A Trace Report
2025 Trace Pacifique
Ride dates: May 2-3, 2025
by Gary Baker

I had a dream for a 'Dream Team' to ride the 2025 Trace. The team had a name, the 'B Team. Sadly it didn't workout so I had to go to 'Plan B', build another team, which also became the team name. The response to a 'Hail Mary' post to the club googlegroup.com site literally blew me away. Within minutes I had responses from Deirdre Arscott, Ross Nichol, and Barry Chase all multi finishers of PBP. OMG! This was going to be fun as I have ridden dozens of Brevets with all three over many years. Then too my surprise there were no more requests to join my team, NONE! Actually a good thing as I would have said, "Sorry, the team is complete."

As the Fleche/Trace event organizer I had received an unsolicited inquiry asking about doing the ride. The inquiry intrigued me, there was a return Tel # so I gave Robbie a call. The short 'Bio': He had never done a ride longer than about 125km., he said he had done the Sea to Sky' Grand Fondo multiple times at 'speed'. He was rather apprehensive about completing a 200km ride (but wanted to give it try). I told him I'd try and find a team doing a Trace ( doing a Fleche was not something he even considered), with riders that I thought would be suitable to his speed. While there wasn't one so I invited him to join my team of 'anciens'.

The plan was to do the ride as an all day ride on Saturday.The other Trace teams elected to split their ride doing some of the distance between 4pm and 9pm Friday and the balance on Saturday. They partied and slept Friday night, how civilized. Sheryl and I invited the 'Plan B' team members to 'Rando bunk' with us at Cultus Lake. Our house is small, even by Cultus Lake standards, but couches, foam mattresses and Thermorests spread about the house worked out.

We started our ride at 7:30 AM with a light tailwind, heading out on side roads east of Popkum. From there it was back, west, to the Matqui Flats area then south to Zero Ave with furious head or cross winds for over 70kms. Brutal! Thankfully, we escaped the heavy rains endured by the Fleche riders through the night, we did have intermittent light showers.

Around the 80km point Robbie had an epiphany, an eureka moment or perhaps he just got bored with the slow pace. In hindsight it was as if he suddenly realized riding at a slower pace his butte hadn't got as sore as on his 'fast' rides and that he had the energy to easily ride 200+kms. Throughout the remainder of the ride he drifted ( virtually spirited) ahead of the group then turned and rode back to the group...repeat!!!! Any attempt to stay on his wheel on these solo sorties was futile.

Once heading East again we had 40km+ of wonderful tailwinds, much appreciated on the 7km 'hidden' climb up to Thompson Regional Park on Chilliwack Lake Road. On the return ride down that 'hidden' incline neutralized that damn headwind. We now had another 20 km of that great tailwind out to Rosedale, our last 'extrema' control, with about 13km of that nasty wind in our faces back to the finish point at the Coast Hotel. Total ride time 12hrs 2 minutes. We were the last team to finish, bikes to the storage area, quick showers, and we joined the other riders ( and guests) for a well desired dinner. The summary....GREAT FUN!!!

P.S. Now I'm torn. I'd really enjoy fielding this team again next year (hint), but I still long to create/ride with my 'Dream' team. It's doable with 3 singles and 2 tandems, I can provide one.....😉!