Cold Rain in the Rockies.

Day 3.                                                                                         145Km

A great day cycling. The terrain was flat to gently sloping upwards and the weather was calm and 17C. Perfect cycling weather. In the end we managed to reach our target town of Hope.

The highlight for me was being passed by a Canadian Pacific locomotive (in fact three locomotives) pulling a train the length of which I have never seen before. Further up the road it had stopped and we started passing the carriages one by one endlessly it seemed until we finally reached the stationary locos. The driver had stopped so that he could nip across the road for a takeaway meal! While I was inspecting the locos another monster thundered past travelling in the opposite direction. The loco driver having grabbed his dinner then told me that his train was 7kms long!

Adi and I started up the road just as this giant was getting under way and we had probably gone about 4kms before he caught us. With a wave he was gone.

Tonight we are camped next to the Fraser River. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t mossies’ here but the campground is cheap, we had a meal further down the valley, and the shower water was hot and plentiful.

Day  4.                                                                                            70Km

Rain today and 1300mtrs of climbing. We got under way in drizzle which turned into heavier rain for the duration of the 70kms uphill. At lunchtime we stopped at the only shop along the route which climbed through forested high country frequented by black bear at this time of the year. We didn’t see one which surprised me as I know they are seen along the roadside. The weather got pretty cold as we climbed sitting at about 6C. Adi rode really well, consistently chugging along with hardly any rest stops. I appreciated this as in cold weather I like to keep going in an attempt to stay warm. Even so we both arrived at Manning Park Resort feeling pretty cold. Adi vetoed the idea of a tent and so I find myself in motel type accommodation tonight watching bad American TV. Although the road gradient was steepish today my  42 X 28 was sufficient to get the loaded touring bike up ok. I wonder if I will need my triple to get through the Rockies (30 X 28 is my lowest gear) ?

Day 5.

Freezing today and with sleety rain. The bike temperature gauge reckoned 5C but it felt colder. I had brought gloves and booties but Adi had not packed either. I also had tights but Adi had not brought any! She was turning blue and I feared that she would not make the distance so against my better judgement I advised her to pedal faster, that way she would keep warm. When this failed to improve her look I relented and gave her my booties. What’s a bloke supposed to do? She would have just keeled over and we wouldn’t make our destination. After 60kms of this we started to descend to Princeton and we stopped at a diner for a slap up Canadian all day breakfast which was like dinner with heaps of coffee. The next 70kms flew by and was much warmer. And now here we are tenting in Keremeos BC.

I know you will be all very interested in the observation that ‘Ken’ my kerosene cooker is loving the Canadian kerosene we are giving him here. Note the lovely blue burner! I think the fuel is triple filtered and to the highest standard. Adi didn’t seem that interested when I told her!

Sorry forgot the burner pic, maybe next time.

 

Day 1.

Day 1

I managed to watch 2 movies on the plan trip to Vancouver and a Mark Cavendish documentary. Doing so however meant that I got little sleep. I am proud of the fact that for 13 hours I managed to stay in my seat and not use the on board toilet.

The bikes arrived which was decidedly un stressful and to top it off they were undamaged.  The whole process from Nelson to Vancouver went like clockwork with the sole exception being Adi turning down the flight lollies when she could have got them and passed them on to me!

We assembled our bikes outside the airport terminal and who should we bump into but my bosses Jo and Mike from the bike shop and the rest of their family. There goes my excuse of looking after my sick Mum for 10 weeks.

We cycled on to the local camping ground to find out that they have had a bear  in the park so we must look out. Adi is over joyed by this. This evening she is in full watch mode.

Day 2.

A beautiful day and still no bears sighted. O’ well we are still in the middle of Vancouver. We jumped on our bikes and cruised by the local cycle shops looking for a pair of shorts for Adi as she brought her threadbare ones by mistake. Honestly the Canadians don’t need that sight. Their summers are short and they should be enjoying every second. We cycled around Vancouver peninsular and then back to camp along the cycle ways. I’m pleased because we have picked up all essentials such as the camping fuel, cycle oil etc.  Ken the primus fired up on the local spirits perfectly and I set here with a full tummy after heating up canned stew and rice. Well my tummy would be full if Adi had put enough rice in.

It Begins.

I don’t know why, but I feel a bit nervous. Its four days to go and then we are off to cycle across Canada. I’m not sure whether I’m worried that I might forget something or possible nervous about leaving the house for 10 weeks.

