Trans-Canada Cycle Done.

I have arrived and I have finished. Regan met me at Dundas Square welcomed me done.



I left you last at Blind River. Let me finish:

Sault Ste Marie - Blind River (+10) 136km
Blind River (+10) - Sheguiandah (+14) 155 km
Sheguiandah - Mar (Bruce Peninsula) 124 km (+80ish Ferry)
Mar - Wasaga Beach 111km (+10 km along the beach!)
Wasaga Beach - Toronto (Dundas Square, Yonge St) 125 km

July 20 Blind River
Finished the emailing and headed out eastward again looking to collect a few more kms. Faced into a headwind and instead found a nice lake with a picnic site. While the kids frolicked in the water, I made the tent and went to bed.

July 21 Sheguiandah
Another crappy day for me...must be tired. Spent the first 88kms against a raging headwind that left me grumpy. Struggled with general frustration regarding forward momentum, had a left nostril that ran constantly and was rubbed raw with my salt and snot encrusted glove, the traffic made my head spin with the noise and near misses, the distraction of the radio no good as the reception was poor and difficult to hear over the whistling of the winds in my ears. Grump grump grump. Met Dianne (Biking for Bibles) and coached her through her first efforts of swapping tubes on her wheel. Made it to Espanola and had an all-you-can-eat buffet at the local Chinese joint. Feeling better with some veggies inside (finally) and a cookie note saying "Your influence has a profound impact on others." Maybe...it sure sounds nice and so it carried me up the first hill out of Espanola.

It was feeling like the tires were a bit soggy so I tried pumping more air in the rear. As usual I should have left it alone... I broke the valve. Just like all the other tubes. All the other tubes I had used and not replaced. I had just literally spent a half-hour in Canadian Tire looking for spare tubes and a spare tire (the front tire is showing threads now) to no avail. I had to hitch-hike back into town the three kms to fix this sorry condition. Turns out Espanola has no bike shop and Canadian Tire does NOT carry the right size tubes for this bike. Rhy, the bike-guy for CDN Tire tried his best to source a proper tube for me; he called his mom, who called her friend, who is an ex-girlfriend of the now retired bike-shop guy to get his new phone number so that we could beg for a proper tube for my tire.

No such luck, nothing to be had. My choice was to quit the trip or do something truly drastic.
So this is what Rhy and I did: we DRILLED out the valvestem hole of my ALUMINUM DOUBLE WALLED RIM to fit the standard schreder valvestem of the NorthAmerican bike manufacturers. I remain sick to my stomach to this day. On a positive note, Rhy is the best service guy I have ever met at a Canadian Tire across Canada.

I cycled up the freeking mountain again and found a tent spot at 10-mile lookout.

July 22 Mar (Bruce Peninsula)
Up at normal time after a interrupted sleep - seems that there was a nearby Stag/Doe party and the music was a bit loud. The local band was quite good, really, and I was tempted to crash the party but I just did not have the jam. I peddled along ready to hit the 1000 hr ferry to Tobermorry when about 25 km out I rechecked and noted that the ferry actually leaves at 0910. Whoops, I put my head down and started pistoning. I even had to wave hello and pass by a north-bound bicyclist with an apology - "trying to make the ferry!" I was making good time and was able to flag down a car and at some 30 kph asked the driver to beg to hold back the ferry just a few minutes. True to form, I arrived only 3 min late and voila, the ferry had put to lake.

While waiting for the 1330 sailing, I was able to dry out the tent and sleeping bag which are perpetually damp from the dew. I washed my socks (and my feet) in the sink, had a shave and like any self-respected bum, found a piece of shade outside the dock and crashed for a mid-day snooze.

Onboard, I met Dan and Bruce. Dan liked my "thick legs" and my bald head (I guess) and then proceeded to ply me with beer, and later left me with 200 bucks. What the hell is that??? Ah well, he got his money's worth as he cruised slowly by scoping out my spandex-butt. Not once, but TWICE. Oh well, I was down to my last 10 bucks anyways.

July 23 Wasaga beach
Generally an easy day, generally due to the limited distance covered. Had a massive headwind again to Owen Sound sufficient to prevent the listening to the radio EARBUDS. After a massive buffet at PizzaHut (Jan from Guysborough, NS, was FAB and kept my bottomless Pepsi filled), the route changed due east and the wind carried me to the Beach. Did a tour of the beach, ON the beach, checking out the scenery. Not much to comment on there and went back to a empty building lot I had marked earlier. Got permission to set up the tent and went for a swim. Got sand in my shorts.

July 24 Toronto
Left early, 0600, for fear of hitting TO at rush hour. Peddled against another raging southwest headwind, radio reception fading in and out. Picked up Yonge street at Barrie and made the head-long flight southward. Put my head down and kept driving; crossed the 401 heading south and became a crazy bike-courier tour-de-force. Picked the middle of the right lane and blew through red lights like I owned the joint. Yelled at taxis for space and deeked-out OPP cars and old ladies in wheelchairs walking their fufu-dogs. Funny thing, for all of Ontario, I found the folks driving on Yonge street the best at providing appropriate space for me while passing. Skidded to a halt at Dundas Square at 1300 hrs on the NOSE.