Cycle Canada 2009

Okay so I'm going to combine these two days together because in the end they kind of were; however I'm not sure how much I can actually remember being so tired by the end of it. Waking up in the tent there was a constant dripping sound, it wasn't heavy enough to be rain so it was a bit confusing. It turns out there was a pretty heavy covering of fog and it was just water dripping off of trees, so with yet more slugs I packed up my tent and headed off. The cycle through the fog was actually quite nice and it burned off as the day continued. Heading east there was quite a nice tail wind and again with the smooth roads my progress was great. It's really handy here too because there are signs every kilometer like 100, 101, 102, etc so it's easy to tell where a junction is. There was a great Service station at about 300km where I got a good salad and then (seeing as they offered) I bought a big desert too. The cake was gigantic with heaps of cream so it was a pretty hard cycle from there on feeling pretty full up. As I began to head south though the winds made it quite hard to cycle but I pushed on none the less. It was nice as the evening came in because the scorching sun finally began to cool off a bit. By the evening I had covered a full 106miles; but that wasn't me done yet. The route I took meant that I had to take a ferry across to Nova Scotia so I got some chicken nuggets to eat and took the ferry which left VERY late. We arrived at Nova Scotia at 2am in the pitch dark and I felt knackered!! Despite looking for a motel they were all very expensive and I didn't fancy putting my wet tent up in the dark. So, like a typical Canadian, I headed to Tim Horton’s :P after a chocolate milk and doughnut I figured I may as well just go for it. It was about 3am by this time and the only light I had was a mini back one and a torch so cycling along was... challenging. There are hardly any towns about and loads of signs saying 'no services on highway' so it made it very difficult to cycle. The roads are quite smooth though so that was some consolation. After about an hour of cycling though I had major doubts about whether I could manage it so when I saw a sign for a campsite I decided to just head there. I turned off and couldn’t see anything but there was definitely a sign saying something was along here. Anyway, it was pitch dark and I couldn’t see ANY lights. The road I was cycling was called Bear Creek and it began to get very scary so I figured that my only option would be to head back (at least 2 miles) and continue. I was able to but definitely felt like I was falling asleep and the weird animal noises certainly didn’t help the way I was feeling. It wasn’t until about 5:30am that it began to brighten up slightly so it was quite a challenge. Once daylight came there were continual doubts in my mind about whether I could actually make Halifax; 260 miles without sleeping, was my body really able to do that? I stopped for lunch in a small town about 2 miles off of the highway and just got supermarket food. Looking in a mirror in the toilets I looked very ill, my face was completely white and rather than having bags under my eyes they just looked really thin. By this time I was maybe 100miles away though and it was only 9 o-clock so I was going to go for it. It wasn’t actually too bad although the heat was a killer in the afternoon. After battling through the tired phase and reaching the adrenalin stage I pedaled quite fast though. The roads to closer to Halifax actually become really long and steep so it was challenging but I pushed. Entering an area just outside Halifax there were big signs saying no cycling, but I….. didn’t see them. Thankfully it was ok and after 36 hours of cycling I finally made it to HALIFAX!!!!! What a great sense of achievement, relief, and happiness all in one. I reached the youth hostel, lay down, and slept.

These 5:30am starts can really start to get a bit tiring. Was yawning all morning but luckily it wasn't windy and vecause there were clouds it wasn't too hot so fantastic weather for cycling. Unusually it was quite warm too although there was some spray from the wet road it wasn't too bad. At about 10 o-clock I tweeter that it was good weather for cycling; well straight after that guess what..... it started to pour. Now I'm not talking a small rain shower, or very heavy Scottish rain, this was like someone spraying a hose on you're head when it's set to jet. Never in my life have I experienced anything like it. the thunder and lightning was incredible too and by this stage the roads were so wet most cars had pulled over obviousley feeling it was too dangerous. When your on a bike though stopping just makes you lose body temperature so I pushed on and had the time of my life. It was warm, I was going fast, and I had the biggest smile on my face. Just incredible. As fast as it started though the storm stopped and the sun was unbelievably hot. Two extremes in one day meant that in the afternoon I had to take a detour to fill up on water. Let me tell you NOT to detour through Medictic, although there is a 2mile hill down to the service station there is also one up. But it meant I got to stop there for a while, get some snacks, and phone home. After the climb back up I was quite tired so stopped at a campsite 20miles on. I'm the evening after I had had my shower and was heading back to my tent I got to witness the most unreal lightening. I couldn't hear any thunder so it must have been quite far in the distance but for around half an hour there were constant flashes lighting up the dark sky and forks snaking in between the clouds. It looked amazing.

Expecting rain again this morning it was actually quite nice to wake up to fog. And a warm bed! The wind had died down a bit too but seeing as the Grand Prix was on, well yeah you can tell where my priorities lie. So I sat in my motel room until about 11 watching that then heading off in the rain I began to regret it slightly. However, Lycra seems to be the solution to heavy wet shorts and the rain didn't seem to cold. So I figured I would maybe be able to make it around 80miles. My progress in the morning was quite similar to what it usually is, just generally feeling a bit weak. As I passed into New Brunswic though I met a guy outside the tourist info who was also cycling across Canada. He looked quite a bit fitter than me and with no panniers to carry (he had an RV) was clearly a lot faster. He offered to ride with me for a while though and to be honest I think it was one of the best 30miles of the trip. I think that when you're on you're own it's easy to get into a bit of a rut. You think that you're pacing yourself but actually you may just be going slow. Partly with adrenalin, or maybe just because we were talking so I wasn't feeling the pain so much, my legs suddenly came alive. We flew allong at 20mph and despite the rain were smiling the whole way. The roads in NB are amazimg too with extremeley wide hard shoulders which are super smooth. In the end I made it 106miles before finding a place to stay so itbwas fantastic on a day where I started so late.

