Monday, August 25, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
August 24: 106km; 533M vertical; 30°C
Springdale to Grand Falls-Windsor
We had a light day planned, with just a short hop to Badger but we decided to head for Grand Falls - Windsor today and take tomorrow as a rest day. The first 10 km of our day headed directly into the west wind as we returned from Springdale to the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH). Our average speed was 19kph as opposed to yesterday’s average of 28. A tale wind does make life better.
At our first stop of the day we met up with Bess, an elderly lady
who has ridden from BC to Newfoundland this summer. She will spend the winter in St. John’s and ride back to BC next summer. She camps out most nights and seems to cover as much ground as us each day. We have been meeting her for the last 3 days and we will probably see her again before St. John’s. The TCH has closed in and we see trees, tress, and more trees, with the occasional stream crossing the highway.
We had a light day planned, with just a short hop to Badger but we decided to head for Grand Falls - Windsor today and take tomorrow as a rest day. The first 10 km of our day headed directly into the west wind as we returned from Springdale to the Trans-Canada Highway (TCH). Our average speed was 19kph as opposed to yesterday’s average of 28. A tale wind does make life better.
At our first stop of the day we met up with Bess, an elderly lady
who has ridden from BC to Newfoundland this summer. She will spend the winter in St. John’s and ride back to BC next summer. She camps out most nights and seems to cover as much ground as us each day. We have been meeting her for the last 3 days and we will probably see her again before St. John’s. The TCH has closed in and we see trees, tress, and more trees, with the occasional stream crossing the highway.
August 23; 131km 641m vertical; warm and sunny, strong W. wind.
Deer Lake to Springdale
We stayed at a nice comfortable B&B in Deer Lake and chucking out time was 9:30, unlike the normal 11 or 12am, so we made an early start. It wasn’t long before we were fair whizzing along the highway aided by a strong west wind. After tea breaks at a couple of gas stations along the way we managed the 131km to Springdale at a respectable average of 28.3kph. This may not put us in the Tour de France league but two old geezers flaked out on a motel bed are impressed. There were not many photo opportunities because, unlike the previous days with many scenic views, today was spent riding with dense forest on both sides.
One point of interest turned out to be a crashed caravan on the opposite side of the road and we were travelling so fast we were over 100yds past it before we decided to go back and get a picture. No sooner were we back at the caravan taking pics than a motorcyclist stopped and wandered over to take a picture and while I was talking to him another one had stopped and walked over. TimB is stood 20yds further away and had been waiting for me to get out of the way and is now waiting for a crowd to move. Before any of us have finished a pick up truck driver towing a caravan stops thinking that this is a fresh accident site. He gets going again when he see that this is not the case and the rest of us move off quickly before we manage to stop all the traffic in both directions. It all seemed to be a bit Monty Pythonish. When we got to Springdale we visited the waterfront to see the sights.
We stayed at a nice comfortable B&B in Deer Lake and chucking out time was 9:30, unlike the normal 11 or 12am, so we made an early start. It wasn’t long before we were fair whizzing along the highway aided by a strong west wind. After tea breaks at a couple of gas stations along the way we managed the 131km to Springdale at a respectable average of 28.3kph. This may not put us in the Tour de France league but two old geezers flaked out on a motel bed are impressed. There were not many photo opportunities because, unlike the previous days with many scenic views, today was spent riding with dense forest on both sides.
One point of interest turned out to be a crashed caravan on the opposite side of the road and we were travelling so fast we were over 100yds past it before we decided to go back and get a picture. No sooner were we back at the caravan taking pics than a motorcyclist stopped and wandered over to take a picture and while I was talking to him another one had stopped and walked over. TimB is stood 20yds further away and had been waiting for me to get out of the way and is now waiting for a crowd to move. Before any of us have finished a pick up truck driver towing a caravan stops thinking that this is a fresh accident site. He gets going again when he see that this is not the case and the rest of us move off quickly before we manage to stop all the traffic in both directions. It all seemed to be a bit Monty Pythonish. When we got to Springdale we visited the waterfront to see the sights.
