointed!