So the plan today was to get to Hope, BC. As I mentioned yesterday we were in Abbotsford, which meant that the day necessitated a 88 kilometer trip. Just rest assured I made it, however my legs feel like they have been processed in a grinder of some sort.
The day started out with complementary breakfast from Motel Rio, after which Meagan and I scooted over to our designated meeting place with Xavier. From there a powerful tailwind drove us straight to Chilliwack with only one minor break along the way. In Chilliwack, the three of us concluded that what was missing which would make a difference was a chinese buffet. Well, sure enough we got what we wished for.
Lunchtime dragged out for a while, and I needed to run some errands in town, so Meagan concludes to boost on ahead since she has a concern about falling behind Xavier and myself. Fair enough, however we don't see her again until the end of the day.
Xavier and I strike out for the highway after I finish my business in town, and it rapidly becomes clear to me how much more fit for the task of highway cycling Xavier is than myself. In total it takes just a bit more than three hours to get from Chilliwack to Hope and the entire time I am pushing my body as hard as I can just to keep up with him.
Along the way, we spot a very nice roadside waterfall with about a ten foot drop and from that moment, it takes me less than a minute to jump down off the road and stand underneath it. Really refreshing, my goodness.
The rest of the journey took a degree of physical drive that has been absent as of late in my life, and by the time we finally pull into Hope my bum is intolerably sore and legs are burning with every peddle.
Connecting with Meagan turns out to be an exercise in mis-communication. It takes the two of us a moment after the fourth phone call and second text message to get off of our high horses and actually figure out why we couldn't see each other.
The three of us are currently staying at a very nice place by the name of Holiday Motel on the south western end of Hope, we have a great room with three queen size beds and and just finally fixed the hotels wireless Internet connection in regards to my particular laptop so that I can write this very article.
Tomorrow Xavier will be leaving us for a week or so to navigate highway 3 and Manning Park, and eventually meet with us again in Revelstoke so we can attempt Rogers Pass together.
Wish us luck
Much Love
Ted
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Day 2 - Zug Zug
Ok, tonight I am lying again on my bed in yet another hotel, this time in Abbotsford. My legs are distinctly sore, and my bum... is telling me that it is very angry with the way I have been treating it.... Anyways, I am quite happy with how my day went. I certainly enhanced my ability to inconvenience strangers (that's a good thing, stuff drags out when we play nice). I'll explain shortly.
So I start my day at the bright and early time of 10:00 AM. My cycling buddy Meagan, has been up and about for ages and I conclude to stop ignoring her presence like I have been for the last three hours. I'm not terribly concerned with getting moving, so the morning kinda drags out a bit, however we finally hit the road sometime around noon. Anywho, a quick jaunt to the Seabus gets us to Vancouver proper where I make a slight side trip to the Landmark Education Centre to say so long, and arrange for a course I am now taking in December.
That done, Meagan and I make our way to the SkyTrain where we are planning to get out of the central morass that is greater Vancouver. Now I say that casually but you really need to understand that the size and volume of our bikes is tremendous in comparison to most of the other stuff (like people for instance) that normally uses it. Right from the start I say things like out of the way, move, and you better watch out and fairly easily get on board. Meagan hasn't gotten that yet and for her it's a great kerfuffle as the bike gets wedged in the corner and people are crowding her and the trailer is still sticking out onto the platform. I'll leave that part with a note saying that she survived the ordeal.
There we are, at the end of the line and it's just a quick jump over to Fraser highway where we almost immediately run into another cyclist loaded up with respectable amount of gear. It turns out, that his name is Xavier and he is on his way home to Gatineau, QB. I share with him my experiences to date (including a number from my earlier trip) and it takes us a few minutes to discover that Meagan has fallen behind us and has disappeared out of site. And so begins with the first of many breaks waiting for her to catch up.
For myself, I am totally ok with going at whatever rate is comfortable and works for everyone involved. However, it clearly isn't ok with Meagan who after the third or fourth catchup session says "Xavier, you're a perfect cycling partner for Ted, why don't you go together and I will eventually make it to Calgary". Resigned to being abandoned... "oh great" I think to myself, "is she going to be like this the whole damn way across the country"?
At the next break after Meagan catches up, I let Xavier know that we'll meet up with him the following day, at which point Meagan calls here aunt and uncle (we're in Langly) and arranges for them to meet us.
