The Beedie Living Cypress Challenge: Thanks for Climbing With Us
Pouring rain, a cheer station, a mechanical sweep, and a mountain full of riders pedalling for pancreatic cancer research.
A Climb With a Reason
The Beedie Living Cypress Challenge, presented by Glotman•Simpson Cycling, brought riders up Mount Seymour this past Sunday for one reason: pancreatic cancer research.
Since 2008, the Cypress Challenge has raised over $6 million for pancreatic cancer research. Every rider who pointed their bike uphill this year added to that number.
We were there for the climb, not just to watch it.
Our crew staffed a cheer station partway up the mountain, and it did what a good cheer station is supposed to do: give riders a reason to keep turning the pedals when their legs are done arguing with them.
Sunday's rain made that job harder, and more necessary. Riders coming through the cheer station were already soaked, already deep into the climb, and right at the point in a ride where people start quietly negotiating with themselves about easing off.
That's not a moment to go quiet. So we didn't. Volunteers, cowbells, a lobster, and a lot of yelling. Wet gear and grey skies don't leave much room for hesitation when someone's ringing a cowbell in your ear and yelling your name. Riders who looked ready to soft-pedal came through grinning instead, and kept climbing.
That's most of what a cheer station is, and it works, rain or shine.
The Bici Cheer Station Brought the Hype
Keeping Everyone Rolling
Our mechanical sweep team ran the course all day, fixing what needed fixing so riders could keep moving instead of standing on the shoulder with a dropped chain or a flat.
It's not glamorous work. It's also the reason a lot of riders finished the day at all.
What the Sweep Team Handled:
- Flats and tube changes: the most common stop on any climb this long
- Derailleur adjustments: Mount Seymour's grade finds every loose cable
- Quick mechanical checks: riders who wanted a second opinion before pushing on
The Riders Who Braved the Wall
300 riders braved the rain and took on the Cypress Challenge this year. The Bici Squadra was out there with them, mixed in with everyone else grinding up the same climb.
That's the magical thing about this event. It's not really about who's fast. It's about who shows up to support the cause.
At the Finish
By the finish line reception, everyone had tired legs, good food, and a mountain behind them they'd just climbed.
Riders traded stories over food, comparing notes on which stretch of the climb hurt the most and who made it look easier than it was. It's the kind of conversation that only happens after a group of strangers has just finished the same hard thing together.
The award presentation closed things out. It's a quieter moment than the ride itself, but it's when the scale of the day, the riders, the volunteers, the total raised, actually sinks in.
Thank You to Those Who Made This Possible
To the riders, the volunteers at the cheer station, the mechanical sweep team, the Bici Squadra, Cam for running event support, and Ryan and Nic for making this partnership work: thank you.
We were proud to partner with the BC Cancer Foundation to support pancreatic cancer research and care through The Beedie Living Cypress Challenge, presented by Glotman•Simpson Cycling.
Donations to BC Cancer Foundation for pancreatic cancer research stay open past event day.
Make the climb, save lives.
