False Spring and Saturday Adventure

 

Well, its been a frustrating month here at Fritterz HQ in Revelstoke. What started off as a month of promise and sunshine has devolved into the classic false spring mess, where snow, sleet, rain and large temperature swing have made the only defining consistent weather characteristic is it being inconsistent. Thus is the time of year where the biggest training gains can be found, especially if you want to brave the cold and/or the wet

Despite the weather however, Spud and I have been putting in more and more time in the saddle, trying to continue to build up towards race season. With May races looming for both us, despite the differences in the race types we're tackling the sense of urgency has started to ratchet up. For me, stop one of the 2025 season is the A Good Ride 100km course, in Chilliwack, while Spud is taking on the Buckshot bikepacking race in Kamloops. As the sense of urgency goes up, so does the need to try and find bigger and better loops. 

While Revelstoke may not be quite at 100% bike weather right now, the surrounding areas are. So, the last few Saturdays have included trips to Vernon/Kelowna as well as a long loop around the Kamloops area. Its not to say we've been ignoring the riding in Revelstoke, sandwiching these out of town adventures with a great ride up Highway 23 North and a multi lap effort of Airport Rd in the rain. The out of town rides however, have captured the imagination a bit more. So far, the Vernon-Kelowna-Vernon loop packed in some KMs and gave us the opportunity to use the rail trail to get back on dirt. Meanwhile, the highlight was a route stolen off of some locals in Kamloops, serving up some big climbs, twisty descents and some amazing views of the landscape in the interior grasslands. 

Starting in Chase, we took the bridge over the north end of town towards Pritchard, crossing ranches and massive dairy farms before turning over towards Duck Range Rd (A personal favourite highway sign of mine when driving Highway 1). What came next was the first staunch climb I've tackled all year, a 8.5KM paved climb that, at its most cruel point, went past a rodeo with a delicious smelling fry truck (we didn't stop however). Coming back down after that and heading towards Kamloops we thought we were in for a cruisey pedal, nevermind the 5 minute flash snow we received on a day that was supposed to be warm and sunny. Turning back through Kamloops and bit of lite, unplanned trespassing to connect our route, we were home free on the way back to the car in Chase. Knowing that its just the early season, this still felt like a loop that is begging to be returned to and ridden again.

Ultimately, the long rides have been the highlights of the early riding season, and just the right building blocks to be able to get the best going for the upcoming season. They have not only served out what the spirit of Fritterz is supposed to represent, which is admittedly a loosely formed "race" team that mostly wants to go ride bikes and eat junk food with friends, but also a great opportunity to find some variety in our riding and explore around our home as well. 

 For me, I'm riding distance and elevation quite similar to my planned races this year, and is a good barometer of not just how I feel on the bike, but also how to find the groove of easing into a race effort and being able to push with fatigue in the legs. Meanwhile, for Spud, the rides serve as prep before his first massive effort of the season, the Hurt'n Albert'n in order to dial in his setup for the Buckshot, dialing in nutrition, accessories and bag/bottle placement. Despite the rev up towards race season, these Saturday adventure rides are definitely here to stay. 

 

If you're around and want to join us for a Saturday ride, drop us a message on our Instagram and ask us what we've got cooking up