Alberni Bam Bam
Trial
THE ROUTE
Follow the Alberni Bam Bam
Four stories. Five riders. One long way around Vancouver Island.
The Long Way Around
The journey begins with a ferry crossing, remote logging roads, coastal forests and the first long push south.
Next Stop
Port Renfrew → Bamfield
The journey continues soon.
Next Stop
Bamfield → Ucluelet
The journey continues soon.
Next Stop
Ucluelet → Nanaimo
The journey continues soon.
RIDER 01
THE ZAPPER
Jonathan Caron
Bringing horsepower, humour, and just enough e-bike assistance to make everyone else suspicious. His MSR titanium cup, clipped neatly to his saddlebag, also became an unofficial rock collection, bear bell, and group entertainment system.
If there's a harder way through, we'll probably find it.
RIDER 02
The Risk Factor
Dave
Approaching the route with enthusiasm, questionable judgment, and a strong belief that things usually work out if you keep pedalling.
Dave provided one of the trip’s more memorable moments by launching himself over the bars near Coombs in pursuit of Finnish mustard.
The mustard was still worth it.
Worst case, we end up with a better story.
RIDER 03
The Calm One
Monica Lopes
Bringing the calm confidence every bikepacking group needs when the route gets rough, steep, loose, or questionable.
Monica had arguably the best bike setup for the trip, which became more obvious every time the road turned into something less like a road.
You don’t have to rush to appreciate where you are.
RIDER 04
The Spark Plug
Lisa Fitzgerald
Powered by candy, optimism, and muscle memory from years of ultra-distance events.
Lisa was the inspiration for the whole debacle, which means everyone had her to thank when the route was beautiful, and everyone had her to blame when it was not.
She kept showing up with a smile, even when the rain, gravel, and long days gave her plenty of reasons not to.
Adventure starts the moment things stop going perfectly.
RIDER 05
The Navigator
Kim Lewis
Map Designer, route decoder retired triathlete, too bad about her choice in shoes. Kim was the strongest rider on the trip and the person most likely to turn a short ride into a time trial. She helped keep the group pointed in roughly the right direction, even when the route disappeared, the map got creative, or the forest disagreed.
Every bikepacking trip needs a Kim.
The route is part of the story, not just the way there.
ROUTE NOTES #01
What We Learned Packing the Alberni Bam Bam
A week on Vancouver Island quickly teaches you what earns its place in your kit and what doesn't.
- 01 Bike Multi-Tool & Repair Kit
- 02 Compact Tent or Shelter
- 03 Thermarest Parsec Sleeping Bag & Thermarest NeoAir NXT Pad
- 04 Swagman Bikepacking Bgs
- 05 Water bottles and MSR MiniWorks Water Filter
- 06 Layered Riding Gear
- 07 Candy, lots of candy
- 08 First Aid Kit + Bear Spray
- 09 Lights & Headlamp
- 10 GPS Navigation
Bikepacking has a habit of revealing which gear choices were optimistic.
ALBERNI BAM BAM
EST. 2026
THE KIT
Gear That Made The Journey
The products that carried us through 506 kilometres of gravel roads, ferry crossings, coastal weather and everything in between.
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