Cross-Canada bike trip 2008 – Summary.
Well, the finale of the entries. I can now add my name to the greats that have done this similar trip before me (I think of Tanya and Al from Ottawa, and the great folks I ran into during this trip - you know who you are). For some reason, Canada doesn't seem so big anymore.
10775 km, 65 days, average of 166/day. Ten out of 10 provinces, 0/3 territories (later, later...) If you include +300 k I did for the race, that brings me over the 11,000 k mark. But, it's not really part of the trip, so I guess I'll have to live having done a trip shy of 11k. Approximately 480 hours of biking (I guess that doesn't sound that much). Pedal revolutions: 2,300,000 (give or take thousands).
Province breakdown (approximate numbers):
BC – 1200 km, 12 days (100 km/day) – includes Vancouver Island
AB – 600 km, 3 days (200/day)
SK – 700 km, 6 days (116/day) – notice the winds had an effect on me in SK?!
MB – 700 km, 3 days (233/day)
ON – 3100 km, 16 days (194/day) – few detours here and there
QC – 1600 km, 10 days (160/day) – includes Charlevoix region, and Gaspe region
NB – 700 km, 4 days (175/day)
PEI – 150 km, 1 day
NS – 1000 km, 6 days (167/day) – includes the Cape Breton region
NL – 1020 km, 5 days (204/day)
Rest days: 11, plus 5 pre-race rest days, 2 post-race rest days.
Longest run between rest days: 10 days (3 times)
a) 1843 km, Halifax to St-John's (via Cape Breton)
b) 1592 km, Calgary (Crossfield) to Winnipeg
c) 1366 km, Ottawa to Perce
Honourable mention: Winnipeg to Timmins (Val Gagne), 1624 km in 7 days (232 km/day).
Top 3 days (highs/lows).
Lows: Day 1, 2 (50 km, 53 km respectively), and Day 21 (66.66 km)
Highs: Day 25 (250 km), Day 30 (271 km), Day 37 (303 km).
Accommodations:
Paid camping: 27 nights
Free camping at campsites: 10 nights
Roadside camping: 9 nights
Family/friends/friends of friends: 21 nights (mainly rest days, therefore two nights at a time)
Hostel: 8 nights (half on rest days)
Hotel: 1 night
Overnight ferry: 1 night
Ottawa: my gracious hosts, aka dear family (bro, sis-in-law, and the kids – many thanks)
Nights spent in a tent: 47 nights (two nights at a buddy's house under construction). No wonder I got used to the tent. Near the end, I thought the tent seemed HUGE when I was all set-up (cathedral ceilings, screened-in porch, front and rear doors, etc). I could have a party in there.
Flats:
Around 8 (up to 10? I forgot) in the rear, and two in the front. Longest stretch without a flat: +4000 km (unbelievable). I wore through the tire before the first flat appeared. Front flats: one was a puncture (screw). Provinces with flats: Ontario (6?), Quebec (1 front, one rear?), Nova Scotia (2 rear), Newfoundland (1 front).
Tires:
Total of four used on the rear. First: for the first 4000 km, used right through. Second: changed in Ottawa before it was too used. Third: changed in Halifax, worn through a bit. Fourth: lasted me the rest of the way.
Equipment breakdown:
Original bike – stripped and abandoned in Sudbury. “New” bike finished the trip (rough initiation, 6000 km within 7 weeks?).
Rear rim: cracked, was due to be replaced sometime this year, new wheel rebuilt in Ottawa.
Front shifter cables: two! Really, how'd that happen?
Shoes, replaced in Regina – they were due to be replaced, after 10 years of use.
Tent: replaced in Ottawa for reliability reasons – it is over 10 years old as well.
Helmet: changed in Sudbury. Not due, but mainly for comfort reasons.
Beers:
very noteworthy micro-breweries (not necessarily in order).
a) Garrison's (Halifax)
b) Le Dieu du ciel (Montreal)
c) Grizzly Paw (Canmore)
d) Charlevoix (Baie St-Paul)
Tunes (aka playlist) – not inclusive. In parenthesis is the number of albums (if applicable):
The Cure (7), Radiohead (7) and Thom Yorke (1), Tom Waits (6), Beck (4), Saez (3), Tori Amos (3), The Dead Milkmen (3), Sarah McLachlan (2), Morcheeba (2), Daft Punk (2), Amy Winehouse (2), Smashing Pumpkins (2), Pierre Lapointe (2), Blue Rodeo (2), Caribou (2), De La Soul (2), Hotel Costes (various albums, 6), Massive Attack (2), Portishead (2), Nine Inch Nails (2), System of a Down (2), Tool (2), Voltaire (2), MTV AMP (2), Hawksley Workman (2), Jimmy's Chicken Shack, Justice, Kanye West, LCD Soundsystem, Primus, The Offsprings, Faith No More, Pearl Jam, Wu Tang Clan, Beastie Boys, Peter Gabriel, Ani Difranco, Beth Orton, Big Sugar, Bjork, Black Cabbage, Bob Seger, Deep Dish, DJ Krush, Dr. Dre, Feist, Eagles, Grinderman, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Groove Armada, Junior Boys, Kill Bill OMPS, Les coyboys fringants, Lunachics, Metric, M.I.A., Ice-T, Pascale Picard, Patsy Cline, Paul Anka, Pixies, Poe, Propellerheads, Pulp, Puscifer, Recoil, St Germain, Singles OMPS, Sonic Youth, 3rd Base, Dresden Dolls, Lounge Del Mar Chill Out (various), Violent Femmes, William Shatner, and a bunch of 80's, some 70's, a fair bunch of 90's, and few 2000's. Noteable groups/songs: Snoop Dogg, Billy Idol, AC/DC, Bruce Cockburn, Bare Naked Ladies, Cake, Bob Marley, Butthole Surfers, Cindy Lauper, Eminem, Genesis/Phil Collins, Israel Kamakawiwoole, Gordon Lightfoot, James, K's Choice, Johnny Cash, LL Cool J, Marc Almond, Mr. Bungle, Ministry, New Order, Nirvana, Placebo, Prince, Pursuit of Happiness, Rush, Skinny Puppy, The Tragically Hip, Sloan, Adagio for Strings (Albinoni, Barber).
