Cyclophilia

Bicycle time-travel

2010-05-16T18:12:00.006-04:00

Don't the physicists tell us that time is not constant were you to exceed the speed of light? Well, you don't need to go that fast to turn back the clock. You just need to hop on a bike and ride up a mountain!

Yesterday, my bikeclub left Montreal around 9:15am and drove to Sutton, Quebec. We parked our carpool of vehicles, hopped on our bikes, and rode into Vermont, then up Jay Peak Road. The highlight of the ride was one big climb (and big descent) on Jay Peak. The altitude dipped as low as 440 feet and up to 2,218 feet on Jay Peak.

Anyway, the bit about time-travel was that as I pedalled up Jay Peak, the microclimate changed, so you could kind of see spring going backwards. The apple trees that were in full bloom in the valleys were partially in bloom on the way up, and not in bloom at all (or even absent from the flora) higher up. Ferns that are fully fronded-out in Montreal gardens were fairly advanced at the base of Jay Peak, and just fiddle-heading out of the earth higher up. Erythronium (trout lilies, I think) that would be long finished if they grew here in town, looked about to reach their pinnacle on the mountain. The wildcherries in town finished blooming about two weeks ago but were still in blossom there. And so forth. So as I climbed the mountain, time rolled back, and then as I rolled down hill---a delightful WHEEEEEEEEE of a descent---, time leapt back to where I expected it to be.

We stopped in North Troy, Vermont, at the grocery store for lunch. My fellow riders were astonished when I bought a coke and a huge bag of chips to complement my store-bought sandwich, but they weren't above tucking into the chips, which I'd bought for sharing in any case. Fortunately I have pretty solid digestion. I don't like spending a whole day eating energy bars and energy goo, and for the record, I kept the M&Ms for later.

After we returned to Quebec, the rain started. It wasn't at all nice, but at least it wasn't as intense or as cold as the rain on last year's Jay Peak ride. It always rains for our club's Jay Peak ride.

There was still one smaller climb near the end of the ride, over a flank of Mount Sutton. It may have been shorter (1/3 the altitude gain?) but I think it was steeper, and being toward the end of the ride it came when my legs were not at their freshest. I let 10 of the 12 riders in my group pull ahead, all stronger than me, and hang back with a friend I hadn't seen in months and whose company is always a joy. (Merci Steve de ta présence!). In any case, there were still 2 other groups of riders from my club behind me.

What's nice about climbs are at least two things: first, you can go as slow (or fast) as you like and take as many (or few) breaks as you want, and the mountain will still wait for you; and second, what goes up must come down. Thank you, physics, for these affirming realities. Unfortunately the second half of the descent had a road-surface that was pretty bad, so I couldn't go as fast as I'd like.

On the outskirts of the village of Sutton, I saw the president of the other club I used to ride with, Le Club vélo randonneurs de Montréal/. They were doing their 300km bicycle ride today, which departs from the south shore of Montreal, cycles out to Sutton and environs, and then returns. They take an indirect, scenic route so that it makes 300km. I've done that ride before and it almost makes me feel wimpy to have driven out to Suttong in gas-powered vehicles rather than leaving from Montreal under pedal-power. I did say almost, because while I'm fine for 150km and 200km rides, 250km is tough, and 300km is very tough.

First century-plus ride of 2010

2010-05-02T14:24:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I went on my first long ride of the season. Here is the map, in two parts.

If you're curious about the route, you might want to click on the "view larger map" link for each, and zoom and scroll to your heart's content. Switching to the "walking" option will help too.

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

The ride itself was about 145km. The plan for the ride said 147km, but due to a road closure and a detour, we shaved off about 2km. My cyclometer reads 143.13km but its readings are always under - I need to adjust for my tires' actual size. My ridemate got about 145km so I'm going with that.

Then it's about 8.5km from my house to the ride's starting point in St. Lambert, and another 8.5km back home, so that puts me just a bit over 160km. My first long ride of the season wasn't just a metric century, it was an imperial centure. YAY!

This ride was with the Club vélo randonneurs de Montréal. I used to ride with them, but 2 years ago I switched to a different club that organises more rides, more frequently. However CVRM has some nice riders, and I like longer rides, so it's nice to ride with them from time to time. Oh, about the longer rides? I like their 200km and 150km rides. I did their 300km ride once and found it rewarding but hard. I haven't (yet?) done their 400km ride and am not sure if or when I might want to try the 600km ride. By the way, the 600km ride is not a week-long affair; its time limit is 40 hours maximum from start to finish.

When I arrived at the starting point, I saw several riders I knew: Jean, Hossein, and Eric. I hadn't seen Eric since the summer of 2007 so it was great to see him. He's a really nice guy, and almost as tall as me. Back in 2007 we had very similar riding paces, so we rode together. I was worried because he had just come back from a week-long training camp in Cuba, whereas I had not done much training this winter and really don't feel as strong as I'd like to or as I was back in 2007. My basic endurance is still pretty good, but I can't crank out power for long periods just now. It's coming back. Anyway, I was delighted to ride and draft with Eric all day. I have to admit that he pulled me more than I did, but all the same, I did help him too. I was pretty pooped on the last stretch home, but made it. The weather got threatening in mid-afternoon with a few isolated drops as we were getting close to our starting point, but it held out. When I got home, as I was taking my bike into my apartment, it was at that very moment that the clouds opened and let loose. Lucky timing!

It was a beautiful ride. In Montreal and the suburbs, the wild cherry trees were in bloom: chokecherries, maybe black cherries or pin cherries too. I really LOVE the spicy smell of cherry blossoms, though I don't know which cherry species smells so nice. The Amelanchier sp. (saskatoons?) were also in bloom everywhere, and here and there some early apples or crabapples were also opening up. The terrain was fairly flat, the wind wasn't too bad, the sun was lovely, and the scenery in parts was quite nice. Apart from the springtime glory, some of the little villages, especially along the Richelieu, have a bit of charm. All in all, it was perfect for an early-season ride.

I'm almost disappointed that I didn't have even a bit of near-miss disaster during my bike ride; maybe you have to live in Strasbourg for that, and maybe riding around the Richelieu isn't the same as riding along the Rhine. But truth be told, Eric and I were very happy with this outcome. Once on this very ride, I had 3 flat tires within the stretch of about 10km. That exhausted our collective stock of spare tubes, and he graciously finished the ride (without any spares) and drove back to pick me up.

I slept very well the evening after my ride, but today (the next day) I feel great. I think this augurs well for the 2010 cycling season.

200km Covey Hil

2009-09-22T20:32:00.000-04:00

On Saturday I went on a ride with two other cyclists from my club and two from the Club vélo randonneurs de Montréal. The ride itself is 205km, but I think it's about 8.5km from my house to the starting point (and another 8.5 back home). 222km: that's an even nicer number than 205, don't you think?

It was a beautiful day, sunny, a bit cool in the morning (cold toes), but lovely as the day went on. The middle stretch, featuring a long climb from around 80km to 95km, was very hard as I hadn't eaten anything (just drank some water) since 40km, and the others had to wait for me at the top of Covey Hill (a stone's throw from the US border). Fortunately, then it was 5km of downhill to the bakery where we had lunch. Something disagreed with my usually-iron-clad-digestion, though - was it the sandwich, the pasta salad, the extra olives S. gave me from his salad, the two apple scones, the quarter-sliver of maple syrup pie, or as I suspect, the two cups of coffee? - and shortly after lunch, my lower digestive tract felt like, well, a meat-grinder was at work. I had a much-needed pit stop at the side of the road, followed by a lingering slightly-sore tummy for the rest of the ride. The other riders were kind enough to "pull" me and take the lead; I drafted off them for most of the ride home. As a result, I stayed comfortably in my recovery zone and felt almost as fresh as a feather when I finished. I felt a bit guilty when they admitted to being zonked. Oops.

I have rather a knack for getting funny tan lines; now I have a new one for my collection. I don't think I'd worn this particular jersey with my long tights before, and certainly not a full-day sunny ride. Afterward I realised that my tights rode down a little bit and my jersey rode up; consequently I have a two-inch strip of scarlet sunburned skin on my lower back, from hip to hip. That's right about the area where my backpack rests, which was not ideal for the hiking trip I went on the next day. I also feel a bit sore today in the leg muscles, but fortunately that's the kind of thing that goes away with a bit of time. The trip was well worth it.

Montreal-Quebec, the actual route, more or less

2009-08-10T20:18:00.002-04:00

After we got to Granby, James and I decided to change route, bypassing the hills of the Eastern Townships for a flatter and more direct route. Here is the route we took, pretty much. Well, we took bike paths in place but they were very close to these roads.

Photos and an account of the ~~blood, sweat, and tears~~ rain, sweat, and mud will come later.

View Larger Map

My next adventure: Montreal-Quebec, not the shortest way

2009-07-23T22:18:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I set off on my next cycling adventure with James F. It will be 4 fun zigzagging days to Quebec City - not the shortest route but hopefully scenic - then some time in Quebec City before returning by bus or train.

Here is the plan, even though these kind of vacations often turn out so different from the plan.

View Larger Map

Bike plein d'eau

2009-05-25T18:41:00.003-04:00

I took my bike into the shop to have the chain changed and brakes adjusted, and picked it up today. My bill itemised the work done, and added one more item: "bike plein d'eau", no charge. The suitably-Montreal-bilingual note meant my bike was full of water.

Two weeks ago, my bike club rode over Jay Peak, Vermont and along the flank of Mont-Sutton, Quebec. The rain was quite heavy for the second part of the ride, and my bike stood out in the rain for a few hours during which I warmed up in a café inside and waited for some of the other riders to finish. Perhaps it infiltrated the seat and passed down the seat-tube into the bike-tube... and then the water stayed there for two weeks. Eeek!

The bike-guy told me my bike also had a screw at the bottom one can unscrew to drain the bike. I never knew! I wonder if this was something particularly thoughtful from Marinoni when they designed my touring-bike's frame, or if some/most/all other bikes have a drain-hole too.

Singing in the rain: memories of Gaspé 2003

2009-04-19T10:57:00.004-04:00

(The Big Wild is hosting a contest 'Singing in the Rain' contest to celebrate outdoor activities enhanced (?) by rain. This recalled one of my wet cycling adventures.)

I was worried when I signed up for an August 2003 week-long trip of cycling 700km over the hilly terrain of the Gaspésie, along with 2000 other cyclists. It was going to be my first time cycling this much distance day after day, so I trained very hard in the prior months. Almost as anxiety-provoking, it would also be my first time camping.

Everything went well - beyond my wildest expectations. My legs were well prepared and I enjoyed pedalling through the beautiful, though sometimes challenging, terrain. Camping - with a borrowed tent and borrowed camping mattress - was fine too, and I slept well each night. The biggest surprise was getting used to showering in ice-cold water every day; our campsites weren't up to the task of providing hot water to 2000 people.

About half way through the week, though, it started to rain; and then it rained for about 30 hours non-stop, with the only variations being how heavy it might rain and how hard the wind might blow. So after cycling that first day of rain, I arrived at our schoolground campsite, body soaked and spirits chilled. I struggled to put up my tent in the heavy rain; the strong wind was loud enough to mask the chattering of my teeth; but eventually I got the tent up. Cold, gritty, and in a foul mood, I sought warmth and dry refuge inside the school, but I was too distracted by my anger even to want to take advantage of the hot water that, at the point, was still flowing in the shower stalls. I hung out for a while, warmed up a bit, pretended to be dry, regained my presence of mind, and noticed the organisers were converting rooms inside the school into emergency dormitories. The spaces were being claimed quickly by dispirited cyclists. I planned to transfer to the dormitory, so I returned to my tent to take it down, expecting to find a soaking mess.

But something wonderful happened. My tent was dry in mid-afternoon, it was still dry after supper, and it stayed dry all night. Some other tents blew down in the wind in the middle of the night. Some other tents leaked. Some others spent the night inside shared close quarters with hundreds of snorers. It would be another day before I saw blue sky even intermittently, but that night in my tent, I was dry and cozy as a symphony of wind, rain, and flapping nylon sang me to sleep.

Bone-chilling cycling

2008-12-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

It was about -20C this morning when I set off and biked to work. Upon arrival at my office, I remembered that one of my winter cycling rules-of-thumb is not to cycle when it's colder than -18C outside. Hmm. Or rather, brrr.

This morning as I headed out the door, I was dressed as follows:

pants and windpants (maybe should have worn long underwear instead of regular);
cotton socks, cycling shoes, "booties" (nylon shoe-covers);
undershirt, long-sleeve button shirt, thin wool sweater, long-sleeve polar fleece, down-filled vest, water-proof breatheable shell (yup, 6 layers);
liner gloves, mittens; and
face-mask, hat, bike-helmet.

I was on the whole warm enough. My feet were a little cold, but I wasn't wearing winter boots or woolen socks. The only problem were my fingers, and particularly my two thumbs. I wonder what I can do to keep my hands warmer. Pogies seem weird and I'm not sure they'd work on the handlebars of my bike. Maybe I'll have to stick to my "no cycling when it's colder than -18C" rule of thumb. It's just that public transit in Montreal in peak-periods is hideously overcrowded, so for now I'll eschew the BMW option* as much as possible in favour of my bicycle.

* BMW: take the bus and metro to work

Hiking in the Adirondacks: cross-training?

2008-09-23T22:06:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday, I went hiking in the Adirondacks - more precisely, near Keene NY, on the Nun-da-ga-o Ridge from Big Crow Mountain to Weston Mountain - in a group of 10. It was beautiful! I found myself asking why it's taken me 15 years of living in Montreal to try hiking in the 'dacks.

This is a blog about cycling, so what's the connection to hiking? Well, I thought that from all the cycling I do, I would have an easy time when it comes to hiking. What I forgot is that when you move from one sport to another, even if the two sports use "roughly" the same muscle group, there will always be some small muscle that one sport fails to use. In this case, it was the outside part of my calves, which seems to have something to do with supporting the load when stepping down (as opposed to pushing up). I guess that makes sense, because in cycling you're always working at either pressing the pedals away or pulling them up, but not with absorbing your own weight. And I suppose that's why my calves still ache, 3 days later, but only when I go down stairs.

The other little downer was that my big toes were very sore by the end of the day. (My hiking shoes are a little tight there.) When I got home and took off my shoes and socks, I saw that I had two giant blisters, one on each big toe. The swelling has gone down but the blister spots are still a bit tender.

But blisters and aching calves aside, this hike was definitely worth it! I want to do more hikes before too long.

I've posted my photos on my
Picasa pages.

Cyclostravaganza 2008: Photos

2008-07-28T13:43:00.003-04:00

I've recently finished posting my trip pictures in my Picasa web albums.

Cyclostravaganza 2008: Distances and stats

2008-07-19T10:10:00.003-04:00

Date	Route	Distance	Time	Max	Average
7/1/2008	White River: VIA station to hotel	1.41	0:06:40	24.0	12.7
7/2/2008	White River to Wawa	92.30	03:55:55	47.0	23.4
7/3/2008	Wawa to Agawa Bay	91.62	04:52:07	45.7	18.8
7/4/2008	Agawa Bay to Pancake Bay	63.75	03:12:15	44.9	19.8
7/5/2008	Pancake Bay to Sault Ste. Marie	73.20	03:21:38	43.6	21.7
7/7/2008	Sault Ste. Marie to St. Joseph's Island	71.01	02:57:14	53.1	24.0
7/9/2008	St Joseph's Island to Spragge	137.22	04:56:18	53.5	27.7
7/10/2008	Spragge to Espanola	72.65	03:13:51	42.6	22.4
7/11/2008	Espanola to Tobermory	117.71	05:02:22	48.8	21.8
7/12/2008	Tobermory to Owen Sound	122.43	06:04:31	42.2	20.1
7/13/2008	Owen Sound to outskirts of Shelburne	98.83	04:21:52	60.2	22.6

Total distance: 942.13km

My average speed was usually between 19 and 22 km/h depending on terrain and wind - and maybe my condition and mindset? Two days were much faster:
(1) Sault Ste. Marie to St. Joseph's Island - D. had picked up my bags in the Sault, so I was riding without those extra 50 lbs of gear.
(2) St Joseph's Island to Spragge - the tailwind that day was nothing less than phenomenal.

Cyclotourist musings: on bugs, blueberries, and biodiversity; and on packing light

2008-07-18T10:46:00.004-04:00

On my July 2008 cycling trip, the mosquitos were really quite bad. Mosquitos seem to like to land on my socks to bite through the fabric to my ankles... or on my spandex bike shorts to bite my posterior (sneaky buggers). At one stop, I watched a mosquito land on my spandex and try to bite the sensitive male... er... anterior. "Oh no you don't!" and I shooed it away. This led me to a later musing: biodiversity is important, but would the world really be worse off if we could just get rid of four kinds of flies: mosquitos, horseflies, deerflies, and blackflies? Apparently it might. I was told that blueberries rely on blackflies for pollination. Egads! This may be false, and if it's true then what's with apiarists marketing blueberry honey, but nonetheless, a world without blueberries would be sad indeed.

My luggage for this trip weighed just over 50lbs, including panniers, but not including the bike. Given the number of items I carried, 50 pounds of luggage translates to an average weight of a little more than 100g per item I packed. 100g is the size of a respectable chocolate bar - i.e., not very heavy at all. It's amazing how it all adds up. So the next time I pack, and throw in one more thing thinking "But it weighs nothing!", I will recall the story of the Everest mountaineer who removed the packaging and string-which-makes-it-easy-to-fish-out-of-your-cup from each teabag he packed.

Cyclostravaganza 2008: My packing list

2008-07-17T13:47:00.007-04:00

This is my packing list for my 2-week, ~1000km trip.

Some notes about my trip and packing style:
* This was a camping trip, which meant carrying tent, sleeping bag, and more. That took up one large pannier (15L), and a small amount of stuff in other panniers.
* My gear weighed slightly over 50lbs. Many of the long-distance cyclists I saw actually had more baggage than me, often with a "bob" trailer.
* I like to be well-prepared. A more minimalist camper could shave off a lot of items from this list.
* Although I ate most of my meals in restaurants or by food in grocery stores, there were some stretches of my trip with no services for more than 100km, so I had to bring enough food and food-preparation equipment for that. I chose food that only required boiling water.
* These remote stretches also dictated some equipment and safety items I might not have needed in other locations.
* Other than some of the tools, spare parts, and safety/first aid items, there were very few items I did not use.
* Some of my campsites were in locations with bears or other wildlife. I had food and other items that shouldn't go inside the tent. The best option I could figure was to leave them in the dry sacks outside my tent, either on the picnic table or (better) hung from trees when possible.
* Astonishingly and very gratefully, I had no flat tires on this trip.
* One of the few areas where I was almost minimalist was with clothing. I only brought one jersey and one pair of cycling shorts. I hand-wished my laundry almost every night and hung it to dry (sometimes with a bungee cord rigged on my bike). It was usually still damp in the morning, but no problem, it would dry after I put it on during breakfast or while riding. For wet underwear or towels, I clipped them to my backpack or rackpack with the carabiners, and they would dry while riding (as long as it wasn't raining). Wet socks went into a mesh stuff sack, which I could attach as above.

