2010 Bike Trip

2010 Bike Trip – About:

Adam is from Saint John, New Brunswick, and Katherine is from Prince Edward Island. We always wanted to do a trip like this, and decided that if we are going to do it, now was probably the best time. No mortgage, no kids, and are in between jobs and are still young and naive enough to think that we can cycle 10,000 km across North America. We think you can accomplish some great thing when you keep at it in baby steps. You only live once so you might as well try what you want to do during your short time here. Either that or maybe we are just having our quarter-life crisis.

We are a couple who cycled across North America for a distance of roughly 10,000kms back in 2010. We departed on June 16th, 2010, from Prince Edward Island, Canada, and cycled to San Diego, California, U.S.A. We always wanted to see our country and visit the pacific coast of the United States, and we thought what better way than with our own energy on bicycles. We felt very fortunate to be able to do such a trip, knowing that many around the world can not for so many reasons. Since it was one of those special once in a life time occasion for us, we are trying to do our bit and take the opportunity to also raise awareness for the American and Canadian Lung Associations (since you can’t bike without good lungs and we all want clean air). We hope that we can inspire you through our stories as we have been inspired by others before us, and that you enjoy following our journey!

2010 Bike Trip – Itinerary:

We didn’t have an exact route mapped out but the idea was to cross Canada then head south before it gets too cold up here (our approximate plan shown above). We also heard the pacific coast is a nice route. We were expecting to be in San Diego around Christmas time. We took mostly paved back roads as much as we could to avoid any traffic.

Leg 1: Across Canada

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to Victoria, British Columbia

Leg 2: Down the Pacific Coast

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to San Diego, California, U.S.A.

Day by day:

December 2010

• December 12 – Day 180 – The Mexican border at 10,700km – The end of our trip and the start of another chapter of our lives (California, U.S.A.)
• December 11 – Day 179 – We made it to San Diego!! To the Mexican border next (California, U.S.A.)
• December 10 – Day 178 – San Elijo to North San Diego (California, U.S.A.)
• December 09 – Day 177 – San Clemente to San Elijo (California, U.S.A.)
• December 08 – Day 176 – Irvine to San Clemente – 2 more days to San Diego! (California, U.S.A.)
• December 07 – Day 175 – Los Angeles to Irvine (California, U.S.A.)
• December 06 – Day 174 – Point Mogu to Los Angeles (California, U.S.A.)
• December 05 – Day 173 – Carpinteria to Point Mogu (California, U.S.A.)
• December 04 – Day 172 – Refugio to Carpenteria – And a visit to Santa Barbara (California, U.S.A.)
• December 03 – Day 171 – Lompoc to Refugio Beach State Park – A hot springs stop and the best camp site (California, U.S.A.)
• December 02 – Day 170 – Avila Hot Springs to Lompoc – Hit 10,000km and counting! (California, U.S.A.)
• December 01 – Day 169 – San Simeon to Avila Hot Springs – Into December! (California, U.S.A.)

November 2010

• November 30 – Day 168 – Kirk Creek to San Simeon – Elephant seals! (California, U.S.A.)
• November 29 – Day 167 – Big Sur to Kirk Creek (California, U.S.A.)
• November 28 – Day 166 – Rest day in Big Sur (California, Rest Day, U.S.A.)
• November 27 – Day 165 – Monterey to Big Sur (California, U.S.A.)
• November 26 – Day 164 – Rest day in Monterey (California, Rest Day, U.S.A.)
• November 25 – Day 163 – Santa Cruz to Monterey (California, U.S.A.)
• November 24 – Day 162 – Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz (California, U.S.A.)
• November 23 – Day 161 – Cupertino to Half Moon Bay (California, U.S.A.)
• November 22 – Day 156 to 160 – Rest days in the Bay area (California, Rest Day, U.S.A.)
• November 17 – Day 155 – Into San Francisco (California, U.S.A.)
• November 16 – Day 154 – Headed to the Golden Gate Bridge (California, U.S.A.)
• November 15 – Day 153 – Bodega Dunes to Samuel P Taylor State Park (California, U.S.A.)
• November 14 – Day 152 – Stillwater Cove to Bodega Dunes (California, U.S.A.)
• November 13 – Day 151 – Manchester to Stillwater Cove State Park (California, U.S.A.)
• November 12 – Day 150 – Manchester State Park Rest Day (California, U.S.A.)
• November 11 – Day 149 – MacKerricher to Manchester State Park (California, U.S.A.)
• November 10 – Day 148 – Leggett to MacKerricher State Park (California, U.S.A.)
• November 09 – Day 147 – Humboldt Redwoods State Park to Leggett (California, U.S.A.)
• November 08 – Day 146 – Eureka to Humboldt Redwoods State Park (California, U.S.A.)
• November 07 – Day 145 – Trinidad to Eureka (California, U.S.A.)
• November 06 – Day 144 – Prairie Creek to Patrick Point near Trinidad (California, U.S.A.)
• November 05 – Day 143 – Crescent City to Prairie Creek State Park (California, U.S.A.)
• November 04 – Day 142 – Brookings to Crescent City – We entered California!! (California, U.S.A.)
• November 03 – Day 141 – Denmark to Brookings (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• November 02 – Day 140 – Sunset Bay to Denmark, Oregon – California in less than two days! (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• November 01 – Day 139 – Florence to Sunset Bay (Oregon, U.S.A.)

