TWIB # 8 NOW AVAILABLE!

Check the side bar! TWIB episode 8 is now online for your viewing enjoyment. Featuring great shots of New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia, this is one film you don't want to miss.

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The tour having finished, my posts will continue, as previously (though hopefully a little more regularly) on my other blog, "Life in the Village." I invite you to check it out!

TWIB Seven

TWIB Seven is now up, follow the link on the sidebar, download, and enjoy!

Mission: Accomplished

We did it! Nine weeks and 8000 kilometers later, we have, by the Grace of God, reached our final destination. It has been a long and at times arduous journey, and I must say that I have arrived at the end of this event a changed man. The friendships forged, shenanigans undertaken, trials endured, challenges faced, and times spent in prayer and worship will stay with me for a long time.

My final day began at 5 am when Dustan andnd set it to go in the cube van. Nearly everyone else was still asleep in the dark and massive gymnasium when we left, alone and unsupported, at 6.15 a.m. The rest of the group slept in until 6.30 or 7 and breakfasted at a more leisurely pace before catching a bus 110 km toward St. John's; Dustan and I were too keen (and equipped with a sense of purpose) to start the day in the bus, team-building exercise though it may be.
The sunrise was phenomenal! For the first 20 km we could see it rising over the ocean (with a massive island in the background), and the bright, cloudless sky (hallelujah!) warmed our spirits (though the air was still cool). I woke and, quiet as mice, packed up our kit a

We knew that the group would get bussed up at least 90 km, and so figured on stopping at the first reasonable drop-off point past there. They passed us at 97 km, and let us know that the gathering point was at around 110 km. The tailwinds (and our excitement, and probably providence) combined to bring Dustan and me to that point by the time the bikes had been un-trailered, so we were perfectly on time. We were greeted with (mostly) congratulations and encouragement, though some people were disappointed. I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s last day, not cause anyone to be upset, but I figured that it would be inevitable. I was (and am) sorry for disappointing people, but given the same situation again I doubt I would act differently.

As we continued to climb, descend, and twist our way towards St. John’s the terrain became less hospitable and the forest cover more sparse. Eventually it seemed as though the trees had given up altogether. I rode with a number of different people, talking, laughing, and enjoying the celebratory mood of our last ride (dubbed a ‘Champs-Elysees finale’ by Bruce) and getting a few clips for the surprise coming up in TWIB 9 (stay tuned, it will be up in a couple of weeks!)

We made it to the edge of the city at around 2.40 (a little behind schedule, but not bad) and picked up a police escort which took us around much of the city, then right through the heart of downtown and up to the top of Signal Hill. Just before the summit we stopped, laid down our bikes on the grass, and linked arms—roadies, riders, and injured riders—to march to the citadel at the top. A wave of emotion—accomplishment, thanksgiving, and the not-yet-realized sense that this was it, the tour was over—washed over us, and we took a good while to congratulate each other and pose for pictures.

I checked my computer at the summit: 927 km in 4 days. What a ride, and what an incredible experience! Thanks to everyone who lobbied to make it happen and supported us in our efforts!

We rolled back down the hill and over to the Salvation Army church for dinner, then rode to another church where we had a finale service with much singing (including an excellent performance of the “Song for Canada”) and moving testimonies by both Warren and Sharon.

Back at the church, Joanna and I made our bikes ready for travel (the bike shop gave us boxes), and I put mine into Reg’s van (locked to the floor) for the (less-handled) trip back to Ontario. After finally having the chance to take a (cold) shower, I headed downtown with Jo to get screeched in at Trapper John’s pub and walk around downtown. We got a hankering to look at the stars, so caught a cab back up to Signal Hill (where we got a great panorama of the city lights) and walked down the path to North Head. Lying back and talking on the cliffs at the edge of the world and looking up at the heavens and their juncture with the earth, I was thankful for the chance to have an extra sister this summer that I could talk to, share things with, and be a brother to. Nice, also, that she shares the name and energy of my sibling who is about the same age.

the sun makes an appearance.

243 km to Clarenville; Scott and I started around 07.30, about a half-hour behind schedule. We've now come 'round the bend' of the trans Canada, and are no longer heading North (mostly east/southeast), so we enjoyed a cross/tailwind. The roads were wet from rain moving just ahead and occasionally with us, and we were quickly cold and wet. I'm beginning to think that there is a Island-wide inside joke about the Newfoundland weather that predicts that the next day will be bright and sunny; we've heard nothing but positive forecasts so far, and had nothing but miserable weather (though it is perhaps easing up a little).
We stopped for lunch after a fantastic downhill (though it had a turn, and was wet, so I held it at 65 km/h). Carol had found a restaurant willing to let us (the 15 or so people attempting the full ride) set up our picnic lunch at one of their unused tables (because of our pace, there were no more than 5 or 6 there at a time).
While we were eating our sandwiches (on whole wheat bread this time, thankfully) and eating trail mix, the clouds moved further past us and the sun came out. By the time we headed on again, with about 115km to go, the roads were dry!
The second half of the ride (particularly where the #1 passes through Terra Nova National Park) reminded me of tobogganing in the winter: trudge up the hill, scream down at high speed, trudge up the next hill... . It was beautiful though, and our ascents and descents averaged out at around 30 km/h. Passing 675 km (75% of the 900-km goal for the island) was a cause for minor celebration.
Dustan, Vincent and Nathan were ahead of us at the lunch stop, and Scott and I caught up to them a few kilometers from Clarenville (they had also stopped to fix a flat). We rolled in together, right behind the cube van, to find a massive gymnasium (about 4 basketball courts) at the local integrated high school and Group A barely arrived. Dinner was Chinese food, showers were appreciated, and I had some time to clean Scott's and my bikes before we gathered for a final group service.

Grand Falls, Newfoundland

Mom posting for the riders again - no internet available from the church...
Jack, Scott, Vincent and Dustan spent 9 hours riding the 267 km from Corner Brook to Grand Falls today; Jo, Nathan and Rod did 250 before the 6 pm pick-ups. They were tired, but had a good feeling of accomplishment. Some others went "as far as they got" and about 40 did a shuttle forward.
Last night's sleep on a comfortable pleather couch in the church lounge left Jack ready to go. He and Scott kept tally of their food intake for today, which started with 2 bowls of cereal, 10 pieces of toast and 3 bananas at breakfast. They packed along 8 sandwiches, 4 Clif energy bars, 4 granola bars, a power bar, about 2 c of GORP and some chips, and drank 12 bottles of GatorAde. Dinner tonight was a buffet, so they had generous amounts of lasagna, stroganoff, pasta salad, ham on buns, and some rolls with PB. Satisfied. Hopefully fueled for tomorrow's 240 km ride, and then the final 180 km on Sunday to arrive in St. John's.
Both Scott and Jo had flat tires before they left this morning, which delayed their start. The first 140 km were going north into a north east wind, although there was some protection from the mountains. They figured they had to average at least 28 k / h to make it by 6, and that was a slog. Then Hwy 1 curves east and south, so they had a tail wind, so could go faster, until the last 15 km when the wind was against them again. Average speed was 29.9 kph for the day.
They decided to finish the TWIB videos for weeks 8 and 9 after the ride, since they want to spend some last quality time with the group in the short evenings they have left.
The mechanic's pick-up, pulling one of the bike trailers, was involved in an accident on a highway ramp yesterday. No one was injured, and the vehicle can still be driven. That trailer was badly damaged, however. It had bikes on it, but the 4 that are not ride-able were extras or belong to people who are not riding due to injuries. Everyone was pretty thankful for that! Here is the picture that was in today's Western Star on-line news:

Highway collision
	RCMP said no one was injured in this accident that happened Thursday evening near the Massey Drive turn off on the Trans-Canada Highway. A truck pulling a trailer loaded with bikes was exiting the off ramp when it collided with a van around 5:30 p.m. (Star Photo by Geraldine Brophy)

Jack is to be at Queen's Monday, and orientation for his MPl course starts Tuesday morning. That will be quite a transition! I should get back to moving the stuff that we will bring to Kingston for him downstairs. ...Mom

Cornerbrook, Newfoundland!

Jack phoned home from Cornerbrook, Newfoundland, and asked me to post a celebratory note from them... they are there! About 15 riders left from Port Aux Basque this morning and rode the 225 km to Cornerbrook while the other 50 people did either the first or second "half" of the ride. The distance to be travelled included about 100 km that had a few flat sections, then a continuous up and down through remote but beautiful landscape with little habitation until Cornerbrook. To add to the interest, it rained - hard - most of the day, and they were riding into headwinds. They left early, so some were at the "lunch stop" before the vehicle with the lunches, and so they bought sandwiches, drank hot water, and headed on. They ate many granola bars, energy bars and jels before arriving at the Cornerbrook Tourist Center where about 60 people had been waiting for about 20 minutes to greet them, which made the small space a warm, welcoming sauna. From there, they went to a large church with a gym etc., and sat down to generous portions of stuffed chicken breast and lots of veges and just good, wholesome food, and so were feeling ready for a good sleep. They have long rides Friday, Saturday and Sunday yet to come. Hopefully there will be less rain and wind! Jack may add or edit this later... Mom

Onto the Island!

Sorry for the brevity which follows (or perhaps 'you're welcome'), but its getting late.
We left New Glasgow around 8 this morning (8.30) and Scott, Jo and I rode together to first break (or nearly so; I joined Levina (from PEI) for the last few km into the stop). She said that last year, when she finished the Sea to Sea ride, it took some time to adjust back to life without the close-knit cycling community. I think I do not yet realize how much I will miss this lifestyle once its gone!
On that note, please pray for Joanne, who was involved in a crash today and broke her kneecap. We've had about 24 falls now, not bad for a total of 4000+ person days of cycling, but certainly no slight number, and this is the third fracture.
Joanna and Robin were doing some spin training, and rode 30 km in some their lowest gear; we tried it for the last bit into Antigonish, but I need some adjusting to having to spin at 160 rpm to maintain speed! We were early for lunch in Antigonish, so checked out a local cathedral before heading to the Knights of Columbus hall for a delicious lunch (sandwiches on some of the brownest bread I've seen yet, delectable chicken soup, and all of it on real plates)! I lay down for a brief nap afterwards to let it settle in, and found it difficult to get going again for several kilometers. Jo and Robin did the next stretch without sitting on their saddles once, and carried on to the causeway pedaling one foot at a time (alternating every kilometer).
The RCMP blocked the Causeway for us, which was fun, and we saw the rotating bridge open (apparently fairly rare). Another KoC group fed us dinner, and I had enough time to re-organize the mechanic's truck with Joanna, Scott, and Nathan.
Now bunked at the United church, we've showered at the local civic center and post from there. TWIB 7 is complete, requiring a final rendering and web publishing next time we have web access.

New Glasgow: Well-needed rest

We've been billeted out for the two nights of our stay in New Glasgow (actually billeted mostly in a number of communities outside the city), with no official plans for group activities. Sleeping in until nearly nine AM today, I felt refreshed and ready to enjoy the day. Breakfast helped too, provided by Fred and Linda, our wonderfully hospitable hosts (Arnie, a physician who has joined the ride for the last two weeks and I have been billeted together). We've been given the run of the basement, and I can (if I stretch a bit) see a bay of the Atlantic Ocean from the windows of the walk-out room.
After breakfast I went to lie down for a bit and keep reading from Nick Horne's About A Boy, the film of which is one of my favourites. It is set in mid-1990s London, and presents a bit of a coming-to-life story for both a twelve year old boy and a consummate thirty-something bachelor as they discover the joys and struggles of community. Its very funny, and yet sad at the same time.
I decided that one of the things I wanted to do on this day off was allow my scab (on my hip) to be exposed to as much open air as possible (hence the lying down to read, etc.)
We went to a small, local Presbyterian church for the 11 am service, and it fell upon me to say something on behalf of the ride (Arnie volunteered for the choir, and some sharing was noted in the bulletin). I spoke about our mission, to spread the word of God in inner cities, amongst youth, those in prison, and to continue working on the translation of the Bible into First Nations languages, as well as the experience of riding and forming community thus far on the ride and feeling the Lord's blessings and protection.
Lunch was delicious; Linda roasted a turkey and served potatoes, vegetables, and home-baked rolls with it, and some fresh (still warm, in fact) apple crisp for dessert. Arnie shared stories from his work and travel in Zaire (now DRC).
Fred gave me a lift into Pictou after lunch, where I met up with Dan and Bruce, Nigel and Scott and their respective hosts, who were touring them around. We found internet access on the sidewalk in front of the library (the guy from Ottawa who was sitting there with his own laptop was a big clue) and did some transferring of files and picture editing while enjoying sweet potato fries and local beverages. Dan's hosts toured him through the Hector Quay, and he and I got onto the ship itself (a replica scottish immigrant ship) for a few minutes before it closed up for the day.
Fred and Arnie picked me up again, and we returned to the billet's to enjoy a delicious dinner featuring spinach salad (I really like creamy poppyseed dressing!) and home-made hamburgers. We talked until a little after nine and headed to bed (I ended up reading until nearly 11.30).

Short and Sweet: Charlottetown to New Glasgow

I was awakened from my slumber sometime after 5.30 this morning, having spent the night trying to sleep with one hand cupped over my still moist hip scrape. Constant motion on the bike and continuous coverage by my clothes is certainly hindering the healing process!
We were packed up from Trinity United and walked our bikes over to the nearby Methodist church for breakfast (eggs, and toast, bacon available, and cereal and fruit salad). We were underway a little after 7.30, with about 35km to the first rest break and around 70 km to the ferry. The break was a rolling one, which meant that we did not have to wait around for everyone to arrive before heading out. Scott, Nathan and I worked together and made good time to the break, and headed off with Joanna from there. Over the course of the morning I took a few creative shots for Dan, trying to catch some more interesting angles (but with more of a mind for safety than previously!)
It was spitting a little and the road was wet before the first break, and was truly raining (though not heavily) for the last few kilometers to the ferry. While we were not soaked by any means, Scott and I took the chance to dry our clothes under the hand dryers in the bathroom.
Once we had boarded the ferry I lay down on the floor in the passenger deck, my jersey (I had changed into a dry t-shirt) under my hips and my daypack for a pillow, and napped for nearly an hour. I woke in time to see our approach to the Nova Scotian shore before descending to the bowels of the ship (the car we were in was on the lowest of three car decks).
The next ride, to lunch, was about seven kilometers, and the arrangement of a police escort meant that we had to ride it en masse. Scott, Nathan, Garron and I took up positions at the front and worked to control the pace and keep the group in a fairly tight (about 250m long) train.
Lunch was served at a church in Pictou after greetings from various community leaders, and we had an hour after that to poke around the town and see a replica of a tall ship that brought some of the earliest Scottish immigrants to the area.
From there it was a quick ride to the edge of New Glasgow, where we had some time to clean our bikes before dinner (chicken, potatoes, boiled onions and vegetables). Rather than stowing them on racks for the next couple of days, we took up the offer of a small room in the basement, and managed to fit about fifty bikes into an approximately 15' x 18' space (by the time we had nearly finished they realized how tight things were and offered another room for the remaining five or ten bikes).
After a fairly long worship service with two meditations on the importance of the missions we are supporting, we met our billets and headed off for a good nights rest. A number of us hope to get together tomorrow after church(es) to spend some QT and relax before we start the last (and toughest) leg of this ride.
It is hard to believe that another week has finished, and that there are only six days of riding to go!

Rest Day: PEI

I woke this morning at six, but went back to bed until about 9.30. I had some time to relax with my aunt before my sister woke up (a little after ten) and we had breakfast. My aunt took us to a nearby beach for a short walk, and we relaxed and talked when we returned until it was time for my sister to go to the airport. We had a late lunch after that, and headed off to visit my uncle (who has severe Alzheimer’s) at the nursing home. He was eager to go for a walk when we arrived, and we headed out for a brisk walk around the grounds (he walks very quickly, with his upper body tilted forward as though he is on a mission). The nursing home grounds have a beautiful memorial forest with sun-dappled paths and frequent views of the broad North River. Finishing the loop, we sat on a bench to sing some songs and look at the clouds before heading back indoors. It was a blessing to see the love and fidelity that continues in spite of my uncle’s debilitating illness.
My aunt dropped me off at a bike shop while she went for a swim at the pool, and I managed to find a couple of pairs of bike shorts (mine are starting to wear out) for a pretty good deal. We went back up to her place for dinner, to watch the news, and to visit a little more before I headed back on my bike to rejoin the group. Now downtown, I’m posting from an anonymous network just outside of Subway.
Shalom!

Shediac to Charlottetown and Trevor and Tanya’s Wedding

Summer is ending (or we are now definitely at the east coast)! We were up at 4.30 this morning to get our stuff together and get back to the camp in time to hook up the trailers and head off at 6.00 for breakfast at a restaurant in Shediac. When we arrived at 05.30, however, things were barely stirring. After getting the last of our stuff together Scott, Dan and I headed down to take in the beautiful sunrise. Becky, Nathan, and Andrea joined us for a bit of it.
It being well below 10oC, I supplemented my arm and knee warmers with a jacket and a pair of (electric blue) tights I normally wear cross-country skiing.
We headed on down to the Lighthouse restaurant for a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast (with bacon and sausage on the plate as well) but found that it was perhaps not enough to keep us filled up for the day, so Scott and I scrounged up the yogourt, honey and granola we had left over from ‘dessert’ yesterday.
Leaving with the last group of riders, we rode swiftly until we caught up to Merrin, who flew in from Victoria yesterday to rejoin the tour (originally planning to ride to Banff, she managed to secure extra leave and stayed on until Kenora, then over the next three weeks found herself called to leave one job and get leave from another to accept an offer of an air miles flight back to the group. She will be with us to the end, but was a little jet-lagged and not quite back into the rhythm of cycling today, so I put one hand on her back and gave her a lift up the hills en route to the first break.
Scott and I headed out quickly from first break, hoping to make it to the bridge in time to get some shots. We were rocketing along at over 40 km/h when he struck a small but deep pothole that I hadn’t seen (and so failed to mark). He felt his handlebars shift downwards, upsetting the optimal fit that had been set up for his bike, so we stopped to correct it as best we could. About ten riders passed us in that space of time, and when Dan arrived (as we were finishing) he challenged us to catch them all within ten minutes. We were, it turned out, within ten minutes of the bridge (especially at 50 km/h), so failed to catch the two riders at the front (Dustan and Vince). We got our bikes onto the first trailer, and I managed to get into the first shuttle over the bridge, having decided to go on to Charlottetown ahead of the group and maximize my time with my aunt and little sister before we headed to Trevor and Tanya’s wedding (they met last summer on the Sea to Sea tour when Trevor and a group of others headed to the island as unofficial ‘ambassadors’ to the Charlottetown church). (My sister) had arrived by plane earlier in the morning, and I met up with her downtown at 2 p.m. We met up with my aunt, who drove carrie home while I tailed them on my bike. It turned out to be a good thing that I had gone ahead, because the wedding started at 3.30 p.m. I showered, changed into the clothes that Carrie had brought for me (thanks Brian for storing them all summer!) and we headed off.