Friday, August 22, 2008
August 22; 58km ;499M vertical; warm and sunny
Corner Brook to Deer Lake
Today was a easy day so we started slowly and kept it up. After a leisurely breakfast we went shopping in Corner Brook before heading out for Deer Lake. We had to ride up a rather long hill to get back to the Trans-Canada highway and the weather was hot, so we made our first stop at Marble Mountain - 10km down the road. After chili and chai we carried on another 20km before we stopped at Pasadena for more tea. The owner had just baked some banana bread which she though was not up to snuff so she gave us each a free piece. We both though it was wonderful, so she packed up a bag of banana bread for us to take with us. All we paid for was 2 teas. What a nice tea break.
The whole ride today was along the Humber River valley and Deer lake. We had magnificent scenery all the way. This is what BC was supposed to be like.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
August 21; 115km 1193M vertical; cold and wet
Robinsons to Corner Brook
I don’t know if it was the lack of sleep on the ferry or the anaesthetic effects of our supper but neither of us woke up before 9 o’clock this morning. Showing true grit and determination TimB got up and fetched tea and muffins from the motel lobby while I read my book and tried to think of reasons not to get up today. I thought of quite a few but they bounced of TB like water off a ducks back. Despite the low temperature and leaden skies I did manage to drag myself out of bed and we were both on the road by 11. It wasn’t long before the rain set in and we were left wondering what had happened to the warm sunny day that the weather forecasters had promised us only 12 hours earlier. After 27km we were lucky enough to reach a filling station with a small
restaurant where we were able to get a late breakfast, after which, feeling reasonably human again, we plugged on against the wind across the hilly countryside. As the weather improved and the sun was able to break through we were treated to some spectacular views of the coast and lakes and the whole day started to look more cheerful. A short break at a small restaurant after 92km for soup of the day fortified us enough to make the final climbs before dropping over 900 feet down into Corner Brook. We paid the price for our slothful start when we found the visitor centre closed and had to start looking for a room in town without expert support. Luckily we found a hotel near the middle of town and we didn’t have to look far for a restaurant. We treated
ourselves to tiger shrimps in a curry sauce on a bed of fettucine with a sweet mango chutney (feel hungry yet????). I even found room for an apple, almond and mascarpone strudel with ice cream. It was a hard day. Night night.
I don’t know if it was the lack of sleep on the ferry or the anaesthetic effects of our supper but neither of us woke up before 9 o’clock this morning. Showing true grit and determination TimB got up and fetched tea and muffins from the motel lobby while I read my book and tried to think of reasons not to get up today. I thought of quite a few but they bounced of TB like water off a ducks back. Despite the low temperature and leaden skies I did manage to drag myself out of bed and we were both on the road by 11. It wasn’t long before the rain set in and we were left wondering what had happened to the warm sunny day that the weather forecasters had promised us only 12 hours earlier. After 27km we were lucky enough to reach a filling station with a small
restaurant where we were able to get a late breakfast, after which, feeling reasonably human again, we plugged on against the wind across the hilly countryside. As the weather improved and the sun was able to break through we were treated to some spectacular views of the coast and lakes and the whole day started to look more cheerful. A short break at a small restaurant after 92km for soup of the day fortified us enough to make the final climbs before dropping over 900 feet down into Corner Brook. We paid the price for our slothful start when we found the visitor centre closed and had to start looking for a room in town without expert support. Luckily we found a hotel near the middle of town and we didn’t have to look far for a restaurant. We treated
ourselves to tiger shrimps in a curry sauce on a bed of fettucine with a sweet mango chutney (feel hungry yet????). I even found room for an apple, almond and mascarpone strudel with ice cream. It was a hard day. Night night.