Bike basics
* Bicycle
* Racks
* Fenders
* Cyclometer
* Heart rate monitor
* Rear-view mirror, handlebar mounted
   Bought while travelling
* Water bottles
* Pump
* Helmet
* Reflective tape on bike, helmet
* Lights for night-time riding
* Reflective ankle strips
    (for when occasionally riding at night or in pants)

Bike tools
* Wet ones
    For hand-degreasing
   [link to item description]
* Hand cleaner (de-greaser)
   This stuff is great - but did not use; Wet Ones were enough.
   [link to item description]
* Spoke wrench
* Chain tool
* Patch kit
* Spare tubes, 3
* Tire levers
   For removing/replacing tire in case of flat
* Multi-tool
* Additional allen-keys
   For racks, mirror
* Spare bolts and nuts for racks
* Chain lubricant
* Rags for cleaning chain
* Presta-to-Schraeder valve adapter
* Wrench, ratchet action
   For fenders

Baggage
* 1 medium pannier (rear), 15L
   [link to item description]
* 1 medium pannier, waterproof (rear), 18L
   Same actual volume as item above
   [link to item description]
* 2 small panniers (front), 21L
   [link to item description]
* rackpack (converts to backpack), 11L
   [link to item description]
* "wedgie" under-seat tool bag
   [link to item description]
* "bento box" (gel box) for camera, cell phone
   [link to item description]
* backpack, 13L
   Backpack made shoulders sore, back sweaty
   [link to item description]
* hydration pack for backpack
   Very convenient; for water only (no sweetened drinks)
* rain-cover for backpack
   [link to item description]
* Map-holder
   Mounts on handlebars

For packing bike
* Electrical tape
* Foam pipe insulation
   Use this to pad frame, derailleurs, pedals, and anything that sticks out. Cut to shape, tape in place.
   [link to item description]
* Pedal wrench
* large duffle bag, 136L
   For transporting bags on trains, buses.
   [link to item description]
* Bike box
   Buy at bus/train station
* Utility knife

Stuff sacks etc.
* 3 (mesh) for sorting clean/dirty clothes
* 2 (mesh) for towels
* 2 (mesh) for cosmetics
   [link to item description]
* 1 (mesh) for first aid items
* 2 dry bags for food, 10L each
   [link to item description]
* many ziploc bags (bring spares), various sizes
* compression dry-sack for sleeping bag
   [link to item description]
* Nylon foldable reusable bags, 2
   For groceries, laundry (not essential - but so small!)

Gear: bike
* Bungee cords
   For securing bags; also as laundry line
* "Turtle" lights, white and red
   For night biking AND for lghting tent
   [link to item description]
* Bike lock and cable
* Spare spokes
* Spare brake pads

Gear: shelter
* Sleeping bag, down-filled
   [link to item description]
* Sleeping bag liner (sheet), silk
   [link to item description]
* Inflatable sleeping pad (plus patch kit)
   [link to item description]
* Pillow, down-filled, small
   [link to item description]
* Pillowcase
   Brought 2, only needed 1
* Tent (plus poles, pegs, storage sacks)
   [link to item description]
* "Gear attic" for tent
* Ground sheet for tent (plastic vapour barrier)
   Buy at hardware store -Tyvek brand if you are fancy
* Seat cushion / trail seat, inflatable
   [link to item description]
* Tent whisk & dust pan
   [link to item description]
* Earplugs
   Campgrounds can be noisy

Gear: cooking
* Camping stove (MSR Pocket Rocket)
   [link to item description]
* Gas for camping stove
   [link to item description]
* Kettle (GSI)
   [link to item description]
* Pot gripper/lifter/handle
   [link to item description]
* Mug, lightweight
   [link to item description]
* Bowl, stainless steel - for eating or cooking (MSR)
   [link to item description]
* Plastic cutlery
* Waterproof matches
* Coffee filters, 1-cup (Coghlan's)
   [link to item description]
* Sponge for washing dishes
* Dish detergent (very small container)
* 2 small dishcloths (for padding metal items)

Gear: laundry
* Small scrub brush (also good for cleaning nails, etc.)
   For scrubbing stains
   [link to item description]
* Flat sink stopper
   [link to item description]
* Nylon rope (fine) for laundry-line
* Stretchy laundry line
   [link to item description]
* Clothespins: 12 standard, 12 tiny
* Laundry detergent, liquid (e.g., Zero)

Gear: misc
* Headlamp
   For campsite at night. Handsfree!
   [link to item description]
* 2 carabiners (for strapping and hanging things)
   [link to item description]
* Leatherman knife
* Plastic grocery bags
   For garbage at campsite.
* Plastic bag, heavy-weight, large
   Can be used for doing campsite laundry if sink unavailable
* Plastic tie-wraps
   For securing loose things (did not use)
* Combination lock
   For swimpool locker-rooms; for locking bike with cable when bike lock doesn't fit

Electronics
* Digital camera plus charger and cables
* Cell phone plus charger
   Doubles as alarm clock
* iPod, headphones, cables
   For bus/train rides; also doubles as address book

Clothing: cyclist
* Shorts (cuissard)
* Jersey, short-sleeved
* Arm warmers
   [link to item description]
* Leg warmers
   [link to item description]
* Wind vest
   [link to item description]
* Wind jacket
   [link to item description]
* Bike gloves, 2 pairs
   1 pair would have been enough
* Socks, bike-style, 4 pairs
   more would have been better

Clothing: non-cyclist
* Swimsuit + goggles
   For swimming
* Silk long underwear, 1 pair
   For sleeping or camp-lounging, when cool.
   [link to item description]
* Boxer shorts (for sleeping), 1 pair
* Pants, lightweight, fast-drying, 1 pair
   [link to item description]
* Bandanas, x3
   2 would have been enough, but 3 better.
* Sun hat for when not biking
   Could have done without
* Small toque (knit cap) for chilly evenings
* Socks: cotton style, 1 pair
   Not necessary, but nice for rest days
* Socks: woolen, 2 pairs
   1 pair enough. At campsite, mosquitos can't sting through wool.
* Underwear, 3 pairs
   2 pairs would have been enough
* t-shirt, cotton, for sleeping, x1
* t-shirt, synthetic, x1
   for daytime when not cycling
* tank tops, synthetic, x3
   both for not cycling and for layering with jersey when cold
* snap/button shirt, short-sleeve, synthetic, x1
   for daytime when not cycling
* long-sleeve zippered fleece, thin, x1
* light-weight fast-drying shorts (nylon), x1
* Flip-flops for showers, campsite

Toiletries etc.
* Soap
* Razor plus spare blades
* Shampoo
* Deodorant
* Nail clipper
* Sunscreen
* Insect repellent
* Contact lenses (plus spares)
* Contact lens solution + eyedrops
* Sunglasses
* Moisturiser
* Essential oil of lavender
   For making washed clothes (and me) smell better
* Toothbrush, toothpaste
* Dental floss
* Small synthetic towel (for after shower)
   [link to item description]
* Small face-towel
* 1 travel-size pkg kleenex
   Pick up napkins from restaurants en route
* Anti-histamines
   Also reduces reaction to insect bites
* Analgesics, anti-inflammatories
   Do not use while cycling ("listen" to pain)
* Calamime lotion
   In case of poison ivy, etc.
* Q-tips
* Waterless hand sanitiser (e.g., Purell)
* Vitamin C
* Anti-fungal cream
   Was recovering from athlete's foot from last trip
* Bag balm (small container)
   For saddle sores
   [link to item description]

First aid
* Small bottle iodine
   For disinfecting wounds OR drinking water
* Various sized bandages (band-aids)
* Tape for dressings
   For larger wounds
* Non-adherent dressings (such as Kendall Telfa)
   [link to item description]
* Gauze pads
* Gauze roll
* Triangular bandage
* Scissors
* Compression bandage
* Sam splint
   [link to item description]
* Antibiotic ointment (polysporin)
* Latex gloves
   Also useful for handling greasy bike stuff
* Emergency blanket (aluminized)
   [link to item description]

Paperwork
* Book
   For bus/train rides.
* Address book
   Hard copy of essential contacts and bike shop info.
* Maps, guides
   Heavy - discard or mail home when no longer needed
* Pens, sharpies, highlighter
* Small notebook
   For recording memories
* Emergency contact info
   Store in ziploc bags. Keep several: on bike, in bags

Food
* Ground coffee, 400g
* Canned milk
* Instant hot chocolate
* Instant oatmeal (just add boiling water)
* Nuts and raisins (for oatmeal)
* Ramen noodles
   Discard seasoning; add Thai tuna and peanut butter
* Canned tuna, Thai flavour
* Peanut butter, individual containers
   Liberate these from restaurants
* Energy bars
* Dried fruit bars
* Cheese
   Baby-bel (wax-wrapped) keeps well
* Canned fruit or ready-made jello
   Individual portions, easy to open
* Salt, pepper, sugar; individual packages
   Liberate these from restaurants
* Scones, butter tarts, muffins, etc.

Should have brought
* Spare tire
   Was biking in remote locations
* Can opener
   Could only buy canned foods that didn't need an opener.
* Rear-view mirror, helmet-mounted
   Limited view from handlebar-mounted mirror
* Something else instead of backpack
* Better pump
   Hard to get enough pressure with mine.
* Tweezers
   In case of ticks, splinters.

Cyclostravaganza 2008: Shelburne to Toronto (to Gananoque) to Montreal

2008-07-15T22:01:00.002-04:00

Short version: I decided to take the train home (as a passenger) to Montreal; my train decided to take a crash. Fortunately there were no fatalities, there were a few injuries but they seemed non-life-threatening, I was unharmed, and my bike was undamaged. My cycling trip thus concluded with a certain amount of drama.