The wedding was very nice, with a message that reminded both Trevor and Tanya and those gathered that God’s love for us in Christ Jesus is the most comprehensive definition of love, and that marriages are blessed when each partner’s love for the other is rooted in love for God, contrasting this image with the overly romanticized notions of love so common in our age. We also sang “Be Thou My Vision,” which is an incredibly powerful song if one thinks upon its lyrics.
The reception was in Summerside, an hour’s drive away. We caught a ride with April, daughter of one of the women who rode with the Sea to Sea tour and recent bride of another of its riders. (Her mother joins us tomorrow New Glasgow for the last week of the tour).
The reception was fun, with several songs relating to the circumstances in which Trevor and Tanya met, moving toasts from family and friends, and a lively dance (PEI girls love to dance, apparently, though most of the guys appeared to be ‘too cool to groove’). Sean (another Sea to Sea rider my sister frequently rode with) had made the trip out from Ontario with a date, so we enjoyed conversations and shared a table. The food was delicious as well, and I allowed myself the fabulous Crème Caramel dessert.
We left late, arriving back at my aunt’s place at about 12.45 am. Time for bed!

Rest Day: Moncton

We decided to check out the Hopewell Rocks today, but (perhaps a mistake) figured that good lighting was more important than the tide schedule (which we checked). We headed out to be there at high tide, and did a walk around to all the scenic viewpoints. Strangely enough, even though it was sunny and breezy, the mosquitoes were terrible! After taking a number of shots at each spot, we headed back to the car with the thought of returning at low tide in the evening to walk the beach.
We stopped at a bakery with a nice view of the river, where Bill and Chester enjoyed pie and coffee and we got some multigrain bread. Then to the Coop/Basics store for cheese, crisps (soy and vegetable) granola, honey, and yogourt, and back to the hotel. Scott and Nathan went to another grocery store nearby to find some dips, and came back with small tubs of spicy hummus and tzatziki.
We settled in to our late lunch and an episode of Long Way Round, a documentary about Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman's 20 000 mile motorcycle journey from London to New York.
After that, it was time for napping, transferring videos for TWIB 7, and sorting through my email inbox.
A little after six we headed out to a used cd shop nearby, then headed up to magnetic hill (a little anticlimactic, but we had fun with the camera). Returning to downtown, we cruised main street once (and discovered an unofficial parade of classic cruisers starting up in the Sobey's parking lot. We squeezed the caravan into the line, turned off at the hotel, and walked back to an italian restaurant, where we were served by a friendly waitress (though other staff gave the place a wierd ambiance), and enjoyed a bread bar, spinach salad, greek pizza, a little calamari, some pinot noir, and a lot of water.
Back to the hotel, it was time to pack up and get ready for bed. We are rejoining the group at 05.30 to cycle to breakfast (a few km away) before heading on to Confederation bridge and PEI. I get to see both my aunt and younger sister tomorrow, and attend the wedding of one of Carrie's friends from last year's Sea to Sea tour!

Miramichi to Shediac

COLD MORNING! I travelled pretty light last night, and so managed to sleep in until 6.30 am (we had to be back at the church for 7). By the time everyone had arrived and we had gotten our kit together it was close to 7.20, and after a couple of songs we sat down to a breakfast of cereal, ham, eggs, and toast (buttered, but long enough before that it had soaked in and I couldn't get any of it off with my napkin). We had some bike maintenance time afterwards, and though we were not supposed to be rushed my idea of bike maintenance is perhaps more thorough than others, and we got some flak. We managed to get things together, however, and Nate, Scott and I headed off around 9.40, about 30 minutes after the others. The weather being what it was, I started out with a t-shirt, knee warmers, and arm warmers on in addition to our regular cycling uniform. The wind was with us, so we rocketed along quite well to our first rest break, passing and encouraging a few riders along the way. Although we like to minimize the time spent off our bikes during the day, we always feel a little vindicated when we arrive at the break before at least a couple of people, lest we give the impression that we are holding things up.
The rest break was supposed to be in a town hall, but recent flooding had made that unfeasible, and one of the host committee members graciously opened up her home to us, so we enjoyed juice, granola bars, and fig newtons on a back deck with a view of horses in pasture.
Now without my t-shirt under my jersey, we headed out again for lunch after a few minutes delay, and rode what we thought was supposed to be 35-40 km at a pace that would get us there a half-hour early for what we thought would be a special barbecue lunch. When we caught up to Len and June, we decided to ride in with them; I enjoyed a conversation with Len about devotions, group dynamics, and the way God has worked in our lives (for example, bringing me to through a number of different sports to the one I am doing now, and bringing him to the Bible Society). The ride, it turned out, was more like 50 km, and our slightly slower pace brought us in around 1.30. The 'barbecue' turned out to be quarter-sandwiches with the crusts cut off (of which there were not enough) and a variety of cheesecakes, so I (like Scott) raided a van for extra nourishment (an orange and some nuts). I too missed the brief service, for the same reasons as Scott, and took the time to nap and cull some of the immense number of photographs I have taken on this trip (approaching 1600). There's still a long way to go, and a lot of work to do before Scott and I will be able to put together an album (since we've shared most of the experience, why not share the work of scrapbooking it?)
We had hoped to get going again as early as possible, but ended up helping Angela with a flat tire and left last yet again. Nathan slowed up to ride with Chester and Leo when we caught them (they were fixing another flat) and Scott and I headed on as best as our tired bodies would allow.
We had heard that the place at which we were staying (a retreat center) was quite impressive, and were looking forward to arriving there, taking some time at the beach behind, and kicking back to mellow out with the group. The stone wall and decorative gate certainly fit the bill, as did the tree-lined drive, collection of well-kept buildings, and general atmosphere of the place; but we were directed beyond, and I began to have some doubts when we were directed to put our bikes in a small barn already largely filled with old furniture; by the time we arrived at our lodgings and had a look at the accomodations, the bunk beds in the basement had been filled and tensions were rising about how the floor space would be shared. With all due respect, I wondered if the District Director, who had made the arrangements, had any concept of the space requirements of seventy-odd people! When he commented to one of my fellow riders to the effect that people could sleep in the barn if space was short inside, I had had it. On top of that, the free day activity was a bus trip to St. John, an hour and three quarters (at the least) by bus from the resort. Wanting sleep and internet access, we began to make some calls (and could see a number of other people milling about, not really moving in and making their own plans of escape). After shooting some farewell footage of Ralph (who is now finished riding), six of us (Scott, Nathan, Chester, Bill, Dan, and myself) piled into one of the vans (it helped that the van was Bill's business vehicle) and headed off into Moncton to find more comfortable lodgings. After a few misses (mostly the big chain Inns) we found a fairly affordable suite and a single room at the Rodd Hotel, right in downtown Moncton.
After a set of push-ups and plank exercises (to strengthen our arms and abs) we got cleaned up and walked to a Thai restaurant for a feast of shared plates. After that, Dan, Nate, Scott and I went next door to sample some local beverages before heading back to the hotel and our beds.

A better day: Bathurst to Miramichi

Our sleep last night was fantastic. The friendly manager at the Comfort Inn gave us a team rate on our room and brought up some breakfast stuff so we could eat in the room in the morning (as we had to leave at 06.15). We slept like rocks, were up at 05.45, and had our stuff together in time to meet our ride back to the church (the super Becky) on time.
It being Robyn's 19th birthday today, some people got together and decorated her bike and helmet with red and yellow streamers (to match our uniforms).
The day, however, was cold and rainy, a typical east coast Nor 'Easter. After the very late dinner and two nights of short sleep, many riders were mentally exhausted and not interested in riding the full scenic (and less-travelled) route to Miramichi (taking 190 km rather than under 100). However, we had three churches offering us breaks, so the decision was made to get a ride by bus and van up to our first break (50 km into the wind from Bathurst) and to give riders the option of riding either from there or from the lunch break, at 90 km and around the corner of the peninsula (so aided, rather than hindered, by the wind). We were stoked to face the wind at the earliest opportunity, and about sixteen or seventeen of us headed out from the first break in more-or-less four groups. Scott and I were the last to head out (unintentionally this time; I got hung up in the washroom line) but managed to catch the others when they stopped to change a flat about 18km in. We rode together for the last 22 km, and found that on the whole the headwind was a challenge for about 5 of the 40 km. The rain eased off for our last 10 km, and though we were muddy we were unanimously pleased with the opportunity to face the challenge.
The church at Pokemouche provided us with delicious barley soup, sandwiches, and fruit (including concord grapes) which were delicious, and after waiting a little bit we dug in. The rest of the group had stopped to take a tour of an Acadian village, and arrived about 45 minutes after us. They ate quickly while we continued to figure out a way to stay warm and dry off (including much huddling near the heaters). We headed out again into rain for the afternoon ride, and quickly covered the 45 km to our next break. Scott and I took the opportunity to wring out all of our riding gear in washroom (turning the water in the toilet bowl quite black) and had some excellent chocolate chip muffins (borderline for our diet, I know). The minister at the host church once pastored in Hamilton, and we had some conversation about that hidden gem of a city.
From there it was a straight shot into Miramichi (or nearly; we had a police escort over the bridge to our finish point in the eastern area of the city). Scott and I started out last, and figured that we would try to offer draft to riders we encountered en route, so that as many people as possible could finish the ride. Kevin and Angela hopped in behind us, and we enjoyed their company on the wide shoulders for several kilometers. When we encountered Joanna with a flat and no spare tube (she had given hers to Kim earlier in the day) I stopped to give her mine and help her get it changed over. Bill, in 15-pass, told us we had 45 minutes to get to Miramichi, still nearly 30 km away. We changed the tire in record time and took off, slowing slightly for the 3 or 4 kilometers of grooved pavement (under construction) and changing up the lead fairly regularly. With the roads as wet as they were we rode in an echelon position, with each rider behind and to the left of the leader (to minimize the amount of tire spray in our faces). Gravel and other obstacles on the shoulder prompted much communication, as we narrowed our formation to navigate through and widened up again on the other side.
I'm not quite sure how our pace ended up for that last segment, but we didn't get picked up (though we had to abandon our goal of pulling other riders along. Many of those whom we passed were engaged in repairing flats as well. The sun fought its way through the clouds and the roads were almost dry in the last ten kilometers into Miramichi, and several other riders made it in behind us. Joanna and Scott were the pace-setters for the escort, while I, camera in hand, took up a position about three-quarters of the way back.
I shot about nine minutes of footage of the group riding the bridge (mostly at a Point-of-view type of angle (nothing particularly risky).
We were greeted by the Presbyterian church with rags to wipe down our chains and a room with tarps on the floor to store our bikes, and walked over to the United church for a delicious dinner of salads (including peanut salad) and ham, and an ice-cream birthday cake in honor of Robyn. After a short service at which Bruce gave his most meaningful address yet, we met up with our billets, unloaded the cube, and were off for a sleep. What a marked difference from yesterday, when we had to wait until long after a late and lengthy service to have our meal!
We should have some time tomorrow for much-needed bike maintenance (though I doubt I will have time to grease my brake and derailleur cables which are begging for attention) before heading off for 140 km to Shediac, where we have our next rest day.
To sleep, to sleep! I am clean (and amazed at what soap and water can do), my clothes are in the wash, and I've got a real bed (actually a cot, but I'm not complaining)!

Leg 6 is up!

The sixth installment of This Week in Biking is now up and running. Check it out here.

Campbellton to Bathurst

I slept, though a little fitfully until about 5.30 this morning. Ullie tells me I was talking in my sleep again, and that he pulled out his earplugs thinking I was talking to him or was in pain from my scrapes. Among those last to arrive at the camp last night were our roadies and co-ordinator, so they had gone back into town to find places to sleep, so we were on our own to get things back together and get on the road. The bus arrived to take us into town (standing room only this time) and I rode shotgun in the cube with Dustan, who has some experience driving large trucks.
Breakfast was ham, eggs, toast, and cereal, and we took some time afterwards to clean up our bikes before heading out on a 120 km day.
Scott and I swept the Hall and parking lot for leftover kit, then headed out. We started riding next to 15-pass while Dan, sitting on its roof, shot some top-down footage. Another highlight of the morning was climbing a 13% grade hill. Once we got settled in we started to have church-on-the-bike, with liturgy, prayer, songs, a sort of breaking of bread, and a meditation. We caught up to the next-to-last riders just as we were finishing our doxology, “Praise God from whom all Blessings Flow” and about two minutes before we arrived at our first break, at Dalhousie, N.B. Scott and I napped there on pews in the gymnasium, for a little longer than expected, and started about 40 minutes behind everyone else for a mere 35 km ride to lunch. We took those km’s quickly, but nonetheless enjoyed our first bona fide sighting of the Atlantic Ocean. We caught Warren and Catherine, who just joined the ride and was having some difficulties with her bike. She was eventually picked up, and Warren got ahead when we stopped for a washroom, so he was our ‘carrot’ for the last few km into lunch. The others, having been there for a while, staged an impromptu worship service in the sanctuary, and we all settled into a delicious lunch put on by the united church. After that it was 30 km to an unexpected break at a camp along the shore, where Scott and I took some great pictures of the ocean.
Throughout the day we were switching back and forth between the left and right shoulder of the road, depending on which was widest. For the last segment we were mostly on the left, on the advice of the policeman who was patrolling the strip because of our presence.
At one of the intersections, however, a vehicled pulled out directly in front of Robyn, who ran into it and ended up cutting her lip, denting the car fender and taking off its side-view mirror. After that we stopped taking the policeman’s advice, and returned to the right side of the road.
The police escorted us from the city limits to the Sacre-Couer cathedral in Bathurst, and Scott and I got to set the pace behind it (steady enough to allow everyone to stay in a tight group, two-by-two). We stowed our bikes for the night in the basement of the police station, so they should be fairly safe, and headed into the church for an ecumenical service in both English and French (which meant it was fairly confusing for most people). That did not end until 7.30, at which time we headed over to a Chinese restaurant for a long-awaited dinner. The wait was not over, however, and we did not get our food until 8.40. I ate quickly, got the keys to the cube truck, and headed over with Ed and Bernd to start unloading. We were about 60% finished by the time the others arrived, and finally made our way to the Comfort Inn (in search of internet and a good night’s sleep) at 9.30. Having bathed, typed, and finished getting TWIB 6 together, I’m ready for bed.

Mon-Joli to Campbellton:

The day started at 6 am, and after we got our kit together and had breakfast (French toast, which I supplemented with granola and peanut butter) we packed up and headed out. After 35km, most of it through out was our first break, and we had some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (to get a little extra protein). After a wee nap we were off again to Amqui, where we had an extended lunch with a mayor who was extremely tickled to talk about a covered bridge he had preserved and to plant a tree in honor of our visit. Scott and I were eager to get to Campbellton, so headed off at the front of the pack, but a flat tire slowed us up a little, and shortly thereafter it began to rain. We caught up to Joanna, who rode onward with usl
We were starting to get a little ‘low’ on energy and had some bananas (from our jersey pockets) to refuel, which got us to the next rest break. Leaving there, Scott and I chose different lines to rejoin the highway; his was what I would describe as perpendicular, as at an intersection, while mine was more angular, as when merging from an on ramp. To make a long story short, our paths crossed, mine slightly ahead of his, and he did a (quite impressive) forward roll off his bike, bearing most of the fall on his arm and springing to his feet. A little bruised, and with a scrape on his right arm, he was officially inaugurated into “club crash.” I checked him out for other injuries, we looked over his bike, and continued to ride.
Joanna, being just ahead of us on our departure, was oblivious to the accident and after wondering what we had gotten up to rode on with Dustan and Vincent. We eventually made it to the bridge into Campbellton, though by the time we arrived our faces were covered with the corpses of little bugs (and we had eaten and spit out quite a few as well). I’m not sure if we resembled windshields on early summer evenings after driving near swamps or blackhead-afflicted teenagers.
The police decided that sixty cyclists was far too many to cross the large bridge into Campbellton unescorted, so we had to wait for everyone to get in. Scott and I went to a nearby grocery store and picked up some cottage cheese and triscuits for a snack, finishing just in time to queue up for the final 5 km across the bridge and over to dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
After enjoying a delicious roast beef dinner, we loaded up onto a coach bus for a 40-minute trip to the camp we were staying at for the night. Just before departing we learned that the well was probably sufficient for about twelve showers, so I asked everyone to take a navy-style shower (get wet, turn the water off to lather, then rinse off). When we arrived, we found a lodge and bunkhouses that simply could not accommodate seventy-plus people, even shoulder to shoulder. Tensions were running high, and several people ended up heading back into town to sleep in a church basement (and getting to bed quite late). We finally got to sleep (it was the first time in my living memory that I put mosquito repellent on before going to bed indoors) around 11.30.

Riviere-du-Loup to Mont Joli:

Riviere-du-Loup to Mont Joli:
I was surprisingly less stiff this morning than I expected, and though my wounds had seeped a little into the bandage over the course of the night, they appeared to be fine for the day’s ride. We had breakfast at the convent on the hill, and several riders chose to start the day by climbing to breakfast (an 18% grade). After breakfast it was back down the hill to get the last of our kit together and depart. After the group left, Scott and I did a few things on the internet (trying to navigate the French-language keyboard on the terminal we were using was challenging at times). The roads were a little rough, but meandered through more beautiful countryside before rejoining route 132. Our first rest break was in Trois-Pistoles, where I lived for five weeks last summer. Nathan and I picked up some cheeses at the Fromagerie Des Basques (which has since disappeared from the cooler, and I didn’t get to eat any of it!) before heading on to the break. With riders heading out from the park on the west edge of the town to ride around it on the highway, Scott and I got permission to ride through town (with Becky along for radio support) to see if I could say hello to Jean-Yves, who prepared our meals in 3P. A courteous resident, seeing us knocking on his door, informed us that he had moved and gave us directions to his new place, so after stopping at the Provigo (grocery store) for some chips and drinks to snack on later we tried again to locate Jean-Yves, but to no avail. We headed east to the highway and joined up with the group. We were soon into territory that I had never before experienced, heading towards the Gaspé peninsula. We rolled through beautiful rolling hills (picturesque as farmland though I don’t want to know how much erosion they experience) and a downhill on which I hit 77.7 km/h. Our lunch break, just outside of Bic, featured a military presence (they set up a tent) and a feast of sandwiches and veggies.
Scott and I had a good nap after lunch, and as we were preparing to head off discovered that the seatpost-rack upon which we put our sandals while riding had cracked at the weld—probably in yesterday’s crash—so isn’t really safe to use. We removed it quickly and were underway.
The afternoon’s ride took us along the shore of the St.Lawrence estuary, past beautiful vistas, unique waterfront cottages, and occasionally on bike paths. We had a slight detour in Rimouski to take a picture for the local press, after which Scott and I headed off quickly for Mont-Joli and the showers in store there. The hosts were wonderful, and the pasta and garlic bread for dinner tasty (though made with white bread and noodles, which convert straight to sugar and have fairly low nutritional value).
An after-dinner meeting broached the topic of riding Newfoundland, and Bruce acknowledged that there are people interested in riding the whole island (as compared to two groups, each riding one-half of each day’s distance, as was suddenly suggested by the district two weeks before the ride started. The suggestion is a sort of reverse-pickup system, with some riders starting at the beginning of each day’s leg and some being ferried forward a number of kilometers, so that everyone gets in a good ride, every kilometer is cycled by somebody, and (hopefully) everyone gets to ride from where they start to the set finish for the day.
Graham put forth the idea that perhaps more important than riding personal distance goals is the opportunity to spend quality time with the body of riders, particularly in the last week of the tour, and that perhaps the previous suggestion is better; I disagree: the logistics of co-ordinating two ‘teams’ of riders would be a significant headache, and would mean that you could only spend time with half the people on a particular day. No binding decisions have been made as yet, but it is my sincere hope that those who wish to ride the whole of Canada be given that opportunity as much as is possible, particularly because I remember our 230km day from Wawa to Sault Ste-Marie, and the kinship and fellowship that developed from facing that challenge and meeting it by the grace of God.
Scott, Dan and I went down to the water later on, sitting on the sea-wall for a good hour and talking with the waves in the background, the stars overhead, and a bag of ‘Viva’ spinach, tomato, and potato chips (very tasty and not particularly unhealthy) in hand.

Levis, QC to Riviere-du-Loup, QC

This morning we were up at 5 for breakfast served at 5.30. More Styrofoam, but I was at least pleased with the effort made by my fellow riders to stack up (and thus minimize the volume) of the rubbish we generated in the basic act of keeping ourselves alive. We loaded up into the cars and a bus and headed for Levis, just across the river from Quebec. We had our morning devotional at the side of the Route Verte next to the ferry terminal, with the city in the background, and were off on the road at 8:00 (7.30 for most of the group). With 40 km to go before lunch, Scott and I headed out somewhat hard, and fairly quickly we encountered Sharon, Jo, and Jason in the process of repairing Sharon’s torn tire with a granola bar wrapper (to relieve pressure from the torn area). I offered a stick-on tire sleeve that my sister had left over from her tour last summer, and after fitting it and changing the tube, we were underway and rolled together to the first break.
People were ready to get underway by the time that we arrived, and after shooting some footage of the St. Lawrence we were again ready to go. Dan and Adrienne stuck close by, and Dan took some footage of us riding fairly hard. We rode fairly hard in 2-minute shifts until my legs started to go numb (I think that the chamois in that pair of shorts is pretty much shot), and had to take things somewhat more easily into lunch (which was very near to the shore). Dan asked Scott and I to shoot some camera angles that are impossible to shoot from a car (such as the point-of-view shots that you see on TWIB), so we were having fun playing with camera angles during much of the morning as well. Nathan joined us after lunch, and we included him in our footage for some variety.
About 15 km from the next rest stop my chain suddenly snapped (I replaced the original chain in Ottawa with a Connex Wipperman chain that has a quick link; that link gave way). After looking to see if we could find the missing part (we couldn’t) I pulled some spare links out of my toolkit and set to work. John gave me a couple of replacement pins, and we had the new chain working relatively quickly. Moving on from there I noticed that my shifting was sluggish and my chain running quite noisily. I thought it might be the lack of lube on the chain, and resolved to grease it up, but when I mentioned it to Scott he saw that there was more to it than a lack of lube. We pulled over, flipped the bike upside down, and saw that we had threaded it improperly through the derailleur, and it was running over the chain guide rather than through the cogs. Rather than break the chain again to fix the problem, we removed a hex screw and one of the cogs from the derailleur, swung the guide out of the way, and put the chain in its proper place. We were off again fairly quickly, Scott feeling little sheepish about his threading job and me about not checking it.
We were last into the break by a long shot, and though we had suggested that the group continue on ahead we were somewhat glad to see them there. Silver Bullet headed on, and the group again took off, while Nathan and John M. worked on tuning Nate’s rear derailleur.
We had headed off again were continuing to meander back and forth across the plain between the hills and the Fleuve St. Laurent when I figured that the roads being ok, 15-pass behind, the traffic light, and beautiful fields on both sides of the road, it was time for another shot “through our spokes”. I leaned down with one hand on the camera and the other on my handlebar and began to shoot, accelerating slightly to include Nathan and Scott’s wheels in the frame. I was perhaps ten meters ahead when I caught a significant bump and, being somewhat off balance already in my body position, quickly found myself sitting on the ground. Through some feat of instinct and providence (mostly providence), I was not badly injured, my bike was not significantly damaged (though my saddle has some more signs of wear), and my camera continued to film through the whole episode (thus ends the ‘trailer’ for TWIB: Leg 7), coming soon to the World Wide Web.
Bill was quickly beside us, and after ascertaining that I and my bike were suitable to continue, we were on our way. He suggested that I try not to scare him again, so I think I’ll hold off on that sort of cinematography for a while.
We rolled the last 40 km at a bit of an easier pace, and fairly few people noticed the tear in my shorts and blood on my elbow until we reached our destination, Riviere-du-Loup. I got a lot of ribbing, expressions of gladness that my injuries were not more serious (and a few complements on the footage) for what I freely admit to be my own stupidity. Kids: don’t try this at home.
After showering and cleaning up my wounds (ankle, knee, hip, elbow) I headed up with the group to dinner, which was served (on ceramic!) at a convent on top of the hill. Soup, pasta, and rice with almonds and lentils really hit the spot. A delicious blend of GORP as part of dessert was also welcome, as were the baggies and twist-ties that allowed us to take some home for later. I had a bit of a conversation about my wounds with some of the sisters (who thought that they could improve upon my bandages).
Back at the school where we are staying, I asked George (a rider who is a paramedic back home) to re-dress my scrapes and managed to talk to Jody, my youngest sister, one last time before she heads off to Chile (and uncertain communications) until next July. Check out her blog here Now its 10.30 and time for me to go to bed.

Day off: Quebec

Breakfast was served at 7.30 this morning, so we had to get up fairly early for a ‘day off’. Scott and I rushed down, anticipating a lovely breakfast on ceramic plates, consistent with the Franciscan emphasis on preaching to gospel to all of God’s Creation. What we found instead, to our dismay, was an unparalleled amount of Styrofoam (including trays) and single-serving peanut butter and jam packets. Thankfully I had my trusty bowl and granola, and we settled for multiple courses (read: trips to the buffet) to fill our bowls with fruit, then cereal, then finally toast and boiled eggs. The food, however, was delicious and filling.
We headed straight out to work on our bikes, as the plan was to head down to the city around nine. Scott cleaned our wheels while I wiped down our frames and removed and washed our frames, then we polished the frames and put our kit back together. The bus driver, having arrived promptly at 8.45, was convinced to delay his departure until 9.40, and though Scott and I were ready to go we decided to hang around the convent for a little while longer, try to find some internet access in the neighbourhood, and head downtown later on with Dan (in one of the extra vehicles) to get some key shots of Quebec.
We found access in front of a low-rise apartment block on Rue Henri-Bourassa (thanks Linksys) and did a bit of emailing, then had a snack and headed downtown with Jo, Robin, and Becky. We picked up a map, lunch items, and some toiletry items at Loblaws on the way. The parking spot we found was sweet: on the street, right at the base of one of the main streets heading into the old town. We put in enough coins for 5 hours of parking, then walked up the hill and onto the old fortifications. We settled in for lunch with a fortified gate behind us, a magnificent view of the city and distant hills before us, and managed to encounter about ten other people from our group in the 40 minutes or so that we were there. Dan got some excellent shots as we meandered our way towards Chateau Frontenac and down into Vieux Quebec.
We headed back up to the main square around 4.30, watched a street performer demonstrate some cycling tricks, and saw some Inuit art before heading to Aux Anciens Canadiens, a fantastic restaurant a few blocks from the Chateau that serves an excellent and affordable three-course “lunch” until 5.45 pm. We were soon enjoying cream of corn soup, Wild game tourtiere (or chicken and vegetable fricassee), and (a planned break from our no-dessert diet) delectable apple cheesecake with caramel sauce and sorbet (good on Joanna, who managed to resist the temptation entirely). From there we wandered back down to the car, arriving about four minutes after the time expired. We drove back up to the convent, mellowed out for a bit, and had a little more internet time before heading to bed.

Quebec

Funny how it works, but riding into Quebec and Montreal have been our longest days in terms of time elapsed between morning departure and arrival at our final destination.
We were up this morning around 7, breakfasted at 8, and the main group departed by 9. Scott and I took a little longer getting ready, but were on the road at around 8.45. We warmed up quickly and started to ride fairly hard. When we hit Trois-Rivieres proper, we quickly realized that the traffic lights were synchronized to traffic traveling at about 50 km/h, and that we’d get through town a lot more quickly if we, too, went that speed. We launched a sprint when the light turned green and booked it through town, actually making through faster than the roadies who were driving. Dean estimated our speed to be 49 and 52 km/h on two occasions, and my (conservative) speedometer was hovering around 46-7 for a while. It felt great to be going so fast, dodging potholes and manhole covers while keeping up to traffic! A little while later we encountered Dustan (he had broken a spoke and had to repair it). Dustan rode with us until the optional rest break at around 23 km, where he stopped to refuel and we continued on. The wind was again with us and we managed to outrun the clouds that were gathering behind us, arriving at the church in St. Anne’s as big raindrops began to sprinkle here and there. By the time we had our bikes up on the porch it was raining more heavily, and within ten minutes it was an all-out downpour. Riders petered as the heavens unleashed buckets and buckets of water, though not at the intensity we experienced on the Bruce Peninsula. We could see that the thunderhead was passing, and just after noon it had cleared up and the sun was again shining. Scott used the time to talk to Emmanuel, a young man whose summer job it is to give tours of the church, about matters of faith, hope, and assurance in Christ.
One of the riders managed to miss the turn into the church and rode an extra 5km or so on a different route before she ran out of paved roads; she turned around and came back to the church just as we were preparing to leave and headed off from there. We caught her a little while later, and I rode with her until the next optional break. It turns out that she did the Sea to Sea ride last summer with my younger sister (I knew that there was someone, but had not put the story to the face) and knows some of our family’s relatives in the Ottawa Valley.
The rain picked up again at about the 80 km mark, and I donned my jacket for the rest of the way to lunch at Port Sante. Turning into the town, I made a right around a silver Intrepid that was itself to large to squeeze through the space between the car ahead and the curb. Not one kilometer later, the car passed me and immediately turned to the right into a parking lot. I could tell instantly that I was going to run into the car, and the ashphalt being wet, I trusted myself to my “guardian angels”, uncleated my feet and put them onto the ground, and hit the brakes. The car was on a sort of angle, so I skidded more along it than into it (fortunately) and at such an angle that I remained mostly upright. After giving the car several quick slaps with my palm (in a bit of anger and to make the driver absolutely aware that he had run into someone) I went around to his side, told him (in very bad French I am sure) “Vous avez besoin a REGARDE AVANT vous tournez!”, and proceeded to check my wheels and frame for obvious damage while he apologized profusely. Things appearing to be ok, I shook his hand and headed on my way. Thank the Lord!
When I arrived at the hall, I was surprised to see Andree and Josianne, who we had shared lunch with in Northern Ontario, climbing off their bikes! Although they were averaging significantly fewer kilometers per day than we, they had caught up while we were taking the publicity route through Southern Ontario taking things easy in Ottawa and Montreal. They pointed us to some ice cream and bike repair shops in Quebec City, talked a bit about what they had seen since we saw them last (apparently a lot more wildlife than we observed) and set off for their final 45 km home.
The Knights of Columbus graciously allowed us to bring our bikes inside at their hall, in case the rain should strike again while we were eating. Lunch consisted of corn on the cob (delicious) and hot dogs (not delicious) and after getting carb’ed up on bread and corn and transferring our bags from 15-pass to Dan’s video-ing car, we were off on our way.
Scott, Nathan and I were riding well and swiftly until the rain started yet again, just as we neared the city. We rode most of the last 15 km through some fairly heavy rain, the sodden streets reflecting the sky above. Just as we were beginning to contemplate pulling over to wait it out, the rain eased. Shortly thereafter we left the main road we were on and navigated (with the help of the always-capable roadies) a number of small streets that took us into the lower city. We finished at a small shopping center, where we changed in the bathroom, trailered our bikes and cleaned their chains, and settled down to dinner at Café Renconter, a Christian ministry that provides food and worship services in the community. A service followed dinner (starting at 7.30 p.m) but I felt that if I went I would probably fall asleep, so I stayed downstairs to make a couple of calls and spend some time in the scriptures. We finally loaded up at 9 to make the trip to the convent where we are staying for the night, arriving a little after 9.30. We found our rooms, laid out our gear, and I went to do my roadie-assistance duties, collecting the water and Gatorade jugs and snack boxes from the vehicles and cleaning and restocking them for Thursday. It is now 1 am, and I am in need of a bed!

Montreal to Trois-Rivieres

Speed (again)
Today felt like the tour I signed up for. Scott, Dan and I slept outside again, were up at six, and had granola and bagels (leftover from yesterday) for breakfast. We left the Salvation Army building at eight, were on site at the Revigny Provigo store by nine, and were set up and had a photo op in front of the store. Warren did a quick truing of my wheels, I swapped a pedal (with a cage) from John’s extra bike (which another rider had been borrowing while he was with us) and put it on my bike, and Scott and I were off a little after ten.
The wind was with us as we dodged manifold potholes en route to our first break, and the nearly-flat road frequently took us past stunning views of le Fleuve St. Laurent. Beautiful. Up to lunch we (Nathan, Scott and I) were averaging about 37 km/h, and we arrived about a quarter to twelve.
We stretched, snapped off some pushups, ate sandwiches (I had tuna) and watermelon for lunch (or at least that’s what was left by the time I got around to it), practiced some French with Jo (basics of conjugation and common phrases) and got ready to roll again by 1300. Nathan and Scott took to making comments about my new avante-garde fashion (one cycling shoe, one running shoe) and we were off again, loving the flat roads and tailwinds and a spirit that made us want to work hard, frequently sustaining 45 km/h. Dustan, Vincent, Garron, and Joanna were with us at various points, and Scott and I finished the ride by 2.10, stretched and showered and were on our way to the bike shop in Trois-Rivieres with about ten others by 3.30 (that took some serious waiting to get things together). We ended up taking a circuitous route to the shop, and did not get there until 4 p.m. The employees were very accommodating, however, and managed to deal with all of our needs (six or seven bikes plus a few wheelsets needing truing) in just over an hour. I was unable to get my pedal repaired or replaced—it needs new bearings and the shop was sold out of speedplays, but I did manage to get my wheels trued. We ended up waiting until nearly six, however, to get a ride back to our accommodation, and so snacked on Frosted Flakes (about the only thing at the Depanneur that I felt like eating) and bananas with peanut butter that we found in one of the vans that was there).
We finally returned just ten minutes before dinner started, and did a few more push-ups and an ab exercise before settling in to pasta with meat sauce, salad, and buns.
Chekota and I went for a walk around the campus after dinner, observing some of the idiosyncrasies of Catholic places of meditation and reflecting on their value to believers. We found it hard to believe, for example, that a statue of Mary was elevated above the cross of Christ in a small grotto, could not make sense of the local relic there (a stone from Lourdes, France), and thought of the pain and suffering that might have been self-inflicted before a stone cross bearing the word “penitence” across its beam. There are many things I do not understand about the Catholic tradition, and perhaps I infer things incorrectly, but I do not find myself comfortable in places where symbols are, to my mind, misplaced.
We played a round of MAOW tonight, and I managed to create a new rule: no laughter may be suppressed. We have found, however, that there are too many rules and too many interested parties, and the game is interminably long. Each round can take up to an hour! We will begin a new “season” the next time we play (sorry, season will not be available on DVD).
I managed to have a good chat with Mom and Dad before heading in to work on TWIB and some photo-stitching (I’m putting together a massive panorama of Montreal), and now its time for bed!

Montreal a dimanche

What a day!
We arrived at the Salvation Army building fairly late yesterday, and headed out fairly shortly to hit up a jazz club for a bit. Scott and Derek went to get Dan (our new videographer) from the airport, and joined us at the club. Upon returning to our lodging we found our rooms on the second floor to be sweltering hot (somehow the heaters were on) and we decided to sleep in the park on the property (more specifically, in the daycare play area). We woke this morning around six am, looking straight up the walls of the building and through the trees above at the cloudless blue skies. It was so refreshing!
We wandered around for a bit first thing, and found a creperie for breakfast (a good thing, too, for when we returned we found that the group had ravenously devoured nearly all of the food that was provided.
We headed down to an Anglican church (a very large church) across from the old train station, and were inspired by the liturgy and Eucharist.
After church we headed back up to get some bus tickets and headed for Santropol, an amazing little sandwich shop a bit of a hike from the core. After some massive sandwiches (I had smoked salmon) and chicken-peanut soup, we headed to Fairmont Bagel for some original Montreal bagels to snack upon. From there, we cabbed it up to Mont Royal to look out over the city, shoot some panoramas, and do a little dancin'. After that, a looong wait for a 'plus tard' city bus gave us a chance to chat. We headed on down from there to Old Montreal, where we wandered the cobbles and shot a few pictures before hitting Pub St. Paul for dinner (the building was nice, and the food affordable, but the plastic beer cups that served as water glasses were a little tacky and I wouldn't recommend the French onion soup). From there we headed down the cobbles to the waterfront, walked around for a bit, and finally headed back to the metro, passing Notre Dame on the way. We sat in the park to look at the facade in the fading light, but were...overpowered...by the ammonia emanating from a nearby horse-drawn wagon stand.
Derek and Dan had an excellent Dance-Off while we waited for the Metro, and we rode back home in relative quiet, all being quite tired from the day. We've now wandered up to a Booster Juice (which is closed) and find ourselves posting from the comfort of a park bench outside its doors.
Tomorrow we ride to Trois-Rivieres. Hopefully I can find a shop there and fix or replace my pedal.

