Exit 40B

Cannondale Touring Bikes Feb 4 2011

2010-11-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

To the customers that were in the store today (Feb 4 2011) I had a massive brain fart turns out that I do infact have 1 Xl Cannondale Touring 1 in stock. I am going to have that built today so it will be ready when you decide to come in next to get your bikes. Thanks. Evan

Modern Day Gunslingers Nov 1 2010

2010-11-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today had two main goals. Clean the bike, and go to school. Sounds simple but those two things ended up taking all day.

After getting the car moved out of the garage so that I could pull my bike in I suited up in all of my grease monkey gear. Then I proceeded to neatly line up all of my cleaning and polishing stuff just so that I can make a mess of everything within an hour.

To be honest I did not know where to start so I just started polishing metal. Dad turned me on to autosal which works about 100000000 times better then the mothers garbage I was dealing with before. It almost instantly brought shine back to bit that looked pitted and gross. As well it got rid of a lot of the ugly rust spots on key bolts and highlight pieces. The only problem was that once you did one piece you saw another, then another, then another. Then you realize you have been polishing for 3 hours and you haven’t even started on the paint yet.

After the first hours I decided that I should just take a break from doing small circles and switch muscle groups and start doing larger circle with the clay bar, and wax. I was amazed at the difference in paint quality between my car and the bike. When I clayed the car and looked at the bar it was stricken with blue patches. When I did the same to the bike it came up with nothing. Just goes to show you the difference in paint quality. Then came the wax. Waxing is actually strangely therapeutic. Something about covering every square inch of surface area then just waiting before you wipe it off is just awesome.

Covered in cleaning stuff it was time for a shower. I needed to get the smell of turtle wax off of me and move on with the day. Moving on came in the form of a nap, which will be simulated by this long break in paragraphs.

“Evan do you have your questions ready for the people at BCIT”? Great way to wake up and the argument after wards was exponentially more special. Still though we decided to make the semi awkward car ride out to BCIT. Something about a car rid after an argument brings out the old west in all of us because at first you are just like a couple of gunslingers in the same car.

The information night for radio broadcasting was super interesting and is defiantly something I want to pursue but there is just no money in it. They say pursue what your passions are but it is also nice to have dinner on the table each night, and to have a table to put it on. So we will see how my other pokers in the fire come out before I make and choices.

NEW BIKE Oct 31 2010

2010-11-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

Today was the day. I decided last night that a 1991 srx 400 was going to be my first bike. I know that getting a grey market bike means finding parts will be more difficult but hey look at the first car I bought, that isn’t the most practical vehicle either. Plus that money was burning a whole in my pocket.

After re looking at a bunch of the bikes I had contemplated I came to the same conclusion. 99% of the people selling are high, and the other 1% are selling crap. The nice thing with Ben is that he is a good guy, selling a decent bike. So bam it’s the winner.

The phone call to meet up was a little nerve racking so I made it as quick and awkward as possible, and I think we were both left with a feeling of “what just happened”. Before I knew it dad was on the doorstep and we were on the way over.

Now after giving ben the money and signing some papers we were off to insure it to get the bike home. Strike one for dads patience came when the first insurance place was close so we had to go all the way over into port coquitlam again to meridian auto (which I like dealing with better anyways. Strikes two and three both came when we realized that I forgot the paper work for the bike with ben. So even though we had the key really ben still owned the bike and had my money. Not going to lie I was a little nervous about this prospect as well so I was very prompt in calling him.

On the phone it seemed as if ben was expecting it because he said it would not be a problem and he would be there in a few minutes. A few minutes passed and he still was not there. Then the phone rang. I was half expecting him to say, “see yea”, but he was simply at the wrong insurance place which is a easy to do because within this one block there is about 3 insurance agencies, that just goes to show you what a rip off it all is.

It turned out to be a good thing he came because the original paperwork was filled out incorrectly so he would have had to re fill it all out again. In the end it all worked out and I had to watch my dad leave with ben to go pick it up. The first ride on my first motorcycle was going to be done by my dad.

There it was right on my driveway, my first bike. I expected it all to be golden but dad had some bad news for me. We need to do a complete overhaul on the suspension because it is just f’ed. I could not care less though I love my bike. Within 30 minutes of having it I could not let it sit so there I was on the street trying my hardest to hide my nerves. I slowly let out the clutch and…. Pop. I stalled. Tried again and I had the same outcome. I just was not getting it. Then slowly I started to get it. Then even slower I started to turn, and even slower then that I started to get comfortable.

After about 30 minutes I decided it was best for me to quit while I was ahead. And park it in its new shed before it started to pour rain again.

O yea and there were some strangely dressed kids knocking at the door that we had to give some candy to in order to make them leave.

Find Me A Washroom Oct 30 2010

2010-11-03T19:19:00.001-07:00

We all woke up at around the same time, and Courtney and I had one thing pressing on the mind… to get home to use the washroom. When Maria offered us breakfast we kindly refused and said we must get on the road. Within 10 minutes of waking up we were both on the road dawning our surrey dinner jackets and going about half the speed we normally travel at.

That door could not come soon enough but my anal retentive cleaning nature decided to rear its head, and I came to the choice that cleaning my board was a far more pressing thing. About three scrubs on the deck into it I had to lay it down and sprint to do some damage in the washroom.

With a war scene behind me one thing was on my mind. Recover. I decided to plunk my butt down and just be lazy for a bit. That was until I phoned up ben (the owner of the motorcycle) saying that was free. Ben is a funny guy because he is all over the map, and was almost to accommodating for my crazy spur of the moment plans. I said I will be there in 25mins and he responded with ok make it 30 and I will be ok.

It was time to suit up and get my fixie on the road. This time I was a little more comfortable on it and was able to stop in a good distance instead of just white knuckling it like im on the New Jersey turnpike. Exactly 30 mins after the phone call there ben was rolling the bike onto the street.

The bike itself looked a lot better in daylight. The small nicks and scratches were less noticeable, and to be honest I was a little amazed by the fact I could ride something like that. It really was the perfect look as well. Which as much as that shouldn’t matter it does. But I knew I had to wait and think on it to make sure that this was the right choice.

When I got home I finished setting up my little shelter at the side of the house but before I got a chance to breath there was a knock at the door. It was Mark, Natasha and the kids. Austin is just an awesome nephew. He goes non stop all the time which does lead to things getting broken but I just counter that by flipping him upside down and play wrestling with him. He loves it because he does not see me much and I think even though I am 16 years his senior he can still relate to me.

This night also brought about the opportunity for me to employ my taco technique to a crowd of people. It was amazing I looked like the Port Coquitlam version of iron chef, which is a huge honour and an extremely hard title to grab. I did only do it with meat and not the fish taco because I did not want to kill anyone tonight.

Shoulder 1 Pavement 0 Oct 29 2010

2010-11-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

Waking up in a semi strange bed is a good feeling. I can say that because I am not homeless, or promiscuous. Again another stellar intro brought to you by Evans mind recalling memories from 3 days ago at 10 at night.

When I got back home mom asked me what food I missed the most and I responded with one word “pancakes”. Now although I woke up to the smell of pancakes the next day they just were not the same. Now that I spent the night with dad I got the chance to partake in a little father son pancake ritual we have had for almost 10 years now. It’s pretty easy. Eat until you near explosion. My record of 1.5 batches of aunt jemima pancakes from when I was 11 still stands to date. It is amazing how my body works because without fail every time after eating roughly 7 pancakes I have to poo. And after said poo I always come back to a stack of three more. It is just an awesome circle.

Before long though we were back on the road because dad had to go downtown then to work. So before I knew it I was back home and trying to make plans for the night. In order to fill some time decided to go down to rocky point for a bit of closure. While traveling to port moody by skateboard I was going down one of the many steep halls around here and promptly ate tarmac. It sucked. I very quickly popped up and checked my collarbone to make sure that everything was still in one piece, and luckily this time it was.

Once at the park I just skated around then went and played a game of billiards, fallowed by sushi, and before I knew it I was getting a phone call from Courtney. Great I forgot I made plans with her. So there I was scrambling for a bud to get home so that I did not let a friend down.

I got to courts a little sweaty and running very behind, but the fact was I arrived. Courtney and I are strange because although we spent so much time apart we still finish each other’s sentences and have the exact same interests. Infact we even have the same taste in women which is strange. With both of our a.d.d.s kicking in we decided to hit the road for a late night skateboard sesh. I mean what could go wrong?

With no destination in mind we ended up at kistis house calling kristy to come over. Before we knew it it was a party. This is a rare thing for me but it was well needed. It was a little bit of a mess but in the end it was 4 friends in a basement hanging out having a good time. In many ways it was a lot like that 70’s show.

Behind Door Number 2 Oct 28 2010

2010-10-30T22:29:00.001-07:00

It was a slow start to the day, which was perfectly fine because the only plan I has was to go look at a blast with dad later on that day at around 5pm. Well the knock on the door came at 2pm and I was not ready. There I am in shorts and a tee shirt scrambling to get my junk together so that we were not flying blind into the depths of Langley. Surprisingly I did not forget anything, and I even remember to print off a map and the number of the guys place we were going to. Now I must admit I was a little sceptical of this deal because the bike seemed too good to be true. Adding to my suspicion was the fact that the owner lives in California, and the guy we were going to see was named sparky.

It was good to spend more then an hour with dad. It was even better to go to his house for the first time in a long time. Much like his body and my mind things had changed. The largest change came in the form of a chez lounge and a man chair instead of the two couch set up that was there before. Immediately I started grinding him about the chez, and how if you have a chez you have to start painting nudes. It is just a fact own a chez and you instantly become an internationally acclaimed painter. Dad is one of the few people I know that can put up with my dry humour at its best or worst so its nice to be able to let loose for a while.

Now what would a father and son do when they are spending the first minutes they have had together in a long time? Well look at used bikes online of course. Now my dad is a technology retarded. I know retarded is not politically correct but before I left I spent literally 2 hours with him simply teaching him how to comment on my blog. I am glad to report he is a craiglist, and youtube pro now….

Soon enough we were back on the road and making our way to Langley. It was raining and pitch black, which made it a perfect recipe for me to drive for the first time in close to 7 months in the largest car I have ever driven. I got to the bridge and that is when I said, “dad you’re taking over”. I like being small. I like being able to manoeuvre with a shoulder check that exposes more the 60% of what is behind me.

We got to the address soon enough. It was at the end of this unlighted gravel road that had multiple beware of dog’s signs. Needless to say red flags were starting to go off. Luckily in a short time a not so little shop appeared with a man standing at the door with two large dogs at his side barking away. This was sparky.

Luckily it all turned out to be legit. Sparky himself turned out to be quite the character. In this private Harley shop rested about 15 motorcycles and a dyno jet. There was only one I was focused on and it was dead centre. I was not as thrilled with it, especially after sitting on it. It just did not feel right. The foot controls felt to far forward, and everything was made of plastic. Which is fine if it is a new bike but this was not, so all the scratches are permanent and cannot be polished out. Adding to that the bike was riddled with corrosion and pain swirls. It got better. When we took the seat off we could not get it back on. We tried and tried for about 10 mins but could not make it happen. But wait there is more. When sparky fired it up it came to life with a HUGE “WOOOOMMMMPPPP”. The bike had been modified with a straight pipe exhaust that made the bike rattle like crazy. It was so loud that it gave me a headache within 5 minutes. I knew if I brought this home my mom would poop her pants.

It was nice to spend the night with dad. It was even nicer having a change of beds for a night. I was getting sick of staying in the same one for a week.

Back to Work Oct 27 2010

2010-10-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

When I like something I don’t stop thinking about it. It becomes an obsession. This could manifest itself into a problem later on in life but for now I think I can deal with it. When I got out of the sack I immediately put on my cycling gear because I saw that it the first amazing day in a while. I also knew that I wanted to make a stop in at the Yamaha dealership in port moody just to get my nerding in for the day.

Just as I was about to walk out the door in my lime green cycling kit with my mountain bike I thought to myself “why am I taking the mountain bike”. Then my eyes caught my race bike hanging from the wall. The tires were flat, the grips dirty, no pedals in sight, and no brakes on the bars. This fixie was going to be my stead for the day. I needed to get my hands dirty from working on a bike again anyways as my touring bike still lies in a pile of pieces in the garage.

Within the first 3 pedal stokes I fell back in love with the bike. It’s so light, so low, and so comfy. It took me the entire 3 hour rid to get used to the weight, or lack there of. At first I could not even get out of the saddle to sprint. When I got onto the laugheed highway I got nice and low and started to put power into the pedals. I don’t know how fast I was going but it was fast. It was scary how much power I can put in now compared to when I left.

Almost as soon as I started to crank on the bike I had to lock up my legs to come to a skidding stop. I was so focused on the speed that I was not paying attention to the growing traffic in front of me, and the red light that was in my immediate future. Being able to lock the wheel up at speed was also a new experience because before I could not do that. Not that I want to because that rear tire is worth $70 and last time I check the track is pretty flat so I would quickly find out if I had a flat spot or not.

The first stop was at work to tell them “yea im coming back”. Rhys was kind of funny because he says to me in a dead serious manor “so you want to start tomorrow”. I didn’t know how to respond so I laughed and said no. I need some time. Luckily Rhys did as well and asked me to come back later. This worked out perfect because I wanted to go waste time at the motorcycle shop anyways.

15 minutes later I was at the motorcycle shop. This is the point where I have to voice some frustration. Why can I not get service? Eve if someone just out of pity cam up to me and asked if I was ok that would do. But here I am with multiple thousand dollars literally in my back pocket ready to buy and not one person helped. In fact I stood in front of the sales person who was having a conversation about a hot rod with another guy for 10 minutes before he said, “can I help you”. Thank god I thought to myself. After that asking the parts guys/ girl questions about the bike I was interested in was even more painful. This just made me all the happier with the service I got out in Langley at holeshot. I mean they have better staff, better selection, and a nicer location whets not to like?

Anyways after that I was back at the shop to find out my fate. Tuesday, Wednesday off. Brutal. In other words if I want to hang out with friends and have fun with them I will have to be tired as balls on the weekends. So be it you can ask for the moon, but know one said they would give it to you.

Banks... Need I Say More Oct 26 2010

2010-10-30T20:17:00.001-07:00

So I go to withdraw the full amount to purchase my motorcycle first thing in the morning. I assumed that 4 business days would be enough for cibc to get their stuff together but evidently not. So I was left $600 short, and I did not want to dink the guy with the bike around so I had t think of a plan b.

Plan b was to use my credit card, which I am always hesitant to use just because credit card companies are out there to screw us over with interest. The nice thing was that I had a car ride to and form the bank so I was not forced to ruin my board or get soaking wet. Neither option sounded too appealing at the time.

Over the next little bit I am going to work on my peak threshold endurance because right now even after sprinting 100 metres I am just toasted. My muscles hurt, and my heart is racing like a beaver. If I am going to get back on the track I need to fix that, and get used to my race bike again. I will save that for another day.

Nighttime came quick, which got me excited because that meant that it was almost time to go look at my first motorcycle. To put it in prospective I was not this excited when I got my car. It is similar to a few of my first Christmas memories… except not.

When dad showed up he handed me the visa slips from when was gone. Open the first one up and all is normal. I expected to see a $55 credit for the ticket I did not pay but put the money on my credit card for. So I open the next one and see that I am in debt close to $300. I hit the panic switch and think, “who used this”, “it was not stolen I have it in my wallet”. Even dad was baffled. It took us about 10 mins to figure out that they had combined both of out statements together into one. Thank heavens because that would have been a pretty nasty surprise.

Before I knew it there it was. A motorcycle that could be mine right in front of me. Now pitch black outside with nothing to see it but florescent lights their Ben Lee was. I never know what to do in scenarios like this I mean I do not know what the f I am doing so I am relying 100% on my dad and Ben. It is a strange feeling when you have no idea whets going on, and I very quickly came to the realization that I need to get my butt practicing a.s.a.p. In order to not die on public roads. The home depot parking lot is going to be my friend for the next little while.

The bike itself was a beauty. I love the look, and love the sound. Or lack there of. It has its issues but it is a bike that is as old as me. I know I have my battle wounds so it would be irrational of me to expect it to be a new bike. Still the better got of me and I walked away. Within seconds of coming home I was back on the classified sites looking and looking until my eyes started to water. Healthy I know. Then a second great learner bike came up, a buell blast. It says blast so it must be fun right…. I went to bed with thoughts of riding swirling in my head, it was like an addiction at this point.

Rain Rain And Puddles Oct 25 2010

2010-10-27T23:51:00.001-07:00

So I wake up at 7 and know I have a meeting with Rhys at 9:30. I am not stoked for this because this means I am going back to work. I know it is a necessary thing but it is just like when I left. Where as on the road every day is a new adventure. Every road is new. I was like a newborn baby for 4 months is what it boils down to. Now life has to restart.

With rain pouring outside I was thanking the heaven that I had a nice waterproof coat, and boots to strap on so that I would be nice and dry. The only thing I was lacking was an umbrella. Still I was better off then the girl standing at the bus stop in a tank top just completely drenched. I did not feel bad because she clearly had the option of a coat but just decided not to put it on.

The bus stop always seems so far away when you are walking to it. As well my bus passes that have been in my wallet through 3 cycles of the washing machine are super smooshed. I always have this mini panic attack that they are not going to work then everyone one the bus will look at me as if im trying to get on for free. Because we all know the opinions of the people on the buss really matter right. Luckily this time they worked so I was ok to ride the disease tube down to Westwood cycle.

The meeting itself was a meeting. It is what I expected. It is comforting to know that in tough times like this people want you back. It is a bit of an ego boost. Afterwards I had to venture back out into the pouring rain. By this point my pants were fairly wet so I figured an umbrella would be a worthy investment. In BC you would think that would be an easy thing to find but surprisingly no. At the pharmacies they had them hidden behind the front counter. It was as if they were selling drugs from behind the counter because I had to stroll up to the counter in a big puffy jacket and go “hey man you got umbrellas?” Then the teller says “Yo essay I gots them umbrellas right here for you homes”. “I need one big one, high quality. I want it to last more then 2 weeks”. “I got just the one right here”.

After that weird situation I was on the road to find my motorcycles home, which was right near my work. Again I must have looked pretty legitimate skulking around and peering beyond underground parking lots staring at this motorcycle. But because it was a crummy day I just decided to walk away and wait for the call from my dad to go look.

On the way home I decided to treat myself to a hot chocolate to warm myself back up to temperature so that I could push out the last kilometre of walking. I had my house in sight when this a whole smokes this puddle at mach 10 on purpose and just drenches me. My pants were soaked, boots were wet, and I was happy as ever. Who does that really? What a skumbag move on that guys part. Just breath deep and enjoy the now watered down hot chocolate.

Does Not Get Any Lazier... Sorry Oct 24 2010

2010-10-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

So today’s blog really does not have much in it because I was lazy. It was a stretch to even feed myself. I just did not want to do anything because I was not looking forward to tomorrow. I know most of my blogs are filled with crazy stuff, or i make the boring stuff exciting but today that was not the case. I have a lot on the mind because my future is quickly approaching. I have to jump off this bridge of adulthood and commit to a plan... which sucks. So I spent most of the day thinking about nothing. At what point can I be content with a career? When do I stop?

Not 100% Oct 23 2010

2010-10-23T22:38:00.001-07:00

Today started with a bang. I saw a peering eye through my door so I said “im not up yet”. Mom says in response “I am leaving in 10 minutes to go to the dry cleaner. If you want to find a winter coat you have 10 minutes”. I was out of the bed like a rocket and in the shower getting myself de-smellied. I was out the door.

The first stop was marks work warehouse were everything was gigantic. I was getting the same feeling as last night. And was not feeling to positive about the outcome of this venture. After getting in and out we were on our way downtown to go to comor sports. Automatically when we walked in I got good feeling because it looked nice and they were playing good music (passion pit). Right away I made my way for the clearance rack and saw nothing in a small. Still not deterred I looked around and found a handful of smalls. After trying them on I took to liking this electric green number, but it was to small so I put on the medium. It fit like a glove. Using my thinking cap I looked for the last years model of that in a medium and found the exact one in black. I looked a bit like neo from the matrix but it fit amazing and was 40% off. I was sold.

On the ride back however things were not all great because I was not feeling 100%. I was hungry as a beaver ad my body was letting me know by making the roof of my mouth hurt. So within a few minutes we stopped at a local bistro in port moody. I had a breakfast wrap even though it was nearing noon. I do not know what they put inside of it but it tasted almost as good as ranch dressing on nachos.

Once home I phoned dad and told him that I wanted to see him. When he picked me up we decided to go look at some motorcycle gear. The first stop was this little one-man show, and the guy was just a huge wiener. He did not answer and questions and was super negative about everything. Needless to say he lost our business. The next lady at a reputable shop had no quality information. She simple told me “oo that ones road racy, that ones touring”. Thos are just words they don’t give me any information about the product and what to look for. Luckily after that we found cam at holeshot motorsports. He was kickasser. Gave me a ton of good information and was not pressuring me into anything. Knowing I was not buying today he even gave me the heads up on a new shipment of the jackets I want that is coming in next week. STOKED. It is something about putting on a full-face motorcycle helmet that makes you feel SO b.a. (Badass). The fact that they offer awesome protection also helps. I am kind of hoping that I can fit into some of my dads older gear though because that means I can either save some funds or invest it in the countless other things involved in getting ready to ride.

As you know my life is go go go so when I got home I was only in for a few minutes before kev was on my doorstep ready to ride. No hill climbing for me on the mountain bike today we had a car. I was expecting to feel like a puma climbing on my bike but it was not the case because I am so used to putting in huge efforts all day that a short high intensity 15-minute climb was not my forte. The downhill was a little scary. It was like being a kid again because it felt so foreign. It was loose, a little wet, and starting to rain things could not be any better for re-teaching yourself how to ride a mountain bike. Luckily I only had to pucker my butt three times, and kept up with kev for the most part… even though I think we was dialling back the speed.

Once home my throat was feeling a little sore and after a nap I knew that the plans for the Halloween part tonight just were not going to happen. But ce la vie.

Christina Lake... What A Memory Oct 21 2010

2010-10-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

With my passport dry after going through the washing machine today was the day. Today was the day I get my motorcycle license. I got on my bike and went to the road test centre and got one of the books and raced home. Once home I put that book on the desk and promptly got distracted by everything else around me. I thought to myself ill just read it tonight and take the test tomorrow. I then looked at the weather network and saw rain for the next 4 days. For some reason that triggered me to get on my bike and go back to take the test right then.

At the centre I realized that I forgot 2 pieces of id so I had to go back and get my passport. On the way back I started to question what I was doing. The biggest question on my mind was “what if I pass”? When I stormed into the office and grabbed my passport I was surprised when I did not receive 20 questions about why I needed it.

Now back at the Centre I paid my dues and stood looking at a screen. A screen that determined whether I was fit on the road or not. Things did not start off well when I promptly go the first question wrong. After that things quickly improved. Really everything seemed like common sense as a crummy car driver, and a good cyclist. In order to pass you were able to get 8 of the 40 questions wrong, which I found amazing. Shouldn’t we be making sure people know most things about the road and not some of it.

Well I passed and was over the moon. Without ever starting up a motorcycle, learning the mechanics of one, or even cracking the learners manual I was now able to ride one. Kind of scary when I think about it. All I know is that I am ready to learn. Which intern means knowing my limits? Which as it stands now is everything. Luckily my dad is a great rider so I am trusting him to guide me down this path with a patient mind. I guess that means a motorcycle in the driveway is going to become a reality in the near future.

I could not contain myself so I had to share the good news with friends. So I went right over to Courts house. E-dawg and C-Donkey reunite for the first time in a long time. This time I was not on the doorstep on the brink of tears in serious need of a friend, which seemed like a common theme for the last 2 visits to her place. Court is simply an awesome person. It is strange how similar we are. She is like talking with one of the guys (if I had guy friends). We talked about everything from skating to girls. One of the funniest things is the fact that we have the exact same taste in women, funny how that works.

It is also funny to see how we have not matured. When I got back from the trip I was feeling all high and mighty about how different I was but really not much has changed. I am still myself and I still enjoy the same things in life. One of the highlights of the night was looking back on some of our favourite memories together. The best of which came in Christina Lake. The family and court made the 7-hour trek to the coldest tree lined lake in B.C. roughly 7 years ago. After 7 hours f my sisters putrid farts and the most uncomfortable gm seats in the world there we were staring down our home for the next 8 days. My sister and I had visions of a nice lakeside house; instead we had a 80’s trailer that reeked of shag carpet. Court and I talked about the things we saw and how little we did on this trip. About the only thing that stood out was possibly the largest argument of my childhood. It all started because of a remote. This remote controlled the air-conditioning that was turned off at the time the remote was lost. Apparently I was the last one to use it so I was the first to get yelled at by mom. For days this went on until I finally lost it. I remember that this was the first time I ever dropped an f bomb in front of my mom on purpose. Days later after the dust had settled someone found it in a pot that was below a well-placed pan. It was planted and I am pretty sure it was my sister because I remember she made Kraft dinner the night before the disappearance. Court and I still to this day wonder what my sister did t fill those days.

Massholes and Trivial Drama Oct 22 2010

2010-10-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

After silencing my alarm 3 times it was time to get my butt moving. I don’t know what it was but I popped off the side of my bed instead of the front like I normally do. Apparently my gut knew something my mind did not because there in front of my bed was a stack of feathers, a wing, and a cat looking prouder then ever. Even though mom was working I yelled, “be on the lookout for a wingless bird”. To which I got a response of “where is it”. In retrospect I should have said her bed just to get a quick laugh but when I said in front of my bed I could hear a sigh of relief.

Next came a good workout. Few things are as fun as running in the rain and getting nice and wet. At least the wetness masks smell of sweat and Gatorade. The only unfortunate thing is my legs have been acting up. Even with stretching and enough tiger bomb to sink the Bismarck my calves are still hurting. Ce la vie though because I am not going to stop working out.

After that it was time to sit down and make some plans for the evening. Last minute as usual but by now everyone who is close to me knows that is how I roll. Thing were going good. My ticket that I tried paying 3 times finally went through. But now they want more money so I have to wait in a call cue for another 1.5 hours to get to someone and give them a piece of my mind. There is no way I am paying another $55 on top of my $50 ticket because there systems would not let me pay for a ticket. I will read off the confirmation numbers to them in series and tell them to pound it. I am not bitter at all. There is a reason they call them Massholes.

It was right after that ticket getting paid that I got a series messages that upset me. It is not very often I let people get to me but this did. When my mom asked “is something wrong”. I lied and said, “No, everything is fine”. Girl troubles I will leave it at that. I can hear my dad sighing saying to himself “o great”. I can already hear the onslaught of questions I am going to hear after people read this. But I would really prefer to simply drop it. When you wear your heart on your sleeve all the time eventually people will stomp on said heart.

That’s why I have friends. Within 5 minutes Kristi was at more doorstep to sweep me away for the night and it was needed. I was not down for sitting in her basement the whole night so we decided to go frustrate ourselves with shopping. My goal was simple a warm winter coat that is not size huge. First stop Winners. It was like a case of the three bears. One was two small, the other to big, and then the third to thin. What I found amazing was that there was only 3 winter coats in a size small in the entire store. The best part was Kristi’s shopping experience. She had this item that was missing a button so we were reasonable when we asked for a discount. What was not reasonable was the response we got. “Let me call my manager.” “Yea we can discount that by $1”. At that point we just walked out of the store. $1 that’s just an insult. Good luck trying to sell that piece of garbage top to anyone before it goes in the 50% off bin, and enjoy having that in you inventory forever.

After that we went to the mall where I encountered ore frustration. Every store had a wide selection of jackets for men but they were all shells or medium weight. Literally nothing that fit was a heavier weight jacket for the winter. If you did not want to wear 3 layers you had a few options, but they all started at $250 and up which just was not working for me.

Luckily we had a success story. Apple sider from this Christmas specific store. It came in this little package that was $9 but Kristi was not sure it it was the same mix from when she was a kid so the lady said, “here we have a package that was dropped on the ground and has a puncture smell it”. Kristi knew right away it was the right stuff and purchased one package of the stuff, but before it got rung through I said “hold on a second how about $1 for the busted package (that I saw was ¾ full)”? I expected a triumphant no, but was surprised to hear a “sure no problem”. Got to love shopping with a cheap ass.

Be Safe Oct 20 2010

2010-10-22T00:38:00.001-07:00

So I am behind a day in blogs but I have been struggling to find time t breath let alone type. When I have a second to relax the last thing I am thinking about is “I really want to type about my life”. Tomorrow morning though I pledge to catch up to date.

After yet another late night I was stuck shutting off my alarm to catch a few more precious moments of sleep before the light started to peer through my blinds. When the light comes in that means that I have overslept and need to get my butt moving.

At this point I forget what I did to fill two hours but I can guarantee you it involved eating and reading the paper while I watched the morning news. You can never overdose on news so just cram it in. It seems like you can not get a positive stories these days so when the tri cities news contacted me to run a story in the paper I was thrilled because I am sick of reading about all of the junk that happening to our area these days. About 15 minutes after the paper called the newsroom gave me a ring. Unfortunately is as not around so I had to return the call to a guy who took all my information but I am pretty sure did not relay the message.

While shaving my hair down the the scalp I hear the doorbell. I forgot I invited my old friend Jamie over to do some rekindling. It is hyperawsome that she is living back in coquitlam because we here best friends back in the days of the old neighbourhood I really don’t remember what we spent 3 hours talking about but it was a good waste of time.

After that it was time to leave. Not before we found out Jamie left her lights on and killed her battery. So leans were put on hold while we waiting for bcaa to come give a jump because my cables are in my hot rod and not at home. After ben came by to help us out I was on my way to talk with Rhys about work and possibly get a smoking deal on some shoes at the shoe warehouse.

Again plans are only good if they work and these did not. Rhys was not at work, and the shoe warehouse had no shoes for 13 bucks like I thought they all said $25. Still I tried some on and found a comfy pair. I needed new kickers for skating and mountain biking so why not get two. When the lady at the counter said, “you total is $25”. I said in response “for 2”? She nodded and I paid her. Turn out the shoes were 50% of the clearance price just to get rid of them. With no room to carry them my old beaten up converses from an outlet mall in the states we went to 5 years ago to get my sister a bathing suit from a Victoria Secret that eneded up not having the suit she wanted laid there next to a garbage can for some homeless man to wear.

When I got back and was faced with 24 middle-aged women screaming I was ready to head right back out the door, but not before being a little social first. T was right then I remembered that I was supposed to be at my neighbour’s house to catch up with them and get the low down on how the rest of the family is doing.

After that visit I was back on the road again to go spend the evening with Megan and her brother Jake watching episodes of a web series called the guild, and looking at old photos. After a good dose of laughs sleep was starting to creep into my mind so I had to hit the road and start skating home. When I arrived back the last thing I expected to see was my mom and gay still up partying. I got in just as they were heading to bed and I remember very clearly something gay said. As my mom walked up the stairs she said “good night”. To which gay said, “be safe”. Which I thought was an odd thing to say because what was there to be safe about I mean a bed was only 20 feet away. Still I got a bit of a chuckle out of it as I ate my semi stale nesquik cereal.

No matter How Tired Dont Froget To Blog Oct 19 2010

2010-10-20T01:26:00.001-07:00

So I pooped the bed. Even though I was tired should have done my blog yesterday because now 24 hours later I have forgotten the smaller detail of the day. So this blog will be a little shorter because it will only cover the larger things.

The beauty of being on vacation is I can start at whatever pace I feel like, and today I started slow. I knew what laid ahead for me was a tub of laundry to fold, a cycling drawer to rifle through and some bike stuff that needed to be done. So I figured I would get a head start and watch some starcraft 2 highlights. For those who don’t know Starcraft is one of the nerdiest pc games ever created but watching competitive play is strangely addicting and interesting.

By the time I got showered and de-nerdified I was ready to tackle the laundry. This is when I realized that I have way too much cycling gear. I now have two drawers full with a certain amount of cupboard space dedicated to shorts as well. The nice thing with the trip is it wore out a few of my jerseys and all of my shorts so I now have some track gear that I can race with and crash on with now hard feelings, because when I ate it and wrecked my new jailhouse arm warmers I was a little miffed.

A day earlier I spoke with Mr. Chambers and asked what time he would be free because I know he is a busy man. He told me 1:30. So at 1:30 on the nose I show up and wait patiently. Within 5 mins I knew what was going to happen. Another 10 mins pass and he came flying out of his office and put one arm around my shoulder and said Evan bud I forgot I have parent teacher interviews tonight starting in 30 minutes. I told him not to worry, and that like arny “I’ll be back”.

Feeling the savings of time I decided to go get something that would warm me up in the winter. Again me shopping I was in and out of marks work warehouse in 5 minutes and was set up with something that will keep my core warm through the cold weather. I also got an unexpected savings, which is always nice.

After that the day was pretty normal until I had to make plans for the evening. I hate letting people down but when I had 2 chat conversations going with someone on the phone it was just getting out of hand. What came of all of it was nice evenings with Kristi where we chatted and got to watch a pretty kick butt movie called get him to the Greek. I also had the most wicked conversation with a mutual friend of ours Marshall who was being a bit of a weirdo so I called him out on it in traditional Evan in you face fashion.

Crazy Days Oct 18 2010

2010-10-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

After taking my sweet time to get home last night I ended up getting to sleep at close to 2am because of bloging and wasting time. So when I woke up at 10 it was not really too much of a surprise. I was going to start my day with making plans with people but I was feeling lazy because I have not done any hard workouts in about a week. It was time to lace up and hit the ground running.

Once I was suited up in skins from head to toe, looking really intimidating in my matching spandex compression wear I was ready to workout. Now the way I usually run is simple get out and go for 2 hours and run as hard as I can. One thing the trip taught me is that not warming up destroys your muscles (as evidence from the kickboxing class shows). This time I decided to spend some time and dedicated myself to a proper warm up and cool down, and boy did it help. I felt quick. After 4 100m sprints I started doing 5 lap endurance efforts, then took it easy. Now instead of just walking home I decided to stay and talk with a few old friends at school. First up were Mr. Cambers and Dr. Provost. Both equally amazed that I got back so quick. Then after that a talk with Coach K. Coach K is a man that seems to have done everything. Whenever I want to get advice about my next crazy idea he is always a good person to go to because he has done it or has a sound opinion on how I could best accomplish it. Then once done said event I can come back and talk about it and realize that he was not blowing smoke up my… you know. Now here is were I made a plan with Mr. Chambers for coffee tomorrow.

After getting home and de-smellied I was back on the road to meet with Kristy to go for lunch at Happy Chinese Food. I am not sure what about this small restaurant was happy, but it sure was not the decor or the 1970’s building it was placed in. Now I am a guy who likes to throw curve balls so when Kristy asks me “what are you getting”? Most would give a simple answer. I instead say “you ordering for the both of us”. Which would be easy if the owner spoke any English. About the only thing we could make out was that the order Kristy wanted to make was not possible so she scrambled to create some other monster of a Chinese food dish that would stuff us with MSG. It was good spending some one on one time with friends. When everyone was at the airport all at once it was very overwhelming. Where as in a setting like that I can tell stories that fit with those people and situations not just some broad statement about which place I liked most then having to spend 15 minutes qualifying said statement.

