ASSIGINACK—It’s not yet a well known event but organizers do hope it will grow. There were 14 participants in five teams at the 4th Annual Maclean’s Park Mountain Bike Relay Race on Sunday, about the same number as in previous years. The course is technically challenging but fairly easy and reasonably safe for beginners. The race itself is a six-hour challenge of endurance over six kilometres with little elevation but numerous twists and turns.
It should have begun at ten o’clock but at nine-thirty, only one participant and the organizers were on site. They weren’t concerned, however. “It’s Island time,” joked Alex Anstice, who organized the race this year (and last) with Caroline Black. The riders showed up en masse just before ten.
There’s a lot of work involved in preparing for a race, even for a friendly competition such as this one. Bikes have to be reassembled in some cases, adjustments made to brakes and tire pressure to adapt to the trails at Maclean’s Park. Some riders rode back and forth along New England Road as a warm up.
The race is run in relay format. There were four teams of three riders and one team of two. Each rider on the team completes one loop and tags off to the next member of their team. The first lap is slightly longer for starting cyclists, as they begin from a short distance down Maclean’s Road.
It was Sarah Quackenbush’s first time at the Maclean’s Park race. Her first race this spring was an adventure race using her mother-in-law’s bike. She liked it so much she has since purchased her own. She was happy with her times on Sunday. “This is the fastest I’ve gone,” she said. “Trail conditions are a little bit slippery. This is a tough course. If you’re brave enough to ride this course you can ride anything.”
Randy Peters of Kagawong has been racing since 2000. He has completed adventure races, 24-hour races, and road races. He agreed about the course. “This is a very challenging course compared to some of the courses I’ve raced on,” he said. He considered his aches and pains. “I may have to give up racing soon, but I’ll never stop riding.”
Many riders were groaning even before their second laps. Only one or two wipeouts were reported but there was talk of knees and legs colliding with tree limbs or rocks. Generally there were smiles. These riders were not so much racing against each other as themselves, and they were happy with their performances.
By the end of the day, Alex Anstice and Domenic Girard had out-lapped the competition several times, taking first place after completing a total of 15 laps in 5:51:23. Mr. Girard had the lowest time for a single lap, at 20:33. The team of Lucus Jamieson, Brittany Durdle, and Kevin Roy finished in second place, completing 11 laps in a time of 5:57:31. In third place were Adam Brown, Terry Kay, and Randy Peters, who completed 10 laps in 5:42:57. Third to fifth place times were very close, varying only by seven minutes.
Mr. Anstice and Mr. Girard are members of the Walden Mountain Bike Club’s Wolfpak Racing Team. They described the team as a group of dedicated racers with a good sense of community. There are seven Ontario Cup races from May through September, some very competitive, and they try to get to all of them. Mr. Girard races more frequently, travelling to many southern Ontario and Quebec races as well. They like having this race close to home.
“I try to ride as much as possible,” said Mr. Anstice. “Before a race I try to give myself a few days off, get as much rest as possible. But I’m still a dairy farmer,” he said. “This is more of a hobby.”
This race wasn’t really about the competition. “We’re trying to spark an interest in mountain biking,” Mr. Anstice explained. “We live in a place with really good cycling. Riding trails is good for people and it keeps them in good health.”
While competitive cyclists will pay between $3,000 and $7,000 for a good race bike, Mr. Anstice tells people to bring out their Canadian Tire bikes and just peddle. Trail riding is all about good cornering and staying off your brakes, he said. “What they always say in mountain biking is pick your spot and stay on line.
Ms. Quackenbush’s advice to new riders is to just “go for it. Get together with a group of enthusiasts. Cyclists are a friendly bunch, generally patient with beginners. Really,” she continued, “it doesn’t take long to get comfortable riding on the trails.”
The race was co-sponsored by Lightfoot Bikes and the Township of Assiginack, which owns and manages the park and trail system.
