Photos and Text by Loïc Olivier
We’ve got a micro adventure planned for today: we’ll meet up at Meech Creek, in Gatineau Park, ride the trails all the way to Wakefield, grab a bite to eat and packraft down the Gatineau River all the way back to Chelsea.
I grab the Chic-Chocs and secure it to the roof rack of the car. Alpacka raft, life jacket and paddle are thrown in the back of the car and off I go. Things are looking up! The sun is bright and the weather is slowly rising. It’s after 10am, let’s hit the trails!
The trails that we plan to ride today are relatively easy. Between Meech Creek and Wakefield, it’s doubletrack all the way up the 50s (trails #50 and #52). It mostly goes uphill in a straight line, and it goes downhill the exact same way. The trails can get a little rough. That’s where the Chic-Chocs truly shines.
With a bit of technique, I can ride over everything. Climbs are slow and steady and I can easily lift the front end of the bike despite having a packraft strapped to the handlebars.
The trails get steeper as we get closer to Wakefield. Holy fast downhill!! Once we reach the bottom of the hill, we take the highway underpass leading us to the Wakefield Mill. We continue down Mill Rd. for a few hundred metres and end up on Riverside Rd., Wakefield’s main drag. It’s sunny and warm outside. We park our bikes in front of Kafe 1870, grab a seat on the patio and swiftly order food and drinks. Damn, what a glorious lunch.
We could sit here all day but the truth is, we came to town for another reason. We saddle up and ride to the public dock so we can float down the Gat! We unpack our gear and quickly inflate the rafts. I remove the Chic-Chocs’ wheels and attach them to the bike frame, which is then attached to the bow of the boat. I settle in. The water is nice and cool. Time to slowly paddle our way back to Chelsea.
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Taïga
Mountain BikesFree shipping on the Taïga. Promotion runs until May 10. Canada and USA residents only. ''The Taïga is a worthy adventure bike through and through. It is perfectly set up for some trail shredding straight out of the box.'' Read the complete review HERE. In between a trail bike and a multi-day adventure bike, the Taïga has multi purposes. Take it on your local mountain bike trails, or for a bikepacking outing in the more rugged backcountry trails. Our selection of Reynolds 725 tubing gives this frame just the right amount of suppleness and responsiveness, while keeping the weight reasonable. A 67deg steering angle and 75deg seat angle strike a balance between modern and progressive geometry, without falling into an overly radical design. The 435mm chainstay length offers a centered position on the bike (front-center versus rear-center ratio), and can be increased for even greater stability when a rear rack is used. * Complete bike (starts at $2949 CAD) * The frameset (carbon fork) comes with wheel axles, headset installed, seatpost collar and frame protectors. (1649$ CAD) * The frame only option comes with the rear wheel axle and seatpost collar. (1199$ CAD) * The Rohloff option comes with the Speedhub 500/14 A12 DB PM black, the 180mm rear disc, the shifter and everything needed to install the hub on the frame. (+1899$ CAD)1,199$ – 3,548$ (CAD) -
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Forillon
Factory Outlet* New bike. Only size small left. Please refer to the component list for specifications. The Forillon is your best ally for cycling around the world. It is designed to be ridden efficiently on a variety of road types, while remaining stable and easy to handle when loaded with all your luggages. It's easy to see why the family behind the Terra Tributa project made these their bikes of choice for their nomadic lifestyle. Strength and reliability are highlighted in the choice of components. The 36 spokes double walled with reinforced eyelets rims paired with 700x44mm tires and the Microshift transmission offering an immense speed range of 585% are perfect examples. The Reynolds 525 steel tubeset as well as the 4130 steel fork have been selected to maintain excellent stiffness once the bags and panniers are added. Features such as the addition of extra spokes mounts, integrated kickstand plate, multiple mounts for bottles, front and rear racks and fenders make this a true Swiss Army knife for on-the-go travel bike.2,039$ (CAD) -
