Pacific to Atlantic by Bike

Maureen and I set out on our bikes from Prince Rupert on June 1^st.  She, to fly back in a month and me to “Cross Canada.” In reality my goal was to cycle from Atlantic to Pacific. Newfoundland and PEI were not to be a part of the trip.

Since I have done quite a bit of cycle touring and since I know others who have made this trip either with a group or solo, it was not out of the range of possibilities.

Every web site has its frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) so here are the ones I heard.

“You are cycling alone?”  -  After Drumheller when Maureen flew home I was alone.

“Do you mind if I ask: How old are you anyway?” - 65 later this year, which is one of the reasons I chose to, do the trip this year. Maybe I am not supposed to admit age. Age was not a factor for me. I did have concerns about the possibility of asthma attacks.

“Aren’t you afraid?” - I am not quite sure what I was supposed to be afraid of but some of the roads (Northern Ontario specifically) were downright cycle suicidal. But I believe the question had to do with fear of people or concerns about bicycle breakdown. The people of Canada are pretty much the same around the block at home as across the country. Yes I felt comfortable that someone would come to my aid if the need arose. In fact people were exceptional – above and beyond what I would ever have expected.

“Do you get lonesome?”  - No with a few exceptions. For a few days after Maureen left I missed her very much. Then in Quebec although I could find accommodation and ask for basic needs in French, my aptitude does not include real conversation. Then again there were those that spoke English and those that went out of their way to make conversation- slowly- in French.

Since mostly I camped, I found people were curious about this lone cyclist and were talkative. I met some wonderful kind and generous people all with their own stories.

“Are you cycling back?”  - No I flew

“How many tires did you go through?” I am still using the same tires I started with They are showing the signs of wear. Incredibly my first flat was at 5500 KM, just as going into Montreal.

“Have you done it before or again?” No. Although it was a great trip I would prefer to go back to some of my favourite places and investigate further in depth rather than pushing the kilometres.

“How much time did it take?” June 1st to August 19 (80 days)

And of course “Why?” Good question. There is no adequate answer to this question.

 A few stats and other stuff:

Days off: Only 6 with a few more half days.
Average distance per day 100 KM
Total distance 7303 shown on my cyclo-computer or counting the trip to the airport in Halifax 7333. Nice round number.
A few highlights: It is hard to pick bits and pieces, as all was incredible.

1. Drumheller:  Royal Tyrell Museum. It is way more than just dinosaurs. It is how our land developed.  
2. Saskatchewan great people, quiet roads (not good roads) loved the farms, ponds. I would like to learn about the many birds I saw and heard.
3. Ontario –Prince Edward Island and Manitoulin Island areas, even if I thought I was stuck in Ontario forever.
4. Quebec: The fantastic cycling commitment of the government and understanding of cycling as a transportation/tourist mode of the people.
5. Nova Scotia: (And New Brunswick not far behind.) Wonderful people with a love of life and entertainment, great scenery. I was just a few days in Nova Scotia and would enjoy seeing more.
6. The Canadian people. I could repeat this over and over and over.

Photo Journal of the trip:
Cycling Across Canada Updated September 21, 2003 all the photo's are now online.
A thumb-nailed version without captions can be found here.