Longer version:

I enjoyed a lovely rest day with A and S (and Z) just outside Shelburne. They quite spoiled me with food, drink, attention, and the like. I even managed to convince them to give me a tour of their garden.

At this point, I was ahead of schedule: I had had a fantastic tailwind one day the previous week; cold rain made me cut the next day short, but I was still ahead; and I forewent two rest/play days on Manitoulin Island and at Tobermory National Park. So I was debating whether to extend my trip a bit, and cycle from Toronto to Kingston. Partly I was having a hard time choosing what roads to take, partly I thought it would be nice to get home to Montreal and have a few days there before going back to work, but mostly I had been feeling tired and headachey all day long. So rather than court illness, I decided to take the train back to Montreal on Tuesday.

A few years ago, I'd cycled from Shelburne to Toronto, and felt no especial need to repeat that. My uncle A very kindly offered to drive me from Shelburne to Brampton/Bramalea where, outside of peak hours, I would be allowed to take my train aboard the GO Train (commuter train). Things seemed to work out very well for me: bikes are allowed on GO trains only if they arrive in Union Station after 9:30; there was a GO train that would arrive at 9:36; that would leave me plenty of time to pack my bike up in Union Station and catch the 11:35 VIA train to Toronto; in the worst-case scenario, if I missed the first GO train, there was another train an hour later which would still leave me enough time to catch my VIA train. So that is how I planned things.

On Monday evening, I booked my VIA ticket online. Because it was a last-minute booking, the economy-fare ticket wasn't that cheap. It was only a few dollars extra to travel first-class, plus there would be a fancy-shmancy lunch. So I went for that!

On Tuesday morning, I learned something that could have changed everything. My aunt had been serving me decaff! That's why I'd been feeling tired and headachey. Maybe I was fit enough to continue the bike adventure (or would have been fit enough, with adequate caffeination). Oh well, the die was cast, as I had already bought my train ticket.

Other than the decaff, everything else went smoothly Tuesday. A and I left on time; we had a nice ride from Shelburne, through rolling farmland, over the escarpment, and then into the GTA. We got to the GO station, I bought my ticket, and A helped me lug my bike and luggage to the platform. Carrying 50lbs of luggage is one thing when it's in 4 panniers and a rackpack, mounted to the bike; but you can't check that many separate bags onto the train, so I had a very large duffel bag to hold them all; carrying one 54-pound bag plus trying to move a bike is not fun; so I was very grateful to have a hand with this. Getting from the parking lot to the platform involved an underground crossing of the track; again it was time to be grateful, as there was an elevator to take us down, then a very clean tunnel, and another elevator to take us up. Three cheers for accessible infrastructure. Once I got to the platform, A bid me adieu.

Taking my bike on the GO train was pretty straightforward. Some of the train cars had no-bike pictograms by the doors, but soon I found a car with a door that didn't expressly forbid bikes. (Everything that is not forbidden is compulsory, right?) I hoisted my bike up the steps, muscled in my duffel bag, and that was it. There wasn't a special bike rack, just a designated area by the door where bikes were permitted. I sat down, held my bike to keep it from falling, and off we went to Union Station.

More elevators in Union Station made it easy for me to get from the GO train's platform into the station, thence to the VIA baggage check-in. A had removed my pedals the night before for me, and the rest of the bike-packing was easy: remove and turn the handlebars, remove the seat, and put it into the box. Voila, that's it. To make things better, VIA only charged me $21.00 with tax for the bike transportation, and that included the bike box. (By contrast. Greyhound had charged me about $70.00 to ship my bike from Montreal to Sudbury, plus their box cost extra.) I had to remove a few items from the giant duffel bag because my 54-pound bag was 4 pounds too heavy, so I just plucked out one pannier and checked it as a second bag. Ah, everything with VIA was so easy!

I had plenty of time before my departure, and I was in need of caffeine. Since my ticket was in first class - a treat I had never indulged in before - I was able to use VIA's Panorama Lounge. Free coffee, free beverages, free newspapers, comfy chairs! (I had been hoping for free snacks and a computer with free internet access, but I guess you can't have it all.)

Unlike the GO concourse, the VIA concourse involved taking escalators. I didn't mind because my bike and most of my luggage were checked in.

When I looked at my watch, it seemed like we left Union Station a few minutes early. Perhaps that was why before we had even left the Toronto yards, the train reversed back into the station to pick up a few passengers who had missed the train. One of the VIA crew members seemed annoyed because this apparently meant the train would be at least 10 minutes late arriving.

First-class was very nice, I must admit, with complimentary beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), snacks, and a very nice hot meal for lunch. I declined the seafood choice due to my allergies, and was having a hard time between the spicy Asian chicken option and the mushroom-beef option; I chose the latter since I so rarely eat beef at home. Dessert was a white chocolate mousse of sorts with cranberries. The red wine was pleasant but a bit sweet and plonky. Drinking the wine and the coffee was a bit of a challenge; about half of the coffee splashed out of the cup due to the lateral movements (which we could politely call "rocking") of the train. Fortunately the food and drinks were served on a tray with a placemat of sorts to catch the spills. The crew came by frequently to refill beverages to keep ahead of the splashing. Ahh, life in first class is good.

But you were wondering about the train crash, weren't you?

We were passing through Mallorytown (east of Kingston) when there was a jolt. Instinctively I braced myself against the seat in front of me. The train slowed down. I looked out my window and saw a huge dust cloud. That's when I realised that the jolt was from hitting something, and the dust was from dragging something or maybe from having derailed. The conductor announced that we were in an accident. It took some time to figure everything out, but we'd hit a truck.

It seems that the truck's trailer (possibly a low-clearance trailer) had become stuck on the train tracks. The tracks in Mallorytown are apparently higher than the road. The truck driver had enlisted another vehicle to help pull it off, without success. When they saw the train coming, apparently they loosened the chains (from the towing vehicle to the stuck vehicle), and tried to signal to the oncoming train. The train could not stop in time. Fortunately the truck-folk were not in their vehicles. It was also fortunate that they had undone the chains between the two trucks, or else we might have dragged along two trucks intead of just the one.

It could have been quite bad, but I guess we were fortunate. One of the engineers injured his foot and ankle, and some people were taken to the hospital from having been bumped around, but nothing seemed life-threatening (as far as I knew). I was completely unhurt; my car was at the very rear of the train so I was barely jolted. The baggage car derailed, and perhaps the engine car at the very front, but all of the passenger cars stayed on the tracks. Paramedics came to take those who needed or wanted to go to hospital; they entered via the train, but removed passengers to the side, and transported them on an ATV to the ambulances that must have been nearby.

The derailed baggage car near the front of the train precluded us moving forward. There was another VIA train that had stopped behind us; although we were on a double-track section of rail, the derailed baggage car blocked both rails, so it too was stuck. After a rather long wait, that train was first able to connect to ours to provide some electricity beyond our own train's emergency power (providing some intermittent and very welcome air conditioning while we were waiting to get going going), and then later, it towed our train's passenger cars to safety.

It remains that the baggage car derailed, so I was pretty worried about whether my bike had been damaged in the toss-about. I was very relieved when I claimed my bike the next day at Montreal Central Station and found out it was undamaged.

The worst thing for me really was the inconvenience - instead of arriving at 5:17pm, we were still waiting on the tracks at that time. Eventually that other train pulled us back to the previous station (Gananoque), where buses took us on to our final destinations, and I got into Montreal around 10:45pm.

I did feel bad for the couple from the UK on our train. They had flown to Toronto for their honeymoon the day before, and were just recovering from jetlag en route to Montreal. How about a train crash to welcome you to a new country?

(I think there is some irony in the fact that while some of my family members were worried about me, and while I had some unpleasant moments while cycling on the roads, the accident that I was involved in on this trip actually had nothing to do with cycling.)

Cyclostravaganza 2008: Owen Sound to Shelburne

2008-07-13T09:30:00.007-04:00

I cycled from Owen Sound to Shelburne. I met 3 cyclists on the road who were biking coast to coast to raise money for Alzheimer's - but they weren't carrying their bags, so I couldn't quite keep up with them.

It was another windy day, with a cross-wind to try to blow me into the traffic. In Flesherton (or thereabouts), I caught up with the Alzheimer cyclists, who had stopped to shake hands and kiss babies. (Well, there weren't actually babies...) There I met a kind local cyclist who suggested a side-road I could take from Dundalk to Shelburne. That made all the difference to my day. On highway 6, I had had to spend most of my attention on the poor quality of the shoulder and on the motorists speeding home from their cottages who really didn't want to be where they were at that moment and just wanted to get elsewhere fast... and the poor shoulder quality and proximity to traffic meant I couldn't really cycle that fast myself. The sideroad, however, was so nice and quiet, the road was actually better, and somehow the wind turned into a mostly-tailwind. It was smooth sailing as I roared past a fantastic windmill-farm (new to me, hadn't seen that when I was last in these parts) and into the town of Shelburne.

The reason for cycling to Shelburne was to visit my uncle and aunt A. & S. who live just outside the town. For supper, mean old A. & S. force-fed me wine, roast chicken, squash, potatoes, special broccoli, condiments galore (chutneys and hot sauces and relishes), strawberries with cream, rhubarb crisp, and brownies with pecans. The 5000-calorie life is really tough, eh? S.'s grandson Z. was also visiting (but not S.'s other boys). It was fun to see Z. - it had been a very long time.

