North Island communities make a long day on the bike worthwhile
Published 6:31 am Tuesday, September 22, 2026
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On paper, 1,200 kilometres on a bicycle sounds pretty daunting.
Then you break it down day-by-day, and it becomes a little more manageable. Still eventful, still tiring, but manageable.
Monday (Sept. 21) was slated to be the biggest test of the bunch. The 146-kilometre ride from Port McNeill to Sayward started with the kind of adrenaline you probably need before spending nearly 150 kilometres on a bike.
At Sunset Elementary and North Island Secondary School, students lined the way to cheer on the 22 riders. At NISS, principal Jen Turner welcomed us through a runway of students, with a fundraiser planned that would see students duct-tape her to the front window.
It is not exactly your typical Monday morning at school.
Then came the highway.
There is not a whole lot between Port McNeill and Sayward, so after the school stops and a lunch break in Woss, the day largely became about putting kilometres behind us.
But one of the things you do not fully appreciate before leaving on Tour de Rock is just how many people make those kilometres possible.
Three motorcycles help keep our path clear of traffic. Several U-Hauls carry our gear, food and supplies. A motorhome provides bathroom breaks, an ambulance follows along just to be safe, while a lead car and caboose help keep the group together.
With them, 20 or so support staff making sure everything is where it needs to be. At every stop, our belongings are waiting, neatly placed, while snacks are set out as if we were royalty.
The riders get the attention, but the Tour would not be feasible without the people behind the scenes.
The same can be said for the communities we have visited across the North Island.
As someone who had never travelled north of Campbell River, I have been struck by the character of these towns and, more than anything, the people in them. Each has rolled out the red carpet in its own way.
Tuesday, we head from Sayward to Campbell River, with plenty of school and community stops along the way.
And, selfishly, I am already looking ahead to Thursday.
That is when we ride through Qualicum Beach, past Arrowview Elementary and Kwalikum Secondary School, places I once attended.
I remember being one of the kids watching Tour de Rock riders roll through town.
Soon, I get to ride past them.
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