Crank The Shield is BACK for 2024!

With a whole new format!

August 16 - 18, 2024

3-DAYS OF RACING

A multi-day point to point stage race with food, chip timing, medals and more!

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY

A cycling odyssey through stunning norther Ontario countryside!

FINISHER PRIZES

Finisher medals, T-shirts, socks and more!

VIP SPOTS AVAILABLE

50 VIP spots available with accommodations!

ABOUT CRANK THE SHIELDA Multi-Day Mountain Bike adventure that some ride, some race, but all conquer!

People travel from all across North America to be a part of those who hold the honour of Cranking The Shield. Crank participants describe the courses as the best they have ever ridden anywhere!

Crank the Shield offers a unique experience to riders from across North America. This is Eastern North America’s most challenging and popular mountain bike stage race that combines amazing food over the duration of the event, cabin accommodations, baggage transport, event goodies, great aid stations and some of the best and most rewarding days you will experience on a bike. Riders will also experience some of the best mountain biking Eastern Canada has to offer!

What you get!

3 days of EPIC riding in the Canadian wilderness

Camping (Bring your own tent) & RV parking

Incredible food to keep you fueled throughout the event

Chip timing

Finisher medal

Event shirt, socks & other goodies

Award ceremony feast

1 free beer each day (courtesy of Outspoken Brewery)

Parking

Bag transportation

Entry for special draw prizes

Friends for life

What's new for 2024?!

MORE great singletrack – a new format without the long backcountry Stage that we used to start with. While it was epic, those sections of unique backcountry are largely private property and are becoming harder to access.

Race only category – with the race starting and finishing within 25 minutes, and no need to bus riders and bikes to the start, you can decide to do your own thing – camp, get a hotel room at our host hotel, the Holiday Inn, and maybe even bring the whole family! With a race only, camp and eat, and VIP spts available, there is now more ways to CRANK with us!

3 unique days of ridingThe flavour of each day of crank the shield is like going through a history of the sport!

STAGE 1

Stage 1 is essentially Stage 2 from the last two Cranks! We start with a loop that comes back to Stokely! While the former wilderness Stage 1 was 75km, Don’t let the 52km stage fool you – there is a TON of climbing, some amazing, tough singletrack and even a swimming hole at the 35km mark! Summit King mountain – one of Ontario’s highest peaks – and enjoy the aid station before you continue on one of the coolest trails you’ve ever seen!* An awesome singletrack decent caps off an epic day of riding before a refreshing dip in the crystal clear waters of Stokely Creek!

*As long as we don’t get 120mm of rain two days prior (2022)!

STAGE 2

Our second stage is what was traditionally the third – the day starts with a now 13km neutral ride. Yes, we will have a new climb to the top of the famoush Bee Sting 2.5km Singletrack descent! This fun, technical trail is perhaps the longest singletrack descent in Ontario! After Bee Sting, 20km of mixed trail links riders with the newly created farmer lake trails, and a portion of the established singletrack cornucopia at Kinsmen Park! With all the new trail initiatives that have happened over the last two years, we have switched up the days to allow a full day of Singletrack BLISS on Stage 3!

STAGE 3

Everyone, including the town of Sault Ste. Marie is super excited for our all new Stage 3! This will start, and finish at Kinsmen park, and feature over 75% amazing, world class hand and machine built singletrack over 55kms! Some trails may be reused from the prior day, but ridden in reverse, while the entire Red Pine section and many of the amazing, fast bermed trails will be featured for Stage 3!

Finish off the event with the final Awards Ceremony, some great food and beer – but save some room for the famous Crank the Shield SSM after party at the Heritage Bushplane Museum!

Download Schedule

AccomodationsParticipants will enjoy the warm hospitality of northern Ontario

Participants can break up their travel and book-end the race weekend on Thursday and Sunday night at the Holiday Inn Express Sault Ste Marie. Special rates are available for the race weekend! Racers can stay the weekend there or set up a tent at the Stokley Creek Lodge for the event days – Friday and Saturday. Day one and two both end at Stokley Creek, making it the perfect basecamp for your race weekend! It’s also where 50 VIP riders will be staying!

Stokely is located in the Algoma Highlands, just north of the U.S. border in Goulais River, Canada. Near the shores of Lake Superior, Stokely has perfect terrain for outdoor fun. 100 kilometers of trails traverse to the highest peaks of King Mountain and cross the valley and creeks below.

Note: Holiday Inn is our host hotel for the weekend. Click the link below for special race-weekend rates!

Holiday Inn

WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY

“A thoroughly satisfying test of your mental and physical strength, that you can share with the whole family. Sean and his amazing team of volunteers did an awesome job!!!”

The Clarks

‘Crank the Shield was an event to remember! Rocks, water, beer, dropper seat posts, and friends… this event had it all and kept me smiling for the whole three days of riding. It will forever be Ontario’s most legendary race!’

Erica

‘Crank has been on my list of must-do events for years. I got to take in the awesome accommodations and experience the unreal beauty of the Lake Superior region first hand. I’ll be back and suggesting it to all my friends!’

Matt

“I’ve raced Crank twice and it’s hands down some of my best memories on two wheels! The courses were always amazing, just challenging enough and made for great stories while hanging around each evening between stages!”

Jay

Our SponsorsThanks to our great sponsors! We are also working with the Quebec Singletrack Experience to offer discounts to anyone doing both events, so contact us for more details!

Have questions?We’re here to make Crank The Shield the best experience you’ll have on two wheels! Please feel free to contact us if you need any further information.