October 2010

• October 31 – Day 138 – South Beach to Florence (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• October 30 – Day 137 – Beverly Beach to South Beach (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• October 29 – Day 136 – Cape Lookout to Beverly Beach (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• October 28 – Day 135 – Nehalem Bay to Cape Lookout (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• October 27 – Day 134 – Astoria to Nehalem Bay (Oregon, U.S.A.)
• October 26 – Day 133 – Cape Disappointment to Astoria – Hello Oregon! (Oregon, U.S.A., Washington)
• October 25 – Day 132 – Aberdeen to Cape Disappointment – Some rain, lots of clouds, some hail, and some sun! (U.S.A., Washington)
• October 24 – Day 131 – Hunkered down in Aberdeen, WA (Rest Day, U.S.A., Washington)
• October 23 – Day 130 – Brinnon to Aberdeen (U.S.A., Washington)
• October 22 – Day 129 – Deception Pass to Brinnon (U.S.A., Washington)
• October 21 – Day 128 – Orcas Island to Deception Pass (U.S.A., Washington)
• October 20 – Day 127 – San Juan Island to Orcas Island (U.S.A., Washington)
• October 19 – Day 126 – Victoria to San Juan Island – Into the United States of America (British Columbia, Canada, U.S.A., Washington)
• October 18 – A reflection on our trip across Canada, and the start of our second journey, down the Pacific Coast (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 18 – Day 125 – Rest Day in Victoria (British Columbia, Canada, Rest Day)
• October 17 – Day 124 – Arrived in Victoria – 7500km and the end of our trip across Canada! (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 16 – Day 123 – From Richmond to MacDonald Provincial Park (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 15 – Day 116 to 122 – Rest days in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada, Rest Day)
• October 09 – Day 116 – We have arrived in Vancouver!! (British Columbia, Canada, Rest Day)
• October 08 – Day 115 – Harrison Hot Springs to Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 07 – Day 114 – EC Manning Provincial Park to Harrison Hot Springs (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 06 – Day 113 – Hedley to EC Manning Provincial Park – The toughest climb of the entire trip (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 05 – Day 112 – Peachland to Hedley (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 04 – Day 111 – Kelowna to Peachland (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 03 – Day 109 to 110 – Still in Kelowna enjoying the sunshine (British Columbia, Canada)
• October 01 – Day 108 – Into October and 26 degrees in Kelowna! (British Columbia, Canada, Rest Day)

September 2010

• September 30 – Day 107 – Temporarily back to a slightly regular life in Kelowna (British Columbia, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 28 – Day 105 to 106 – Rest days in Kelowna (British Columbia, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 27 – Day 104 – Vernon to Kelowna (British Columbia, Canada)
• September 26 – Day 103 – Sicamous to Vernon (British Columbia, Canada)
• September 25 – Day 102 – Revelstoke to Sicamous (British Columbia, Canada)
• September 24 – Day 101 – Glacier National Park to Revelstoke (British Columbia, Canada)
• September 23 – Day 100 – Golden to Glacier National Park (British Columbia, Canada)
• September 22 – Day 99 – Lake Louise, AB, to Golden, BC (Alberta, British Columbia, Canada)
• September 21 – Day 98 – Hiking in the sun at Lake Louise (Alberta, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 20 – Day 97 – Still waiting for the the weather to clear in Lake Louise and our first snow! (Alberta, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 19 – Day 96 – Waiting for the weather to clear in Lake Louise (Alberta, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 18 – Day 95 – Canmore to Lake Louise – Another trip highlight day (Alberta, Canada)
• September 17 – Day 94 – Calgary to Canmore – 1 degree Celsius yet a trip highlight day (Alberta, Canada)
• September 16 – Day 93 – 3 months since the start of our trip – well rested and ready to tackle the Rocky Mountains (Alberta, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 10 – Day 87 to 93 – Rest days in Calgary (Alberta, Canada, Rest Day)
• September 09 – Day 86 – 6000km and into Calgary! (Alberta, Canada)
• September 08 – Day 85 – Brooks to Strathmore, cycling with the wind again (Alberta, Canada)
• September 07 – Day 84 – Walsh to Brooks, cycling with the wind (Alberta, Canada)
• September 06 – Day 83 – Outside Maple Creek, SK, to Walsh, AB – Into Alberta but stopped by the relentless wind! (Alberta, Canada, Saskatchewan)
• September 05 – Day 82 – Swift Current to Outside Maple Creek (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• September 04 – Day 81 – Morse to Swift Current (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• September 03 – Day 80 – Besant to Morse (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• September 02 – Day 79 – Moose Jaw to Besant (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• September 01 – Day 78 – Regina to Moose Jaw – and into September (Canada, Saskatchewan)

