Vancouver Island Bikepacking....

[Vik]

Sooke Mountain Cycle can give you the info about the local trails. I don't think they rent bikes.

Oak Bay Bikes in Victoria rents bikes.  You can ride at the Hartland Bike Park if you are in Victoria. That trail system is well mapped and signed unlike a lot of the island riding.

[vikb]

Here are the URLs for those LBS:

http://www.sookemountaincycle.com/

http://oakbaybikes.com/

Here is the local trail guidebook:

http://freakmaps.com/?product=mountain-bike-vancouver-island-2012

I don't know the riding out in Sooke all that well, but if you wanted some company and can get into Victoria I'd be happy to show you around Hartland Park.

[goldenboy]

Thanks vikb.   That is a great start.  I will do a little more research and may be in touch with some questions.

[vikb]

My GF completed her first ever bike camping trip this weekend.  

http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2013/05/22/sharons-first-bike-tour/



Since she is a member of the Dirty Girlz Cycle Club we stuck to dirt and rode fat tires.  

http://dirtygirlzbikeclub.ca/

[vikb]

I rode a loop between Port Alberni and Cumberland BC this May. Seems like I forgot to post it in this thread.



Trip report is here:

http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/gravel-pimp-port-alberni-to-cumberland-loop-part-1/
http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/gravel-pimp-port-alberni-to-cumberland-loop-part-2/



Photos are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vikapproved/sets/72157633442751545/



I've got a route from mid-island to the bottom mapped out now and ridden.



I've mapped out a route for the rest of the north part of the island, but it needs to be verified and ridden. I'm hoping I can at least recon it on my motorcycle this fall and maybe get out on one more bicycle tour before winter sets in.