VanKleek Hill to Montreal

The night was quite cool, actually, and some of the women sleeping in the tent next door had to head indoors to escape the chill. It was also wonderfully dark; so much so that we were in bed by 10.30 and, though I woke up a couple times (and Derek says I was talking in my sleep), I felt quite refreshed when I woke at 0620. We left the tent up and the fly draped over the bleachers to dry while we packed up and had breakfast at one of the churches, and left for the day at 08.40 (about 40 minutes after the others). Our first road took us almost straight to Quebec, and after crossing the Ottawa we turned onto a narrow highway that took us along its banks. The road was new, and eventually turned out to be too new: we hit a 2 km section of gravel that was not at all pleasant. After wiping down our tires, we headed on to the first rest break, at a junction of the road and the Route Verte, an extensive bicycle path network through Quebec. John (from Lindsay) had a flat, so we waited while he and Warren repaired it, then rode on with them (and the other mechanic (also a John) towards the rest. John (the mechanic) was on the bike for the first time since he bruised his ribs in a crash in Manitoba, and is still struggling with some issues with his bike. Scott and I rolled on with him until lunch at Oka, arriving just as the others were starting to eat.
I found the plethora of vinyl-sided cigarette shops littering both sides of the highway to be hard to bear—so much bondage to addiction! And even though our laws make it legal for such transactions to take place (do they?) it is highly unfortunate that they are turned for these purposes. So many (myself included) have become so caught up in our individual rights and privileges that we neglect to consider our responsibilities to each other and the community at large.
Chekota, a First Nations rider from Alberta, was presented with a pipe at the church in Oka, an occasion of great cultural significance. He has decided to stay there for a couple of days, and covets prayers for the Holy Spirit to speak truth to through his lips to the people there.
From Oka we headed 12 km down the road to the IGA, where we had a photo op for the grocery store that helped out with the lunch, then rode another 10 km to a rest break. By this time (after 2.30) we were getting a little frustrated with all the stops, and decided to head out with the lead vehicle for the final 50 km into Revigny. The roadway was not too bad, but traffic picked up and we were compelled to ride on a somewhat bumpy bicycle lane with stop signs marked at every intersection (we eventually gave up on those and started riding at the edge of the roadway). The roadies, not being able to themselves navigate the cycle routes, had difficulty deciphering where they started and finished and decided to direct us along the roadway instead-which was fine. Adding to the general confusion of the day, however, was a large festival and all of its associated traffic that was right on our route.
To top it off, the bearings on one of my pedals decided to call it quits today, and for the last third of the ride I had to deal with strange noises and about a quarter inch of lateral travel on the platform. I’m going to see if I can get it rebuilt, or may replace it with a flat pedal for Monday’s ride and pick up a replacement in Trois-Rivieres.
We finally made it to our final destination, a park in the suburb of Revigny, and have eaten some dinner (hamburgers—so I went for tomato on a bun and another with peanut butter), and are currently waiting for the bus to come to bring us downtown. Tomorrow: church, exploring the city, perhaps a sandwich at a fabulous shop downtown. Dan, our official videographer, arrives tonight to take over from the very capable Derek, who is heading off towards the West tomorrow night to sort out some things for school this fall.
The group presented him with a T-shirt tonight that everyone had taken the time to sign.

Ottawa (Orleans) to Van Kleek Hill

120+ kms
The day was scheduled to be 76 km, and wouldn’t officially begin until 10 am, so we entertained a few options to lengthen it up; we thought of riding off into the Gatineau Hills (which we had considered doing yesterday, but didn’t get up in time), or of riding around south for a bit. We settled on riding out along Aviator Road and along a parkway that is closed to cars on Sundays. We reached Orleans a little after 9 a.m, and Marya arrived with Isaac and our bags a little later. We transferred the bags, said our farewells, and headed out about 30 minutes after the group.
Bruce decided to make our route a little more interesting, and in the process added about 20 km to the ride, which we were fine with! The roads were busy at first, then meandered near the river before joining up with the main roadway. Lunch was at Jessup’s Falls, a nice park along a river (that was a little brown). The roadies from the district had put together some excellent sandwiches for us as well as pitas and home-made hummus! I was so excited to have a meatless protein (that wasn’t peanut butter, which I eat far too often) that I had both a pita and a sandwich and had to lie down for a while to sleep it off. All told we were at the park for a little over an hour before heading on, with our teeth a little gummy and garlic on our breath.
A few k’s down the road we turned left and Greg turned right to head back to Ottawa for what turned out to be an additional 73 km. Our route took us along the Ottawa river on a decent road with little traffic, and I racked up about seven or eight points in the cow game to Scott’s one. We hit a nice, gradual descent which, coupled with the tailwind, allowed us to sustain speeds well over 50 km/h for a while, which was exciting to say the least. Scott called the cemetery just outside of VanKleek Hill, decimating my points count; but I caught one on the way into town and we ended the day tied at zero. We were at the community center a little after three, in plenty of time to shower and set up our tent (the banquet hall is clean and air-conditioned but not especially large) before heading to the Presbyterian church for a delicious lasagna dinner (the Anglican church hosted half of the riders as well).
We’re just finishing the final touches of Leg Five’s episode of TWIB, and hope to get it online tonight or tomorrow (depending on Internet availability). Several members are leaving after tomorrow, among them Derek, Paul, Ben and Judy. They will be missed!
The United Church in VanKleek Hill put on a service last night, and Scott was asked to do a testimony. After hearing the Bible Society rep wax on about the cause and how the Bible changes hearts and lives, Scott got up and confessed that it’s not about the Bible, but about God: God changes hearts and lives; God’s presence in the Holy Spirit not only inspired the writers of the Bible, but enables our hearts to understand, believe, and live by the words of the Bible.
Scott also spoke about the Kingdom of God as a present reality, highlighting the present tense of Jesus’ parables and comparing it to the community amongst the group on this tour and the Kingdom-example it represents to the world.
After a game of MAOW (only one round, we had so many players, so many rules, and it had been so long!) its time for bed. Derek and I are sleeping my tent. The night is cool!

Day off in Ottawa

As is becoming habitual, I was up before seven this morning. But I went back to bed on what is quite possibly the most comfortable pullout couch I have ever enjoyed (it has been somewhat modified over the years, Marya tells me) until nearly ten.
Scott and I spent the rest of the morning working on our computers, he editing last week's video (which could not be worked on before because his power adapter was inadvertently left behind last weekend) and I working on some stuff for school this fall.
After some lunch, we headed to the grocery store to get some things for dinner and hit up a bike shop for a new chain for my bike and some brake pads for Scott's. Apparently the shop recommends changing shimano chains after 1500km to reduce wear and tear on the (more expensive) cassette and chainrings. Campagnolo equipment is said to last much longer, but I think that after 5000kms both are still probably ok. When we returned I quickly installed the chain and spent some time with Scott, Marya, Isaac (who had woken from his nap) and their friend Laura and her children (and a cousin) who had come up from Belleville for the day. We headed off to the Science and Technology museum for a couple of hours, and wandered through massive steam engines from Canada's railway history and exhibits on space exploration (featuring the Canadarm), optics, and an impressive display on communications networks sponsored by Nortel (featuring curving tunnels with blinking lights, a twisty slide, and a trampoline room with a very low ceiling).
Back at the house, we put together a dinner of grilled trout, salad, potato-leek-broccoli soup, zucchini-lentil soup, roasted potatoes and sourdough bread.
We read from a children's bible about the Crossing of the Red Sea, and launched into an extended conversation on God's will, providence, and the presence of evil. I'm not sure that I can articulate the jist of it, but I rest assured that God's plan is both greater than we can imagine and more intricately detailed than we can comprehend. While it seems that God may hear our prayers and petitions in some cases and not in others, and that good things happen to both Christians and non-Christians, in a world made good yet tarnished by sin (such as ours) the difference may simply be that the Christian, by his prayer, is acknowledging and glorifying God--closer to God's plan for her or him than the non-Christian, and while their prayers or hopes may not be part of God's plan, they are heard nonetheless.
Shifting gears, we planned out our route for tomorrow's ride (a jaunt from Orleans to Van Kleek Hill, about 76km away, but for us including a 20-30 km ride from Ottawa to Orleans). We then settled down with bowls of frozen yogourt and granola to watch "She's the man," a comedy based on Shakespeare's "As you like it" but set in a contemporary American prep school. It was light, funny, and we particularly enjoyed watching twenty-something actors pretend to be high school students. Perhaps that's why teenagers want to look older than their years?!
Scott and Kate are having a conversation on the phone, which I can't help but being pulled into (as I am sitting next to Scott), and I am learning that my preferred sleeping style (with a pillow between my knees) is discussed in neonatal classes (which I have never been to). I can't remember where I picked it up, but it sure is comfortable. It being nearly midnight, I'm signing off, thanking the neighbour for the wireless access, and heading to bed.

from K-town to the Capital

Kingston to Ottawa

Our wonderful hosts (who, unfortunately, we did not get to meet in person) keep a well-stocked pantry! We had a selection of cereals to choose from this morning, and did so at 0500. The goal was to depart from the church at 0630 (we figured about 0700). Greg, Marya, and Isaac met us about 0645, and after getting our tires pumped up and our kit loaded into their car, we were ready to head out.
The weather was cool, and I started the day in both knee warmers and jacket, keeping them on almost all the way to our first rest break in Westport. The Free Methodist church there hosted us with delicious cherries, a selection of eye-tempting pastries, and other fruit. We took some time to stretch before heading on, with a slight backtrack towards Belleville before we turned north-east again. We had some excellent tailwinds that allowed us to cruise at a nice pace all the way to lunch at Smith's Falls.
Just outside of town we stopped to queue up for a police escort into town. Scott and Greg had dropped back a little from Luke and I (Luke having joined us for the last stretch and showed off his continually improving time-trial skills). Greg's leg was feeling a little stressed, and Scott had been stung by a bee. They ended up having to pull over to remove the stinger!
The escort turned out to be a mere 3-400m, which was the source of much humour, but the lunch served at the church was excellent, including a range of sandwiches,more fruits, and chocolates complements of the Hershey shop. Even though there were greetings on behalf of city council and the MPP, the lunch was still one of the least time-consuming we have yet experienced, and we headed off en masse with our police escort for the town hall for another brief ceremony.
From Smith's Falls to the next rest we had an excellent tailwind, and enjoyed pulling each other along at up to 50 km/h (though we averaged a little over 40 km/h). We caught up to Dustan and Vincent, they in turn passed us, and we exchanged some good-hearted bum slapping (which may or may not appear on this week's video).
We stopped to refill our bottles at an optional break in a generous farmer's driveway , then Scott, Greg and I turned off to ride directly in to Greg and Marya's place in Ottawa. We were there, having completed 192 km, a little after 3 pm, and after cleaning our bikes we settled in to a delicious vegetarian dinner featuring rice and beans (a wonderful 1-2 punch of complete protien and carbs!) Marya headed off for some scrapbooking, and Greg, Scott and I sat down to a game of Settlers of Catan before heading to bed.

Brighton to Kingston

5-star breakfast this morning, courtesy of the Nelders: we had pancakes, three different sets of fruity toppings to choose from (citrus, berry, melon), real whipped cream, yogourt, OJ...mmm!
We were loaded up by 6.40 and on the road back to Brighton, (Scott and I napped), arriving around 7.45. The group was pretty much ready to go, so we got our kit together quickly then took the time to stretch and talk with the Nelders and with Bill (sweep driver) before we headed out.
The first 30 km or so was beautiful and not too warm, and we had some lovely views across to the Lake. We broke for a rest at Carmela Estates Winery, which featured excellent bran muffins. On from there, Scott and I rolled with a large group that included Derek (riding my trusty Peugot) and we got some interesting footage for this week's video.
We pulled over at the Bloomfield Bicycle Company shop just 6 km from lunch in Picton, and found t-shirts and bumper stickers that say "TV Sucks. Ride your Bike." and "Never question why you ride; only question why you don't ride more." Scott also found what is perhaps one of the coolest jerseys I have ever seen. It looks like this shop may be a good place for me to source a six-speed wheel for my classic Bianchi racing bike!
We waited for John to get some repairs done, then hastened off with him on our draft to eat our midday meal, provided by St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.
Our lunch break was quite short, has we had to catch the short ferry from Glenora back to the mainland and cover 70 km to Kingston. It was fun to queue up and nearly take over the ferry with our bicycles!
On the other side, we pulled Warren and Carol until they found a group that they liked, Scott and I riding side by side and announcing in poorly-imitated slightly-irritated butler voices that "Warren's Escort Service" was approaching on the left of the people we were ready to pass.
Shortly before Warren and Carol dropped off a tractor pulled onto the highway and began to cruise at about 38 km/h. Scott and I launched about a 90 second interval to catch up, then rode the draft for nearly five minutes before the driver slowed to turn off. We cruised from there on into the rest break, where a decent water access encouraged us to take a quick dip.
We were off onto the last 30 km just before 3.30 pm, and Scott, Garron and I rode hard the whole way in, with a slight head/cross wind coming off the water. The air was thankfully cooled by the lake effect, and we were able to manage an average near 40 km/h.
We arrived at the church shortly after 4, and checked a map of the city while the other riders arrived. Carol was gracious enough to loan me Red Lightning, and I took the Peugot downtown to the house where I am living next year: I am now partly moved in! I also had the chance to meet my subletter and one of my housemates!
I was back in time to get a good serving of dinner, and stayed on to help rinse the cups for recycling and wash the plastic cutlery for re-use. Billetting was set to begin around 7.30, but when Scott and I found out that we are billetted at the home of some absent hosts, we decided to go out to Swiss Chalet for another (small) bite to eat with his brother and family. Scott's bro is riding with us to Orleans tomorrow!
It is now 10 pm, and we have an early start tomorrow. I conclude with a thanks to "USR8054" for leaving their network unsecured and accessible from my hosts backyard, and head for bed.
Shalom!
"

Uxbridge to Brighton: A hot ride, and more serendipity

Up at 5.30 this morning, we broke fast quietly (as Scott's sister and her husband were still asleep) and left the house around 6.45. Derek and the girls (Jo, Robin, Andrea, and Becky) drove straight to the church, while Scott and I went to his friend's house to return the van and get our bikes. We rode down to the church after that, arriving enough before 8 to hear the announcements for the day.
Steve was back with us for the day, and I was talking his wife, to Sandi (Warren's wife who rode was on the ride last week), and some of their friends who knew me from my blog. After a while they ascertained that I was from Wiarton, and asked if I knew any of the Pentecostal ministers there; I said that my sister was friends with the Nelders, and they said "That's us!" We had not met before, but it was a pleasant surprise, and they immediately invited us to spend the night at their home (one of the announcements having been that we were sleeping in a curling rink tonight). So we had that to look forward to the whole day!
We headed off into the rolling hills (mostly moraines) east of Uxbridge at around 8.45, and enjoyed a beautiful country route to to the first rest break at Bowmanville's Maranatha Christian Reformed Church. We had a snack and Scott and I settled in for a nap on the floor of the nearly-dark sanctuary; when I woke up, I realized that Sonja, one of the riders from last year's Sea to Sea tour, was there helping out. We had a good chat, comparing notes from our respective rides, and I was reminded that their tour through New Brunswick featured rain and winds from the last vestiges of Hurricane Katrina; hopefully we won't run into more of the same!
The ride from Bowmanville to Port Hope went fairly quickly, and we followed a route along the Lake (Ontario) that Steve had suggested. There was a little bit of gravel (about 200m) and a rickety bridge over a railway track, but the scenery was beautiful and the traffic very light.
After lunch we had a mere 22 km to our next break, at Grafton's St. George's Anglican Church (complete with a dragon on the front yard). We snacked on yet more watermelon and fruit (an excellent alternative to cookies!) and were among the first to leave for the final haul (our shorts getting somewhat uncomfortable in the heat!) We rolled on into Brighton, helped unload the cube, and headed off with the Nelders for the night. Dinner promises to be a casual graze from a smorgasbord of fruit, meat, and potatoes, and I am clean, hungry, and excited!

Catching up

Jordan and I hit up the Cornerstone for a wee snack after I rolled into Guelph (and showered and rinsed out my riding clothes) on Friday night. Pizza, fettucine, and apps really hit the spot. We met up with his g/f and some of her work friends for a bit, and I was in bed by 11 or so.
Up again at 7, we had some breakfast before heading out to the farmers market for Jord's weekly veggie-shop, some coffee, and a cinnamon bun from an excellent Greek baker (who also sells at the Keady market on Tuesdays).
We were rolling by 8.45, heading northwest out of the city and skirting around Kitchener-Waterloo before making our way south to stratford and along the highway from there to Clinton, where my dad's side was having a family reunion.
We arrived a little after 1.30, having covered about 140 km. By my calculations, this extra distance pretty much makes up for the kilometers lost in Saskatchewan-Manitoba, Northern Ontario, and en route to my house. More precise calculations to follow. Showers and some lunch were refreshing, and the rest of the day was spent conversing with hosts of family, some of which I have not seen in several years. Dinner was excellent and varied, and we rounded out the evening with a campfire. Jordan and I slept in the (screened) gazebo, and were on the way with my parents by around 6.30 this morning. We were back in Fergus just after 8, in time to meet up with the crew, get ready to ride, and take off.
Our first rest break was at Orangeville Baptist Church, but we unfortunately could not join them in worship. We rode on to Loretto, where the roadies served us lunch, then to a church about 15 km west of Uxbridge for our afternoon rest. Scott was playing piano tonight at Tilt (the church plant in his home church) so had to be there in time for practice. We left the last rest break a little early and rode to the home of someone he knew, where we traded our bikes for a van (for the night) and drove down to Toronto. My mom, dad, and younger sister were already there, having come up from Union station (my sister just returned from Quebec) and we went to get some food while Scott and the others practiced the evening's song selection.
The service was excellent, with many familiar and well-written songs and an extensive session of personal meditation on lessons in John 3 that challenged us to reflect on our relationships with God and our neighbours. We also partook in the Lord's supper, something that I have not had yet this trip and so appreciated very much.
My family headed off fairly shortly after the service ended, but I was lifted up by the realization that my sister and I will be in P.E.I. at exactly the same time, she for a wedding and me to ride a loop from Charlottetown that includes the Anne of Green Gables house. Hurrah!
I'm posting now from the home of Scott's sister and her husband, where a number of us are staying the night. Tomorrow we ride to Brighton!

Peace ><>

Off again: The second half.

Up at 5:45 this morning, we gathered our kit together and prepared to ride. I had a bit of time to say farewell to my sister (who leaves in two weeks for a Rotary exchange to Chile, where she will be living for a year). I’m really going to miss her!
It took me a little longer than expected to get everything together, but we managed to get out the door a little after seven. Taking a fairly quick backroad, we made it into town in just under an hour, joined by Joe (coach) for the second half of the ride. We were in time for some announcements and to see everyone start, then put on our sunscreen and headed out. We rode in a pack of eight quick riders about half of the way to first rest break, then pulled out ahead. A hearty game of “Cows” kept us observant, with Jo racking up seven points before my call of “Bury your cows” at a rundown cemetery set her back to zero. After first break (at Durham) we were somewhat more lethargic, and rode a good deal slower to lunch at Flesherton, 25 km away. The church there set us up wonderfully with sandwiches, fruit, and muffins (they were dark brown with blueberries…so we rationalized...) and we took a nice nap for about 20 minutes in the sanctuary.
Scott and I warmed up quickly for the next stretch and enjoyed a brisk tailwind, and were quick to depart from the last rest break. All day we had been making little songs about Fergus and his excitement to see Kate, and we time-trialed the last 30 km in just over 42 minutes.
The line for dinner has abated; I’m going to have some food, then ride on down to Guelph to spend the night with Jordan (another lifelong friend) and ride with him to my family reunion tomorrow.