August 2010

• August 31 – Day 77 – Rest day in Regina (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• August 30 – Day 76 – Indian Head to Regina (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• August 29 – Day 75 – Grenfell to Indian Head (Canada, Saskatchewan)
• August 28 – Day 74 – Virden, MB, to Grenfell, SK – New record 170km day and into Saskatchewan! (Canada, Manitoba, Saskatchewan)
• August 27 – Day 73 – Minnedosa to Virden (Canada, Manitoba)
• August 26 – Day 72 – Portage La Prairie to Minnedosa (Canada, Manitoba)
• August 25 – Day 71 – Winnipeg to Portage La Prairie (Canada, Manitoba)
• August 24 – Day 70 – Rest day in Winnipeg (Canada, Manitoba, Rest Day)
• August 23 – Day 69 – Rennie to Winnipeg (Canada, Manitoba)
• August 22 – Day 68 – Rushing River, Ontario, to Rennie, Manitoba (Canada, Manitoba, Ontario)
• August 22 – In Manitoba!! (Canada, Manitoba)
• August 21 – Day 67 – Rest Day Kayaking in Eagle Dogtooth Provincial Park (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• August 20 – Day 66 – Little Pine Lake to Rushing River Provincial Park (Canada, Ontario)
• August 19 – Day 65 – Mine Center to Little Pine Lake – 140km day – Tail wind and flat roads! (Canada, Ontario)
• August 18 – Day 64 – Quetico to Mine Center – A day full of excitement (Canada, Ontario)
• August 17 – Day 63 – Shabaqua Corner to Quetico – The battle against the headwind continues (Canada, Ontario)
• August 16 – Day 62 – Thunder Bay to Shabaqua Corner – 2 months since the start (Canada, Ontario)
• August 15 – Day 61 – Rest day in Thunder Bay (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• August 14 – Day 60 – Sleeping Giant to Thunder Bay (Canada, Ontario)
• August 13 – Day 59 – Rest day at Sleeping Giant (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• August 12 – Day 58 – Nipigon to Sleeping Giant (Canada, Ontario)
• August 11 – Day 57 – Rossport to Nipigon (Canada, Ontario)
• August 10 – Day 56 – Marathon to Rossport (Canada, Ontario)
• August 09 – Day 55 – White River to Marathon (Canada, Ontario)
• August 08 – Day 54 – Wawa to White River and Winnie-the-Pooh (Canada, Ontario)
• August 07 – Day 53 – Agawa Bay to Wawa (Canada, Ontario)
• August 06 – Day 52 – Pancake Bay to Agawa Bay (Canada, Ontario)
• August 05 – Day 51 – Sault Ste Marie to Pancake Bay (Canada, Ontario)
• August 04 – Day 50 – Rest day in Sault Ste Marie at Velorution (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• August 03 – Day 49 – Bruce Mines to Sault Ste Marie – At Velorution, a touring cyclist oasis (Canada, Ontario)
• August 02 – Day 48 – Serpent River to Bruce Mines and fellow touring cyclists (Canada, Ontario)
• August 01 – Day 47 – Espanola to Serpent River, and the infamous Trans-Canada Highway (Canada, Ontario)

July 2010

• July 31 – Day 46 – Manitoulin Island to Espanola (Canada, Ontario)
• July 30 – Day 45 – Tobermory to Manitoulin Island (Canada, Ontario)
• July 29 – Day 44 – Port Elgin to Tobermory, ON (Canada, Ontario)
• July 28 – Day 43 – Kincardine to Port Elgin, ON (Canada, Ontario)
• July 27 – Article in the Ottawa Region Newspaper (Canada, Ontario)
• July 26 – Day 39-42 Rest days in Kincardine (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• July 23 – Day 38 – Durham to Kincardine, ON, and back to flat roads (Canada, Ontario)
• July 22 – Day 37 – Orillia to Durham, ON – A 155km record day (Canada, Ontario)
• July 21 – Day 36 – Rest day in Orillia (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• July 20 – Day 35 – Wilberforce to Orillia, ON, and our first encounter with a black bear (Canada, Ontario)
• July 19 – Day 34 – Hardwood Lake to Wilberforce, ON (Canada, Ontario)
• July 18 – Day 33 – Ompah to Hardwood Lake, ON (Canada, Ontario)
• July 17 – Day 32 – Carleton Place to Ompah (Canada, Ontario)
• July 16 – Day 31 – Towards Carleton Place and the rest of Ontario (Canada, Ontario)
• July 16 – Day 31 – Our first month down and time to tackle Ontario (Canada, Ontario)
• July 15 – Day 30 – Manotick to Ottawa (Canada, Ontario)
• July 14 – Day 24 to 29 – Rest week in Manotick and Ottawa (Canada, Ontario, Rest Day)
• July 09 – Day 23 – Into Ottawa and Ontario! (Canada, Ontario)
• July 08 – Day 22 – D’Oka to Montebello (Canada, Quebec)
• July 06 – Day 21 – Montreal to D’Oka Provincial Park (Canada, Quebec)
• July 05 – Day 20 – Rest day in Montreal (Canada, Quebec, Rest Day)
• July 04 – Day 19 – Getting into Montreal (Canada, Quebec)
• July 03 – Day 18 – Nicolet to Massueville (Canada, Quebec)
• July 02 – Day 17 – Ste Croix to Nicolet (Canada, Quebec)
• July 01 – Day 16 – Happy Canada Day from Quebec City (Canada, Quebec)

June 2010

• June 30 – Day 15 – The 1000km mark and into Quebec City (Canada, Quebec)
• June 29 – Day 14 – Quebec hospitality strikes again (Canada, Quebec)
• June 28 – Day 13 – Rain, wind, and 8 degrees by the St. Lawrence River (Canada, Quebec)
• June 27 – Day 12 – Rural Quebec Hospitality (Canada, Quebec)
• June 26 – Day 11 – Into Quebec! (Canada, Quebec)
• June 25 – Day 10 – Rural New Brunswick and spooky motels (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 24 – Day 9 – Rest day in Grand Sault, NB (Canada, New Brunswick, Rest Day)
• June 23 – Day 8 – Rain, rain and more rain (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 22 – Day 7 – Headed North along the Saint John River (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 21 – Day 6 – Meeting our first fellow touring cyclist (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 20 – Day 5 – First Day in the Rain (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 19 – Day 4 – The 80km journey to Coles Island campground (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 18 – Day 3 – Acadian Route to Moncton, NB (Canada, New Brunswick)
• June 17 – Day 2 – Off the island to the mainland (Canada, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island)
• June 16 – Welcome! (Preparations)
• June 16 – Our trip has begun! (Canada, Prince Edward Island)
• June 15 – Leaving tomorrow (Canada, Preparations, Prince Edward Island)
• June 08 – Only a week away (Canada, Preparations)

May 2010

• May 06 – An update (Canada, Preparations)

Places Visited

• Canada
  • Prince Edward Island
  • New Brunswick
  • Quebec
  • Ontario
  • Manitoba
  • Saskatchewan
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
• U.S.A.
  • Washington
  • Oregon
  • California

