PedalTrout

They say that what goes around comes around so this month the Propeller Brewing / PedalTrout Rider of the Month comes to us by way of nomination from a past winner, Doug Smith.

Steve Bedard is Co-chair of the Halifax Cycling Coalition. According to Doug, "He's been doing a ton of work on planning and is about to present a proposal to the city for a bicycle lane or path that connects each end of the Halifax peninsula. He also has a small newsletter. He is one of the main people in the HCC." In fact, Steve joined the HCC in 2007-2008 as Director of Education and Advocacy.

While Steve spends a considerable amount of time making things happen with the HCC, he also finds time to pedal his Giant OCR and compete in duathalons and distance running events around Nova Scotia.  The Wolfville native is also on the verge of graduating in Nursing so it's a pretty safe bet that he doesn't have too much downtime on his hands. Despite his serious aspirations and dedication to making Halifax a better place to ride, Steve manages to maintain a wicked sense of humour and can only be described by his friends as "Overall great guy, totally wacky!"

WE can't think of a better bunch of reasons to make someone Rider of the Month so on behalf of PedalTrout and Propeller Brewing, congratulations, Steve! Your Propeller prize pack is in the mail.

Do you know someone who should be the PedalTrout/ Propeller Brewing Rider of the Month? Send us your nomination.

Information submitted by Sue Earle
Photo by Troy Turple

Nearby Town:Halifax, NS
Distance:19 km +/-
Duration:40 min.-3 hours
Skill Level:Beginner-Expert
Traffic Volume:Medium

Summary:An extensive system of technical singletrack offering challenging riding for all levels. Best experience with someone who knows the trails - they are convoluted and can be confusing. Expect drops!

Description:
Looking for the ultimate "Something for everyone" mountain bike experience? Whopper Drop is all that and a bag of Powergels. This trail system offers everything from gently demanding to hair-raising hella-fun in a network of trails that can lead you on a quick 40 minute romp or a 2-3 hour burnfest. You choose the intensity and the pace and Whopper is set to deliver. Mountain bike newbies can cut their teeth on the main trail in Whopper- a granite path with small ledges and obstacles. Following this trail takes you to the powerlines which are not overly technical but offer some power climbs and serious yeehaw descending, a great place to get the feel for your bike. More experienced riders can venture onto one of the side loops- Shawshank, Suzie-Q ad Labrador Pass being some of the faves. These mainly singletrack trails offer everything from flowy speed to drops large and small. They are better discovered and experienced with someone who knows Whopper well.

Directions:
Head into Bayer's Lake Business Park and locate the Burger King and Value Village on Chain Lake Drive. If you're facing these establishments a road to their left will take you to a gravel parking area where the trailhead begins. Cars parked here sometimes suffer smash-and-grabs so you may want to park close to the businesses where your vehicle is in plain site.

Users:
These trails are mainly used by mountain bikers although the odd hiker or trail runner may appear out of nowhere.

Type of Ride:
Many interconnected loops.

Singletrack: 70%
Doubletrack: 30%
Fire Road: 0%