Questions and Answers

My recent invitation for people to follow my blog has resulted in a number of questions, which I will attempt to answer here:

Q. How do I keep current of any updates on your blog?
I think I have finally figured this out.  Hopefully if you click on the "Follow" button to the right you should be able to follow my postings in a relatively painless manner.  Please advise if this works (or does not work) for you...

Q. Are you riding alone, unsupported?
No, I am not riding alone.  There are a group of about 40 riders of all ages and from around the globe who have signed up for the Tour du Canada 2010.  As is typical of rides of this size, we will break into groups of riders for the days ride - (probably 4 to 5 people each), based on riding ability and riding speed. Typically if you run into trouble, and need help (a spare tube say) a rider or group will stop to help.

Q. How will you communicate with friends and family?
My plan is to either text or Skype Annie, Eric and Emma on a daily basis (dependent on cell phone and internet access) and to keep a daily log and update the blog (with pictures too) every few days - when internet access permits.

Q. Where will you be staying:

I have secured 35 Sq.Ft. of luxury accommodations for the entire trip! The optional A/C unit was too expensive an upgrade so I will be toughing it!  As my Mum said - "You will be sleeping out in Saskatchewan in the broiling heat of the Summer!"

We will be camping, rain or shine (hopefully mostly shine) for most of the days - I think we have indoor accommodations in real beds for only about 5 days in the entire 10 weeks. We are advised to camp out before heading to Vancouver so we are familiar with our equipment - hopefully the neighbors won't think it too strange to see me camping in the front yard - probably not since about 8 years ago I stayed out for most of a cold November night watching the Leonid meteor showers - Emma was afraid that the kids on our street would see me asleep on the front lawn as they walked to the school bus!

The tour schleps all our gear campsite-to-campsite each day, and we are on "Galley Crew" rotating cooking responsibilites once per week for the group of 40 hungry riders.  The truck carries a mobile camping kitchen and all the food.

Q. What gear will you be carrying?
I like to travel light (less stuff to carry up hills), so the only gear I will be carrying on my bike are two water bottles, camera, cell phone, a spare inner tube (or two) and CO2 cartridges to pump tires. On my person I will carry fuel (bananas, PBJ, GU) and gear for inclement weather if necessary.

Q. How does your camping gear and clothing get from Campsite to Campsite?
We are assigned limited space in the back of the gear truck to carry our stuff.

Q. What route will you be taking?
We will not know the exact route until we get to Vancouver as it depends on campsite availability, road conditions, etc. The 5,000 mile route stays in Canada and goes through each of the ten Canadian Provinces - which makes for a much longer ride (1,500 miles more) than across the US.

The "Space Shuttle" view of the route is shown below,
with detailed segments following.

You can click on each of the maps for a larger view.
There will be the opportunity to take side trips for sightseeing along the way. I already have a few planned.

There is a "pre-ride" option to ride to Victoria BC to see "Mile 0" of the Trans Canada Highway which I am doing.  It involves a ride to the ferry to Vancouver Island, riding to Victoria, a rear "wheel dip" in the Pacific Ocean, an overnight stay (not camping) in Victoria, and a ride back the next day. 

An approximation of the route is shown in the twelve map segments below. 
Each segment shown is, on average, about 400 miles worth of riding (except for the "Victoria" option above, and the last segment with the Ferry ride across the Gulf of St. Lawrence).
Through BC:












Through Alberta:

In the first day in Alberta, I am planning a 15 mile side trip to see Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks - hopefully it won't be cloudy when I get there.



Once east of Calgary it gets pretty flat - the only thing to contend with are rain and headwinds (although the prevailing winds are from the west).

Through Saskatchewan:

Pretty flat through the prairies - apparently the excitement is guessing how far away the next Grain Elevator is on the horizon.






Through Manitoba:












Through Ontario: (Lots here - it is the longest part of the route)

The section above, and the one below are, surprisingly enough the "Hilly" part of the route  (more so than the Rockies) as there are lots of climbs up and descents down the ridges carved into the Canadian Shield by the glaciers...

This segment has our first of three Ferry Rides - across Lake Huron to the Tobermoray Peninsula.












Hopefully, I'll get to see my sister in Ottawa (and she will cook me dinner).








After three weeks in Ontario, we should finally arrive in a new province, Quebec!
Apres avoir passé trois semaines en Ontario, on arrive au Quebec, enfin!
Through Quebec:

I am planning on dinner with my Mum, Annie, Eric, Emma and Annie's parents when we pass through Montreal.
It should be fun after 7 weeks on the road - hopefully they will recognize me!


More Quebec...













And now the Maritime provinces
(New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia):

To get to PEI, since bikes are not allowed on the bridge, we will ride over in a shuttle with our bikes loaded on the truck.  We get back to the mainland on the second of our three ferry rides.

Our tenth and final Province (below) after an overnight ferry crossing - I have booked a real bed on the ferry :)

Through Newfoundland:

After about 5,000 miles, the ride ends with a ferry ride followed by a short ride into St. John's to the end of the Trans Canada Highway, finishing off with a front "wheel dip" in the Atlantic Ocean.

In the evening there is a celebration dinner  for all the riders, after which I will be flying back to New Jersey the next morning - hopefully my bike won't get lost in transit.

Other than 5,000 miles of pedaling and completing an item on my "Bucket List" that's it in a nutshell.  Needless to say I am looking forward to the adventure, although some folks think I am crazy to do so.  For some of the riders this is their 2nd "tour" so it can't be all that bad.  Maybe I'll have a different view of things after a 5th consecutive day of riding in rain.

It will be good to sleep in a real bed after 10 weeks in a sleeping bag/tent.

Feel free to post comments and ask questions on the blog.

Looking forward to the adventure of a lifetime - as someone I know who has done the ride said "For me it was a GREAT GREAT thing to do, a highlight in my life, a source of fond memories and an endless source of party stories."