Summary/statistics
I wanted to make a Bikely route for the whole ride, but it ended up being too large for bikely to handle. So I made a Google Earth file of it instead. Read the rest of this entry »
Some reflections and opinions.
The most frequently recurring reflection I have is that in my first day’s log entry, I mention not envying Graydon and Frances having to go back up the hill at Agassiz the next day. Naturally, I then spend a good chunk of the next day grinding halfway up the Cascades to Hope Slide. The other reflection in that vein is that my snarky comments about open pit mining at Sparwood were followed pretty quickly by the observation that such practices might have prevented the really substantial loss of life from the Frank Slide (and generally prevent lives lost due to mineshaft collapses and other such joys). That said, most of my thoughts on the ride don’t actually simplify to “gee that was a dumb thing for me to say”.
What/how I packed.
The bike I used was an old lugged-construction road racing bike (early 80s Miele), to which I’d added a triple-chainring crankset (Campagnolo Veloce 52/42/26; the granny ring was taken from a different crankset), larger range freewheel (7 speed, 13-28), reversible clipless/platform pedals, fenders (though I stripped off the rear fender pretty early on), a suspension-designed rear rack (to add distange between the pedals and panniers, since the roadie has a short rear triangle), and low-rider front racks.
July 23: Truro to Halifax (~115km)
With no climatic horrors, and with my host needing to head to work in the morning, I got on the road at around 9am. I stopped at a local community centre to recheck my route to Point Pleasant Park (for once I reached Halifax), and see the weather forecast for the day. I picked out the roads down, and saw that I finally had some light tailwinds again.
July 22: Amherst to Truro (~125km)
Once again, rain furnished me with an excuse for a late start so by the time I’d shown my remaining route to the Atlantic Canada Cycling folks (who didn’t really have any suggested improvements to make — something I’d blame partly on consulting their website when planning the route back in Edmundston), breakfasted on the sweet and sour pork ration, broken camp, and gotten myself back on the road it was a little after noon.
July 21: New Canaan to Amherst (~124km)
Between the late night the night before, attempting to avoid getting rained on too much by sleeping in a little extra, and trying not to have to deal with too many bugs, I wasn’t really up until around 10am, and on the road until 12:30.
July 20: Fredericton to New Canaan (~143km)
After a good night’s sleep and a generous breakfast, I found myself heading out at around 11:30am. Upon reaching Gagetown, I found that my friend had already headed into town for church, and was going to be there for the rest of the day.
July 19: Peel to Fredericton (~149km)
When I woke up in the morning, it was raining. On top of that, the dinner I’d had the previous night consisted of food that had been sitting (unrefrigerated) in my pannier since the 14th (and included cheese curds). So between waiting out the morning rain, and working through my minor digestive distress, I got a pretty late start on (I failed to record the start time, but I think that it was close to noon). Moreover, with the long day ahead, it looked like I’d still be riding clear through the evening, and a little into the night.
July 18: Edmundston to Peel (~161km)
Edmundston being a paper milling town, and having spent a rest day in it, I woke up in the morning and noticed that I had a body odour that smelled of paper mill. I decided to shave and shower to wash off the smell, and be able to set out clean-shaven, though this delayed my departure a little. As it happened, I was a little later heading out than expected, but still on my way by around 11am.
July 16: Cafe au Station to Edmundston (~123km)
Waking up at around 8am, I ate some granola bars, broke camp, and dropped into the cafe for a muffin and some tea. The pump for the watering station didn’t seem to be working (it wouldn’t prime, even though there certainly didn’t seem to be any shortage of groundwater), but I didn’t think to ask for an opportunity to top up my bottles; instead I just made sure to drink a non-caffeine tea, and top up my bottles at the next opportunity.
