With events like the BC Bike Race, there’s no middle ground about whether residents think it’s good for the community to host it or not.
If you’re a mountain biker, it’s the greatest thing in the world and nothing can be said to change that opinion.
For those who aren’t into mountain biking, a segment of the population will always say the opposite that the cons outweigh the pros no matter how convincing an argument to the contrary someone might present.
That’s about where we’re at with Crofton as a base camp for the event for three days this year. BC Bike Race officials want to come back next year, possibly for a day less but that won’t be determined until definitive plans are made.
BC Bike Race officials are under no illusions that the community is somehow 100 per cent on board.
“Not everybody’s happy and there’s lots of moving pieces,” said Andreas Hestler, a co-founder of the race.
An economic study will be done, he added, and findings delivered to North Cowichan council.
“We want to do the science behind it,” said Hestler. “We want to be a good partner.”
It would be both a subjective and objective evaluation.
Those aspects are mainly pertaining to tourism – what it means for the wider Cowichan Valley region to have people from around the world here and the likelihood they’ll come back as a long-term boost for the economy.
Some of the more vocal Crofton merchants like Cedrick’s Coffee House let it be known on a Facebook post it was great to meet bike race participants and have them in town.
The network of trails developed on Maple Mountain in Crofton and Mount Tzouhalem in Maple Bay are attracting mountain bikers from around the world for recreational purposes and to enjoy other aspects of the region while they’re here. The race will surely boost those numbers in the future.
One of the main concerns people have expressed about mountain biking here is leaving Mount Richards alone, with plenty of trails now for the BC Bike Race to utilize.
It will ultimately be up to North Cowichan council to see if all conditions have been met this year based on the best information before issuing the necessary permits again.