This past weekend we were lucky enough to partner with and attend the Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit for the 2nd year in a row. While MyVeloFit attended the event last year, it was my first time attending not only this event, but a bikepacking event specifically. I was truly blown away by the community and amazing people both attending and presenting at the event. Here is my story from the Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit.
A Grounding Experience
For me personally, the event became a form of recentering myself in the world of cycling. A large amount of my experience in cycling has been spent on the road, and in road racing specifically. I’ve spent almost all my time at crits, road races, time trials, and focusing on the intricacies of training plans or shaving grams to reach peak performance. I’ve spent time in cyclocross and mountain biking, but again, generally focusing on how fast I can possibly go. In recent years as I’ve come to terms with not becoming a pro and having lost the desire to lose skin on the road, it’s been hard to find what drives me on the bike.
Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was get home as fast as possible from school, jump on my bike, meet friends, and ride our bikes in random directions all throughout the neighborhood and local trails. All we cared about was exploration and having fun on our bikes until dinner. My bike was a symbol of adventure and freedom, and the bikepacking summit reconnected me with that passion for my bike. Listening to the presenters and other riders share their adventure stories reminded me that bikes are the perfect tool for simply exploring the world around us and enjoying being on the bike.
It doesn’t always have to be a race, or be about having the perfect bike and gear. Just being on your bike, taking in the world around you, and seeking new roads and experiences is such a cathartic experience. While I’ll still always enjoy going fast and the performance aspects of cycling, the world of adventure within the bikepacking community is restoring a balance to my perspective. I can’t wait to get back to the childhood excitement of my own adventures on the bike this summer.
Enough about me though, let’s get into some highlights from the event!
Canadian Shield Bikepacking Highlights
The event had an incredible lineup of presenters who shared their stories and a wealth of learning from their experiences to pass along to everyone attending the event. There is truly no knowledge like experience, and it was invaluable to learn firsthand from people who have bikepacked all around the world.
Remarkable Stories
Dominick Menard shared his story of riding 25,000kms from Victoria, British Columbia to Patagonia. There was a ton of knowledge he was able to impart onto us of all the intricacies of his experience. He shared lists of what he started with, and what he removed or changed throughout the journey as he realized what actually made sense. I highly recommend checking his YouTube channel to learn all about his experiences.
Dominick Menard on route from Victoria, BC to Patagonia
Eliane Trudeau shared her stories of riding a fixed gear bike both across Canada, and across Europe on separate occasions. It was a really refreshing reminder that you can accomplish most things on any bike without needing every perfect piece of gear. She also followed up her experiences with launching the bike brand, Memento Cycles, specializing in custom frames to tackle all of the unique adventures you can have on a bike. One of their bikes went on to win the 1st place prize at the 2024 Philly Bike Expo!
Eliane from Memento Cycles with their award winning bike.
Robert Biron, a.k.a. Salty Beard, shared his bikepacking experiences in tandem with his experiences producing YouTube content for his channel. Louis Philipovitch from Panorama Cycles shared her stories of re-orienting her career driven life to a life of adventure with some epic rides around the world. And Carl Presseault, one of Ottawa’s top bike mechanics, led a workshop on the common bike fixes all bikepackers should know in case of emergency (to be honest, this workshop is needed regardless of cycling discipline).
Long Hours in the Saddle
I knew that bikepackers covered massive distances on their bikes over extended periods of time on the bike, but this event really put it into perspective for me. Hearing how riders were putting in 7-8 hours on the bike, on a daily basis, sometimes for multiple weeks/months, drove home the importance of being comfortable on the bike. We got to chat A LOT about bike fitting and how these riders spending big hours on the bike can optimize their position. While of course their bikes and gear are important, bikepacking is truly a marathon and not a sprint. The most important thing is being able to be comfortable on the bike and actually physically last the duration of the trip. It was an amazing experience getting to help riders so they can reach their adventure goals.
Justin running a bikepacker through a bike fit.
Community
The event had quite a wide range of experience from people who’ve ridden The Great Divide, to people who are new to bikepacking and just looking to get started. Everyone at the event was incredibly warm and welcoming regardless of experience or knowledge. The days started off with a group ride on the local gravel roads of Wakefield, Quebec, where I could see firsthand both the joy of being on the bike and kind guidance from more experienced riders to newer riders. Each day there was constant transfer of knowledge and stories throughout the entire event.
I’d strongly recommend attending this event if you ever get the chance, even if your goals on the bike aren’t solely bikepacking. I can assure you that there is fun to be had hanging out with fellow cyclists and soaking up their energy towards adventure. And if you can’t make it to Wakefield next year, then check out the local bikepacking community around you as I can promise you that there are few people friendlier than the bikepacking community.
Celebrating at the end of an awesome weekend!
In summary, the weekend was a great lesson in the importance of adventure and exploration on the bike. It doesn’t matter what type of bike you ride, or what your destination is, but always remember to be present, and take in the experience around you on the bike. There is nothing like the wind on your face and the freedom from turning the pedals.