Now after last night episode of not fitting into my jeans because my butt and legs were to large to fit in them I knew I had to go to the mall, which is one of my least favourite places in the world. So I figured I would ask Kristy if she wanted to come shopping with the mother unit and I. Surprisingly she said yes but then backtracked and said what can be summed up as “if you scare me off a bus stop is 20 feet away”.

The way I shop is can be described in one word, power. How long does it take for a girl to buy 3 pairs of jeans? Possibly an entire day. I hauled Swope into 2 stores walked through without stopping and saw nothing. The last stop was Bluenotes. I grabbed 3 pairs off the shelf tried them on got the girl seal of approval and was out the door in 15minutes. Now to get Kristy one top took the remainder of our 30-minute time budget. Baby steps though Rome was not built in a day so I cant expect to change the way females shop in one day, there is always tomorrow though, then the next day.

Now at home I dropped my bag and was off to visit the neighbours who had been loyal blog followers. The picture I remember of the heffelfingers is of a family that was very sheltered and not very outgoing. Well those thoughts were completely wrong. This was really the first time I have spent time and talked with them in a long time. It was good to hear that Leslie hitchhiked New Zealand, that Anna is not the cleanest person in the world (slob was actually the word used but in a nice way), and that the boyfriend is an average guy that drives a car that seemingly brakes down all the time. Maybe it is the trip but I now realize that 99% of people are normal. What is normal? Normal is getting worried about someone leaving on a trip. Normal is enjoying spending time with people new or old, young or old. Normal is just… I want to finish this statement but I don’t have a third thing yet and don’t want to force it but it will come.

The came a quick grilled cheese and I was back on the road to Kristi Wilson’s to disrupt her while she tried to study for a midterm. Things were strangely normal. I don’t really have much more to say then that, it is looking like tomorrow is going to be equally crazy because I have said to 4 people that I can make time for them. So make time I must. Sorry to anymore if im not responding quickly because I have been all over the map.

Back To Semi-Normal Life Oct 17 2010

2010-10-18T01:54:00.001-07:00

It is strange for me to be reflecting back on when I got into YVR because it seems like so long ago. When really it was only 27 hours ago.

When my flight landed I had to wait to get my bags after literally walking through customs. It was a lot easier flying then it was shipping my stuff home from Austin, and about the same price as well. When I came around the corner to find my box wide open I had a mini panic attack but it looked as if everything was there so I loaded it on my cart and walked right out the Dorr. But only after taking about every single pole because my load was so wide.

Once out the doors I saw a large group of people and banners. It was an odd thing to see because I was anticipating simply saying hello and getting on the way. But this kicked way more butt. It was really nice seeing everyone for the first time. The only problem was I did not know how to react. Should I be yelling and cheering, crying, or play it cool. I decided that keeping calm would be my best bet. After exchanging a few hugs per person and telling a few stories people started to disperse which was my cue to get out of the terminal, which I might add is about 10000000% better then LAX. With what can only be described as an entourage behind me a man said, “He must be important”. I said in response “I am as important as I look”. A cocky statement but a well-deserved one I think.

Within an hour there I was laying in my own bed, which felt strangely foreign. I thought I had new sheets, but no. I thought my room had been painted, but no. It was all just new to me.

Without an alarm to wake me I got to arise to the smell of pancakes. When you don’t have an alarm trust you gut to wake you. Once I had some food in my stomach I was ready to tackle the easy task of unpacking. Unpacking of my single luggage bag then led to going through my closet and purging clothing for Big Brothers, which led to going through every drawer to reorganize, which led to fixing my desktop computer, which then led to recycling some old bicycle parts in the garage, and of course laundry. Needless to say I had a full plate of thing to do and it still isn’t completed.

My clean room now looked like a bomb went off and when mom came by she looked horrified. I said I kept getting side tracked and getting 50% of one job done then moving on. Eventually though I did mange to get everything cleaned and organized the way I like. No flowers or candles anywhere like there was when I showed up.

It was a success to because the only thing missing was my fairly empty wallet. So I asked if I could get a ride to the mall to find another one. Happily she obliged and we set off to the mall, but first a stop in at Westwood cycle to warranty my camelback that was leaking.

When we got back of course I continued to search through things, and of course I found my old wallet. So now tomorrows task is to return the new one because I am cheap… even though it was a gift.

Just like that the phone blew up. People wanted to see me and get ahold of me. So I had a choice of plans hang out with various groups of old friends or form a bond with new people. I decided on the ladder to expand my horizons. After chilling out for an evening I was on my way back home. I have been rushing for 4 months straight and tonight on my long board sesh home was the first time I had a genuine moment of peace where I thought about nothing. It was just about pushing, a dead road, and pumping back and forth at 1am. I could not think of a better welcome home then the combination that was but together today.

Yesterdays blog is on my laptop and will be uploaded tomorrow when it is unpacked and up and running.

Back Home REDONE Oct 16 2010

2010-10-17T00:20:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance todays blog is all over the map because I am worried about coming home. My mind is racing and does not know what to make of the whole situation. I have had over 110days to think of this moment and now it is here.

It was a stranger feeling this morning waking up and realizing that tonight I will be sleeping in my own bed. It was also a strange feeling knowing that I would be saying goodbye to the Holland family who have taken me in for the past week. Having the stability of a family unit was a big help in detoxing me from bike touring. That being said I think I have some attachment issues because I really was not looking forward to that goodbye.

I made the conscious choice to plant a butt firmly on the coach and spend some quality time thinking while watching a full day of college football. The sporting events were a great way to distract me from my own emotions because man they are going at 110%.

I would summarize the games that I watched but really it does not matter. At the end of the day it is simply guys smashing their bodies together in a coordinated fashion. Or in the case of the auburn game bodies running down the field for touchdowns.

Now I am going to cut to the meat of the day, which came when I entered the airport. Thankfully Babs and Rich walked me in and showed me where to go because I was a little nervous of the whole getting on a plane thing. After swiftly passing through security I was in a case of hurry up and wait. There I sat for two hours with nothing to ponder but my own insanity. That mixed with the awesomeness that is airport food.

Airport food. Let me rant on that for a second. I am hungry so thinking ahead that plane food is going to be a rip-off I decide I would be smart and buy a meal before I got on the plane. So I go to a reputable name like starbucks thinking that I could get a muffin or something of that nature. Well the muffin was half the size and double the price. It left me still hungry and my wallet a little lighter. Still its better then plane food.

So there I was sitting alone in an airport terminal. It was like a scene out of a movie. Slowly people started to trickle in with loved ones in tow. It was almost as if I had this weird funk around me because for 8 seats in either direction there was no one. It was a strange feeling of loneliness; I have traveled great distances of nothingness but here surrounded by people no one wanted to be around me. Then I thought about it from the opposite side of things. This world is as lonely as you want to make it. I was infact the problem here. If I wanted to be social it was up to me to take the reins and sit next to someone and start a conversation. That is the beauty of being human we get to decide the type of life we live.

Before I knew it I saw flight 1799 pulling into the gate. Shortly thereafter I was on the plan buckled in. Now I really rolled the dice because I could select a seat for 15 extra dollars or let them choose for free. When I was waiting to board I saw a large amount of children, which did not make my chances of sitting next to an adult good.

Before I knew it I was sitting on the plane ready to roll. All worked out for the best. I have an empty seat beside me, and a nice man going to visit family in Vancouver sitting by the window. This flight also came with a very pleasant surprise. I sat in my seat minding my own business thinking about home when the stewardess pats me on the shoulder and says “good job”. Odd. I then respond with a “how did you know”? She said kindly back “we have our ways”. So whoever got that organized thank you because as I type I have a few people asking about the trip after they made a lengthy announcement via the intercom. It helping to distract me from my own thoughts of life after riding. 110 Days wiser and still asking myself the same questions, perhaps it is something I will not find the answer to. Maybe I just have to throw myself at the wall and see if I stick to something (plus one cool point for using a poo reference again). I can see my friends and family reading this going “same old Evan”.

The landing and such will be uploaded tomorrow, as I will be getting in around 11pm and home by midnight. Needless to say I will be a little tired.

Remember if life is worth living its worth recording.

Surf and Soufflé Oct 15 2010

2010-10-15T23:02:00.001-07:00

Ok so lets start this over again. Yesterday was both relaxing and a little chaotic. I started off with my regular of fibre 1 and a bagel and was ready what I thought was ready for surfing. My mind had jumped the gun though because beforehand I had to go through all of my stuff and make sure I packed everything and check the weight of my bag to make sure that my weight shedding was enough. According to the scale I am going to be within a couple pounds of the limit so fingers crossed they don’t skin me for that because that would hyper blow.

Now maybe it was the fact I was in vacation mode or simply the fact I was moving slow but noon came up far to quickly. I hear rich yell from downstairs “you ready to go”. I there on my trunks and was ready to hit the road. I could tell rich had done this before simply by the little things he packed, like a jug of hot water to warm our heads up after being in the water.

By the time we got on the road my stomach was in my throat. I am not a great swimmer, the ocean is huge, and I am small a perfect combination for someone to go surfing. Rich took me to a few of the local spots to do an extended surf check. If I am honest I wanted that to go on all day because from the look of the waves it was going to be sketchy. I considered bailing and saying “so how about go karts”, but I knew this is something I had to at least try.

That brings us to the beach. It was now 2pm on a Friday and the water was littered with little black dots of people in wetsuits. I was the only one going into the water in just trunks. This fact made me a little nervous so my heart started racing more. Just the thing you want when someone is telling you “calm down and just pop up on the board”. With a chill running through my spine I said, “Lets get in the water”. Just like that I was stumbling my way over rocks with board in had. I would have felt pretty b.a. about the trunks thing but the farmers tan kinda gave away the fact that I was a complete newb.

With the first burst of whitewash in my face I was ready to go in. But for some reason I kept getting deeper and deeper, and with that the waves kept getting larger and larger. The second that I had to start diving under waves with the board it just felt strangely right. Then I turned around and realized I was only about 500 feet out to sea… ego deflated.

Now came the part where I actually had to get my butt or in this case feet on the board. Rich made it sound simple “just pop up”. And it was… on the beach. As soon as I got into the water I hit the brainfart button. From skateboarding I am used to the side to side movement but getting up and going you have the whole front and back action as well.

Needless to say getting me to surf was not an easy birthing. I never stood up for an extended period of time (more then 2 seconds, have to set the bar high you know), but I did manage to knee a few waves and only swallow roughly 15 gallons of ocean water.

When we headed in I looked down and it looked as if a shark had attacked my leg by the amount of blood gushing from me. I guess I had popped my knee scar open on a rock when I bailed. Once I was cleaned up rich headed out to get some legit surfing in. By this point I saw another bare back in the water so there was a whopping two of us. The water really was not that bad though, infact it was warmer then the air temp. At this point something weird happened. This mom and he kid pull up beside our truck and unload. In my head I was thinking awesome she is going to teach her little 2-3 year old son how to get his feet wet in surfing. When only one full sized board came out of the car I started to question my self. Then she pulled out a mat and some toys. Then came the speech “you stay right here. If someone talks to you don’t talk back”. After then talking to the people in the other car beside us she was in the water. Odd parenting but who am I to judge.

Pretty tired rich and I needed a pick me up so some delicious Mexican food from a little place called la siesta was in order. The plates were huge, and delicious. As I ate what seemed like a full plate of beans I was thinking this is going to suck later. Luckily by the time that kicked in I was taking a nap so it was only my subconscious that was getting ambushed with farts.

Before I knew it I was plunked down watching the rangers dominate the Yankees, and the canucks suck. At the intermission we set off to have a little goodbye dinner at a really cool place near south coast plaza. Before we left I decided to turn back to the Rangers game and saw the worst thing in baseball. A team blowing up. 6 unanswered runs, 3 pitchers, and 0 outs the 8th inning was looking really good for them. At that point I knew it was time to leave.

When all 4 of us pulled up to this place I felt a little out of place in shorts and sandals because it was nice. When I look at the menu I do not know what half the stuff is so I just looked over to rich and said im trusting you. My trust was well rewarded because the Mahi Mahi was amazing. Then to top it all off he ordered from what I hear is this places piece de resistance, the molten lava soufflé. Now rich is a man who loves his food so when he said, “I only want one bite” I knew I was in for a mouthgasm. Now you may ask, “is this similar to a bikegasm”. The answer is no. It is much more enjoyable. I took one bike and it was like a unicorn started dancing in my mouth with fireworks exploding chocolate in the background. With descriptions like that I should become a food critic. All I no is that it was awesome, and a prefect way to wrap up my last full day in California for now.

Surfing. No I Will Take Target Oct 14 2010

2010-10-14T23:14:00.001-07:00

Im so used to crazy days that when I went to sleep at midnight I felt obligated to wake up at 7-8 am just to make the most out of the day. So instinct told me to set my alarm and brace myself for the rude awakening that laid ahead.

When I arose eyes weeping from the harsh awakening but in a way I was glad because now I had all day to do… well nothing. And nothing I did. I spent the first 2 hours flipping through the L.A. times and various other papers that rich gets delivered. As a journalist he loves to read rather then watch the news, which I can appreciate.

After getting myself familiar with the world around me and getting some cheerio’s in my stomach I was set for the day. What was on the docket for the day you ask? Surfing. I figure no California trip would be complete without carving a few waves and showing off my wicked farmers tan. This was just a plan though and we all know how plans in my world go. It fell through. Even though the surf was good the overall weather was just not very friendly for catching as rich says “flows”. What are “flows” I can not tell you, all I know is that you want them and when you don’t have them its not a good time.

Instead after getting a quick nap in I went to go have my first target experience pronounced tar-get all French and stuff. Remember we are in Orange County here its high class. I do not know how I would give staters (the local supermarket) that same treatment.

On the way to target we listened to the grateful dead station. Which prompted a series of questions because I knew Rich was a dead head. Did they really make that many albums that they deserve a station? What was a concert like? How did one become a dead head? And so on and so forth. The music itself is not anything special in my opinion but I like it more now knowing a bit of the background behind the band. The fact that they were the number one grossing band as said by rolling stone 14 years running really tells you that it was a culture. Once at target I had to find myself a piece of luggage because there is no way that airline is going to rip me for having more baggage. I found this expandable item and made an impulse buy thinking everything would fit. Well when I stuffed everything back in wouldn’t you know it. I was right. Its tighter then a (if you know me you now then end to this statement) but it works. I did have to trim some things out so unfortunate I can not bring my old ball cream home, or my bungee cords. I can just imagine Anastasia walking into the bathroom and looking in the garbage and seeing this strange assortment of things and wonder “what happened while I was gone”?

That whole packing thing really took it out of me so I took another nap. This time I arouse and decided to go for a walk. Walking is actually an enjoyable thing when you can bend at the knees and are not barefoot on a sidewalk.

Walking aside it was time for dinner and I have to say Rich amazes me. Not only did he cook the best meal I have tasted in a long time he is a wealth of knowledge. Now I wont say this is just rich because it is a statement for people in general they amaze me. For example Babs and I were talking about some old fortune magazines from the 30’s that she was bringing over and talked of bullfighting. Without hesitation rich says that was written by earnest Hemmingway. Low and behold with that magazine in front of me it tells me it was infact written by Hemmingway. These sorts of facts just kept flowing out like a waterfall. The person who is educating me about “flows” is also giving me a history lesson. This is a crazy world.

Now while writing this blog I was chatting with an old friend lilian and she said we would have to meet and talk about the trip when I got back. I said sure whenever you can fit me in. To which she responded “well I assume you are very busy as well”. It was at that point that a switched clicked and I wrote something that just flowed.

I have learned that you can always find time for the people you care about. Things. Meetings. All that just stuff can be redone or changed, but when I was having my worst days on the road in a tent crying on an inflatable matt my friends were there for me. Whether it was a message, a voice, or just something that reminded me of that person I had those memories and people to fall back on. It was at those moments i thanked heaven i spent every second i could with them even if it ment changing some plans.

Its Just A G Thing Oct 13 2010

2010-10-13T22:53:00.001-07:00

So today I attempted to get up and walk to the shower. That was not happening. I have pushed it way to hard in sports that I frankly suck at. Babs comes and asks me if I wanted to come downtown today. I said “Ima be honest. I am not going to come.” I gained 20 gangster points for using the term “Ima” in a sentence. Next step is to wear a do-rag. Wait I already have that down. I cant think of anything more I need to do to become official. Maybe a backwards baseball cap is in my near future.

After hobbling up and down the stairs with laundry I was working up a good sweat. Apparently good cardio means nothing when you hurt. Thinking it would help I put on my skins but the damage had already been done so all the muscle wrapping in the would was not going to help. About the only thing that would, would be a massage from a woman with small hands. I can just picture my dad lining up the small hand jokes as he reads this.

After getting a good dose of CSI Miami I decided the Jacuzzi would be a good place for me to go. That would be a really awesome place to go if I made it there. I was on the couch about to roll off when I found a really comfortable pillow, and it fell in just that right spot that made you instantly fall asleep. Well it was amazing and when I woke up with a cat pawing at my face it reminded me of home. Little did I know twinkle was pawing at me because she needed her bowel medicine? Thank god I woke up is all I can say.

When I woke up I was ready to eat and a 2 sandwiches just were not cutting it and I needed to stretch my legs anyways so the next stop was Carl’s junior. Which if you do not know is the best fast food chain ever. I could get fat just by sitting and sniffing the air in that place. I did not tell babs about my little trip because they always eat healthy and that would not have flown well I think.

With a full stomach of bacon, burger, and a little bit more burger we set off to go pick up rich (babs’s husband). Now I don’t remember much of rich but my memories were quickly gossled free by the hello of “hey broski how are you”. I re fell in love with rich all over again. He is everything that a surfer meets fisherman meets middleaged man should be.

Right away we started catching up and it seemed as if after every one of my stories or a good play in the hockey game there would be a collection of curse words usually centring on a large f bomb. It was really a good time getting some testosterone in the house. I swear I was about to loose it (my penis) when teen mom came on and I had to be walked threw it the night before.

With that I am off to bed. This blog was pretty painful to write because I keep getting detracted by these delicious tacos rich made. I know the process to make them but it is a family secret… sorry food network.

Kickboxing Kicked My Butt Oct 12 2010

2010-10-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

When I got up this morning I was sore. My calves feel like someone stomped on them then lit them on fire. The first steps today looked as if I was an old man with sore balls. It really was not a pleasant sight. Adding to that I had the three mondo blisters on each foot from my sandals.

Before I knew it all three of us were up and moving around the house getting ready. I forgot the chaos that was involved in a woman getting ready for the day. When I take 2 trips up the stairs it seems like Anastasia was up and down at least 5-10 times.

When we set out I got a ride with Anna to babs’s workplace just across the street from the community college. It was really the first talk I have had with her in… ever. Because when I was younger I was really shy and did not say much, where as now I have busted out of my shell and am not afraid to be my weird geeky self. Even if that means coming downstairs in my bib shorts because all my other stuff was in the wash tonight. 5 minutes later Babs says to me “I laid out some shorts and a tee-shirt on your bed”. To which I said, “are you saying you don’t like the spandex”. I know this is going to sound weird but even just two days without spandex felt weird. Maybe I will become like the naked cowboy in New York, but the Vancouver naked cyclist. I think I will think on that one for… ever.

When I got dropped off I decided to go for a walk (just the thing to do with blisters). Now I was aiming for south coast plaza, which is a huge mall here in Orange County. The way I navigate is I pick a route I think is right and fallow it. Well in today’s case I was wrong. I went the complete opposite way and ended up at the beach some 6 miles away. Once I hit the beach I thought to myself “damn now I have to walk back”.

Needless to say it was a much slower walk back because the blisters were getting worse. I walked down there though so I had to climb my way out with sandals on this time. I got back and Babs went “aww ev”. Which means you’re dumb. What was not dumb was the choice I made on my walk back. I say shiny colours in a store window so I went in. There laid in front of me were a plethora of g-shock watches. I have always wanted a nice day-to-day watch so this was a perfect chance. So I say to the sales lady/ man could not tell “I have small wrists and hate the overlap of extra strap, and I want a black analog watch”. She pulls out exactly what I wanted which was a matt black, metal clasp, analog g-chock that fit amazing. I said, “Ill take it”. Then she said it was a little over $300 to which I said, “I have deep pockets but short hands. I will have to think about it”. I thought about it all the way out the door. Instead I bought deodorant.

It was time to relax though so having a nice 56 inch TV and college football in h.d. was much needed. So much so within 5 minutes I fell asleep. When I woke up I was told that I had another boxing class to go to. O great I can’t walk and now im gunna have be light as a feather on my feet.

When we got to la boxing I was not super pumped but surprisingly once I got warm it was not all that bad. It got to that point though that you could feel every muscle in your legs movement to the point that you knew it was going to hurt when you cooled down. It was fun though. So much so that I am seriously considering joining a club when I get back.

The night got even better because when I got back I saw that I had an email. It was the one I wanted to get from this gentleman selling my dream starter motorcycle, a 91 Yamaha SRX 400. It’s a beauty of a little café racer. Cheap insurance because it is in the low tax bracket, good as a commuter, and no ferrings (because the most expensive thing on the planet is Japanese plastic. Maybe I am just going crazy but I am going to get something new to me on two wheels bike or motorcycle.

Is That Yours? Oct 11 2010

2010-10-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and my butt was sore. I don’t know how a padded seat on a jet ski hurt my butt more then a leather saddle but it sure did. If I were to make a bet it would be from hitting the wakes at 40mph.

The simple things that change are sometimes the most refreshing. Today for example I got the chance to take a shower in the morning instead of having to take one after the ride and before I go to sleep. It really sets you up right for the day.

Today I got my chore out the way early. Today I had to get my bike boxed up so the first task was to find a shop. Next was to see how far away it was because once I got rid of my bike I had to walk back. Well turns out the closest shop was 3.5 miles away so that meant a 3.5 mile walk back in sandals.

When I arrived I was surprised because the shop actually looked very nice, but the brands they carried were extremely odd. Half the floor was dedicated to 24 inch bmx bikes then the other half was dominated by b rated carbon road bikes. This was no problem though because I got the chance to try out many brands of helmets to see which I want to invest in when I get back because my atmos is falling apart. Turns out the Giro is the most comfortable with the Lazer helmet coming a close second.

After leaving almost immediately I felt blisters starting to form on my feet so I stripped my sandals off and continued on bare foot. A 3-mile walk barefoot on the warm pavement of California turned out to be a very… freeing experience. For .000001 second I contemplated walking across Canada barefoot as the next big task. Then I thought if I were to do that how mangled my feet would be for life.

When I got back I immediately soaked my feet because they were mangled. I have to say any time that I am extremely dirty it is so rewarding to watch that sick mess wash down the drain. But I was not still for long because Babs stormed in and said we were going to lunch on the beach.

After a short ride there we were in a state park along the old bungalows of the beach. Snuggled in these bungalows is a little place called the beachcomber? It had a beautiful view of the ocean that was unbeatable so I thought it fitting to order the fish and chips. While we were waiting we wanted to open up the glass slat board window. I tried and promptly gave up because it was not working. Babs then tries to jimmy it and one of the 2 foot glass panels falls on the table and makes a huge sound. Everyone looks at us with this strange look on their faces and we have nothing to say. Instead of speaking we both just burst out laughing, to the point that babs was actually crying. Then to top it all off out server (who was extremely weird) comes over and asks, “Is that yours” as she pointed to the glass plate on the table. That was easily the highlight of the lunch.

Again once we got back we were not still for long as babs had planned for me to go to a kickboxing class with her. I was a little hesitant at first thinking it was going to be all middle-aged women and I would be the only young guy there. But when we came up on LA Boxing I was surprised when I saw everything from professional fighters, to elderly people, to young girls. It was a killer workout. Almost latterly because I opened up the scar tissue on my knee so I was bleeding all over the place, and my feet blisters I could feel getting worse. It was so much fun though throwing punches, knees, and getting a good amount of leg kicks in. Once I finished the workout I was a sweaty mess that was sore as heck. I am so used to riding that incorporating core, and upper body into a workout really shows my weaknesses. Only once I was back home did I realize that I bruised both of my shins. I guess my legs kick hard but my shins are not used to the abuse. Still I would say it was worth it and I would defiantly go back.

I could think of no better way to end a solid day then watching some dancing with the d list and eating some tacos.

The Best Way To Die Is On A Jetski

2010-10-10T21:46:00.001-07:00

Waking up to the smell of something other then your own farts is sure something different. Eating something other then oatmeal in the morning is sure something different. Living a semi normal life is sure something different.

I have to say though I am a little bit in culture shock. I am so used to being by myself and on my own schedule that making plans with other people is for lack of a better term weird. Trying to make 6 peoples schedules work to go jet skiing was a task as large as riding a bike 100 miles, possibly 150 when 4 of the 6 people were women.

Anastasia (babs and Richs daughter who I am stay with) brought over 3 of her friends. This is the first time I have been around people my age in 4 months. Now in general I have always felt like an outsider just because I look at things a little bit differently, but today that was made even more apparent to me. I mean I was still having conversations with them and trying to be social but I am as it stands right now socially retarded. All I can talk about is the ride, and all I think about is the ride. I can still come up with the odd saucy comment but it just is not as easy as it once was.

When we all made our way down to the beach I asked if we should have brought wetsuits to which drew (one of the friends) said, “wetsuits are for Canadian waters”. Drew was quite a character. He is the type of person that you would use his name as an adjective. At one point of the ride home he says to babs “pull over I think I am going to throw up”. Which he did, but no one seemed surprised so I think you could call that situation a drew.

Once in the water on the Jet Ski m nerves were going because I did not know what to expect. When I first grabbed the throttle it almost threw abs and me off the ski because it was so responsive. Now I am a guy and you give me the sea equivalent of a sports car im going to go all out. After hitting 54mph on the water, and doing some wicked awesome turns I was feeling confident so I handed over the controls to babs who took it a little easier then me. When we switched back I hit the gas made a sharp turn right into a wake doing about 34mph, which then flung both of us into the air doing 360’s in the air. I hit the water headfirst and babs hit her head on something because her head was swollen immediately. We were only 20 mins in and already had a near death experience, that’s how you can tell it is going to be a good day.

Now we all live busy lives so I really appreciate these people taking some time out of there’s to make one of mine come true. That being said everyone split off pretty quick so that left babs and I to have a quick nap and go out for a drive around. She showed me all the beaches and even took me for a stroll along the Huntington Beach pier, as the sun set it was really awesome. It was nice to see happy people everyone holding hands and hugging as the sun set all while a homeless man played bad renditions of bob Dillon songs.

By this time I was getting tired because it was past my 7pm bedtime so we ended up going out to dinner. Even better one of the friends from earlier in the day decided to come. I cant even remember what the conversations were about but that is half the fun in getting to know new people… even though I think they think I am extremely weird. Even I think I am a little weird, I mean once I got rid of my food today all of my stuff fit into 3 bags comfortably. It is strange to think I lived off that for so long.

Tour Day 106 The End Oct 10 2010

2010-10-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Last night I was down in the dumps because in all honesty I did not feel like I had accomplished all that much. Now I usually pack my life up at night and get on the road early in the morning but for some reason I decided to sleep in this morning and unpack a few of my things and check my emails. When I checked my blog I was quickly brought down to earth by the amazing people who are in my life. It really meant a lot to wake up t have people assuring me that I was doing the right thing.

Now as much as having other people say it was the right thing I still was not convinced myself. So I left with thoughts of the future in my head. Right after passing angles stadium I got onto the Santa Anna bike path. This bike path was crazy full with cyclists. Now me being hyper competitive I would not let people pass me without a fight. This would be all fine and dandy if I did not get into a pissing match with a hyper distance racer. George of georgesepicadventures.com is a pretty amazing guy. He has completed the R.A.A.M. and multiple 500-mile races. When I asked jokingly if he wanted to trade bike he confronted me with a very serious “yes”. We were at two different stages of our cycling careers. He wants to tour long and slow. I want to race long and fast. I do not think it is a coincidence that I met this man on the last day of my ride.

It is also is not a coincidence that 5 kilometres down the road I ran into a man with bags strapped to his bike. After catching up to this guy I asked him where we has going, and he said just around the block for a day to shake out his gear. This man is thinking of doing a long distance tour of America so I offered him what little advice I had. I almost felt as if this was a symbolic passing of the torch.

After talking for a while I promptly missed all of my turns that I had planned out, but fortunately my new route took me right along the water for my symbolic wheel dunking. When I got to Laguna Beach I decided that this was going to be the finishing point. So after struggling to get my bike down the white sandy beach and answering multiple questions I found the most beautiful woman on the beach and approached he asking if I could get my picture taken of the wheel dipping. Even better Stephanie just so happened to be a very good photographer and managed to take a few very good photos that made me look like the stud that I am.

After that I was back on the road and I had the task of trying to find a house that I had not been to since I was 9 years old. I had directions but me being stubborn I was dead set on finding it by gut. This actually got me pretty close but I did need the directions for the last stretch.

Well 66km later I am here. With family enjoying having company for a change. It is nice having someone around for more then a couple hours. After getting a good nap in today I am ready to go jet skiing tomorrow.

Well thanks to everyone for reading I will still be posting my daily journal but I will no longer have stories of running into strangers in the desert, or endless flats. The blog will be more about the day-to-day life of a normal 18-year-old boy.
Trip Distance: 66km
Ride Time: 2:53hr
Avg. Speed: 22.76km/h
Total Distance: 15777km
Total Ride Time: 731hr
Destination: Laguna Hills, California

Tour Day 105 Save the Worst For Last Oct 8 2010

2010-10-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

Last night was amazing. After I finished my blog I went outside to meet the other bike tourists. When I came out I saw a recumbent, and a couple guys sitting in lawn chairs one of which was holding a beer. Right away I knew these people were going to be my type.

Before I am going to go any further I am going to get upset. I wrote down there names on a piece of paper because I knew I was going to forget. Also on this piece of paper was a poem I wrote in a semi daze after waking up in the middle of the night. But the way my day is going of course it is missing. If you want to check them out go to transam2010.blogspot.com

We talked and talked; it was mainly me doing the talking because I have had so much time to myself. I was just happy to have someone around with open ears. It also helped that we were in the bar for most of the time and they had a few margaritas.

I went to sleep happier then I had been in a long time. These guys were super nice, and took care of me for my final push by giving me a pair of gloves and a do rag (because they were concerned with the sun burn on my head and the huge calluses on my palms). In the back of my mind I was thinking of a better way I could say goodbye because just saying, “see yea” has been bugging me. This time I wrote a nice note that I posted on the window of their support van with a toonie. This toonie had been with me since day one and has seen a lot road. It meant a lot to me so I hope that meaning was transferred properly in a note.

As for today it was easily the worst day of the tour. It all started nice with a steady downhill passing through a few small towns. Then I had a nice easy ride into a town called Parker. Things were going smooth so I decided to stop for a snack. During my snack break I purchased a map. This map was the biggest hunk of garbage ever. I opened it and all it showed me were the interstates and had no markers of county line, side roads, or homestead watering holes. I went to return it and explained that it was a hunk of junk but they would not return it.

Because this upset me I threw it out in the garbage right in front of them and I was back off on the road. This is when I hit the real desert. Hot, dry, dusty, and rough roads. I am not sure if it was something I ate or if it was the heat but I started to throw up. I could not keep anything down. Because I knew I was loosing a lot of water in my system I stopped at this one gas station 10 miles before my lunch stop in Rice. Here I met a group of very nice women that were curious about the trip. I did not have many answers for them though because I was toasted.

After getting some water, Gatorade, and some food in my body I thought I could get riding again. Nope here comes the diarrhoea. This gas station was strange because they charged you to use the washroom but I was in no mood to poo my chamois so I forked over the whopping $1.

I was back on the road and my mind started to wonder. I could not focus on anything because it just made me angry. I thought about wind only to have it come in my face. I thought about speed only to encounter a false flat. I thought about lunch in Rice and found an abandoned town that had a demolished gas station, and a 150metre fence lined with old shoes.

Now 1/3rd into this 109-mile gap (after riding 70km to get into the gap) I am on the verge of screaming. The only thing holding me back was the fact that no one would hear me. The only option was to keep riding. It was slow going so I went to put my bike in the middle chain ring to grind out some kilometres when my front derailleur cable snapped off inside the shifter. I rode a little while thinking I could finish the 60miles in my small chain ring but I quickly realized I was done for the day.

Stranded in the desert on a side road perfect. After trying to get help for 15 minutes I was ready to give up. Luckily Garry Wilson pulled up and said that he would help me out. Everything seemed normal because Garry drove a beat up pickup truck, with a woman in the passenger seat, and the traditional 60-year-old man gut. Even better no guns to move. What was not normal was Garry himself. This quiet 60-year-old man played major league baseball for the whitesox and bluejays, and owns a top fuel drag racing team. My mind was racing because I did not know which one I had more questions about.

The miles ticked by and Garry says to me “29 palms to L.A. is going to be a crappy ride because the only decent way is by interstate.” I say to him “I am going to Orange County eventually so what would be the best way”. Garry says, “I am going to Orange County what a ride”.

At this point I am cooked so I agreed. I really was not taking in much of the scenery because I had a pounding headache and was trying not to crap my pants. So when the motel came I was excited.

Now in L.A. I was hoping for a storybook ending that never happened. Did I meet 16000km. Nope. Did I meet my 150km per day goal. Nope. Am I upset and letting it show in my blog. Yeap.

One of my friends Corey asked me why I was not going up the west coast back to Vancouver and I gave him a long cliché answer. The truth is the reason I am ending the trip here is because when I dreamed up this trip in grade 10 I originally only wanted to hit st.johns and New Orleans. The rest was simply filler. When I stopped in with Tami in Connecticut I told one of here family members I was thinking of ending in New Orleans or Austin and he said, “sometimes the filler is the most fun”. Well the filler is not fun anymore and I think that hitting rain, super short days, and possible ice may just push me over the edge and create one murdered bike. The real question I have to answer is will I be disappointed in coming home? I do not have the answer to that one yet but I think after spending some time with family for the next few days I will have an answer.

Anyways I am off to go sit on the porcelain goddess for the rest of my night. Remember if life is worth living its worth recording.
Trip Distance: 144km
Ride Time: 6:14hr
Avg. Speed: 23.07km/h
Total Distance: 15711km
Total Ride Time: 728hr
Destination: Anaheim, California

Tour Day 104 Last State In Sight Oct 7 2010

2010-10-08T17:48:00.001-07:00

I could not sleep last night. I just laid there thinking. Im not even sure what was racing through my mind because it was all over the map. One minute I was attempting to write poetry the next I was thinking about my cat.

Because I did not get much sleep when my alarm sounded today I did not want to get up. I turned the alarm off and shut my eyes. Today was going to be a rest day. 5 minutes later I was up and making breakfast. I figured I was up so why not get out riding. Surprisingly even with my morning hiccup I was still out the door ahead of schedule.