It's at this point that I notice that one of the shift cables on the bike is just about completely frayed away and is imminently about to break. Hmmm. Well, the aunt and uncle arrive and I greet them with, "Where the hell have you been, like we've been waiting for ages for you to get here", and so begins dinner (mmm wendy's).
Now these folks are retired and are totally impressed with Meagan and myself, and gobble up all sorts of stories from our trip to date as well as a number I have on short term file regarding my first tour across the country. After a few minutes I say, "Well Joe, I have a problem I need your help with. Will you drive me and my bike to the nearest bike shop I have a broken cable and I don't have a spare". His eyes blink for something like half a second, then says "Sure, I can do that"!
As we pull into the bike shop the staff let me know that they are closing in five minutes and won't be able to work on the bike right away. However, I'm great with them and in a minute the technician throws my bike up on the stand committed to getting me back on the road. Now what was really cool was when he couldn't figure out how to adjust the cable, he called the owner, who in turn jumped in the car with his wife and scooted over to the shop where he was promptly able to get things functioning brilliantly.
See none of that would have been possible without being willing to inconvenience peoples ordinary routine, and everyone involved (even the people on the train!) are really grateful for having contributed. Thanks Vancouver! Really.
Anyways, the rest of the cycling was quite dull in contrast and here I am in Abbotsford now at 12:38 in the morning and wishing you a goodnight.
-Ted
So I start my day at the bright and early time of 10:00 AM. My cycling buddy Meagan, has been up and about for ages and I conclude to stop ignoring her presence like I have been for the last three hours. I'm not terribly concerned with getting moving, so the morning kinda drags out a bit, however we finally hit the road sometime around noon. Anywho, a quick jaunt to the Seabus gets us to Vancouver proper where I make a slight side trip to the Landmark Education Centre to say so long, and arrange for a course I am now taking in December.
That done, Meagan and I make our way to the SkyTrain where we are planning to get out of the central morass that is greater Vancouver. Now I say that casually but you really need to understand that the size and volume of our bikes is tremendous in comparison to most of the other stuff (like people for instance) that normally uses it. Right from the start I say things like out of the way, move, and you better watch out and fairly easily get on board. Meagan hasn't gotten that yet and for her it's a great kerfuffle as the bike gets wedged in the corner and people are crowding her and the trailer is still sticking out onto the platform. I'll leave that part with a note saying that she survived the ordeal.
There we are, at the end of the line and it's just a quick jump over to Fraser highway where we almost immediately run into another cyclist loaded up with respectable amount of gear. It turns out, that his name is Xavier and he is on his way home to Gatineau, QB. I share with him my experiences to date (including a number from my earlier trip) and it takes us a few minutes to discover that Meagan has fallen behind us and has disappeared out of site. And so begins with the first of many breaks waiting for her to catch up.
For myself, I am totally ok with going at whatever rate is comfortable and works for everyone involved. However, it clearly isn't ok with Meagan who after the third or fourth catchup session says "Xavier, you're a perfect cycling partner for Ted, why don't you go together and I will eventually make it to Calgary". Resigned to being abandoned... "oh great" I think to myself, "is she going to be like this the whole damn way across the country"?
At the next break after Meagan catches up, I let Xavier know that we'll meet up with him the following day, at which point Meagan calls here aunt and uncle (we're in Langly) and arranges for them to meet us.
It's at this point that I notice that one of the shift cables on the bike is just about completely frayed away and is imminently about to break. Hmmm. Well, the aunt and uncle arrive and I greet them with, "Where the hell have you been, like we've been waiting for ages for you to get here", and so begins dinner (mmm wendy's).
Now these folks are retired and are totally impressed with Meagan and myself, and gobble up all sorts of stories from our trip to date as well as a number I have on short term file regarding my first tour across the country. After a few minutes I say, "Well Joe, I have a problem I need your help with. Will you drive me and my bike to the nearest bike shop I have a broken cable and I don't have a spare". His eyes blink for something like half a second, then says "Sure, I can do that"!
As we pull into the bike shop the staff let me know that they are closing in five minutes and won't be able to work on the bike right away. However, I'm great with them and in a minute the technician throws my bike up on the stand committed to getting me back on the road. Now what was really cool was when he couldn't figure out how to adjust the cable, he called the owner, who in turn jumped in the car with his wife and scooted over to the shop where he was promptly able to get things functioning brilliantly.
