Victoria Wheelers, the oldest club in B.C.’S capital
The club of B.C.’S capital
The Victoria Wheelers celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, making it the oldest outfit in B.C.’S capital city. On the club’s website, the Wheelers declares its mission:
“To promote, assist and carry out the use and appreciation of bicycles for sport, recreation and transportation for cyclists of all skill levels and age groups.”
As cycling ambassadors, the Wheelers are committed to the region. Club president Richard Martin says, “I think we are part of a pretty rad cycling community in Victoria; our work and efforts are part of the cycling fabric here.” The club is part of the Victoria Cycling League, an association of clubs and bike shops that holds local races. The year’s cycling events are divvied among the members of the League to organize. One of the League’s bike shops is Victoria cycling institution Oak Bay Bicycles, which has been in business since 1934. The Wheelers also have links to the Element race team, with whom it held a joint clinic and ride on International Women’s Day.
The heart of the club is regular rides. Clad in their distinctive gold, black and white kits, and often sallying forth from Oak Bay Bicycles, you can see Wheelers out on the fast-paced Saturday ride, the less-taxing Sunday social ride or summer’s relaxed Monday Gentleperson’s ride, the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ rides having recently merged. An innovative variation on the Saturday ride is the Sponsor Ride, when the Wheelers visit establishments like Fernwood Pizza Company, Atlas Health Therapy and Discovery Coffee and sample some of the wares. In November 2019, one of the Saturday rides was dedicated to raising funds for a teammate who was injured in an auto accident. Other rides have gathered donations for the Mustard Seed Street Church food bank.
One of the more popular club outings is a spin along the waterfront, heading east from Oak Bay through Fairfield to James Bay. Farther out of town is a rewarding route from Metchosin to East Sooke. The Wheelers also enjoy the Highlands along Finlayson Arm northwest of the city.
The gold, black and white is represented at various races. Wheelers compete against other vcl clubs at the crit series in Windsor Park or races in Newton Heights and North Saanich. Later in the year, Wheelers get muddy at Cross on the Rock up island in Nanaimo. If they want to get especially mucky they can contest the Tripleshot Crossfondo, which is run in the Saanich and Highlands backcountry and includes riding through a greenhouse and fording a water-filled ditch.
Unsurprisingly, the covid-19 pandemic has played havoc with the Wheelers’ 2020. The regular club rides have not been running. “Longer rides planned for Salt Spring Island and the Cowichan Valley are cancelled, too,” Martin says. Club members continued to ride together on Zwift throughout the lockdown.