Thru axle – Front wheel
PartsThru axle for the front wheel. Bolt-on type (no lever), install with 6mm hex key.40$ (CAD) -
Boreal Pinion
All Terrain Touring*** In stock. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery (custom paint). After conclusive tests on the 2500+km Baja Divide in Mexico and during the TransBoreale expedition (complete winter crossing of Quebec from south to north), the Boreal Pinion bike is offered in a limited series. Each bike will be painted to order, making it completely unique. The Boreal Pinion is designed to carry its rider with confidence on journeys and expeditions around the world. The frame and fork are robust, and the components are extremely reliable and low-maintenance. The highlight of the Boreal Pinion is the Pinion drivetrain. Combined with the Gates carbon belt, it is virtually maintenance-free and extremely durable. The performance of the Pinion internal gear system is unsurpassed, while the wide range of gear ratios is exceedingly large (600% for the C1.12 model - other models available on request) and each gear is evenly spaced. For half-road/half-off-road touring, 29x2.0 (700x50 equivalent) tires will provide an optimum ride. For off-road use, 27.5" tires of equivalent diameter, i.e. 27.5x2.6, are the appropriate choice. The two 32-spoke wheel options (for greater durability) are offered with the purchase of the complete bike. In both options, no lack of mud clearance while the frame and fork can accommodate 29x2.8 tires. *The frame/fork+Pinion set comes complete with Pinion C1.12 drivetrain, forged aluminum crank arms and shifter. Wheel axles, installed headset, seatpost collar and frame protectors are also included.4,399$ – 5,999$ (CAD) -
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Chic-Chocs 2023 – New
Factory Outlet* Brand new bike, ready to ride. Few units still available. The Chic-Chocs has proven its abilities over the past few years in endurance races and winter expeditions. Whether it's for the Raid du Fjord, the Wendigo Ultra, or riding with confidence on groomed trails, the Chic-Chocs delivers. A stable geometry with a long wheelbase increases traction and flotation on soft surfaces. In addition, the Chic-Chocs is designed with a 205mm q-factor, the narrowest available for use with tires up to 5" wide. Not to be overlooked for an ergonomic position. Two Shimano drivetrains available with RaceFace cranksets and cockpit. Quality SunRingle rims and hubs (ready for -30degC!), and studdable tires that can be easily converted tubeless complete the package. Throw on some 29x3" wheels when the snow melts, and you've got a 4-season bike ready for backcountry bikepacking trips!2,699$ – 2,799$ (CAD) -
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Traveler Hat
ClothingSlip this cap into your bike bags, and keep it stylish around the campfire!34.99$ (CAD)- 6-panel cap, without structure (ideal to pack into bags).
- Blue color: fabric made entirely from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Each cap uses about 3 bottles, which have been recovered from our environment.
- Olive color: 100% ripstop cotton
- Adjustable strap and plastic buckle (convenient to be attached to a bag)
- One size fits all
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T-Shirt S24O
Clothing"S24O" (aka Sub 24h Overnighter) is, in the jargon of the bikepacker, an adventure of less than 24 hours including an overnight stay. The definition of micro-adventure!30$ (CAD) -
Katahdin
Gravel BikesThe first generation of the Katahdin has proven itself both in races, gravel events and in bikepacking trips. For its second iteration, the Katahdin gets a makeover with progressive gravel geometry and new features to make it even more versatile. A relaxed 70deg steering angle, longer reach, 75mm bb drop and 430mm chainstays increase the wheelbase of the bike and place the rider in a stable and comfortable position. The goal is less fatigue, and more speed for long outings and / or races. The internal cables for an adjustable seat post, the fork adapted to the use of a dynamo hub, a threaded bottom bracket shell and all the mounts necessary to install bags and accessories are among the features of the Katahdin. The frame is dressed with the Hunt wheels fitted with Maxxis Rambler tires, as well as the Shimano GRX 12 speed groupsets (offered in 1x or 2x), which make for a versatile and efficient bike.2,699$ – 4,099$ (CAD)