August 20; 122km 1099M vertical; sunny
Port-aux-Basques to Robinsons
The ferry crossing was uneventful - thank goodness. We had
managed to book one sleeper berth due to a cancellation so TimG kindly donated the berth to me. I had a good nights rest and we arrived in Port-aux Basques at 06:00. After breakfast at the ferry terminal, TimG disassembled and reassembled his crank before we hit the road. The first stretch of road goes through a zone called the wreck house. The wind blows off the table mountain and is funnelled through the twin peaks. We had met a trucker in North Sydney who warned us not to attempt the road if the winds were strong. They weren’t so we rode through okay. The winds were noticeable but manageable. After miles and miles in Ontario,
Quebec and the Maritimes the scenery today was extremely different. The ocean was often in view, the trees were low and the line of hills along the road was spectacular. We are now on the last leg of our journey and the first day in Newfoundland was fun. Near the destination for the day we decided to take a side road called the 3 rivers tourist route. We rode down to the seashore and followed the road through 3 small villages. The landscape is true Newfoundland, however TimG called it very similar to Scotland. It is difficult to find places to eat along the way, even on the Trans-Canada, so we had to content ourselves with sandwiches, crisps, muffins and beer for supper. However we’ll survive.
The ferry crossing was uneventful - thank goodness. We had
managed to book one sleeper berth due to a cancellation so TimG kindly donated the berth to me. I had a good nights rest and we arrived in Port-aux Basques at 06:00. After breakfast at the ferry terminal, TimG disassembled and reassembled his crank before we hit the road. The first stretch of road goes through a zone called the wreck house. The wind blows off the table mountain and is funnelled through the twin peaks. We had met a trucker in North Sydney who warned us not to attempt the road if the winds were strong. They weren’t so we rode through okay. The winds were noticeable but manageable. After miles and miles in Ontario,
Quebec and the Maritimes the scenery today was extremely different. The ocean was often in view, the trees were low and the line of hills along the road was spectacular. We are now on the last leg of our journey and the first day in Newfoundland was fun. Near the destination for the day we decided to take a side road called the 3 rivers tourist route. We rode down to the seashore and followed the road through 3 small villages. The landscape is true Newfoundland, however TimG called it very similar to Scotland. It is difficult to find places to eat along the way, even on the Trans-Canada, so we had to content ourselves with sandwiches, crisps, muffins and beer for supper. However we’ll survive.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
August 19; 108km 896M vertical; warm and sunny
Blue Mills to North Sydney
Our last day in Nova Scotia and it was beautiful. Sunny and a lovely ride through the Bras D’Or lakes. By 9:30 we were on the road and we had to ride 12km to Wycocomagh for breakfast.
Then we left the trans -Canada and went through Little Narrows and Big Narrows and took the 223 all the way to the ferry. The road was 25km shorter than the Trans-Canada and had very little traffic. With fantastic views and a very nice Highland Village Museum in Iona we made several photo stops and still rode into North Sydney at 4:30 pm. We picked up our ferry tickets first. The ferry terminal had a shower and a Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) tourist bureau, so got cleaned up, booked a motel in Robinson Bay and then went to the Laundromat and had supper while the clothes were getting clean. 
We still had time for tea at Tim Horton’s. We leave NS at 23:30 and arrive in Port aux-Basque at 6:00.
Our last day in Nova Scotia and it was beautiful. Sunny and a lovely ride through the Bras D’Or lakes. By 9:30 we were on the road and we had to ride 12km to Wycocomagh for breakfast.
Then we left the trans -Canada and went through Little Narrows and Big Narrows and took the 223 all the way to the ferry. The road was 25km shorter than the Trans-Canada and had very little traffic. With fantastic views and a very nice Highland Village Museum in Iona we made several photo stops and still rode into North Sydney at 4:30 pm. We picked up our ferry tickets first. The ferry terminal had a shower and a Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) tourist bureau, so got cleaned up, booked a motel in Robinson Bay and then went to the Laundromat and had supper while the clothes were getting clean. 
We still had time for tea at Tim Horton’s. We leave NS at 23:30 and arrive in Port aux-Basque at 6:00.