Posts are coming!

I'm having an unbelievably difficult time finding either the time to post or the means to do so at the moment, but rest assured-posts have been written, they simply await the time when I and my computer (or my memory device) can get online! Sorry to keep you waiting!

Home (continued)

How good it is to wake up in my own bed! To be at home exactly halfway through the tour (time wise) was a tremendous blessing, and I’m thankful to our organizers and fellow riders who understood my pining to ride on home for some quality time with family.
I was up just after seven this morning, spent some time on administrivial tasks for school this fall, then went downstairs to help with lunch. Tables were set up (some contrived from things as diverse as a milk can, a bar stool, and the ramp we set up to cover the stairs leading up to the pool). Chairs were produced from here there and everywhere, and the cupboards emptied of plates, trays, and cutlery. Salads were mixed, cheese and vegetables sliced, beverages mixed, soup prepared (and tasted!), fruit trays arranged. I took some time (more than I expected) to track down my chain cleaner and other bike tools, as I wanted to clear the rust off my chain as soon as possible. The rust developed in the short period of time—about two or three hours—in which the bikes sat in the van (en route home and while we ate dinner).
My friend Tyler rode up on his motorcycle a few minutes before the cyclists began to arrive, and we enjoyed a short visit and catch-up as other riders started to roll in. Lots of food and conversation followed, and I had a short interview with the local press. The group left around 2 p.m. to ride the 35-km route into Owen Sound, but Scott, Jo and I stayed around to do some clean up and visit a bit more. Joe arrived just before 4 p.m, and we headed out together for on the more scenic 50km route along the water. We hit Owen Sound just before 6 and rolled straight to the bike shop, where Scott got fitted with a new saddle, chain, and derailleur cable; unfortunately, they were so busy with repairs and customers that we missed most of the roast beef dinner at the church.
First United did, however, provide an excellent dinner and a short service, and several riders (who had previously requested billets) were matched up and sent off. We headed off home on another back road and grilled some pork kabobs, and shrimp and vegetables, reheated some soup and toasted some buns. Another Joe, this one a longtime friend and fellow alumnus of Redeemer, joined us for food and fellowship. It was good to be able to say that I was satisfied with food and company!

Home!

What a day! Scott, Jo and I had planned to take off at 0700 to beat the heat and make the 1330 pm ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory (115 km from Espanola) rather than leaving at 0800, taking lunch in Little Current, and meandering on to catch the 1750 ferry, putting us into Tobermory much to late to ride the last 80 km home.
At seven, however, the rain was still falling (no big deal) but apparently some warnings had gone out about the quality of the road, especially when wet (there being minimal shoulders). A roadie was sent out to check the road conditions, and came back reporting that trucks were on the road, which was indeed narrow, and that we had best trailer the bikes for safety's sake.
The shoulders between Espanola and South Baymouth are often narrow, 'tis true; and the road has not been upgraded in about ten years, so has several rough spots; but it must also be taken into account that, but for the traffic associated with Espanola and Little Current, most vehicular traffic is related to the ferry, and is therefore tied to ferry scheduled sailings four hours apart. So: the road isn't ideal, but traffic volume is quite low.
We bit the bullet and loaded up with the group, hoping as we passed each curve and climb through the western edge of the La Cloche range that Bruce had pulled off and we could start riding, but it was not until we had covered 10 km of roads with excellent shoulders that he decided that there was space sufficient to unload and assemble the group.
Being in the first group, we were itching to get going, and so did so after clearing it with Bruce. Quickly underway, we loved the chance to ride 90 km with only a brief washroom break and a stop to talk to a police officer who had to get in touch with one of our other riders.
The rain had stopped by the time we reached South Baymouth, and we took the time to swim in the harbour while our pizza was being cooked. We talked to tourists and ate before the ChiCheemaun arrived.
Joe (a former teacher at my former high school who generously gave of his time and energy to coach cross country running (and skiing, for a season) and his wife met us on the ferry, having spent the night at a cottage on the island. We did some catching up on the ride and had time to catch a nap as well. Joe joined us for the ride down from Tobermory, as did Andrew (a friend from Owen Sound with whom I did a good deal of spring training). The clouds were rolling in again as we set off a little after four, and the rain began to fall ever more heavily after about 30 km. My youngest sister was acting as our sweep, and when the wind picked up and thunder and lightning started we pulled over and decided to pack it in. She called Dad, who came out to pick some of us up, but we managed to fit the five bikes and six people in the van (sans middle seats) and get underway (though the storm forced us to pull over for a time).
Finally reaching home, we were greeted with a fantastic meal that featured mushroom pie and roasted elk, followed up by ice cream pie with berries! Much talking later, it was time for bed. Tomorrow the other riders come for lunch, so we will have some preparing to do!

Blind River to Espanola

Blind River to Espanola
Daily Distance: 96 or so km.
Up just before seven, we quickly packed up and headed in for breakfast at the lodge, only to find that it had been served at six-thirty and was now almost finished. Our hosts graciously provided us with toast and cereal nonetheless and we were on the bus in good time to depart. Back at the church by eight, we had some time to nap and prepare for our nine a.m. departure.
Whispers going about the room were confirmed at our morning devotions: Dougald, whom we had just met the day before, and who had been planning to join us for dinner and the night, had been struck and killed by a vehicle just before Iron Bridge. The nearness of death was a shock to us all, and many riders gathered in groups to pray for his family and friends, the driver, and those among us who were also deeply affected. One rider chose to take the day off from riding to mourn Dougald and respect his own father, who constantly fears for his safety when he is on the bike.
One of our group confirmed that Dougald was a Christian, and we trust that he is now with the Lord, experiencing fully the Shalom that comes from knowing Jesus of which we here experience only the slightest taste.
Our spirits nonetheless slightly dampened, and our sense of caution heightened, we set out into the humidity with the aid of a strong tailwind. At lunchtime, Scott and I had spent only an hour and a half in the saddle, but covered over fifty kilometers (we stopped in Spragge for refreshments and I called CFOS 560 for a live-to-tape interview and again at Serpent River to refresh in the rapids). Charged by the assortment of chilis, homemade bread, and veggie sticks offered at lunch, we averaged over 40 km/h for the last 50 km and arrived in Espanola at 2.30. I took advantage of the early arrival, doing some banking, getting a haircut, and having a shower before dinner at 5. I spent the evening talking, reading, changing my tires, and preparing for tomorrow’s 200km ride HOME! (the rest of the group rides 120 km and takes the ferry to Tobermory before stopping for the night. Scott, Jo and I are pressing on!)

Sault Ste. Marie to Blind River

Daily Distance: 146 km.
Tip: Never say “It’s a short day.”

The day began humid and overcast, and by 7.30 thick clouds were rolling in. We brought our gear down to the lobby for Dale to pick up, then went back in to enjoy our continental breakfast before heading over to the church to pick up our bikes and head out. As we sat down, the sky darkened further, now approaching night. Rain began, huge drops plummeting from the sky and collecting to emphasize the hidden topography of the parking lot. Lightning flashed across the sky, accompanied by rolling peals of thunder, and I began to think that I might not ride. Looking up, however, we could see how quickly the clouds were rolling by; within five minutes the dark thunderhead had passed and, though we caught a cab to the church to avoid the last of the rain, the sun was out by 9.30.
Warren predicted narrow shoulders for much of the day, so suggested that the faster riders go out first to minimize the amount of passing; we were, however, completely unprepared for this announcement (it being a significant break from our regular routine) and by the time we scrambled to prepare everyone else had left—so we figured we had best wait it out, as usual, and headed out into the sweltering heat just before ten.
After maneuvering around some construction we were onto wide shoulders and roads that brought back memories of my first (unofficial) day with the Sea to Sea tour last summer, when I was introduced to the fine arts of carrying kit on my bike, sprinting for town signs, and slapping John Van Sloten’s bottom while passing. Our first break was about 25 km down the road, and from there we headed on to Bruce Mines, where we gathered to thank the family of Jim Rickard, who had a heart for God and a passion for cycling and willed his entire set of mechanics tools to the Bike for Bibles tour. Concluding that, we headed to the local United church for sandwiches, vegetable slices, and ice cream with strawberry sauce. (Note: I’ve felt the need to restrain myself from desserts again for most of this week, building in anticipation for one serving when I get home on Wednesday night). Some of our riders met up with Dugald, who is crossing Canada to raise funds and awareness for “Riders for Social Justice,” and he joined us for the meal and took some pictures of our group as we rode.
Somewhere in between first break and lunch a collision occurred (again caused by tires touching), this time resulting in three riders going down with scrapes and bruises and one, our dear Australian Dave, fracturing his wrist. He was quickly shuttled back to Sault Ste. Marie for x-rays and a cast and returned late in the day.
About 2.30 we were again underway, and rolled on to Iron Bridge for an afternoon snack at their United church. As we rode I began to think about ways to commemorate my youngest sister’s departure for South America, and found myself getting choked up at the impending reality of her departure; she seems so young, but I am again thankful that she is much more mature than I was at that age. At Iron Bridge I devoted too much time to trying to film a monarch butterfly that was alternately resting and flitting about the parking lot.
Geoff had a flat just as we were leaving Iron Bridge, and Scott helped him to change it. By the time we left (last again!) Geoff and crew had a bit of a lead on us and we were just catching them when Derek asked us to do a few ride-bys of a section of road that had an abandoned house on one side and a broad river on the other. We complied, then worked a bit to catch up to Geoff, Klaas, and some others, and pull them on into Blind River.
The group paused at the edge of “Warren’s town” to assemble and allow him and his wife to lead the way into town. We arrived at the Catholic high school, parked our bikes indoors for the night, hit the showers, and went to the community center next door for dinner. Scott and I grabbed ours to go, then headed back to the school to keep an eye on the bags (which were still out front). After dinner and a service the women and couples headed off to their billets and the single men boarded a bus for the Galilean Bible Camp outside of town. Scott, Derek, and I grabbed a cabin and spent the rest of the evening reading and editing Leg Four’s version of TWIB, which is now available online.

Living in Squalor at the Comfort Inn

I write this post in the midst of sheer chaos. Paul, Derek, Scott and I have secured a room in Sault Ste Marie, and our gear has erupted over the floors and unmade beds. In fact (is it really fact?) our present circumstances invaded my dreams last night, in which I was back in an overcrowded student apartment (think: early third year), except this one involved staircases coming out of and going to apparently nowhere, and was inhabited by several of the people on this trip. As I navigated my way through waist-high piles of clothes, my overriding concern was finding a safe place for my bicycle until I found a color-coordinated bike repair stand that had somehow materialized...

We were up around 8 this morning, and I took a short walk to collect some thoughts and stretch before hitting the continental breakfast with the guys. Newspapers bring news of more death and destruction in the Middle east, a situation about which I know far less than I care to.

We (and several others) were under the impression that church began at 11 am, and were somewhat surprised to find the worship set just ending when we showed up at a quarter to. We settled into the back row in time for the sermon (Paul commenting that, as a good Reformed Christian, I hadn't missed the best part). The pastor spoke on the mystery of Godliness, explaining that it is not a matter of us trying to be 'in Christ', but Christ, by the Holy Spirit, living in us. I had never been to a Pentecostal church before, but found myself agreeing with much of what the pastor said (that which confused me may also be due to my general tiredness). Hearing him preach reminded me of a conversation I had with Scott and Derek earlier this week about the practice of 'religion', in which Scott argued that true Christianity is fundamentally anti-religious (religion being understood as the set of mankind's attempts to have fellowship, blessing, and/or reconciliation with God). Christianity is not a set of behaviours, it would follow, nor can we speak of definitive "Christian ethics"--but rather, we should speak of faithful versus unfaithful responses to God's call on our lives. That being said, the basic laws: Love God above all else and your neighbour as yourself are critical to a 'faithful response', and their broader expression in the ten commandments is key.
The pastor also emphasized that in confessing our sins before God we must not fail to take into account our sinful nature: that we were in fact born sinners, and need to be "born again" into the family of Christ to be forgiven.
Singing "In Christ Alone" near the end of the service summarized beautifully the gospel we heard this morning, and left us energized for the week ahead.

After bidding farewell to Steve (who finished his tour this week), we headed back to the hotel to catch up on sleep, world news, and our own attempts at journalism. Scott and I had bread, hummus, and veggie cajun chicken (surprisingly good) from the nearby A&P for lunch in the room, and we did some laundry and filming before heading downtown for dinner at "The Docks".

Tomorrow begins a week that is much easier than this week's 1300+ kilometers, and also marks the mid-point of the tour (time wise). Horray for seeing family and getting back to southern Ontario!

Wawa to Sault Ste. Marie: Extended version

Having picked up my computer this morning, I am able to...embellish...my account of the momentous ride to Sault Ste. Marie.

The morning was probably my earliest yet (0420), as I had to help get things ready for the vehicles. After breakfast (my trusty granola again--thanks mom!) and those preparations I headed to the Catholic church to meet up and get my bike. Scott played some piano while I stretched, dressed my shoulder (which is healing very well) and got some last things ready. The morning was also very mild, and I started out with shorts and knee warmers, a sleeveless jersey as a base layer, a winter running jersey overtop, and my jacket overtop of that. The sun peeking through the clouds made for beautiful reflections over the lakes we passed in the first kilometers, and a slight tailwind hastened our journey. When we warmed up, we took off our jackets (deftly, and after a good shoulder-check) and Bill and Marlene (who are now driving sweep in the faithful "15-pass") pulled up to take our jackets.

We used the first hills as a warmup, and enjoyed the descent into Old Woman Bay and the first (optional) rest break. We took a few pictures, played in the sand a bit, and then headed on. The clouds thickened while we were there, and the jackets went back on as we climbed out of the valley. Rain was with us for a while thereafter, but gradually eased and had ceased by the first official rest break (which, due to the distance of the day, was a rolling stop). We halved a banana and got underway again, catching several riders before the next break at Agawa Bay, 92 km into our journey. We had a brief lunch there (it being not yet 11 am) and I took the opportunity to make a few phone calls to friends.

We left for the next leg shortly thereafter, with the Montreal River Hills lying ahead. Coming from the west, the road climbs the hill in segments, sort of like well-worn stairs on a gigantic scale. Reaching the top, I quickly filled my bottles before we launched our descent down the twisting road. It had rained a little again, making the road slick and demanding of extra attention on our skinny, smooth rubber tires.

The weather cleared up again as we continued on our way, and a few straightaways offered opportunities for some close-up shots for TWIB. We were the first to arrive at second lunch, provided by the roadies next to a native crafts store a kilometer from Pancake Bay. Scott, Derek and I headed back for a swim and returned in time enough to get some food.

The last 80 km were beautiful: the road traced the shoreline for much of the way, the sun had come out, and a cross-headwind off the water kept us from getting too hot. The final rest stop was at a beach 40 km out of the Soo, and several people went in for a swim. Scott and I headed off shortly after, and seeing the signs for hotels in the Soo got the idea of getting a room with Derek to celebrate the day and the coming rest. I ran out of energy with 30 km to go, but a granola bar I had grabbed (providence?!) supplied me with fuel to tackle the final climb. We had been expecting a relatively flat finish, and were surprised to see the final challenge looming ahead, evidently steep and curving off out of sight to the left. We took it at 15-17km/h, trying to maintain an even cadence, and were thankful that Carol was waiting at the summit with gatorade. Another energy burst and a gradual descent into the city meant a long sprint as signs of urban sprawl became apparent around us. Peeling into the city just behind the "Silver Bullet" lead vehicle made me feel a bit like I was on a tour de France breakaway, and the ride was about the same length as many of the stages they tackle in that race. We made the final turns and arrived at the church, my computer reading 227.1 km. Feeling like I still had some energy, and wanting to cool down from my sprint, I tooled around the suburbs until my odometer read 240.7, thus accomplishing (by God's grace) a full 150 miles.

We felt slightly gluttonous at dinner, so starved were we for energy, and estimated (without any real precision) that there were probably 2000 calories on each of our plates.
We settled in to the Comfort Inn about a ten minute walk from the church, and were asleep by 11.30.

Marathon to Wawa

Ride length: 197km
We woke from our stairwell/landing slumber about 05.05, and set about packing up and getting things ready to go. Things got together so quickly, in fact, that the first riders had to wait for the sun to rise fully before they could leave, and couldn't set out until after 06.30. After reading a little further in Peace Shall Destroy Many I headed out with Scott, about 07.30. We climbed a few fun hills, but shot few pictures as the clouds were coming on heavily--we handed off our cameras to one of the support vehicles.
At the first rest break we met up with a rider heading in the opposite direction, who suggested a few good scenic spots for pictures and swimming on the road ahead.
The rain fell heavily upon us as we approached White River, for about 10 km of a 25km stretch of fire-ravaged forest. The young trees coming up amongst the standing skeletons of trees reminded me that sometimes things must come to an end before new things can begin.
Lunch was at White River's "Winnie the Pooh Park", and though it rained for a few minutes things cleared up nicely thereafter. Thinking on it now, we have been rained on several times (especially Scott and I at the rear of the pack), but never for a great duration. What a blessing to us (even though it is a burden to the farmers).
White River is pretty much exactly halfway between Marathon and Wawa, and we set out for our afternoon ride around 1 pm, this time with Jo, Nathan, and Garron. We caught up to Sharon and rode with her for a bit, then she and Garron chose a slower pace. We caught up to Dustin and Vincent (perennial leaders of the group) at the top of the last climb into Wawa, and Scott took the 'effort' to the official blue sign.
Several Wawa churches combined to provide us with accomodation, though our bicycles and dinner were served at the parish church of St. Monica. After some stretching we headed off with Dale (regional director for Northern Ontario) to the showers, but found them locked and the facility closed for the day when we arrived (though there were some wedding decorators there). After some administrivial phone calls and about twenty minutes of waiting (which we used to shoot some footage for this week's video) we were able to get cleaned up.
Dinner was delicious and included vegetarian lasagna. It was my night to help the roadies, so Becky and I took off right after dinner to wash out the gatorade coolers and snack bins and restock them for the next day (Gatorade is made fresh each morning). After that, Scott, Derek, Paul, Becky and I headed out in search of more carbs and t-shirts that said "I got goosed in Wawa" (Wawa, by the way, means 'goose' and the town is adorned with larger-than-life canada goose statues and goose-inspired street lighting, among other things). After calling my sister (in Quebec) who rode across the country last summer, we determined that we were on the wrong end of town; after walking back to the church Becky gave me a lift to the Wawa Motor in and I secured a (small but functional) tee.
So that was that. I was in bed around 10.30 in the hallway of the United Church, ready to rise at 4.15 to get things ready for the morning.

