News: 2017 Schedule

UPDATED:  MARCH 17, 2017)

It’s time.

It’s time for Team Colin to push a little bit harder.  With that in mind, when I registered for the 2017 P2A, I registered for the full distance.  And I’m terrified.  I usually do the half distance (St. George to Ancaster) and that always gives me a fair dose of doubt and anxiety.

And then, when I registered for the Homage to Ice (Dan Marshall’s first XC Marathon race of the year), I chose to do the full marathon distance.  On a single speed.  By the way, my single speed has an aluminium fork.  Yeah, no squish for me.

Why am I doing this?  Why is it time?  Because.  That’s the answer.  Because.

Because I want to finish a race and not have to say “I did the shorter distance”.

Because when I wake up on a race day, I want to make that day as awesome as possible.

Because my legs and lungs are screaming at me to PUSH.

Because.

So, I’m doing those races in April, plus the rest of the XC Marathon.  I’ll try to get to at least one O-Cup this season.  I love the Single Track Classic and Great Albion Enduro.  I’m game for the Kawartha Lakes Cycling Classic again this year, and I’d like to try to find the time to do a road race.  I’ll probably only get to one O-Cup, but I listed all the dates just because.

But wait there’s more.  Ontario is about to get a whole bunch cooler, with Dan Marshall’s, Substance Projects Stuporcross series.  Two big, boss, gravel races:  The Eager Beaver, and the El Bandito.  Awesome.

The cycling scene in Ontario is alive and well, and I am going to do whatever I can to experience as much of it as I can.

I’m going to kick off the Spring season on March 31, with the second “Team Colin Day, um, Night at Joyride 150” (more details to follow), and the season ends at the Toronto Bike Show and Sale, on October 14.

Here, for your reference is a calendar of all the 2017 races that I could/might/want/try to do, and YOU should definitely do.  Each race that I’m currently planning to enter is in BOLD.  The first race of the season is the Tour of Pelham (on April 2), then the Steaming Nostril (on April 9), followed by the Long Sock Classic (on April 15), and Hell of the North (on April 16). The first O-Cup is at Woodnewton (on April 23), followed by Paris to Ancaster (on April 30).  I’m planning to do the Steaming Nostril (Runny Nose distance), the full Homage to Ice, and Paris to Ancaster.

There are also a few Demo Days and such, but I don’t think the dates are finalized.  I’ll update this list when I find out.

2017 Race/Event Calendar 

March

  • March 31:  TEAM COLIN DAY, UM NIGHT @ Joyride 150

April

  • April 2:  Tour of Pelham @ Niagara on the Lake
  • April 9:  STEAMING NOSTRIL @ St. Jacobs
  • April 15:  HOMAGE TO ICE (Substance Projects XCM #1) @ Dufferin Forest
  • April 16:  Hell of the North @ Ballantrae
  • April 23: O-Cup #1 @ Woodnewton
  • April 25:  KING WEEKLY SERIES.  Every Tuesday until September @ King City
  • April 30:  PARIS TO ANCASTER @ Ancaster

May

  • May 6:  DMBA Demo Festival @ Durham Forest
  • May 7: O-CUP #2 @ MTB Kingston
  • May 13:  Epic 8 Hour @ Mansfield
  • May 20:  LONG SOCK CLASSIC (Substance Projects XCM #2 )@ Ganaraska Forest
  • May 27:  SINGLE TRACK CLASSIC @ Hardwood Hills

June

  • June 3:  THE HUMBLER (Substance Projects XCM #3) @ Northumberland Forest
  • June 11: O-Cup #3 @ Horseshoe Valley
  • June 18: O-Cup #4 @ Hardwood Hills
  • June 24/24:  24 Hours of Summer Solstice @ Albion Hills

July

  • July 9: O-Cup #5 @ Buckwallow
  • July 15:  Summer Epic 8 Hour @ Hardwood Hills
  • July 22: EL BANDITO (Substance Projects Stuporcross #1) @ Port Hope
  • July 29: O-CUP #6 @ Albion Hills

August

  • August 12: EAGER BEAVER (Substance Projects Stuporcross #2) @ Collingwood
  • August 26:  KAWARTHA LAKES CYCLING CLASSIC  @ Lindsay
  • August 27:  O-Cup #7 @ Sir Sam’s
  • August 27:  Grease Monkey @Paisley

September

  • September 2:  KINGSTON TROPHY (Substance Projects XCM #4) @ MTB Kingston
  • September 16:  GREAT ALBION ENDURO @ Albion Hills
  • September 23:  Fall Epic 8 Hour @ Hardwood Hills

October

  • October Something-or-other:  SAUSAGE SUIT ITT @ Dufferin County Forest
  • October 14:  FALL BIKE SHOW AND SALE @ Toronto

Most, but not all of these races are on the OCA website.

Here are some links to race organizers:

To help you organize a few of the big series, here’s a list of race series that I love:

Substance Projects XCM (presented by Cycle Solutions)

  • April 15:  H2i (Homage to Ice) @ Dufferin County Forest
  • May 20:  LSC (Long Sock Classic) @ Ganaraska Forest
  • June 3:  Northumblerland Humbler @ Northumberland County Forest
  • September 2:  Kingston Trophy @ MTB Kingston (Glenburnie)

Substance Projects Stuporcross (presented by Cycle Solutions)

  • July 22:  El Bandito (Port Hope)
  • August 12:  Eager Beaver (Collingwood)

O-Cup

  • April 23 @ Woodnewton
  • May 7 @ MTB Kingston
  • June 11 @ Horseshoe Valley
  • June 18 @ Hardwood Hills
  • July 9 @ Buckwallow
  • July 29 @ Albion Hills
  • August 27 @ Sir Sam’s

Weekly Series (usually May to September)

  • Tuesday:  King Weekly Series @ Centennial Park (King City)
  • Wednesday:  Spoke O Motion Weekly MTB Race Series @ Coulson Hill
  • Wednesday:  Superfly’s Wednesday Night Race Series @ Albion Hills
  • Wednesday:  Trek Wednesday Night MTB Series @ Hardwood Hills
  • Thursday:  BikeNXS Durham Forest MTB Race Series

Phew, that’s one heck of a long lost. Better get training.

Ride.

 

PS

Did I miss something.  If you want to comment, add a race, or say something to me, you can comment below, or send an email to:  teamcolinblog@yahoo.com

Published by teamcolinblog

I am a 50 year old father of two. I know, right? Half a century. I work full time, try to parent as much as possible, and I ride as much as I can. These days, it seems I ride gravel more often (an Ibis Hakka), but MTB has my heart, and when I ride a mountain bike, it's usually my Trek single speed (which is currently being warrantied for a broken frame), or my Norco Revolver (with gears). I live in Toronto, Ontario, and when there's a race, I do it. I've always had a bike, but I only started RIDING about ten years ago. Cycling (and writing about it) has changed every aspect of my life. I'm writing this blog because a few good friends suggested I share my cycling journey. I'm not sure where it's going, or who reads it, but I gotta say it's been one heck of a ride.

5 thoughts on “News: 2017 Schedule”

  1. That’s a lot of racing! Kudos! I’m not sure where I’ll be joining you yet. At least Steaming Nostril and P2A. And one, maybe two of Dan’s gravel classics. We’ll see how my season evolves!

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  2. Colin you’re stepping it up a notch! Glad your aiming higher this year Colin. I hope to be there for your full marathon finishes.

    Myself……. I’ve only rode twice since the new year. Ten km scares me right now. No fire in my belly to get out there either.

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