I do know what brought it on though, and that was the process of getting all the gear together, going down to the bike shed and sorting all the tools, putting the racks and touring wheels on the Mercian and then trying to cover all possible mechanical problems in my head.

I’m always very proud of the vast selection of tools and mechanical bits that I take. Unlike a lot of younger cycle tourists I not only take tools and spares but I know how to use them! Generally this is a complete waste of time as nothing mechanically serious has ever occurred to test me. I am ready though and on previous tours I have coped with mechanicals that would have left other cyclists reaching for their cell phone and credit card. The other thing about most of our tours is that we don’t have enough spare time to bus to the nearest bike shop and then wait around for spare parts and service. This is not a Charley Borman motorbike trip where you have a service vehicle following you and a direct link to the experts back home.

The one thing that never makes me nervous is the ride itself. I know that once I’m on the bike everything concerned with getting to my destination is usually straight forward. The big weigh-in at the airport is always stressful and that is probably the prime reason for my nerves. But once I have packed the bikes in touring mode to check that all fits I will dismantle both bikes and gear, pack it all in bikes bags and then weigh it all with the bike shop scales so that I know we are not over our individual limits of 23kg check in and 7kg hand luggage. I can probably increase the hand luggage by a couple kgs and the check in also by 2kgs.

What I don’t want is to be overweight so much that I have to do naughty things like lift the bike bag discretely while it’s being weighed. And to struggle onto the plane carrying 10 plus kgs of hand luggage. Trying to carry it, as if it weighs nothing. Then of course you can’t get it in the overhead lockers!

Today I’m working in the bike shop again. Felix’s wife Cushla has just had a baby boy so Niel the wheel is covering.  Adi has everything under control at our end. Tonight I have to pack the Mercian away in its bag. Last night Adi’s bike was wrapped up.  You can tell the bosses are away. Normally I wouldn’t be able to sneak the Vespa into the workshop. In fact it’s a rare day that I’m not cycling. The Mercian is all clean and so I won’t risk it getting caught in a shower.

The Cyclists Companion. (Note Bike Attach on Rear Guard)

“Cane Creek headset bearings sir, .. Now, where would they be kept?”

A quiet day now finished at the bike shop but near the end of the shift we sold a quality bike. It’s always nice selling a decent bike to someone.  It’s 11pm and with the help of the work scales and a couple old foam sleeping mats the bike is packed and everything is regulation weight, give or take a couple of kgs.

Vancouver here we come. I want to see bears and prairie dogs. I particularly want to see my Mercian once I get to Vancouver and in an undamaged state would be nice. That bike will click over the 100 000km mark near the end of this trip.

I’m going to miss our cats and chicken…… here we go, next post from British Columbia.

 

Pre Tour Jobs.

Less than two weeks before we go on our next cycling adventure. I find the two week period before going overseas a rather stressful time. There are all the last minute things to do combined with the worry that something may go wrong with the house while you’re away. No matter how well you plan and attend to all the possible problems that may arise while you’re away something can always come out from left field and surprise you. I find that once I am on the plane and have left the country and there is nothing I can physically do to fix things, I generally forget about it and concentrate on the cycle tour.

I also find that the cycle touring once I am on my bike and free of air companies and custom officials, goes pretty much to plan. When it comes down to the bike and I, versus the weather and 100-200km of terrain each day, it’s pretty easy. The wind can only blow so hard and roads that head skywards   eventually lead me to the coast. It’s pretty hard to pack up and head out into inclement weather but once you do its better than sitting around camp knowing that you are wasting time going nowhere.

Adi will be with me this trip so there will be no worries about loneliness on the road. I must however remember that others are not so fortunate to have company. So when I spot another cycle tourist I will make every effort to say hi. This is something that does not come naturally when I’m on the bike as I generally feel pretty confident of my ability and although feeling a bit lonely I feel comfortable with my own company. I think we may bump into quite a few across Canada riders on this trip.

Last night I was rummaging around among some old books and low and behold a 1970’s street map of Vancouver dropped out of one of them. Not quite up to date but good enough to direct me from the international airport to the Burnaby camp ground where we will spend our first night in the Canada’s.

Tomorrow Adi will relinquish her GT Zaskar so that I can put her touring wheels on, carrier, and do all the final checks for the trip. It will then come up from the workshop to the house where she will attach her panniers and do a trial pack to see how everything goes. I’ll leave my bike until next week as I’m very familiar with how everything goes on the Mercian.