August 18; 148km; 1296m vertical; sunny
New Glasgow to Blue Mills
After a fishy dinner and some liquid nourishment at a nearby sports bar last night we awoke refreshed and were greeted by a clear blue sky and a very warm sunny morning as we made our way over to the motel breakfast room. We were on the road before 10 and headed
east on the Trans Canada Highway. With a gentle tailwind, a good road surface and a wide shoulder to ride on we had excellent conditions and made good time all day. After a lunch break at Antigonish (we don’t really know how to pronounce it) we continued east past St George’s Bay to the Cape Breton causeway and crossed over to Cape Breton Island. After the causeway, and 110km, we stopped at the Port Hastings Visitor’s Centre where we were advised to stay on the Trans Canada to Sydney North and not go around the south side of Bras D’Or Lake. One of the staff also helped us book a motel room and the only shadow that was cast over the day was that the said motel was another 38km up the road, provides no breakfast and there is no
restaurant or bar for miles around. To ward off any symptoms of starvation later tonight we chose to eat another fishy dinner (lots and lots of seafood on the menus around this part of the world) near the Visitor’s Centre. It was very nice, I had a dishful of sautéed scallops and TimB had haddock but getting on the bikes and getting up the hills to get away from the causeway was a rather slow business. The Scottish background of this region is in evidence all around us so we have put in some pictures for our Scottish fans.
One other thing we managed to do at the VC was to book our passage on tomorrow nights overnight ferry from Sydney North to Port aux Basques on Newfyland (aka The Rock). According to the on-line booking system there are no more cabins or bunks available so it looks like we will have to prop the bar up all night. Well, I guess worse things could happen to one couldn’t they?
After a fishy dinner and some liquid nourishment at a nearby sports bar last night we awoke refreshed and were greeted by a clear blue sky and a very warm sunny morning as we made our way over to the motel breakfast room. We were on the road before 10 and headed
east on the Trans Canada Highway. With a gentle tailwind, a good road surface and a wide shoulder to ride on we had excellent conditions and made good time all day. After a lunch break at Antigonish (we don’t really know how to pronounce it) we continued east past St George’s Bay to the Cape Breton causeway and crossed over to Cape Breton Island. After the causeway, and 110km, we stopped at the Port Hastings Visitor’s Centre where we were advised to stay on the Trans Canada to Sydney North and not go around the south side of Bras D’Or Lake. One of the staff also helped us book a motel room and the only shadow that was cast over the day was that the said motel was another 38km up the road, provides no breakfast and there is no
restaurant or bar for miles around. To ward off any symptoms of starvation later tonight we chose to eat another fishy dinner (lots and lots of seafood on the menus around this part of the world) near the Visitor’s Centre. It was very nice, I had a dishful of sautéed scallops and TimB had haddock but getting on the bikes and getting up the hills to get away from the causeway was a rather slow business. The Scottish background of this region is in evidence all around us so we have put in some pictures for our Scottish fans.One other thing we managed to do at the VC was to book our passage on tomorrow nights overnight ferry from Sydney North to Port aux Basques on Newfyland (aka The Rock). According to the on-line booking system there are no more cabins or bunks available so it looks like we will have to prop the bar up all night. Well, I guess worse things could happen to one couldn’t they?
Monday, August 18, 2008
August 17; 88km; 654M vertical; sunny
Charlottetown to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
We started out in overcast conditions from Charlottetown, but
within 20km the skies cleared and the sun appeared. We had 60km to the ferry at Wood Islands and we started at 8:30 without a real breakfast and sprinted to the Irving gas station 22 km down the road for coffee, tea and cookies. Fortified by sugar we had headed down highway 1 and then highway 23 to Wood Island. We arrived at 12:00 one hour before the ferry left and finally had a solid meal for lunch. The Wood Island ferry left Prince Edward Island at 1 pm and took us to Pictou, Nova Scotia in 75 minutes. Leaving PEI was both sad and exciting. We only had two days in PEI but we met some great people and didn’t see anywhere near enough of the Island. However we enter a new province and with only two provinces left the excitement is building. 