2010 Bike Trip – Highlights:

Leg 1 – Across Canada – Prince Edward Island to Victoria, BC – 7450 km

Memories:

– Meeting other touring cyclists. It is inspiring and always a highlight to meet others who are also bicycle touring.
– Meeting people on the road. We have met so many and being invited to people’s homes was a bonus!
– Getting to meet up with our friends who were across the country
– Watching 3 black bear cubs and their mother cross the road between the two of us, and witnessing one of the cubs being taught a stern lesson by its mother
– Cycling through the Rocky Mountains – even though it was cold, it was breathtaking
– Arriving to the bike shop, Velorution, in Sault Ste Marie – literally an oasis for touring cyclists in Northern Ontario
– Camping in the snow in Lake Louise, Alberta
– Being interviewed by a newspaper reporter just outside of Ottawa, Ontario
– The fantastic bakeries in the rural Quebec towns
– Finding real dinosaur fossils in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. The landscape of the Canadian badlands was also spectacular.
– Getting to the Terry Fox Monument
– Arriving in Vancouver and being in awe of all the cyclists and culture of cycling. Some intersections have special buttons for cyclists to push, and they even have a spot to carry your bicycle on the SkyTrain. You can go anywhere in Vancouver on a bike lane. You never feel out of place on a bicycle in Vancouver. Will this ever happen in the rest of the country?
– Meeting Simon who was walking across Canada (when you can cycle in an hour what you can walk in a day, you feel like you are flying!).
– Being pulled over while on our bicycles by an RCMP officer in Hope, British Columbia – He just wanted to chat to us about our trip!
– Hanging out with other travellers by the wood stove in the snow at the Lake Louise campground. It was a very international cooking shelter!
– The numerous encouraging honks we received from drivers (not to mention the encouragement from strangers wherever we stopped), including train conductors and many transport truck drivers. The cross-country truck drivers probably saw us more than a few times!
– Got passed by the first electric car to cross Canada, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Sparky. We also were passed by the “Liberal Express” bus. There were also houses and giant farm buildings. You never know what’s coming up on the Trans-Canada highway.
– Entering a hot spring after a long day of riding
– Passing the same hitchhikers on the Trans-Canada highway a few times
– The incredible silence and feeling of being alone in the vast wilderness in Northern Ontario
– Meeting Gilles and Michelle in de la Provincial Park in Northern New Brunswick, and meeting up with them in their home town of St Germain where they took us in and toured us around the area
– Meeting Tony and Sue at a rest stop in Northern Ontario, then meeting up with them in their town of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, where they took us in and toured us around the whole area
– Passing an overheated Land Rover SUV climbing up the Coastal Mountain to Manning Provincial Park
– Hearing the cool travel story from a hitchhiking couple from France who got a ride from a CP rail train conductor through the Rockies.
– The number of courteous drivers across Canada. Until there are bike lanes across the country, without them, the trip would have been miserable and likely not possible.

Favourite campgrounds:
– Velorution in Sault Ste Marie, ON,  – Technically a bike shop but free camping, shower, and firewood for touring cyclists. And getting to meet other touring cyclists, how can you beat that?
– Agawa Bay – Lake Superior Provincial Park – Pricey but a stunning spot on Lake Superior

Most bicycle friendly campgrounds:
– Campground in Rennie – Campground in Manitoba where the owners let touring cyclists stay for free
– de la Republic Provincial Park near Edmunston, NB – $10 for cyclists and special cyclist’s area
Least favourite campgrounds: Where you are packed in like Sardines and surrounded by RVs and the fee is expensive, there were a number of these. Many Provincial Parks in Quebec and Ontario come to mind.

Bicycle friendly cities: #1 Vancouver, #2 Ottawa, #3 Montreal
Bicycle friendly Provinces: #1 Quebec, #2 British Columbia

Friendliest towns: Carleton Place, ON and Fort Frances, ON
Friendliest Province : Manitoba

Favourite scenery: Rocky Mountains. The scenery across Northern Ontario and the Prairies was also spectacular, but they went on for a little too long
Favourite place: The West Coast
Favourite city: Vancouver, British Columbia
Favourite bakery: In St. Vallier, Quebec

Strangest sight: Hundreds of shoes nailed to a tree outside in Ontario

Toughest climb: Climb to Manning Provincial Park from Princeton, British Columbia (coastal mountains). Others include climbing secondary roads with little to no grading: Niagara Escarpment south of Collingwood Ontario, and the Canadian Sheild near Bancroft, Ontario.

Best downhill: Heading into Hope, British Columbia (Coastal mountains). #2 was heading into Revelstoke, British Columbia (Rocky mountains). #3 was heading into Wawa, Ontario (Canadian Shield),

Pleasant surprises: When campgrounds gave us discounts because we were cycling, the bike lanes in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, and the beautiful motel in St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec

Biggest tumble: Katherine crashing into the back of Adam’s bike when Adam had stopped too soon at a bakery in Shediac, New Brunswick – It could have ended the trip on only the third day!

Funniest moments:  #1 – We crashed into each other as we tried to stop as a dog chased us. Afterwards the dog just wagged its tail as it watched us get things back together. #2 – Watching a very very persistent squirrel attempting to get to our food. He slid off our treed food bag from every angle about 100 times until he finally gave up.

Most useful item – Our outdoor GPS (Garmin Oregon 450) – It told us where we were, how far we had to go, how we could get there, and where grocery stores and some campgrounds were. Eliminated all navigational arguments 🙂

Glad we had: Good rain gear, thermarest mattresses and warm sleeping bags

Wish we didn’t bring: Can’t think of anything yet!

