Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club
| Name | Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club (BSMTB) |
|---|---|
| Type | Trail Association, Club |
| Website |
| Geo | |
|---|---|
| Address |
20
The History of BlackSheep Mountain Bike Club
In 1998, mountain biking was already an internationally recognized sport in its own right. It was an Olympic medal sport, had an international governing body (since 1990 in the USA!), and dozens of national governing bodies all over the world. There were even movies and magazines dedicated to the sport. But Thunder Bay, a place with such great mountain bike terrain, still had no real mountain bike series of which to speak. Sure, there were races every once in a while, but there was little care put into them and the attendance reflected it. Mountain biking, with all of its success, was still considered a "fringe" sport, the ugly cousin of road and touring.
The local high schools had a great mountain biking series, but it ended in early June. Some students would scratch their racing itch during the summer months by travelling south of the border to compete in NORBA and MNSCS races. They would return from these intensely fun, big, well run, well marked, and competitive races with tons of prizes only to get depressed by Thunder Bay's meager offerings.
So, in 1998, a group of high school aged riders started a ten race points series with local shop sponsorship, and called themselves "The Black Sheep" after the 1970s TV show about WWII fighter pilots (and because it sounded cool). It was an instant success. How could it not be?
Fast forward to today...
BlackSheep has changed a lot over the years. Although cross country race events are still our most popular, we run regularly scheduled group rides, a extensive series of social events and maintain/expand the trail network in Trowbridge Forest. Riding is at an all time high in Thunder Bay and you can see 'sheep prints' all over the place. The club currently has over 450 members and continues to grow yearly.
In 2018 Blacksheep also established the Shuniah FORTY Miner XC Marathon Festival. This annual event takes place in September and pits riders against the best of Trowbridge Forest on a course ranging from 22km to 48km. Kinsmen Park hosts a full series of festivities to go along with the race including live music, food & beverages and local business venues.
In 1998, mountain biking was already an internationally recognized sport in its own right. It was an Olympic medal sport, had an international governing body (since 1990 in the USA!), and dozens of national governing bodies all over the world. There were even movies and magazines dedicated to the sport. But Thunder Bay, a place with such great mountain bike terrain, still had no real mountain bike series of which to speak. Sure, there were races every once in a while, but there was little care put into them and the attendance reflected it. Mountain biking, with all of its success, was still considered a "fringe" sport, the ugly cousin of road and touring.
The local high schools had a great mountain biking series, but it ended in early June. Some students would scratch their racing itch during the summer months by travelling south of the border to compete in NORBA and MNSCS races. They would return from these intensely fun, big, well run, well marked, and competitive races with tons of prizes only to get depressed by Thunder Bay's meager offerings.
So, in 1998, a group of high school aged riders started a ten race points series with local shop sponsorship, and called themselves "The Black Sheep" after the 1970s TV show about WWII fighter pilots (and because it sounded cool). It was an instant success. How could it not be?
Fast forward to today...
BlackSheep has changed a lot over the years. Although cross country race events are still our most popular, we run regularly scheduled group rides, a extensive series of social events and maintain/expand the trail network in Trowbridge Forest. Riding is at an all time high in Thunder Bay and you can see 'sheep prints' all over the place. The club currently has over 450 members and continues to grow yearly.
In 2018 Blacksheep also established the Shuniah FORTY Miner XC Marathon Festival. This annual event takes place in September and pits riders against the best of Trowbridge Forest on a course ranging from 22km to 48km. Kinsmen Park hosts a full series of festivities to go along with the race including live music, food & beverages and local business venues.
Nearby Trail Networks
Earn Trail Karma by Donating to the Local Trail Association
help fund trail maintenance and development
Donate
