Does the old theory on a breakaway’s advantage still hold within today’s data-driven races?
THE SCENE
Last season, Sarah Hornby took on 10 bikepacking routes set out by her late husband Ryan Correy. Correy, a driving force behind bikepacking in Canada and the U.S., died from cancer in April 2018. He left behind a manuscript for Bikepackingin thecanadianrockies, a guidebook that’s scheduled for publication this year. In the fall of 2018, Hornby decided to ride all of the routes in the manuscript. It started as a fun project, but it became much more.
Soon after, Hornby connected with Jeff Barlett, photographer and Canadiancyclingmagazine contributor, and a film idea began to develop. In early May, the short film Choosingtol ive was released, produced and directed by Barlett and Matthew Clark.
The routes required long days of riding on rough terrain and hike-a-bikes up forgotten mountain passes. It was tough. “I think that was really good, though,” Hornby said referring to the difficulty of the rides. “I knew Ryan’s mentality with riding. He would often say that it doesn’t have to be fun to be fun. He got a lot out of a challenge. That wasn’t something to steer clear of. It helped me to understand him in that way a bit better and toughen me up a bit, too.”
The people Hornby rode with also gained insights into Correy. “There’d be something in the guidebook that would say, ‘4 km hard uphill,’” she said. “They’d say, ‘Oh no. If Ryan says it’s hard, we’re in for a treat.’ It was endearing to hear people who had never met him get to know him through the book, and see his personality that way.”— MP