Looking Ahead
July 4–7
Sea Otter Canada
The Otter is migrating north. A group of passionate Canadian cyclists are bringing the Sea Otter vibe to Blue Mountains, Ont., and are building a festival inspired by the event in Monterey, Calif. “The Sea Otter Canada really is a celebration of everything cycling, no matter your level and ability,” says Jesper Wahlberg, organizer with the event. “We will have races and rides for all abilities.”
Most activities at Sea Otter Canada are based in the expo area. It’s where you’ll be able to check out gear. There will be all kinds of bikes to try out: mountain, road, ebikes, gravel and commuter. You can also grab local brews and some grub in this section.
Much of the racing and riding starts and finishes in the expo, too. It’s the best place to catch some of the cross country and dirt events. Do check out the XC short track elite race. For competitions that rely more on gravity, there’s the Air Downhill on the Blue Mountain Resort jump trail. The Norco Canadian Enduro Series has a stop here, which is also a qualifier for the World Enduro Series. Rides for curly-bar types include a gran fondo with distances of 40, 80 and 120 km and a criterium. (For more on the Scarecrow Gravel Ride, head to p.45.)
The Hub and Spoke rides are for cyclists who want to pedal and explore. They will take you to craft breweries and distilleries, and also feature live music and tasting menus. For the kids, there’s a pump track and bikes for the little ones to demo.
“We love the communities that are created through cycling,” says Wahlberg. “The Sea Otter is really about giving the thousands of cycling communities that we pass while we’re out riding a great festival to bring us all together and to celebrate our mutual passion for everything cycling.” ( seaottercanada.com)