Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit
Date: June 10-11, 2023
Time: 7:00am Sat - 6pm Sun
Place: Chelsea, Quebec
What is the Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit
The Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit is an opportunity for bikepackers to gather with like-minded people and share in their passion for adventure, riding bikes and spending time in the wilderness. This weekend event will include group rides, bikepacking related presentations, a chance to make new friends and door prizes.
More importantly, this event is designed to cater to people of all abilities. There will be various ride options and there will be no-drop, meaning that everyone will start and finish together. For those new to the sport or interested in learning more, this weekend event will be the perfect opportunity to win some new gear, learn all about the sport and make a ton of new friends.
Event Goal
The Canadian Shield Bikepacking Summit aims to create an environment where bikepackers can share their cumulative knowledge and experience of the sport, a place where aspiring bikepackers can meet and develop friendships, while learning the ins and outs of bikepacking from some of the region’s, and Canada’s, most well-known bikepackers, route developers and bikepack racers. Furthermore, the summit aspires to bring people together in a setting that is inclusive and non-discriminatory, providing equal opportunity for people of all genders, races and cultural upbringings to participate.
Location
The Summit will be held in the beautiful village of Chelsea, Quebec, just north of the city of Ottawa, within the National Capital Region. Chelsea lies on the edge of the 361 sq km Gatineau Park.
Accommodation
Chelsea, Quebec is located just north of Ottawa, Ontario. Within the region there are many accommodation options available such as hotels, motels, BnBs and camping. Some examples to help you make the right booking:
- Hotels/Motels
- Motel Chelsea – 12 minute drive to Old Chelsea
- Lofts du Village – In centre of Old Chlesea
- Many more motels available in Ottawa, Gatineau and Wakefield
- Bed ‘n Breakfasts
- Camping
- Gatineau Park – Located near northern part of Gatineau Park. Must drive around to get to Chelsea
- Wesley Clover Parks Campground – 35 minutes drive from Chelsea
- Camping des Rives de l’Outaouais – 30 minutes drive to Chelsea
- Hostels
- Ottawa Backpackers Inn
- Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel
- Barefoot Hostel – Female only hostel
Family Inclusion
Knowing that some participants might want to make a family weekend of the event and bring their whole clan to the region to explore, I decided to put together a little list of family activities that could be done so that they can be kept busy throughout the summit.
Needless to say, any parents that choose to bring their families will be responsible to supervise them at all times. This is likely not possible if you are coming to the event as a solo parent, but in the event you decide to bring your partner, here are a list of family accessible activities one could do.
- Hike the Sugarbush Trail: easy trail that begins at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre.
- Meredith Centre pump track: a great way for kids to practice their bike handling skills.
- Meredith Centre fields: huge fields for kids to play soccer, baseball, etc.
- Canadian Children’s Museum: An interactive play-based museum for children, located in the heart of Gatineau.
- More to come…
Free Ticket?
Are you a member of a marginalized community?
Interested in learning more about bikepacking and want a chance to attend the event for free?
The amazing bikepacking community has donated tickets for members of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities to provide them the opportunity to learn more about bikepacking.
Fill out this FORM to express your interest in a free ticket.
What's Included
GENERAL ADMISSION
- Presentations
- Coffee/tea
- Group rides (Bring Your Own Bike)
- Meet like-minded people.
- Door prizes
- Vendor booths
Admission $129
Early Bird $99
SPONSOR THE EVENT
- Interested in helping to make this event a success?
- Looking for brand recognition?
- Want to set up a booth and have a chance to promote your product?