See none of that would have been possible without being willing to inconvenience peoples ordinary routine, and everyone involved (even the people on the train!) are really grateful for having contributed. Thanks Vancouver! Really.
Anyways, the rest of the cycling was quite dull in contrast and here I am in Abbotsford now at 12:38 in the morning and wishing you a goodnight.
-Ted
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
First day of new trip
I am lying in bed on the first day of my new bike tour and figure that I had better document what happened during the day before it disappears into the mists of time and space.
Ok the day began at 1:15 AM (June 3rd) 2009 with me bolting up off of my couch where I had simply been trying to rest my head two hours previously. Like usual, I haven't quite gotten everything that I will need ready, and I need to get out the door by 2:30...
Well, I zip and zoom around the condo searching for and collecting all the nicknacks I feel that I need to bring with me for this summers bike tour, then jump in the car and speed off to my brothers house. My brother, Tim, has said he will drive me to the airport, but first we need to complete his early morning paper route.
This is OK though, after all if I am squished by a bus on my bike trip, I want to make sure that my family has a good last memory of me. So we cruise around and get the papers done, the fly off to the airport.
The bike needs to go through oversized luggage, and it takes a few minutes to get things squared away, but sure enough I find myself only a short time later roaring off into the air on my way to Vancouver.
Upon landing I meet a friend of mine, Kelsey (awesome girl by the way; beautiful eyes too), and we go for breakfast before she drives me out to horseshoe bay off of north Vancouver. From here I assemble my hardware and supplies, and await the arrival of my touring partner (Meagan McAleese).
Now, Meagan is using one of those new-fangled recumbent bikes, and after she arrives, we take our photos while standing in the shore of the pacific ocean. From here it's straight up the hill and along the windy and narrow Marine Drive of North Vancouver. My old faithful Univega Gran Turismo from the first tour is still in great condition and I have no problem driving it in anyway, however, Meagan is still quite unfamiliar with her new bike and there are many stops and starts along the way as she works on it.
Besides a number of pleasant encounters with North Van locals, the majority of the cycling itself was not terribly eventful. I got a number of pretty good pictures, and it felt great to get rolling again (it's been 7 years almost to the day since I started my last major trip) and I am feeling pretty damn slick.
Anyways, we didn't make it out of North Van, and currently we got a hotel room just off of Marine Drive at the travelodge east of the Lions Gate Bridge. Tomorrow the plan is to navigate the balance of the city and make it out onto the highway proper. With any luck we will be in Hope by the end of Friday.
Goodnight
Ok the day began at 1:15 AM (June 3rd) 2009 with me bolting up off of my couch where I had simply been trying to rest my head two hours previously. Like usual, I haven't quite gotten everything that I will need ready, and I need to get out the door by 2:30...
Well, I zip and zoom around the condo searching for and collecting all the nicknacks I feel that I need to bring with me for this summers bike tour, then jump in the car and speed off to my brothers house. My brother, Tim, has said he will drive me to the airport, but first we need to complete his early morning paper route.
This is OK though, after all if I am squished by a bus on my bike trip, I want to make sure that my family has a good last memory of me. So we cruise around and get the papers done, the fly off to the airport.
The bike needs to go through oversized luggage, and it takes a few minutes to get things squared away, but sure enough I find myself only a short time later roaring off into the air on my way to Vancouver.
Upon landing I meet a friend of mine, Kelsey (awesome girl by the way; beautiful eyes too), and we go for breakfast before she drives me out to horseshoe bay off of north Vancouver. From here I assemble my hardware and supplies, and await the arrival of my touring partner (Meagan McAleese).
Now, Meagan is using one of those new-fangled recumbent bikes, and after she arrives, we take our photos while standing in the shore of the pacific ocean. From here it's straight up the hill and along the windy and narrow Marine Drive of North Vancouver. My old faithful Univega Gran Turismo from the first tour is still in great condition and I have no problem driving it in anyway, however, Meagan is still quite unfamiliar with her new bike and there are many stops and starts along the way as she works on it.
