Ride new trails every week
Collect wildlife icons
Gravel / Cyclocross / All Road / MTB – fun times await!
The Winter GravelQuest — Dec 8th 2025 – Jan 25th Feb 1st Feb 8th 2026! (I can’t do calendars apparently!)
➡Update: The season is complete, but find the Season 1 report here!
Welcome to the all-new Winter GravelQuest, featuring 8 weeks of gravel adventures!
Each week we’ll post two new segments, ride at your leisure, and collect our unique Vancouver Island wildlife icons over the season!
Sign-up form is now active, scroll down to the next section!
How It Works
In a nutshell, two segments are featured every week for eight weeks, and riders can go ride them as fast or slow as they want. The main goal is to (hopefully!) check out some new gravel paths, trails and routes. For each segment you complete, you’ll be awarded a nifty wildlife icon on the scoreboard – try to collect 3-of-a-kind, or all 10 for bonus points!
Occasionally select segments will also be timed – give them a go for some bonus points. Your results and scores are collected here, and will be tracked and updated each week, along with a weekly write-up. You do need a Strava account, but doesn’t matter if it’s free or paid, all are welcome. And jump in any time – join the fun part way through!
If you’ve done our Segment Challenge, or GRAVEL EDITION, this is very similar but with a few fun twists!
Also check out the FAQ, scroll to the bottom of the page to check it out!
Past Seasons (aka Archives!)
The GravelQuest evolved from the Segment Challenge GRAVEL EDITION! If you’re looking for more places to ride, check these out!
- Segment Challenge GRAVEL EDITION Season 3
- Segment Challenge GRAVEL EDITION Season 6
- Segment Challenge GRAVEL EDITION Season 9
UPDATE: Week #3 will run two weeks for the holidays, so the series has been extended to Feb 1st!
Safety is a huge priority of course, and all efforts are made to select quiet paths and trails that are low traffic, but please do not take any unnecessary risks, this is just for fun!
Defending Vancouver Island Wildlife
The Island is a unique place, and the wildlife communities we find here are our original residents, and are in need of our protection! From cutting down forests, to housing encroaching on wilderness areas to climate change, things are pretty rough for them.
This event I’d like to highlight The Fur-Bearers, one of Canada’s oldest wildlife protection charities, that advocates for wildlife on the Island and across all of Canada.
As well each week our email update will include a short section from them, highlighting some neat info on fur-bearers, wildlife and peaceful co-existence.
Six of the species featured in our Wildlife Icons are considered fur-bearers, and make up our Categories for the event. The Fur-Bearers works to protect fur-bearing animals through conservation, advocacy, research and education. Part of the ‘chip-ins’ will go towards them, and consider becoming a member to support their work as well!
GravelQuest Wildlife Icon Credit
A huge thank-you to Segment Challenge speedster and artist (who’s also contributed some of the coolest prizes we’ve had with offers to draw portraits) Louis Fernet-Leclair who generously created the icons for the series – thank you Louis!!
Winter GravelQuest – Rules & Sign-Up
A few rules to try to keep things fun for all:
- Be sure to join the AboutTheRide Strava group if you haven’t already (see button below)
- There’s a full week to complete segments, ride any time you wish, as many times as you wish, if it’s a TIMED segment your fastest result on Strava will be the one that counts.
- Most segments will be NON-TIMED SEGMENTS, and will not feature a time, and all will receive the same number of points (1pt). There will be a few TIMED SEGMENTS – these will be ‘competitive’ and the times tracked, and a few bonus points awarded for the top times (5pts, 4pts, etc..)
- Make sure your ride(s) is ‘public’ on Strava so I can see it in the segment list.
- The hard cut-off is 6pm Sunday each week when I pull the results from the segments, if you upload after that, tough luck!
- The TIMED SEGMENTS are to be SOLO efforts! You are not allowed help! Cannot draft another rider during any portion of a segment. Any riders found to be cheating will be removed from the competition. (It’s fine being side-by-side with a friend however, since there is no drafting benefit.)
- The rest of the NON-TIMED SEGMENTS can be ridden any old way you want, best with friends!
- Bikes: since we’re on trails, anything goes! All-road bikes may work for some segments, but you’re better off on a gravel or cyclocross bike, but MTBs (hardtails or full-suspension) are welcome as well!