My expectations were low for the first 38 miles because I was informed that the construction lasted that length. Fortunately I was miss informed and the construction only lasted 5 miles. After that I had a brand new wide shoulder that saved my butt and my legs for a little while. This was important because my legs were cooked and just were not getting warmed up. Adding to this I knew that I had a small 1200foot climb ahead of me.

When I started to climb my legs came into there own. After passing a group of roadies who were not very friendly I was in Wickenburg. Wickenburg is a funny city because there is not one young person in it. When I went to get some groceries I was getting looked at as if I had boils growing from my face. Speaking of which from wearing my helmet so long I have indentations on my head. Now I did not need groceries but I have learned from traveling west that you never roll this dice and hope for things, you go wit what you have.

Getting back on the road I thought I was going to have a decent. Instead I had a little bit more climbing that lead me to this wide-open valley. You could see down the road for miles, which is awesome, if you have a tailwind, but as with most days I had a slight headwind so I just had to keep hammering. I was thinking about the terrain and was confused. Whenever I think of flats I think of sea level. Where as here I am on a flat that is raised at 2000 feet. It is just a strange thing to think about.

As with any day that’s fairly flat you have way too much time to think about everything that surrounds you. Today was no exception. I was looking at the sand shoulder and was left amazed by the amount of bottles that laid in them. It was so shocking that I stopped to take a picture. At one point in a about a 2 metre square area I counter over 12 bottles. If we were in a city that would not be so shocking but the fact is I was in the middle of nowhere. Does this mean I should be concerted with every car coming up from behind me for fear that they are drunk?

With hydration in mind I stopped in at a strange little town. It had three buildings and two of them had groups of people just loitering in front of them. The only one that did not had a woman sweeping the sand swept porch. I pulled in and asked to use the washroom and was met by another woman who did not speak any English so in order to find the unmarked bathroom I had to make a poo’ing and pee’ing gesture, which is as unpleasant as it sounds. When I found the bathroom I had to laugh at the layout. Right in the middle of this bathroom was the toilet (I guess if you wanted a 360 degree view of nothing) then mounted high one the wall was the sink. If you wanted paper towel that was on the opposite side of the door.

By this point it was starting to get warm so I was glad I had water in the tank. With my music blasting I saw this semi on the horizon. As it got closer I saw it pull into my lane. Now im thinking “great another a hole like in Manitoba”. So I was pleasantly surprised when he pulled back into his own lane. Once back in his lane it revealed something strange.. a bike tourist. On this side road in Arizona where cars are sparse two tourists meet up. After getting a nice conversation in and talking about routes, warning each other of dried up homesteads and big hills we parted ways. I had only 15 miles left at 12:30 because I did not stop for lunch.

When I got into the town I stopped. When I stopped in at the less sketchy of the two motels I was again surprised when I saw a motor home with a trailer, and an empty 5-bike rack. More tourists. As I type this I haven’t met this fresh batch of tourists yet because they are still out riding while I relax here with ice cream in hand. That is the beauty of starting my ride before the sun gets up.

Now I am a firm believer in fate because after talking to these two groups I have learned that I am allowed on the interstate at certain points, which means I may change my route to eliminate my 80-mile detour.
Trip Distance: 149km
Ride Time: 6:43hr
Avg. Speed: 22.21km/h
Total Distance: 15567km
Total Ride Time: 721hr
Destination: Salome, Arizona

Tour Day 103 Starting To Close A Book Oct 6 2010

2010-10-06T18:25:00.001-07:00

Trying to sleep last night was a tough thing to do. My mind has been racing and eating me alive. With less than 500 miles to go till I hit the water I am having a tough time thinking about the end. I was thinking what to do after the trip, but then I got to thinking why I did this in the first place. For 102 days I have been trying to convince myself that it is for personal growth, but the fact of the matter is this trip was an escape. A chance to run away. It is hard for me to come to terms with but this is the end of a not only a chapter but an entire book in my life.

What am I running away from? I am running away from the future because I do not know what it holds for me. I have only thought about life up till this point and no further. The truth is the reason I decided to continue from st. Johns, Miami, and Austin is because im scared.

That brings me to another point that has really been eating at me. When I tell people about the trip 9 people have given me a response that has left me… dumbfounded. When I say I am riding for a hospital they have said “what did you have cancer or something”? Why is it to do something amazing I have to be affected by something? Why can’t someone normal undertake a huge task? Then why is it at this age we are so scared to be normal? Is normal going to university? If so am I not normal? I have so many questions that I cannot answer. It helps to write this all down even if it does not make any sense because it is just what my mind is thinking.

Thinking about the past I got to thinking about my childhood and what memories have stuck with me. When I think back 4 events stick out. The first was riding with my dad down to the duck pond with a bag of bread and feeding the ducks. That pond seemed so far away on my little bike but when I ride it now it is only 3km away.

The next was getting my 24inch wheel bike. I remember that we went into this little shop in the middle of nowhere and there right in front of us was a black with that 90’s splatter paint pink paint job. I remember my dad asking “do you like it”? Even at that young age I remember thinking “damn its pink”. But to appease everyone I blindly agreed. No matter the colour I rode this pee out of that bike.

After that came my first attempt at mountain biking. We were up riding burke mountain on my trek 4300. My first adult bike that we got from my Keith (a family friends) basement. I fell multiple times and I kept hearing “get you butt back”. I heard those words but never really put it into practice. I kept falling and kept getting more and more frustrated. Mid way through the trail dripping in blood from numerous flesh wounds I started to cry. This was the point I hung up my bike for and extended period of time. Until I started to work at Westwood cycle. I have never thanked Glen and Kelly but after looking back cycling has been a huge part in the process of me growing up and maturing. And I almost lost that until they stepped in that night and called me asking if I wanted a job.

The last memory is one that does not involve a bike. I was sitting in the basement with my sister. I think I was 8 or 9 at the time. At this point in time the Rosie O’Donnell show was huge. What was even bigger was the coosh balls she launched into the audience. Everyone wanted one. Even if you don’t think you wanted one when you had it in your hand you could not stop playing with it. I was no exception. I played with that ball right until the point I threw it into the open upward facing lamp. When that lamp was turned on it got very hot. Hot enough infact to light it on fire. My sister and I scream “Fire” and my mom runs downstairs. Without missing a beat she unplugs the flaming lamp and runs up the stairs with it still in flames and throws it on the porch. Out rolled that coosh ball in a black mess. There was not any anger about the situation; probably because the house did not burn down, but that was my favourite memory of that old house on Chestnut Street. Fallowed closely by family viewings of married with children.

I don’t know why im writing about all of this but it is soothing. I think it is giving me some form of closure to this book.

As for today it started with hail still resting on the ground and a tornado warning for the surrounding area. This came after 3 smaller tornados hit the valley. When I left to start riding right away I had a 1600foot climb on legs that did not want to move 1km. After a short descent I then had another 1200 foot climb. It was at that point I was thinking, “I thought the run into phoenix was downhill”.

At that point I saw the magical sign. It read 7% downhill grade next 5 miles. This sign was fallowed by one that said turn your lights on. Around the next corner was a tunnel with no internal lighting. Now my headlamp was useless because I was doing 60km/h and this road had no shoulder so my only option was to ride right down the centre. After shooting out of the tunnel I hit a series of switchbacks that were even tighter then in the canyon yesterday. It was the first time I have used my brakes on a descent to date. The shoulder then opened up and a flood of cars passed me. I was so focused on not dieing that I ignored the car piling up behind me. When I got to the bottom I let out a huge yell. The people walking along the sidewalk looked at me as if I was drunk, a common thing in Arizona im sure.

Then it levelled out and I was on the run into phoenix. Mile after mile was ticking by. My legs were starting to stretch out. As much as I love the hills I love the challenge of the flats. I know that sounds backwards but when you have a wind in you face and you have to keep hammering with really goal to achieve it is something else. Today was no exception only for 15km I had a tailwind the rest of the time it was pretty neutral with the odd bust into my face. I just kept hammering and hammering. Ignoring my body and focused on my goal of reaching phoenix.

Before I knew it I was there and even with the mountains I managed an inhuman 25km/h average. I was happy with what I had achieved but was not content with stopping so I pushed on.

This is when I hit construction along route 60. This road is 6 lanes wide with a sidewalk on one side. The construction closed 4 of the lanes and the sidewalk. So I had a choice. Ride on the road and get hit by a car, or beat my way through a closed sidewalk that was more side and less walk. The closed sidewalk was the choice and boy was it an adventure. It had sections pointing up at a 45-degree angle that gave me airtime and promptly shattered both bolts holding on my front rack. It was worth it though. Unfortunately it meant I had to bring a stop to the day. It turned out to be a good thing though because my scheduled stop in Wittham is was apparently the roughest part northern Arizona.

Thank you for listening to my rambling for the day. I realize now that I have to close one thing before I open another.
Trip Distance: 169km
Ride Time: 7:08hr
Avg. Speed: 23.73km/h
Total Distance: 15418km
Total Ride Time: 715hr
Destination: Sun City, Arizona

Tour Day 102 Isn't The Wizard Of Oz In Kansas Oct 5 2010

2010-10-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

When you wake up knowing you have an impossible task ahead of you it is a strange feeling. I would reference it to 1/10000000 of that of the Jews walking into the death showers. Great start Evan you have started your blog with a Nazi WWII reference.

Ok let’s start over. When I woke up today I got the treat of a continental breakfast, which is rare because I am up at 5am and usually leave at 5:45 – 6am. I thought it would be uneventful but I was wrong. I was just sitting down to eat my waffles when the lady from the front desk sits down right beside me. Odd I know but it get better. She asks me how old I am. I respond. She then says I have a 10-year-old son who just refuses to apply himself to math how can I get through to him? Hmm I don’t know I am only a kid. She then keeps going on and on about her family issues. It really made me feel both uncomfortable and sad because this woman had no one to present these issues to except an 18-year-old Canadian cyclist. This rambling went on for roughly 15 minutes and progressed from her genuine concern for her child to anger about the issues she could not solve. I tried my best to offer some advice but I honestly did not know what to say.

When I left I was flying down the road. Climbing at my average speed and tarring up the first 50-mile gap. About halfway through this ride I got to thinking “o crap if I have a tailwind now then for the big gap im going to have a brutal headwind”. Well I was right. As soon as I got into show low I hit the first of the wind. Seeking shelter I hoped into a gas station. At this gas station I asked about what lay ahead for me in this gap. What the lady said just crushed my moral. You are going to have a headwind, you and going o have the biggest hills in Arizona, and there is nothing between here and there.

Because I had already been dealing with the crosswind getting into Show Low I wanted to stop. I had a sure thing in show low, but I pushed on. My expectations were at 0 and were quickly raised. When I entered the forest the wind died down and I was able to have a normal ride for a while. I was on a steady descent for about an hour, which as awesome as it sounds is a really bad thing. The reason is I knew I had to climb to the highest peak in Arizona so every foot I went down I knew I had to climb back up.

Well I was right, but not before going up and down a few big climbs. My legs were completely toasted then I saw it. The mountains opened up to this huge empty space. Across this gap I saw a road zig zaging up the face of this rock. “O crap”. I have never been so intimidated by a climb before in my life.

As I started going down the canyon I gained more and more speed. I was nearing 70km/h on this awesome road. Every few hundred metres would be a tight curve that I would shoulder check then take up the whole road to road the corner. It was simply awesome.

After going down I hit the bridge that crosses the river of the Salt River canyon and very quickly my momentum was robbed. I was brought back down to earth within 15 metres of finishing the decent. Ahead of me was a 1.5-hour climb where I was pushing to do 10km/h the entire time. Hitting the peak was a like nothing else. I mean I had climbed to the highest peak in Arizona after battling a headwind, and rain the entire day.

On the horizon I saw it. Pitch black clouds and a sheet of rain that brought visibility down to nothing. I live in b.c. rain is ok im used to it so lets ride through it. Then a guy in a blue truck pulls up beside me. “The state has issued a severe weather warning for the area. 60mph winds, and serve hail. Don’t be stupid let me give you a lift to Globe”. After riding beside him and talking for a while I caved. Within 7 minutes the hail started. I have never experienced weather like this. It had everything from hail, to monsoon style rain, and a wind that caused some semi trucks to pull over. It was ugly.

I forgot to talk about someone I met who was crazier then the lady at breakfast. I met a guy by the name of Michael Blogg. We was walking along the highway so I stopped to ask what was up. This man has spent the last 21 years walking around America. He may only do 10 miles a day but the fact is he has been walking for 21 years, and even has a wife (who does not travel with him). I had so many questions that I forgot to ask because I was just in aww of what this man was doing. I thought I was crazy for leaving for 100 or so days. This man has left his life for almost a quarter century.
Trip Distance: 150km
Ride Time: 7:55hr
Avg. Speed: 19.01km/h
Total Distance: 15248km
Total Ride Time: 707hr
Destination: Globe, Arizona

Tour Day 101 Expect The Unexcpected Oct 4 2010

2010-10-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

After an extremely hard end to the day yesterday I was ready to have a nice long sleep. 10 hours later I woke up and was ready to make the 140-mile gap to Springer Ville Arizona. I loaded down with 9 litres of water, a full load of food, and a full tank of gas.

Within the first 20 feet I knew exactly how the day was going to go. Right off the bat I had a stronger wind then I finished off the day yesterday with (roughly 12 – 15mph) and I had an extended climb out of town that lasted an hour. In that hour I only covered 6 miles. It was the slowest and hardest riding I have encountered yet.

When I summated the hill I saw the plains of San Agustin ahead of me. This was a dead flat space that extended 20 miles. I was extremely nervous about this because I thought that if the wind was bad in the hills then it would be 10 times worse in the open area. Fortunately I was mistaken and I got up to the whopping speed of 20km/h. By this time the sun was coming up but because of the elevation it was still cold as heck. Cold enough for me to dig out my winter gloves. Once I got heat back in my hands I could focus on the horizon. This is where I saw something unique, a radio observatory. I stopped to take a closer look for a few minutes. While I was stopped I heard a loud alarm then 10 seconds later they all moved at once to a specific location. I was amazed how quick they moved, and how elegant the whole thing was.

After plugging in my ipod I was back grinding down the road. Then it happened. You guessed it another flat. So let me set the scene. We are either 80 miles back to the next town or 100 miles ahead. The sun is just starting to peer out of the clouds, it is cold, and I have no circulation in my hands. I had one spare tube so I thought all was going to be peachy. All was not peachy because I was an idiot and pinched the tube. Ok back up plan I can use my patches to limp my way down the road a ways. After applying the patch and inflating to a lower then normal pressure I started rolling again. After 2km it was flat again. Peel and stick patches are useless.

So I am not stoked because I am only 45km into the day and im stuck. At this point I have only used .5 of the 9 litres of water I had on me. Luckily I was close to a gas station and at this station were two older gentlemen that were topping up their camper with fuel. I asked them if they were heading west to Springer Ville. They said yes. I then fallowed up with the question if I could hitch a ride to Springer Ville to get a few tubes. My hopes were high, but then they hit me with an answer of no because they had their guns in the backseat and did not have room. Accepting the answer I went on my way and started walking down the road. 2 Minutes later I see them waving frantically at me. After making my way back they said that they had moved the guns and had room for me in the back seat.

Once we were rolling we got to talking. In a way it was actually a good thing because they were both pilots, and one was a pilot for the air force. This gave me a chance to ask some questions that have been nagging in the back of my mind. Now this is the reason I love cards because as much as im trying to remember I cant for the life of me remember the name of these two fine gentlemen. I believe they were named bill and john but im pretty sure I am wrong.
We stopped in a small homestead and they said they were going to treat me to a breakfast, which was an unexpected surprise. This whole trip has made me a lot more confident with the way that I deal with strangers. When you approach people as your friend, and as if they are out to help you they are a lot more open to your stories and sharing their life with you. When I left I approached people as if they were out to do me harm. Now I know that sounds weird but most of us are guilty of that because as much as we try to ignore it a lot of us are judgemental. Case and point getting in a car after they say just let us move our guns.

Now in Arizona I expected the weather to be bright and sunny because most of this state gets between roughly 15-25 inches of rain a year. Well I managed to hit Arizona during those 15025 inches because it started to rain as soon as I hit Springer Ville. Looking at the forecast it does not look like it going to get much better because it shows three straight days of rain. Adding to my luck I have the largest gap of the trip tomorrow. The day is going to stat off with a 40 mile run into sho how, and then fallow that up with 116-mile gap into Globe. Because the first 40 miles I wont use any of my resources this is pretty much a 156mile gap. Great. Even better the western wing I had today is going to shift to a southern wind tomorrow. Guess what. I am heading south tomorrow. Adding to this apparently the road out of Springer Ville has some of the most brutal hills I have ridden to date. Lets see how far 9 litres of water gets me.

As much as I may sound chipper today I am very disappointed about the day not only for how little I accomplished, but also because I am watching my goal of maintaining my 150km average disappear day by day. About 700 miles to go till the ocean. If I don’t hit 16000km by the time I hit the water I am going o spend a few days doing some local rides because I simply cat return hoe without hitting that milestone.
Trip Distance: 47km
Ride Time: 2:56hr
Avg. Speed: 16.24km/h (shows you how brutal the ride was)
Total Distance: 15098km
Total Ride Time: 700hr
Destination: Springer Ville, Arizona

As a side not my body clock is completely screwed because I was just starting to get readjusted to mountain time, then I find out Arizona does not sue daylight savings. So it is Mountain Time but is actually the same time as Pacific Standard Time.

Tour Day 100 I Love The Smell Of Radioation In The Morning Oct 3 2010

2010-10-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

10 hours of sleep sure does wonders to the body. Because I am so used to 8 hours of sleep a night for the last two hours I was left tossing and turning. Since the first few weeks of the tour my dreams have settled down, but for the last few nights they have been acting up again. I think it might be because my mind is starting to race again with thoughts of hitting the Pacific Ocean. Last nights dream was one that I want to go back to. Now I have never ridden a motorcycle before but this dream gave me the most vivid experience of ripping a triumph thruxton through the mountains I had climbed the day before. The feeling of having such a vivid dream is a strange one. You can feel you body lean into the corners, you can feel your fingers wrapped around the clutch.

When my alarm went off I raced to get ready and out the door. I went to fill my pot with 3cm’s or water to cook my oatmeal. When I turned the tap on it came out slowly, but no worries I got my water and was set. While the water was boiling I went to take my morning poo. When I went to flush nothing happened. Great no water. It’s no problem for me but I feel sorry for the maid… if there is one for this seedy motel.

Now because I had no water, and no water in my water bottles so I was forced to buy water for the first time of the trip. When I went to the gas station I found out from a drunk man (at 6am) that the water main broke and the entire town had no water. I took that as my cue to get the heck out of dodge.

Now I was made aware by a local that I was going to encounter one small climb before I hit the plains to make my way to my first big city in New Mexico. Well that small hill turned out to be 2 extended 7-mile climbs. Luckily I was feeling good and had no wind, which meant good things for my moral. After 35 miles I hit the flats. It was amazing I had a tailwind and never once got below 30km/h. I watched the miles tick by. I passed the white sands missile range at roughly the speed of a missile. I would have to say the speed was caused by the smell of radiation in the morning.

Now I had planned to stop at this homestead to pick up some water but this town of 50 people only had one shop and oddly enough it sold rocks. Now in the land of rocks and sand a rock shop seems an odd thing to have.

I hit Socorro (120km down the road) by 11am. I was over the moon, but needed some food and water to top up the tanks. I was lucky because I ran into the first grocery store I have seen in New Mexico so it was a good time to top up the stocks. I missed one crucial thing… water. I was making my way out of town and the last building in eyesight was the goodwill centre. I walked in the doors expecting a receptionist of some sort; instead I was greeted by a group of women in wheelchairs. It was an old folks home. Now I wanted to ask permission to get some water but no one was around to ask so I just had to stroll in and use the resident’s washroom. The washroom was something else fully decked out with rails, lifts and everything else you could imagine. When I left I almost felt bad to walk out the doors on two legs. It gave me one of those profound moments. I felt lucky to have my health and to have lasted 100 days of hard riding on the road.

When I left the adult community I had a gradual climb ahead for roughly the next 20km. That would not be a problem if I did not have a 15-mile an hour wind in my face the entire time. That 20km took 2 hours of hard pedaling.

Luckily I made it to Magdalene in one piece. But tomorrow is going to be rough. I have 140mile gap with 2 small homesteads in between that apparently have nothing. So I have to go into the day knowing that I am going to run out of water, and know that I am going to get stranded in the middle of nowhere. If all goes well I will be staying in Springerville Arizona tomorrow.

I must say the best thing about touring is the people you meet. Today I got the privilege to meet mike the owner of the motel here in Magdalena. When I walk in I have a sensor overload. I am not sure to be in aww of this mans awesome beard or start a conversation about the campy hat he had on. Mike is one of the most welcoming men I have met on this trip. We saw that I was bagged and immediately offered me a cool glass of ice tea, then proceeded to ask if I needed anything else. This is really the last thing I expected from a local motel because usually the people are just happy to take your money and could care less about the adventure.
Trip Distance: 142km
Ride Time: 6:35hr
Avg. Speed: 21.67km/h
Total Distance: 15050km
Total Ride Time: 697hr
Destination: Magdalena, New Mexico

I achieved a major goal today 15000km in 100 days.

Tour Day 99 Look Maaa No Flats Oct 2 2010

2010-10-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am going to be honest I woke up this morning and was expecting things to go bad. I mean they have been for the past couple weeks. Every mile has been a struggle, and every mile as made me more and more upset. To those people who say that they wish they were me during these couple weeks I do not think you would want to.

When I started riding I was looking for excuses to get upset, and I got them. Within seconds my rear fender starting acting up. It started with a high pitch whining noise, then that developed into a full-fledged rub. I stopped and yanked on it a few times which helped for 10 miles then the rubbing started again. Now this is all happening while im getting pumbled with hills getting out of Roswell. Thinking on my toes I pulled out the tape again and put together a sling to keep the fender ridged. I have to say it was my best jimmy job to date.

After getting my fender sort of fixed I was rolling with a little less resistance. On my map the day’s ride seemed simple. The first 47 miles was flat’ish then I got into the dotted bit of my map that was set to be 40 miles. That sounded good in theory but in practice that was not the case. The first 47 miles were hilly as heck, and the last 40 miles were rolling.

I was still a little rattled by the fender thing when I stopped for a snack. I don’t know what happened but all of a sudden a switched turned on and my misery was whipped away. I think it must have been the scenery because once you are in the mountains it is magnificent, that behind said pretty much any mountain range is beautiful.

The kilometres ticked by faster then I thought, and I watched my average speed pick up. My mood was improving. I forgot that I actually don’t mind hills. They give you short-term goals that are going to be achieved. Even better usually the winds die down when you are climbing.

I was summating a hill on this side road that had no traffic and I see this figure coming up the other side. Another cyclist. I panic and start yelling at this other guy and even drop the odd curse word just to spice things up. We both stopped in the middle of the road and have a nice short conversation. This solidified the mood change. I was at that point enjoying the day’s ride. I even had a smile for the first time in a while.

Lunch came at exactly 12 noon. I had 20 miles left in the day and was ready for a quick gas station sandwich. The fact that I managed to pace myself properly for a town that actually had something in it was amazing.

Now the last 20 miles I anticipated to take an hour and a half if I was lucky. After climbing for a little bit and getting my legs warmed up I hit an extended downhill. I watched 40km/h pass, then hit 60km/h for the first time in a long time. This downhill did not stop. For close to 30 minutes I did not drop below 40km/h. I watched the mile markers count down. I saw the town and kicked up the speed. I was crushing grasshoppers like it was my job taking no prisoners. As a side note the grasshoppers here are pretty big. One was so large that when it jumped into my leg it left a bright red mark.

When I hit the town I was elated and let out a large yell of joy. I needed this. I needed a day without a flat. Now don’t get me wrong the day had its faults but it was the first day that I can remember that I had more positives then negatives.

Tomorrow has me a little nervous though because it have a 65 mile gap, and I hit a flat section about halfway through which is going to mean I will get beat up by the wind from the mountains.
Trip Distance: 147km
Ride Time: 6:58hr
Avg. Speed: 21.12km/h
Total Distance: 14907km
Total Ride Time: 690hr
Destination: Carrizozo, New Mexico

P.S. The weather is a little messed here went from 90 degree heat to thunder showers in the space of 5 minutes. As well today is interesting because 40 miles away from here is the trinity site (the site of the first atomic bomb explosion). Today is one of only two days a year they open it to the public. Now I would not recommend going because the area has 10 times the radioactivity.

Tour Day 98 Puching My Luck To New Limits Oct 1 2010

2010-10-01T16:29:00.001-07:00

My first day without a flat, and an all around solid day left me with a good feeling in my stomach last night. As much as Texas and west Texas has been a pain in the butt it has been worth it. The winds of change are blowing and I hope they are in my direction.

When I got on the road today I was smiling for a change. I was actually happy to be out riding. The road was not chip seal and there was no wind to speak of. Really I had no complaints. For the first time in a long time my legs felt above 70% and my eyes were not tempted to shut until about halfway through the ride which is odd.

Things kept getting better because the wind was behind me. I had to stop because I thought I was loosing my mind. This was the first tailwind I have had since Mississippi about 1000 miles away. The miles were ticking by and I paced my rest stop with easy so I pushed back where I was going to snack to the next town.

When I got to said town I decided to take a few back roads because a stranger gave me a tip it would be faster. I took the tips and was spat out on the road I wanted to be on, but I got on the road past all the shops so I could not top up water or food. I had a tailwind though nothing could stop me I was simply going to push it off to the homestead 15 miles away.

Well you guessed it no water or food in this place. Oddly though it had a school. This school was new and fairly big but was surrounded by nothing. Within eyesight there was not a building. This did not bode well for me because I was out of water and the next town which was supposed to be my rest stop for the day (now my lunch stop) was 20 miles away.

I had a tailwind nothing could stop me I was making it to my lunch stop no questions asked. I made it in good time because I kicked up my pace and was stoked when I completed 132km before noon. Now in Brownfield I was on the hunt for food. This was a more difficult then anticipated challenge because the only place around was in an unmarked building. They offered a special of catfish or fried chicken. I figured that if they could not afford letters for the exterior of the building they probably could not afford good catfish, so chicken was the choice.

After a quick bite I was on the road and now traveling west. This meant one thing a wicked crosswind. My sleep point was 20 miles away and it was slow going. Then it happened. My front tire, which is one day old started to act up. 1 flat, checked the running surface nothing. 2nd flat, again nothing upon detailed inspection and checking of the rim. 3rd flat, threw my bike on the ground and used my last tube. When that went flat I was stranded again. Texas was not letting me leave without getting one last kick at the can. Luckily my eyes didn’t start to act up because this all happened in the middle of cotton fields.

Within 15 mins a nice man by the of Charles Rhodes who is a law enforcement officer for the u.s.d.a. stopped. I asked to get taken to the next town and he gladly obliged and we were off down the road. We get to the town and it is a ghost town. 90% of the building were boarded up and abandoned. He asked if I wanted to go to the next town and I said “sure”. The next town was more of the same. This meant that my rest stop for the day was going to be in Roswell, which is actually good because it meant that I could get a few new tubes.

It was very pleasant getting to know Charles. I find it amazing how open people are to strangers. I find it amazing that someone you have known for 2 minutes you feel comfortable telling you life story to. It is actually an honour to hear these stories because it takes your mind off of whatever is bothering you.

That distraction cant last forever. I was brought back to reality when I had to spend another 30 mins checkin my tire and still nothing. Feeling confident I am not going tog et a flat for at least another 70 miles I looked at my map. This is when my frustration turned to depression. Looking at the map the next rides are just going to be ruthless. I have a 100 mile mountain range tomorrow, then 200 miles of flat, then another 200 mile mountain range that has a solid 100 mile gap with nothing. I thought Texas was going to be the hump state but the whole rest of the trip is going to be brutal. 1000 miles to go till I hit the ocean.

Roswell is a mess; all of New Mexico has been this way. There is 0 reason to ever come here for any reason whatsoever. It’s hot, bad looking, and has vast spaces of nothing.
Trip Distance: 151km
Ride Time: 6:38hr
Avg. Speed: 22:75km/h
Total Distance: 14760km
Total Ride Time: 683hr
Destination: Roswell, New Mexico

This has to be one of the lowest points of the trip I am struggling.

Tour Day 97 Oil, Wind, and Cinnamon. Its All Power Sept 30 2010

2010-09-30T16:14:00.001-07:00

Last night before stopping I noticed my butt was starting to hurt. Thinking nothing of it I just went about things normally. Then I sat on the saddle today and it hurt even more… great another butt zit like in Newfoundland. They are just the worst I guess it’s from having a constantly sweaty butt, all I know is they blow rocks. And the fact you have to pop them is even worse.

Wow I managed to talk about butts, and zits within the first paragraph really no segway into that one sorry about that.

Today’s ride was tough from the get go. Mentally I have been having a tough time getting pumped up for the rides the past few days because I know they are going to be tough on a new level. When you only have one small town (if your lucky) and you know your going to spend 8 hours riding alone its hard. Adding to that you know that more then 70% of you day is going to be spent riding on chip seal pavement. Chip seal if you haven’t ridden on it is just the worst. It not only shakes the pee out of you, but it adds extra resistance so the ride even if you have a good wind feels like you have a head wind.

Now a favourable wind here is next to impossible to impossible to come by when your traveling west, and today was no exception. Luckily I was heading north as well so I was paralleling the wind, which was a nice change.

Things were going smooth and I have confidence back in my bike. The previous days I kept stopping to check tire pressure whenever I felt something weird but now I feel like I am set to roll for a while at least.

The road levels out today which makes long distance riding a lot more difficult because as much as hills are a pain to ride they give you short-term goals. When it’s flat your goals very quickly become long-distance goals.

About 40 miles into the ride after toping up with a truck stop sandwich and a cinnamon bun I saw something on the horizon. I could not figure it out at first but within minutes I saw that it was a wind turbine. Then I turned the corner and saw 100’s of wind turbines lined up. It was really a mesmerizing thing to watch because the whole structure is just designed so elegantly. Depending on the angle you look the machine looks as if it is functioning differently. Like the stars in the morning I just had to take a break in the middle of nowhere and watch for a minute.

The short break also had another purpose because I was broken. I was at the glasscock county line and wanted to give up. The days just are not getting easier and my body is aching. I know it will be with it, and I know my body will adapt but it is unspeakably hard when you are in the middle of nowhere. To put it in prospective 2 days ago in a 90-minute span 10 vehicles passed me. Even if you want to give up there is no one around to care so you just have to keep trucking.

After my short break I was back rolling and was hauling. I kept pacing myself to the next section of wind farm and before I knew it I saw a water tower on the horizon, which meant my rest stop, was literally in sight. But not before riding through an oil field. This was the strangest and the most unpleasant part of the day. It was the strangest because on one side of the road I had a wind farm, and on the other rested these industrial oilrigs. It was just a strange thing to think about. It was the most unpleasant part of the day because of the smell. It was a smell I have never experienced before but it almost instantly gave me a pounding headache. When I say I travel at the speed of smell I am not joking.
Trip Distance: 146km
Ride Time: 6:56hr
Avg. Speed: 21.16km/h
Total Distance: 14608km
Total Ride Time: 676hr
Destination: Big Spring, Texas

Tour Day 96 Luck Is Getting More Flats Sept 29 2010

2010-09-29T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ice cream never tasted so good last night. Buying said ice cream was funny. As I went to grab the jar I over hear this guy say, “you have to drink your vitamins”. So I hear this and look over; I then see in his hand a V8. Seeing that I put two and two together, then this guy grabbed a case of beer. I laughed and he said “I know im contradicting myself with the beer”. I did not respond to the statement because I didn’t want to antagonize this guy that was roughly 2.76 times as big as me.

With a bursting stomach of dairy (after drinking 2 litres of milk as well) I went to sleep. When I woke up I felt refreshed. I have made a conscious choice to eat healthier then I have been because I have found myself drinking more and more crap. Even in the two days that I have implemented the changes I can feel the difference. Now granted I burn everything off anyways so I still do treat myself at snack time.

Ready to ride this morning I started tarring up the rolling hills. I thought my legs would feel slow from being beaten up in the hills yesterday for the first time in a while but my body surprised me yet again. Now don’t get me wrong I was still slow because the bike is heavy as heck, but I can notice the 16-pound difference particularly in the back end where 14 of the pounds came from. It also meant that I could get the weight lower so the bike handles better. Really things were going smooth.

I was 40 miles into the ride and planned to stop for water in a little homestead town. Things looked promising because I saw 3 businesses like buildings. Well two of them were boarded up so I went to the door of the one that was in business still. On the door was a note “due to lack of business we will only be open from 3pm till 6pm”. Great im screwed again. Thankfully I anticipated my luck and conserved my water properly. But that business really bothered me. If I have a struggling business I am going to do whatever I can to make it money. Promote it more, be open more, and get more people in. It does not make sense to close the doors for such long periods of time.

I got to my first town at mile 65 and had my snack. I knew that the next stop was going to be my rest stop 47 miles away so I topped up on water and took a muffin for the road. I knew I could make it to San Angelo with no lunch because I was ahead of my timeline for the day.

Well I did not make it that far. I had three tubes on me and thought I could limp my wounded front tire to the shop in San Angelo. I was wrong. The tire almost literally blew up. The thread just shattered and punctured every tube even after taping the tire to the gills.

I was really miffed because I want to just have a few days of solid riding. My body is feeling good it’s just everything else that’s going wrong. So I had to flag someone down and catch a life to the shop. In the car I masked my frustration and told stories of the road for the 30-mile journey into San Angelo. That’s right 3 flats in 10 miles, just brutal.

Over the Gps navigator in the car I heard the name of the bike shop and burst out laughing. The shops name was Concho bikes. The reason I laugh at this is because of a story my friend Corey who toured in Japan told me. In Japan they play this game called concho. In this game they sneak up behind someone, put their hands in a gun shape, yell concho, and then poke them up the bum. This is no joke you can youtube it. I told the guy at the shop the story and he said “no you don’t understand we aren’t perverts, concho are pearls here”. Again I just left the conversation at that and went on my way with my new tire rolling smooth.

This is when I realized I had another bike issue. I have a stripped bolt in my front rack. Even better it’s stripped while it’s halfway loose so it makes this awful clunk when you go over a bump.

Another great day of touring. The next 5 are going to be pretty similar because the way the roads are laid out they are spaced in 40 mile gaps so its either do 80miles or 120miles and destroy myself in the hills. With my luck im going to choose the 80 mile days for a while.
Trip Distance: 122km
Ride Time: 5:53hr
Avg. Speed: 20.86km/h
Total Distance: 14461km
Total Ride Time: 669hr
Destination: San Angelo, Texas

Tour Day 95 Mellow John Sept 28 2010

2010-09-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

Here is how my mind works. I had a great day yesterday that I am pretty sure I could not top so I voluntarily pushed on into terrain that I knew was going to be rough and make sure that today did not live up to yesterday.

