July 12th, 2010
Nimby and Test of Metal - By Graham Bottomly
It’s summer of 2010, and in order to kick-start my second summer season of biking in Whistler, I entered myself for two cross-country mountain biking races in the Sea to Sky corridor. The two races were the inaugural Nimby Fifty in Pemberton, and the infamous Test of Metal in Squamish. Sign up for the Test of Metal is almost as much as a challenge as the race itself, with this years 800 places selling out in under 25mins, on New Years day. Nimby Fifty however was a late entry for myself, with my co-worker Luke bringing it to my attention in early April.

Nimby Fifty was the first of the two races on May 29th. Based in Pemberton, this race is centered around epic BC single-track with minimal road or fire roads. Being the inaugural race, and one of the earliest races of the season in the Sea to Sky corridor, Nimby Fifty caught the attention of many big name riders primarily from greater Vancouver and Washington State. This unforgiving race tested every aspect of mountain bike racing, and taught me a lesson or two in biking. I rode my Specialized Stumpjumper Elite, very similar to what we rent out of Whistler Outback Adventures and was an ideal bike for the race. The Stumpjumpers are equipped an adequate 5 inches of both front and rear suspension for the descents, and this is also adjustable which assisted me in the grueling 11km climb that is “Big Nimby”. I had entered Nimby Fifty in order to initiate my summer of biking and it certainly provide me with some extra motivation to get out and ride. It was also a great practice for my next, and longer race, the Test of Metal.

Coming into the Test of Metal I felt a lot fitter and confident than the Nimby Fifty three weeks prior. The 67km long Test of Metal was a much larger event, and unlike Nimby Fifty, for this race the weather was on my side. The evening prior to the race saw an epic thunderstorm, and we woke up to a perfect blue sky, with the temperature in the mid 20’s. These conditions left Squamish trails in ideal shape. Setting off to the sounds of a full marching pipe band, and a police escort heading north along Highway 99, the Test of Metal fully met my expectations. The climbs were long, but the descents were oh so sweet. What truly made this race for me was how involved the population of Squamish was. They lined the climbs at the feed stations, and cheered us as we pushed our limits on their technical descents. Finishing this race was a relief however I beat my expected time which was a great feeling.

Now in early July and in full swing, my thoughts are looking towards one of the worlds best bike festivals that is Crankworx!! I’m particularly excited about the Ken Quon XC race, and also the Canadian Enduro both of which I plan on entering. Looking forward to lots more time in the saddle. - Graham