- For each segment completed, you’ll be awarded one of our 10 Wildlife Icons at random. (So usually two per week.) Each is worth 1pt. If you collect 3-of-a-kind, you’ll get a bonus 3pts, and if you collect one of each, 5pts will be awarded as well.
- Do not edit your Strava ride files. Do not crop your ride files to the segments. There must be a ‘substantial’ amount of time and distance before and after each segment, so it’s part of a ‘ride’, and not an edited/cropped file of only the segment. This is supposed to be a fun cycling challenge, not a hack-a-thon.
- Safety safety safety – please follow the rules of the road!
There are six different categories, and they don’t correlate to anything! 😂
And yes, it’s totally free!
The segments will be a rich variety of trails – there will be climbs, and some flatter or faster trails. Some will be short, and some may end up rather long efforts! Most will be within 20-60mins riding distance from the Switch Bridge. The segments themselves will normally be nearby each other as well, so reasonable to do in one ride (but not always!)
That’s it, welcome to the series! Note the sign-up form is a GoogleDocs form.
Sorry, but failure to follow these two steps will likely result in omission from weekly results.
** Can you collect all 10? **
Weekly Updates: Each week on Sunday evening I’ll send out an email and post in the Strava group an update with the weekly results and upcoming segments! Sign-up for emails is at the bottom of the page if you didn’t select this option on sign-up. Note: the upcoming segments WILL be updated each Sunday night for sure, so check in the evening if you tend to ride them on Mondays.
GravelQuest Archives – if you missed a week, you can still find all the segments here! The full email Newsletter Archive can be found here as well!
Any questions? Hopefully most questions are answered, but feel free to send a note!
And for those keen on past segments, check the blog posts for previous Season Reports, there’s an archive of all the segments there!
Our Strava Group Stats!
🔥🔥🔥😲🤯🔥🔥🔥
Week #8: Feb 2nd – 8th – A Royally Fine New Trail!
It’s our final week, and we’re headed out to Royal Bay for a real treat! 😊 First up is another little cross-over connector, from Royal Roads over to the beach, then a brand new trail up in the Royal Bay area, the Olympia trail (not sure if it’s got a name, but seems to be it!) Great to see more trail cycling options opening up! And we’ll see the QOM change over a few times I’m sure, as no female riders have completed this segment yet!
And be sure to check the Suggested Routing this week, LOTS of riding options out that way, this is my favourite area of town for gravel.
Segment 8A Name: Enough school for today, let’s go to the beach!
Deets: 1.99km, 6m elevation gain.
This is a new segment, QOM is Claire Townsend with a 5:16 & KOM is D H with a 5:20, and the LL is none! (Reminder these really don’t matter.)
Link: https://www.strava.com/segments/40865966
Nothing too crazy here – we exit onto Heatherbell from the lower south side of RRU (lots of fun options to get to this point, see the Suggested Routing). You’ll work your way across to Pit House Park with some trails there to pass through, and end up at the beach at the end of Ocean Blvd.
If out this way another time, you can also head up the road and come down that steep gravel road, but this is a bit more accessible this time of the year. This also avoids the beach hike if lots of climbing is preferable to a walk on the beach. 😉
Segment 8B Name: Green room pass thru
Deets: 1.70km, 46m elevation gain.
This is an existing segment, QOM is none! & KOM is Mike Wulder with an 8:09, and the LL is Randy Cairns with 1 effort!
Link: https://www.strava.com/segments/40722666
It’s a new trail, and new segment! So new, there’s only FOUR riders on it so far!! I haven’t ridden it myself, but am told by a reliable source it’s perfect for gravel bikes, so here we go! 🚵♀️
After the 8A segment, you’ll want to cruise up Latoria, and there’s a few ways in, but you’ll need to get onto Bezanton Way. Appears the trail begins there, and crosses Olympia Way, and comes out on Gendolynn Drive – we’ve all ridden there, right? 😂
Looks like there’s a little up and down and a few twisty bits, should be a fun surprise for all! (Literally, as no one in the group is listed as having ridden it!) I hear the trail is machine built, so should be a real treat and amazing wrap to the season!
