The Triple Crown: BC Riding

[AngryScientist]

Just thumbing through the 'net and found this gem:

https://www.rapha.cc/ch/en/stories/r...e-triple-crown

Now I know everyone is different, and appreciates different aspects of cycling, but this short hits on a lot of things i love about riding bikes.

wonderful stuff IMO.

anyway: i'm scheming up ideas for 2020. has anyone done this route, or part of it?

The Triple Crown is loosely defined as the summiting of Vancouver’s Seymour, Grouse and Cypress mountains in one effort.

[Black Dog]

I did those summits way back in the 90’s and still
Remember the ride and the views. Like having the alps in you back yard if you live in Vancouver.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

I did those summits way back in the 90’s and still
Remember the ride and the views. Like having the alps in you back yard if you live in Vancouver.

want to do them again this year ?

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

want to do them again this year ?

Haha. Don't tempt me! Would love to head back to BC for some riding.

[d_douglas]

Ive never done the full three consecutively, but Ive climbed and descended all three at various times and it’s pretty amazing. I was just up Cypress Mtn two weeks ago to go tubing with my kids

Vancouver itself is a spectacular city and it’s even better in the summer. Cycling is only a small part of what’s great about the city. I lived there for a decade before moving to Switzerland and then when moving back to BC, I chose victoria for family reasons. Vancouver is still a great place to visit for us (and you).

[geordanh]

A local classic! Doubtful I could carve a day to do the full thing but if you pm me before you come up could send you some of the gravel links between the three mountains. There’s a full dirt triple which is best done on an mtb but doing 1/3 or 2/3 on dirt is super fun on a drop bar bike with 35ish and up tires.


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[rain dogs]

I've done a lot of climbing of those climbs having grown up and lived in Vancouver.

I've done the triple, the full triple and I "Everested" Seymour in 2006.

The road triple is a good day out but it's the "road-only" triple which goes up to the base of Grouse, where the road ends and the Gondola begins.

The full triple (in that vid) is doing grouse from the back side - the gravel road which climbs to the top of the mountain (another ~650m gain)... people debate whether taking the gondola down is 'legit' or not.

What I've never done is the gravel triple, which a couple of buddies of mine just did last summer!

They're not the most beautiful or hard climbs, but Seymour is tough and it's a pretty amazing day out. Awesome views at points.

[dancinkozmo]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Just thumbing through the 'net and found this gem:

https://www.rapha.cc/ch/en/stories/r...e-triple-crown

shot on the one sunny day raincouver gets every year...

[aharbutt]

I've done the gravel triple and it's a big day out. They got permission to take the gondola down, but you normally can't, and I found descending the gravel side of Grouse the hardest part of the day.

It's a route I'd recommend. It's hard enough to be a challenge while still being enjoyable.

[d_douglas]

In the dead of summer, it’s pretty consistently great weather. Some days are stunning, some are just nice.

Riding right now requires plenty of rain gear

[hmai18]

I'm a Vancouver local, so those climbs are staples and have done the roadie triple crown at least once each summer.

If you're planning on doing it, the recommended order is Seymour > Grouse > Cypress. Most folks start with Seymour because the average grade is steeper and things never really relent and then traverse the west to finish with Cypress since it's less steep and levels out on a few of the switchbacks.

[robertbb]

I'm from Melbourne but like many young people in Oz I spent a Winter after I graduated Uni (college) living on the slopes in Whistler. Then lived in Vancouver for about a year all-up.

Smoked enough BC bud to kill a small horse. Or turn it into a unicorn.

That was 2005.

Amazing place, really special time for me. I wasn't yet into cycling unfortunately, I only got into it the year I got back to Melb in 2006.

Would love to go back, say hi to some old faces and do the triple crown.

[Black Dog]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

want to do them again this year ?

When are you planning on heading out?

[VanBikeGuy]

I'm fortunate to live in Vancouver. Never done the triple crown, but Cypress many of time. It's a great climb of the 3 local mountains, but most people just go on the road. I've never seen the gravel route. Looked in the video like they climbed up from the road and decided to gravel ride some of the ski slopes. Pretty cool, but I'd be done after the 3rd climb.