After a days rest it was tough forcing myself to get up at 5am and push off into the night but I knew that it was something that had to be done. Today was a little different because it was cold. I went out in just my jersey and shorts, which I thought would be enough because I usually start sweating right at 6am. Today however I had to bust my jacket out for the first time since Newfoundland. Infact I was tempted to pull out my winter gloves but I refused to give into this season called fall. The whole situation was kind of funny because the guy at the front desk thought I was completely bonkers for my clothing selection, then he ask where I was from and lost hit. He automatically hoped over the counter with his phone and started snapping pictures of me and everything I touched.

After getting nice and toasty in my jacket I was back riding down the road. The road itself was rough. Not only was it constant up and down but it was built with this different kind of asphalt that was not broken but it just shook the pee out of me for 100kms. When you getting shaken like paint can for that long it just zaps your body. Your going on average 3km/h slower, and your muscles are having to put out so much more effort to go that speed. Adding to the misery was the fact half way through this paris-roubaix style ride was the fact that 80km in I got a front flat. It just figures. I change the rear tire and now the front is acting up. After changing this flat I was feeling pretty negative about the day because I started it with such high motivation, and such high goals for the day.

After the flat it started to get warm so I started to down my water like a camel. Which if I was thinking I would have topped up in the large city I passed at kilometre 100, but I thought I would be able stop at my lunch stop 20km down the road. I even had a back up town that was only 6 miles past my selected lunch stop. Well a plan is awesome if it works. In this case it didn’t and boy did it suck. The heat had now hit at around 90degrees, the terrain was still rolling (a little less mind you), but thankfully the road had smoothed out a bit. I passed the first town I had planned to stop and because the only building it had was a post office. I then passed the second town because it literally had nothing.

So it is now 2pm I have completed 130km on nothing but breakfast and 2 cinnamon buns with very little water because I had to conserve it. I was not having a great time and my body was letting me know because it started to shut down. My legs started to slow down, and my head started to pound with a wicked headache.

I kept riding and hit over 150km with no water on the bike and broke down. My mind was cooked; body, and bike were cooked for the day. I pulled over 10 miles from my rest stop in Mason and was struggling. Seeing I was in trouble John L. Hinnant pulled over on his way to a muzzle loaded shooting competition up north and offered to help me out with a ride to Mason. I could not deny the offer because I was beyond blown up. I actually like talking with strangers like this because you learn that everyone has a story. In this case John decided to tell me about his motorcycle ride up to Alaska that never made it to Alaska because he stopped in BC. Curious I enquired why he stopped. Then john opened up. He was on his motorcycle and saw a native man on the side of the road standing next to his steaming multi coloured pickup truck. John asked if he needed any help. To which the native man named Robert said, “Thank you pale face but it looks like I am going to have to shoot old paint”. John then offered the man a ride to the reserve on the back of the motorcycle. Once at the reserve john was offered a nights stay that turned into a 2-month stay full of dancing and a possible marriage to Roberts’s sister. The only thing john could not remember was where exactly in BC this took place. Just being a cheeky bastard I said, “that sounds an awful lot like the Okanogan”. To which he responded “the more I think about it the more I think it was infact in the Okanogan”. I had a good chuckle at that.

Once dropping me at the rest stop we exchanged cards, which is normal for me. I was just excited to get some food in my stomach finally because by now it was close to 3:30pm a full 9 and a half hours after my last meal. By the time I started to eat I had that blackout feeling again which is the most unpleasant feeling in the world.

When I got a few minutes to myself I took a look at johns card and I was left with a few questions. On the top it says, “dedicated to the art of the spiral tube” and on the bottom hand written it says “God and Texas”. Both of those statement I don’t exactly understand but that does not matter because john was sure a character to remember.

If the rest of the ride is going to be like this it is going to be a mentally exhausting push.
Trip Distance: 155km
Ride Time: 7:43hr
Avg. Speed: 20.16km/h
Total Distance Time: 14339km
Total Ride Time: 664hr
Destination: Mason, Texas

Tour Day 94 Bikegasm Definition Mellow Johnnies Sept 27 2010

2010-09-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

It was nice to sleep in this morning and not be rudely awoken by a cell phone alarm clock. This is a pet peeve of mine, why can cell phone companies not have a standard ring tone or a standard alarm sound? Because now when I wake up I am forced to feel like I am in the starting gates of a horse race.

Anyways after getting some breakfast in me I was off to the races. I decided that I was going to make the trek into town and visit Mellow Johnnies. Because of New Orleans I was nervous about it because I had built up such an expectation. Almost immediately Austin superseded everything I had thought. Everywhere I turned I had a bike path that took me to where I wanted to go. Even better most of the routes are tree lined and have these really cool businesses lining them. You would ride past a botanical garden and then 10 feet later you would see a Rasta styled grill in this super cool old building. The whole city had a great vibe because it had the perfect mix of new and old.

About the only place where that mix of new and old did not carry over to were the people. Everyone here seems to be very fit and young. After passing through Alabama and Louisiana where you would be hard pressed to find someone under 40 it is a pleasant change.

That brings us to the bike shop. My heart was beating almost as fast as the day I separated from Gregg on day one. I was nervous about what laid behind these doors. I walked in and was greeted by a radio shack TT bike. That automatically put my nerves at ease. Then my tunnel vision opened up and I had one of my few bikegasams. I did not know which bike to look at first because the shop had everything. I mean a hand built Naked bike (from Vancouver Island), a old colnago steel frame with record 11, or the multiple tour de France wining bike hanging around the shop. I saw the stair leading down but I wanted to save that for last. So I walked around the shop and around every corner was something amazing. I mean what other place would you see 12 team radio shack race bikes just hanging from a wall. I got the chance to actually pick up popvitches bike. I fully anticipated in buying a few jerseys because I knew they would have a mellow johnnies one, a Texas one, and a radio shack one. But then I encountered choices because they had about 5 different options for each. It was hard for me to not go completely crazy and end the tour right here by making myself go bankrupt.

When I started to ride out I decided to turn around for no reason, and then I saw it. I had the perfect view of the city line. I could see everything from the old congressional building to the new sky scrapers it was just amazing. Austin would defiantly be a place I would come back to visit and spend some more time.

That being said I still an mot looking forward to west Texas because it is going to be 5 days of just ruthless riding with huge gaps between everything. Hopefully wearing the lone star on my back will give me star power like in rock band and make me rocket up the hills.

To summarize the day I can just say it was amazing. Everywhere I turned and got off the road by 20-50 feet I was left awe struck because this city is just amazing.
Trip Distance: 33.18km
Ride Time: 1:41hr
Avg. Speed: 19.61km/h
Total Distance: 14183km
Total Ride Time: 656hr
Destination: Austin, Texas

Tour Day 93 Other Cyclists. PANIC! Sept 26 2010

2010-09-26T18:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday had one more trick in store for me. It came at the very end of the day when I went to brush my teeth. Of course. I forgot another toothbrush in another location to far away to go back for. It was really a great way to end a great day.

That being said I have to start each day with a new mindset, and today was no exception. I got out the door and thought that it was going to be a stellar day. I mean it could not continue at this pace forever right. Well I was wrong. I got 5km out the door and knew the day was going to be rough because I was dealing with a crosswind similar to that of the prairies in Canada. At points it got to where I was leaning over into the wind to stay on a steady course. I very quickly readjusted my goals for the days pace and was content with hammering for the entire day.

With the bad there is always a smidgen of good. That came in the for of cool weather. A dense cloud cover made it a comfortable temperature for a change, which made putting out the power a little easier.

Break time came slowly and I was ready to dome some donouts. After getting a few of them down I figured I would check my tire pressure just to see how my luck was holding up. Well it figures my rear tire was flat… again. The rear tire that I got in Venice so only 1600km ago had started to shred from the inside. Thank you tracx tires for being the biggest hunks on the market. So I flagged a car down in the middle of nowhere and asked if he knew where a bike shop was. Fully expecting him to say Austin I was surprised when he said there was one less then a few miles away. After he gave me directions I was set.

When I pulled into this place I doubted my directions because it was an industrial complex with building upon building dedicated to welding. Then on the end was this little bike shop with 3 bikes on the flood and a small service station. Again I fully excepted him to have no stock of good touring tires but low and behold he had a schwable marathon plus (my favourite tie).

It was amazing having that new tire. I rode faster and harder because I now had confidence back in my equipment. I could monster truck things without having to worry about another flat and wasting moments of my life dripping in sweat on the side of the road.

Things were going a lot better. I still had a wind but I was happy for a change. I mean I was on my way to Austin and another 2 days ahead of schedule even with my issues the past few days.

I didn’t think the day could get any better until I turned around. There right behind me were two fellow bike tourists, the first cyclists I have seen in America. Kim and Rob who are riding for the CIA (check them out at pedalingforpatriots.com) hit it off right away. That was probably because I was so lonely having any company for more then 2 minutes is awesome. I just started talking and talking. I was not even paying attention to my speed and where I was at. Our conversations got me to thinking how I missed the days with Charles and Oliver. I got me to thinking how much more fun this trip was when I had people all the time.

By the time we got to there support vehicle it was time to say goodbye. Which again when you meet such awesome people are always hard. That’s exactly the reason why I doddled around for a few minutes just so that I could soak in a little bit more of the atmosphere.

Still though I had to finish the 13 miles into Austin. The last miles were filled with thoughts of change. Change in luck, and change in bike. With me taking the day off tomorrow I was trying to think of ways I could make the last 1600mile sprint into la easier for me. The best way to do so is cut weight. So the whole time I was thinking of things I could ship back home.

Austin came in a jiffy and I made my way to the western edge of town. I had two options the seedy place or the holiday inn. Usually I would choose the seedy place but I figured I needed a treat with me staying the extra day and all. Well wouldn’t you guess it I ran into Rob, Kim, and there support team again. I am a firm believe that the bike touring community is one of fate. I mean this is a city of 500000 people what are the chances of seeing them? What are the chances that they would be staying at the exact same place? Some time fate works in strange ways.

Rob and Kim I have t say thank you because I have been really down the past few days. Your energy has given me that extra drive to push through and complete the trip. I feel like a new man right now… or a less worn out man.

What is making me even more happy is my weight shedding. Gone are a huge amount of clothing, my sleeping mat (I can rough it), stool, seatbag, and a few misc items. Total weight loss 16 pounds. I can’t wait to feel what my bike will feel like with the equivalent of my track race bike missing from it.
Trip Distance: 146km
Ride Time: 7:13hr
Avg. Speed: 20.29km/h
Total Distance: 14150km
Total Ride Time: 654hr
Destination: Austin, Texas

Tour Day 92 Bustin Balls Sept 25 2010

2010-09-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I was sitting trying to fall asleep but my mind was just racing with thoughts about nothing. I was even trying to write a poem in my mind about the day that had past. I knew that I was starting to loose my mind again so I turned on the t.v. (the motel owner gave me the foreigner discount and charged me $20 bucks because I gave her 3 loonies) and forest gump was on. Now forest gump is one of my favourite movies and just gets better with age. What makes it even better now is that I have traveled to the same places he went to. For some reason this really got me thinking, just the thing I was trying to avoid and I broke down. It was like the day I got out of terranova park in Newfoundland (day 48 if I remember correctly).

When I woke up I felt surprisingly refreshed. That was until I grabbed onto my bars. In the night one of my palm calluses popped and made it painful to grip onto the bars in one of my three positions I ride in. After a while once my body got warmed up I was able to deal with the pain.

I was on the road to Houston and decided to look at my piece of garbage map to try and plan a route through Houston. Thinking ahead I even made a back up plan, and wouldn’t you know it worked. I was so pumped because I finally got through a large city without having to do circles for 30minutes. I must say Houston was a pleasant surprise. It was really clean and very well laid out. Even better the roads were amazing. If you got on the freeway you had 3 lanes of uninterrupted traffic then two lanes on the side where all the stoplights and such were. It helped avoid some anxiety because in some cities you have to fight with traffic passing you at 65 miles an hour.

By this point in the day it was getting hot. It was getting close to 95 degrees and I was sweating like a beaver yet again. Luckily it is starting to become a dryer heat but still hot as balls none the less. I was really starting to regret my 1 litre of milk at my snack break by lunch because it was just ripping apart my insides. Really though that did not bother me because I was having a good day. I mean I got stopped on the freeway by a guy looking to tour across America, I had a neutral wind and the roads were flat so I could lock into a cadence and shut off my brain.

All was going well. I passed my rest stop and pushed on the extra 21 miles in the scorching heat. I was running low on water so I stopped at the bk lounge to top up with some fresh ice. At that point I was 3 miles away from my rest stop. I come out the door and hop on my bike and ride 20 feet and notice my rear tire is soft. No way, not now, not this close to the end of a good day. I just kept riding hoping I could make it to the end. I wanted so much to believe it was not another flat. I wanted to think my luck wasn’t that bad. It kept getting lower and lower so I stopped and pulled the tube out but because I was on the freeway I couldn’t hear where this pinhole flat was coming from. I did not want to waste a good tube so I just pumped up the tube and limped 2 miles. By this point I had the city within sight and the pinhole flat was a full-blown hole because no pumping was going to get this inflated. I just mashed the power through the pedals and got increasingly frustrated with every metre. I threw the bike in the ditch and gave it one last pump to get some morsel of air. This is when I realized I have been using my pump so much the shaft has started to bend. By this point I was grinding my teeth with anger but I still kept pedaling to the downtown.

I pulled into the motel and could care less about my bike I simply left it where it lay and walked in with sweat burning in my eyes again. This is where the lady asks “would you like a room for the night?” “Yes I would”. “How much?” $100” “holy piss you bustin my nuts right”. “no the antique show is in town. I know its ridiculous. Just bad luck.” “Is there anywhere cheaper in an 18 year old bike tourist I cant do that”. “the cheapest place is 3 miles away and is $79”. “Screw it lets just do it here in tired, sweaty, and frustrated”. “I can see that. Have a good night sir.”

Damn antique show I mean how many people come to town to buy old used garbage. That’s like saying o we have raised our rates because the local waste transfer site is open to the public.
Trip Distance: 198km
Ride Time: 8:46hr
Avg. Speed: 22.61km/h
Total Distance: 14003km
Total Ride Time: 647hr
Destination: Brenham, Texas

Tour Day 91 R.I.P. Mavic A119 Rear Wheel Sept 24 2010

2010-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Last night after I wrote about the wheel I came to a conclusion. It was cooked. I had come to terms with that and realized that it needed to be replaced. All it needed to do was last 120km to Beaumont where I am sure I could a bike shop.

The morning’s ride started fine. I could tell the wheel was out of true because of a slight vibration but that is no problem I have dealt with worse. The road was rolling smooth, I had a neutral wind, and I was starting to get warmed up. Even better it was not as humid as most other days. The highway that I was on turned onto a state road that was not very well travelled. In the back of my head I was counting down the miles to Beaumont, but I knew it was dangerous for me to think that far ahead. It was at 78km that I heard a slight rub on my frame. I stopped and looked and sure enough the hairline crack had spread and were starting to rip. I thought I could limp to Beaumont so I kept riding. At km 83 it hit the fan. The wheel was totalled. So im thinking I am screwed because there is literally no cars for 3 minutes passing me. On the horizon I saw a semi truck which really meant nothing to me but I figure id wave my hands anyways. Behind the semi in its blind spot was a truck that pulled over.

This is where I met Eric. Over the C.B. radio the trucker informed him that I needed help and Eric was more then happy to oblige. It really was fate because he never usually travels that route it was just because he had some time to kill in between checking up on a couple oilrigs that he was on this road. Even better he was heading to Beaumont as well so we were set.

I was so thankful that a complete stranger was happy to help me out, and even let me use his phone to look up where the bike shop was and call them. Then car ride itself was refreshing. It was my first and last taste of Louisiana. We got to talking about everything from B.B.Q. to the war overseas.

When Eric dropped me off at the bike shop (after hunting around for it) we said goodbye. Whenever someone helps me out like this I always feel like a simple goodbye and a handshake is just not good enough.

The bike shop was more then happy to help me out. The only thing was they did not have a 700c touring wheel so I thought I was screwed. Thankfully the shop manager was thinking on his feet and pulled out a 29er rear wheel. He said he had tried it before and it worked so I really had my fingers crossed, and wouldn’t you know it worked. So I guess I can thank heaven that 29ers are more popular down here in the states.

It was 12pm and I was really behind the 8 ball for the day because my legs wee stiff and I really did not have any motivation to complete the day. For some reason I decided to keep riding to the next town which was 40 miles away.

As soon as I got out of Beaumont I started to doubt my choice for a couple reasons. The first was the fact like clockwork at 1:30 the wind shifted and became a lovely headwind that was a big pain in the butt. As well I saw these super dark clouds on the horizon. I tried ignoring the weatherman from last night saying heavy rain was do for today but it was hard to do when I saw sheets of rain ahead of me. At first my luck was holding because I managed to slip between the clouds. Then they closed up and started dumping. I thought id wait it out and huddle under a tree and wait it out and maybe put on my rain gear. When I popped the pants on I took them off immediately because it was just to dang hot.

So I was really happy. Rain, a headwind, and shoes that were very quickly soaking through. I was ready to stop so I kicked up my effort level and ignored my knees screaming at me to turn down the effort level.

I pulled into liberty at 3:30 and thought I would treat myself to some ice cream and a larger then normal soda because I earned it. So I am riding down the road back to my sketchy motel with the bags on the handlebars looking more homeless then ever. I had it within sight when the topper for the day happened. The bag ripped open dropped the bottle n the ground (which because the bottle had been getting shaken) blew up and sprayed it all over me. I just kept riding because I was at that point in the day just laughing. Then I realized that had my peanut butter in it so I looped back to hunt for it but it was gone.

When I got back to the motel I realized my luck kept rolling with a rear flat tire. This one courtesy of the bead coming apart on the back now. Here comes the handy dandy tape again. I must say having a rear wheel that is round and holds spoke tension is wonderful to ride on.
Trip Distance: 154km
Ride Time: 6:56hr
Avg. Speed: 22.27km/h
Total Distance: 13805km
Total Ride Time: 638hr
Destination: Liberty, Texas

I really am not to stoked on Texas. It is big, is going to have big wind, and really a is just a mind crusher.

Tour Day 90 Kinder Suprise Sept 23 2010

2010-09-23T17:46:00.001-07:00

I woke up today and was sore. My brain was not functioning and my body was aching. I just wanted to go back to sleep and not ride. The thing that keeps getting me is my dang will to ride. For example I said I would slow down and now im riding further then ever before. I said I would take a break in set cities and passed through them. I simply love to ride.

That being said it is not always nice to ride in 80-degree heat at 6 in the morning, in the dark, across a bridge that had no shoulder and was about 2.5km long. Maybe it was because I have been buzzed so often on bridges but I have been getting really anxious on them lately. To the point that my palms sweat more then normal, and my body gets really ridged on the bike. Today was no exception for that, but it was an exception for the drivers. For the morning and throughout the day people passed me wide and took up unoccupied lanes to save my nerves.

Thankfully this morning I had a favourable wind so I was lighting hay bails I was going so fast. It really saved my legs because they were cooked. Any time I got a burst of headwind I slowed to a crawl when usually I can just power through it.

The road today was actually really pleasant because for the most part I had a newish shoulder that did not feel like it had land mines blown up under it. On that note let’s talk about the rear wheel. Because of the roads yesterday it threw my wheel out of whack by a good chunk, not bad enough to feel it every revolution but bad enough to undo the rear brake. When I went to inspect the wheel I found hairline cracks forming around a few more spokes. I refuse to part with this wheel. It is a strange sticking point for me. I just feel that it summizes the trip to a tee. Infact when I get home the wheel is going to get framed and become a decretive piece in my room. They say you have to find your souvenir for a trip and I found mine.

I was rolling through mile after mile of Louisiana country that really was not too interesting. I kept pegging out water towers to pace myself to. Then I saw it. The perfect water tower. The perfect lighting. It was easily the most photogenic moment of the trip so far. I grabbed my front brake and sketched to a stop and went to grab my camera. Great my bar bag was acting up and the latches were stick. I wrench on it with my good hand and it pops open. I take my sock and lens cap off and turn around to catch the picture. It was gone. The cloud had cover the beautiful lighting and all that was left was a black mess.

Not one to waste a stop I thought of what to take a picture of. And it came to me take a picture of my hands. To paint a picture for you my entire palm is a callas and by the end of the day a 2-inch wide and 4 inch long strip is bright red and tender. My thumbs from wrapping around the hoods are useless and hurt if you try to incorporate them in anything.

Lunch was typical I stopped for a sandwich and sat down beside this father and son. Now I am like most people that are somewhere alone. I listen to there conversation and was shocked by what I heard. It was the exact same conversation that I had with both my mom and dad about life after high school. It actually got weird it was so similar, I wanted jump in and give my fallow your dreams speech but I held back. That was until they kicked open the door by asking how old I was. Then I spilt over like Niagara Falls. This moment made me come to a conclusion. This is not just a ride. This is my dream. I cannot give up in Austin. The last stop is L.A. That being said After Austin the ride is going to suck because the state highways zip zag all over the map. It is not going to be as simple as the east coast where I just went down route 1.

I was starting to get a headwind and was ready to stop in Kinder when a truck flags me over. Then another tuck pulls a u-turn. I am wondering what the heck is happening here, am I going to die here on a state highway. Well not today death. What happened was the white truck passed me wide and the other truck would not move over. They then smacked mirrors and that was that. So it is 91 degrees and im sitting on the side of the road for an hour waiting for the state trooper to show up to give my report. I guess there went my nap. On the plus side I have e never met two people that were happier to have an accident.
Trip Distance: 185km
Ride Time: 7:58hr
Avg. Speed: 23.32km/h
Total Distance: 13650km
Total Ride Time: 631hr
Destination: Kinder, Louisiana

Tour Day 89 New Orleans. The City Of My Dreams. Sept 22 2010

2010-09-23T15:21:00.001-07:00

I am going to start with an argument I have been having in my head all day. Ever since I dropped the Austin bomb in my head it has not left. It has just been eating away at my mind and made me a cycling zombie. My first three hours on the bike I did nothing but obsess over what I was going to do. Stop in Austin and take a bit of a vacation. Possible rent a carbon road bike and go for a few nice rides. Or push on the 1400-1500 miles to L.A. and the Ocean. The easiest way to put it is my heart wants to go on but my body and mind want to stop in Austin. I said back in st. johns that I would end when I was crispy and I am officially crispy. Every day the riding is getting more and more routine, and more and more I find myself zoning out on the road.

I started today 49 miles away from New Orleans. A place I have had in my mind for years. I had always seen New Orleans as a mecha for blues, and a hometown vibe in a big city.

When I was 25 miles away I crossed this bridge that took you onto this little spit of land that weaved back and forth. If you went 2 feet to the right you were in the water. If you crossed the road you were in the water. The houses were placed on top of 15-foot stilts and had more boat parking then car parking. It was simply beautiful. I was thinking that New Orleans was going to be everything I expected.

After not seeing a sign that I had entered the town I was in New Orleans. It was not what I had thought. Every 3rd or 4th building was abandoned or demolished, and the buildings that were built all seemed to have this stale look to them. Thinking it was just this one area I moved on to a different section of the city only to find more of the same. As a side note if you are in a wheelchair, or have a handicapped loved one do not come here. If you do have a sidewalk it’s demolished and has no ramps at the stoplights. If it is smooth sailing there is glass everywhere.

I had fully anticipated spending a night in town but it just was not worth it. Maybe it was the argument I was having with myself already but I was actually upset with what I had seen. The only saving grace were two people that I stopped to asking for directions.

When I stopped for lunch I told the lady about my experience and she said she understood and that the only time the town is upbeat is during a football game or holiday.

Anyways I was back on the road and encountered the worst shoulder yet. It was like riding on a roller coaster that had it in for my rear wheel. Multiple times I stopped to check my tire pressure and wheel trueness. Though I had pressure the trueness was less then stellar.

Baton Rouge is my rest stop for the day. It was a long hard day in the saddle but I have this weird thing in my mind. I hate knowing that the road is going to turn during my ride the next day. This is because if I have a tailwind one way if I turn then ill have a headwind and ill be upset because I had a taste of what the tailwind was. Where as it is easier I think if you just hammer a headwind all day.
Trip Distance: 214km
Ride Time: 9:03hr
Avg. Speed: 23.63km/h
Total Distance: 13464km
Total Ride Time: 623hr
Destination: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Tour Day 88 I Was Wrong Sept 21 2010

2010-09-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about Alabama last night. I was thinking how wrong I was about it. I mean instead of guns and bullets I encountered some of the nicest people I have met yet. That same incorrect thinking transferred over to today. When I thought of a big city in Alabama I had visions of horse drawn carriages and a lot of “y’alls”. When I got within 5 miles of Mobile and saw these beautiful sky scrappers that dominated the landscape as you rode over an extended bridge, or through grass that was taller then you. After this I rode past the battleship u.s.s. Alabama. It was a wow moment when you go past a gun that is 100metres long.

Things were going smooth. I was going along route 90, which was going to take me around the outskirts of mobile. Well that plan came to a screeching halt when route 90 hit the interstate in the worst neighbourhood in mobile (right outside of the shipyard). I only had one option and that was go down this road that took me right into this suburb because I was not backtracking then 5miles and restarting. Now I was not sure of my choice so I decided to ask the first person I saw. This person turned around when I started the conversation and I was facing down a guy with two tear tattoos I was a little intimidated. What took my anxiety away was the fact he was with his 5 year old son, so I was fairly confident he would not destroy me like the mangled dog I saw 2 blocks back. This dog was just messed. I can deal with flat but this was mangled.

After getting little to no help with directions I decided to start a search pattern for the road. I knew I had to go southwest so I just started going 1 block south 2 blocks west. Low and behold I found the road and was good to go on my way to Mississippi.

My first 14 miles in Mississippi left me wondering why people lived there. The reason I say that is because the roads were complete trash. The driving surface was fine because it was repaved after the hurricane but they left the should untouched. So it was ride on the highway or get the pee shaken out of me.

So after getting shaken to bits I hit something that really surprised me. Water. Mile after mile of beautiful beached. Marinas every 10 miles and just a generally good vibe. It is amazing how peoples driving habits change depending on where you are. Beaches are calm. Bridges are crazy. Rain people turn their brains off. And heat I turn my brain off

Lets talk about heat. We are over day 13 94-degree heat or over. I can not wait for a day where it is even 80.

Lunchtime came after stopping to watch a few shrimping boats pass by a team cleaning up from the oil spill. It was an odd mix of emotions. On one hand I felt like forest gump, and the other I felt like helping I the efforts of the clean up… or just rent a jet ski. Ill be honest I was seriously considering leaving the bike and renting a jet ski. Lunch came with my flat of the day as well. Today’s flat was not from the road but rather the tube itself. Faulty manufacturing meant that the tube split in half a lot like the tire I bought a week ago.

I have no complaints today. I am so lucky to me able to ride these roads along easily the most beautiful coast I have seen yet. On that note I have been doing some thinking. With New Orleans only 50 miles away what is my next step. The next step is Austin Texas and mellow johnnies bike shop (lance armstongs store). This is going to be the first stop where I am have to do some serious thinking. The bike is having issues with the hubs having play now. The luck isn’t changing. And the weather is supposed to change for the worst within a week. We will see.
Trip Distance: 187km
Ride Time: 8:04hr
Avg. Speed: 23.14km/h
Total Distance: 13250km
Total Ride Time: 614hr
Destination: Bay St. Louise, Mississippi

Tour Day 87 A Normal Day. Whats That? Sept 20 2010

2010-09-20T18:00:00.001-07:00

When I woke up at the hotel defuniak I was so comfy that I really did not want to ride. Still I got up and put on my nice salty chamois shorts and was ready to make my breakfast in the dining room. It was 5 in the morning so all the lights in this 1920’s building were off. They said make yourself at home so I had to skulk around for the lights. Once I located them I was in business. Now all I need was to figure out the hot water and I was set.

It was a strange thing having cutlery. It was even stranger to be eating at a table and not eating out of a pot. It actually made me realize I like eating straight out of the pot it just feels normal to me. While enjoying my breakfast I heard some really odd creaks and cracks in the building. My mind raced to the conclusion that it was haunted.

After getting a warm goodbye from the housekeeper I was on the road. Now I evidently missed the page where the time changed so that’s why it’s been so dark in the mornings. Now that I have changed my clocks it is light earlier.

For the past few days at around 9am I get into this weird funk where I want to stop early and abandon the day. This is also the time I start fighting with my eyes to stay open, and my mind to stay alert. With rumble strips on the road today whenever I felt myself slowing down I hit them to shake the pee out of me. You know how new cement gets shaken to get the air bubbles out. Well the same thing happens to the human body.

One really special thing happened today. Along the side of the highway rested the original highway 90 built in 1921 of brick. I couldn’t not ride on it so I ripped off the highway into a pile of sand almost wiping out and proceeded to get shaken to pieces on the bricks. It some of the most fun riding in Florida.

I was feeling good. I was making time and was ready to pass Pensacola. That was until I hit a fork in the road. Do I take route 90 or route 90 alt. Well me thinking logically route 90 sounded like the fastest way? It was almost eerie the situation because I kept riding along this beautiful shoreline and rolling hills (the exact same as the ride into horseshoe bay in Vancouver) and I thought “why am I still along the coastline, I should be heading inland”. I went through the exact same process as in Newfoundland except this time when I asked if I was on the right road they told me yes. I pressed on and kept going down this road for an hour. I then took a second to look at my map and low and behold I was taking the road right into Pensacola. It was a detour yes but a beautiful one so I was not to bothered by it.

After getting some lunch I was on my way to Alabama. Because of my trek I mentally prepared myself for a 230km day. I got into Alabama in good time, and was making progress along blank road that were spot with the odd house.

It was once I got onto route 53 that I hit my first town in Alabama and almost as soon as I started leaving the town I picked up a construction nail that gave me a nice flat. I knew it was going to smooth. I knew I couldn’t have energy at 190km’s, a good temperature, and no problems on the mind. So I change the flat in good time and start rolling. I get 50metres and went to shift. Nothing happened. I shift it back and try again. SNAP. Great. The cable snapped in the shifter and locked me in my hardest gear… of course. I tried fishing the cable out but it was stuck.

At this point my mind is thinking now I have to flag a car in the patron state of shooting stuff. After 10 minutes of trying I was starting to loose hope. Then a suv pulls a u-turn in the middle of the highway. The flashing lights started blaring. Now im thinking “o Jesus another ticket and this time I am not even riding”. Fortunately investigator Brad M. Burke of the Baldwin County sheriff’s office was stopping to help while he was on duty. We loaded my bike in and he took me to Eastern shore cycles (www.thebike-shop.com). The ride was very pleasant because we got a chance to get to know each other.

When we got to the bike shop the guys looked at me as if I was drunk. I was asking for the moon, and when they looked at my broken wheel they all came to the same conclusion “this is one crazy bike tourist”. What I said in response to justify my busted wheel was “it was a new wheel or food for the months”. To which they got a good chuckle out of. Of the 3 bike shops I have been in during the trip this was easily my favourite both for the service and the staff. I forgot to extend this offer when I was in the shop but if you guys are ever in BC I would more then gladly give you a crash course on BC riding.

They fixed my bike and got me on my way. I was spent. Mentally because of the mishaps and miss directions, and physically from the 200kms in some of the worst humility I have ridden in yet. So I just took the closest motel. Unfortunately I was in the upper end of daphine so it legit blew my budget but I really don’t care. Figuring my budget was broken for the day I decided to try Firehouse subs. It is a sandwich change that two people named Charles and Ali turned me onto and we don’t have it up in Canada. If you are not familiar with Charles and Ali they are Internet vlogers that actually turned me onto blogging. Check them out on youtube just search ctfxc. They live here in Florida and I wanted to stay with them but unfortunately they never responded to my email but I understand they are busy.

What a crazy day. I am sleeping in and taking a short day tomorrow.
Trip Distance: 201km
Ride Time: 8:55hr
Avg. Speed: 22.51km/h
Total Distance: 13063km
Total Ride Time: 6:06hr
Destination Daphine, Alabama

Tour Day 86 A Good Nights Sleep Sept 19 2010

2010-09-19T16:59:00.001-07:00

When I woke up I could not wait to get riding because I was sweaty, sticky, and gross. Adding to this I had to roll the bike down 2 flights of stairs which is a little sketchy because the bike has a mind of its own once it gets rolling.

Once rolling I was amazing how different things look in the dark. This ghetto that I was staying in actually looked nice when only the trees on the side of street were lit up. I have been contemplating stating even earlier in the mornings because it is far more pleasant to ride in. mabey start at 5 am instead of 6, that being said the days are getting shorter so I may actually get my way without changing anything.

The rolling hills carried over today but I was prepared and just took my time on of it and never gave 100%. With things running smooth my mind had a chance to think about things other then my bike. I had a chance to realize how sore I am. My left shoulder is killing when I rotate it backwards, my right hand has multiple pintched nerves so writing is impossible, and my ankle has been hurting for the past few days. I think when I was having my cassette issues when it slipped and snapped my ankle back underload may have caused a problem. Luckily all of these things do not hurt much when im riding unless I do specific movements.

With that in mind I made the choice to take it easy today. No 200km day today for me. So I took my time and took in the sights of a few towns I passed through. I also got the chance to ride one of the coolest stretches of road yet. It was a bridge called Victory Bridge that was dead flat and crossed this swamp that was about 3kms long. What made it really cool was the fact that this bridge was right at the top of the trees so you could see for miles.

Now with taking it easy in mind I still pushed myself. Lunch was supposed to be at 120km. I felt good so I went to the next town at 130km. That town didn’t have any service stations so I had to go another 13km. I was ready to eat by that point and it actually worked out nice because it meant it was only a short ride to the rest stop.

My stop was in Defuniak Springs. This is my first real taste of Florida because up until now I have just been staying in super sketchy places. Today I did not feel like making the 5-mile trek to save a few bucks so I made the choice to stay in the historic downtown. I decided to stop in a hotel that was built in the 1920’s and is one of Florida’s top 10 places to stay. It is really nice and cozy, and the people here are really friendly. Really it is a great way to spend an evening. The only thing is because this is a heavily religious part of Florida everything is closed on Sunday. It is actually a little weird because the roads were super quiet, then you would pass a church and it was overflowing with people.

It looks like I may be alabaham tomorrow so here is hoping I don’t receive a gunshot wound within my first 20kms.

So I screwed up. I accidentally delted my ride info before I recorded it so I will give you the stuff I know.
Total Distance: 12862km
Total Ride Time: 597hr
Destination: Defuniak Springs, Florida

Tour Day 85 The Good Ol' Boys Sept 18 2010

2010-09-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

I forgot I was in the south for the past few days because I have been in fairly touristy parts of Florida. Now that I am getting closer to Alabama I have already had a few things that have left e with more questions then anything else. Case and point last night I was walking back from getting my groceries and at this gas station these two guys had erected there hunting chair (an elevated 20 foot platform with a chair) at the station and were having a discussion about it. All I could understand from the conversation was “well what do we do now”. I just envision them shooting birds over the highway at night.