Slugs. Are. Yuck. Not particularly nice to wake up and find slugs crawling all over the tent (outside obviousley) so I had to spend the first half hour trying to flick them all off. It was raining outside too so everything was soaking wet and the headwinds, well, I'll talk about them later. It turns out that half a mile down re road there was actually a motel so that might have been a nicer sleep than the constant sound of rain. The terrain is pretty similar to what I have already had with lots of hills but there aren't as many trees and the place isn't nearly as built up. It's was almost like being back in the praries at some points with the towns seeming quite industrial and far apart. The rain aswell was absaloutley freezing, everything gets drenched and with wet close rubbing across your body it really begins to get quite sore. After about 30 miles the winds really picked up, to unbelievable levels. It was just not possible to cycle in and too cold too. The next 20miles were torture with an average speed of around 6mph. Eventually I came across a tourist information centre so stopped there and got information on motels. After that I headed across to a restruant to get warm. It was actually a pretty cool place, an almost rustic feel. The pizza (first one i'v had in a month) was square which was odd bit it was really nice. So still wet, still cold, and feeling tired I headed out again and tougher it out to river-de-loup. Now they don't tell you that when you get there there is a very steep three mile hill to the motel so it was quite a challenge. Made it to the motel at about 5 though so it was a nice early retirement for the day. And they actually have a tim hortons right next to it. Perfect.

Surprisingly my leg didn't feel sore at all this morning. Must have been all the pasta :P it was a good start to the morning with some really nice sunshine and great roads to cycle along. It's quite nice because there are houses and villages lining the roads the whole way allong so you don't feel too alone. From the campsite though I could see a cloud of smoke in the distance and getting closer I realized it was a barn on fire. I stopped to watch what was going on and it was actually quite interesting to see how the Canadian fire service works. In the UK you would expect firemen on the scene in minutes but an hour after I saw the smoke there didn't appear to be anyone there. It turns out that they were actually behind the barn talking but didn't seem to be putting it out. It was a bit like a town event where everyone stopped there cars at the side of the road to watch what was happening and most went to the cafe to get a coffee for the show. So after about an hour I continued on into the headwinds. Thankfully getting closer to quebec the shielding of the city made it a bit easier. It was really nice the route takimg me through an almost traditional french town area, quite grand too. After crossing the river though there were a LOT of steep hills which was challenging but fun. Later in the evening I felt pretty tired so stopped (sillily) for some chips which isnt thIne best fuel to cycle with. It began to get a bit foggy in the evening too so at about 7 when it was already pretty dark I tried to look for a campsite but there didn't seem to be one anywhere. Found a rest stop though which in Canada are just like picnic benches with toilets next to them and grass. So with that (although you're not meant to) I got a nice spot to camp and cook some food.

A well I survived the night, actually getting a good sleep. But eek, the noises coming from the house in the morning were a littly scary. I was packed up and away by 6am and it was nice to feel a little safer as I was sitting in the comfort of the saddle. The wind seems to be picking up quite a bit now and it was certainly quite a challenge to keep the pace up. Luckily there are lots of trees lining the road though so it wasnt too gusty. Cycling these roads is actually quite weird compared to what I have been used to. Usually there are quite large distances between towns and houses but here the roades are litterally lined with houses on each side (big grand ones with large gardens i must add, but houses none the less) so its quite comforting knowing that its easy to get water when you need it. The sun was out again so it was nice to stay warm although I have quite a large bruze on my shoulder. Was adiment that I want going to stop untill I had covered 112 miles and what do you know, 112.34miles brings me right to a fantastic campsite by a river. It was good because things were all nice and dry and my tent feels quite homely now so I got it pitched and headed to the restraunt. Now its not a big restraunt so I wasnt expecting anything too good but its one of the best places i have eaten at in Canada! The service was great and after a long day I ordered some spagetti, expecting a small bowl I was delighted to see a gigantic dish full of the stuff :P Now most people who know me realize i could eat an infinate amount of pasta but this was actually quite a challenge. A good challenge though and one I enjoyed. I will be sleeping well tonight after a nice shower. I hadnt felt it earlier but my legs are actually extremely sore, probably from cycling into the wind; this is the first day they have actually been sore ratehr than tired so im not sure what to expect tomorrow.

To sum it up this was quite simply a day to forget. The morning wasnt too bad, I got a good bowl of porridge (propper stuff rather than the instant oats i have been living off) and some clean clothes on. But, it was raining outside. I had decided the best route would be to cross over to Quebec so I did and its quite funny because as soon as you get over everything turns to French. I stopped off at Wall Mart to pick up some pasta and porridge and headed on still in the rain. I was going allong at quite a good pace when suddenly, as I was going over the railway lines my front wheel got caught and I was thrown off of the bike. The tracks are at a weird angle and I guess because it was slippy I just got caught off guar but it hurt!! I landed on my side cutting my hand and knee, bruzing my shoulder and bashing my head on the ground. To be honest it maybe wasnt too sore but crashing at 15mph certainly shakes you. And anyway, I was more bothered at teh fact that I had dented my new helmet and snapped one of my bar ends. After spending about 15 minutes fixing my brakes I headed off again only to be stopped by a puncture 30 minutes later. So after fixing that I was just a bit tired. I actually managed to cover quitea good distance but at about 7 o-clock I decided to look for somewhere to stay. I couldnt see any campgrounds or motels so i stoped to ask a guy if he knew of anywhere and itjust so happened he had a spare house that he was renovating so he let me sleep there for the night. I t was great, it had a kitchen for me to cook, a bed, and a bathroom so it was a nice end to a hard day. I must say though its a little spooky. But if I publish this tehn I survived so its all good.