A momentous day:

We did it! by God's grace we finished our toughest ride yet: 230 km (I spun out to 240.7 to make it an official 150+ miles). The day started cool and overcast, and we ran into a bit of rain, but was bright and sunny for our afternoon run around the lake. Great photos and great footage, but my computer was inadvertently left in one of the vans today--so I come to you, briefly, from Scott's.
A more complete account (and posts for the previous days) will follow!

Best Day Yet: 190-odd km from Nipigon to Marathon.

Another phenomenally good day, beginning at 0500 (0400 for the early starters). We had breakfast at the churches we stayed at, got things together, and headed off; easy riders were out after around 0630, and Scott and I left a little after seven.
For the first little while we took it easy and breathed in the tremendous vistas. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Annie Dillard’s statement “I feel created” (I think its from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek?). Looking out over that misty water, with terrestrial forms emerging from it across the landscape made me think of the Creation (probably innacurately, I know, but it had a wondrous quality that cannot be captured in a photograph (though I did try).

Another wonderful thing about today was the hills: they were steep, but not too steep, and I could feel the growing strength in my muscles as we powered up each one, tucked in, and cruised down the following descent. We had a slight headwind, but it brought cooling breezes from the lake.

Three separate churches hosted us for lunch in Terrace Bay, over 100km into the ride, with an assortment of sandwiches, watermelon, and orange slices that hit the spot.

The afternoon was significantly warmer—until the winds picked up, the clouds rolled in, and things got very cool and very misty. I thought it might rain later today (as was forecast), but nothing yet.

Upon our arrival in Marathon we headed straight for the United Church (one of our hosts) to drop off our bikes, unload some things, and head for a Superior swim. It wasn’t nearly as cold as we expected, and we climbed out onto the pebble beach feeling wonderfully refreshed.

We prepared our own dinner this evening—spaghetti and tomato sauce, chicken, bread, and salads—read over the newspaper, and got some things ready for tomorrow’s ride to Wawa.

And now its time for bed (9.30). Another gloriously early start tomorrow!

Disappointment

Today was a disappointing day, though it began well (Excellent breakfast at my sister's place, a ride through some morning drizzle to the church, and clouds clearing by the time we started our ride). We intended to ride the 115 km or so from Thunder Bay to Nipigon, get there early, and have time to rest and gear up for the next three days, in which we hope to ride to Sault Ste. Marie, still nearly 600km away.
The disappointment of today is not so much the the fact that we had to abort the ride after 45 km as it is the reasoning for it:
(1) The highway is in horrible condition. I'm not super keen on highway expansion and construction, as it too often leads to more vehicles (if you build it, they will come, right?) and more pollution; but the Trans Canada Highway is in such terrible condition that I am compelled to note it here.
(2) The truck drivers. Although those drivers that we met were kind and encouraging, several of our riders experienced extremely close calls today, even when the oncoming lane was free of traffic (as witnessed by our roadies). One rider reported a truck crossing the whiteline and nearly removing his arm. In light of yesterday's post, I am glad to have arrived safely in Nipigon, albeit by bus, and hope to make up the 60km further down the road. Someone (an albertan) commented while we were riding through that province that "We may be rednecks, but we are courteous"--and nearly all drivers were, giving us not only the full shoulder but a complete lane along their divided highways. Warren, from northern Ontario, has observed that this type of driving is uncharacteristic of truckers (and most cars) in his area further east. We can only hope that things improve.

The United, Anglican, and Catholic churches have put us up for the night, and I am again obliged to a courteous (or naive) homeowner for the use of their wireless network (accessed from the hood of the truck)

We have an early start tomorrow, so I'd best be getting to bed (in the little room where the priests put on their robes)

Prayer Request

Please remember in your prayers the family and friends of my sister's friend Ben, who she described as "an adventurous, quietly genuine and big-hearted man who gave generously of himself and his talents for the glory of God, showing His love in practical and life-affirming ways." Ben was killed while cycling on BC's lower mainland on July 6th while preparing for the annual Seattle to Portland bicycle ride [NOTE: Not connected with the Bike for Bibles Centennial Ride]. Please pray also for the driver of the vehicle that struck him; though uninjured physically, he is no doubt going through his own anguish.

A good grind

So...tired...cannot...remember...yesterday--except that we stayed in Atikokan, had great turkey for dinner, called home, and went to bed early.

Today:
205 km, Atikokan to Thunder Bay. Crossed the drainage divide separating the Arctic and Atlantic watersheds. We were up at 5 am, breakfast at six, on the road at about 7.30. Because of the length of the day, Bruce okayed the idea of rolling stops before lunch, which meant that people didn't have to wait. First break was at 50km, and was well situated next to a lake--so we went for a swim, then got distracted by the various creatures pollenating flowers. We left around 9.45, in plenty of time to make the 50km to lunch at 11.30, and were surprised to hear, as we passed a support van picking up riders at about 83km, that most people were at lunch and already eating. We figured we'd better pick up the pace, and arrived at lunch about 20 minutes later.
A couple of girls from Quebec joined us for lunch; they are students at Laval University, and riding across the country and raising funds and support for "un pied devant l'autre," an organization which encourages youth to walk or cycle to school (and be more active). I've added their link to the sidebar.
After lunch we rode hard to catch up to Chester, who is, at 75 years, our best vintage on the tour. We heard some of his stories, and gave him draft in return, until the break at 160km. At that point, the group headed on down 17 to Kakabeka Falls and into Thunder Bay via the southern route, while Scott and I took off on #102, cutting off a few km and getting into town in time to meet up with my older sister, shower, and get a start on our dinner before heading back to pick up Derek and our gear.
A lovely (meatless!) dinner of enchiladas, refried beans, rice, salad, and salsa followed, and we've spent the rest of the evening reacuqainting, trading stories, and finding out that my sister met Scott's brother and his wife in Canada's far north and that they share other common friends. What a small world it is indeed!
Tomorrow is a much shorter day, which means we can sleep in (a little). Armed with the names of good places to swim (provided by my younger sister, who rode across the country last summer), we press forth (under the Lord's Mercy) across the north shore of Lake Superior. Please pray for safety in the coming days, many of which will be long, tiresome, and narrow-shouldered.

Scott here...

Well, I contemplated abusing this privilege of posting to jack's blog by surreptitiously writing under Jack's pen name (Jack, that is). However, I have done the honourable thing. It is Scott here. I'm being billeted and thus have access to the internet. The main purpose is to link up to the Leg Three's This Week in Biking. I'm currently rendering the video, so check my site at www.scottgmoore.com (and then click on the As the Wheel Turns Blog) to see if there is a link to the video.

Today we rode from Fort Frances into Atikokan - only 150km, but seemed a lot longer in the heat and multiple breaks. I promised myself an early bed, so I will let Jack catch you up later.

Course a la Eglise

*Apologies for the recent hiatus in posts; with access again to the internet today, I have put up posts for the weekend!*

The day dawned bright and early, with ~220km on the schedule. Scott, Warren and I brekfasted, posed for a shot with Kjell, and left the house around 0615. We got our kit loaded, my shoulder bandaged, and had a short devotional on the unity of the body of Christ before heading out around 7.30 (45 min behind the first riders) Our goal: to make the 11am service at Nestor Falls United Church, 116km away.
It became apparent that we would be a little late, and even more so when we had to wait at the first rest stop for every rider to arrive; we were straining at the traces until the lead van left, and took off right behind it. Averaging 32.1km/h, and climbing over 800m (with little, if any, net elevation gain), we arrived at 11.30 in time to see the sign: the church service was actually at 10 am. Shoot! That was disappointing, but we still had time to visit with the fellowshipping congregation. Scott sat down at the piano and we (Jo and I and some others) sang some of our favourite hymns, those which proclaim the gospel without pretension. One of the church members joined us at the organ.
Lunch was good, and included cottage cheese and real turkey!

In the afternoon, things took a turn for the worse, at least for Johanna: she started off noticing that she had a slow leak in her tube, and we started to change it; then realized that we had no tubes with valves long enough for her deep-profile rims; we tried to patch the tube, but the valve itself was leaking, so she had to borrow a wheel from another rider who was taking a break for part of the day.
Later, after a short sprint, Scott noticed that her rear wheel was way out of true; turned out she had broken a spoke. After trying unsuccessfully to re-thread it, we settled on borrowing another wheel, this one from a different rider who had sat out. When we got to the rest, they both wanted their wheels back (we had gotten permission, but just for the one segment of the ride). The front tube was replaced with the right tube, but we couldn't find a proper spoke; so, after much delay, she borrowed another wheel for the last 30km.
Warren (the mechanic) took off a few minutes before we did, and though we were surprised not to pass him, did not think much of it until after dinner, when he did not stand up to introduce himself. Turned out he had pulled off to use the washroom, we (and the sweep vehicle) had passed him, and he ended up in Fort Frances with no idea of where he was supposed to end up. He called Bruce (the co-ordinator), and his wife (who called bruce) to figure out a way to get picked up.
One of the riders, John, had the right sized spoke, so we fitted it to Jo's wheel and the mechanic (another John) trued it for us as we re-organized the mechanic's truck. Finally, at around 10 pm, we went down to jump in Rainy Lake before heading to bed.

Rest Day: Kenora.

A rupture in the main natural gas supply line to Kenora has cut much of the community off of its water heating sources, and resulted in the closure of most area restaurants.
Rising just after nine this morning, Scott, Warren and I had breakfast and threw our clothes in the wash before heading out with Marg and Kjell to the Salvation army to pick up rags and then to the church to clean our bikes.
A couple of hours later, our chains, spokes, rims, tires, and frames cleaned, and Scott with a new derailleur cable, we sat down in the sanctuary and Scott started to play. Merrin and Craig, both headed back home today, also joined us to sing “Amazing Grace” “Blessed be your Name” “Be Thou my Vision” and other songs, finishing with“It is Well with my Soul.” Wishing them (and Linda, Merrin’s mother and our faithful sweep driver) and Reba (her dog) farewell, we headed back to Kjell and Marg’s, and from there to the hospital to have my wrist looked at. Expecting a long wait, we brought our computers and worked at editing pictures and footage for “This Week in Biking”, and I read part of Rudy Wiebe’s Peace Shall Destroy Many while I waited in the examining room. We stopped in at the grocery store on the way to pick up some bread, cheese, and dip for lunch X-ray results show no fracture, and the recommendation is to continue using a tensor bandage and splint where possible.
Kjell and Marg provided us with an excellent dinner of pasta salad, coleslaw, and chicken, and Scott and I walked down to the waterfront to take some pictures and shoot footage for the film. Tomorrow promises to be an early start (0630), as we hope to reach Nestor Falls (116km away) in time for church at 11 am.

Testimony:

I’ve been raised in a Christian home all of my life, but I did not truly begin to feel the strong pull of God on my life until my late teens. Much of this pull I attribute to my life-changing experience at Redeemer College, where I learned to appreciate the continuity of the Bible through the Old and New Testaments and its summary in Jesus Christ. Through this discovery of the unity of scripture and the realization that, as the theologian Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not one square inch of Creation over which Jesus Christ does not declare “MINE!”, God has given me a new sense of hope, being, and responsibility that has changed me into a person much different today than a mere four or five years ago. These changes have also been brought about in community. A few of you know already that my older brother was killed by a lightning strike when he was seventeen; reaching that age myself was a profound experience, and part of what turned me to God. With time to reflect on this trip, I find that God has given me extra “brothers” in the intervening years, from residence advisors to running partners; on this tour, Scott has been like a brother as well; these people underscore to me that the blood of Christ makes for a family much larger than my own.
Why am I here, on this tour? Because the chance to ride through God’s spoken word (the Creation) in support of God’s written word (the Bible) in the company of those whose hope rests on God’s word incarnate (Jesus Christ), is too good to pass up.

Best day so far:

A great sleep last night (though not long enough), and we were up at five thirty. After breakfasting with my aunt and uncle we headed off for the church, arriving just as the easy riders were departing.
Scott had biked in from his aunt and uncles, and was already warmed up and ready to go. We left around quarter to eight, taking the perimeter highway back up to highway one east. A bit of tailwind pushed us onwards, though I felt somewhat sluggish throughout most of the first leg, and an unwelcome stiffness in my calves. Scott pressed a sprint up the last hill before the morning rest, and as I followed I could feel the strength coursing through my veins and carrying me forward. Both Scott and Dave (Merrin’s dad) kneaded my calves in the morning, and after a short warmup we were flying through the second leg en route to lunch.
Scott and I marked the corner into the lunch break with Neil, and took the opportunity to capture photos of riders as they came in. As I was preparing to head on myself, I was surprised to see one of my profs and his wife walk up; they were passing through in their travels and, recognizing the uniforms, thought they would come see if they could find me to say hello!

Lunch was excellent, featuring open-faced buns with roast beef, egg salad, tuna, or salmon and loads of vegetables and fresh fruit.
After taking some time to digest, we headed for Ontario! We could see the landscape around us changing, with bits of Canadian shield poking up and trees on both sides of the highway. We started to sing “Feels like home” when lakes came into view—the first real lake we had seen in a looong time.
After another rest break at the Falcon Lake United Church, we cruised the last few kilometers to the border signs, where we shot a few photos.

Scott and I left almost right away from the rest break, and Garron joined us in the last pull to Kenora; the roadies had asked us earlier in the day to mark a couple of corners in the city, giving us an excuse to ride hard and get ahead.
We took the bypass (17B) around much of Kenora, approaching from the North rather than the west. A few km from our turn the clouds darkened and a cold wind blew in from the North, dropping the temperature by several degrees in a matter of minutes. Fearing that we had gone too far, and concerned about the coming rain, we called to confirm that we were indeed on the right road, then, seeing Iona coming just behind us, handed off our phones and cameras. The rain began shortly thereafter, and thoroughly soaked us in the last couple of kilometers. We found our corners and guided the first ten riders or so through before pulling one over to take our position and suggesting they do the same so that no one got too cold.
Lakeside Baptist, on the east side of Kenora, hosted us and our bikes for dinner and a service in conjunction with First Baptist and St. Alban’s Anglican churches. I gave a brief testimony at the service (see a concurrent post for a synopsis). Afterwards, we met up with our hosts, Marg and Kjell, who put Scott, Warren (who rides a recumbent), and I up in their basement apartment. We conversed late before heading to bed, having no fixed agenda before the ten a.m. bike cleaning session at the church.

Family

Our cushy-tour style ride across Manitoba today. We were served an excellent breakfast at the Alliance church where we spent the night, and headed over to the church around 8.30 to get things ready for the day. Everything was ready to go at around 9.30, and after waiting the requisite half hour or so, Scott and I headed out onto the road.
Our first rest break was a mere 25km down the road, and we decided to treat it as a stretch break after our easy warmup ride. We figured that we ought to take the day as easily as possible to ease the strain of always starting and stopping, so rode with groups of other riders along the way--Merrin (who leaves us tomorrow to go back to Victoria) until lunch (at aroudnd 50 km) and Craig (a Winnipegger who is with us from Carenport to Kenora) afterwards. Lunch included some excellent buns, grilled ham (maybe with a maple flavour) and beans. The afternoon rest break, at about 70 km or so, featured an array of fruits and drinks--we are certainly well-doted-upon!
Scott headed off to his aunt and uncle's place shortly thereafter, hoping to arrive in good time to attend his cousin's baptism.
The last stretch of our ride involved so many detours (due to construction work on the perimeter highway) that we needed to re-assemble at the 100km mark and ride the last few turns in a long convoy. We arrived at the South End Bible Church just after five pm. Kudos to our great roadies for making sure we got there safely and without any wrong turns!
My uncle Ted (who lives in Winnipeg) met me there shortly thereafter, and after getting a few things squared away we were off to the home he shares with my aunt. My cousin and her fiancee joined us for dinner, I've taken care of laundry, played Blokus (the board game) and finished this post.
Tomorrow we ride 200km or so to Kenora, ON so it will be an early morning. Amazing to think we're entering the fifth province of our journey tomorrow!
Kenora being the end of this leg, we took some time today to shoot footage for the new episode of "This Week in Biking". Incidentally, Leg Two was uploaded this morning and can be accessed here.

God is faithful.

Friendly Manitoba

I secured a helmet this morning from A&L cycles, got my wheel trued and a new pair of gloves (the old ones were getting really nasty and I didn’t want to wear them. I’ve now taken to wearing a tensor on my left wrist; perhaps I will have it looked at when we reach Kenora.
Shortly after getting onto Highway 1 this morning I noticed something flapping on my front wheel. Next thing I knew there was a loud BANG! and my tire was flat again. The Kevlar bead had torn right out of the rubber around the tire area where yesterday’s crash occurred. So that tire was done, and I had to get a lift up to the mechanics truck (about 5km ahead) to pick up my spare tire. I think the rim will have to be replaced at some point, however, as it is a little chewed up.
The road rash crew is growing quickly: Steve (another fairly hard rider) managed to get his front wheel tangled up in Dustin’s pedal, and took a dive at 45km/h. He is in the market for a new helmet, and has some nasty road rash down his arm, shoulder, and along his upper leg. Checota misheard a call from a rider behind, and chose the gravel instead of what he thought was an impending truck—so some elbow scrapes there.
The support from Manitobans for this ride is overwhelming; about every 30km along the way stops have been arranged for us to fuel up and hydrate; in today’s 130-odd km we had three rest breaks and a staging at the edge of Portage la Prairie for a media photo-op. Because I managed to end up at the front of the peloton for the picture, the media rep. wanted an interview when we reached the church, and followed me around the food table taking pictures (I must have fouled a lot of shots by looking at the food in front of me rather than looking beyond the camera).
The Good Shepherd Parish set us up with dinner (veggie burgers available!) and the ministerial association arranged billets; tonight I am with six others at an Alliance church in town, posting on internet provided by a nearby hotel.
Tomorrow promises more of the same, (later start, shorter ride, lots of snacks, though hopefully fewer crashes), and I am perhaps chafing at the bit to get to Winnipeg and see my aunt and uncle!

Shalom.

An eventful day!

This was to be the longest day of the tour, a whopping 240 km hurdle from Glenfell, Saskatchewan to Brandon, Manitoba--and with a time change to boot.