One other thing that left me with a question mark was at my rest stop today in Perry. I stopped at another gas station for a snack and was shocked by what I saw. It had all the typicals like beer, snacks, and more beer, but half the store was dedicated to fake hair. Adding to this I went to purchase my snack and the guy looks at me and says in a heavy southern accent “I like you shirt”. I immediately looked for the necklace made of teeth. After not seeing one I accepted the compliment and promptly kept riding.

I am going to take a stand on something else. I am ok with you having an old P.O.S. car with huge rims on it, but please keep the seat erect. If it is all the way back it is doing nothing. If you wanted to be a real thug just take the backrest off and simply have the bottom to the chair. I mean really that has to be the next step.

The ride this morning was actually very pleasant I because I had tree lining for the first 4 hours. That meant that the temperature was normal for a change. At point I only had the jersey undone halfway which is a first for Florida.

The road today was not easy for two reasons. The first was the fact that it had large gaps between everything. For example lunch was supposed to be at this one homestead called Capps but it turns out that this place was simply an intersection. Luckily there was a gas station 4 miles down the road that sufficed.

The a.d.d. is kicking in hard here. Have you ever seen Zombie land? Well there is a character called Tallahassee and boy did the writers and casters do an amazing job. I was in this gas station and I felt like I was in the movie. Not only were these guys dead ringers for the cast of the movie, but also they could not stop talking about shooting their bows in the morning, and discussing their cow situation. All this was fine and dandy but what I found funny was the fact that all these manly conversations were going on while he has pictures of what I assume was his daughter in a pink dress surround them. If it wasn’t his daughter then he would be the guy with the tooth necklace.

The other reason the road were not easy is because it was not flat. Which if it were a normal temperature would be fine but at 95 degrees climbing just blows rocks, and with the gaps you cant drink as much as you would like to. This is what led to me getting dehydrated. I can tell when I am on the verge because I get really tired. At points I was playing a dangerous game of shutting my eyes for 2 seconds just to take quick catnaps. I knew that was going to end bad so I just turned my music up and started singing the best of journey and mason Jennings. If you have never heard of mason Jennings look him up he is possible the best folk singer of the past decade.

My rest stop was supposed to be in Tallahassee at a solid 160km. Even better I had no flats so I was in at a normal time, maybe even could catch a nap. Then I found out that a major football game was going on so when I asked for a room I encountered an extremely inflated price. My only choice was to go the 20miles to quicey. Thinking my luck was about to turn I was getting really conscious of my tires. I always felt as if they were going flat, but it was just me over thinking things

When I got to quincy I found out it was a nicer ghetto so I had the choice of the motel that was a house converted over, or the motel with grass growing out of the driveway. I decided on the house and it was a bad choice. My room though cheap is constructed entirely of wood, and the ac is broken. So I am in a sauna is what it build down to in this heat and humidity. Needless to say my ice cream is going to taste awesome.
Trip Distance: 201km
Ride Time: 8:59hr
Avg. Speed: 22.42km/h
Total Distance: 12693km
Total Ride Time: 590hr
Destination: Quincy, Florida

Tour Day 84 Lets Talk Luck Sept 17 2010

2010-09-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I woke up in a good mood today because I figured my luck had to change. When I got on the road and encountered my first hills of Florida. It was fun because these hills were tailored for me. They here gradual inclines that I could just power up. It was so peaceful riding them in the pitch-black on a quiet side road. It was at this point that I was thinking, “This is going to be a good day”.

At 7am I passed a subway, which means one thing fresh purified water and unlimited ice. This only added to my good mood. Nothing is worse then when you are looking for refreshment and are greeted by chlorine.

I had just taken my first sip of my new water when I felt it. I looked back and you guessed it a rear flat. After dropping a single f bomb I pulled over and changed it. Today’s first flat was courtesy of a nice small nail. I got the tire inflated and was back rolling… or so I thought. I get 20 metres down the road and I had this huge hop in my rear wheel. The dang tire wouldn’t seed on the wheel right. After spending 15 minutes fiddling with it I got it to a point where I could deal with it.

At this point it was getting hot again and I was sweating profusely. Because I have been changing so many flats and getting so sweaty standing still that I converted my tent towel to my sweat rag. After one day it already smells like roses.

Trying to put that behind me I kept pedaling and knew that with the road was going to turn the next 5km were going to suck. Before I could even start the punishment of that I had to stop again. A front flat. I was contemplating throwing my bike over this small fence and letting the rabid dogs chew on it for a while. Alas I did not. As much as it has been a pain the past few weeks I love my bike. When I took the tube out and felt for what caused the flat I had to laugh when I found out was it was. My new tires centre-bead started to come apart and sent a poky metal piece into my tube. Not able to yank the metal out without ruining the tire further I had to use this magical thing called tape. I think that you can officially call yourself a bike tourist once you have to use tape in a serious situation.

After passing through a couple one-shop towns I finally hit a small city. This was at 130km and I was cooked. I also figured that the next two towns one the map wouldn’t have anything that I needed for the evening. Pure stupidity made me continue after getting some food in my belly.

My target was cross-city and I was going to tank it there because I need a good nights rest. I was not getting in at 6:30 again and rushing to get my stuff sorted. I was zoned out pedaling like a beaver when I got a sign from the heavens that my luck was going to change. Not only were my tires holding but as I rode my dream car drove by. Passing me at a little above the speed of smell was a 1974 Gremlin X. It had seen better days but I still was in awe of this beauty.

In cross-town I stopped at the first place instead of riding and rolling the dice to see if there is anything further down the road. Turns my animal instincts were right on this one. Even better I got my grocery shopping done tonight so that I do not have to stop tomorrow. I figure that will add about 25 minutes of time to my day that I can use to change a few more flats.
Trip Distance: 163km
Ride Time: 7:10hr
Avg. Speed: 22.83km/h
Total Distance: 12492km
Total Ride Time: 581hr
Destination: Crosstown, Florida

Tour Day 83 A Run In With The Police. The No Fun Police Sept 16 2010

2010-09-16T17:11:00.000-07:00

Last night I was in a bad mood so I figured I would combine two things I love. Ice cream, and sandwiches. As we all know you cant buy just one from the grocery store so I bought a pack of 12. Knowing that 12 would make me sick I was the generous Canadian and walked around the super 8 handing them out. The people were so shocked that someone was being kind that it was invigorating for me. When I told them I was from Canada they went “aaaa that makes sense”.

Today I started riding with a positive mindset I figured my luck could not get any worse. Well as with many things I was wrong. I set out the door and encountered a 12mph crosswind that pumbled me all day. Because it was coming from the west when I turned northwest it was just ruthless. Hour after hour of grinding. It really messes with your mind and body because you are putting out so much extra effort.

By snack time I was beyond drained. I had my regular snack and went back on the road not excited for the rest of the ride. Of course adding to this I already had one flat that had no explanation. At 11 am I was done I had decided that Tampa was going to be the rest stop.

I was miserable. Adding to what was already going wrong I kept passing waste transfer sites, and porn shops. Which I got to thinking about. The two times that the word adult is used in society is in adult shops, and adult communities (old folks home). It makes me wonder about the transition into adulthood.

I passed Tampa and it was bad news. Everywhere I went was a shady area that I did not want to stop in. So I pressed on to Lutz for lunch and a place to rest. At lunch I met a few nice people and I felt the day was turning around. Then I got to my bike and another damn flat. I wasn’t changing it, it still had some pressure and I was gunna ride it to the motel that should have been 5 miles away.

Well the motel was not there and the next one 5 miles away did not take guests. The one after that was more of the same news. At that point I was past the breaking point mentally and physically. The fun police had officially shown up on my doorstep.

I did not want to make the 36-mile gap to Brooksville today but it ended up happening and rounded out another gruelling day on the bike where all my thoughts were focused on why the heck I am doing this. Again the km’s don’t complete themselves and I have the strength to continue so that’s what I am going to do.

I hope my luck is starting to turn around because when I changed the flat front again I finally noticed on piece of metal less then half an mm thick that had been causing me my headaches. After pulling this out and popping a new tube in I feel as if that was a sign from the bike gods. They have put me threw hell now I hope I can just ride for a few days. Just 2 days would make me happy then the problems can start again I just need to sort out my head and the only way I know how to do that is by riding a bike. If the bike is being a problem it just amplifies things by about 1000%
Trip Distance: 195km (was supposed to be 120km max)
Ride Time: 9:13hr
Avg. Speed: 21.25km/h (I do not know how I pulled that off with the wind)
Total Distance: 12328km
Total Ride Time: Brooksville, Florida

Tour Day 82 More Miles More Problems Sept 15 2010

2010-09-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

I was out the door this morning and you guessed it front flat. I was thinking it was ok so I just inflated it and went on down the road with a smooshed muffin in my back pocket. About 3km’s down the road I saw the bright lights of a gas station and decided to suck it up and change it. Well when I stopped and took the wheel off I immediately regretted the choice because this place was a mosquito pit. I must be delicious because they would not get off of me. Even once I pulled out the chunk of rubber that caused the flat and got back on the road I found myself scratching as if they were still one me.

At this point I was getting competitive with myself because I was behind and wanted to get back on time. Luckily I had a wind pushing me so within 2 hours I was on time and infact making time. Then all of a sudden my front end started to bounce. I pulled over and there rested a nice piece of wire sticking out of my tire. I can only assume it was from my incident 10kms back. Now before I go any further I am going to put my foot down on this, I am not going to be taking any more state routes in Florida because of the drivers. My incident today was the closest I have ever got to getting smoked in my life. I was rolling down this two-lane road and this woman in a gmc Yukon pulls out to pass ignoring im there. This forces me over onto the grass because she kept coming over. After giving her the thumbs up I noticed that she was on a cell phone as well. About the only thing that was missing was the lipstick in the other hand. This did not make me a very happy camper.

So after changing this flat I was behind again. I knew I only had another 15 miles of this tailwind so I hit the gas. By the time I made it to Tice I was back on time and was feeling good. That was until I turned and got the tailwind I had in the form of a crosswind. I still pushed it because my legs were feeling good. It was at this point I realized that time had flown by and I missed my break. As soon as I realized that I missed my break my body hit the wall and I needed food. Stubbornness made me pass one town and move the 7 miles to the next one. It was a good choice because at this subway they were super interested in my trip. It picked up my mood and got me pumped for the last 50km.

When I got back on the bike I realized I pushed it because it was a struggle to turn the pedals over. Now the task was to find a bike shop to get a couple new tubes because I had used both of my spares up. It was just as I was thinking about this that my rear end started to bounce. Now way I thought. I was not stopping to change it because I know my patches would not hold so I rode it flat for 2 miles to the business to get a new rear tire (it was a sign from the bike gods) and new tubes. Now I was not a happy camper so when this place only had one tube and one tire I was not pumped. What got me even more frustrated was the fact the tire when I pulled it out of the box was in two pieces. Really useful.

Now I had to use my one good tube on my worn out tire. I was fully expecting it to pop right away but I had a trick up my sleeve. I ran it at super low pressure so that I was not running on the worn out tread. This robbed power but got me down the road.

I got to the next business and no tubes or tires. The bike shop after that luckily had a tire and a couple tubes so I was golden. Now you may have guessed that I was not happy and I wasn’t. I actually started to loose my mind. I was yelling at my bike to cooperate. Yelling at it to last until the rest stop then I will baby it.

With my luck I expected the tube to blow before I got to Venice but it lasted. I think. We will see in the morning. What made me even more upset was while I was literally white with salt I was craving a visit to Venice beach. Instead I am stuck here working on my bike changing tire, tube, and lubing. I guess that’s why im touring by bicycle.
Trip Distance: 190km
Ride Time: 7:30hr
Avg. Speed: 25.32km/hr (I am a monster. Thank You Skins compression wear.)
Total Distance: 12132km
Total Ride Time: 564hr
Destination: Venice, Florida

Tour Day 81 Let Your Guts Hang Low Sept 14 2010

2010-09-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a sore shoulder, throbbing legs, and drowsy eyes. I was out and packing up my stuff when I just went back and decided today is a day off and promptly fell back asleep.

When I woke up at 8am (a huge sleep in) I immediately felt better. Everything in my body was thanking me for not pushing it over the limit again.

I laying half awake I was thinking of the things I was going to fill my day with because I had no chores to complete. Other then a few emails I had nothing. That meant that I had an entire day to relax and do absolutely nothing.

When I got out the door I was met with super dark clouds and a heavy wind that would not have been at my back. With the next town 30 miles away it would have killed me that morning, so again that gave me a positive feeling.

At breakfast though I could not help but feel a little guilty. Here I am stuff my face when I should be turning over the pedals and getting my butt down the road. It is funny how cycling for me has progressed as a kid it was a hobby, as a teen it was a passion, now becoming an adult its an obsession.

With the feeling of guilt in my head I had to make myself useful. I did that by looking at my maps and deciding my route out of Florida. Because I am not coming down the coast anymore I have to actually plan. It is not as simple as saying “o I will just fallow route 1 for 13 days in a row”. When I looked at my map I had no idea what to do because really any route had multiple large gaps. So as a backup I went to goggle maps to look at side roads. Usually if you see side roads there will be some business of some sort. Or at least that’s what im hoping. My choice in terms of route is to not go up the inland. Instead I will be going up the golf coast. I will have a better breeze, better scenery, and hopefully more stuff.

After taking a nap and spilling half a tube of toothpaste on my shirt it was time for lunch. Now I did not realize I had that much splatter on me till I was halfway across the street. I had gone about 20 feet into a 350foot journey and I decided that it was to far to turn back and get a new shirt. I mean it seems here that any shirt is rarity. I would have just loved to read the minds of the people that were helping me.

Before I go any further I have come to a conclusion. Florida is not filled with old people. They are actually all young but the humidity has the same affect as sitting in water for a long time; you become like a grape. On the water note I was taking a bath today (the first in about 6 months) and farted. After this I was left with a question. Why do farts in any water smell so much worse then anywhere else?

Now it was time to just relax and do some research for when I get back. I figured the reserve I am going to try to get into. I am going to apply with the 15th field artillery regiment in Vancouver. Artillery is something I always have been interested in because it is the most technical of the frontline forces and no battle has ever been won without it. I looked at things like becoming a technician or lineman, more safe options but if I did those I would not truly be committed 100% to my reserve.

At this point it was time for dinner and I decided that it was time for a buffet. At this Chinese buffet I was the only one in it to start off. As the night wore on all these single guys came strolling in and they all had one thing in common. They had this strange walk when the approached the door. It was almost as if they had ridden a horse all day, or in this case they were awaiting there guts to drop once full. Buffet edict is also something interesting. You have to process how am I going to make this worthwhile. In this case it was tackle the crab legs, and dairy products. Make them pay for only charging me 8 bucks.
Trip Distance: 0km

Tour Day 80 The Willard Of Cats Sept 13 2010

2010-09-13T16:39:00.001-07:00

After getting little rest because of the constant screaming matches, doors opening and closing, and a swarm of people coming and going I was ready to leave.

It was 5am my regular wake up and I was tempted to sleep in but then I gave myself a goal. Leave now and I get to my rest stop earlier. I promised myself a treat today to splurge the extra 10 bucks for a room that does not smell like an old mans backside or have something crawling on the floor when you open the door (not a joke). As a side note after seeing that all my bags were tightly sealed that night.

The first 15 miles today were nerve racking because I was fighting with airport traffic and dump trucks along a road with no shoulder. Thankfully as soon as the sun came up I got a shoulder. As well I had some tree cover which gave me some shade to avoid baking. Really it was shaping up to be a good ride.

Well with me saying that you can probably guess it was not a stellar ride. And it started to turn that way at saw blades airboat tours. This was the last stop before hitting what I thought was a 41-mile gap with nothing. The operator of the tour boat company, which strangely was open at 7:55am, said that it takes her an hour to get to south bay… which then means its 60 miles.

I started the gap with a negative spin on it. I had 60 miles, and my water tasted of stale alligator. The terrain was mentally exhausting because it was dead flat and my bush cover was gone. I was left to cook.

An hour into the ride I was done. I was out of my good water and started on alligator water. I kept focusing on a point roughly a mile away. Low and behold I saw a single building. I pulled in and encountered a no trespassing violators will be shot sign confronted me. I saw no one on this farm so I went in the open gate and snooped around for someone to ask for some fresh water. It sounds worse then it was I swear. Luckily I found one guy leaving and he pointed me to the water jug. It was so awesome to have bottled water that was cool.

I decided to make this my rest point. I was just starting my cinnamon bun peanut butter sandwich when 7 cats crawled out from under this house. Willard had rats apparently I have cats. They would not leave me so I had to give them a little bit of love before I pushed on down the road.

Before I left I encountered another guy who was a little hesitant looking at this tiny red and white spandex figure in his driveway (I assume he has the gun). I asked how far the town was from that point and he told me the good news. My initial distance was right so that meant that I did not have conserve the energy I had left in the tank.

I started to eat up the miles and made it to the gas station in south bay in stellar time. The only thing I could complain about was the fact my lunch was a pre-packaged microwave burrito.

After my burrito I had 16 miles to round out the day. I made them quick because I had chores to be done. Nothing was really pressing but I wanted to pre plan everything. So thinking ahead I got some white gas did my laundry two days early, and grocery shopped one day ahead. This means that I don’t have to worry about that stuff for a while which is nice.
Trip Distance: 138km (another good rest day)
Ride Time: 6:00hr
Avg. Speed: 23.01km/h
Total Distance: 11942km
Total Ride Time: 557hr
Destination: Clewiston, Florida

Tour Day 79 An Epic Ride And A Change Of Plans Sept 12 2010

2010-09-13T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for my blog yesterday. I know it was confusing to read and I apologize. I just know I have something to say I simply have not figured out how to word it yet.

Because I took a nap yesterday I found it very difficult to fall asleep. So really the nap was useless because I spent my nap tie up at night. Which meant in the morning I was not completely charged, but anything was better then where I was at.

I got on the road and felt pretty descent. I knew from my calculations that I had 100 miles to Miami which in my condition was going to be a nicely pace day. What made the morning even better was my helmet. I cleaned the pads last night for the first time in 2 weeks and lord was it gross. I squeezed them out and saw 2 weeks of sweat and dead skin drop out in a cloud of grossness in the sink. Once cleaned it took a lot of pressure off the cut on my head and made the riding a lot better.

I was getting down the road in good time and was ahead of schedule when I got passed by a guy on a tri bike. Thinking nothing of it I just kept riding. Then a lady pulls up next to me and we start talking. It was nice to see some other cyclists because for the past 4 days it had been nothing but the odd klunker in the rough parts of town. This lady was very interested in the trip and telling it to he students that she helps.

After getting a good talk in and being forced to travel a little quicker I ran into a group of triathletes. They were a little bit snooty to me so I jumped into there pace line and took a double pull over a few rolling hills. When they peeled off they collectively said that they did not see that coming from a bike as loaded as mine. That gave me a good boost of pride and energy.

That boost was quickly zapped when I realized my rear wheel was starting to rub again. Now I realized I had a lot of distance left and did not want to true my wheel so I just unhooked it thinking I was going to fix it later.

It was 12 and I was ready for lunch in Boca. Now I had my map closed because I felt confident in where I was going so I did not need it. I opened it to see where I was at and was shocked when I found out I was 130km into the day and still had 70km left.

At that point I braced myself for what was going to be a long day in the saddle and treated myself to some powerade. I figure it says power in it so it pretty much pedals the bike for me. Sadly this was not the case because when I got into ft. laterdale near the airport I promptly made a wrong turn because my brain was starting to get fried and I was stuck on the interstate again.

I was not going to get another ticket so I had to dismantle my bike and push it over a barrier that was roughly the height of a car. Once I crawled down and backtracked the 2km and started over I was cooked. I was just thinking get to route 27 north and that will be where I will stop.

Before I talk about the rest of the day I want to tell you about the change of place that has taken pace. I am not going to key west. It is 200 miles down the road with next to nothing for 50 to 80 mile patches. Adding to that I had planned to take a ferry once down there that would take me up the cape so that I would not have to ride the same road back. Unfortunately that ferry turned out not to exist anymore, which means it would be a combined 400 miles on the same road. For those reason I made the choice to turn around in Miami and take route 27 up to route 90 in Tallahassee. That also answers the next question; yes I will be continuing the trip from here until the weather turns.

Now this shows you how cooked my brain was at this point I thought that right in the middle of Miami I would be able to find a motel. Well that was not the case so after making a few wrong turns I was lost. Adding to it no one could give me good directions. So I was getting dehydrated because I was forgetting to drink, I was over 200km, and was still lost.

The was I ended up navigating was by planes. I knew I had to get beside the airport so I just kept watching the planes lading getting closer and closer. Fortunately a police officer final gave me some better directions and got me the fastest route.

I was running on fumes when I got into the Miami equivalent of the Mexican Compton. I had no gas to press on so I had to pick from one of the awesome motels in Hialeah. The one I decided on looked the worst from the outside which means it was going to have a good price which is all I cared about at that point because it was so late all I needed was a bed.

The best way I could put it is the motel in Baltimore had the murderer outside. This one had the inside. From the bathroom light that wont stop flickering in that way that you expect someone to pop up from behind you, to the duck tape on the floor. Everything has a pretty interesting vibe.
Trip Distance: 238km
Ride Time: 10:34hr
Avg. Speed: 22.53km/h
Total Distance: 11803km
Total Ride Time: 551hr
Destination: Hialeah, Florida

I was going to take tomorrow off and do nothing because I am fried right now and will need a day to rest from that, but I am not staying in this area. Instead I am going to put in a few hours spin the legs and get a good days rest.

Tour Day 78 A Day To Think And Remember Sept 11 2010

2010-09-11T16:07:00.001-07:00

I feel that today is a good day to elk about this. When I left I said that this trip was about self-discovery. Now when I said that I honestly did not know what to expect, or if anything would happen at all. What has changed is I have become comfortable in my own skin. I now know that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I know that if I set my mind to something im not going to stop until it is complete. And I now realize that my priorities when I left where wrong. I was so focused on myself that I did not focus any attention on my community or more importantly my friends.

Over the space of the last few weeks I have made an effort to open up a little bit more and tell people how I feel, and how I am I am sorry for what I have or haven’t done. The easiest way to reference it is like this. What does an animal born in a zoo think is normal?
We are those animals in the zoo. I will leave it at that.

As for the days ride I got out the door and felt my legs were toasted. Not even a honey bun could save me today. At one point I stopped on the side of the road because I thought I had a wicked head wind. When I stopped I found out I infact had a tailwind and was still going less then the speed of smell.

Things got worse when I forgot to drink as much as I should. It was mainly because the water I had tasted like a pool when you drank it. When I stopped at a gas bar to get some fresh water and ice the lady said that the ice would be a dollar to which I just walked right out the door.

Once I realized I was getting dehydrated I started cramming. Which is almost worse then not drinking at all because your body cant take it all in. When I started to dry heave up my honey bun I was regretting it.

What saved me was the view, and some prospective. I was riding right next to the water for the better part of the day which meant it was only 97 degrees with humity not the 110 it was when I got inland a couple kilometres. One thing I found amazing was the differences here in Florida. I was riding through a less then beautiful city when I looked over and saw nothing but huge hotels on the other side of the river. It is shocking to see such a difference in just a few kilometres.

It was at lunchtime I decided to stop. It was worth taking half a day off to rest, recharge as much as possible, and just enjoy some time to myself. Two things have me concerned. One is the fact that every 10th add here seems to be for a cancer agency. Which usually means that something is causing cancer around here (rockets if you ask me). The other is my hand. What was happening to my left hand back in Canada is now happening to my right hand. To the point that last night I told the guy he had to fill out the form for me because if I did it, it would just look like a scribble. Luckily my signature is a scribble so I can still fudge that.

To go back to the first things I said today. I am still young and I have a lot of time to make a difference in the world. I have a lot of time to take this piece of mind that I now have and put it to good use.

On the anniversary of 9/11 one thing disturbed me. I don’t think that it is right that on a day that brought so much tragedy as this they should be airing commercials that crack jokes and push products down my throat after showing me images of real people dieing, real people loosing families, and really people coming together. It just goes to show you what a consumerist society we live in. Mind you I am kind of a hypocrite as I sit here typing on a name brand computer, and eating name brand ice cream. In all honesty I don’t know what I am trying to say here, so hopefully you can read between the lines and enlighten me.
Trip Distance: 119km
Ride Time: 5:29hr
Avg. Speed: 21.83km/h
Total Distance: 11565km
Total Ride Time: 540hr
Destination: Ft. Pierce, Florida

Tour Day 77 Running On Fumes Sept 10 2010

2010-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up today and was in one of those moods. I was so comfy I did not want to move. My mind got the better of me and I got up figuring I was already up so why just lie there and do nothing.

When I got on the road I was hit with a heat wave… again. It was leg zapping because I was dripping in sweat and it was 7am. Mentally and physically I was cooked. I made the choice that today was going to be a rest day, and I was going to finish at lunch.

Each km was a struggle to keep up to a pace I deemed acceptable. I kept pushing and pushing until I felt my calve start to tighten up. I stretched it for 30 seconds and kept going. When the stretching didn’t help I had flash backs to Regina back on day 13 (I think). I then made the choice to make my pit stop early… mainly because my stomach was getting the best of me.

At the rest stop I saw these delicious looking things called honey buns. This snack was about the size of my palm and an inch thick. Looking at the size I got three of them. When I was eating the first I looked on the package to read about it and started to laugh at what I found. Each one was 800 calories, and contained 187% of my daily fat intake. I may have laughed but I needed those calories because I was running on fumes. I could tell I was running dry not only by my computer, but also by the way my mind was working. I kept wanting to stop and rest. I kept wanting to give up.

After I got some food I thought ok I can make it to lunch no problem. At lunch I got to talking with another guy thinking about doing some touring. It is always nice getting to geek out for a few minutes and tell him how much I love all of my gear.

With some lunch in me I thought ok lets go for another hour and that will make it an average day. At the 30-minute mark I decided to look at my map and saw that the next town that had anything was 30 miles away. I then decided to stop complaining and just put in the miles. I picked up my pace and was making surprisingly good time. It looked as if I was going to make it to my stop before 3pm, which meant it would turn out to be a rest day after all.

About 10 miles out I got hit by a sudden rainstorm. Now it was not really a problem because it was light and it was still 97 degrees outside. The only thing was once the rain stopped it became even more humid. With the heat index it was 107 degrees. Which translates to hot.

I had the shirt unzipped and could tell my chest was burning but I did not care it was not worth zipping the jersey, and I was so sweaty that sun scream would have just fallen off. I was just thinking about a cheap motel and how awesome it was going to be. I saw the signs for the town and was even more exited. Then I heard POP, tick, tick, tick. I thought the worst “my ear wheel is toast”. When I looked my wheel was fine. Instead I got a lovely nail from the construction site I had passed.

It is over 100 degrees; I am dripping sweat all over the curb, and changing a rear flat. Knowing I had no spare tubes left I was forced to use one of my crummy peal and stick patches. I knew it was going to going to fail, but I was hoping it would stick.

I was back down the road and could feel my tire loosing pressure slowly. The only problem was I was 13 miles from the nearest town that had any bike supplies. At this point I had done 180km and was beat. I decided to try to flag down a stranger to help me. 5 minutes in no takers. Then a lady pulled up and said throw the bike in back ill take you to my bike shop.

What a stroke of luck. She took me to her motorcycle shop which was a heaven for British motorcycle people. The whole place was lined with BSA and Norton bikes. I got to talk with her about my little British car back home, and swapped stories of my travels. She then drove me the local mass merchant store, which we both hated because we work with local shops, but it was the only option.

Once back at the motorcycle shop I changed the flat and she offered to take me to the local motel down the road in Cocoa. This was an offer I could not refuse because it was 5 pm and I was cooked.

Now I am bad with names and I did not write down this strangers name I believe her name was Beth, but her husband runs Ronnie’s Motorcycle Service in Titusville.

Beth was a native to New Orleans and made me really stoked to see that area for the people because the people here are very set on doing only what they are doing, and not what a strange bike tourist is doing.
Trip Distance: 185km
Ride Time: 8:05hr
Avg. Speed: 22.95km/h
Total Distance: 11445km
Total Ride Time: 535hr
Destination: Cocoa, Florida

Tour Day 76 A Heat Index In Flordia Who Would Have Thunk It Sept 9 2010

2010-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

I heard through the grapevine that it was going to be another foggy morning this morning so I did not even bother unpacking my lightweight jacket. Other then one semi truck it was another beautiful morning ride. The fog was light and I still had some visibility, which was nice. I was roughly 10 minutes down the road when I realized that I forgot my toothbrush. It was not worth going back because it was getting worn out. I simply thought that I would skip my extra snack at my stop tonight to compensate.

The morning’s ride was amazing. I was hauling down the road at a really good clip. I kept focusing on my distances to Jacksonville because it was a stretch to make it for lunch so I wanted to make sure I could do it without hurting myself. So when I saw a 10 miles to Jacksonville sign I was on it.

By this time the nice morning had given way to an extremely hot day. It was 86 degrees with 100% humidity at 10am; by 1pm it was nearing 100 without the addition of the heat index. I had thought my lunch stop was 10 miles away so once I covered that distance and saw another sign that said 10 miles to Jacksonville I was a little upset. I now had to go even further on a fairly empty tank and little water.

I was just entering Jacksonville and had planned to take route 1 alternate because it is usually more bike friendly. When I got onto the exit I had two options Main Street or the alternate route. My gut told me to go down Main Street so I did. I was very pleasantly surprised. Jacksonville is beautiful. Nice palm lined streets with very clean buildings. It even had a bike path for most of it. The town itself went for these more classic building into the new financial district that you had a view from everywhere. I knew I had to cross a bridge eventually, which is always interesting because you take a shot in the dark guessing which one is bike friendly. In this case I had 5 options and managed to pick the only one that was bike friendly the first time.

Once over the bridge I was on my way out of town. I was still feeling good so I pressed on another 3 miles down this road that had stop lights every 50 metres, but they were timed perfect so it did not cause any issues.

I got to the subway and started to order my lunch. By the time I got to pay I felt like I was going to black out. I started to feel light headed so I started to walk towards my table. As I was walking my vision started to blur. I got to the table and just sat with this horrid feeling for about 10 minutes. After finishing my lunch I tried to think about the miles leading up to lunch. I then realized that I could not remember anything. My body had shut down everything except my legs, which scared me.

After getting food and a lot of drink in me I was on my way. At this point it was even hotter. I had 30 miles to St. Augustine and it sucked. I went through 7 litres of water in that time, and was soaked by the end of it.

I got into the motel and asked for a room and the lady looked at me as if I was a bum. In all honesty I look like one. Unzipped jersey, exposed nipples, dripping in sweat, and filthy dirty from road grime all added to this lovely motif.

Usually I just chill out after getting showered but today was different. I trued my rear wheel because it was rubbing and went to explore the downtown. It was awesome. This town has so much heritage and lovely architecture. Everything from early Spanish building to a British fort. This is not to mention the riplies museum.

It does not look like I will rest in Dayton beach tomorrow because it is only 4 miles away but if I decided to take a rest day that will defiantly be the place. Florida has defiantly lived up to my expectations already. I mean in one day I went from banjo picking music to listening to chromeo on a pedestrian walkway.
Trip Distance: 187km
Ride Time: 7:55hr
Avg. Speed: 23.67km/h
Total Distance: 11259km
Total Ride Time: 527hr
Destination: St. Augustine, Florida

Unfortuantly it looks like I missed a yacht ride while I was here because I had no wifi.

Tour Day 75 Accept Jesus... Or Else Sept 8 2010

2010-09-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today was going to be a good day. I just had the feeling in my chest, and im pretty sure it was not the morning flem this time.

I got out on the road at 6 am, which is normal now because I bank on 30mins of time wasting changing flats and whatnot. As I started riding I got right into some more wicked hot fog. I am not going to complain though because it was a beautiful morning. No street lights, no cars, and a nice wide shoulder. All I could see with my headlamp was 20 metres in front of me and the wide array of stars in the sky.

As the sun started to rise I rolled past this lone tree in the centre of this field with the sun just peering through the fog and the forest in the background. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. So much so that I stopped on a downhill, which never happens. I then turned around laid my bike down and sat at this fence just watching this for about 3 minutes.

After being a bit of a geek for scenery I was back down the road. About 3km down the road I hear this bark and think nothing of it. I then look around and see this nasty rot wilier chasing me. I run my emergency evasive manoeuvres which involve slowing down to trick the dog to run at my speed then speed up to drop it.

After getting passed this one dog I then ran into another 4 dogs. The last couple ran across the road in front of me so I slowed down to watch then they turned around and ran at me. I got my butt in gear and sprinted past them. Apparently not only do they agree with condoms down here they also don’t agree with leashes… just saying.

On that note at my break stop a car passed me that had something very off putting on it. Among many other slogans it had in bold writing along the sides written “accept god or else”. Or else what? They will come and stone me to death. Or else they will place not one but two bibles in every hotel room.

I am sorry if any of this is off putting to you reading this but these are my views, and what I have experienced down here so far.

After that I just locked in. I was lighting hay bails and taking names with every mile. I simply listened to the beat of the music and locked into a cadence. I managed to finagle my gears into combinations that worked for most of the day.

Another interesting day in the Bible belt. Thank god Florida is next. Just remember accept Jesus or else. I shouldn’t make jokes like that or else. O god I am good at this joking thing. You can tell im a little tired by how ridiculous my jokes are getting.
Trip Distance: 175km
Ride Time: 7:48hr
Avg. Speed: 22.52km/h
Total Distance: 11072km
Total Ride Time: 519hr
Destination: Waycross, Georgia

Tour day 74 Jeuse Take The Bars... And My Luck Sept 7 2010

2010-09-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a good feeling in my heart. I had a new tire, new tubes, and a fresh mindset in terms of my bike.

I cooked my breakfast and went outside to eat. When I went outside I encountered a shock… fog. This was not like Canadian fog because it was hot. When you rod through it, it felt as if a blanket was wrapped around you. It was 7 in the morning and I was already sweating. This is when I realized my mindset means nothing if the other elements do no cooperate.

The fog stuck around for about 3 hours. It made me a little nervous at first because it was dark, but I had my big headlamp charged and used my other lamp as my taillight. It all worked for the best because most drivers drove very kindly.

Augusta came sparingly quickly. Unfortunately I could not find the golf course so I just kept trucking along the main road. The main road was something else because it had 4 other roads connect with it, so by the end the road ended up being 6 lanes wide. Now crossing that to get onto the number 1 at a stoplight was interesting to say the least.

I was 10 km from the Georgia state line when I was climbing at a slower then normal pace. I look down and you guessed it another front flat. I stopped at the top of the climb and came close to throwing down my bike. What the heck is going on here? What did I do to deserve this karma? I was not happy in the least. On top of tat stopping in the hot fog meant that I was literally dripping in sweat changing the flat. I was thinking at the end of this change I was going to take the day off and stop at Louisville.

I was 30 mins down the road and expected another small pinhole flat because I could not find anything in my tire. Fortunately this was not the case, but now my cassette and derailleur were giving me troubles and going all over the map.