Best weather: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

Worst weather: In the prairies – Several cold, wet and windy days in early September.

Windiest place: The prairies, it was rare to have a day without any wind. But the tail wind days were phenomenal

Worst stretches of road for cycling: Highway 6 going to Tobermory, Ontario, the Trans-Canada highway towards Sault Ste Marie, the Trans-Canada highway in Eastern and Central Manitoba, and getting into and out of Winnipeg.

Tough experiences:
– Cycling into Winnipeg with a headwind and strong gusts, on and off showers, on a busy two lane high speed highway with no shoulder (we had to keep getting off the pavement onto the not so great gravel shoulder making the day even longer). To make matters worse the first area we entered was a giant suburbia with hundreds of cars and absolutely no urban planning for cyclists.
– Mosquitoes in Northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan while we tried to cook and eat dinner at our campsite.
– Days that we had to cycle against the headwinds in the prairies

Frustrating events:
– While cycling into Sault Ste Marie, a trailer-less transport truck driver tried to drive us off the road right before an intersection (with a red light!!) on a road with no where to go (no shoulder, just a wall/fence). You are a wimp when you are hiding behind the seat of a truck trying to drive touring cyclists off the road.
– Cycling against the worst headwind of the trip on the day we left Thunder Bay, encountering horizontal rain, and having to stay at the worst motel we have ever seen.
– Despite being on the gravel shoulder, coming close to getting taken out by the wheels of a massive John Deer tractor on the back of a transport truck on Highway 16 in Saskatchewan with no lead (or following) warning vehicles.
– Being awakened by the trains and their horns in the prairie campgrounds in the middle of the night
– Trying to renew my health card while travelling
– Cycling out of Kelowna and trying to get on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail – After climbing 600m out of the 900m climb, having to turn around and return through Kelowna.

Physical health:
We both caught a cold after being in the cool weather in the Rockies
Adam had a recurrence of his ‘runner’s knee’ with the cold weather starting from Calgary. It is fine now with the warm weather.
Sore butt after a long day or several days of cycling (who would have thought?)

Records:
Distance in a day: 170km from Virden, Manitoba to Grenfell, Saskatchewan (#2 was 155km from Orillia to Durham, Ontario)
Hottest temperature:  35 C (95 F) with humidex of 43 C (109 F) – from Montreal to Ottawa around July 5, 2010
Coldest temperature: -1 C (30 F) in Canmore, British Columbia, on September 18, 2010 for cycling, and -5 C (27 F) in Lake Louise, British Columbia, on September 20, 2010
Elevation: 1630m at Lake Louise, British Columbia
Elevation gain: 770m from Princeton to Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia

Bike Maintenance:

Back fender: 1
Back plastic spoke protector disc: 1
Water bottle cage: 1
Back rack attachment: 1
Front rack bottom bolt: 1
Flat tires: 3 (One was 70km before we were going to change our rear tires. Two happened in and around Regina, Saskatchewan around 5200km into the trip. The other happened on our brand new tire just a few days later!)
New rear brake pads installed before Northern Ontario
New rear tires @ 5200km in Regina, Saskatchewan (Continental Touring Plus replaced with Schwalbe Marathon Plus)

Crashes: 2 – both self-inflicted thankfully not too big of a deal (Katherine rear ending Adam). One involved Adam stopping too soon in front of a bakery in Shediac, NB, and the other a dog chase/stop in Sault Ste Marie, ON, where Katherine’s reaction time was a little on the slow side..

Wild life:

Moose: 1
Black Bear: 6 (Saw one run across the road just west of Bancroft, Ontario, and saw 3 cubs and their mother bear cross the road just before Mine Center, Ontario. The last one we saw in Manning Provincial Park on the side of the road)
Grizzly Bear: 0
Deer: 10 (4 of them were at the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario)
Pronghorn Antelope: 3 (separate herds in Saskatchewan and Alberta)
Coyote: 2 (at Eagle Dogtooth Provincial Park, Ontario)
Fox: 2 (One near St Germain, Quebec, and the other near Sioux Narrows, Ontario)
Bald Eagle: 3 (one near Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, one near Sioux Narrows, Ontario, and the other outside Sicamous, British Columbia)
Mountain Goat: 5 (A group of them above a hiking trail in the Rocky Mountains by Lake Louise, British Columbia)
Bighorn Sheep: 15+ (A heard of them right before Canmore, British Columbia)
Pika: 5+ (they were many in the Rocky Mountains)
Beaver: 2 (one in Quebec and one in Ontario)
Gopher: 5 (most of them through Quebec)
Weasle: 1 (at a campground in Marathon, Ontario)
Raccoon: Encountered all of them in one night at D’Oka Provincial Park in Quebec
Dog chases: 8 (we stop and yell at the dogs, then they have all ran back so far. In one chase Katherine and I ended up crashing into each other as we stopped too quickly)
Prairie dogs: Many
Birds and squirrels: Man

2010 Bike trip – FAQ:

How many kms did you bike each day?

We initially aimed for an average of about 70 to 80km a day, with a rest day every week. We usually biked 90~100km a day.

How fast did you bike?

Usually around 20km/h. If we had a strong headwind we go about 15km/h. If we had a tail wind somewhere between 23 to 28 km/h.

How long did it take you take you to get to Vancouver and San Diego?

With the above pace we were thinking 3 months o Vancouver, and another 2 to 3 months to San Diego. We were planning on taking it slow to enjoy the places we visit. Our main goal was to get over the Rockies before it started snowing up in the mountains.

Did you do any bicycle touring before going on your trip?

Nope, this is our first trip.

Why are you going East to West?