Yesterday, though I could not find the means to post, was no slouch either--220 km from Carenport to Glenfell; we rode fairly easily, with the determination to take things easy and snap some good pictures. Other than a short video about an eagle and a panorama of the landscape, I found the potash processing facilities too depressing and the landscape too flat...(no offence!)
For a while I was rolling "in the zone"--that particular effort level at which you feel like you can roll on forever.
The afternoon gave us some headwinds, but nothing too major, and a service station provided wonderful juice to complement our afternoon snack.
We slept last night at the Glenfell park/arena, and a number of groups took advantage of the camping facilities to set up tents and shelters (with bug netting). Dinner (roast beef and potatoes) was provided by area churches and held at the Legion Hall a short walk from the arena.
Bed was on my mind almost immediately after dinner, what with a long day ahead.

And so begins today's account.
About 2.30 AM thunder woke us up, and the sound of sleeping bags and tents unzipping shorlty therafter betrayed the sounds of people preparing to make the dash indoors. I thought rain wasn't in the forecast, but packed up my sensitives (namely electronics) and other stuff to be ready just in case. When a few sprinkles started to come down, and people began to dash indoors, I hauled up my kit and joined them; but, looking up on my way back for more gear, I saw that the sky above was clear, and decided to chance the sounds of the storm over the sounds of snoring in the echo-y arena.
A few more rolls (some quite loud), and that was it. We were up at 04.15, packed up and at the legion by 0510, with clouds and a bit of rain falling.
The storm did, however, leave behind a nasty crosswind, which plagued our ride for the morning. Leaving last, we (Scott, Jo and I) drafted behind platypus for a bit, then formed a pack when we caught up with Rod and Dustin.
Episode 1: Road Rash

It was while riding in this pack that my tire kissed Dustin's. When something like this happens, the rider in the rear (myself) usually ends up in trouble. Such was the case. A sudden BANG (my inner tube popping as my tire (suddenly turned sideways) was wrenched from the rim), and I was in the air and then on the ground. My motion brought the rear of my bike up into the air, narrowly missing Joanna (who was riding behind me). The others quickly reined in, and I was surrounded by their concerned faces. Linda managed to find a tube in platypus, and scott changed my tire while Linda swabbed a rash on my shoulder and bandaged it. Jo took pictures, and the others, after ascertaining that I was indeed ok, headed on their way.
Scott and I headed off for the next rest break (thankfully: my greatest anxieties were: (1) Is my bike ok (I was protected by an angel, it seems, and knew there wasn't much wrong deeper than the skin) (2) can we find a tube so I don't have to get in the car and ride up to get another.

At the rest stop we learned that, because of the wind, the group was running behind schedule for our scheduled lunch stoop at Moosonim, some 50 km away, and a shuttle of vehicles would begin to transport us there. There being far too few vehicles to get us there all in one shot, Scott and I quickly saddled up and took off, hoping to make it there before the shuttle drivers picked up the riders behind us.

Episode 2: Small World
As we were riding, a truck pulled up to us, pulled over, and the driver began to wave. We were about to pass another pair of riders, and the they slowed to speak to him. Assuming that the driver was from the church, and was helping to pick up riders, we rode on past. A few km later, we again encountered the driver and this time, we stopped. He asked if I was indeed Jack, and then informed me that his name was John, had gone to University with my dad, heard about my participation in the ride in our christmas letter, and thought he'd see if he could catch me. He passed on a donation and greetings to my parents, and then left us to continue our ride. (we made it to the church on our bikes).

Episode 3: Shuttle for Bibles, and a wrong turn:
The church fed us a hearty lunch, and my torn and bloody jersey caught a fair bit of attention. We also found out that, again due to time constraints, we would be catching a bus for about 80 km, then riding the rest of the way (for a total of 160 km instead of 240km. It being 11 Am (noon manitoba time) I was a little miffed, but such was the way of things. We missed the town, and 80km became 113km by bus. I was now somewhat distressed, having prepared extensively for rides like this and hoping to complete every kilometer of the journey by bicycle; and so, heading off from this new starting point, Scott and I took a wrong turn (detour?) that led us south for 25 km, then back along the same road (much faster, for the wind was with us) and back along the roadway into Brandon. We shall have to make up the other 67 km in snippets here and there, but rest assured it will be done in distance, if not in place on the Trans Canada. We made it to the church at 6.05 Manitoba time, an hour behind the others but good enough to catch dinner, dessert, wash some cups, and join the brief worship service (which featured testimonies from two riders, a message from 1 Samuel about "the cause" that drives us forward, and several inspiring worship songs). I am being put up for the night by some wonderful hosts, who have provided not only a king sized bed, but snacks, fresh dressings, a wonderful shower, and internet access (which I have now used for too long). Tomorrow I must find a new helmet.

Goodnight!

Another corrective:

My link to scott's website was very incorrect, showing one small segment of his website rather than the whole kit. It has been corrected, and is also available here.

A corrective:

In a previous post I mistakenly referred to Carol as the head roadie. This is not the case; it is in fact the very capable Wendy who is in charge of all things not powered by humans, and the enthusiastic Carol who figures out how to make sure everyone gets where they need to go.
While we are on this strain, I think its time to introduce the roadies:
Art and Betty make sure everything gets where it is going. Commanding “Driving Force” (our cube van), they carry our kit from A to B, are superb tomato slicers, and keep everything neat and tidy.
Donna and Dean open up their home to us for lunch every day (or, at least the awning!). “Bigfoot” is our lunch vehicle, but its drivers moonlight in minor repairs and rest stops.
Becky is our youngest roadie, but also the most spirited. Whatever vehicle she is driving she can always be counted on for a wave and a high-speed high-five
Andrea joined up to help out her friend, Chakota, as well as see the country. Although she is a roadie, she is also a decent haircutter.
Iona and her husband (he is a rider) are from Saskatchewan. Iona regularly drives the lead vehicle, and frequently spoils us by loaning her tent.
Margaret, from Australia, gives superb directions and helps to make sure that our food is healthy and ready when we are.
Linda is the faithful driver of “Platypus,” our sweep vehicle. She keeps tabs on everything, waits patiently for scott and I to finish our morning naps (or clean-up, or whatever) and never leaves a rider behind.
Bill and Marlene are the faithful drivers of “15 pass,” and are always willing to call out support, pick up struggling riders, or provide a floor pump for re-inflating tubes.
Derek is our videographer extraordinaire, and daily goes to great lengths to capture details of our journey (and the sights we see or wish we saw) in painstaking digital detail.

Week one roadies:
Angelina, Klaas’ wife, is an organizational whiz and did a great job keeping things organized

Week two roadies:
Louise and Don joined for leg two, and have been an excellent help both in the kitchen and on the road. Don has become Derek’s unofficial chauffeur, making sure that he can get shots from all sorts of wonderful angles.

Of course, the work of our roadies goes far beyond road support; each night they work hard to prepare snacks, water, and Gatorade for the next day’s ride.

As a final note, I re-iterate my disclaimer that this blog is the perspective of one person, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Canadian Bible Society, other riders or organizers. Further, it is subject to the occasional unintentional error, but open to correction. If you notice that something is incorrect, please use the comment feature to let me know so that errors may be rectified.

Recovery Day: 152 km from Swift Current to Caronport, SK.

Left around 8.30 this morning, only a half hour after everyone else, as we hoped to take things easier and cycle with some of the other riders. We began to catch up to them around the first break, at Herbert, SK, and I noticed a slow leak from my tire as we approached the break (turned out to be a small piece of road wire), and spent some time changing the tube. Derek wired me up with the wireless camera mic at the end of the break (by the time I got organized many of the others were long gone) and proceeded to conduct a rolling interview at about 40 km/h, calling out questions and filming while leaning out the sunroof of his driver’s car.
Riding by myself after the interview, I took some time to sing softly, aloud (more difficult at times than others) and contemplate the surroundings; eventually catching some other riders, I rode in with them to the lunch break, near the vistas of salt flats at Chaplin.
After lunch I headed out with Adrienne, a music student at U of A, and we spent the afternoon discussing life-changing experiences, the opera (sometimes conversing in operatic tones) and favourite musical styles. We’re also working on a song for this week’s edition of TWIB. We passed a few abandoned buildings, which afforded excellent photo opportunities, and rode with Adrienne’s sister Merrin after the final rest break. Multiple renditions of a three-part harmony about bottled pop, fish and chips, and NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome rounded out the day.
We are staying at Briercrest family of schools for the next couple of days. Located on an old military base a few minutes from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the college dominates the town and one might find it easy to as “Is there anything not Christian in Carenport, Saskatchewan?”
Tomorrow we worship at a church meeting in Carenport, then head into Moose Jaw for lunch (provided by a church), a Christian-themed play, and the shooting of this week’s movie. May it be restful! I’m ready for Sabbath, and next week features multiple 200+km days.

TWIB: Leg One

We have finally managed to get This Week in Biking: Leg One up on the web.

SWIFT Curent....literally.

Thanks to the strength granted us by the almighty, and his generous gift of wind, Jo Scott and I completed the 222 km (Jo's odometer) from Medicine Hat to Swift Current in 5 hours, 9 minutes, for an average speed of just about 43 km/h.

I neglected to mention earlier that Jo broke a spoke just a kilometer from the Saskatchewan border (our first compulsory rest stop). We cut the remaining spoke, loosened the brakes, and made minor adjustments to the surrounding spokes (difficult because her wheel is a 28-spoke radial) and she limped into the stop where Warren (one of our superb mechanics) fitted a new spoke.

At the end of first lunch we secured a jug of hot water from the Saskatchewan welcome center, and got permission to skip the second mandatory rest stop if we would proceed directly to second lunch and clean the dirty dishes from first lunch. By the time others arrived, we had succeeded in washing and drying the 70+ plates.

Kevin, another Australian who participated in the 1996 ride from Vancouver to Mississauga, was also hoping to beat the record; seeing us continue past the rest break as he was directed in to stop, he quickly offered to do dishes if it would get him back on the road and came in just behind us.

The ride was not all race; we played a rousing game of 'cows' (first person to spot a single or herd of cows gets one point), and used the wide shoulders to ride three abreast, talk, and pray together. The last 50km, however, we hoped to ride in under one hour. We came in at 1:06, having averaged something around 46km/h. We arrived just before four, had our chocolate milk fill and commenced with unloading the truck (aided by riders as they arrived).

Members of the alliance church that is hosting us graciously took us to their homes for showers, and served us a dinner of buns, salads, and sphagetti with a hearty stew topping; vanilla pudding for dessert.

Today we ride 150+ km to Caronport, SK. Pray for tailwinds and safety!

From underway

We have stopped for our *first lunch* of this, one of the longest days of the tour. It is about 9.45 am.
The gauntlet has been thrown down, and we are in the process of answering: in 1996, Bike for Bibles Riders did this stage of the tour, totalling 228 km, in 6.5 hours (average speed 35km/h). Thus far we are averaging over 40km/h, with 80km completed.
More to follow!

Medicine Hat

A quick post from the gift shop at the world's tallest teepee at Medicine Hat, Alta.
After our rest day in Canmore we rode to Calgary, with the wind at our back. We lunched outside the Victory Bible College, then took a bus to the Bow Valley Christian Church at the north end of the city. We were there pretty early, so took time for pushups and platforms (static abdominal exercises) before dinner (an excellent spread!).
Post-meal I helped Craig, who has joined for the next couple of weeks, to put new tape on the bars on his classic steel Peugot.
I called Owen, an old friend from skiing days, and arranged to meet up with him downtown after dinner. To my great surprisem, Peter, another skiing friend, was there as well; he plants trees in Alberta and had come to Calgary for the weekend. We walked up to a boat launch on the Bow River and sat there talking for about an hour about sports, life, and the balance of the two. Two encounters with skiers in two subsequent cities...am I being led back into that sport?

We were up early on Wednesday, breakfasted and loaded up to get a ride to the east end of Calgary (construction and stampede traffic precluding cycling through). The day was 180km east/southeast, and nearly flat. Brooks was our final destination.
With the wind at our backs, we had no trouble riding swiftly, and averaged around 36-38km/h over the ride.

Last night Jo, Robin and I went to Movie Gallery to rent "Top Gun", and after creating an account with Jo's australian drivers license and my phone number, we were good to go. The movie was very 1980s but we got some good nicknames from it today.

Today's ride was a short one, at just over 100km. for the first half Jo, Scott and I took full advantage of the tailwind to average around 45km/h with very little effort. The second half of the ride we rode at around 38, often three abreast on the wide shoulders.

As it stands, our nicknames are now:
Me: Maverick
Scott: Ice
Dereck: Hollywood
Jo: Cougar
Becky: Charlie
Jason: Jester.

All for now (this is no longer short!)

Rest! Sweet, sweet rest!

What a wonderful thing it is to take a day of rest, to take a change from the ordinary. Yesterday Scott, Derek and I went over to Banff early to meet Scott's cousin Meg for breakfast and to chill for the morning. Perhaps its just me, but the whole picture-perfect town looked a little contrived: the lodge-style architecture is just a little to homogeneous to maintain the interest of the eye.
Breakfast, at Bruno's diner, was good: Tex-Mex wrap with salsa and nachos; we wandered about town for a while, looking in at bookstores, stopping to shop, and trying to hunt down a new camera screw for my bike-pod (the last one snapped the other day).
Meg saw us to the bus stop, where we ascertained that the next bus to Canmore (22km away) wasn't leaving until 5 pm. It being 12.30, we decided to try hitchiking and/or see if one of the vans taking fellow cyclists around Banff/Lake Louise might have room for us. Hitching didn't work; no one appeared interested in picking up three males, but we got through to Bruce and arranged for a less-than-full van to meet us at 2.30. We spent the next couple of hours sitting on a park bench composing the "Week in Review" (Link to follow as soon as editing is completed) and playing Rock-Paper-Scissors.

-Shalom-

Stormsurfing, Rolling Farewells, and Serendipity

Stormsurfing: riding on the wind currents created by a moving weather system. To be distinguished from stormchasing, which is more about meteorology and less about going fast.

I think its a good day to make up words. Today we had an average morning, save for the aforementioned (perhaps below now) construction work that required a bit of a shuttle. Scott and I rode back down the road a ways to warm up before tackling the climb that officially started the day, then rode for the morning with Nathan, Rod, and Alan. Breaktime was at Field, BC (at the bottom of the hill). Good tailwinds brought us there swiftly. At the break, Derek hooked me up with a wireless mic that ran to his video camera, allowing him to capture the noises of my ascent up the climb at field along with some video footage. Lunch was at a pullover near the summit of the climb, directly adjacent to the railroad tracks (two trains passed by while we were there, with much shrieking of brakes). The topography of the Field area is such that when the railroad was built, no suitable means of grading the rails to allow train passage could be found; but this valley being the only option, they constructed a long spiral tunnel that brings trains up to the level of the pass.

Dark stormclouds collected over the course of our lunch, and by the time Scott and I were ready to go it was starting to spit. Fearing for the safety of my camera, I left it with Linda (the superb sweep driver of "Platypus", our sweep vehicle. We started the descent into Banff at around 11am, with rain falling around us and the faint sounds of thunder in the distance behind us. Combining adrenaline with tailwinds, we found ourselves spinning on a near-flat surface at over 70km/h, and sustaining speeds well over 50km/h for much of the ride on the flats. Conditions ranged from pouring rain to sunshowers to sunshine. By merely standing on the pedals we could move at over 30km/h. In short, we enjoyed the speed of Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise, and nevertheless gazed at their vistas for a good deal longer than most people in cars. Somewhere in the ride we missed the sign marking the continental divide.

We had some trouble when the wind turned; while we lost the cooling effect of the rain, we found the last few kilometers to be much harder going. Scott's rear tire gave up a few km from the end, and after three flats in five km he decided to call it quits.

Erv and his wife Nancy bade us farewell at Banff, having to head back to Vancouver. We rode the last few km together, then with a last high five they took the offramp and were gone.

The Anglican church is our host, but our numbers being greater than their facilities can handle, we are staying at the senior citizen's center. A pleasant surprise at dinner was running into a former cross-country skier whose family I knew back in my racing days. We, along with two other skiers who are part of the Anglican church in Canmore, had an excellent catch-up conversation that brought back many memories and another host of people with whom I need to get in touch. The funny thing was that I was trying to think of who I might know in Canmore, and her name came to mind; but I didn't think that the others would be there too!

Tomorrow: Off to Banff in the morning, hopefully a massage (if I can manage to schedule it) in the afternoon, and some socializing with these friends in the evening!

Shalom. Rest is good.

The Rape of Creation:

Perhaps it is fitting that the Trans-Canada Highway (THE major Canadian Highway, and probably the closest thing we have to a truly national 'interstate') be four lanes wide for the whole of its length; but seeing the construction work today that is involved in twinning the highway east of Golden makes me wonder if this is truly a symbol of "progress". First a railroad, then a highway, and now a four-lane highway. Is this symbol of civilization something we should be proud of?

The project I speak of here does hold the prospect of seeing traffic moved from the base of the river valley to a road cut high in the mountainside, with a massive viaduct conducting it over the river valley. This might make it easier on the animals and plants (which inhabit This should greatly reduce the elevation changes on the road, making it easier for cars and trucks to navigate the pass (and reducing wear on brakes and engines); but is this the best way to use our resources?

Roger's Pass

Daily Ride: 150+ km
Average Speed: variable. Best for the last 40km (descent into Golden, BC and along the east side of the valley)
Weather: cool in the morning, and cloudy; clearing over the day, hot and sunny afternoon.
Other notes: Time Change!

Thank you, "Rondo" for leaving your wireless network unsecured!
Left late this morning, after a breakfast of PB and honey sandwiches, some porridge, and a single pancake. We cruised pretty easy up the first 'foothill' climbs to get warmed up, and after checking in at the first rest break (good timing!) were well-placed to get a number of shots of the mountains, be the first reach the 1330m summit, and get all the gouda for the day (donated by a generous cyclist's family) sliced like good dutchmen. Scott got hit with a bit of vertigo last night, and took the opportunity for a pre-lunch nap.

After a few more photos at the top, most of the riders headed off and we settled down for a post-lunch nap. We woke and headed out around 12.45, about an hour after everyone else had left. The descent was most fun, with dark tunnels (I turned on my flashing rear light, followed the reflection of the white shoulder line, and rode straight for the other end), gradually increasing steepness, and a continuous descent of about 400m elevation. We hit 77km/h on the descent, thankfully avoiding the majority of bumps and small potholes and evading whatever it was that gave one rider four flats today.

We caught up with one of the less experienced riders just before a long construction zone, and rode through it with her, offering a few tips (she asked) to help with efficiency and comfort. We carried on together to the next rest stop, at which point Scott, Erv and I joined up for the last 35km. I'm not quite able to separate that average speed from the rest of the day, but the combination of descending, tailwind, and a long, easy ride immediately beforehand helped us to average something above 40km/h.