- Reach out to me for a sponsorship package
Event Schedule
Saturday June 10th, 2023
| Time | |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Group Ride |
| 9:00 am | Registration & Coffee Break |
| 10:30 am | Welcome Speech |
| 11:00 am | Bikepacking Ontario with Jen Adams & Eric Betteridge |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 pm | Trailside Bike Maintenance with Carl Presseault |
| 2:00 pm | International Bikepacking Adventures with Alex Garcia |
| 3:00 pm | Coffee Break |
| 3:30 pm | Route Planning with Alex Gay of RideWithGPS |
| 4:30 pm | Keynote Speaker - Meaghan Hackinen |
| 6:00 pm | Rendevous at Chelsea & Co |
Sunday June 11th, 2023
| Time | |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Group Ride |
| 9:00 am | Coffee Break |
| 10:00 am | Bikepacking Quebec with Marie-Pierre Savard |
| 11:00 am | Choosing the Right Bike and Gear with Chris Panasky |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch |
| 1:00 pm | First Aid Tips and Tricks with Alexandar Radan |
| 2:00 pm | Mental Mindset with Louis-Phillippe Landry |
| 3:00 pm | Coffee Break |
| 3:30 pm | Panel Discussion |
| 4:30 pm | Closing Remarks & Lucky Draws |
Keynote Speaker
Meaghan Hackinen
Meaghan Hackinen is a bikepacker, writer, and adventure seeker whose two-wheeled adventures have taken her from Haida Gwaii to Mexico’s high plateaus, across Canada and the United States, and from North Cape to Tarifa along some of Europe’s highest paved roads. She is a 4X Everester, as well as a Trans Am Bike Race, NorthCape4000, Alberta-Rockies700, Transcontinental Race, and Paris-Brest-Paris finisher. She holds women’s course records for the BC Epic 1000, The Big Lonely, as well as the World 24 Hour Time Trial Championships. Her debut travel memoir, South Away: The Pacific Coast on Two Wheels (NeWest Press, 2019) was a finalist for two Canadian book awards.
Meet Our Other Presenters
Chris Panasky
Chris began his journey and passion for bike travel in 2012 while living in SE Asia when he decided he wanted to travel but also get off the beaten path and explore the less travelled parts of countries.
In 2018 while bike touring in Northern Thailand, he got the idea to start the Bike Tour Adventures Podcast, a medium which allowed him to stay engaged with the bike touring, bikepacking and ultra-distance cycling communities. In 2021, he created the Canadian Shield Bikepacking Route, which takes riders through a series of backroads, wilderness reserves, provincial parks, federal parks and ski resorts, mixing in rail-trail and singletrack along the way. With the creation of the Canadian Shield Bikepacking Route, Chris saw the need to create something which would highlight the amazing routes developed by himself and others throughout the region and developed the Bikepack Adventures website as a means of sharing these routes. At the end of 2022, Chris rebranded the podcast to bring everything under the umbrella of Bikepack Adventures and decided to create the Canadian Shield Bikepack Summit to share his passion for bikepacking and to foster growth within the community.
Marie-Pierre Savard
Marie-Pierre Savard has been an adventure bike enthusiast for over 10 years. It all started with her first extreme solo trip to Central Asia and since then, her way of thinking outside the box guides the choice of her small and big adventures!
In August 2020, she was the first cyclist to ride Gatineau to Percé on the Quebec Bikepacking Traverse. She is also the instigator of Les Fines Garnottes, a women’s, trans and non-binary gravel and adventure bike collective based in Montreal. In 2022 she rode the Huracan 300 in Florida as training for The Log Driver’s Waltz Grand-Départ, where she set the new women’s FKT.
Even with her bikepacking experience in more than a dozen countries, mostly riding solo, Marie-Pierre sees herself as an adventurer more than an athlete, where achievement and experience is more important than performance.
Eric Betteridge & Jennifer Adams
In 2022 Jen and Eric bikepacked 7000 km including Grand Departs on the Tour Divide and the Log Driver’s Waltz (LDW), and a time trial on the North of Seven 770. In 2019 they were amongst the first few riders to complete the BT 700.
That positive first experience following a curated bikepacking route piqued their interest in route development. Having completed many multi-day bike trips in the Lanark Highlands of Ontario and the Outaouais Region of Quebec they knew they had the “knowledge of place” necessary to create a quality bikepacking route; one that would showcase the region, contribute to the growing bikepacking community, inject tourist dollars and foster connections between locals and riders. Importantly this would be a challenging route that riders from Ontario, Quebec and New England could access without extensive travel. The result was the 800 km Log Driver’s Waltz which they released in 2020. To support rider development they soon added ten shorter, more accessible routes.
Jen and Eric believe there are hidden gems to be discovered in all localities and it is by sharing well curated routes that bikepacking route developers can share this knowledge with riders from near and far. They continue to collaborate with other route developers in Ontario, across Canada, the US and Europe to discuss common challenges and successes and contribute to the greater bikepacking community.