Suggested Routing
Things start in Royal Roads, here’s a fun way in off the Goose that we’ve featured a few times – start with this into RRU: https://www.strava.com/segments/39987188 (it’s a bit tricky at the start, but turns into fun swoopy singletrack once you’re done the climb), and then here’s a great route to carry on with, just be sure to take the ‘exit’ to Heatherbell! https://www.strava.com/segments/40129461
Once you’re done 8A, you’re on the beach, and a bit of a hike-a-bike (unless you have REALLY fat tires!) About 200m down, there’s a trail on the right, here’s a little segment for that: https://www.strava.com/segments/40443910
Enjoy this trail, as I don’t know how much longer it’ll be rideable…you’ll see a portion is getting washed away…!
Once at the top of the Royal Bay Beach on Metchosin Rd, if you’re feeling adventurous, head west towards Pelican, and at the bottom is a pretty cool trail system (Latoria Creek Park) that works over towards Latoria Road. Note that there are a few BIG sets of stairs, and TBH it’s much more fun the opposite direction, but still pretty cool if you’re looking for a longer ride and haven’t seen before.
If you’re in a bit more of a rush, after the Royal Bay Beach climb, just cruise up Latoria to Bezanton Way.
Once 8B is completed, might be fun to double-back (enjoy the trail both ways!) and then head up Wishart to Royal Bay Drive, and jump on the trail there, which reconnects with RRU.
Alternatively, the end of 8B is just a short hop north to the Goose parallel to Happy Valley Rd, and you can head back that way….or even go and revisit Chan Park from earlier in the season! So many options out this way!
Happy riding!! 🚵♀️
Extra Tip: Strava for some dumb reason doesn’t let you save Segments as Routes. But here’s a website where you can enter the segment, and download the GPX file so you can ride it as a route: https://www.doogal.co.uk/SegmentExplorer (Thanks Spencer for the tip!!) Also, if you’re ever trying to find out when you rode a specific road, Find That Ride is an amazing website: https://www.findthatride.com/activitymap
FALL GRAVELQUEST 2026 – Week #1 – Hints
Note: full details will be posted Sunday evening! Hints may change as well..
Check back around September for the start of the 2026 Fall GravelQuest!
Segment 1A: Trails trails trails!
Segment 1B: More trails, but a little road, maybe!
ISLAND WILDLIFE CORNER
Each week we’ll feature a little highlight about island wildlife, thanks to The Fur-Bearers! Consider becoming a member and supporting their work, and check out their socials for lots of great posts about wildlife, advocacy and peaceful co-existence.
Week 8 – Three Ways to Help Vancouver Island Wildlife
More coexistence tips, which allow our communities to live more peacefully with their communities!
1 – Secure Attractants
Keep garbage, compost, bird seed, pet food, and fruit trees managed. Research shows that unsecured attractants are a leading – and preventable cause – of problems for wildlife like black bears and raccoons.
2 – Give Wildlife Space and Stop Feeding
Do not feed wild animals and keep dogs leashed in natural areas. Feeding changes animal behaviour, increases disease transmission, and often leads to animals being labeled as dangerous. Giving space allows animals to forage naturally and reduces stress, especially for seals, deer, and bears.
3 – Support Habitat Protection and Coexistence Programs
Volunteer, donate, or advocate for land protection, wildlife corridors, and local coexistence programs. Also, please support the island’s wildlife rehabilitation centres including Wild Arc, North Island Wildlife Centre, and MARS wildlife rescue.
Photo credit: WildARC
Results!
Below you’ll soon find our results! Note the tabs at the bottom to flip between overall and individual weeks. Please contact me if there are any errors. If a PDF is preferred, simply click here! Here is the full link to the GoogleDoc. (You can view the Notes each week for the Bonus and Curse details, which doesn’t show up in the table below.)
We’ve got a few snazzy draw prizes for the season, thanks to our generous event supporters!
Goldstream Bicycles
Thanks so much to Goldstream Bicycles for donating 10x $20 Gift Cards!
4x remaining (Winners so far: Mark B, Rich L, Joel C, Dave B, Josh D, Lauren W)
Fairfield Bikes
Vegan Supply
Scoring
NOTE: For those who’ve done the Segment Challenge, there are some changes for the WINTER GRAVELQUEST!