Four churches have combined their resources to host us tonight, and we have set up camp in a small (non-irrigated) yard behind one of them. Having lost an hour due to the time change, and having an early start tomorrow (scheduling dictates that we ride to Canmore, AB before we have our rest day, and we are getting a lift with our bicycles 10km up the road to avoid construction).

The saga continues!

Revelstoke

Daily Distance: 105 km
Weather: Cloudy morning, clear afternoon. Tailwind
Terrain: Rolling hills, net elevation decrease.
Average speed: somewhere around 32-33 km/h

Another night sheltered in the mountains. The 'Crowded to the Cross' Friday night rally is rocking on the lawn to my right as I take advantage of the wireless internet access generously provided by the campground across the street.

We (Scott, Erv and I) started the ride late this morning after taking the time to post online in the priest’s office. My hamstrings have been feeling a little tight lately, and today was no exception. I tried to stretch as much as possible on the downhills and while tailing, and after about 30km started to feel warmed up. Unfortunately, just as we started to get into a groove we inadvertently passed the morning (ice cream) rest stop. Less than an hour into the ride, we weren't really keen to have a snack anyway, but that sort of things causes headaches for the road crew (who support us along the way and marshall us through the various turns in our daily journeys. Carol (the head roadie) quickly caught up and stopped us, and we took the opportunity to stretch until the lead car came (rather than backtracking 3km to the ice cream stop).
We figured it might be easiest for us to head straight on to lunch, so Scott and I (Erv went back to ride with his wife) led the way at about 35km/h on to lunch at the 'Last Spike' visitor's center.

After eating and washing up (Hallelujah: having cleaned out the dollar stores in our path, we now have nearly enough re-useable plates for everyone!), we headed off again for the last 50km to Revelstoke. Through Eagle Pass (where there is a very nice looking 'chateau' resort) we spun, and with ever-improving views of the Rockies' snow-capped peaks.

Revelstoke's churches greeted us with space, non-irrigated lawns (hurray!) and a bus to the rec center (another feature-packed pool, this one with a waterslide and an overhanging 10' climbing wall. After partaking liberally and feeling much refreshed, we headed back for a dinner of burgers, salads, and delicious desserts.

Salmon Arm: The Houseboat Capital (after Lake Shasta, CA).

Daily total: 107.15km
Terrain: fairly flat, incredibly beautiful.
Other weather: Headwinds.

After helping clear up the breakfast dishes, smearing on sunscreen, and reading a few pages of Snow Falling on Cedars, Scott and I took off this morning in pursuit of the other riders. Sharing the burden of breaking the wind, it took a good deal of effort to catch the first pack of four quicker riders who left just before we did; finding that our legs were ready for a little more than their speed, and picking up Erv in the process, we went on to catch another pack, who we rode with until the first rest station.
After taking the required rest (probably more harmful than beneficial for us, as our leg muscles start to cool down quite quickly once we stop riding) we carried on, this time with both groups together and a train of nine riders.
When a group of nine rides in line, the riders towards the rear experience so little wind resistance that they can easily maintain the pace of the leaders; however, when there are varying levels of experience in the line, there is a tendency for small gaps to form, which are corrected by surges and breaking. The result, viewed from the side, looks about as co-ordinated as, well…you get the idea. Nevertheless, it is much more efficient.
Lunch was at ‘Hidden Bay Park’ in Sorrento, and I managed to get in a few more pages of Cedars. As we departed, however, we came upon one of our crew vans that had gone ahead, pulled over onto the shoulder, and dropped both passenger-side wheels into a foot-deep drainage ditch. A rider who works as an engineer thought to put some small boulders in front of the wheel, and a group of about twenty riders pushed the van up so that it could get forward onto the rock. From there it was a mere matter of turning the wheels and driving off the rock!
Perhaps I had too much for lunch; perhaps I did not drink enough liquids yesterday; in either case, I had a hard time getting warmed up again after lunch. Scott and I spun for about ten kilometers before we could begin to pick up the pace, and we took it fairly easy thereafter, pulling a number of other riders in a long train into Salmon Arm. We made short work of getting the truck unloaded, then grabbed our swim trunks and headed for the waterpark.
White Water Waterslides had four slides, a lukewarm hot tub, one functioning hot-water shower in the men’s room, and very nice staff. The slides were fun, though perhaps not designed for the kind of speed we wanted to get out of them. Riding on our shoulder blades and heels, we found ourselves ‘bobbing’ on more than a few corners. Again, due to my dehydration, I found myself being shaken awake in a lounge chair a while later...
St. Joseph’s Catholic church hosted us last night with a wonderful lasagna dinner. We found a large landing with exterior doors and a washroom, fairly secluded from the kitchen (and a good thing too, as the grease trap filled up during the after-dinner clean-up, and incense was employed to ease the burden on our olfactory systems). We helped the roadies get things ready for today, and Andrea (a roadie from Edmonton) gave me a haircut outside).
We capped off the night with a game of Maow (a card game, the rules of which I am not at liberty to describe) and I got in a few more pages of Cedars before sleeping.

Group Dynamics

Jack invited me (his Mother) to post a blog tonight, based on a lengthy phone conversation. He was not sure he'd find internet connection again soon, and trusts me to tell the tales. Getting to know the group continues.
When you are sleeping in churches, you don't get a private room and bath. Some people are happy to roll out in the hall. Jack and a couple of friends find the snoring keeps them from sleeping. Now, they really have not given it a lot of nights to adjust, but one was enough after a long day's ride. So in Hope (Day 2)they borrowed a tent. In Merritt, on a clear night, they set up one of the shelters, which can include screen sides, outside the church. Sleep was wonderful until "rain" at 2:15 AM soaked them. Clear night, yes. A Church with an irrigation system douses you very well. Yikes. So the next night, in Kamloops, they claimed a downstairs storage room with no windows and good soundproofing. Slept like babies. Three of them were rolling out their thermarests on a stair landing /foyer tonight - and there is a small bathroom beside it. One guy chose the hall coat closet...
The group has support vans which stop about 40 km into the day's ride for a refreshment break, then move on to the lunch stop somewhere just over half way. All meet up for lunch. That means Jack & 3 riders, who like to ride strong (read fast) linger to help finish packing up, then start last. As they come by lone riders, they offer them a "pull", which means the person rides right behind / beside them and so does not have to break the air currents, so gets a rest. It really makes no difference to the person pulling, except a good feeling of helping someone. When they meet up with another group, they drop off their tow, and speed up the ride. Usually they take turns pulling. Today they had a lot of headwind going uphill, so those who had not learned to ride in a pack had powerful incentive to do so!
They often help set out and clean up lunch stuff. Yesterday they enjoyed a dip in the lake beside the lunch stop. (Knowing that it takes a while for the chamois in bike shorts to dry, they carry swim trunks in their day bags.) Jack says he has taken quite a few pictures of the beautiful scenery and people, but will not "see" them until he transfers them from the camera to his computer. The "4" were in the first group following their van on the steep downhill with lots of turns going to the church stop in Kamloops. After waiting around for a while, Jack and Scott biked back up to join the last group arriving.
Today's headwind really tired out the legs, so the cool waters of Salmon Arm's water park were welcome relief. They were looking forward to a lasagna dinner. Some of the group offer to help with dishes etc to have an opportunity to meet the hosts who serve their dinners, and they try leave things "like they found them" or better. Still, there is time to get to know more about the other riders, their stories and personalities. It is a diverse group. Good though.

Hope

Daily Distance: 100km
Highlight: 11% grade descent.
Top speed: 80.8 km/h

We waited a bit today before getting underway, enabling Scott to try out the piano at the church. From the church, we took the highway to Mission (walking our bikes over the Fraser River on the pedestrian Bridge). Erv (a mid-thirties rider with some serious speed) set a blistering pace with us, running about 35 km/h until lunch and something close to that thereafter. Lunch was a buffet line of sandwich toppings, salad, and nuts, with plenty of gatorade available. Scott and I bought irregularly shaped flowery bowls and plates in a durable melamine at our lunch stop, and started to spread the word about re-use.
Getting off the Lougheed Highway in Hope we felt the wind and were thankful that it was with us!

Hope Christian Assembly put us up with dinner (several wonderful crocks of chili!)and a place to stay, and the baptist church gave us space for a short service.

The Hope Recreation center, featuring a pool (with swing rope) sauna, steam room, and hot tub, opened its doors to us. Expecting nothing more than showers, we were certainly spoiled!

Our waste management program is continuing well, with most riders and roadies complying with the system of sorting and stacking styrofoam, by dish, from food scraps and cutlery. Even if it cannot be recycled in a particular place, it takes up a lot less space and forces us all to think about waste.

One of the roadie couples loaned us a tent, so that we could sleep outside (windows open!) The occasional train rumbling by was more welcome than the regular symphony of snores.

Day One

Today is the first day of the week, perhaps fitting as the first day of our tour. We started early, meeting at the church at just before seven to load up our kit.

I spent last night with some friends in BC, where we had a wonderful evening tossing a small inflatable soccer ball about the room, conversing on everything from children to planning and politics, and catching the fireworks from one of Victoria's scenic vistas. My accomodation was a cozy camper-trailer affectionately dubbed "the pea".

But I digress...
from the church we headed down to "mile zero" for group shots, ceremonial tire-dipping, and and an inspiring song before officially getting underway.

Our intrepid videographer sought some excellent angles from which to capture the moment.

I've already found a promising riding partner, a rower-turned-seminary-student who shares an interest in...cycling swiftly. We quite enjoyed the tailwind today, averaging 31.5km/h for the 130km ride (I think we averaged somewhere around 6-37 when we were riding along the border.


I've already had one close call, but am thankful for responsive brakes and God's guiding hand; coming off an overpass (and with the speed of that short, steep descent) another rider and I were forced to slam on the brakes (which, on a road bike, often leads to a semi-controlled slide) to avoid a truck pulling out of a parking lot directly into our path!

Ride Highlight: Here and there en route to the ferry, nearly the whole way across the strait of Georgia, and all the way into Abbotsford, Mount Baker was a constant reminder of our destination. In the distance when we started, it is now less than 25 miles away.

In other news: interested parties are in the process of starting a 'top gun' club, with nicknames... I am reminded of a whitewater rafting trip on the Ottawa river a few years ago. More to follow!

Victoria:

Happy Birthday Canada! I am en route to the city sharing the name of the dominant architectural style of your most historic cities!
I met one of my mother’s friends this morning near Tsawwassen, and we are currently (1233) sitting on the ferry. BC Ferries are supposed to have a wireless network, but I don’t seem to be able to connect. Such is the way with technology. To my right I can barely see the snow-capped peaks of Mount Baker, peeking above the haze; further to the right are the gulf Islands. I’m meeting up with the cameraman later on (whose mother and mine are good friends from old). Excitement level rising!

Eugestion:

On the last Friday of every month, cyclists gather in major cities around the world in spontaneous parades that celebrate the bicycle as a means of transportation. As streets are temporarily claimed for two-wheeled traffic, revelers proclaim “We’re not blocking traffic…we are traffic!"
Once a year, riders organize in a giant-sized ride; June 30th was this year’s event, and was celebrated with all manner of costumes.

I met Jer after work, grabbed some sushi and a great Granville Island brew, and we headed to the Vancouver art gallery, where this city’s cycling counterculture collects. We paused en route to have our bikes blessed at the Anglican church, then met up Jer’s friends Mike and Aaron, proud owners of dutch-orange Marinoni touring bikes and matching #11 Jerseys.

Things got underway a little after six. After a couple of rousing rings and clatters from the horns, bells, and whistles in the crowd, we rolled onto Howe street. Being near the front of the group, we quickly dismounted to block the intersection at Robson, causing some drivers to become…irate. An ambulance also approached down Robson, and we stopped cycle traffic to let it pass. Down Howe we went, over the Granville Bridge and looping around to follow the shore of False Creek. Cambie Street Bridge brought us past B.C. Place, interrupting somewhat the traffic headed to the Lions/Argonauts game. Our route snaked downtown and into east Hastings before turning back past BC place, along Pacific Boulevard South, and up through Chinatown to West Pender. A faction between the group ‘leaders’ led to a split, with some riders heading straight to the beach and others for Stanley park. We joined an ensemble heading straight up the Lion’s Gate Bridge, which paused at the top to celebrate before (somewhat laboriously) turning around and making its way back down.















We dropped off the line at English Bay, to cap off the evening with a swim.


The sun nearly setting, we meandered along the sea wall and its various detours towards the Science World skytrain station, where we eventually went our separate ways. I did a few accelerations behind a city bus on the way back to the my hosts home in Aldergrove, arriving at 2245.

Ride total: who knows? I ended up riding from Cloverdale to Joyce-Collingwood station, then around downtown, then from King George St’n back to Cloverdale.

CHOPPER!!

I had the good fortune of making a new friend (by way of family relations going back thirty odd years) and, added to that, of helping him get his custom chopper functional. Though it's still a couple of li ks sh rt of a drivetrain, it offered much humour and laughter. extremely minor and mostly innocuous shenanigans followed.

INTERSTATE ESCAPADES

Early start today: My uncle woke me up at 0410, and we were on the road by 0430. He drives a regular route through Eastern Washington, and suggested that I might ride with him part of the way, then cycle north towards Canada. We reached the summit of Snoqualmie Pass (on I-90) at around 0630, and after a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, he went on his way and I headed back down the mountain. The first twenty miles of my ride were almost entirely downhill, and at some point the centrifugal forces of my rapidly spinning front wheel forced my computer magnet out to the rim--so no top speed was recorded (probably around 40-45mph). The interstate is quite nice, actually, with wide shoulders that leave lots of space for riders (or disabled vehicles, which I did not encounter). I got off at North Bend, and took state roads 202 and 203 towards Everett. Along the way was an old rail siding (i guess) with a number of antique trains (to be included shortly). Around Monroe I encountered a couple of other riders, who gave me directions for a less-travelled but prettier route to Everett than I had planned.
I arrived in Everett around noon, ascertained that no bike boxes were available at the amtrak/greyhound station, and set off north (9 blocks) to find a bicycle shop I had looked up online. They hooked me up with a box and loaned me a wrench to pull off my pedals. Walking back to the station I must have looked kind of funny, pushing a bicycle with a bike-sized cardboard box on top. By the time I arrived back at the station it was 1305, and the bus to Coquitlam was scheduled to leave at 1315. The ticket agent prepared the ticket as I prepared my bike for transit, then informed me that the bus was running 15 minutes late (I took a paper-towel shower in the bathroom). The bus ride was uneventful, and I chatted some with a guy from Bellingham who hopes to head to India this weekend (hope he makes it!). The border guard didn't like my lack of a Canadian Passport (mine has expired) but figured I was legit after I told her about the Bike for Bibles ride (apparently her sister participates regularly in the regional rides). We hit Coquitlam around 4 p.m., and my host for the night (my mother's old west coast housemate) graciously came to pick me up from the bus station for a wonderful dinner evening with their family and a comfortable bed in their basement.

Ride total: 70 miles (and about 150 by bus)

Another Century

(pre-dated post)
A lovely, but at times arduous ride today: After hearty breakfast burritos with Bri and the boys, I headed southeast from Surrey on the Fraser Highway, south on Highway 15 to the border (An american passport and a bicycle helped me get through without much difficulty). I decided to head east directly after crossing the border, avoiding the whole I-5 business altogether by heading over and south through Linden and then into Bellingham. Lunch was at a seafood bar right near the waterfront, and I headed on from there with a quick stop at a LBS to adjust my pedal cleat (My left knee was starting to smart a little, and I felt like my foot wasn't cleating into the Left pedal as easily as the right--perhaps a correlation?) Chuckanut Drive was beautiful, and another rider caught up to me as we climbed along the edge of the formation, cliffs on one side and the ocean on the other.

I rode with him for the rest of Chuckanut's meanders across the cliff face, and then about halfway to Highway 20 across the Skagit Valley (where wonderful farmland abounds, but development interests threaten). He headed one way, I another, but I caught a glimpse of him when our corners of a square came together at another intersection.
By the time I crossed Deception Pass, I could definitely feel some pressure on my knee, and knew that I would not catch the six o'clock ferry from Keystone to Port Orchard (still 40km away), but I figured I'd be able to make the seven thirty; A quick call to my aunt and uncle (my hosts for the night), and I was again underway. Whidbey Island is gorgeous, with many rolling hills and a wonderful, free transit system (which I did not end up using).

Arriving near Coupeville just before seven, I had a chance to stop in at the AuSable residences at Camp Casey (the site of my first encounter with Whidbey a couple of years ago) before heading over to the ferry. Trip total: 167km.
My uncle met me at the other end of the ferry, and we enjoyed catching up on the way down the peninsula. Tired, I had a much needed shower, a brief hot tub, some taco salad (yum!) and conversation before heading to bed.

Arrival

Location: Surrey, BC
Breakfast of Champions: Spinach and Feta omelette on 12 grain toast, with bacon.
Itinerary: calling old friends, arranging to visit them, riding 100km.

I have been blessed with a new ride, and it is smooth, light, and responsive (the judicious, but not extravagant, use of carbon fiber is helpful) and the frame says it all.

Three cheers for Canadian manufacturers who strive for

I set out this afternoon to find my cousin's workplace (and perhaps track him down) and to get in a good ride. After a few navigational tricks (sorting out the difference between google and reality on the lower mainland) I was thankful that street names in the Fraser valley are secondary to the numerical system of the grid. It makes things much easier for guests such as myself. My route: Surreys 96 Ave (curving down at HWY 1 to 92 ave), back up to 96, east to Fort Langley, along river road (a beautiful riverside ride (did you know that train tracks 'sing' long after the train has gone by?). I climbed a ridge (Graham Cresc.), drafted behind trucks as I made my way to Harris Rd, and rode onward to the junction of Harris and Hwy 11, near which my cousin lives and works, then took the same route in reverse. My computer battery is low, so I cannot give a figure for the distance, but I estimate it to be around 100km.

Gearing up*

*no pun intended

Wow. Three weeks to go time, and so much yet to do! Its hard to believe how fast this spring has gone by, but moving home (again), visiting family and friends, logging time on the bike, and helping out around the house have certainly filled up the time. While the ride doesn't start until the first of July, I'm actually headed out to Vancouver this Friday to attend the UN World Urban Forum along with a contingent from the Work Research Foundation. I hope to do some serious riding after that, making a round of friends and family before meeting up with the rest of the crew in Victoria.
Speaking of leaving, its hard to believe that when I leave on Friday I will be moving out for school as well: My next degree program commences almost immediately after the tour ends, and should prepare me adequately for a career in Urban and Regional Planning. Will I ever live at home again?

Advance Notice

Countdown: 507 hours.

This is the blogsite for one of the riders in the 2006 Bike for Bibles Centennial Ride. The frequency of updates is not yet known, as the frequency of internet availability is yet to be confirmed. Check in as often as you'd like.