We wanted to venture away to places we hadn’t been to before, and this direction gives us more flexibility in case we wanted to keep biking. We also wanted to bike down the Pacific coast (the popular direction, with the wind usually behind you and biking along the water side of the road). Despite ‘prevailing winds coming going west to east”, we found that we have had more tail wind than head wind days so far on our trip (keeping our fingers crossed!).

How much does your stuff weigh?

About 80 lbs for the bags for each of us including our food. The bike is about another 35 lbs or so each.

What is your typical day like?

We usually got up around 7 or 7:30AM, and it took us about an hour and a half to eat breakfast and pack up until we hit the road.

We biked for a couple hours or so and took a break for a morning snack. We biked for another hour or two until lunch, then we biked about another few hours after lunch until we got to where we wanted to go. There were usually several scenic or interesting stops we’d make, and we usually hit a grocery store for food. By the time we reached a campground it was usually around 5 or 6PM (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). Then we set up camp, cook, treed our food, and if we had the energy have a fire (a rarity) and called it a night.

What kind of food do you eat?

We cooked most of our own food. We usually had oatmeal or fried granola for breakfast, some sort of sandwich for lunch, and something hot over our stove for dinner (soup, pasta, meat with veggies and rice/bread). We were still working on our variety!

Our Gear: 2010 Bike Trip

The Trek 520 is a model that’s been made since 1983 (which also happens to be how long I’ve been around). Another popular bike we read a lot about was the Surly Long Haul Trucker, but we couldn’t find any for sale nearby. The Surly Long Haul Trucker can fit 26″ wheels (just like a mountain bike) so it’s a good option for biking on rough roads.

For those who are interested, we compiled a list of the rest of our gear. Most of the items were based on reviews or what we could get our hands on around where we lived. Oct 16, 2010 – We added our own reviews in italics.

Bikes: Trek 520 (Adam – 2009, Katherine – 2006) –  So far fantastic. Disc brakes and ability to add 26 inch tires would be nice. 4.5/5 stars

Panniers:
Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus (2 each)
Ortlieb Sport Packer Plus (2 each)
Ortlieb Ultimate Plus Handlebar Bag with waterproof map case (1 – Adam)
Ortlieb Ultimate Plus Compact Handlebar Bag (1 – Katherine)
All ortlieb bags: So far fantastic. Completely waterproof so far and durable. No damage after being in a couple crashes into each other. The plastic filler shimming pieces fall out too easily, but using electrical tape on the racks solved the problem. 4.8/5 stars
Bike racks:
Front – Axiom Journey Lowrider (2) – No complaints. 4.8/5
Back – Trek 520 stock (2) – No complaints. 4.8/5
Bike seats: John Cobb’s V-Flow Max (Adam – debated between this and the Brooks Saddle. Verdict still TBD.) Women’s specific tri-seat (Katherine – from her tri bike)
Tires : Continental Touring Plus on the front, Schwalbe Marathon Plus on the rear (replaced the Continental Touring Plus at 5100km on the rear with the Schwalbe)
Fenders: Planet Bike Freddy Fender Cascadia Touring (4) (Update: June 26 – back one broke on Katherine’s bike – replaced with a similar one)
Bike Shoes:
Shimano SH-M076 (1- Adam)
Shimano SH-WM60 (1 – Katherine)
Helmets:
Alpina Spice Cycling (1 – Adam)
Bell Solar (1 – Katherine)
Bike gloves: Pearl Izumi Select Gloves (one pair each)

Spares/Maintenance:
Tubes (4 – down to 3 now after fixing a fellow cyclist’s flat in Ottawa)
Tube patch kit
Pumps (2)
Chain lube
Spare chain
Pedal wrench
Spokes (7)
Duct tape
Tie wraps
Rear cassette removal tool
Bungee cords

Misc (bikes):
Bike lights: Front – MEC Shark One Watt LED Light, and Planet Bike Blinky 7 Rear Light (one each)
Bike mirrors (2)
Helmet mirrors (2) – bought two at Velorution in Sault Ste Marie, ON
Bike locks (2)
Bike covers (2)

Camping Gear:
Tent: Eureka 2-person backcountry tent (from around 1997)
Sleeping bags (one each)
Sleeping mats: MEC Kelvin 3.8 Sleeping Pad
Stove: MSR SimmerLite Stove
Fuel Canisters: MSR 33oz Fuel Bottles (2)
Dry sacks (3)
Compression sack (for Adam’s sleeping bag. Sack now has a couple rips which we stitched back together)
Misc: Water purifier, matches, non-stick frying pan, pots, utensils (spoon, fork, knife, spatula), travel mugs, cooking oil, tupperware containers, ziploc bags, can opener, pocket knives, dish soap, dish towel,  insect repellent, detergent

Clothes:
Shirts: 3 biking shirts and a regular shirt each
Bike shorts: 4 pairs each
Fleece sweater (one each)
Both warm and cool weather clothes to sleep in
Regular shorts: Swim trunks and pants that zipper into shorts (Adam), Couple pairs of pants (Katherine)
Wind jacket: MEC Breeze Jacket (one each)
Rain cycling jacket: MEC Hydrocycle Jacket (one each)
Rain tights: MEC brand (one pair each)
Regular rain pants (one pair each)
Shoe covers/rain booties(one pair each)
Socks (four pairs each)
Running shoes (one each)
Flip flops/sandals (1- Adam, 2 – Katherine)
Rain hats (one each)
Tuque (a light one for cycling, and a regular for camping – 1 each)
Moisture wicking base layer / long johns (one set each)
Leg warmers (1 – Adam bought in Calgary, AB)|
Long finger gloves (1 – Adam bought in Calgary, AB, 1 – Katherine)

Misc (personal):
Sunglasses, sunscreen, watch, first aid kit, earplugs, toiletries, light weight towel

Gadgets:
Bike Computer: Filzer dZ4L Cycling Computer (one each)
GPS: Garmin Oregon 450
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5
Netbook: ASUS Eee PC 1005PR
Cell phones: Samsung A766 Propel and Nokia 2720
Walkie Talkies: Motorola MJ430R GMRS Radios

What does it all weigh?