Cyclostravaganza 2008: Tobermory to Owen Sound

2008-07-12T09:26:00.007-04:00

I cycled from Tobermory to Owen Sound. The traffic on highway 6 was very unpleasant, so I took a sideroad as soon as I could. This had the bonus of taking me along the coast instead of inland, so I had better views. I also had several climbs... including one descent past a freshly-killed skunk. (What would smell worse, a freshly-killed skunk or a not-so-freshly-skilled skunk?) If you were to ask, "Why did the animal (hare, skunk, raccoon, snake, turtle...) cross the road in southern Ontario?", sadly, the answer would have to be, "To get run over."

It was a 4H kind of day: hot, humid, hilly, headwind. One of my calorie-boosting treats was in Wiarton, when I needed sugar, something cold, and something caffeinated, so I had a double espresso over vanilla ice cream. Yummy! All said, I was exhausted by the time I got to Owen Sound (and frustrated with myself for missing a turn for the regular route, and thereby adding an extra 10km or so of detour). I camped at the campground of Owen Sound's municipal park. It's located in a beautiful ravine setting. The sites were a bit crowded and the facilities could use a bit more attention, but on the whole it was nice enough - and they gave me a special cyclists'/backpacker's rate. Wahoo again!

Cyclostravaganza 2008 - Espanola to Tobermory

2008-07-11T09:16:00.001-04:00

After Espanola, I travelled south on Highway 6. This stretch, from Espanola to Little Current, was one of the most beautiful parts of my trip. I think it's called the La Cloche mountains. The road takes you through all sorts of different geologies, including a marble mountain. I picked up a chunk from the edge of the road (white with pink) as a souvenir.

I had been planning on spending a rest day on Manitoulin Island to go hiking, but the nice hikes seemed far from campgrounds - plus it was a sunny day and the weather forecast was dicey, and I thought it was best to make hay while the sun shone, so on I pressed on Highway 6 through Manitoulin Island. It was pretty enough but not remarkable. Perhaps if I'd turned off the main road there might have been nicer stretches.

I took the Chi Cheemaun ferry from South Baymouth to Tobermory. It's about 1.5-1.75 hours across, and you are never out of sight of some island or another. A very sizable number of the crew were Newfoundlanders or Cape Bretoners - surprise!

I was hoping to camp in the national park on Friday evening, but when I arrived that evening, there were no spots left, so I camped in a private campground in Tobermory instead. Private campgrounds are generally cheaper but often less scenic.

I had scheduled a day in Tobermory to explore the park but I wasn't sure what exactly to do, and again wanted to press ahead while it was clear. Wahoo: between the tailwind day on highway 17, and the two foregone rest days (Manitoulin and Tobermory) I was now well ahead of schedule.

Cyclostravaganza 2008 - Summary, St. Joseph's Island to Espanola

2008-07-10T19:29:00.005-04:00

On July 9, it was time to leave the comfort of D's cottage on St. Joseph's Island. I'm not very good with getting away early. By the time we had breakfast and had tea with a friend of D's who was passing through, by the time I packed up, by the time I became un-lost from my wrong turn, and after stopping at the local bakery for supplemental carbs (you can never get enough when cycling - even though D very kindly packed me some fantastic muffins)... well, it was almost 1pm by the time I got from D's place in the island back to the main road (highway 17). Once there, I was treated to the most amazing tailwind. Instead of struggling for a cruising speed of 25km/h and an average of ~20km/h, I was sailing along at 35km/h - which pleased me greatly, given the 50+ pounds of gear I was lugging. Wheeeeeeeeeee!

On the road I met several cyclists. Two were French Canadians who, after a bit of conversation, recognised me from the log entry I'd left in the guestbook back at Vélorution in the Sault. Wow, that was neat. They were slower than me, so I pushed on and met three cyclists - one Aussie living in Victoria, two Britons - and we soared along in the wind. I felt I needed a campground (shower, laundry, etc.) so I bid them adieu while they carried on to enjoy the wind a little longer and later search out a field or such. It would have been nice to ride longer, but I can't complain as I got in 137km with a heavy load and having left after noon. I camped at the KOA in Spragge on the Serpent River - nice enough but nothing remarkable, and there was a fair bit of noise from the road. My site was near the CPR line, and when a train passed early in the morning, it felt like an earthquake.

On July 10 (today), I came to the conclusion that it is a lovely thing to move slowly in the morning. So what if it takes me almost 4 hours to have breakfast, clean up, pack up, and go? As long as the weather cooperates, it's so nice to savour the breeze and delight in the birdsong.

The morning brought a long stretch of construction, riding over very rough roads. Ugh. The rest of the day held a lot of traffic. Double ugh. I'm very glad for the rearview mirror I bought in the Sault. I pull off the road a lot just to be sure. Cars and trucks are very good about giving me room, but sometimes (i.e., traffic in the other lane) there isn't room for them to move very far. Even though there is usually still enough room, well, better safe than sorry.

I stopped for a midday break in Massey, Ontario, and did some minor groceries: canned milk (for breakfast another morning - canned milk is not my favourite, but hey, no refrigeration needed!), a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie (mmm, bring on the calories - you can't get enough when cycling), and almost a pound of organic dark cherries. Yummy. As I was snacking leisurely, I felt guilty about stopping for so long, until I realised: hey! I'm on vacation! I have no one else to please but myself, so why not enjoy the moment?

My original goal for today had been Massey (see google map) but yesterday's tailwind put me ahead of schedule. Late afternoon rainfall, however, cut me off, so I stopped in Espanola (see google map) for the night. The cold rain was making me desperate for shelter. Gentle reader, I can advise you not to stay at the cheap motel next to the Greyhound bus station... though hopefully you didn't need my reminder.

An early start tomorrow should take me on to Manitoulin Island. Fortunately the weather looks good!

Cyclostravaganza 2008 - Summary, White River to St. Joseph's Island

2008-07-08T15:20:00.006-04:00

Hello from St. Joseph's Island, Ontario!

My cycling trip has been going quite well. This is a summary of my trip to date. At a later date, daily blogs and photos may be added if I have time... or not!!

Lake Superior is a superior lake indeed. Is it heresy for a Nova Scotian to think it might just be better than the ocean? No jellyfish, no seaweed, no bad smells, crystal-clear water, an abundance of sandy beaches, waves (although not as big as on the ocean), water you could drink while swimming... it's just been a wonderful discovery.

The coast of Lake Superior, from Wawa to Sault-Ste-Marie, was very hilly. There were lots of hills (up to 511m) and although the climbs were not overly steep (the steepest marked grade I've seen was 7%), they were long. On the slow climbs, I sometimes reassure myself by considering that the sum of my weight, my bike's weight, and my luggage's weight is about 275 lbs, and that it is therefore okay if my own pedal-power isn't all that fast.

Much of the ride was inland but the portions by the lake (Wawa, Old Woman Bay, Agawa Bay, Alona Bay, Katherine Cove, Pancake Bay, Michicopoten Bay...) were stunning. In Wawa I stayed with a friend at his parent's house on Lake Superior (magnificent!), then I camped at Agawa Bay (beautiful) and Pancake Bay (wonderful but not quite as nice as Agawa Bay).

I took three days to ride from Wawa to the Sault. I felt a little under-achieving when I later met cyclists who covered this stretch in one day. I'm still in awe of them, but I have to remind themselves that while I was just at the start of my cycling trip, they'd been on the road for about 6 weeks or so, having started their journeys in Vancouver or Victoria. Their warm-up was with the coastal mountains and the Rockies.

In Pancake Bay I saw a brochure for a bike shop in the Sault called Vélorution, which offered mountain biking trails and free camping to cyclists, so that's where I stayed in the Sault. I was initially a little suspicious (would this just be a place for teenage mountain bikers to run away from their parents, and be loud and drink beer?) but instead it turned out to be a wonderful place. The owner is a bike-loving physiotherapist who opened this shop about 3 years ago. He added a separate entry to the bathroom with a shower, and a small campground at the rear. This was actually where I met those trans-Canada cyclists. On the road, you don't always see them; in bigger campgrounds, you get mixed in with all the other campers; so it was really wonderful to have this small community of cyclists where we could swap stories and share tips and advice.

On Sunday, I took a rest day for the Agawa Canyon tour train. It's about four hours north of the Sault (that is, four hours on a slow train) through scenery that is by turns okay and by turns spectacular. The canyon itself is fantastic with its steep walls and river valley. I had some lovely hikes on the canyon's very well maintained trails. The train ride back was a bit long, but hey, it was a chance to read, snooze, and write in my notebook/journal.

In the Sault I bought a rear-view mirror for my bike. I wish I had this earlier! I must say that on the whole, drivers (and especially transport-truck drivers) have been very good about giving me a wide berth, but all the same, it's so much more reassuring when you can see what sort of (and how many) vehicles are about to pass you.

On Monday I once again had some great luck. My friend D. and his Mom had to come into the Sault to do some groceries, so we met up, and D, took my bags with him in his car. It's amazing how much faster you can cycle without 52 lbs of gear! I then cycled out to St. Joseph's Island, where I am visiting with him for another rest day.

Goodness, a family email like this should contain some food matters. I have mostly been eating in restaurants (as carrying food is heavy). When I look at the super-sized portions, I think about how crazy this is for the average person... but how great it's been for me. Cycling burns a lot of calories. Through Lake Superior Provincial Park, there are long stretches with no services, so I had to do some cooking. My main course one evening consisted of two packages of ramen noodles, 1/2 of one package of seasoning (spicy chicken), and one tin of herring fillets in hot sauce. It was actually not that bad, though next time I'll use Thai-flavoured spicy tuna and add some peanut butter to make the broth into peanut sauce. Man does not live on ramen alone, so fortunately I also had cheese, crackers, fruit, and hot chocolate.