They can be reached via their website.
Dr. Aleksandar Radan
Having completed training in General Surgery, Critical Care and Family Medicine, Dr. Aleksandar Radan has now spent nearly 2 decades as a rural physician in Goderich Ontario with a full scope of practice that includes Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, Critical Care/ICU and Hospitalist Medicine.
During that time, he has used the breadth of experience to also pursue side interests in Sports Physiology & Biomechanics including a SICI (Serotta International Cycling Institute) certification in bike fitting. He strives to apply the highest levels of research and scientific methodology to distill relevant truths for recreational and non-professional athletes to address the common challenges we all face. Alongside busy professional responsibilities he has consistently found time to help numerous local athletes optimize their time, resources and challenges toward personal performance specific goals.
A former bike messenger in Toronto he didn’t own a car for most of his adult life. Currently a STRAVA ‘micro-blogger’, husband, father of 4, hobby farm owner, rural MD, stoic, plant centric foodie, athlete lifestyle advocate & community-based philanthropist; He pursues outdoor adventures that include ultra-running, back-country paddling and exploring back roads and trails in all four seasons from the vantage of a bicycle.
Gifted physician, community builder and sport advocate, Dr. Aleksandar Radan leads the charge on how people engage their bodies and their environment in Southwestern Ontario. Sought out by amateur and professional athletes alike for his visionary mix of philosophy, psychology, spiritualism and science, Aleksandar brings his mastery of human kinetic systems and cutting-edge sport science to people from the couch to the podium, or just out into the wilderness.
Carl Presseault
Carl Presseault is an avid bikepacker, a seasoned mechanic and a gear addict who has worked in the bike industry for over 20 years.
He has dabbled in many types of riding throughout his life, from starting out in BMX to coaching mountain bike, road and track at Bromont’s national centre. Carl got into bike touring in 2014 when he embarked on a six month tour of Europe with his girlfriend at the time. Following this trip he got more and more interested in touring and then in bikepacking as he ventured further and further off-road. His current interest is in combining his love of bikepacking with packrafting.
Alex Garcia-Nguyen
Alex Garcia-Nguyen is a latecomer to cycling, having only learned to ride a bike a handful of years ago, in his early 30s. Alex really likes riding bikes, but he LOVES bikepacking because it amplifies the experience of travel, gets us out into nature, pushes physical and mental limits in a non-competitive environment; and for all these reasons it can be profoundly beneficial for those of us who struggle with mental health.
Alex has participated in grand departs for the BT 700, the Log Driver’s Waltz, and the Wendigo fat bike ultra. He has toured the GNR, the Petit Train du Nord, as well as around PEI. Internationally, he has bikepacked the Great Divide (well, most of it), across much of the Georgian Caucasus, as well as bits of Colombia, Crete, and England.
Louis-Phillippe Landry
Louis-Philie Landry is a husband to his wonderful co-host Vicki and father of two amazing daughters! His proud dad and husband moment is the fact that he left a 9 to 5 job to be able to be the best dad and husband that he could be. He is a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario, Canada and also offers his services in leadership coaching.
People might relate to him as a lifelong athlete from competitive rankings in snowboarding but having found root in cycling in his later years. Cycling is a passion but also a medium for expression and a staple for personal health.
His contribution to Overcome Café is being a co-host, editor, and content creator for the podcast. He also has the role of service provider for their coaching and psychotherapy services. But more importantly, his goals are to help others thrive by better managing their thoughts, emotions, and relationships. The best investment is people and he believes they can inspire you to be the best version of “YOU”.
Stay driven and vulnerable
RideWithGPS
Ride with GPS was founded in 2007 by Zack and Cullen, two friends with a shared love of riding bikes, exploring new roads, and writing cool software. They’ve grown and changed quite a bit since the early days, but the important things remain unchanged: Their passion for bikes, their mission to inspire people to get out and ride, and their commitment to building the very best service for their community.
Our job is to get our users to go on better rides, more often. Zack and I have loved every minute of the last ten years, helping our users with anything and everything, and we look forward to the next 10 years.