The map was actually the one surprise today. I over estimated my distances so I hit my stop early. It was at this point I decided to press on. I figure the kilometres are not going to complete themselves so why not if my legs were feeling good.

After lunch I turned on the radio thinking I would get a good selection of music. Instead I had one choice… the gospel station. Now I gave it a shot because when in Rome do what the Romans do. When in the Bible belt do what Jesus would do. After roughly 12 minutes I turned it off. I hit my limit for the use of the word Jesus in a day. If you are wondering the limit is 500 times.

The end of the ride was a mixed bag. The plus I had a closed road to myself so I had 2 lanes to myself. As well I had a few dark clouds overhead so the temp dropped to a cool 87 degrees. The minus was a crosswind. I am not going to complain yet though because at the end of each day I always seem to summon up a lot more power then the first 6 hours of the day.

At the rest stop I got to catch up on some bike tech stuff, which I love. You know im a bike geek because my job 7 days a week is riding, then when I have a spare minute what do I do? Research bikes of course.

I also got some time to reflect on my first day in the Bible belt. In ways it is very similar to bike touring because it is never normal. It is always one of the extremes. One example is the radio. One county I was listening to a black radio host telling “his people” to man up. Telling them its time to change our image. The next county the radio talked of “homos”. The in the final country it was all about Jesus. I want to say it is a culture shock, but really it isn’t. They simply do not censor their thoughts. What goes through the mind is what is said. Where as where I am from it would be taboo to not censor yourself. In ways it is refreshing, and in others disappointing. I guess it all depends on whom you meet.
Trip Distance: 157km
Ride Time: 7:28hr
Avg. Speed: 21.01km/h
Total Distance: 10896km
Total Ride Time: 511hr
Destination: Swainsboro, Georgia

Tour Day 73 Bikes Have Feelings Sept 6 2010

2010-09-06T17:21:00.001-07:00

Ok there is no way my luck can get any worse. I am going to start off with where I am right now. I am currently at a laundry mat in Akin. The reason I say that is as I was pulling up the laundry mat wouldn’t you guess it my front tire is flat. Now I simply thought that my patch had blown but when I took the tube out there it was another small puncture. I can’t explain it either because the tire itself is perfectly clean. Really what the heck is going on here every day it is something else I just want to get out and ride. Instead im spending more time working on my bike, doing chores and catching up on just day to day stuff. Now I know that needs to be done it is just starting to get frustrating because now instead of going back and relaxing I have to make a 5 mile detour to go pick up tubes… again.

The day’s ride started off nice. It was dark and the brisk morning air was a pleasant change. Thinking I was smart I put on my big headlamp, but of course it was dead. Then thinking I was smart again I stopped for batteries for my rear light. Then I found out the read light was broken. Really a great way to start off the morning.

That in the back of my head I kept riding down the road and got into Columbia with no problems. In Columbia I fallowed where the arrows pointed me and two times they led me down roads that did not go anywhere. Thankfully I wised up and looked at a few maps and got some directions from a couple which meant I got out of dodge in pretty good time

At this point I was fighting with my front end again. Great my tube was giving me issues again. This one was not another flat just a busted patch so I threw in my other patched tube.

At lunch I got to talking with some locals which is normal. What was not normal was having to explain where Vancouver was to everyone. Each person went you’re from Washington, and then I had to go into the discussion about how it was in Canada. Even when I talked about the Olympics one gentleman said, “ain’t those events in Athens”. To which I had a little chuckle.

That brings us to the rest stop and the laundry mat. After completing my laundry my bike started to act up even more. The brakes were squealing like a beaver, and this annoying tick arose again. That tick only arises when the bike is screaming for help. I am a firm believer that bikes have feelings that need to be looked after. The past few days I am going to chalk up to my bike saying, “Evan why aren’t you helping me my wheel is f’ed and you did nothing”. To appease the bike gods I got a new front tire, replaced the tube, replaced the brakes, and lubed everything. It did not go smooth though because when I was taking off the pedals I was reefing on my little tool to get them off when it slipped and my knuckles went right into cranks. So after getting a bit of blood and nail matter on my cranks I was about ready to throw my bike out the door.

Luckily I didn’t because I realized this bike has got me over 10000km with no maintence so a couple days of the bike acting up is not all that bad. In all honesty it is probably my fault for not getting that new tire after the first 2 flats. Instead I thought that it was just bad luck.
Trip Distance: 172km
Ride Time: 8:11hr
Avg. Speed: 21.04km/h
Total Distance: 10739km
Total Ride Time: 503hr
Destination: Akin, South Carolina (almost as good as Dildo, Newfoundland)

To all PGA fans I will be going through Augusta tomorrow. I am not sure if I will see the golf course or not.

Tour Day 72 A Mixed Bag Of Luck Sept 5 2010

2010-09-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

I get up this morning and get all my junk ready to roll when I realize that my front tire is flat. In my mind I knew that I would have to change it, but I was looking for the easy way and just inflated it. I was shocked when it did not immediately go flat so I was in business.

5km down the road while it was still dark I felt the front tire and it was lower then it started. This time I was not going to half-ass it so I just threw in my only other tube. Because it was dark I could not fully inspect the tire so I simply felt the tire and rim, and shook it so that whatever it was would fall out. After inflating I was set to go. Immediately I felt it was going to be one of those days.

My negative mindset was quickly changed by a beautiful road. This road was amazing constant rolling hills that were never straight. I think the fact I had a tailwind is what helped made it so amazing. With a headwind it would have blown.

I was just entering what was supposed to be my snack spot when I started fighting with my front end. Because I was pretty metaly spent I could not figure out what it was. It was getting to the point where I was nearly going over. It was at that point I looked down and saw that my front tire was flat again. Great now I had no spare tube and I had to hope my patches would work. This time I had daylight and found this sliver of the rock I ran over the other day that was causing my headaches. I patched the tube inflated and I was set. This time I was not loosing any pressure but I did put my wheel on backwards which meant my computer was not reading. When I realized this I let out a collection of curse words and had to stop again to flip the wheel around on my little patch of shoulder on the road.

I was about 10kms down the road when I head the thing that no cyclist ever wants to hear. POP! POP! The two crack had spread and ripped two chunks out of my rim. Again I cannot praise Mavic enough because the wheel was still true and did not have a hop in it. When I was truing the wheel the other night I saw where the cracks were so I took the tension off a few key spokes which really saved my butt today.

At that point I was not a happy camper. It seemed as if anything that could go wrong was, then I got to thinking. I have a tailwind. My tube it holding air, and my wheel is still rolling. When it went bad it did not go all that bad.

After reflecting on it I started to laugh at it because I was getting upset at things that have no emotions. Things that were just doing there jobs, and there I was getting mad at them. It is strange the metal games you play on yourself when you reflect on them

I was 13 miles away from my lunch stop and 47 miles away from my stopping point. 30 mins down the road I had completed 12km and saw a sign that said my lunch stop was 10 miles away and 44 miles from my stop point. I did not know which to believe so I just dug deeper and deeper. I was not going to be on the road all day, and I was not going to waste a good wind.

Luckily the first sign was right and I was on track to complete in good time. Because of he heat though my appetite was low. I knew I had to eat but my body did not want to. It was odd having to push myself to eat.

The last miles were actually enjoyable. I kept pushing harder and harder. Going faster. I didn’t care about distance or time I was zoned out and focused on my legs. The only time that metal zone was broken was when I noticed a men at work sign put up by the state that used “em” in it. I had a good chuckle at that. As well I at my lunch stop I had to ask the man what he was asking me three times. It was similar to the situation back in Newfoundland. I wonder what they thought when I speak because they must have the same questions.

Tonight I was going to camp but the state park was as expensive as the cheap motel so it was the motel I would be stupid to say no to that. As long as I don’t get bed bugs I am happy.
Trip Distance: 173km
Ride Time: 7:51hr
Avg. Speed: 22.15km/h
Total Distance: 10567km
Total Ride Time: 495hr
Destination: Camden, South Carolina

Tour Day 71 I Choose AC Sept 4 2010

2010-09-06T14:00:00.001-07:00

I have made a choice. Because it is so hot here it just will not work camping. I mean 96 degree outside in the shade means that my tent is over 100. What this means is that I will be moteling it more as I head south. I realize this will limit my time on the road, but I this trip is also about enjoying each day. It is hard to enjoy each day when you don’t get any sleep because you are sweating so much, and then on top of that you start your day dehydrated because you have been sweating all night.

The days ride today actually really enjoyable. For the first time I did not have any hiccups. Infact I was hauling down the road. I made it to my lunch stop in Raleigh by 11 am. Because it was only 11 I did not feel like stopping so I kept riding through Raleigh. Much like the bike brand Raleigh did not have much going for it. There was not much of anything in the town, and what was there was ratty and tatty.

The other thing that was kind of a tick off was the interstate merged with route 1 for a good 15km’s. This means that I have to take back roads which with my horrid map always lead to me going further then I have to, and or get lost. Today was no exception. After going past my turn that was not market I asked for help. The two cyclists that I asked said “fallow us”. So I did and they led me right to where I needed to be. After thanking them for saving me 30minutes of trying to navigate I was off on my route again.

At first I was a little nervous because this part of route 1 was 3 lanes divided. It was a prefect time for me to ignore my mind and listen to some music. After the rap Chinese food joint yesterday and seeing roughly 15 mid 90’s beige cars rollin on dubs I was in the mood for some gangster music. Today’s choice was a possible the worst song in the world called lemonade by Gucci mane. Any man who raps about everything being yellow has to be gangster.

Lunch was in the back of my mind but when 120km came around I was starting to get hungry. Unfortunately the next town was 20 miles away. Luckily I had a tailwind and my legs were just starting to come into their own. It must have been the donouts I had for a snack because I was a man on fire.

Lunch came at 149km’s. It was actually very rewarding because I was still good to go. I simply stopped because I knew it was the smart thing to do.

Unfortunately it was not the smart thing to do because as soon as I finished lunch and got back on the road I encountered sore legs, and a wicked headwind. The funny irony is that the head wind started to kick up as soon as I entered Moore County.

The end of the day came in Aberdeen and I was cooked. The last 3 miles took so long that my mind was playing ticks on me. I kept thinking it was around the next corner, but when I went around each corner and did not find a town my moral dropped further and further. The only thing that brought it up was knowing that I was going to be enjoying some ice cream in about 2 hours. All in all a very satisfying day.
Trip Distance: 196km
Ride Time: 8:56hr
Avg. Speed: 21.99km/h
Total Distance: 10393km
Total Ride Time: 487hr
Destination: Aberdeen, North Carolina

Tour Day 70 A New State and a New Language Sept 3 2010

2010-09-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

One quote has rung through my head this entire trip. It is from a little known film called 180 south, “You learn that what is important how you got there not what you have accomplished”. I know it is not the time to reflect yet but it is hard not to when how I got to this point has been so amazing.

Anyways back to the day. Today was the first day in 3 days that my shoulder has not hurt. You might ask “Evan why was you shoulder hurting”? Well stranger that asks the questions that I was think I crashed back in Washington. It was another brain not communicating with body move. I was at a stoplight slowing down to a crawl. The light then turned green so I should have started moving. Well I didn’t and right there in front of a crowd of strangers I fall over with the bike in the middle of the road. It was not bad it was just embarrassing as all heck. It also put the last nail into my handlebar tape.

So today when I was just starting my ride at 6:20 it was still dark because of the black clouds. Thinking I was smart I turned on all my lights and rode on the shoulder. Well the should had a nice sharp rock that was unavoidable. I hit it and think no hissing great start to the day. I get 300 feet up the road and it then starts to leak. There I am its already 78 degrees outside, it is raining, and I now have a flat. Luckily there was a patio near by that served as my shelter while I changed the flat. Even better it was a front flat so it was easy. The only tick off was when I was working on the wheel the bike fell over and my new bar tape got all mangled. It was so comfy, nice raised edges in a perfect spiral. It is the simple things that make me happy. Now that bar tape had to be fixed with none other then electricians tape.

So I was back on the road and still somehow on time. I had no idea where I was going to end up today, or what the weather was going to be like because as it turned out the hurricane was super lame. The weather for the morning was nice it hovered around 86 with an overcast sky. Finally a climate similar to my igloo back in Canada.

After stopping at a gas station to look at a better map to make sure highway 1 did not merge into the interstate as my map showed the weather changed… again. The clouds all disappeared and it started to get hot. I could feel I was slowing down. It was not the heat but rather the humidity that killed me today. Because it rained last night as soon as the clouds disappeared everything blew up.

Lunch came in a small town called south hill just before you go into North Carolina. I asked an officer where a good place to eat was. He gave me an answer that I could not understand. It was as if some home had turned of the accent switch today. Thinking it was bad luck I asked someone else and it was more of the same. The second I knew that I was in the south was when I heard my first “y’all” at a local gas bar.

Lunch was the best Chinese buffet ever. For 6 buck it was all you can eat, and this place had it all. From bacon covered scallops, to various sushi rolls (even though that’s Japanese ill let it slide), and even a desert line to die for. Even better was the music selection. The manager was this young Asian guy with a passion for rap so the entire lunch was filled with uncensored rap music. I found it all right but I can only imagine what the other patron where thinking as multiple f bombs in a row were dropped.

After using the smallest bathroom ever I was back on the road. When I say small I mean my knees were hitting the sink, and the sink was so close I had to lean at a 28-degree angle just to get by.

Welcome to North Carolina. The land of hot weather and peaceful roads. Today was the first day in roughly 1.5 weeks that I have had a chance to take up some space on the road and not have white knuckle the bike every minute. It was also the first time in about that same time that I got some honks which is always a good indication of the type of people you are going to be dealing with. These facts have me excited for the south.

Because it was another 100 degree plus day with humidity I was moteling it because there was not way I was going to be able to sleep in that heat without sweating like a beaver. In Henderson I stopped. I had three motels to choose from. The first had no space. The second was more expensive for a single then the other was for a double. The third and final one was the last choice because it looked by far the worst. It had space and it was cheap. That ticked pretty much my only two criteria. I must say my expectations were low for this place… until I opened my door. For 40 bucks a night I get a queen sized bed, a huge space that I will never use, a full bath, and counter that has two sinks covered in some rock of a sort. I want to say its marble but it probably is not because lets face it, it is a motel in Henderson.
Trip Distance: 168km
Ride Time: 8:14hr
Avg. Speed: 20.39km/h
Total Distance: 10196km
Total Ride Time: 478hr
Destination: Henderson, North Carolina

Tour Day 69 A Broken Wheel Over 10000km Sept 2 2010

2010-09-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

This morning’s ride was fairly uneventful. I was turning over the pedals and was right on track for a good day even with the hurricanes winds building. About the only hiccup came when I was 10km down the road when I realized that I forgot to reset my computer. Just as I was resetting the computer I hit another hug pothole. Thinking nothing of it I kept riding.

At the pit stop before lunch I went to pay for my ticket over the phone. After being on hold for 40 mins I finally got fed up and hung up the phone. This ticket is really becoming a pain in my neck. The only option I have now is to mail it in. In order to do so I have to get a money order? I have never done that before so I must hunt down a place to get one.

When I got back on the road I noticed my rear brake was rubbing. I loosen my barrel adjuster but still it was rubbing. I then realized that that pothole had really done some damage to my rear wheel. So that I did not continue to slow myself down I simply unhooked my rear brake and kept on riding.

Right away I felt better. The bike was running light because I had 0 food, and only the water in my bottles (when I usually carry 3 litres of backup). I saw my speed jump up almost as quickly as the heat did. Speaking of the heat it was a little better today because of the upcoming hurricane. Fortunately it pushed some clouds my way. As well as a nice headwind but I will take that over scorching heat any day.

With everything going strangely well I made my way into Richmond. In Richmond I promptly got lost. I asked a police officer which way to go. He surprised me when he said that he would give me a police escort to where I needed to go.

Richmond is a strange place. The only non sketchy part of the town was at the nascar race track. I will describe the rest of it with one statement. You know you are in Richmond when the pizza delivery car is a Cadillac rolling on dubs. For some reason I don’t think he is just delivering pizzas.

When I got into my motel (because of the hurricane) the first thing I did was check my rear wheel. Before I go any further let me just say mavic wheels are by a country mile the best wheels and rims you can ride. In my case I have a cracked rim in 2 places but after truing my rear wheel and tensioning it up (which should not be able to happen when you have that damaged of a rim). But it still is working. I am not sure for how much longer but we will see.
Trip Distance: 163km
Ride Time: 8:01hr
Avg. Speed: 20.35km/h
Total Distance: 10028km
Total Ride Time: 470hr
Destination: Chester, Virginia

Tour Day 68 Hot Weather and a Big Choice Sept 1 2010

2010-09-01T17:15:00.001-07:00

I am going to talk about the motel I stayed at last night for a second. When I asked people where the cheapest place to stay was they all had the same answer. The bestway motel, which was right along my route. Now the lady who I dealt with was very kind but as soon as I walked into my room I felt as if someone was going to come in and stab me in the chest. Maybe it was the all-wood décor that was aged in a deep red, maybe it was the red (almost blood looking) stains in the sink, or maybe it was just my mind acting up. In the end I slept and woke up that’s all that counts.

My feelings in the morning were only reinforced by the sign that had a single flickering letter in that classic 80’s style neon. It really summarized Baltimore in one building.

I was going down the road and was enjoying the nice warm morning air when 4km into the ride I hear “pshhhhhhhhhhhh”. Great a flat. Even better a rear flat so I have to take everything off to fix it. So I take the tube out check the rim and time. Nothing was in them so I inflated the new tube. Wouldn’t you guess it another flat. So I find this super tiny piece of something and pull it out while I install my other new tube. The tire would not go on so I had to reef on it to get the bead to lock. Inflate and nothing. Pinched tube. Awesome so I am on my last tube and am praying that it goes well. Thankfully it was all-good and I was back on the road. I kept the two tubes because I wanted to patch them, but when I tried to patch the glue would not hold. So note to self specialized tube blow, axiom tube are tough.

When I got back to riding I was 30mins behind so it was my goal to make up that time before Washington. I constantly checked my times and was closing the gap. Finally I hit my goal right as I got into traffic. It was the morning rush entering the city so I was screwed. Luckily Washington is beautiful. It was the first U.S. city that I wanted to explore more of, which I did. After finding a bike shop to get some new tubes and bar tape (because mine smells like an old mans house I went off to see what the city had to offer. I didn’t look at my map or ever ask where attractions were they just popped up everywhere.

I saw everything by accident by we will still count it. I think the coolest experience was right after walking out of a huge military graveyard seeing the presidential motorcade come out of the Whitehouse. It gave me Goosebumps and chills as I stood there knowing the world’s most powerful man was 100feet away.

The other funny thing was at the pentagon they have these gated parking lots but within this gated parking lot that is guarded a vehicle had a boot on it. So that means that they ran the plate it popped up they then called for permission to get in. The booted it. Now getting a tow truck is going to suck for that guy because he is screwed.

It was at this point that it was nearing 100 degrees again and my body started to shut down. I have to say the unrelenting heat is as bad to ride in as the rain. It just zaps your body. I decided to shut the ride down early because my tourist times had put me behind schedule majorly and I had some personal stuff to catch up on anyways.

It has been a nice relaxing night that is well needed. I got to talk with some friends and family while doing my day-to-day chores. One thing I have said to everyone I meet is that I thought this whole thing would be so freeing but really I am more anal about chores, and timing here then I ever was at home.

In other news I have come to a conclusion about life when I get home. I am 100% going to join the military in some way when I get back. It is a great life choice, and will teach me a lot of transferable skills. I believe I will start off in the reserves and get my basic training out of the way so that when if I do decided to join I will not have to jump the extra hurdle. What pushed me to this conclusion is the trip itself. As much as it’s nice to be a free sprit and do what I want on my own time. It is equally as nice to have someone tell you what to do.
Trip Distance: 105km
Ride Time: 5:30hr
Avg. Speed: 19.17km/h
Total Distance: 9861km
Total Ride Time: 462hr
Destination: Woodbridge, Virginia

Tour Day 67 Baltimore the Shanty Town With A Brewery Aug 31 2010

2010-09-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

I usually start my day off with my jacket on until I warm up. Today that was not needed because as soon as I got out the door at 6 am it was already warm. To the point that on the first of many hills I was already sweating.

Thinking back to yesterday I was smarter with my hydration. Instead of cramming once I was thirsty I drank consistently.

It was hard to focus on anything else except the heat. When I was not thinking about how lubricated my skin was I was thinking about scaling back my effort level so that I did not sweat any more.

Trying to distract myself I plugged in my single ear bud. This did not help much because I was only hearing half the song. In the case of the temptations song papa was a rolling stone I only heard the back up singer and I was forced to fill in as lead. It was at that moment I realized my singing voice is like that of an elderly cat throwing up a hairball after eating some tuna. If you have never heard that before just ask me to sing next time you see me.

Before lunch I decided to bite the bullet and get some new headphones at radio shack. Now radio shack has ties with trek bikes. At first I did not realize why trek partnered with radio shack because I always though of radio shack as that crummy store in the bottom of our local mall that no one went into. Now that I am in the states I realize why this bond formed. They treated me very well, gave me good information, and the great quality product where presented in a way that was very easy to shop. Those are three things that trek really focuses on as a company.

Speaking of bikes I was thinking about a few amazing ideas for the past few days. The first is of my dream to own a U.S. postal truck. It would make the perfect support truck. I mean it has lots of space for its small size, good gas mileage, and it has shelves in it already for spare parts or hooks to hang bikes. Now you are asking yourself “a plain white us postal truck”? No! Lower it 1 or 2 inches, do a plus 1 on the wheels and tires with some simple steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps. The truck itself would be flat black with green accent pieces and green steel wheels. The other mod would be take the ugly square headlights out and put in some headlights off a vw bus or something that has large round headlights.

That aside my other idea is actually a serious one. Through my trip I have run into a bunch of other bike tourists. Most of which bought old road bikes and converted them over to touring bikes. Now the usual price of this is around $500 and at the end of it you are left with a bike you will never touch again, or you have thrown out because it has caused so many flats or had to many broken parts. What I was thinking was start about rentals. Everyone rents cruisers for the seawall but not one store offers a rental-touring bike. Think about it you rent it out for lets say $100 a month plus parts. Most tour for 2 months so boom you are set. Touring bikes don’t change for year so your rental bikes never get outdated you just have to make sure that they are kept up to snuff.

Back to the riding today. After lunch I felt like Popeye because I ate a whole lot of beans for lunch. That was un till I stepped outside and was hit by a wave of heat. I have never experienced a wave of heat before in this manner. It was a gross feeling that made me want to pedal more because at least I would keep the warm air moving.

After 12 litres of water I was in Baltimore. I don’t know how I do this but somehow in every big city I manage to go through the projects. Baltimore was no exception. In fact it was the worst I have seen yet. In one case an entire city block of building was boarded up. It was a very moving thing actually. I can’t explain what feelings were I could simply say it was a picturesque moment. The projects are also a thrill because there is always crazy stuff going on. In today’s case I saw a guy pulling a huge wheelie down the highway fallowed by a kids playing a game of basketball in the middle of the road with no hoop.

By this point it was 5pm and I was not willing to risk my bike in the backyard of a sketch home. So I stopped to ask an officer about camping and again I get laughed at and told that there is nothing for about 50miles. So again I was forced to check into a sketch motel. I don’t like this. I like tent. I like meeting new people. Most of all I like living the simple life. I have grown to enjoy natural light not one that flick on.
Trip Distance: 168km
Ride Time: 8:54hr
Avg. Speed: 18.86km/h
Total Distance: 9755km
Total Ride Time: 456hr
Destination: Baltimore, Mayfield

Tour Day 66 Heat Stroke Sucks Aug 30 2010

2010-08-30T16:27:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning not looking forward to the ride ahead. I still had no map. And I still had at least a little bit more of the terrifying highway to ride. Luckily it was 6:30 in the morning and the roads were fairly quiet. Even better the first gas station I stopped at had maps. Thinking ahead I got a map for both of the states I was going to be in today.

The day was looking up I know had the knowledge to confidently go off the main road and find my way into philli. Even with my map I was still tempted to take route 1 because it is so much more direct. Those thoughts were quickly nixed once traffic started to pick up.

From that point I decided to take a few back roads, and boy was it a good idea. I had a nice wide shoulder and smooth roads. I even got to get my groceries at a large supermarket. Which is a rare thing in the area around a large city.

After getting off of route 27 (a small highway) I got onto my next route which happened to have a bike path that took me pretty much right into philli, only after having to cross over the wrong way on route 1 because no bikes were allowed in that part. I was not risking another ticket.

Speaking of police that was one thing I was close to today. I spoke to over 5 officers because I was curious about the best routes, and wondering what was ok for me to ride one. Surprisingly the police here were a little more welcoming then those in Boston. That ticket is becoming a pain in my butt because it is not letting me pay online, and they will not pick up their phone line to pay. I am not mailing it in because then I have to buy a money order, and postage.

By the time I got into philli it was nearing 100 degrees outside with humidity in the air. Needless to say I was hot. Thankfully the route I picked took me right under the sky train that they have for about 15km. This part of philli was not beautiful. It was like a run down version of the Bronx. To be a resident in this area you had to have a sideways baseball cap or jean shorts.

For fear of getting shanked I only stopped once I saw a group of about 15 people in high visibility jackets. They told me I was going the right way (which is a rare thing) and asked about the trip.

When I was rolling down the road to Walnut Street I saw a man and a petit woman trying to lift a dresser. I rolled up and put my bike against the wall and took over from where the petit woman was. She was very surprised by this act at first… until I said I was Canadian.

Walnut Street took me into University City, which is a very cool place to be. It is filled with young people just hanging out and having a good time. The houses and building are all beautiful for a change. It left me with a good feeling about philli when I was leaving the town limit.

By this time I was feeling tired. So I was going to try my luck in the residential district for a campsite. The reason I was stopping was because I felt heat stroke setting on. I could not breath deeply without coughing to the point of almost throwing up. And my black shorts where pure white with salt. It just was not a good situation to be in.

Well luck was not with me. After 3 negatives I had to find a motel because gorilla style was not happening when I was in such need of hydration, and rest. 3 litres of water for me, dinner, and breakfast was not good enough.

Again I had to turn my bike around because the road had a no bikes sign. Why not put the sign before the road that would make sense, instead it is put usually about 50 metres down the road, which makes me more frustrated. Adding to the frustration and exhaustion I had to continue 4 miles down some route that was not on my map to get to the only motel in Springfield.

After downing close to 2 litres of water when I came in I immediately felt better. Now the only thing I can think about is my route for tomorrow because I don’t know exactly where I am and I only have a good map for about half a days riding.
Trip Distance: 165km
Ride Time: 8:16hr
Avg. Speed: 19.98km/h
Total Distance: 9582km
Total Ride Time: 447hr
Destination: Springfield, Pennsylvania

Sorry Tami that I spelt Nolas name worng. Knolly is a bike company based in vancouver so I reverted to that.

Tour Day 65 Having Someone Look Up To Me Aug 29 2010

2010-08-30T16:25:00.000-07:00

Before I talk about today I want to talk about something very special that happened last night. After saying goodbye to all the adults I went to say goodbye to the kids. I was not looking forward to saying goodbye to knolly. He had taken such a liking to me, and the feeling was mutual. I am not usually very fond of children but knolly is special. He is a deep thinker for his age. He is not like other kids. He gives me hope for the Future.

When I walked into Devons room they were all hanging out so I said a group goodbye to everyone. I felt bad about this because I did not get my ideal goodbye for knolly. I got to thinking about this while I was in my tent and I was starting to contemplate going back in when I hear a young voice outside of my tent. It was knolly asking me to come outside.

It was as if he had read my mind. I jumped outside with my headlamp blaring and gave him a big hug. I was at a loss for words because this took me by such surprise. All I could grab from my mind is “you are going to do something special. You are special”. I would have loved to say something more profound but that’s all I could think of. As he started to walk away he said goodbye again. To which I said “see you soon”.

I never anticipated wanting to come back to Connecticut because it is not one of those states that tourists flock to. But after having such a great experience I cannot wait to revisit it. As well it would give me a chance to see the surrounding area in a much easier way.

With that last sentence in mind I will start by saying today was easily the most mentally exhausting day of the tour thus far. It all started fine I navigated the first 70km no problem. Even better I ran into an awesome cycling group native to New York. They were so excited and amazed by the tour. They regarded me as a “bad dude”. Which I took as the highest complement they could give. It really made me feel… special.

All 10 of us stopped in at a gas station to drain our bladders and talk. They were kind enough to offer me a guide to get across the George Washington Bridge. That was an offer I could not say no to. It easily saved me half a day’s navigation through New York.

Now let me talk about New York. It is a place of great divide. 10km north I was standing amongst 15 Aston martins. Right next to me was the Ferrari and masseratti dealership. And at the dunkin donouts rested two Ferraris 599’s.

10km south I was in the Bronx. You saw bars on every window, and people simply disregarding traffic laws in their cars. That was if they were in a car. I saw one guy ripping down the wrong side of the road on an ATV. It was like something out of a bad rap music video.

Another 30minutes down the road I was at the bridge overlooking all of New York. I was blown away by the extremes of this urban jungle.

I could not dwell on that for to long though because I did not want to finish my day in New York. So I had to find someone who knew how to get to philli. Thinking I was smart I stopped into the nearest bike shop, which was a treat for my eyes. Every bike in this shop was over 5 grand. And they were good brands like giant, trek, cannondale, and a few treks. I was also very tempted by the great selection of team kits that were up for sale. Staying strong I stayed on track and got one lady to look up direction for where I wanted to go. She gave me a 127 direction map to philli on a scrap piece of paper from google maps. That simply was not happening so I pushed on with a few key routes in my head.

So lets get this straight. I am in one of the largest cities in the U.S. I had no map. I had no idea where I was. All I knew is I wanted to go south.

The first turn I made was down a steep hill. I asked a lady at a stoplight if I was going the right way. She said no. I was not turning back and climbing back up that hill, so I kept going down said hill. I then ran into route 105 souths. That was one of my key markers so I took it. I kept going and going for about an hour then stopped to ask an older man if I was going the right way. He said no. He said I was going north. At that point I pushed on the same direction because the sign said I was going south.

Luckily by some luck I got onto route 1 and 9. I know that this road will take me where I wanted to go but I still needed a map. Wouldn’t you know it all 10 gas stations I asked had nothing.

So it was 3pm I had not had lunch and was still navigating with my useless road atlas. I saw the road for the skyway. That would take me over the river, which I needed to do. It did not have a no biking sign so I was set. Well I was not set because it was the scariest thing I have ever done. This bridge was longer then any bridge in b.c. and had no shoulder. I was white knuckling it the entire time until I got to get on the exit.

At that point I breathed a sigh of relief for a second. The next step was to talk to a local traffic cop stationed at the stadium the nj devils play at. She was very funny. Cracking jokes about the trip, and telling the other gentleman that was hanging around to “shut the hell up”.

By some luck I got back onto the 1 and 9. Again no shoulder and again it had three lanes. Again I was white knuckling the ride. Thankfully once I passed the airport there was a selection of seedy motels. I did not want to push my luck with even further today so I took the first one.

When I pulled into the ritz I was literally shaking. Im not sure if it was the hungry. The stress, or the massive amount of water I lost thought sweat. I was ready to stop. I would love to plan my route for tomorrow a little better but the ritz does not have wifi access or maps of New Jersey.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds but by the looks of the road I have to tackle first thing tomorrow it is not good.
Trip Distance: 161km
Ride Time: 8:14hr
Avg. Speed: 19.62km/h
Total Distance: 9422km
Total Ride Time: 439hr
Destination: Elizabeth, New Jersey

I am not fist Pumpin right now at all. If you watch Jersey Shore youknow what that means.

Tour Day 64 A New Family Aug 28 2010

2010-08-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

Last night was something else. I was a little overwhelmed because tami was so welcoming. After getting a nice home cooked meal they invited me over to there friend kims house. At first I was a little hesitant because in my head I was think I have to ride tomorrow and its already 8pm. But then I shook myself straight. Why would I not meat new people? Why would I pass up a once in a lifetime experience just to put on a few extra kilometres.

At that point I decided to take today off. I have to say that was one of the best choice I have made of this tour so far because I met some of the most welcoming and funniest people I have ever met.

When we show up at Kim’s house I was floored. It had a beautiful ocean view and a patio to die for. Everyone was so curious about what I was doing and just wanted to know more. The feelings were mutual because I wanted to know more about these people.

At first it was just Tami, Kim, A guy named Ray, and I. We hit it off golden. So much so that Kim said if I am ever back in Connecticut I have a cabana boy job at her house. From the way things have been going I may have to come back to Milford because it has been such a great experience.

After that Tommy the blind traffic report for the local radio station, and Tadd showed up. And boy they were the life of the party. They just fed off of each other and the jokes never seemed to finish. I don’t think that I have laughed that had since I left home.

Once we got back home at midnight I was ready to hit the sack. Now I think my sleeping bag and mattress have a perminant smell of farts in them so that was my first task today was air and scrub those two things.

The day today was relaxing. I got a chance to do some chores that I had been letting slack, and most of all got to spend time with my new friends. I think the biggest surprise was one of tami and todd’s sons knollen (sorry if I spelt that wrong). This 9 year old kid knew more then some of the people I knew in highschool.

Breakfest this morning was amazing. Tami cooked chocolate chip pancakes and all the other breakfest ammentities that make a well rounded family morning. Needless to say I polished pretty much everything off.

Tonight we are having a family bbq where I am meeting more new people. My mind is a little overloaded with all the names but I am managing. I cant put into words how I feel right now. It is a feeling that I did not realize I missed until I had it again. I don’t want to ride tomorrow just because I am going to be leaving behind such amazing people.

Tonight I have to decide what to do tomorrow train into new York so that I can walk around no problem, or run the risk with my bike. Anyways I am being anti social by typing this right now and want to get back to talking with my new friends.

I have to say thank you to Tami Todd and there whole family you have made a simple Canadian bike tourist who showed up on you door step feel more welcomed then I could have ever expected.
Trip Distance: 0km

Tour Day 63 New Friends 2 Nights In A Row

2010-08-27T16:30:00.001-07:00

Last night was something else. I never would have thought that I would be spending my night sitting on a beach with someone I just met a few hours earlier talking politics, or watching the pats game while enjoying some funny family stories. It was a great way to end a night.

The morning started at the regular. The bonus was the Fct I was on the road early so that meant I could spend a few extra minutes here and there relaxing. The roads were also a little easier to navigate. The only hiccup was getting over one of the bridges where I had to lift my heavy bike over a barrier so that I was not on the road and would not get another tocket.

Speaking of ticket when I checked my emails today I found out that my submission failed not once but twice so now I have to figure out another way to pay the bill. The last thing I need is a warrant when I get into florida. I would not do well in prision. I am simply to pretty.

The days ride took me through some really beautiful parts of conneticut. The amount of land rovers, escalades, and other high end cars was just ridiculous. I felt a little word though because I was the only person on a bike all day.

After spending time with people last night I found myself a little lonely on the bike today. So when people pulled up next to me and asked about the trip it was a chance for me to spill out roughly 50 milions words in 5 seconds.