Before we go I am doing the odd extra day at the bike shop as the owners are off on vacation and by coincidence also in Canada. But in their case they are MTBing and not cycling across the continent. The odd customer that knows my cycling habits comes in and asks why I’m still here and where I am off to next. It never ceases to surprise me that after explaining that I am cycle touring and that I am fully self-contained with tent primus etc. that they will still ask me where I am staying and how I will feed myself. When I explain that I will be camping at times and motor camping at others and that if the mood takes me I may 4star it in a tourist hotel they look totally baffled. They look equally baffled when I say that I might go hungry at times or cook dinner over my primus or if the mood takes me have a 4 course meal in a gourmet restaurant. Or heaven forbid, maybe even McD if I feel like some fast calories. (One must be adaptable).

Roadie’s aye! They have no idea! How far are you riding each day they will ask? And I will reply that I will ride as far as it takes to get a good meal and a site to lay my head. Once again they look baffled.

We will ride like that every day for 76 days until we reach the ocean on the other side I say.

How fast will you ride they ask? I reply that I will ride at the speed necessary to reach my meal and sleeping spot before nightfall. Again, a look of non-comprehension.

But who will carry your gear?

And we are back to square one, Roadies! If they didn’t have their I pad and filtered water they’d be lost.

I have decided that when my membership in the CTC (Cycle Touring Club UK) expires this year I will join the Audax UK club. I think with my intention to complete the next Paris –Brest –Paris and my focus on long distance cycling this club better represents my interest. The CTC is unfortunately having to cover too many different styles of cycling and 2/3’s of their magazine and news bores me to tears. MTBing and kids, sponsoring a women’s road team, please spare me. A mini tour of the Loire, (no I’m not on my last legs yet thanks).

Today it’s raining and one day closer to the grand depart.  Raining!! I haven’t got time for rain. I was supposed to be cycling into town and dropping off my handlebar clock/altimeter to the watch shop for a new battery. At the same time I need a new battery in my Swiss Army wristwatch.  I like to have a good handle on the time while I’m travelling. I wouldn’t want to fall behind schedule and miss my flight home. The rain may force me to start getting my things together a bit early. I need a set of camp clothes and one set of cycle clothes. I’m thinking for the camp clothes, a Brooks woolly jersey and either jeans or my light weight long travel trousers. I’ll go with the Brooks top even though they didn’t pick me to trial one of their new saddle designs. I’m not bitter. I didn’t exactly give them a glowing review when it came to their multi tool or H/Bar bag.  Choosing my cycle clothes for the trip will be easy. I’ll go with a black and white theme (New Zealand colours). Black and white NZ top, white shorts and white vest or jacket. In reserve I’ll have arm warmers, tights and a heavy plastic rain jacket. It will of course be summer in Canada, but what does that mean. I don’t think it will be tropical and I think it could actually be cold at times. I’ll also take a training jacket for cold crappy days. Weight is a real issue for us on the plane being only allowed 23kg each and 7kg carry-on luggage. I will wear as much as I can on the plane.

I Will Buy All Tyre & Tube Spares in Vancouver,

The weight on the plane has prompted me to use bike bags instead of the bike box idea. I’ll go into the packing in my next blog. But basically a bike box weighs more than a bike bag and the bag can double as an extra ground sheet under the tent on wet days.

O’well , until next week my dear couch followers. When I will show you how I pack up my kit for an overseas cycling  adventure.   And to those out there doing it, see you on the road shortly.

My travel buddy is reading up about Bears again………Canadian Street Gangs.

101 Uses Around the Camp.

Women were made for labour: one of them can carry or haul as much as two men can do. They also pitch our tents, make and mend our clothing, keep us warm at night; and in fact there is no such thing as travelling any considerable distance, or for any length of time, in this country without their assistance…. Women though they do everything, are maintained at a trifling expense: for, as they always stand cook, the very licking of their fingers, in scarce times, is sufficient for their subsistence.

So said Francis Galton in Victorian times. My friends have occasionally asked me whether Adi is coming on my next cycling adventure. To which I reply “Of Course”.



 

Galton was referring to the need to have women in the party when travelling across hostile and rugged country. And although I don’t expect Canada to be too rugged I do expect that at times it could get hostile. With that in mind I could add a few other benefits that I can envisage, and would welcome Adi’s presence.

1.       In case of bear attack Adi could well distract them long enough for me and my Mercian to get away.

2.       Adi can go into Supermarkets to get grub while I ‘watch the bikes’.

3.       Waiting for Adi gives me time to sit and contemplate life, while enjoying the view among the mountainous stages.