About 80 lbs total for the bags for each of us including our food. The bike is about another 35 lbs or so each. We weighed everything before we left. Things have changed and we pack a little differently so the weights below are a best guess but they should be fairly close.

	Adam’s	Katherine’s
Bike (w/o gear)	34 lbs	32 lbs
Front – left	Bike tools, chargers, shoes (~17 lbs)	Camping gear (~17 lbs)
Front – right	Food bag (~20 lbs)	Camping gear (~18 lbs)
Front – top	Camera, walkie-talkie, phone, etc (~7 lbs)	Phone, walkie-talkie, etc (~2 lbs)
Rear – left	Clothes (~15 lbs)	Clothes (~17 lbs)
Rear – right	Sleeping bag, air mattress, netbook, bike lock (~17 lbs)	Sleeping bag, shoes,  air matress, bike lock (~17 lbs)
Rear – top	Food (~10 to 15 lbs)	Tent (~10 lbs)
Misc equipment	Water (~3 lbs)	Water (~3lbs)
Front panniers total:	~37 lbs	~35 lbs
Rear panniers total:	~32 lbs	~34 lbs
Total carried on bicycle:	~ 125 lb	~115 lbs

How is it packed?

• All the food is in one dry sack in the pannier and the cooler bag to keep the wildlife away
• Heaviest items are in the front panniers for stability and steering since putting too much weight in the back can cause back wheel to be overloaded and the back end to fishtail.

2010 Bike trip – People:

The people we have met along the way has made the trip so memorable for us. Here is a brief list of the people we have met so far on our trip.