On another note when I stoped in at radioshack they told me that they did not have the buds for my earpieces. So for now my nice headphones are rendered useless.

I was going to stop in New Haven but everything had the freshly stolen look to it so I decided to take a pass. Instead I pushed on to Millford. Where I ran into A lovely family that welcomed me and and is showing me the town tonight. I have a feeling that the morning tomorrow is going to be a little rough.

I must cut the blog short because I am on my way out the door. This social thing is nice. This is touring.
Trip Distance: 179km
Ride Time: 8:54hr
Avg. Speed: 20.19km/h
Total Distance: 9260km
Total Ride Time: 431hr
Destination: Millford, Cenneticut

Tour Day 62 Knocking On Doors Aug 26 2010

2010-08-26T15:30:00.001-07:00

Today was a compelte disaster until the very end of the day.

Everything started out normal I woke up ealrly so that I could get on the road 30mins early knowing that boston was going to be a pain in the butt to navigate through. I was about 5 minutes down the road when the road became complete mayham. I was so glad that I had decided to pull into my love shack hotel when I did, not only for the traffic but also because it gave me a chance get a map.

I had my trip planned for the day get on the 99 and that will take me pretty much straight through Boston. Well I was wrong. When I got near Boston my plan went out the window. The roads I was searching for never came, and my map was rendered useless because it showed no side streets only major routes. So I stopped and asked a trooper before I got to far and he said go the other way. So I went the other way then got a bad feeling so I went back the way that I was coming. Now I do not know how this happened but after 30minutes of heading in the general direction I wanted to go I got back on to route 138 which was my goal. Now I fallowed the signs and went where the arrows were pointing then all of a sudden the arrows stopped. I was again left not knowing where I was going and just heading in the general direction of where I wanted to be.

This time I wised up and asked a firefighter with a cup of coffee in his hand instead of a busy troop. Thankfully this man was a little more helpful and got me going the right way to blue hill, which was where I wanted to get to because that where my route picked up again.

Even with the few minor backtracks I was still on schedule. I was taking my time and plunking away at the kilometres with no problem. Boston as a city was very nice to looks at. If it was not an old brick building it was a new glass building.

This is where things took a huge turn for the worse the route that I had planned along the 138 turned out to be a complete mess. Without warning it launched me onto the interstate. I panicked cars were whizzing past me at mach 10. They were driving in the emergency lane. It was just a mess. If I turned around I defiantly would have got hit so I made the choice to go the 3 miles to the first exit. And get off there.

Well as I am pulling off the interstate I see blue lights behind me. The state trooper comes out and does his job. I tell him that I wanted to be there as much as he wanted me there but if I would have defiantly got hit if I turned around. I also admitted what I did was wrong, but it was for my safety. He went back in his car did his paperwork and came out with a nice $50 ticket. That’s fine it’s not the best situation but I will deal with it. (Dad it has already been paid online $55 Canadian).

Two miles down the road I go to put my ear buds in and one had fallen on the road on the off ramp. Strike two for luck. Now I need to try and hunt down an extra earpiece for these, which is proving harder, then I thought. Lets hope that radio shack has them because best buy did not.

Strike three came when I went to buy graceries. I went to pay and I knew that I had a $100 bill that I had to break so I went to use it and it was not in my wallet. Now I am pissed because now I am $150 in the hole, and my daily cost was through the roof because as much as I hoped groceries and things would be less expensive here they are infact the same if not more expensive.

I was pretty rattled but I had to keep moving. I figured that the day could not get any worse. I was partcially right because once I got to prvidence in Rhode Island I promptly got lost again because wouldn’t you know it the sign marking disappeared again. I asked one old guy for directions and he ended up sending me north. I ask the guy in the north and he said I am screwed. Ignoring these facts I went with my gut. I pulled out my compass and went in the direction I knew I had to go. Low and behold it worked. It to some hard work and metal toughness because I started to second guess my every move, but made it.

After a quick lunch I was on my way and behind schedule at this point. I kept trucking down the road and 150km came and past. There is no camping within 25 miles of here so I had to do something I haven’t done yet… bang on some doors.

I see this side street with a lakeview and say to myself this looks promising. The first lady I ask said she was leaving tonight so that means no. She also said that it was a good community and I should have no problem. The next house was 2 minutes away and had a guy picking twigs on his lawn.

This is where I met rob. He was enitially sceptical but after seeing my id, my card, and after talking a little bit he welcomed me in like family. I got a nice hot shower, a flat piece of land for my tent, and even laundry. Best of all I have people to talk to tonight. So Ron and Claudia when you read this thank you.
Trip Distance: 153km
Ride Time: 7:28hr
Avg. Speed: 20.48hr
Total Distance: 9080km
Distnace: South Kingstown, Rhode Island

Tour Day 61 Mirrors and Rain Aug 26 2010

2010-08-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I was about to fall asleep when I got to thinking how cool this whole trip is. I mean not many people get to sleep next their bike for weeks upon weeks.

I awoke this morning hoping and praying the weather was wrong and it was not raining. Well I hate to say it the weather was right. I went outside and it was pouring. What went through my head is do I want to ride in this? Is it worth a day of misery?

Time was ticking by and the gears kept turning in my head over a nice pot of oatmeal. I had made my mind up I was heading out for at least 60km’s but really I had my hopes set a lot higher.

About 10 minutes after I got on the road it started to pour about as hard as it was in Quebec. I was second-guessing myself at first but the thought that I was on the road so I have to make it worthwhile.

New Hampshire was only 20km away and this is where I got my biggest scare on the bike so far. I was forced into the two-lane turnpike that had a bunch of cars ripping around it. The rain made the visibility very limited so I was hoping that drivers were able to see my bright orange jacket.

By this point my jacket had started to soak through and I was getting damp. Still my feet were dry and my legs were still moving, but I had to use the washroom. I knew the second I stopped I was going to feel all of the water hit my skin. I knew that I was not going to want to keep riding after that stop.

Thankfully having that time to mentally prepare I got back on the bike and was infact smiling. This lady in the ford escapes looked at me at a stop light and I gave her the thumbs up. Because really I had come to terms with being soaking wet. The only thing I was holding near to my heart was the fact that my feet were still dry.

This is when the clouds really opened up, and the hills started again. I was climbing these rolling hills with a river flowing against me. When I got to go down the other side it was just as bad because I had to ride my brakes so that I didn’t wipe out. My brakes themselves were almost as useless as my new shoe covers (plastic bags). Yes they worked to keep my feet dry but I kept ripping them so I had to stop to replace them.

At this stage the roads were just dangerous to ride on. I was deadest on making 100km today but it just was not worth risking my life. To put it in prospective it was the first time that I had ever seen a storm drain overflowing with water. I made my mind up that as soon as my feet got wet it was time to stop because shoes take forever to dry out. One day of misery is enough but having to relive that tomorrow would have just sucked.

At just over 80km’s I hit a series of the largest puddles I have ever ridden in. I had no choice though because it stretched the entire highway. At the deepest point the water was at my rear derailleur. This puddle also got my feet soaked so the hunt was on for a cheap motel because there was no camping between here (16 miles from Boston) and Boston. As well I will be honest I wanted a place to hang my gear to dry for the night.

This motel is special because it is the first place I have ever been in that has mirrors everywhere. It feels like I am in a funhouse at times. At least I know it’s clean because the lady was cleaning it out as I rolled in. It was either the mirror room or the heart shaped hot tub room.

I know that it was the smart move for me to stop but I just hate stopping when I still have energy. Here is hoping that tomorrow’s weather is better. And here is also hoping I can navigate Boston with no map. I doubt that last statement so I am going to get out of here a little earlier so that I can budget some time for to find myself a map or an information centre.
Trip Distance: 85km
Ride Time: 4:16hr
Avg. Speed: 19.90km/h
Total Distance: 8927km
Total Ride Time: 415hr
Destination: Peabody , Massachusetts

Tour Day 60 Last Day In Maine Aug 24 2010

2010-08-24T15:46:00.001-07:00

I could not really complain with the morning. I was planning to awake to a wet tent, and rain. Instead I got a mostly dry tent and no rain. So right off the bat I gained 10 minutes because I woke up a little earlier for the wet take down. The only thing that was a little annoying were the amount of mosquitoes around my tent. It seems that you have to take your pick. A site in a big open field that is subject to pounding rain, or near a bush that provides shelter but is full of mosquitoes.

I took down camp quick because I knew that the campsite was going to be a 2-mile uphill trek out. Once past that I was excited because I was on my way down to Portland. Portland is the first grand city in America.

The road to Portland was up and down again. In the back of my head I was thinking, “Jesus is this what the whole east coast is like”. But again I could not complain out loud because 1 I would look crazy, and 2 I had a nice blue sky (for the first time) and a tailwind.

As I rolled down the road belting out various swing and rap songs I was happy. The km’s ticked by and the navigation was easy. All I had to do was take the number 1. Well after 70k of this I was looking to switch this up so I attempted to get on the interstate. That was until I saw a huge no bikes sign. There went that idea.

Welcome to Portland. I passed the sign and assumed I could stay on my same route. Well I thought wrong because again I encountered a no bikes sign, and my map of Portland was as useful as a one armed hanger. So I had to stop in at a nail salon where this lady called her husband to give me directions. I nodded along and was on my way. The directions he had given me were from the interstate, which I could not go on. Luckily my internal compass guided me down a different road. Just as soon as I was about to say “man I am doing good at the navigation thing” I made a wrong turn. I proceeded down said wrong turn for 5km still hoping I was going the right way because I saw the sign for the road I wanted to be on.

Well at the dominos I stopped to ask for directions. Well I was going the wrong way. The signs that I was seeing was because the road had merged just before I got on it. So I was forced to back track. Along this backtrack I had to cross 3 train tracks laid at a 45 degree angle so I had to cut across all lanes of traffic. On the last of the set it had a large, sharp bump that I did not see coming. I thought I was going to crash but luckily I only got a flat from it.

I changed that flat in 5minutes and was super pumped to be riding again. After getting out of Portland my prayers were answered. The road levelled out and I was able to open up the legs.

I was clawing back the km’s that I lost from my mistakes, and I was on time for my lunch stop. I stopped at a subway because it is quick and clean food. This subway was a real surprise. The two employees there were having a great time. They engaged ever customer in conversation and played great off of each other with ongoing jokes. It lightened the mood of the entire store and made me want to give them a large tip. It infact made me miss work. I miss playing off of people like cody, jj, and eric. I value their friendships and I am thankful that I get the privilege to work with them.

This is completely random but I am going to let it out. I miss math. For the past 2 nights I have been craving math. I have been trying to find a math text with solutions so that I can plunk away at it.

I wanted to make it into New Hampshire tonight but it was not going to happen because the motels were super pricey, and no camping within 30km. So I was forced to spend another night in Maine. The campsites both were priced above $35, which is just redic. I mean $28 the past two nights was pushing it but today was the straw that broke the camels back. I made the choice to stay at a cheap motel. It is $15 more but I get a bed, don’t have to set up my tent, have my own shower, and can relax in the morning. Now I am only hoping that the weather is wrong and it does not pour rain tomorrow. I asked today if the weather is always this bad because wouldn’t you know it, it rained again today at the end of the ride. In response the owners of the motel said “actually we have been in a doubt this year”. I just happened to come in during the first rain in 30days.
Trip Distance: 182km
Ride Time: 8:00hr
Avg. Speed: 22.74km/h
Total Distance: 8842km
Total Ride Time: 410hr
Destination: Kinnerly, Maine

Tour Day 59 New Friends Aug 23 2010

2010-08-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

Well no gunshots last night so it was a little more peaceful. This was a good thing because I was a ways away from the main road so I had to wake up a little earlier to get on the road and making miles by my regular time.

The morning ride was surprisingly smooth. The winds were down, and the weather was overcast. Other then the rolling hills all was good. Now rolling hills are fine if your legs feel good, but boy mine did not feel so hot today. It was 7:00am and I was feeling myself slow down. I could feel my knees were starting to hurt. I wanted to push on till lunch without music but it just was not in the cards today.

Thankfully with some music in my ears I perked right up. At first I was listening to the radio. Which is a something I want to talk about. The first thing is the shows here are a lot more blunt and right to the point. There is no messing around with the information that they give you. It is hard to explain you have to experience it for yourself. The other thing is they are a lot more graphic then I am used to. It was odd hearing people say Indian instead of native, and even stranger that they were able to get away with a few sketchy sexist jokes. That being said it was a pleasant change of pace. That was until I lost reception about 5km after I turned the show on.

Throughout the day my legs started to feel better and better. To the point that I passed my lunch stop because I still had energy. This is where the day started to turn around in the other direction. The spitting rain started again. Thinking nothing of it I just pressed on. By this point I was starting to get hungry so I wanted to stop. I wanted something quick and simple. Which was easy but I am stubborn and passed about 5 restaurants simply because they did not look up to snuff. By the time I got to Athens pizza I was ready for a 4-course meal.

At lunch I asked about camping. I was at km 120 at this point so I was game to put on another 40- 70km. But again it was not in the cards today. After lunch the spitting rain stopped and the real rain started. I had to put on all the rain gear and get nice and wet with my own sweat because it was still warm outside. I kept thinking sweat is better then rain. That is still a tough pill to swallow when you are dripping climbing up a hill.

The only campsite for 40 miles was at km 150 and I decided to make the stop instead of pushing on. It all worked for the better though because I met two really stellar guys named Allan and monk. They are traveling from Chicago to Boston, and are just really cool easygoing guys. It defiantly made tonight a little easier. As well made it last a little longer then normal.

Anyways it is getting late and the mosquitoes are starting to come out so I am going to hit the sack.
Trip Distance: 149km
Ride Time: 7:07hr
Avg. Speed: 21.02kmÉh (damn French again)
Total Distance: 8659km
Total Ride Time: 402hr
Destination: Mom Please comment because I do not know, Maine

Tour Day 58 A Day Of Stereotypes Aug 22 2010

2010-08-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

BANG, BANG, BANG. That is what startled me awake last night at roughly midnight. After those sounds were quickly followed up by manic laughter. Right away I knew what had happened. In a drunken fit someone had discharged his or her gun in the air out of joy. I found it funny that this would happen on my first night in America but just the same I fell back to sleep right away.

That was for about 30minutes until I woke up with a pain in my butt. Now this is going to get gross for a second so if you don’t want to read it skip the paragraph. I though it was just a normal ass pain I mean it was my first distance ride in a few days but curious I wanted to feel if it was a saddle sore or not. Well I am glad to report it was not, but what it was was a mondo zit on my butt cheek. With one squeeze it popped and automatically I felt lighter and less pain. I knew that the next days ride was going to be much more enjoyable.

The tourist centre told me to watch out for a few patches of road today, and they were right. I hit two 10km patches hat were just messes. It was so broken up that I would have rather ridden on a pothole filled gavel path. It just beats you up so much that a small hill feels massive. And the downhill’s you cant get any speed because you are having to duck in and out of the shoulder (if you had one).

I cannot complain to loud though because much like Manitoba they are trying to fix it. Once back on smooth pavement I thought it would be a perfect time to plug in my ipod. To bad it was not in my handlebar bag. Trying not to panic I checked my laptop bag. It was not there. At the rest stop I unpacked my tent as a last resort and it was not there either. It sucked I was jones'ing for some music. The highlights of most of my days include belting out the lyrics to “get down Saturday night”. Then the penny dropped they were in my shorts.

So at lunch I had to unpack all my clothing just to get it. The lunch stop was a gas station that was filled with tourists heading to Nova Scotia. I had at least 10 people ask me which roads to take and distances on those roads. It felt very rewarding to hand over said information.

Even better then lunch this gas station had a map showing campsites. Perfect one was 50km away making a nice 160km day. With music in my ear I was like a man possessed. Towns were flying by and my stop was quickly approaching… or so I thought. The stop I had planned turned out to be just cottages and no camping so I had to press on. Thankfully Ellsworth was just 10 miles away. It is my first large American town I have visited and it lived up to every stereotype. The first thing you see is the Wal-Mart. Next to the walmart a mcdonalds. Then when you are at the campsite every site has a NASCAR flag, or a piece of NFL memorabilia. Personally I don’t think this is a bad thing because it shows that they have passion for something. Which is more then I can say about a lot of people on this planet.

The riding here in Maine is nothing to special yet. The only thing I have to comment on is the amount of houses for sale, and the amount of dilapidated houses that still have people living in them. I thought I would have to go deep into America to see the impacts of the economy but this really hits close to home.
Trip Distance: 182km
Ride Time: 8:44hr
Avg. Speed: 20.93km/h
Total Distance: 8509km
Total Ride Time: 395hr
Destination: Ellsworth, Maine

I want to comment on the bus thing because it has been bugging me I did not take it because I was tired of riding I took it because the riding back to moncton was going to be super boring and tedious. I would much rather spend those extra 3 days in Florida or New Orleans. Places I have wanted to see my entire life. Not antiginoush… a place that no one wants to see ever.

Tour Day 57 Jump The Boarder Aug 22 2010

2010-08-22T15:11:00.000-07:00

I was a little nervous going to sleep last night because I knew that it was my last night in Canada for a while. I know America is our neighbour and I know that it is the most powerful country in the world, but still in the back of my mind I was thinking of it as if it was Afghanistan.

The morning’s ride was not the smoothest. It started off really cold so I was layered up, then it got warm so I stripped it down, then after that it got cold again. After stripping my gear on and off so many times I felt like a male stripper I decided to just suck it up and deal with the cold.

After making that choice about 5km down the road I saw my first moose. I do not know how I did not see one in Newfoundland but ce la vie. This moose may have been smoked by a car and dead on the side of the road but I am still going to count it. It is kind of like fish stories you never really know how big the fish is. In this case other then those who read the blog they wont know if it was alive or dead. The only problem with said moose was that it was fresh. Glass was everywhere and I had no option but to ride through it. After riding through the glass I was thinking “crap this is going to cause a flat” and cause me to stop again. At the top of the hill I stopped and checked the tires and surprisingly everything looked ok. Still I topped up my tires so that I can give er the old pinch check tomorrow morning.

Just like Manitoba wanted me to stay, Canada did as well. The last 40km’s of Canada were just brutal. I had a 20-30km/h headwind the entire time. Still I pushed into it as hard as I could. My lunch stop was st. Stephen and I was not stopping till I got there. Each kilometre ticked by and I saw the exit to owl beach, which on my map said was 14km from st. Stephen. At that point it was 12:30 and I was hungry. I don’t know what came over me but I did not stop I was up for the punishment. 2km later I see the exit for st. Stephen. Yet again my maps distances were completely whacked. This time it worked in my favour.

When I got into Canada’s chocolate town I was on the hunt for food. The first place was going to be the stop no ifs and or buts. In this case it just so happened to be a small local diner run by a very kind woman. Right away she started asking me questions about the trip and why I was doing it. Within 5 minutes she was going around to the other tables and telling them to come talk to me. Within 10 minutes she was on the phone trying to get a hold of the local paper. It was a great lunch for two reasons. The food and the people I cant ask for much more. So fingers crossed that you will see my mug in the st. Stephen local paper.

Next was the boarder. The road going into the board did a complete 180 degree turn so now I had a tailwind. Elated by this I was ripping into the final 3km’s and approached the boarder. I don’t know what it is but whenever I get to the boarder my heart goes in my throat. Whenever I get a question I feel like I should give them my life’s story, which then usually leads to more questions. This boarder crossing was a little unique because as I found out it was not for pedestrians of bikes. Inside the guy was contemplating sending me back but luckily he did not. That would have blown huge chunks if that would have happened.

Once in the U.S. I was on the hunt for a visitor centre for a map. Because it is awfully hard to travel when you do not know what road leads where. I saw the sign and it said 2 under it so thinking two miles I went ahead. The roughly two km’s down the road there was nothing but a police station. So I stopped and asked where the centre was and the guy said it closed down and I would have to go to the library 2 blocks ahead. Over the hill there it was in bold writing “tourist centre for Maine”. I thought to myself that does not say a lot about local knowledge. Here I got my map and again the lady said that she was going to send off my story to the local paper so I was super pumped on that.

The campsite was 9 miles away. Which in my head does not sound like a lot because I am so used to km’s. I am going to have to readjust my thinking about distance, or just get better at math to convert distances. Please America use metres. It is easier and makes more sense. Feet and miles seem to be calculated by taking the square root of 3 and multiplying that by the temperature. The calculation for the temperature is even more complex then that. Lets just say it involves at least 3 variables.
Trip Distance: 152km
Ride Time: 7:32hr
Avg. Speed: 20.23km/h
Total Distance: 8326km
Total Ride Time: 385hr
Destination: Keene Lake, Maine

Tour Day 56 Restoring My Faith In Fate Aug 20 2010

2010-08-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

I have to learn how to have more faith. That is what I learned from yesterday.

I was down in the dumps a little bit after the bad news about the bus so I did what every other Atlantic Canadian does and went to time Horton’s. This time without my shoe covers so that I would not loose them. Tim Horton’s here are like malls. The parking lots are always full even in the small towns, and in the larger towns you have one at the entrance of every exit off the highway.

When I got back to the depot I had 3 hours to kill and I was thinking it was going to be super painful. To ease the pain a little I decided to plug in and charge my ipod. Across from me was this woman who looked about 3 years older then me in an old school bowler hat and American apparel everything. She says, “Where are you going”? From that point I just opened up and pretty much told her my life story. We very quickly hit it off. It was almost as if we knew each other before. I mean we liked the same music, biked, and had the same introverted approach to most things.

At this point I was still sitting across the walkway when a crazy man comes in with a smoke in his mouth and starts rambling to me about something or other. I could not understand him so I simply nodded and moved to where he was pointing his finger.

Very quickly three hours passed. I then had to push my broken box onto the bus with some help. Here I snagged a quick nap before we stopped in moncton. When I awoke I finally clued in. I did not get this stranger that I had been talking with for going on 5 hours. So I ask the question and find out her name is jess. Jess and I continued to talk for the rest of the trip and then she helped me reassemble my bike outside of the bus depot.

At this point I had made my mind up no more vehicles. I had taken the bus back to Moncton, which is where I went to Pei from so my goal of emiliminating back tracking was complete. Anything extra I would just be getting greedy. Plus I am more determined and driven then that. I can pedal my butt that extra 180km. Here is where Fred the bus driver went to bat for me at the depot office. He demanded that they give me a refund for at least part of the trip. Which they did so I was elated.

Once I got back on the road it was dark, and within 3 feet I saw a woman in a short dress and heels. Assuming the worst I thought, “damn I am going to have to pedal my butt off tonight. I then wondered around for about 10 minutes and found myself on the main drag in Moncton. It was a Thursday night and the place was packed. Every patio was full, every bar was full, and the road was being cruised by every hot rod and bike in the town. It was a really cool feeling.

I stopped to talk with some people to find a campsite but no one had any ideas. One guy said there was one 1.5k away so I went on the hunt, but never found it. At this point it was 9:30 and I had made my mind up im rough camping it. Before that I stopped in at a locally owner hotel to ask one more person. After telling them what I am doing they said that I was to stay there. And worked me out a price. That was exactly $25 over that of my return money so I was super happy about that.

I was so excited to ride the next day that I did not get to sleep until midnight. The only thing that put me to sleep was background music courtesy of BBQ pit masters on tlc. Possible the most useless show on tv these days.

The day’s ride really was normal which is what made it so nice. It was nice weather to start the day, and then a bit of rain, then clear the end of the day. It just felt good to get out and stretch them legs for a change. Tomorrow the U.S.A.

Other then that I am in st. John right now a really ugly industrial town that has a beautiful view of some local factories from the knoll that I am on.
Trip Distance: 180km
Ride Time: 8:14hr
Avg. Speed: 21.92km/h
Total Distance: 8174km
Total Ride Time: 379hr
Destination: St. John, New Brunswick

P.S. I will be on CKNW tomorow between 12 and 4pm

Tour Day 55 Smooth. What Is That? Aug 19 2010

2010-08-19T11:21:00.001-07:00

Well again on a day when things needed to go right they did not.

It all started off fine and dandy. Woke up at my regular time. Got my bike boxed with time to spare, and even got my bags in the box as well so I did not have to pay extra for having to many bags. The bus itself was fairly new and did not smell like every greyhound in BC.

We were off. Within the first 3 hours we were off of cape Breton and on out way to the terminal in Turo. There were only about 16 of us on the bus so we all had space to spread out and get comfortable. This may explain why I took 2 catnaps while on the road. As well I got some good reading time in.

The girl in front of me was playing dance dance revolution on her computer so I decided to listen to ddr music on my ipod. This is where I found out that every ddr song works with every arrow that comes on the screen, no matter the combination. This is probably because all the songs are pumped up to roughly 220 beat per minute. Then just to switch it up I turned on classical music and watched those same arrows fly by. I could not help but to giggle a little bit because the classical music even worked. For some reason I don’t think dance dance revolution would be the same if it was all classical music.

Over the intercom I hear “next stop Turo transfer point to Monkton and those continuing to St. John”. Great that’s me, and it is only a ten-minute wait till the next bus. We arrive at the terminal and it was pretty busy. About 15 people waiting for the same bus. Not fazed I walked in and asked the guy “what time does the bus to st. John get in tonight”? He replies with the simple answer of “8:15”. Right away I go think to myself crap that’s usually the time I go to sleep and I still have to find a campsite after that. Still confidant that I will work it out I wait.

Well the bus pulls in and the driver hopes out and first thing he sees is me with the bike box. He says, “That ain’t gunna fit”. This is where I try to keep my cool. I can’t leave m bike. And I have to look at this as a privilege not a right. I go back inside and ask what time the next bus is and he says “5:45 arriving in Monkton at 8 and no connection to St. John tonight”. Well that blows goats. I wanted this to be a one-day thing now it has ruined two days.

As well what am I going to do tonight? Do I unpack the bike and rebuild it to find a campsite around Monkton? I don’t think so because it would take 30mins to put together and then however long to find a site. I am really hoping that I have the option like I had at the tourist centre in Newfoundland. If I build the bike and ride t tomorrow what is the point of me buying the ticket to St. John? I have then wasted an extra $37 and I will still have to ride from Monkton to St. John, which will take all day.

Really this situation just sucks rocks. What was supposed to be easy has now become a pain in the butt. I understand that this is all apart of the adventure but it always seems like I am on the wrong end of the stick when it comes to situations like this.

I always say one of the most exciting things every night is figuring out where you are going to stay is. Well it looks like tonight is going to be one of the nights. I think the hardest part of this whole ordeal is the fact I am watching some of my goals slip away. I wanted to keep that 150 average because it is such a mental boost for me. Now after two days of doing very few km’s instead of one I somehow have to manage to pull 300km’s out of my butt instead of 150km’s. That fact is what is in the back of my head. That fact is what is making me thin of biking from Monkton.

Then this is how my brain works I go “why would you do that Evan you have a free ride to St. John you will arrive at 2pm and still have some time get maps, money, and all the rest. It just sucks because I want to get riding so bad. But what can I do I am simply a man with a bike at this moment.
Trip Distance: 6:18km
Ride Time: 0:17hr
Avg. Speed: 21.04km/h
Total Distance: 7999km
Total Ride Time: 371hr
Destination: Will be somewhere in Monkton, New Brunswick

I will probably have one more night after this in Canada but if I do not I have to say a few things. One my phone will not work in the states so to any family I am sorry. Two my internet stick will not work in the states as well so I will have to use wifi. That means that the blog most likely will not be updated every day but when I do have internet access I will upload multiple days worth of journals. My mom has been pretty good with uploading where I am via the gps “spot” system so when she is back from vacation lets hope that continues.

Tour Day 54 Long Ferry Ride Aug 18 2010

2010-08-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have to say after spending 17hours on a ferry that I will never go on a cruise in my life. Granted this boat was not the largest in the ocean but when you are stuck on an island that is only 1km long and as wide as two shower stalls you get sick of it really quick. Thanks to a tip from a Newfoundlander I found a great little spot on the boat. 98% of people stayed on the 5th level because the 7th levels were private recliner chairs. But at the front of said room was a public lounge that hardly anyone was in. That meant that I could spread out a little more and get a chance to get the sleeping mat out and not ruin my neck.

The night’s sleep was not the best because I was fully clothed and rocking like I was on a chair on a patio. In the end rest was rest. It felt strange waking up and not having to put on my cycling kit right away. It was also nice to not have to do anything. I got a chance to sit down and read for hours, then after that watch I movie in its entirety. It almost felt normal.

That was until I put on my kit and everyone looked at me weird again. As if to say “why is this guy stretching and in spandex”? “Did I miss the call for the Richard Simmons workout routine”?

Because the ferry had an engine down it was 2.5 hours late getting in. Which then really forced my had with the back tracking thing. I got off the ferry at noon and if I pressed on I would have had to stay at the mosquito campsite again. That simply was not happening. So I went to the local Ultramar and bought a ticket for St. John New Brunswick. I know it is cheating but really those 3 days of backtracking and staying at the same places would have sucked. Now I can get into the states on the day that my insurance policy starts instead of wasting more time in Canada. Really the only downside is my odometer is going to show 400 less km’s but I will make those up later on down the road.

When I was pulling into the gas station something happened that I knew was going to happen. I replaced my chain yesterday and shimano chains do not have a quick link so you have to push the pin in. Well I did what every noob does and bent a link. At the time I rode it and it worked fine so I just left it. Well I heard a snap and that was that. Luckily it was a quick fix.

Now tomorrow is really all I am focused on. I have to dismantle my bike to fit it into a box then somehow pack two of my bags in said box so that I don’t get charges extra. That is stressing me out a little. All I have to pray is that I mark my seat post right otherwise my body will let me know.

On the note of my body I have to say my batteries are almost back to fully charged. I did not realize that they were that depleted until I got some good rest. I thought my legs would feel bogged down getting on the bike again but it was the complete opposite. A few days off in Florida should do the trick. Maybe I will invest in a Speedo just to show off the impressive tan lines.

I should not be thinking that way because when you think that far ahead it really messes with you mind. I should be focused on what lunch is tomorrow? How smelly the bus will be? Things like that.

I must say thank you to Maurice and Andrea the Swiss couple I met a few days ago. They handed off all there extra food to me and I have to say it is simply amazing. This one soup in particular is mind blowing. It is hearty and delicious. Somehow it manages to go from a small package to a huge pot of sup as well. As well they offered a good chance to geek out on some gear facts.
Trip Distance: 10.22km
Ride Time: 0:39hr
Avg. Speed: 15.69km/h
Total Distance: 7993km
Total Ride Time: 371hr
Destination: Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia

I have a few side notes:
1. After reading the comments I will be scaling back the km's but not to an extreme degree. Over the first 52 days I averaged 152km's per day. Over the next I hope to stay at a 150 average. That will mean a few longer days in the future because with the bus trip that will push me to 148.5 or something like that. In the end I am still Very Competitve with myself, and still want to push my bodies limits. Newfoundland was a new high for that.

2. As you all know I am a huge Hilliberge tent fan. That love has now doubled because i quickly found out the company cares about the people using its product. In my vestibule two 2mm pannels have started to seperate by about 1mm. Because of the fabric this will not get any larger, and it is also so smallt hat it does not leak any water. That being said it still freaked me out. So i sent an email to hilliberg and got an email from the company owner in under a day. She said send me a picture so I did. Now they are sending me sealer free of charge and shiping included. As well a nice thing that I found out is that they put the name of the person who made your tent on the inside of it. Thanks Hilliberg

Tour Day 53 I'm On A Boat... A Much Older Boat July 17 10

2010-08-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

I want to start today a little differently. I want to start by say thank you to my family. Mom and dad I know you guys have not always seen eye to eye but you guys have done one heck of a job. Not many families would be ok with saying goodbye to their son for an unknown amount of time, to an unknown location, along a route that even I do not know. So for that I thank you because it is paying off in spades.

The day started with a few thoughts in my mind. I was thinking back on Canada and thinking of what my favourite memory was. I decided that it was the night we were raided by racoons. Olivier, Charles, and I trying to scare off the racoons. Then after they left we all peed all around our site to keep them away. It was very majestic and very hard to describe. It felt as if it was a real boys own adventure at that point.

The campsite that I left was odd. I did not see one woman or girl the entire time I was there. It felt as if it was the campsite for newly single men. I say that because all the guys left early in the morning to go to work, and they only had there trailers and a few miscellaneous goods spread out in front of them.

The ride was short today only 120km so I took in the scenery and spent a bit more time going on my way to the ferry. Backtracking along highway 1 was actually harder then I thought it was going to be. I remember climbing a lot more getting to st. Johns and it seems that I did not get a lot of downhill on the way back.

Once off the highway I got onto route 100, which was beautiful. It was a great way to end my trip in Newfoundland. Nice rolling hills with an almost constant view of water. Because my ferry was at 8pm and I was going down the road at 12:30pm I had the road to myself. I rode down the centre of the road for minutes at a time without a car going either way.

Once at the ferry terminal the employees ask “are you sure you want to check in now”? Well I had no option because really there is not much to see on the road so all is good. On the plus side I had a chance to catch up on some much needed social media, replace my chain, and get some reading in.

The book I am reading is the long way around which is about a motorcycle trip around the world. Granted they have a lot more money, a lot more staff, and a lot better grammar then I but still I found it odd reading the story because we are going through the same things. Every word I could relate to in some way. I read to escape reality and here this book is making me relive my own reality (ill be it in a brighter light).

Getting there so early also gave me a chance to talk to a lot of people about what I am doing and why I am doing it. As well just a chance to talk in general about nothing. It was awesome because everyone here has a story. They say you don’t come to Newfoundland for the weather, but you do come for the people and the stories.

The staff at the terminal were also worthy of a comment because they played a game of baseball while getting paid during the slow hours.

Other then that really the only other thing to talk about is the fact that this ferry is far less luxurious, and defiantly rocks more. And I think I am going to try to take the bus from north Sydney to Monkton or st. John because backtracking really blows. We will see if they will allow me with all my luggage and a bike, or whether I will have no other option but to backtrack.
I would update my distance info but I forgot my computer on my bike and cannot retrieve it while I am underway.
Trip Distance: 119km
Ride Time: 5:41hr
Avg. Speed: 21.04km/h
Total Distance: 2983km
Total Ride Time: 320hr
Destination: Atlantic Ocean

Tour Day 52 Realizing I Am Human Aug 16 2010

2010-08-16T14:21:00.001-07:00

Welcome to St. Johns. The town of many hills, and poorly laid out streets. When I woke up (late) in pippy park it was a weird feeling. I felt as if the day had already passed me by and it was only 6:30am. Luckily I woke up during one of the only dry spells today so I got a chance to dry off my tent and pack up just before the next rain started.

Rain. Everyone was complaining about Newfoundland and how bad the weather was. Well today I got my first taste of that, sans shoe covers. My shoe covers are in a Tim Horton’s back in New Brunswick so I had to resort to plastic bags. They work yes but everyone looks at you a little funny. So that was the first thing I wanted to find today were some new shoe covers. So I go into the local bike shop and say I want waterproof shoe covers. They say they don’t have anything and that they use plastic bags. I find that odd, as a businessman in a town with a lot of rain that would be something that I would carry many of.