Tomorrow, the journey onward continues. Wish me good weather! The stretch from here to Espanola should be okay, but I'm more looking forward to Manitoulin Island and the Bruce Peninsula... and then rest days and visits with A. & S. It will be great to see them.

Cyclostravaganza 2008: White River ON to Toronto ON

2008-06-30T09:11:00.005-04:00

Tonight I set out on my next big cycling trip. I am taking this easy, so I aim to complete the approximately 1000km in just under 3 weeks. I will have lots of rest days, plus visits with friends and family along the way.

First I take the bus from Montreal to Sudbury. Some of their tourism copy says, "Whether you're seeking solitude, a little romance, or perhaps some quality time with the kids, Sudbury offers adventure that is within eveyone's reach. In a few hours, you'll see - Outdoor Adventure is in our Nature!" ...and what copy that is! I never equated Sudbury and romance before, but I guess I just haven't lived yet; I do have "a few hours" on my stopover - I wonder if that's enough - but I guess if the romance part doesn't work out, I can enjoy Sudbury's solitude.

From Sudbury I take the train to White River, Ontario, and after an overnight stay, there begins my cycling adventure. I ride down to Wawa, where I will stay with a friend from a Montreal choir. Next stops are Lake Superior Provincial Park and Pancake Bay Provincial Park, en route to Sault-Ste-Marie. I've heard that this stretch, along Lake Superior, is very hilly but also very beautiful, so I'm quite looking forward to this.

From Sault-Ste-Marie, I'll take a day-trip on the Agawa Canyon train. This is supposed to be one of the nicest train rides in Canada, and it will be a rest-day for my legs.

Next, a short ride to St. Joseph Island to visit another friend at his cottage. I'll have another slack day visting him before cycling east along Lake Huron, then south through Manitoulin Island. After the ferry to Tobermory comes exploration of the Bruce Peninsula, then a visit with family before continuing on to Toronto, from where I'll take the bus or train back to Montreal.

Here is a map of roughly what I plan to do. Follow this link for a larger map, showing many of my planned stops.

CCCP: My new cycling club

2008-04-26T14:57:00.003-04:00

Today I went riding with my new cycling club. They are associated with a local bike shop, called Cycle Pop and so the club is called Club Cycliste Cycle Pop, or for short, CCCP. As you can see from the club's website, the logo features a wrench and cog, styled in the manner of a hammer and sickle, and the team colours are red and white.

That brings me to one of my concerns: the club attire (mandatory shorts and jersey) are red and white. I thought everyone knew that bike shorts must never be red or white, as the following picture (not from my club) certainly illustrates:

Oh well!

It was so nice to get out for a ride. I've been cycling my city bike all winter long, but yesterday was the first time out for a real ride on my better bike.

The group headed to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve (racetrack) and divided into four groups, with various target speeds. I thought I wouldn't let my hubris take the best of me, as I haven't done much training this winter, so I didn't place myself into the fast group right away... but my group was too easy for me, so I moved up. Hooray for ego-boosters!

Unfortunately there were two accidents in our ride. (My friends assured me that last year they only had one accident in the whole season.) The first time, someone at the front of the pack decided to change directions (turn or go straight) at the last minute, without adequate lead-time or signalling, and the person following didn't have time to react. Ouch! Fortunately she wasn't hurt beyond some scrapes. The second accident was one of the strangest accidents I've seen. He pulled out of the peloton for a minute, and suddenly just flipped over! Either his rear derailleur or his chain seized up for some weird reason. His chain broke and his derailleur will need serious work, but fortunately he too was uninjured. Let's hope future rides are uneventful!

After the ride, Syvlain, Patrice, Steve, Bruno, and I went to brunch just off St-Laurent, and then to a beautiful chocolate shop on St-Denis for hot chocolate. Life is good!

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 7: Shelburne NS to Summerville NS (thence to Chester NS)

2007-07-22T22:15:00.001-04:00

(Sable River, NS: the foam at the river's top was moving fast, but the surface was mirror-smooth.)

The rain overnight was very, very heavy. There was some infiltration at the edges of my tent. I was glad to have bought paper-towels the night before, as they helped with drying things out. I took down my tent and hung it between two trees to dry. It took me a long time to get everything packed up and to get going - it was probably 11am by the time I got going. By this time, breakfast was but a distant memory.

I stopped at a Subway restaurant in an Irving gas station on the edge of town for lunch. I was chatting with some touring motorcyclists, comparing and contrasting our two-wheeled travels, when they pointed out I had a flat tire. This was the second flat on this trip; both were on the front tire whose tread pattern seemed perfectly designed to trap shrapnel. On the bright side of things, if you had to choose the place where you'd get a flat tire, a gas station is one of the better places. After I fixed the flat tire, my brake decided it would rub - and I was pleased as punch with myself when I managed to fix that, all my previous attempts at brake adjustment having done nothing but make things worse.

On the downside it was now very late, some time between 1pm and 2pm. I called Gretchen and asked about possibly exercising a get-out-of-jail-free card later that afternoon, since at this point it would be nearly impossible to make it to my goal of Chester, some 160km away, solely by bike power.

I cycled east, mainly on route 103. There were a few stretches where I would have had the option to take the old road (#3) but I was pressed for time. In most places, the 103 was the only option. Much of the ride was inland, but there were occasional glimpses of the ocean, and some very nice bays and coves. It was a beautiful day, nice and warm, sunny, and the sea was a gorgeous azure blue. While inland, there were many brooks and rivers. Some were rocky and rapid, some were wide and broad (as at Sable River, pictured at the top of this posting and just below), but all were very dark-coloured, somewhere between the colour of coffee and that of tea.

I made it as far as Summerville, exit 20, where Gretchen's husband Bruce met me on the highway. We loaded my bike into his big plush vehicle, and we drove back to Chester NS, about 100km away.

We had fish and chips for supper at Bruce and Gretchen's cottage. Later that night, the sunset over the water was stunning. It was great to sleep in a real bed again, and to be among friends who spoiled me.

(Chester NS as seen from the deck of Bruce and Gretchen's cottage.)

DAILY RIDING STATS
MXS    43.7
AVS    19.9
DST    56.93
TM   2:51:14

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 6: Arcadia NS to Shelburne NS

2007-07-21T23:12:00.002-04:00

(Almost all my baggage, stuffed to the max, except the bento-box tucked inside one of the others.)

A day of rain: there was some rain as I was getting going, some rain or and off all day long, and torrential rain upon arrival in Shelburne at the Provincial Park. (Finally I would get to stay in a provincial or state park!)

It was a somewhat unremarkable ride today. I had started out on Route 3 from Arcadia through Ste-Anne-du-Ruisseau and on till Argyle, but the scenery was nothing special, so I switched to Highway 103 to minimise distance. I would really have liked to explore the Pubnicos, Shag Harbour, and Cape Sable Island, but I really didn't think I had enough time. I thought about going into Barrington, but the signs made me change my mind. Even though I had a tent with me, the promise of a tent meeting at 7:00 PM did not appeal to me.

There was a beautiful scene in Clyde River; the water was as glass, mirroring perfectly the meadows, trees, and sky.

As I was almost pulling into Shelburne, I got another message from Gretchen to check how I was faring. I declined the offer to pick me up - it was hard to resist the offer of a halibut dinner! - and told her I was doing fine. Message sent, and the rain started. Aaargh! The provincial park was rather attractive, and I set my tent up in the rain.

I set off into town for supper at a Chinese-Canadian restaurant. The food was good but nothing outstanding; however, I liked the fortune: "Taking a chance at something new in the near future will pay off." Hmmm, I was thinking about canoe camping that day...

I continued on to the grocery store for breakfast fixings, and paper towels to sop up any infiltrations that hopefully wouldn't happen. I passed by a wonderfully funny sign on a convenience store:

I stopped in town and admired some beautiful 18th century (I think) houses and buildings on the waterfront. It was sunset, and the views were stunning of the harbour and looking across to the provincial park where my campground was located.

DAILY RIDING STATS
MXS    54.9
AVS    22.7
DST    91.05
TM   3:59:58
DEP 10:45 AM
ARR  5:45 PM

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 5: Portland ME to Yarmouth NS, thence to Arcadia NS

2007-07-20T21:58:00.001-04:00

(My campsite in Arcadia NS had its own name.)

I awoke at 4:30 AM to realise that I had fallen asleep on top of my bed before undressing or even getting under the sheets. How ironic; this was the nicest, certainly the most expensive, place I'd be staying on this trip compared to the campgrounds, and I was too tired to properly enjoy it. I also realised that my laundry was still in the sink, and that my bike's tire was still flat.

In due course, the laundry was dealt with (thank goodness for the abundant hotel towels to wring them dry), and my bags were packed. I repaired the flat tire in the backyard, and headed to the ferry terminal; I was supposed to be there by 7:00 AM for my 8:00 AM departure; I left the hotel at 7:00 AM, but the map told me I was very close and I had a reservation.

Alas, torrential rain began to fall as I headed out. The signage to the ferry terminals was not as clear as I'd expected might be. I was going downhill, got confused, turned the wrong at the waterfront on Commercial Street, and perhaps because of the rain, did not see an old set of railway tracks peaking through the pavement. Hitting wet tracks parallel on a bike is a recipe for a wipeout, and I went down. I don't remember the fall (I never do), but I got bad scrapes on my right knee, right elbow, and left palm. Fortunately nothing on me or my bike was broken, and my cuts did not seem severe, so I got back on my bike and eventually found the ferry terminal.