4.       While in Saskatchewan I’m content in the believe that Adi will hold my bike in the absence of anything to lean it against.

5.       While I get the kerosene stove going Adi can be busy toting water and turning the tent into a home.

I’m not convinced that Adi could survive on what she licks off her fingers, and she is a mite partial to the odd motel or hotel room. But promising her a motel tomorrow works for a while. Quite often there isn’t a hotel or motel tomorrow and even if there is she will probably then be feeling in better spirits and not require the luxury.

One other reason for Adi’s attendance now springs to mind. That being that she has allocated sufficient funds for the trip by prudent budgeting and holds the said funds in an account only she has access to.

Welcome aboard Adi!



Not Cycle Camping but Most Definitely  Bring Home Breakfast.

Thomas Holding was apparently the father of cycle camping and of course would have to be one of my heroes. In 1903 he wrote The Camper’s Handbook. In addition to this he re-designed the Primus cooker to be more cycle friendly. The Camper’s Handbook is full of sound advice. I have offered to get Adi her own copy as I think she could well learn a lot from it. So far she seems rather indifferent to the idea!

Mrs F. Horsfield was one of Holdings female cycle camping friends and is quoted as saying that ‘camping is a break from domestic chores. Compared to dusting and tidying the various large rooms of a family home, the task of setting a tent straight for a day is minor, and the cooking involved at camp far less formal than at home.

 

Francis seems to have her head screwed on the right way and obviously proud to be involved with the practical side of the sport.  How little things have changed in one hundred years of cycle travel.

Two and a half weeks to go now and then we will be on the road again. It’s just as well as the winter temperatures are making the weekly training rides more of a chore they a joy. We still go out and knock off 100kms but usually arrive home just on dark with cold feet and fingers. The cold clear days make the coffee stop a lot more enjoyable however. The kerosene primus is fully tested and I am pleased to announce will be coming with us to Canada. I will smuggle him through customs by strapping him to the frame in the vicinity of the drink bottle cages. That way he will be more difficult to make out when the Mercian gets CAT Scanned at the airport.



Henry Has Settled In

In the last week Adi has discovered yet another kitten under our house! Two cats booked into the cattery was a stretch for the budget. I would have turned him away but having shown him the door I then discovered that my boy ‘Henry’ had taken a fancy to him. Well, all I can say is that I hope Henry really does like him because he’s going to be bunking with him at the cattery for the ten weeks we are away. The lady at the cattery said he could have a special, special price if he boarded with Henry and didn’t cause any trouble around the place. So there you go Henry, you could have had a suite with a view to yourself, but now you have a rowdy roommate.



Henry's New Room Mate.

Southern New Zealand has had its first dump of snow so I hope that Canada is now warming up. I’ll go on line and check the temps. Anything over 18C will be acceptable.

Dreaming of the Road.

It was a quiet Sunday at work today. The weather was changeable so there weren’t many weekend warriors or recreational types out. No punctures to fix or discussions on the merits of the new 27.5” tyre types.  The new 27.5”is of course only new to the newbies on the block and the Americans who named it. The French I think have been calling that particular size 650, for at least 50years now. At the end of the day though, we had sold a couple of bikes. It’s always nice to get bikes out there, and as the weekend man, to feel that I have earn’t my keep.

I also took the opportunity to mention to Jo (Operations Manager of Everything at the bike shop) that I had sort of double booked myself for Sunday 16 June. I was supposed to be working at the bike shop, and flying to Canada on that particular day. Luckily for me Jo’s not fazed by things like that and I was given the ok to down tools on that day and for the following ten weeks.

I came home with my two boxes of spokes. Tomorrow I will go down to the bike shed and start building up the touring wheels for our trip. I will endeavour to get the valve hole in the correct place in each wheel this time around. It’s not an important thing but satisfying none the less. I remember a few years ago prior to our across the US trip I decided that not only should I build Adi some purpose touring wheels but that I would build them out of free, odd length spokes from the bike shop where I was then working. I had to cut all the spokes to the correct length and then re-thread them using an old spoke threader they had in the workshop.

Well what a disaster. The threading machine was useless and although I half suspected this and had taken a multitude of spare spokes I spent ages in the Rockies replacing spokes that had stripped their nipples and poor Adi had to ride the whole tour on a wheels that were far from tightly strung. The wheels held together for the trip being loosely tensioned (and with frequent tweaking) but they wouldn’t win any medals for efficiency and on arrival back in go old NZ I rebuilt them with new spokes. I enjoyed riding across South America last year on them before they were nicked in Vietnam by some good for nothing bike rustler.