Friendliest people:
Northern New Brunswick, NFLD, Manitoba (West of Winnipeg), Cape Breton, PEI, and Northern Ontario.
Well, I guess that's encompasses the trip.
Last words: I've had a hell of a time. Things haven't sunk in yet (still). I feel I saw so much over a long period of time. Yes, lucky bastard. I want to thank all of you who have read bits and pieces (and some crazy dedicated folks who read the whole stuff on a regular basis, even those long entries). Thanks, and I hope you had some fun.
Thanks for allowing me to share some of my passions with you.
What's next you ask? I know what's next...
(sung to the tune of My Way by Sinatra, written by Anka, edited by me): And now, the end is here, and so I post, my final entry.
Signing off, over, out.
Pierre
Introduction
Allo, hello, tere,
Some old lines/puns: Pierre qui roule, rock and roll, the rolling stone (gathers no dust).
Who: Pierre, Ottawa (ON)
What: Cross Canada travel.
When: After a few days rest in Tofino, British Columbia at the beginning of May, 2008, hit the road around the 4th. The 1st time-based goal is to arrive in Ottawa in mid June, race in a 24-hour mountain bike competition, and head back on the road a few days later. Finish the trip in St. John's, Newfoundland, at the end of July, 2008, before returning home to Ottawa to start being an adult again.
Where: Canada, West to East, via Toronto, Ontario. Detours: Val Gagné and Manitoulin Island (ON), Gaspé region (QC), and Cape Breton (NS).
Why: Visit this beautiful (and fairly big) nation of ours. See family and friends. Taste the cuisine of different parts of the country and enjoy the various beers and wine along the way. Experience anything the villages and cities along the way have to showcase. Lose 50 pounds and be buff.
How: By bicycle (her nickname: Dzie, pronounced D-Zie).
Extras: According to mapquest, a drive from tip to tip (via Toronto) would be 7710 km (85 hours of driving, 2 ferries). A flight would only be 5400 km (9 hours flight time, with switching planes 2 times).
* I do occasionally feel I am following the footsteps of a few great ones (whom I've also had the honour of riding with), who have done this trip in the past - Al, and especially Tanya. I do hope that I can bring in some new pics, new stories, and not rehash stuff that those amazing folks have done before me.
** I imagine I'll be a bit lonely at times throughout the trip, where I highly request and encourage comments from you guys. It'll be my way of having some conversations with you. I'll try to update the blog every few days.
Disclaimer: Most of you guys know me. In my posts, there will probably be a mixture of bizarre stories, silly jokes (like the weight-losing bit a few instances before), some references to music lyrics and movie lines. I will do my best to entertain, but sometimes, I might miss the mark on being funny or entertaining (hopefully not though).
Posting messages: Readers with a gmail/blogger account - you know what to do. Readers who do not: post a comment as anonymous (but put your name at the bottom of the comment please). The occasional personal messages can be sent to pierre.l.perron@gmail.com
Ciao,
p2
Some old lines/puns: Pierre qui roule, rock and roll, the rolling stone (gathers no dust).
Who: Pierre, Ottawa (ON)
What: Cross Canada travel.
When: After a few days rest in Tofino, British Columbia at the beginning of May, 2008, hit the road around the 4th. The 1st time-based goal is to arrive in Ottawa in mid June, race in a 24-hour mountain bike competition, and head back on the road a few days later. Finish the trip in St. John's, Newfoundland, at the end of July, 2008, before returning home to Ottawa to start being an adult again.
Where: Canada, West to East, via Toronto, Ontario. Detours: Val Gagné and Manitoulin Island (ON), Gaspé region (QC), and Cape Breton (NS).
Why: Visit this beautiful (and fairly big) nation of ours. See family and friends. Taste the cuisine of different parts of the country and enjoy the various beers and wine along the way. Experience anything the villages and cities along the way have to showcase. Lose 50 pounds and be buff.
How: By bicycle (her nickname: Dzie, pronounced D-Zie).
Extras: According to mapquest, a drive from tip to tip (via Toronto) would be 7710 km (85 hours of driving, 2 ferries). A flight would only be 5400 km (9 hours flight time, with switching planes 2 times).
* I do occasionally feel I am following the footsteps of a few great ones (whom I've also had the honour of riding with), who have done this trip in the past - Al, and especially Tanya. I do hope that I can bring in some new pics, new stories, and not rehash stuff that those amazing folks have done before me.
** I imagine I'll be a bit lonely at times throughout the trip, where I highly request and encourage comments from you guys. It'll be my way of having some conversations with you. I'll try to update the blog every few days.
Disclaimer: Most of you guys know me. In my posts, there will probably be a mixture of bizarre stories, silly jokes (like the weight-losing bit a few instances before), some references to music lyrics and movie lines. I will do my best to entertain, but sometimes, I might miss the mark on being funny or entertaining (hopefully not though).
Posting messages: Readers with a gmail/blogger account - you know what to do. Readers who do not: post a comment as anonymous (but put your name at the bottom of the comment please). The occasional personal messages can be sent to pierre.l.perron@gmail.com
Ciao,
p2