Besides a number of pleasant encounters with North Van locals, the majority of the cycling itself was not terribly eventful. I got a number of pretty good pictures, and it felt great to get rolling again (it's been 7 years almost to the day since I started my last major trip) and I am feeling pretty damn slick.
Anyways, we didn't make it out of North Van, and currently we got a hotel room just off of Marine Drive at the travelodge east of the Lions Gate Bridge. Tomorrow the plan is to navigate the balance of the city and make it out onto the highway proper. With any luck we will be in Hope by the end of Friday.
Goodnight
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Gallery Upload
So I finally scanned most of my 2002 bike tour photos and uploaded them to the website. There will be more when I get the balanced scanned, but I hope this wets your appetite.
Please Enjoy Responsibly
Please Enjoy Responsibly
A new bike trip and other thoughts
It's been quite a while since I have posted anything on this site. It's not that I have forgotten it (quite the opposite actually), it's just that I have hit a series of writers block as to what I should write about. A number of people have emailed me asking to finish the route section, as well as the logbook excerpts. Problem is I keep distracting myself. Indeed, this little article has taken over two days to write after I decided it would be appropriate to write it, mostly due to an unending series of self-imposed distractions.
Anyways, it's now time to get back in action with this website, since on June 3 of this year (2009) I am taking off once again for yet another cross Canada bike trip!
For the most part the endpoints will be the same as last time around; for instance, I will starting in Vancouver (Horse Shoe Bay) and eventually ending up at Cape Spear (outside of St. Johns). However, the route will be more or less new. Currently I think I will heading along the #1 highway throughout BC, and once past Calgary, I will make my way down to medicine hat, then north through Empress and Oyen. From there it's a skip, hop and a jump over to Saskatoon, then south to Regina, visiting a friend on the way.
From there, I haven't yet thought of which way I want to go, but I am sure something will present itself to me.
One concern that I have this time around is the need to keep my small business running during this entire process to keep the money flowing so to speak. Luckily I am working as software consultant these days, and intend to work as I make my way across the country.
This time around, I am looking for some sort of Corporate Sponsorship, since I figure it has to be worth a meal and accommodation allowance to some organization somewhere to have me ride across the country with their logo on my chest (hint hint wink wink). Please see the contact page if you are interested in approaching me about this.
Another thing that occurs to me is that I am still getting regular emails from people all around the world who are interested in taking on their own bike tours. It's really inspiring! I am really glad to be able to contribute whatever there is for me to contribute. And, remember there is the wheels in the water project too! If you have something to contribute, then please do so there.
Unlike last time I plan on recording my journal digitally rather than on what is now a severely beaten Hilroy coil ring notebook. This should make it considerably easier to get it on-line at the end of the day anyways, since the whole transcribing process nearly bored me to death.... Which reminds me, props to Trevor Hennessy who has his entire journal compiled into a sexy book on his website, this is a must read if you want to bike across the country yourself.
Which brings me to my next thought, I would love to actually publish a book regarding my experience this time around, as well as record a bunch of it for posterity on video. Does anyone have a decent digital video camera they want to lend me (I'm serious, so contact me if you do)?
Next are the inevitable health benefits of a trip of this sort. Unlike last time, I am actually training at the local gym. And before I continue, I want to re-iterate a point that I have strong evidence for. It is not necessary to train before taking on a cross country bike tour, the tour itself will work its own magic as time goes by, and you will do whatever you can do at the time, trust me. So why am I training? Well, I suppose it comes down to looking good, it's been quite a while since I have been anywhere near trim or slim, and I want one outcome of this tour to be a sexy body. Sizzle!
Anyways, leave me a comment, ask a question or otherwise please enjoy the site. I expect it to be updated quite bit in the coming weeks.
Anyways, it's now time to get back in action with this website, since on June 3 of this year (2009) I am taking off once again for yet another cross Canada bike trip!
For the most part the endpoints will be the same as last time around; for instance, I will starting in Vancouver (Horse Shoe Bay) and eventually ending up at Cape Spear (outside of St. Johns). However, the route will be more or less new. Currently I think I will heading along the #1 highway throughout BC, and once past Calgary, I will make my way down to medicine hat, then north through Empress and Oyen. From there it's a skip, hop and a jump over to Saskatoon, then south to Regina, visiting a friend on the way.
From there, I haven't yet thought of which way I want to go, but I am sure something will present itself to me.