Aboard the ferry, I discovered there were no special facilities for stowing bicycles (so why the surcharge?!). I bungeed my bike to a pillar next to cars and a bus, then went above to the passenger deck, and asked for the first aid kit. When they asked why, I showed my wounds. Their first concern seemed to be where my accident occurred and whether on board. I told them no, that it had happened ashore, that I had a first aid kit, but wasn't sure I had enough bandages for my wounds. They gave me theirs and showed me to a washroom, where I dressed my wounds.

The 'Cat' hydrofoil high-speed ferry seems to be a real motion-sickness machine, judging by how much retching I heard. The air-conditioning must have been on maximum setting, to keep fresh air flowing I guess, but I was wet and already very cold. I should have brought dry clothes to change into, but I'd left most of my bags on the vehicle deck with my bike. My heart-rate monitor showed my heart rate going down as low as 39 beats per minute, which was at the border of causing me concern.

I'd hoped to write some postcards and look over some music on the ferry crossing, but for the first time in my life, I was battling sea-sickness. I had to keep my focus on one thing; in this case it happened to be the CTV Newsworld newscast that kept cycling over and over on the TV in front of me; this and the noise of the slot machines behind me were not pleasant, but were less offensive than other areas, which were too noisy, had too many children, or reeked too much of retch. The casino really depressed me, though; they started serving beer at 7:45 AM. I can't say that I enjoyed the ferry ride.

We arrived in Yarmouth around 1:30 PM Maine time, 2:30 PM local time. It was foggy but warm, and I stopped shivering almost as soon as I got off the boat. The fog confused me; I was sure it was going to rain, but locals said there wouldn't be any rain. At the tourist information bureau, I enquired about hospitals to check my wounds, but it was a Friday afternoon, and I thought I might be there a very, very long time for no good reason. But even without the hospital, time passed quickly in Yarmouth. After the tourism info, there were stops at a bike shop (for a spare tube), a restaurant (I had only a light breakfast, as I couldn't eat lunch on the ship due to my borderline nausea; I had a scallop burger for lunch), a pharmacy (I needed many more bandages for my first aid kit), a bank, and to get directions... and it was well past 5:00 PM. My original plan was to cycle to a provincial campground 119 km away, but at this time of day, even plan B of Middle West Pubnico, 50 km away, was too far. So I checked my guidebooks for a closer campground.

Arcadia, some 9 km outside town, became my destination. En route, I stopped at a Sobey's grocery store to stock up for supper and breakfast: yummy strawberries, brie, rolls, coleslaw, Beep juice cocktail (which I had enjoyed as an occasional treat in childhood), cinnamon rolls, pears, chocolate. The man in the campground office was funny and friendly. He asked me if there was anything he could do for me. I said I had only one simple request: for nice weather. He kind of laughed at me, as the weather forecast as not in my favour. I replied that nice weather was really such a simple thing to ask for... Overall the campground was fine, and I had a very nice hot shower, although there were some noisy kids making noise as I was trying to get to sleep. On the bright side, there were some cyclists at the neighbouring campsite. Somehow it's nice to see other cyclists.

I had never been to Yarmouth, nor to the south shore of Nova Scotia west of Peggy's Cove; I planned my trip specifically to discover this part of the province; but so far, it was too foggy to see much in Yarmouth or its outskirts. As well, Route 3 - the old route, not the new limited access Highway 103 - seemed to lack a paved shoulder most of the way; I wondered how the cycling would be. Gretchen sent me a text message on my cell phone, offering to me up in one of their vehicles. It was tempting, but I decided against it - for now.

DAILY RIDING STATS
MXS   35.6
AVS   16.6
DST    9.10
TM  0:32:58

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 4: Twin Mountain NB to Portland ME

2007-07-19T23:58:00.001-04:00

This would be the longest day's ride on my trip. I wanted to make it to Portland, Maine, by that evening, because of my ferry reservation the next morning; but I had not made it quite as far as planned on each of my previous days. So it would be the longest day - and perhaps the most challenging, as my itinerary would take me through the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

As I was packing up my bike on the veranda in front of the hotel, two outrageously cute red squirrels were staking out their turf. Red squirrels, unlike their grey urban cousins, are highly territorial, and it shows.

I stopped at a local coffee shop in the strip mall for breakfast - two egg mcmuffin-style sandwiches, orange juice, and coffee - and tried to keep from ogling the ridiculously attractive staff member.

It was a bit foggy and misty as I set out. That was a bit disappointing, as the kindly bike mechanic in Abercorn had suggested this would be the most beautiful part of my whole trip. I couldn't really tell because of the clouds/fog/mist, but I think that must have been Mount Washington behind the Hotel New Hampshire in Bretton Woods. Even so, the Bretton Woods municipality's town sign was worth photographing, in honour of those economics classes I'd taken.

At first the scenery was nice - like a larger version of Marshy Hope, Nova Scotia, perhaps - but a bit disappointing, because I was expecting more.

And then, well, I got more. Route 302 took me through Crawfod Notch. Wowee! Suddenly there was a huge valley/cleft, with me and the road on one side, and a sheer near-cliff on the other side, so steep that it was treeless in places. I cried out loud "wow!" to anyone listening as I descended wheeeeeeeeee all the way down the valley in a wonderful rush of glee.

I stopped at a friendly bike shop shop in Bartlett, where they cleaned my chain for me.

North Conway was attractive but a little on the cookie-cutter-side. It bustled with tourists shopping up a storm at the various factory outlets, big-box-stores, and temples to mass consumption. On the way out of town, I succumbed somewhat; I saw a Louis Garneau outlet, where I picked up the "bento box" I'd been wishing I had for days now. It fixes onto my top-tube, at the intersection of the down-tube, and keeps my camera and cell-phone within easy reach.

It started to rain as I crossed into Maine. (How funny that it stopped to rain as I left Vermont and entered New Hampshire, and then started to rain again when I left New Hampshire for Maine. New Hampshire, though, had hardly been dry to me. In any event, Maine was the best-smelling part of my trip; with good reason is it called the pine tree state. I also some some nice wild flowers: red lilies, and a wild corydalis.

I had a nice picnic - fancy crackers, habanero-studded cheddar, and (canned) pineapple - at the edge of a lake with beautiful wildflowers.

I sat on a perfectly-shaped boulder, under pine, oak, and maple trees; the boulder had a survey marker on it, so I suppose it shouldn't be hard to find this spot again. I walked around a bit, and found some massive highbush blueberries growing wild, along with poison ivy.

After my lunch, I continued on my way. It was a nice ride, but even with snack breaks, I was getting tired, especially past Gorham.

Finally I made it to Portland. Alas, I sprung a flat tire on the outskirts. I didn't even realise I had a flat until I noticed that it was too hard to advance, and looked at my tire. Grrrr! It was raining, and I really didn't feel like unloading my bags, struggling with the flat, getting dirty, and putting bags back. I checked the map of Portland I'd picked up earlier in the day at a Maine tourism bureau; it looked like I was just a few blocks from my hotel, so I decided to walk. I discovered that my map was not to scale, after walking 5km through the rain to get to my hotel, over hilly terrain, with slippery brick-paved sidewalks most of the way.

It was about 8:00 PM when I arrived at the Danforth Hotel, located very near the waterfront in a charming old house. My grumpiness couldn't last long; the hotel was very beautiful. I was famished - justifiably so, I think, after 12 hours and almost 160km - but it was getting late in the evening, and I wasn't sure what restaurants would still be open. The owner/hostess recommended Katahdin, as it was nearby, accommodating, "and they always serve pasta." I was expecting a very casual family diner, which, as it turned out, it decidedly was not. Katahdin is a lovely with a very modern and deluxe menu. I started with a wonderful carrot/corn soup; if only all restaurants put this much love into the daily soup. I followed with beautifully presented lemongrass halibut, and concluded with a delicious blackberry upside-down-cake with homemade vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. (The latter tasted deliciously of caramelised sugar, not just brown sugar; no short-cuts here, it seemed.)

I returned to my hotel, well-fed and happy, and had just enough energy to wash my laundry in the bathroom sink before falling asleep around 11:00 PM.

DAILY RIDING STATS
MXS   47.8
AVS   19.7
DST  158.31
TM  8:02:03
DEP 7:45 AM
ARR 8:00 PM

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 3: Island Pond VT to Twin Mountain NH

2007-07-18T08:47:00.003-04:00

View of the White Mountains, as coming into Twin Mountain NH.

Another late start, but not for failure to get up early; this time,
I blame the weather and mechanical problems.

I arose around 6am, installed myself at my campsite's picnic table overlooking the lake, and enjoyed the quite beauty while I ate breakfast (bought in town at the grocery store yesterday) of muffins, cherries galore, cheese, and espresso. Espresso? Yes, I travel with a portable espresso maker, source of heat, stainless-steel demitasse, and my own ground coffee. Who wouldn't?

I watched a squirrel amuse itself greatly at a neighbouring campsite, where the occupants had left all sorts of foodstuffs out on their picnic table overnight. I guess that wherever you go, squirrels will be squirrels.

As I was packing up, it started to rain. Grr. It's much harder and slower for me to pack up when cramped inside the confines of a tent. Eventually I was ready to load everything onto my bike....

...when I discovered that two of the four bolts that hold my rear bike rack in place were missing, and the third was quite loose. Although vandalism was my first thought, I quickly ruled that one out. I can only suppose that the bolts had rattled themselves loose, and am grateful that the rack (and my bags) stayed put. I was pretty distraught over the question of how to transport my bags without a functional rack, and with nary a bike shop in the vicinity. I left my bags at the campground reception, biked back into town to the hardware store, and came across a very helpful clerk in the store. How lucky am I! I could have spent hours trying to figure out what size bolt I needed, but she eyeballed it and soon I was re-fitted of rack, back to the campground to retrieve my bags, and on my way.

