| Sometimes in life you have to make do with what | | | | could possibly happen to me, 40 days of rain, sleet, |
| you have and I probably wouldn't have chosen my | | | | fog, snow, 15 below, broken frame and now while I |
| downhill bike to ride across Canada on in a perfect | | | | was in Portage I noticed my left index finger which I |
| world and this was an instance where if I had to | | | | cut making fires wasn't healing properly. I discovered |
| think about it too long, the trip wouldn't have | | | | I needed antibiotics or I would die of a blood clot |
| happened. I was determined to ride to Whistler come | | | | down the road somewhere. Throughout all of the |
| hell or high water, boy did I ever get high water on | | | | hardships that plagued me on this trip there always |
| my trip. | | | | seemed to be someone at the end of the day in |
| I knew that I wasn't traveling through the most | | | | most cases to help me. Whether it was to put a |
| dangerous country in the world, but I can honestly | | | | smile on my face, buy me dinner, pitch a tent on |
| say that this was one time when I wish that I would | | | | their property, sleep on a couch or weld my frame. |
| have brought a hand gun, even if it would've been a | | | | One Christian family, who shared their home with me, |
| pea shooter to a Grizzly bear, it would be better | | | | gave me an address of a relative two weeks down |
| than nothing! Riding on the Trans-Canada highway can | | | | the road for me to stay with for the night. |
| be a humbling experience, you put a lot of faith in | | | | After riding over 3 thousand kilometres through |
| the hands of other people driving their cars and a lot | | | | some of the worst weather it was a momentous |
| the time your life is at stake. | | | | moment East of Calgary when I finally saw the |
| The years spent peddling around North America (30) | | | | mountains for the first time on this trip. And it gave |
| without a drivers license prepared me mentally for | | | | me a boost of energy when I really needed it. Never |
| the trip, and my years racing Pro Elite Mountain and | | | | listen to stranger's directions when your life may |
| amateur road bikes prepared me physically. My body | | | | depend on it. Traveling in a car takes an hour to drive |
| needed to be accustomed to heavy exertion to | | | | a 100 kms and it takes a day on a bicycle. Planning |
| finish this Trans-Canada endurance activity. In a | | | | ahead for a camp ground or even civilization proved |
| perfect world I would have had a motor home | | | | to be a huge challenge every day and it was really |
| behind me every step of the way, but this was not | | | | hard to get the proper nutrition necessary to |
| to be and I was on a limited budget. | | | | maintain such a high caloric output. |
| I also had my trusty fishing rod and tackle which was | | | | After resting in Calgary for a day the rains reached |
| more of a lucky charm then anything else, the | | | | monsoon levels and had actually broken a hundred |
| weather was so bad usually at the end of the day | | | | year flood record which threatened me with |
| the fishing was not very good. This brings me to the | | | | hypothermia two days in a row attempting the |
| logistical side of being a self contained human | | | | mountain pass to Canmore. The RCMP had a |
| powered recreational vehicle; unfortunately our backs | | | | roadblock set up closing the Trans Canada as a result |
| can only carry so much weight. I carried a bowie | | | | of over five feet of water. You would have thought |
| knife, bic lighters as well as a survival tool and the | | | | that with all the rain that it might have cleaned away |
| bare minimum of bike tools, camelback, rain pants | | | | all the garbage that ignorant people throw out of |
| and jacket, 3 pairs of cycling shorts, 3 jerseys, 6 | | | | their cars. Diapers and Tim Horton's coffee cups |
| pairs of socks, tights, zip cargo pants 2 pairs of | | | | among other things I won't get into. Rarely was |
| gloves, tent, sleeping bag, thermal rest, flip flops, | | | | there a moment across this vast land that I did not |
| flashlight, candles and my sidi cycling shoes. I couldn't | | | | smell or hear the presence of automobiles even in |
| get anything in my backpack and there were many | | | | the remotest parts such as Rogers pass it was |
| things I could and should have brought with me | | | | evident. I thought that I had escaped the wrath of |
| including stove, water purifier, bear repellent, cell or | | | | the mountains until the second last day when my |
| satellite phone, blackberry, Global positioning system | | | | cockiness almost got the better of me on a 13% |
| unit, camera just to name a few important but | | | | grade near Lillooet BC. |
| heavy items. Transporting the essential components | | | | The one thing that surprised me the most was only |
| that ensure proper rest, shelter, food and water | | | | seeing four cyclists the entire trip across Canada on |
| would be the only way that I could succeed in | | | | my side of the rode going west. As cyclists we are |
| crossing Canada and it would be the defining theme | | | | vastly out numbered on the roads, and considering |
| through out my entire journey. Necessity is the | | | | that cycling is the most energy efficient means of |
| Mother of invention and by the time I had ridden to | | | | transportation it is shamefully under utilized as well. |
| Pembroke (150 km) I had devised a improvised rack | | | | Cyclists need to band together for the betterment |
| which took some of the weight off my back. | | | | of cycling. I look forward to new innovations which |
| This led to a number of improvements in the design | | | | will make cycling even more efficient and accessible |
| thanks to the help of the Bike shops and Home | | | | for more people to enjoy. In the 30 plus years that I |
| Hardware's along the way. Now I was able to focus | | | | have been cycling there have been many |
| on smooth efficient pedal strokes needed to push | | | | improvements to the design of the bicycle, and there |
| such tall gears (36-26-11, 7 speed), heavy Downhill | | | | is plenty of room for improvement which makes it |
| bike, 3.0" Gazzalodi front, 2.6" Gazzalodi rear. My seat | | | | that much more exciting. A couple of areas which |
| post allowed an almost perfect leg extension and I | | | | need an overhaul are chain and sprocket drive train, |
| would find out in Portage Le Prairie the consequences | | | | to be replaced by a belt drive maybe and a lighter |
| of over extending a seat post while supporting a 60 | | | | electric assist unit for bicycles would allow the |
| pound pack. Imagine riding down the highway and all | | | | masses an easier commute and no more flat tires |
| of a sudden you have no seat. It was like a reverse | | | | would be nice. If a person can ride a 47 pound |
| blind drop off and I'm standing in the middle the | | | | downhill bike 100 kilometers a day across Canada |
| Prairies with a broken seat tower. I had come this far | | | | then surely people can reduce automobile use for |
| and I wasn't about to let a mechanical failure end my | | | | shorter distances. Keep your wheels between the |
| trip. | | | | ditches. |
| At this point I thought I had seen every thing that | | | | |