One concern that I have this time around is the need to keep my small business running during this entire process to keep the money flowing so to speak. Luckily I am working as software consultant these days, and intend to work as I make my way across the country.
This time around, I am looking for some sort of Corporate Sponsorship, since I figure it has to be worth a meal and accommodation allowance to some organization somewhere to have me ride across the country with their logo on my chest (hint hint wink wink). Please see the contact page if you are interested in approaching me about this.
Another thing that occurs to me is that I am still getting regular emails from people all around the world who are interested in taking on their own bike tours. It's really inspiring! I am really glad to be able to contribute whatever there is for me to contribute. And, remember there is the wheels in the water project too! If you have something to contribute, then please do so there.
Unlike last time I plan on recording my journal digitally rather than on what is now a severely beaten Hilroy coil ring notebook. This should make it considerably easier to get it on-line at the end of the day anyways, since the whole transcribing process nearly bored me to death.... Which reminds me, props to Trevor Hennessy who has his entire journal compiled into a sexy book on his website, this is a must read if you want to bike across the country yourself.
Which brings me to my next thought, I would love to actually publish a book regarding my experience this time around, as well as record a bunch of it for posterity on video. Does anyone have a decent digital video camera they want to lend me (I'm serious, so contact me if you do)?
Next are the inevitable health benefits of a trip of this sort. Unlike last time, I am actually training at the local gym. And before I continue, I want to re-iterate a point that I have strong evidence for. It is not necessary to train before taking on a cross country bike tour, the tour itself will work its own magic as time goes by, and you will do whatever you can do at the time, trust me. So why am I training? Well, I suppose it comes down to looking good, it's been quite a while since I have been anywhere near trim or slim, and I want one outcome of this tour to be a sexy body. Sizzle!
Anyways, leave me a comment, ask a question or otherwise please enjoy the site. I expect it to be updated quite bit in the coming weeks.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Wheels in the Water Project
Hey folks,
So I want to introduce you to my new project called Wheels in the Water (http://www.wheelsinthewater.org)!
The goal of the project is to inspire and support people (you) in biking across Canada. If you are thinking about, or planning a trip of your own, you are welcome to register an account with the site. You will be given a web log (blog) onto which you are welcome to post notes, plans, routes and even journal entries during your trip.
Friends, family and other people who are interested in your adventure can subscribe to your log.
Additionally, the site will become a rallying point for information on route and equipment recommendations, meeting points along the way, points of interest in Canada and getting in communication with other people who are doing the same thing.
Later, cyclists will be able to post photo galleries of their adventures and potentially post updates to their progress with maps (google maps) along the way.
If you are interested in this doing a trip of your own or want to contribute to the project, please Register! I'll get in communication right away, and we will make these extraordinary adventures happen together!
-Ted
So I want to introduce you to my new project called Wheels in the Water (http://www.wheelsinthewater.org)!
The goal of the project is to inspire and support people (you) in biking across Canada. If you are thinking about, or planning a trip of your own, you are welcome to register an account with the site. You will be given a web log (blog) onto which you are welcome to post notes, plans, routes and even journal entries during your trip.
Friends, family and other people who are interested in your adventure can subscribe to your log.
Additionally, the site will become a rallying point for information on route and equipment recommendations, meeting points along the way, points of interest in Canada and getting in communication with other people who are doing the same thing.
Later, cyclists will be able to post photo galleries of their adventures and potentially post updates to their progress with maps (google maps) along the way.
If you are interested in this doing a trip of your own or want to contribute to the project, please Register! I'll get in communication right away, and we will make these extraordinary adventures happen together!
-Ted
Saturday, December 15, 2007
How to annoy your readers....
Well, for a variety of reasons, I have not been replying to the numerous email information requests that I get about cross Canadian bike touring. Sorry!
Mostly, it's just that I let my Inbox fill up with 9 months of old emails and general cruft, so I would "lose" the important stuff amongst the clutter. Sigh. Nice hey.
So, if you send me an email, my promise is to respond to it within one week of the question date.
-Ted
Mostly, it's just that I let my Inbox fill up with 9 months of old emails and general cruft, so I would "lose" the important stuff amongst the clutter. Sigh. Nice hey.
So, if you send me an email, my promise is to respond to it within one week of the question date.
-Ted
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