Angelina and her family – Kelly’s Cross, Prince Edward Island – They took us in and cooked us an amazing meal
Shayda – Moncton, New Brunswick – We caught up with our friend in Moncton before they left for Italy
Natalie – Sheffield, New Brunswick – Natalie from Australia was our first fellow touring cyclist that we had met. She started in Vancouver in April and was headed back to Halifax. She had some great stories.
Daniel – Edmunston, New Brunswick – Daniel was cycling from Vancouver to St. John’s then back to Ottawa, and had great advice for our trip ahead
Gilles and Michelle St Andre/St Germain, Quebec – Fellow cyclists we met in New Brunswick who took us in and fed us dinner
Nile – Ste Vallier, Quebec – Met at the local depanneur and let us pitch our tent on his lawn
A lady we met on Petit-Temis/Route Verte – St. Louis-de-Ha-ha, Quebec – She put cash in Katherine’s hand the second time we saw her!
Katherine’s relatives – Quebec City/Ste Croix, Quebec – They took us in for two nights, taking us out to an amazing restaurant the first night and gave us a great home cooked meal the second night
Adam’s relatives – Montreal, Quebec – They took us in for two nights and cooked us amazing food as we recuperated from the July heat-wave
Vance – Montreal, Quebec – We caught up with our friend in Montreal for the first time in several years
Emma – Gatineau, Quebec – We caught up with our friend in Gatineau for the first time since middle school
Steve and Lynn – Manotick, Ontario – We caught up with our friends over delicious home cooked meals
Dave and Ali – Ottawa River, Ontario – We caught up with our friends with cottaging and white water rafting
Renzo and Leslie – Ottawa, Ontario – We caught up our friends before they left for the weekend and they let us stay at their house overnight
Christine – Ottawa, Ontario – We caught up with our friend for the first time in several years over dinner
Jeremy and Andre – Ottawa, Ontario – We met them on the bicycle path and Jeremy is going on a cross country tour starting later in the summer
Shona – Appleton, Ontario – Shona gave us cold drinks and muffins when we arrived at her campground
Local high school gym teacher – Carleton Place, Ontario – We met outside the local cafe and he gave us great advice on what routes to take out of Carleton Place
Ellen and Pete – Ompah, Ontaio – They let us stay with them and fed us some awesome corn on the cob after meeting us at the local firehall.
Dan and Elizatbeth and Emma – Wilberforce, Ontario – They let us stay with them for the night and fed us an amazing meal after Dan met us in the bike shop in Bancroft, Ontario
Dale – Wilberforce, Ontario – Dale is biking from Vancouver to Ottawa and we met him on the side of the road and received great advice from him
All of our friends in Kincardine, Ontario – We stayed with Ryan and Candace, Ivo and Emily, and Shane and Kim and we also caught up with many other friends in the area
Adam’s old co-workers – Port Elgin, Ontario – We caught up with them over dinner and they even paid for our dinners
Karen and Eric – Port Elgin, Ontario – We stayed with our friends as their first overnight guests in their new home
Shaun – Little Current, Ontario – Shaun is from England and he is cycling from Vancouver to St John’s NF
Ray – Outside Little Current, Ontario – Ray was from Saint John, NB, and he gave us Veolorution’s pamphlet.
Rene and his girl friend (sorry we didn’t catch her name!) – Espanola, Ontario – Rene and his girl friend were from Quebec and we shared side-by-side sites at a campground in Espanola. They were interested in getting into bicycle touring and had two brand new touring bikes!
Jean-Francois – Espanola, Ontario – Jean-Francois was from Montreal and was biking from Vancouver to Montreal. We had a great chat about our trip.
Grant and Jenn – On the TCH around Thessalon, Ontario – They were from Vancouver and are cycling to St. John’s, NF
Fred – Bruce Mines, Ontario – We met Fred from Ohio at the local restaurant and to our surprise he chipped in to pay for our dinner
Mark and Steve – Sault Ste Marie, Ontario – Mark is from Guelph biking from Vancouver to St. John’s and we met him and his dad Steve at Velorution where we shared many great stories
Amy and Chris – Sault Ste Marie, Ontario – They are from Toronto biking from Vancouver to Toronto and we met them at Velorution as well where we shared many great stories
Amanda and Erin – Sault Ste Marie, Ontario – They were from Philadelphia and they were finishing up their trip around Lake Superior and we met them at Velorution as well where we shared many great stories
Tim and Katie –Between Pancake Bay and Agawa Bay, Ontario – They were cycling around Lake Superior and they had the exact same bags as us except in red!
Emmanuel and Noel – Lake Superior Provincal Park, Ontario – They were from France and had been travelling for 9 months through China, Bangkok, and were now cycling from Vancouver to Quebec, then to Argentina!
Mark – Wawa, Ontario – Mark was cycling from Vancouver to Toronto. He is from Toronto and we had a great chat in the morning about our routes at the same campground we had stayed at
Quebec touring group – Between Wawa and White River, Ontario – They were a large group (about 40) apparently from Quebec on a van supported bike tour
Carol-Anne and Nicole – White River, Ontario – They were from Vancouver, cycling to Montreal on a tandem bike where they were moving to. We had a nice chat about our experiences.
Henri – White River, Ontario – Henri was from south of Drummondville in Quebec, and he was cycling from Montreal to Montreal (flying from St John’s to Vancouver). We all camped together in the Winnie-the-Pooh park in White River and had dinner together.
Thomas and Yvonne – Outside of Marathon, Ontario – Thomas and Yvonne were from Germany and they were cycling from Vancouver to New York. We had a great chat together as we shared our tips on the best places to camp.
Gilles – Outside of Terrace Bay, Ontario – Gilles was biking from Montreal to Montreal similarly to Henri. He was very happy to see us and we had a great chat on the side of the road
Tony and Sue – Outside of Nipigan, Ontario – We met Tony and Sue and their daughter from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, at a scenic lookout stop. They gave us two pears while we had a nice chat about our trip together. They were on their way to Montreal by car and said would look out for us on their way back! We met up again in Swift Current and they took us in, fed us an amazing dinner, and gave us a grand tour of their area!
Peter – Outside of Doiron, Ontario – We met Peter on the other side of Hwy 17. He was happy to meet fellow touring cyclists. We had a nice chat at a rest stop picnic bench as we munched on some food together.
Don – Outside of Mine Centre, Ontario – Don had not met any touring cyclists since BC, and was very happy to see us. We had a great chat and shared some great tips for each other.
Simon – Outside of Mine Centre, Ontario – Simon was walking across Canada! We had a great time chatting about our trips.
John and Bev – Rennie, Manitoba – John and Bev let us stay for free at their campground and were very welcoming to us.
Doug – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Doug is a seasoned touring cyclist from Seattle and he is cycling across Canada to hopefully Newfoundland.
Katherine’s relatives (Dorothy and Don) –  Minnedosa, Manitoba – They took us in for the night and fed us an awesome meal and let us give their washing machine a workout!
Steve and Lynell – Indian Head, Saskatchewan – Steve and Lynell are from Saskatoon and they were just finishing up a motorcycle tour of Eastern North America. They were very nice and we had a great chat about our trips.
Dave and Tracey – Calgary, Alberta – Dave and Tracey welcomed us with open arms and fed us dinner, breakfast and lunch. We had a great time and never ate so much food!
Katie and Ken – Calgary, Alberta – My sister and Ken took us in for a number of days in a row and showed us around the market, and even took us out to Drumheller to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum!
My sister’s friends – Calgary, Alberta – We had a great chat with my sister’s friends and they ended up paying for our Sushi meal!
Neil – Calgary, Alberta – We met up with Adam’s friend from University and caught up after a number of years
Katherine’s relatives – Calgary, Alberta –  They fed us an amazing dinner and we had a great time visiting!
Matthew – Calgary, Alberta – Katherine’s friend from high school, Matthew took us out to Banff, gave us a tour of his old stomping ground in Calgary, and camped with us at Dinosaur Provincial Park
Tristan and Satomi – Lake Louise, Alberta – We met them at the campground and quickly became good friends. They even took us up to Lake Moraine in their vehicle for the day.
All the people we met at the Lake Louise Campground cooking shelter – We met two cyclists from Slovenia cycling from Alaska to Calgary, 3 cyclists from France cycling from Montreal to Vancouver, 2 hitchhikers from France who had even hitch hiked on a CP rail train, and a group of Australians, a family from Nova Scotia, just to name a few
Two cyclists from Scotland and Ireland – Roger’s Pass, British Columbia – They were cycling from Calgary to Vancouver, and we met up several times at different places
Dave and Patti, Sean and Tracey and Deelah – Vernon, British Columbia – They took us in for the night and fed us an amazing dinner!
Two Islanders (we didn’t get their names!) – Oyama, British Columbia –  They were travelling in an RV and we met them on the side of the road. It turns out they were almost neighbours in PEI!
Olya – Kelowna, British Columbia – Our friend Olya took us in for a week and made us feel very welcomed!
Lorne and Myra – East Gate, Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia – They let us pitch our tent in front of their cottage even when we arrived unexpectedly!
Alastair and Nancy, Breanne – Richmond, British Columbia – They took us in for a week and pampered us!
Bronwyn and Colby – Richmond, British Columbia – They fed us an amazing dinner in their new home!
Nana and Papa – Port Moody, British Columbia – They had us for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that felt just like home!
Paul and Dawn – Sidney, British Columbia – We met before boarding the ferry and chatted for the entire ferry ride!