We rode to New Glasgow after leaving the ferry and we are safely ensconced in the Tara Inn for the night. But no Sheila, we haven’t sold the tent yet.
We started out in overcast conditions from Charlottetown, but
within 20km the skies cleared and the sun appeared. We had 60km to the ferry at Wood Islands and we started at 8:30 without a real breakfast and sprinted to the Irving gas station 22 km down the road for coffee, tea and cookies. Fortified by sugar we had headed down highway 1 and then highway 23 to Wood Island. We arrived at 12:00 one hour before the ferry left and finally had a solid meal for lunch. The Wood Island ferry left Prince Edward Island at 1 pm and took us to Pictou, Nova Scotia in 75 minutes. Leaving PEI was both sad and exciting. We only had two days in PEI but we met some great people and didn’t see anywhere near enough of the Island. However we enter a new province and with only two provinces left the excitement is building. 
We rode to New Glasgow after leaving the ferry and we are safely ensconced in the Tara Inn for the night. But no Sheila, we haven’t sold the tent yet.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
August 16; 99km; 767m vertical
Abram Village to Wood Islands
Our schedule for today foresaw us riding via Wood Islands to New Glasgow in Nova Scotia but it turned out that it is 175km plus a couple of hours for the ferry which was overly optimistic for one day so we decided to only do the 150km or so to the ferry port. Even this proved too optimistic. We set off under sunny skies which unfortunately soon clouded over and shut out the sun altogether. After 65km we stopped at a bakery/cafe in Hunter River for lunch and when we came out of the restaurant TimB had a flat front tyre. This is the new tyre with an additional puncture proof belt put in between the tube and the tyre that we bought on Wednesday in St John. A small sharp stone had gone through the tyre at the side of the puncture proof belt. This guy has no luck. We fixed that problem and then set off with 24km to go to Charlottetown and within 200m it started raining. The light rain soon turned into something resembling a monsoon and we were having trouble seeing the road through our glasses. We made it to the Visitor Centre where we decided to toss in the towel for the day and stay in Charlottetown. It turned out that there is a festival on and the only room we could get was 8km back up the road we had just entered town on so off we go and, yes, it was still bucketing it down. New Glasgow and Nova Scotia will have to wait until tomorrow.
Our schedule for today foresaw us riding via Wood Islands to New Glasgow in Nova Scotia but it turned out that it is 175km plus a couple of hours for the ferry which was overly optimistic for one day so we decided to only do the 150km or so to the ferry port. Even this proved too optimistic. We set off under sunny skies which unfortunately soon clouded over and shut out the sun altogether. After 65km we stopped at a bakery/cafe in Hunter River for lunch and when we came out of the restaurant TimB had a flat front tyre. This is the new tyre with an additional puncture proof belt put in between the tube and the tyre that we bought on Wednesday in St John. A small sharp stone had gone through the tyre at the side of the puncture proof belt. This guy has no luck. We fixed that problem and then set off with 24km to go to Charlottetown and within 200m it started raining. The light rain soon turned into something resembling a monsoon and we were having trouble seeing the road through our glasses. We made it to the Visitor Centre where we decided to toss in the towel for the day and stay in Charlottetown. It turned out that there is a festival on and the only room we could get was 8km back up the road we had just entered town on so off we go and, yes, it was still bucketing it down. New Glasgow and Nova Scotia will have to wait until tomorrow.
August 15; 104km; 461M vertical
Cap Pele to Abram Village, PEI
We only drank a 12 pack so we were none the worse for our little reunion and were able to make
an early start to the day (early for us that is). We left Roy to continue his tour south aiming to be in New York in 10 days time to get his motorbike shipped back to Germany and then fly out the next day. We headed off east along the coast road for the Confederation Bridge and the shuttle bus to get over to PEI. It was a nice sunny day so we were able to enjoy the views and the time around the tourist centres at both ends of the bridge. After the lunch break on the PEI side we set off heading west via Summerside to Abram Village to meet and stay overnight with Aurella and Jean Arsenault. We had a very relaxed evening with them and were treated splendidly, being fed on lobsters and salads (we managed 3 lobsters each) and then driven around their corner of the island to take in the sunset over the Northumberland Strait, the lighthouse and houses where they had grown up. 
