Sault Ste. Marie’s multi-day mountain bike classic is back next summer with a new Day 1 format, a heavier focus on singletrack and a simpler travel plan. Crank the Shield: SSM keeps its three-day structure but trades train shuttles and backcountry logistics for point-to-point riding anchored around Stokely Creek Lodge and Kinsmen Park. The aim is the same as always: big northern scenery, community vibes and well-marked trails. With less time spent moving people and bikes.
Founder and race director Sean Ruppel says the redesign came together on his own training rides.
“I was out for a bike ride, and I was riding up towards Batchewana Mountain this past summer, and I thought, wait a minute, we’re all staying at Stokely,” he says. “This is only 15 minutes up the road, and I found a parking area. We can all park here, and we can just do a 25-kilometer hill climb challenge up to the top.”
Day by day — what riders can expect
Stage 1: Batchawana hill-climb opener
Crank flips the script with a race-to-the-summit format on logging roads above Lake Superior. The competitive piece is a roughly 27–28 km uphill effort to the top of Batchawana, followed by an optional timed segment descent and a social ride back to vehicles. Expect around 700 metres of climbing to the finish arch, on-site BBQ and music, and a swim stop at Harmony Beach if conditions line up. The shorter logistics are deliberate: a high-energy start without a long transfer.
Stage 2: Bee Sting and friends
The second day starts from Hiawatha with a neutral roll-out before a new climb to the top of Bee Sting, a 2.5 km singletrack descent that’s one of the longest in Ontario. From there, riders link about 20 km of mixed terrain to the Farmer Lake additions and into the Kinsmen Park singletrack web. Total climbing is targeted around 750 metees with aid stations and finish-line food to keep things moving.
Stage 3: Kinsmen showcase
The finale starts and finishes at Kinsmen Park and leans hard into singletrack. Organizers are targeting about 55 km with 75 per cent or more on hand-built and machine-built trail. Expect top ride the new 2.5 km Mile High Club, which the crew calls one of the best pieces of singletrack in the province. Estimated climbing lands near 550 metres, followed by awards and the Crank after-party in town.
How to enter — packages and pricing
Crank offers three options so riders can tailor the weekend:
Package #1: Full experience: three days of riding, breakfasts and…
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