I was hoping for a bike shop to check my rack, but there was very little of anything other than forest as I passed through East Brighton, Bloomfield, and Maidstone (where I'd hoped to camp). Past Bloomfield, I edged along the Connecticut River valley, which was very beautiful. Alas, there was plenty of rain along this stretch, and a surprising (given that I was shadowing a rail-line) abundance of hills. The combination of hilly terrain, heavy loads, and wetness meant I ate through my brake pads front and rear... making finding a bike shop even more important, but not much less elusive.

I left Vermont and crossed into New Hampshire at Stratford. The rain stopped (for a while at least) and the terrain seemed less hilly. In Groveton aka Northumberland I discovered that muncipal mergers and correspondingly confusing roadsign are not just a Canadian phenomenon. More importantly, I stopped at an outdoor (hunting) store, and found out that the nearest bike shops were not so near - one in Lancaster, the next in Littleton - far and farther, respectively.

I arrived in Lancaster around 2pm, anxious to replace my brakes, only to find out from a shopkeeper that the bike shop's owner had died just three weeks before. He suggested I look into taking the tourist-trolley-service to Littleton, and referred me to the tourism office down the street for more information... where I discovered that I had just missed the last trolley of the day by a few minutes. Grrr!

When in doubt, or in foul spirits, eat; so I headed to Lancaster's local American/Chinese restaurant. The sign indicated "no Chinese food today" so I had non-Chinese eggs, toast, ham, and surprisingly good coffee. I called the bike shop in Littleton, got directions , and discovered that they would be closing at 5:30pm. It was now about 3:00pm, and Littleton was about 30 hilly kilometres away, and I wanted them to have time to fix my bike before closing... so off I sprinted.

To get to Littleton, I had the choice of a route that went inland (routes 3, 142, and 116), or a route that hugged the Connecticut River (route 135), so I chose the latter expecting fewer hills. It's hard to imagine that the other route could have been hillier! There was a very long climb into Dalton, where I decided not to take a detour up "Mount Misery Road", followed by a long descent (which could have been more enjoyable if I weren't so worried about my brakes) followed by more up-down-up-down.

Around 4:45pm, I arrived in Littleton, a very very pretty town, and after stopping at a garage to ask the outrageously attractive cashier for directions, I soon found the bike shop. The mechanics were very friendly and helpful, and they checked my wheel alignments, replaced my brake pads, and such. When they lifted my bike and bags and realised how heavy it was, they weren't at all surprised I'd gone through my brake pads so quickly, so I bought spare pads to take with me.

I contemplated staying in Littleton, but decided I had some daylight ahead of me and a long day tomorrow, so I pushed on. In Bethlehem NH I saw a surprising number of Jewish signs, many in Hebrew. On my way out of Bethlehem, I had a magnificent view of the White Mountains, probably Mount Washington.

My happily repaired bike soon carried me into Twin Mountain NH, my destination, on the north-western edge of White Mountain National Forest. I was a bit concerned at first, because although the scenery was stunning, the town along route 302 looked like it had been abandoned 40 years ago - then I turned onto Route 3 and found the real town. I decided to spring for a hotel so I could let my tent dry, and so I would be able to get an earlier start the next morning. Istopped at the general store (in a grand old building that looked like an erstwhile hotel or railway station or railway hotel) to ask advice on where to stay, and got a recommendation for Lyons Hospitality (I think that's what it was called) which turned out to be a hostel. Since there was no one else there that night, for $20US, which was cheaper than any campsite I'd stayed at, I had the room to myself. I walked across the street to the appealingly-named Shakespeare Inn. The proprietor, one Mr Shakespeare, is a man of Caribbean origin, and for supper, I had Jamaican chicken soup, bread, roast jerk pork, rice, mashed potatoes, orange juice, and apple pie. (Hello, carb-loading!) The pie was okay, but everything else was wonderful. I retired to my hostel room, happy to have a private shower and a real bed to sleep upon.

DAILY CYCLING STATS
MXS   47.4
AVS   21.0
DST  127.00

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 2: Frelighsburg QC to Island Pond VT

2007-07-17T17:16:00.001-04:00

On the way from my campground back to Frelighsburg, I passed by a federal government installation for the Frelighsburg Experimental Farm, with barbed wire to keep out unwelcome visitors - squirrels? I wondered what they might experiment here, up in the hills abutting the US border. Organic apples? Or genetically modified goldenrod that can spy on your neighbour?

I cycled over Mount Pinnacle which was a surprisingly challenging climb, as in not impossible but harder than expected. It was worth the climb, as it offered magnificent views of Vermont's Green Mountains and New York's Adirondacks.

I stopped at the, er, pinnacle of my climb at the Pinnacle cider works for some refreshments (fudge, juice) before heading on...

...to Abercorn, Quebec. Part of the segment was, if memory serves correctly, unpaved, but not a problem. In Abercorn I was really looking forward to the bakery my former neighbours so raved about. To my dismay it was closed, but I did find a bike shop where I pumped my tires and chatted with a very friendly proprietor about my planned cycling itinerary. I'm glad to have met him - he gave me some good advice for cycling through the White Mountains (New Hampshire), steering me away from the busy hilly road I'd planned for, to a more gentle, quiet road I could take. He said that would be the best part of my entire trip.

After Abercorn came another more-than-respectable climb over one side of Mount Sutton past Glen Sutton into the Missisquoi Valley. This was the where I'd hoped to camp on my first night, but hadn't "quite" made it what with my late departure and heavy load. This valley is a very beautiful ride though the road is a bit bumpy.

After Glen Sutton, the rest of the day's ride ran mostly parallel to rail-lines, either Northern Vermont or the historic St. Lawrence & Atlantic, so there were no more serious mountains, though there were plenty of smaller hills.

I missed taking a picutre of the ridiculously attractive former train station in Highwater, Quebec, and then I crossed the border at North Troy, Vermont. I was really concerned I might have to unpack all my bags, not because I had anything to hide, but because everything just (barely) fit when packed just so. Fortunately the American border guard was extremely kind; in fact, we spent a lot of time chatting about McGill University, where he'd hoped his child would study. Said child chose Columbia, or some other expensive university in New York City.

My cell phone was supposed to work only in Canada, but I was able to send a few last text messages to Gillian C. while in northern Vermont. Isn't northern Vermont an honorary part of Canada anyway?

I kept seeing very lovely yellow lilies:

...growing wild in the ditch in Northern Vermont.

The road through Newport Center, Newport, Derby Center, Charleston, East Charleston, to Island Pond was very scenic in that typical New England way, mixing farms, villages, forest, and clapboard houses.

I'd hoped to make it to Maidstone State Park that night, but I wasn't going to make it that far, what with my shortfall on day 1 and a late departure on this my second day, so I camped instead at Island Pond. I wanted to camp in the state park, but it seemed to have closed before I arrived, so instead I camped at a private park on another part of the lake. It was very nice but a tad louder than I'd hoped for. All I can say is that jet-skis are the bane of modern civilization.

I left my campground in Frelighsburg around 11:30am (it's hard to get going in the mornings, between having breakfast and packing up your travelling domus) and arrived around 6:45pm in Island Pond, Vermont. My cyclometer tells me I was actually pedalling for 5 hours, 18 minutes, but I really didn't stop much more than to have lunch, cross the border, pump tires, and take a few pictures. Those stops do add up fast though.

DAILY CYCLING STATS
MXS   58.7
AVS   21.7
DST  115.23
TIM 5:18:16

Cyclostravaganza 2007, Day 1: Montreal to Frelighsburg, Quebec

2007-07-16T11:07:00.003-04:00

I headed out around 12:45. I was giddy with excitement as I realised that after months of preparation, I was finally doing it - I was finally embarking on a 2-week mostly-solo cycling trip from Montreal to Cape Breton. Giddy exhilaration overtook me!

I stopped at a fresh-fruit kiosk in Chambly for some raspberries before continuing along the Chambly Canal, and after St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, briefly took the Montérégiade bike trail. After Montreal and the suburbs, the motorists in Kempt and environs seemed particulary kind.

I made a very short detour into Mystic, Quebec, for 2 very worthwhile stops. L'oeuf is delightfully self-described as a restaurant, auberge, chocolatrie et micro-brûlerie (229 chemin Mystic, Mystic QC, J0J 1Y0, 450-248-7529). While L'oeuf is normally closed on Mondays, the owner saw my pathetic dejected face at his front door, had mercy on me, and served up a delightful espresso and house-made sour-cherry sorbet. With difficulty I resisted the imported cookies, chocolates, jams, jellies, and everything else that would weigh me down further and headed out, but not before stopping next door for the famous 12-sided barn.

In northern New England and parts of south-eastern Quebec, there was a tradition of building round barns so that there would be no corners wherein the devil might hide. Building circular is difficult, so perhaps that's why someone built a remarkable 12-sided barn in Mystic. Are 12 corners safer than 4?

Past Mystic, the flatlands of Montérégie were definitely behind me, and I was into the delightful rolling terrain of the Eastern Townships, with walnut groves, pine stands, and a street named Val-qui-rit. (I burst into Wagnerian laughter a little too late to photograph that one.) Between my late departure and the weight of all my gear slowing me down, I didn't make it as far as I had hoped, so I camped in Frelighsburg. By the time I set up my tent, and biked back into town, I discovered that there were no restaurants where I could eat supper; one was closed for the holidays, the other closed for the day. It wasn't the ideal meal, but the gas-station dépanneur convenience store did provide enough sustenance. Not quite the meal I was hoping for, but all in all, a marvelous day.

DAILY CYCLING STATS
MXS  51.0
AVS  22.7
DST 121.14