| We are . We make cycling better through advocacy, education and celebration.  More cycling means healthier, happier, more connected communities. We're leading the way in making cycling an attractive choice for everyone. Each month V.I.A. provides a platform for us to bring you something awesome involving cycling in the city! |
Words by Kristin Lillyman
Riding around on the bike lanes and pedaling up the hills of Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»may make you stronger than you think. But strong enough to ride your bike all the way from Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»to Whistler?
I had the chance to chat with Heather Harvey and Arno Schortinghuis about their experience in the , which they both completed without any training. That’s right, no training, other than their regular day to day cycling, around lovely Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»of course.
It was the week of the 2012 GranFondo, many cyclists from around the world had been training for months to prepare to ride the 122 kilometers from Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»to Whistler. The GranFondo, which translates to “big ride” in Italian, involves several grueling and scenic hill climbs up the Sea to Sky highway. With the ride a few days away, Heather, HUB’s Membership Coordinator, and Arno, the former President and a current HUB board member, received news that they could have passes to participate in the GranFondo. With little time to train, they both decided to jump on the opportunity and just go for it.
Arno’s story
Arno, at age 66, had never participated in a ride like the GranFondo before, but he does have some big rides under his belt. He rides his bike an average of 70-100 km per week around Vancouver, has completed a bike tour from Jasper to Calgary, and he also rode 160 km to celebrate his 60th birthday. Impressed yet? Arno says he has been “riding a bike before he was born.” I laughed, but turns out he was born in the Netherlands, his mother was riding her bike while pregnant, and Arno actually does not remember a time when he wasn't riding a bike.
The Tuesday before the ride, Arno tested out his legs and his 1985 vintage racing bike by riding up Taylor Way in West Vancouver, a tough climb and he realized that he needed to get some lower gears. Arno finished the hilly ride and loved the “incredible number of participants who all enjoy cycling,” along with the lack of cars on the road, so “you don’t have to worry about traffic or stop lights.”
Heather’s story
Heather on the other hand, had participated in the GranFondo as a volunteer in 2010, and participant in 2011, but as much as she enjoyed it  couldn't quite justify fitting it into her 2012 budget. Thinking she was not going to participate, she didn't train and with her hectic work schedule the week of, she “did nothing to prepare,” other than removing her fenders and rack. Heather does put in some decent km in her regular life, and rides the Adanac bikeway almost daily, biking between 60 – 120 km per week riding to work.
Heather’s initial goal was to cross the start line after experiencing some trouble with her 2008 Norco Kwest touring bike the morning of. She hopped on her steel frame bike anyway, and not only crossed the start line, but finished in under 6 hours, just 7 minutes behind Arno. She finished the ride with both her and her bike in one piece, and she even beat her 2011 time by almost half an hour! Besides finishing, the highlight for Heather was “reaching Horseshoe Bay as the sun was rising with no cars on the road, just people on bikes.”
Advice
When I asked Arno and Heather for advice for someone who was thinking about doing the ride next year, their advice was simple – and didn’t involve a fancy plan or equipment. “Take your time and enjoy the ride,” Heather suggests, “don’t stress about it, just do it.” Arno encouraged people to do a lot of riding before the event, adding that “the most efficient way to do it is on your everyday trips,” and also “don’t be afraid of hills!”
Advice taken. I am officially inspired and perhaps I will see you both on the Sea to Sky next year!
Not sure where to start? How about during Bike to Work Week from October 29 – November 5! Go to to sign up now.
Follow HUB on and !