The next stop was the bank to figure out what the heck happened with my savings account when I attempted online banking for the first time. Evidently I did something wrong because what I wanted to do did not happen. At that point I was a little miffed so I figured some starbucks hot chocolate was in order (thanks Dr. D). I felt really hip sitting emailing and such while drinking my hot beverage. Almost felt normal for a change. One gentleman even invited me to stay with him and his girlfriend for the night. What I am doubting is my choice to press on down the road 40km instead of taking that nice warm bed for a night.

I was going to change my chain today but I am simply too tired. After a nap, a buffet lunch, and some dinner I am just ready to hit the sack. I am quickly finding out that I am only human. When you keep hammering and hammering day after day it is fine. But the second you stop and break from that routine your body lets you know “hey you have been being dumb”. With that in mind I think I will try to stick around the 150km per day mark in the states and try to avoid these 200km plus days.

With that in mind I had to try to find maps today for the eastern states. Now that is a task that you would think would be easy. Just find a bookstore and or caa and you would be set. Well the book store only had a place mat of the eastern states which does me no good, and I am not a caa member so that is not an option. It is not time for me to start looking while I am in Nova Scotia. The last thing that I want is to go across the boarder and answer the “where are you going” question with a “ummmm I need to find a map first”. For some reason I do not think that they would let me in if that was my answer.

The final things to do were get insurance and get a stuff stack. Insurance was easy because the ladies were really nice and helpful. They even took the extra time to call to make sure I am not voiding my policy by riding my bicycle because it puts me in harms way. Luckily that was not a problem so we are set to go. Now all that is left is backtracking through Nova Scotia, which I am less then thrilled about. It is not a very appealing thing when your only two options are either to go along the same road and save 40km or take the other road that loops around a little more but then still ends up on the same road that you have to take to get to Halifax or wherever in the province.

After talking with some other bike tourists I find it hard to believe that I am not content with riding across Canada. That I would feel regret and failure if I did not finish in the states. These peoples life long dreams were just Canada and here I am at 18 biting off even more. This feeling is something that hits you right in the gut… and it is not hunger I think.

The campsite for the night is right next to the highway so it is very peaceful, and the shower was nice and cold. Those two things really made me feel awesome about my choice to go down the road as well. But the way I am looking at it is that I have to do a few less hills tomorrow, and I can get into the ferry to wait a long time a little earlier. You know when I typed that out it makes less sense then it did in my head.
Trip Distance: 33km
Ride Time: 2:06hr
Avg. Speed: 15.91km/h
Total Distance: 7863km
Total Ride Time: 364hr
Destination: Exit 40 outside of St. Johns, Newfoundland

Tour Day 51 End Of Canada Aug 15 10

2010-08-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

This morning the blood was in the water. I could taste the final 200km to St. Johns. I was mentally and I thought physically prepared for the last km’s. I was going to make it come hell or high water.

I knew right off the bat that I was going to encounter 40km of pass like terrain by looking at my map so I went out and rode nice and slow and took my time. I was actually enjoying the hills today because I had prepared for them. As well after truing my rear wheel (because I hit a huge pothole) my brakes were not dragging. It is amazing how much energy it saved when that was fixed.

Because I was in for the long haul today I pushed my 10am break back to 11:30 so that I would eat lunch later and have energy for the rest of the days ride. The funny thing about touring is you have so much time to obsess over these times that you end up being on the nose for timing. I swear that I am military time these days, and my body knows it. It also knows when I take a detour from said schedule.

My first snack was at a truck stop. A few sketchy hand wrapped muffins were what was in store for me. I was not sure if what I was eating was mold of blueberries but in the end it is just turned to poo anyways. I also had a nice conversation with the attendant who was very interested in what I was doing. He said that I was crazy for try to get to St. Johns today.

Well the hills did not stop it was constant up and down but added to that once I got onto the peninsula I was dealing with a constant 20km/h headwind. No problem though because I was like a man possessed. All I need was some good music in the ears and I was set to go riding.

For some reason maybe it was the mountain dew last night I had to us the washroom every hour it seemed. This is where I learned the lesson of do not pee into the wind, even if it means you have to face traffic. We will just leave it at that and let you fill in the rest.

Lunch was a at a truck stop and pre-packaged sandwiches in order. The nice thing about thee is that were actually made here in Newfoundland… not at zyx manufacturing in twiland. To get out of the stop however was a larger challenge. I rolled down the steepest handicap ramp on the planet. The problem was that I was not clipped in when I though I was. So I roll down with some speed then proceed to nut myself and ram my seat into my small intestine all while almost taking out a parked car.

The rest of the day was rough I kept seeing these signs with distances to st.johns. I was traveling at a super slow speed because of the never ending hills and the wind so these signs just kept pushing me. At the 30km to go sign I started to hoot and hauler. By the end it sounded as if I had tourettes syndrome.

I cannot believe that I have come this far. I cannot believe I crossed Canada. I wanted the picture perfect moment to commemorate it but that was not going to happen because I had to sprint up this embankment, which cost me the time of my self-timer. Anyways it was a long day and I must get to sleep, or socialize a little more with my new Swiss friends.
Trip Distance: 212km
Ride Time: 10:36hr
Avg. Speed: 19.99km/h
Total Distance: 7829km
Total Ride Time: 362gr
Destination: St. Johns, Newfoundland

Tour Day 50 True Tears Of Joy Aug 14 2010

2010-08-14T15:15:00.001-07:00

I am going to start with how I am feeling right now because that is what I am focused on. It was a really hard day. It was like riding the least fun roller coaster on the planet. I cannot believe that I am so close to st. Johns. I can believe I am doing this alone either. It is hard on my 18-year-old mind. Spending all day every day alone is tough no way about it. I am not sure what I feel right now so I am going to quote from a hunters and collectors song. Your thoughts are scattered like paper everywhere tiny pieces of laughter and despair. But your cry true tears of joy. Passion id you weakness, but you feed it every day. As I sit here weeping over my computer this song has never rung truer. Im just thinking about everything from home amazing some days where to how tough most days are. I cannot word this properly and this is very quickly becoming a run on paragraph so I will end it at that.

There is always a lighter side to everything though. In this case it came when I was crying and had to blow my nose so I Sask hankied it all over myself. It was a really good look on me I have to say. The other bright spot came when I called Kristi and got to talk to her for 3 minutes. My conversations out here are always how far? Where to? And by yourself? It is nice to be able to skip all that and just talk to someone who gets me. It is strange how being further away from friends and family actually makes you closer (at least on my end).

As for the day my campsite last night was garbage. It had 20 stairs that u had to climb to get to it with no way around, and the campers in front of me had a dog that would not be quiet. I think that it should be a rule if you cannot train a dog to be quiet you should not be allowed to have kids. I would have won my earplugs but they are getting to the stage where I would almost rather stuff dirt in my ear.

I can tell my brain was starting to get scattered by how many things I miss placed. First it was my lighter. So I had to get one off of a nice couple just down the street. Next was my ipod that I left in the laundry room. Then again my ipod today when I went to grab it after lunch I found out I left it in my tent when I rolled it up.

The days ride sucked hard today. I was battling a slight headwind all day, and the terrain was just no good. Where I wanted to stop for lunch turned out to be 3km down a 6% grade hill. Then when in said town I asked for directions to see if there was a better way out after lunch. Here is where I learnt something. Canada actually has three languages English, French, and Newfoundland. The directions I had to get repeated three times before I understood what she was saying. Then a guy at the campsite had a few questions about the trip that I for the life of me could not understand so I just ran through my standard answer sheet.

The national park was next after lunch and it was the hardest riding I have encountered yet by a country mile. It was constant punishment to the legs. I could feel my body getting lower and lower in fuel. I could feel my legs turning over slower and slower. It was rough. Never have I wanted music to distract me more in my life. Instead I did the opposite and plunked in my crusty earplugs so that I could enjoy the sound of silence.

One of the loyal blog readers Don wanted me to do a run through on the pros and cons of my gear. Well here is the short of it. I am happy with all of my gear. My glasses have been run over by a truck and did not break (riders glasses). My bags are waterproof so that’s awesome. I also like the replacement bags a little bit better because they do not close up as much so I can store more food. The only ability I lost is the option to throw it in a river to dry it off. My compute has lived up to its name as the tough book. I have dropped it, dented it, and have no complaints. The best article of clothing I brought with me has to be my cannondale morphis shell because it is so versatile. And I am super glad I brought my winter riding gloves because cold hands suck.
Trip Distance: 145km
Ride Time: 7:13hr
Avg. Speed: 20.19km/h
Total Distance: 7617km
Total Ride Time: 351hr
Destination: Thor Lake, Newfoundland

P.S. I have told a few key people but now its time to let the cat out of the bag. I am continuing after St. Johns. I have more then one day left in these legs… I think.

Tour Day 49 A Sore Day Aug 13 2010

2010-08-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

This morning was nice. I did not have to pack anything I did not have to do anything except cook and leave. I decided while cooking to turn on the TV with my fingers crossed that they had changed the channel from last night. Luckily they did and but on showcase. Which I found kind of funny because I know haw that played out. The kids went to sleep and they got a chance to watch some TV shows that did not involve child like screams, or 24-year-old show hosts that act as if they were 13.

It was hard walking out that door for a couple reasons. First off I was lonely something about the bed reminded me of home and made me miss every bit of it. Adding to that outside was the thickest fog I had ever ridden through. Fog I found out is a very lonely weather condition because you can look around to distract you. You are forced to think and scrutinize everything that passes through your mind even more.

Needless to say the morning was a little rough on my young soul. Adding to that were my sore legs that did not want to go forward. Luckily I had a slight breeze in my favour pushing me forward into a town called badger. By this time the fog had burnt off, and my legs were starting to feel semi good (only after 90km on the bike). Badger is an interesting place for one reason. For days I have been seeing signs advertising for 3 star motels which is bad enough but I have been wanting more then anything to see something advertising less because they it would be 50% or below. Well today that came true. I saw a motel that was proud of being a two and half star motel. I got to thinking about what it would be like in there. Would it have a porto-potty? Do I use someone else’s towels? What’s the deal? I think it is a safe bet to say that they would not have free soap.

From here the km’s flowed. Lunch and groceries were next. This provided me with my first experience in a Newfoundland town since I have been here. It was interesting because there were a lot of young people. I always pictured Newfoundland as this rustic place with old farts on rocking chairs every few miles. Well it’s rustic but there is nothing for 50km stretches except beautiful scenery, and the old people are not as plentiful as I had dreamed.

I also completed one of my goals of the trip as well today. When I left I said to myself that I want to get 3 awesome photos. One of me one a pier with my bike while the sun is setting, one of guys fly fishing in a river, and one of a train with a beautiful background. It is kind of like a pokemon game I played back in the day on my n64. Well today I got my fly fishing photo nailed. I was riding past with a hill in my sights trying to get my fully stoked bike up to attack speed when I saw these two guys just happily fishing in this wonderful little river. For me it was an easy choice to stop and loose all of my momentum, turn around the 4 lanes of traffic and get the shot.

The other thing that I have learned is that in Newfoundland the only campsites you can count on are the provincial ones. The private sites may be there but they are not advertised and are impossible to find. Another little fact I found out is that the ferry I want to catch only runs three times a week. Because I am only 350km away from st. Johns and my ferry I on Tuesday it means I am going to be forced to take a rest day. That Kind of blows because as it stands now I am feeling good and cooking the miles. I fear that the rest day or days will brake that stride, or cause the winds to change. As will Farrell said “I am not super sticious; I am just a little sticious”.
Trip Distance: 176km
Ride Time: 8:02hr
Avg. Speed: 22.00km/h
Total Distance: 7471km
Total Ride Time: 344hr
Destination: Notre Dame, Newfoundland

Tour Day 48 Longest Solo Ride Yet Aug 12 2010

2010-08-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am goig to keep to cut the blog a little shorter today because I am hella tired.

Last night because I got in a little early I got some laundry done. This brings be to a rant. Coin laundry dryers suck. I mean they say insert x amount of cents and that will give you usually 5 minutes. So in your head you have to think how much time you need. If you guess to little then you loose all the heat and are screwed. You then have to spend usually double to get it dry. If you over guess then you are left with clothing that has shrunk half a size. The reason I bring this up is because last time I shrunk everything. And then last night I was left with dry cycling gear, and wet civi clothing.

This morning I woke up early so that I could get on the road early. This is because I knew that I had a 2km climb out of the park I was staying at. The climb was rough to say the least. Because I had cold muscles I was stuck climbing at 6km/h. It really took a mental blow because it really ruined all my averages for a long time. Which as a guy who has nothing better to do with most of the day I like to stay above 20km/h. I sent the next 3 hours watching it slowly climb higher and higher. This serves as a great mental boost.

The next rant I have is for the mapmaker of the tourist map for Newfoundland. Along the map it shows you distances along the trans Canada. Seeing this I assumed that the distance to Deer Lake was 79km. 123km later I was in Deer Lake and comforted with a choice to make. Do I press on the 83km to the nearest campsite, or take a rest day. Well this was an easy choice for me I decided to press on.

With a full stomach of chicken and onion rings I was on the road. I zoned out for the first time during the trip. I looked no more then 25feet ahead and simply focused on my breath and my cadence. It felt awesome. I was making up time and I was going to complete my first 200km ride with a good amount of time for set-up.

I then was cut off by another cyclist scoot who came through the states and is just finishing his trip the other way. It was a good break, which I needed. It was also a good excuse to pee and stretch a little. Scott also gave me some hints on a route through the states via adventure cyclist.

Well 203km came and went. My body was dead. I wanted to find that campsite like nothing else. I decided to keep going thinking it could be a little further away. I kept going and my faith was demolished. The next step was to find a spot to set up the tent on the side of the road. I tried two spots and both turned out to be swamped with water (damn rain from last night). Then I saw it “motel 5km”. It was my holy grail. I wanted it like nothing else. I saw my speed jump as my body made the surge for the rest stop.

I saw it coming from 2km away. I watched it get closer and closer. I could read the sign and I saw home for the night. I went in sweat ad salty and on the brink of tears. I told the man my story and I also told him that I have never been happier to have a place to stay. It is my first bed since Regina because the other motels I was on my sleeping mat.

The funny thing about this motel is that the people in the next room control my TV. I guess they have it linked so I sit here bloging watching them scan the ppv selection while watching sponge bob.
Trip Distance: 220km (longest solo ride ever over hilly terrain)
Ride Time: 10:17hr
Avg. Speed: 21.40km/h
Total Distance: 7294km
Total Ride Time: 336hr
Destiantion: exit 410, Newfoundland

Tour Day 47 An Interesting Night Aug 11 2010

2010-08-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

Last night was an adventure on top of an adventure. Matt and I got off the ferry at 11pm. It was pitch black and we had no idea where to go. After putting on my headlamp we pushed on into the dark. Luckily the shoulder was nice and wide, and the roads were fairly quiet (by Newfoundland standards). It was thrilling going to 2 kms to the nearest town. 2 kilometres may not sound luck much but when you are in the dark finding you way it seems like 100km. We stopped in at the Tim Horton’s where there was a line up. We asked where the nearest campsite was and not one person seemed to know. Still we pressed on another 2km’s to the visitor info site. This was out stop for the night. You could tell at least 10 other campers had the same idea as us because the parking lot was lined with RV’s. At this point it was 11:40 and I wanted to sleep so what I did was simply throw my ground sheet down under the buildings roof, inflate my sleeping mat, and unroll my sleeping bag. After that it was sweet dreams to the sound of a foghorn in the background.

Morning came and we got packed up. Again I do not know how matt survives here I am eating my big breakfast and he is eating only handfuls of cheerio’s. I offered some hot chocolate and portage but he was content with his diet. The other surprising thing was that the info centre opened at 6am. It gave me a chance to top up on water before we left so all was good.

We hit the road and were off. Within the first 12km I had already fallen in love. Newfoundland is everything I thought it would be and more (so far). The landscape is simply to die for, and the road is beautiful. I found it amazing how well kept the roads were considering how harsh of winters they get here. I am not going to complain thought because I had a shoulder the entire day. Most of the road had 3 lanes but some is getting expanded to 4. Now that may not sound impressive coming from the land of roads in bc, but here 1 car passes you every minute or two so traffic runs super smooth.

70km into the ride I decided to say goodbye to Matt. As much as we are very similar in personalities we are a lot different in our riding styles. I enjoy peeing at the side of the road while not moving, and taking 2-3 breaks a day. He does not take breaks for anything until he has completed as many k’s as he can do. I also have commitments to my blog, to my family, and to my gear to keep it all up to snuff.

The rest of the day went smooth. Lunch was at the regular time, and I felt pretty good on the bike whenever presented with a hill, which seemed to be every few kilometres. About the only thing that was not smooth were my thoughts. All day I was arguing with myself about the trip, and all day I was deciding where I want to stop for the night. It gets very upsetting when you go through the same thoughts over and over and over for 8 hours.

However I do think that slowly I am piecing the puzzle together. When I was riding a hill today I had a choice to make gear up or gear down. Do I take it easy or push myself. This is something that every cyclist does at every hill. I got to thinking about the choice I make 99% of the time. I gear up. I voluntarily make things more difficult for myself. What does this say about my personality, perhaps that I am tougher then I first though. That toughness thought though was quickly dashed by a 13 year old child when they asked where I was going. I said what I usually say “st. johns then probably Florida). This time I add to the end of that “if I am mentally tough enough”. I don’t know why I picked those words but I did and they stuck with me the rest of the day. I have so many people counting on this trip, and most of all I have myself counting on this trip. What would I do coming home and having to look at cards that say tour of North America when I only did Canada? That being said I feel that I have grown up more in these 40 some days then in the previous 18 years. I apologize for the lack f humour the past few days but I am being forced with tough questions that I have to answer.
Trip Distance: 162km
Ride Time: 7:33hr
Avg. Speed: 21.47
Total Distance: 7073km
Total Ride Time: 326hr
Destination: Barachois, Newfoundland

Tour Day 46 A Day Of Thought Aug 10 10

2010-08-10T13:19:00.000-07:00

This morning was rough for one reason. Bugs. I woke up at my regular time and thought I would sleep in because I knew I only had 110km to do today. Still I had to get up and use the washroom really bad. In a rush I accidentally left my tent open. When I came back I was going to try to fall asleep but 5 mosquitoes welcomed me. That was simply annoying but really I can deal with that. So I pack up my tent and I guess that they sent out the matting call because there was a swarm around my bags. It looked as if I had epilepsy I was getting beaten up so bad.

The road came as a pleasant relief. Thankfully the winds were down so I didn’t have to deal with that because my legs were toasted from yesterdays ride. It is still amazing to think that my body recovered to that stage with only 8 hours of sleep in a tent.

The ride today was hilly and short. Really nothing super exciting just a few nice views and a few nice people. My mind was really on the 3am ferry I had to catch to get to Newfoundland. It is a strange feeling being so close to finishing a life long dream. It is almost a sickening feeling down deep in your gut. Newfoundland is like my holy grail and the fact that in 7 hours I will be there is a simply strange.

That brings me to the other exciting thing. After getting all my chores done I stopped by the ferry terminal to see if I could play the bike tourist card on the toll lady. Well it worked. I am on the 4pm ferry and not the 3am. I also ran into another bike tourist. This is the first guy that has passed me but im not to concerned because he is doing it super hardcore. Bivois sack, 14-hour days, and loosing 20pounds over the course of the trip. I am content with my speed because I am traveling at a speed that pushes me past my boundaries but not my limits.

As I sit on this beautiful boat I am left to my own thoughts. Surrounded by people and all I can think about are my own plans for the future. I don’t know what I want to do for the trip, and I do not know what I want to do in the long run when I get home. Really the things that I set out to accomplish I have no idea on.

This leaves me doubting myself and what I have accomplished thus far. I know I have changed. I also know that I have grown up. My body and mind have changed drastically over the past 45 days. I say to everyone when you travel at the speed of smell you see the country in a different way. Well that is true but when you travel at the speed of smell you also see the world as a whole in a different way. I think that it is far simpler then we all think it is. I wish for the rest of my days that they could be as simple as having a head wind or tail wind. I wish that my for the rest of my life that things as simply as live music on a ferry could lift my mood.

As you can probably tell my mind is really everywhere today so I apologize for that. If you were wondering about the scenery in cape Breton it is beautiful. The ferry that I am on is a very pleasant space to be in for a long period of time. Really the only thing that did not go my way is the fact that the welcome to nova Scotia sign 2 days ago was covered, and there was not one here in the cape.

Anyways im going to catch some rest because I will be getting off the ferry at 10pm (hopefully) and still have to pedal to a campsite.
Trip Distance: 110km
Ride Time: 5:01hr
Avg. Speed: 21.99km/h
Total Distance: 6911km
Total Ride Time: 318hr
Destination: Ferry to Newfoundland, Atlantic Ocean

Tour Day 45 An Good Rebound Day Aug 9 2010

2010-08-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last night as you could probably read was not the best for me. So when the phone rang I thought it was simply telus trying to waste more of my time like they do by sending me at least 5 texts a month asking me to upgrade. So when I picked it up and on the other end where Kristi, Kristy and Marshall I was very happy. The 4.02 minute conversation was a good way to go to sleep.

The morning was typical other then the fact most of the other campers were up at the same time as me (5am) which I found extremely weird. When I pulled out I saw a bike in front of me and I was tempted to catch him. The better got of me and I decided not to know that I had 150k ahead of me. Now don’t get me wrong I was still flying up the hills because I had a tail wind I just didn’t want to push it that hard yet.

I also knew that because I had a tail wind up the hills the first 15km I would have a headwind. With that in mind I approached it with an open mind. It was slow and painful but I resisted the urge to go all out.

This ended up paying dividends because the rest of the ride today I had a slight tail wind. This really helped because in all honesty there were no flat spots today at all. I contemplated taking pictures of a few of them but I did not want to ruin what momentum I had going for me.

To keep the legs turning I listened to the radio for most of the day. The question this one show had was “am I the only one”. I was thinking and thinking about my answer to this and whether I should call in or not. Well I decided to call from the side of the 104 only to find out that the information they give you does not include the first 3 digits so the call could not be completed. My answer was so good to. Am I the only one who has spent 45 day in a tent? Then that would have sparked questions. Then that would have sparked some buzz for fundraising but that was simply pie in the sky apparently.

Lunch was quick because it was gas station sandwiches, which are also an interesting experience. In general though here people are really curious what I am doing. As well I seem to get at least one honk a day. Which may not seem like a lot but in Quebec the whole time I was there I did not get one.

That brings us to the cape. It was getting late in the day so I stopped at the visitor centre to ask about camping. Well she said either 2km back or 48km ahead. In my head I was thinking about how much I would hate writing another blog about backtracking; so with that in min d I decided to press on. My body responded to the call and hurtled me forward. It took me less then two hours to get 48km down the road. And the terrain like I say was not easy.

When I arrived at the campground with the smashing pumpkins (who I have grown very fond of) in my ear the guy asked, “How was your day”? I don’t think he really cared but I went on for about 15mins about how awesome it was.

A few firsts happened today as well. I had to use my credit card for the first time because you have to book the ferry in advance I found out. $49.61 for a bike to get to Newfoundland the short was the 14hr ferry is even more. I will be having my first online banking experience tonight to pay that bill so lets hope that all works out well otherwise I will have to find a branch tomorrow. And I had my first laugh in a few days when I saw a sign that said “dailey special” with the extra e crudely covered up.
Trip Distance: 181km
Ride Time: 7:51hr
Avg. Speed: 23.07km/h
Total Distance: 6801km
Total Ride Time: 313hr
Destination: Wayhaman (cant spell it), Nova Scotia

Tour Day 44 A new Prvince With The Same Wind Aug 8 2010

2010-08-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

This morning started off surprisingly well. I guess I had forgotten the weather forecast. And I guess I ignored the fact that the wind made taking down my camp a complete pain in the but. At that time the only thing that was on my mind was the fact that I was cooking my breakfast in a nice warm shed while listening to the radio. I was a happy camper. So mo much so that in my head I thought “man this is easy I will get to Newfoundland in no time, then Florida no problem”.

Well those thoughts were quickly demolished by wind. My first heading was east where I got a nice crosswind. That was not all that bad though because all I had to do was lean the bike over and continue on my marry way. Sure it meant I could not climb at the speeds I was the other day but really that’s no big deal.

The other thing that was on my mind was my blog from last night. I have to apologize for it because it was complete garbage, but you have to understand I was excited to talk to someone and did not want to be anti social for long.

Next came charlotte town. This is a beautiful place. It is hard to explain but I could definitely picture raising a family there. Something in the atmosphere just gave me a very home like feel. It felt as if you were to dial the wrong number the person would say “you dialled #2, you need #12”.

After getting lost on purpose to see more of the city I was back on my way. This time I was heading south. This made the day go from all right to just garbage. I was battling this wind that was holding my to 15km/h no matter how hard I pushed. I watched as time went by. I watched as all my goals for the day slipped away, and I watch as my moral sank.

The thoughts of heading to Newfoundland being easy were dashed in a very short amount of time. Those thoughts were replaced by thoughts of breaks. Usually I only take one 20- 30minute break at 10am but today I split that up because my legs were not turning those pedals. The first two stops were normal I ate my banana, and I enjoyed my bar of the day. The third I stopped at a gas station and gorged on some cookies because they were the only things available. I was thinking that wood island would have some restaurant of some sort so I would be set.

On my way to Wood Island I see the ferry on the horizon. At this point I am 15km away and start to panic because the ferry only operates every 90mins. I race down to the terminal and see the cars unloading. I then had to snag a quick picture with the welcome to pei sign because there was not one when I came in over the bridge. I rushed to the gate paid and got on. Other then two motorcyclists I was the last one on the ferry. All of my luck was on the boat because the other one was broken which meant I would have waited three hours. This however meant that I missed lunch. I figured that no lunch was better then ferry food.

The ferry took longer then I thought so really it put me in a hard place. My mind wanted to continue but when I got off the ferry and found I had the same head wind my body did not.

The better got of me and I pulled into the tourist centre where they told me the only campsite were either 7k back or 29k forward. The 7k back was the choice of course but it also meant I was going downhill to the site. Which means tomorrow I have to start the day with 7k of hills. Lets just hope the wind is better.

I am left at the end of the day tired, hungry, and at a loss as to what to do. Do I add the 35days and 5000k to Florida or do I vacation in Newfoundland for a while. I guess we will have to jump off that bridge (or ferry in this case) when I get to it.
Trip Distance: 125km
Ride Time: 6:28hr
Avg. Speed: 19.36km/h
Total Distance: 6616km
Total Ride Time: 305hr
Destination: Birchwood, Nova Scotia

Tour Day 43 Never An Average Night (redone) Aug 7 2010

2010-08-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

I am going to re-do this blog because I did not do the day justice yesterday. The night was, well let’s just say eventful. I showed up and got the very last camping spot available which I was pretty happy about. Even if it was full I am pretty sure they would have found space. I got cleaned up and fed before I walked around to take a loo at the nice view I had when I see a lady with a quality bike. This quality bike had its forks on backwards so I say to her “do you want me to fix your bike for you”? She was curious what I meant because she had been riding it like that for 3 years. We hit off a conversasation while I am fixing the bike and find out that she is a nurse so that was pretty cool. It was also funny watching her ride off because she seemed a little shaky now that the bike was more stable… odd I know.

The night well you already now about that. I was enjoying some nice peace and quiet when the sound of a harmonica and steel string guitar ring over the campgrounds p.a. system. Needles to say I have slept better.

The morning was cold. Cold enough for me to put on my jacket and warm gloves when I was out on the road riding. It was also a really nice morning ride because I had a tail wind pushing me the whole way. As well my bike had never been lighter. I had also never been that low on food before so the sobeys in the next town was my first stop.

Everything is different out here from the way people act, to the way that the ally ways in the grocery store are laid out. I mean the slim fast was next to the feminine health products, and the milk was next to the bread. Really I was perplexed by the merchandising.

The rest of the day went pretty smooth. I took a detour along the infamous starfish road to get a good picture of Confederation Bridge and almost immediately doubted my choice. The road that it led me down had grad growing out of the centre and no marking on it. Still though I decided to press on with the sound of Rossi’s rendition of Othello in my head.

The road eventually opened up to an abandoned airfield that had been converted into a campsite that was right next to a rested water tower, which looked as if it was going to fall over at any minute.

Next was the 45min wait for the shuttle, which really killed the day. I had no choice but to sit on my butt and wait for this van to pull up. The bridge itself was very cool simply because it was so long. In the back seat of the shuttle there was a guy who was in shorts and a tee shirt and I ask, “Where are you going”? Thinking he would say the beach or something along those lines. He then said he was going to his brothers wedding, which I found very surprising because it was at tat time 3:30pm.

The campsite for the night had a beautiful view but was very windy. Thinking ahead I listened to the weather forecast. Well that was a bad idea because the forecast did not go in my favour. I found out that tomorrows ride I was going to have a headwind for the entire day that was going to be gusting up to 40km/h.
The best thing to ease my mind was some good company, which came in the form of rod. I did not think much of him when I walked up because just one look told me he was not doing this the same way I was. My snotty ness was met by a very kind personality and some very nice conversation. It was nice to not talk about bike or km’s for more then five minutes. We covered everything from African tribes, to Winston Churchill. I don’t know how we connected those two things but somehow we managed it.

Trip Time: 6:53hr
Avg. Speed: 23.59km/h
Total Distance: 6491km
Total Ride Time: 299hr
Destination Cameron Cove, P.E.I.

Tour Day 43 Never An Average Day Aug 6 2010

2010-08-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last night was a little bit rough. I was laying I my tent sweating more then I was on the bike that day. I would say it was hotter then hell but that would be an exaggeration. The truth is that it was probably as hot as hell. 10pm came and I was still up. At that point I set my alarm because I knew I was not going to get up in time.

Well morning came and a nice loud cell phone was a crude but needed wake up call…. Ahaha with the bad cell phone joke. I got up and left like I always do and was ready to get some km’s in. It all started normally. I got to Bathurst in the right amount of time. I took the 134 like I was supposed to and I saw the starfish sign which I was fallowing all the day yesterday.

I was happy as a clam. I had a tail wind, I was right next to the water, and there was literally no one on the road. I was riding down the centre of my lane with no problem. About the only thing I saw was a man shingling his roof who politely waved at me.

A half hour went by and I started to get suspicious. I though “I am supposed to be heading inland and I am still next to the water”, “why is there so little traffic this is the direct route to Moncton”. So I stopped and asked where I was. Well this is when I found out that the 134 splits off and I took the wrong split. This choice had cost me 20k in the wrong direction, and the 30k back to the main road because I took the highway. As well I had a nice 20km/h head wind to deal with.

I got back to the main road and was on my way in the right direction. Now I was upset with myself and had let out a few curse words of my own. The last thing on my mind was my body/ bike. Well this turned out bad. I was 25k down the road and I blew up. My body was cooked and I was out of water. I could go back but that’s 20k in a head wind. I could go forward that’s 47k down the road.

This is where I made the choice to preserve my body. I waved down a truck and he took me to the next town. Luckily Brice (the guy who picked me up was kind enough to take me to the sobeys to get some much-needed nutrition. It was also nice to have someone to talk to for 30 minutes. It was even nicer to get air conditioning for a little while because at that point it was 34 degrees outside. I worked it out in on the map that all things factored in I did the same amount of km’s today (within 3km) if I was not to have screwed up my directions. It was really a bad situation because If I had of got my directions right I would have hit the main town in perfect timing. But because I took my detour it just destroyed everything.

The rest of the day actually went amazing. Minus the fact I had to walk my bike up a bridge because there was no shoulder, gusting winds, and the sidewalk was destroyed. I had a tail wind that was pushing me, and I was making up for the time that I had lost. I was going to stop at st. Louis but I had an extra half hour so I pressed on. My thinking is it is an extra 16km that I don’t have to do tomorrow.

I was rewarded by this effort with a nice shady campground that will give me a good nights rest. I will have to wear my earplugs though because by the sounds of the mic checks we are going to have another greenday cover band.
Trip Distance: 167km
Ride Time: 7:23hr
Avg. Speed: 22.61km/h
Total Distance: 6328km
Total Ride Time: 292hr
Destination Jardine, New Brunswick
P.S. Happy belated birthday dad

Tour Day 42 New Province New Time Aug 5 2010

2010-08-05T15:34:00.001-07:00

Last night I experienced a new mixture in a campsite I don’t think I will ever see again. Next to my tent was a helicopter landing pad, and just a block away a big top. I say that to say this. When I was trying to sleep last night the helicopter rides started, and when they stopped a green day cover band started to play. Luckily I was tired and feel asleep, but when I awoke to take my midnight pee the band was still playing. I could tell the singer was tired though because his voice was noticeably quieter.

I am really glad that I stayed an extra night in Quebec because this morning’s ride was a real treat. A thick blanket of fog is what I got to ride through while I view the beautiful hills that surrounded me. When I looked down I would always see a fisherman standing in the river trying to test his mornings luck. It was really special, and it helped that I had a favourable wind.

This brings me to a bone that I have to pick. The info centre said, “only one crossing here”. Well they were wrong there Is 2 crossings to get into New Brunswick. I come to them for help and I end up correcting them something is wrong with that situation.

When I got into New Brunswick I went to what else but the tourist centre. This is where I found out that I lost another hour. My good day where I was ahead of schedule quickly became one where I was behind and needed to catch up (in my mind at least). After downing my peanut butter, banana, and mars bar sandwich I was off to make up some time.

Luckily I had a tail wind so it pushed me along the 134 with ease. I was climbing at my average speed, and descending at a pretty good pace as well. It was all going smooth which is odd.

Because I was back on track I stopped for lunch at my regular time and got to gorge on another buffet. Well that did not work so well. I have to learn not to eat till I am ready to puke because man does it destroy your legs. I was feeling all right for the first 20k then it hit me like a ton of pasta. I was struggling to get to my rest stop.

When I pulled into the camp it started to lightly rain. The one cloud in the sky happened to fall right where I was which I found kind of funny. But because I like making the best of my time I decided to set up and press on. This was until I went to have a shower. I went into the bathroom and heard these moans and groans coming from the single shower. The door was open so I peer in. The guy said he would be out in a minute so I waited. After waiting 10 I left and opened my laptop up. 20mins later I go back in and he is still in there grunting away. I wondered if I should ask if he was ok or if that was to personal so I simply left again. When I finally got in I got the privilege of a luke warm shower.

The other thing that was on my mind today other then “holy crap I am on the east coast”. Was the fact that I do not speak any more. Back home I talk all the time. But in the space of a day on the road I say fewer word then I type on here. At lunch I order which is roughly 30 words. Camping I pay which is again roughly 30 words. The odd curious person is all I get to converse with, but because they are usually headed somewhere that’s usually cut short so lets say 200-300 words. I just have too much time on my hands to over analyze my life right now so this is what comes of that.
Trip Distance: 157km
Ride Time: 7:11hr
Avg. Speed: 21.88
Total Distance: 6161km
Total Ride: 284hr
Destination: Pointe Verte, New Brunswick