The across Canada route is really popular with cyclists so this is the first time on a tour that I can research others who are intending doing it this year. Low and behold, today I found a site where cyclists can register their intended trip!.........http://www.bikingacrosscanada.ca/

Randonneurs in Canada



Check it out. Hopefully by the time you do I will be on it as well. It will be great to contact some of the others attempting the crossing. I’ve also found out through Googling that there is a Tour De Canada group starting only a couple of days behind us. And although I respect their love of cycling and commitment to cycle across Canada, and will of course greet them with much enthusiasm, they must realise that a ‘real’ cyclist carries all his own gear and does not need support in a car following.

Even as a school kid I didn’t need my parents following me around in the car.

I have decided after many years of cycling and after more recently Googling all the other forms of cycling that I definitely fit into the Randoneuring family of cyclists. I fit all of the necessary criteria;

1.       I like spending long hours in the saddle.

2.       I have no desire to ride around in circles in order to achieve my results.

3.       I don’t give a toss as to my time as long as I finish with my mates.

4.       I think people that ride in the rain without mudguards need educating.

5.       I don’t tend to mix with fair weather cyclists

6.       I think that a cyclist that falls behind should not be left behind unless his dithering will cost you your evening meal or shelter for the night.

7.       I think a bike that can’t carry a few essentials and is also too light to handle gravel, might be better melted down and turned into something useful like plastic cups. And by essentials I mean more than a CO2 canister and a cell phone.

8.       I need an excuse to visit faraway places.

Great Great Grandad Louis.

So to that end I will start to train seriously for the next Paris – Brest – Paris event when I return from Canada.  More importantly I will need to help Adi save for it by working tirelessly at the bike shop and refrain from buying too much bike stuff.

A Break From Tradition.

I’m breaking from tradition when I cycle across Canada. I intend this trip to take a handle bar bag. I had the thought a couple of years ago to use one of these and ordered one from the UK. But when it arrived, and I had had a chance to test it, I decided that if this was what cycle tourists had to put up with I didn’t want any part of it.

I’m not easily deterred though and have purchased another bag from a different outfit and am putting it through its paces for the next 6 weeks until we go.

Testing the New Handle Bar Bag.

The reason I need one of these is because my vintage kerosene cooker ‘Ken’ tends to fart and burp fumes to such an extent that I can’t possibly keep him inside my main bags. So whereas Gen Y probably keep their I phones , hair styler and sponsors pledges in their H/Bag I will be keeping my map, distance reader ,real money (saved myself) , and coffee making paraphanalia in mine.

For a short time when I was about 13yrs old I owned a H/Bar bag that had come as part of a set when I bought my touring bag combo. However before I had a chance to use it a school mate asked if he could borrow it for his tour and I never saw it again. He returned but my bag didn’t. Early lesson to ‘Niel the Wheel’ never to loan his cycle kit. He reckoned he had lost it. The H/Bar bag is suppose to hold your most valuable items, so how he could have lost it I don’t know. Later I heard that it had flown off the bars and he was too embarrassed to give me back what was left of it! It was a bit tricky to put on and Rex was a bit mechanically inept.

For those Born After 1980. A Map Reader Looks like this. (No You don't Need Batteries).

It is now the first day of May. Winter is officially here. It’s certainly not painting weather so work on the outside of the house has slowed. Slowed to a stop would describe it better. Cool evenings and rising electricity costs have prompted us to put an inbuilt gas heater into the South Wing. Since I can’t find a good spot for the Gas cylinder station I have decided to build a little shelter for them in the garden. A couple of bags of ready mix cement and some timber would do the job. As usual I thought one load with the BOB trailer would be sufficient. After purchasing it all at the hardware, and having got them to cut the timber to a manageable length I realised that the whole load would weigh close to 80kgs! The BOB trailer’s only rated to 35kgs. I figured it would handle 50kgs if I avoided all rough sections of road ( a tough ask in NZ ).  I ended up leaving 25kgs at store. The ride home with the rest was a ride I won’t want to repeat for some time. The trailer was difficult to control and it was rush hour on the roads.

Got Home Just on Dark.Can You See the Trailer Wheel?

Tomorrow I get to go back for the rest of it and build the cylinder shelter. What I really want to do is to get on line and register our Across Canada ride on the ‘Ride Across Canada’ website.