It was a shame that we would have to leave after only one night.
We only drank a 12 pack so we were none the worse for our little reunion and were able to make
an early start to the day (early for us that is). We left Roy to continue his tour south aiming to be in New York in 10 days time to get his motorbike shipped back to Germany and then fly out the next day. We headed off east along the coast road for the Confederation Bridge and the shuttle bus to get over to PEI. It was a nice sunny day so we were able to enjoy the views and the time around the tourist centres at both ends of the bridge. After the lunch break on the PEI side we set off heading west via Summerside to Abram Village to meet and stay overnight with Aurella and Jean Arsenault. We had a very relaxed evening with them and were treated splendidly, being fed on lobsters and salads (we managed 3 lobsters each) and then driven around their corner of the island to take in the sunset over the Northumberland Strait, the lighthouse and houses where they had grown up. 
It was a shame that we would have to leave after only one night.
Friday, August 15, 2008
August 14; 130km; 578M vertical
Sussex to Cap Pele
We had an early start from Sussex and headed to Moncton on the divided highway 1. With a wind assist and the draft from the cars and trucks beside us, we averaged 26kph to Moncton. By 12:30 we had done 75km and stopped off for lunch at Tim Horton‘s. We rode to Shediac and stopped at the information bureau and booked a motel room in Cap Pele. It was at Shediac that we got our first glimpse of the Atlantic and just seeing the ocean lifted my
spirits. We are finally on the east coast. With the room assured for the night we loafed
along highway 133. Our first stop was 600m down the road, where we bought a fresh lobster each, and sat down at a picnic bench to eat our first lobster of the season. We then moved on to Baracois and visited the church which was built in 1931. We then found our hotel room, but before we could get settled in we had a call from my wife who set up a rendezvous with Roy. Roy is a English ex-pat, living in Germany , who has been touring North America on his motorcycle (BMW K1200). He has been chasing us from Montreal and caught up with us in Cap Pele. He booked into the same Motel and we spent the evening celebrating our reunion.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
August 13; 75km; 585M Vertical
St. John to Sussex
We made a visit to the bike store in St. John this morning and bought at new tire for my bike. This is the third front tire I have used on this trip. We took off the emergency tire and put on my new one before leaving. We left St. John at 11:15 and headed for Moncton. I quickly noticed the difference in the new tire - it is wider than my previous tire, since that was
all we could find. However it quickly became apparent that we were both suffering from fatigue since every hill seemed to present a special challenge. The last 2 days were obviously taking their toll on us. Then we met our guardian angel from St. John for the second time. The same man who had stopped to check on us yesterday, stopped again today while we were taking a break on the divided highway 1. He suggested a different route that started 200m down the road. This man works for a tire service and is a keen bike rider so he knows his way around. We took his suggested route because it was shorter and had less traffic. As we were passing through Hampton, we met him again going the other way but again he gave us some good advice on the next road to take. Again we followed his suggestion. The next segment of road from Hampton to Sussex one of the best we have been on - gentle hills, very civilized traffic, lovely
scenery and lots of photo ops as we followed the Kennebecasis River into Sussex. We had decided over lunch (at Tim Horton’s) to cut the day short since we felt we needed a night of rest and relaxation. We arrived in Sussex at 5 PM and after consulting with the local information bureau we booked in at the Bluebird Motel with plenty of time to do bike maintenance before supper. 