Scoring is geared towards rewarding the consistent. Try to make it out every week!
For NON-TIMED segments, 2pts will be awarded to each rider who complete each segment.
For the TIMED segments, points will be awarded this way for each Category for all who complete the segment that week:
1st – 5pts
2nd – 4pts
3rd – 3pts
4th – 2pts
5th – 1pt (and beyond, 1pt for all!)
Vancouver Island Wildlife Icons
These will be awarded for each segment, and you’ll get 2pts for each, plus if you collect 3-of-a-kind you’ll get a bonus 3pts, and if you collect all 10, 5pts!
Bonus Points
There are a few opportunities to score extra points! Since these are awarded to ‘one’ person each week, the rider may be in any Category. Some are random, some you can actually go for.
- New QOM/KOM – (TIMED SEGMENTS ONLY) if a new QOM or KOM is set on the segment, that rider gets an extra 2pts.
- Time Bonus – (TIMED SEGMENTS ONLY) a time will be secretly pre-selected for each segment, any who happen to ride that exact time will be awarded 2pts.
- The Early Bird – the earliest locked-in effort for the ‘A’ segment will get 2pts. (Eg: someone might preview the segment on Monday, and be the ‘first’, but if they ride it again and their final result tops that one, then the second is what counts – sorry, I just don’t want to have to refresh the segment pages constantly! 😉 )
- The Socialite – tag @AboutTheRideCA on Twitter, FB or IG in a post relating to the competition, and my favourite post each week will get 2pts.
- Birthday Bonus – if you ‘lock in’ one of the weekly segments on your birthday, and let me know, and you’ll get bonus points equal to 1/20th your new age! (Note: you have to email me before 6pm Sunday that week so I know.)
- Bonus Segments – some weeks there may be a bonus challenge, it won’t be scored like the others, but a declared number of points will be awarded to all who simply complete that segment.
Help Get Word Out!
Ain’t this more fun with more people? Help get word out! Follow our social channels, and share posts, mention what you’re doing on your Strava rides, invite friends to sign up and join you, get your clubs and bike shops to get word out!
Anything Confusing?
Fire over a note on the contact page if you’ve got any questions, ideas, suggestions, etc!
Winter GravelQuest FAQ
The GravelQuest is a new version of our Segment Challenge GRAVEL EDITION, and will likely replace it moving forward.
The Segment Challenge started on the road, but we also had a gravel edition in the fall for three years as well!
Do I Have to Ride Every Week?
Nope, ride any week or segment that’s convenient for you!
It does make it a bit easier for me scoring if people ride all the segments, but it’s not required.
Is It Free?
Yup, it’s totally free!
On sign-up you can check a box if you want to ‘chip in’ to the series, but it’s 100% optional, and there’s no difference in scoring, prizing, etc..
Is It On Road or Offroad?
Since it’s the GravelQuest, it’ll be offroad! Most trail selections will be fairly tame and not too technical.
What If I Don't Want To 'Race' The Segments?
A big focus of this series is simply exploring new trails. There’s requirement to ‘race’ or give it 100%, tho that’s a fun element for many!
If you just want to join in and cruise each week, please do!
How Long Does The Series Run?
Each season should run 8 weeks, and typically there will be 2 segments a week, but sometimes you might find a bonus segment as well!
Where Can I Find Out About Segments From Past Seasons? (AKA Series Archive!)
Here’s our series history!
Feel free to relive each season, it’s especially fun for the Gravel seasons if unfamiliar with local trails.
- Season 1 – our first season ran 12 weeks, February 27th thru May 22nd, 2023! Here’s a the write-up for the season!
- Season 2 – our second season of 9 weeks, ran June 19th thru August 20th, 2023! Here’s our Season 2 Final Report!
- Season 3 – this was our first GRAVEL Edition! 8 weeks, ran September 11th thru November 5th, 2023! Here’s the Season 3 Final Report!
- Season 4 – back on the road for the spring, March 4th thru May 12th, 2024! Here’s the Season Finale Report!
- Season 5 – the theme was RIDER’S CHOICE! It was awesome, ran June 10th thru August 4th, 2024, and here’s the Season 5 Final Report!
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'Main' is our main update list, with the occasional update, and the other lists are more specific, tied to events or recurring topics.
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