The Event

Have fun. Support youth. Get dirty.

Sunday, October 20, 2024, 9 am

Victoria’s ONLY mass participation off-road cycling event winds through flowy pine-needle trails and hairpin turns, over hills, roots and rocks, past curious donkeys and horses, and churns through chunky peanut butter mud and puddles. Oh, and maybe a few hike-a-bike sections to keep it legit.

Featuring: The Highlands. Hartland Mountain Bike Park. Vancouver Island Tech Park. Francis King & Thetis Lake Regional Parks. Private property that owners are opening up for this one day.

Worried about how much energy you’ll expend? We’ll keep you fuelled along the route! And when you’re done, there will be food and bevvy to help you recharge!

This event is a fundraiser for the Tripleshot Cycling Club youth cycling program and will support the development of year-round training for 11-18 year olds who train hard and love to compete in cross, road, track and mountain bike at local, provincial, national and international levels. Since 2016, thanks to the generous donations of the participants, we have been able to donate $15,650 of the funds raised to support the South Vancouver Island Nature Trail Society and the South Island Mountain Bike Society, two hard-working not-for-profits that work to connect and build trail systems for all to enjoy.

We respectfully enjoy, as visitors, the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ (Saanich) and lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees) peoples of the Coast Salish Nation. We thank our hosts and honour their welcome and graciousness to those who enjoy the beauty of their land.

Results

2024 long and short course results at webscorer.com/rebeltiming/

2023 long and short course results at webscorer.com/rebeltiming/

Photos from 2024

This year we were pleased to have Kevin Light on board as our photographer. You can download his stunning images from this photo gallery, password “bike”. (Personal use only, please, and credit him if you can.) Here’s a sampling of the shots.

2024 Sponsors

PRESENTING SPONSOR

TRIPLESHOT SPONSORS

Beauregard Cafe (Bicycle Pizza) ~ Jakroo Custom Cycling Apparel ~ Vantage Point Health ~ Western Traffic

DOUBLESHOT SPONSORS

Algi Foods ~ Eclipse 360 ~ Level Ground Coffee Roasters ~ RDH Building Science ~ Spinnakers ~ The Old Farm Market ~ Totangi Properties Ltd. ~ Western Water Associates Ltd. ~ Whistle Buoy Brewing

SINGLESHOT SPONSORS

Eurosa Farms ~ Hertel Meats ~ Innovera Consulting ~ Mosi Bakery ~ Waymark Architecture 

SUPPORTERS

Brentwood Cycles ~ Canadian Linen ~ Capital City Recycling ~ CBC the Hub Country Grocer ~ Eugene’s Greek Food ~ Fairway Market ~ Hullaballoo Café and Ice Cream ~ Oak Bay Bikes ~ Paul O’Callaghan ~ Saanich Fire Department ~ Russ Hay’s the Bicycle Shop ~ Simply Pure Water & Ice ~ VeloFix

EVENT HOSTS

Special thanks to District of Saanich Parks for hosting the start/finish and the following for graciously allowing access along the course: BC Hydro ~ Camosun College ~ Church & State Vineyard ~ CRD Parks District of Central Saanich ~ District of Highlands ~ District of Saanich ~ Town of View Royal ~ Vancouver Island Tech Park ~ 70+ Private Landowners

FAQs

What kind of bike should I use, a mountain, a cross bike or a hybrid?

This course has a little bit of everything! It was conceived to be ridden on cross bikes, so there is nothing too extreme, but there are rocky sections that will push smaller cross tires to their limits. Pinch flats are a definite possibility! If you are riding a cross bike, we recommend a minimum width of 35 mm and a higher tire pressure than you would ride in a typical cross race. Mountain bikes shouldn’t have any problems, but may want to consider a slightly higher tire pressure.

Will the event go rain or shine?

As many riders know, cyclocross goes rain or shine! And in our six years we’ve had typhoon warnings and super hot sunny weather!

What happens if I have a flat/mechanical or medical issues on the course?


On course we will have mechanical support from local bike shops, as well as first aid, and two food stations. But we can’t blanket all 45+ km of trails. So bring a spare tube and pump at a minimum. A multi tool and emergency energy bar would be a good idea, too. And don’t forget enough water for a two- to four-hour ride. Also if you are the type, e.g. can fix a flat, who can offer help to a fellow rider, please ensure you have a mask and hand sanitizer if a fellow rider needs mechanical assistance in between mechanical stations.



Is there a time cut off for the long course?


Closer to the event we will publish the cut off times. If a rider doesn’t make the cut off times, they can still continue on the ride, but there will not be traffic control. If a rider needs to drop out for any reason, you must advise one of the volunteers. If a rider doesn’t cross the finish line we will have to look for that rider, possibly even calling in search and rescue. If we send out a search party and you are not lost, you will be charged for all search costs.

Is the map published in advance so I can test the course?


Nope, there isn’t one! That’s what we mean by “uncharted”! While many of the trails you will be riding are on public land, the western part of Greater Victoria is a hodge-podge and there is no way we could string together an enjoyable course without crossing private land. Private land owners have been very gracious in allowing us access to their properties so that we can minimize the amount of road riding you will have to do. Thank you for respecting our land owners’ generosity by not riding on their private land before or after the event. Furthermore, at least one trail we have been given permission to ride in Thetis Lake Park is not normally open to bikes. When riding in Thetis (or the adjoining trails in Francis/King Park) please only ride on trails approved for bike access. Doing so could jeopardize our ability to run this event again and trail access for bikes in general. Rest assured the 2022 route will cover some of the previous years’ trails with some added surprises!

Highlights from 2016-2023