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
August 12; 112km, 712m vertical
St Stephen to St John, NB, cool and wet
Some days are bad (like last Wednesday) and then other days start off as bad and just get worse. Today was such a day. It started spitting with rain as we set off and then turned to heavy rain a short time later and this time it was 5C cooler than last week. We were on a busy road so we got a good shower from the rear as trucks passed while we were pelted unmercifully from the front by rain pushed by a NE wind or our own speed down the hills. At 50km we were
pleased to see a restaurant so we had a break for lunch and had to leave a good tip to compensate for the pools of water dripping off the table and chairs creating an ever widening puddle on the floor. The
weather appeared to be clearing up as we left the restaurant but it soon started raining heavily again. At 65km we hit a 15km stretch of roadworks which made for rough riding on the hard shoulder and the grooves in the ground off road surface were waterlogged ensuring more intensive clouds of water from passing traffic. After the roadworks the hard shoulder was still in a poor state covered with large amounts of grit and loose gravel and I was getting concerned about the risk of puncturing which is always much higher in the wet. And guess what? At 87km there was a bang and a hiss and within a second TimB had a flat front tyre. Upon inspection we found a half inch long slash in the flank of the tyre and tube. In the pouring rain and colossal showers from passing traffic it proved impossible to get the self adhesive tyre patches to stick so we had to unpack the emergency race tyre. Using large handfuls of TimB’s emergency toilet roll we were able to get the tube dry enough to patch it and after about 40min we had his bike back together and ready to roll. That was when I picked my bike up to repack the tools etc and found my back tyre was flat. Out with the tools again (and the toilet roll) and another tube patched. Definitely not our best day. A man in a pickup truck did stop and offer to take us to town but we turned the offer down because it would have meant riding the 25km back west in the morning to turn round and carry on and we don’t have time for an extra 50km tomorrow.
Some days are bad (like last Wednesday) and then other days start off as bad and just get worse. Today was such a day. It started spitting with rain as we set off and then turned to heavy rain a short time later and this time it was 5C cooler than last week. We were on a busy road so we got a good shower from the rear as trucks passed while we were pelted unmercifully from the front by rain pushed by a NE wind or our own speed down the hills. At 50km we were
pleased to see a restaurant so we had a break for lunch and had to leave a good tip to compensate for the pools of water dripping off the table and chairs creating an ever widening puddle on the floor. The
weather appeared to be clearing up as we left the restaurant but it soon started raining heavily again. At 65km we hit a 15km stretch of roadworks which made for rough riding on the hard shoulder and the grooves in the ground off road surface were waterlogged ensuring more intensive clouds of water from passing traffic. After the roadworks the hard shoulder was still in a poor state covered with large amounts of grit and loose gravel and I was getting concerned about the risk of puncturing which is always much higher in the wet. And guess what? At 87km there was a bang and a hiss and within a second TimB had a flat front tyre. Upon inspection we found a half inch long slash in the flank of the tyre and tube. In the pouring rain and colossal showers from passing traffic it proved impossible to get the self adhesive tyre patches to stick so we had to unpack the emergency race tyre. Using large handfuls of TimB’s emergency toilet roll we were able to get the tube dry enough to patch it and after about 40min we had his bike back together and ready to roll. That was when I picked my bike up to repack the tools etc and found my back tyre was flat. Out with the tools again (and the toilet roll) and another tube patched. Definitely not our best day. A man in a pickup truck did stop and offer to take us to town but we turned the offer down because it would have meant riding the 25km back west in the morning to turn round and carry on and we don’t have time for an extra 50km tomorrow.
August 11; 161km; 1670M vertical
We left Bangor at 9:10 and headed along route 9 to Calais, Maine. We had 150km to travel so we decided to ride 20km segments, take a short break and repeat. The first 60km had several steep hills and after 3 hours we were feeling the strain. Another problem was the lack of restaurants along the route - there are no towns with over 200 people between Bangor and Calais. We counted 3 restaurants in the first 30km and then nothing until 110km where we found the Hilltop Cafe and finally had a lunch of fish chowder and tea. Back on the road we found the hills less steep but just as omnipresent. After 6 1/2 hours and 151km in the saddle we hit Calais and decided to cross into Canada and look for a motel in St. Stephen. Four motels and another 10km later we finally had a room.
