Day 3: Princeton to Penticton

I awoke at ~07:00 but elected to sleep in a bit - finally getting up at ~08:30.  It was a beautiful sunny day, if still a bit cool.  I have zero interest in the free hotel breakfast crapstravaganza so I wandered down the street to Billy's - a local diner named after a train robber who had lived incognito in the Princeton area.  Pancakes, sausage, eggs, hash browns, toast, and lots of coffee.  A solid start to the day.

Back to the hotel to pack up my stuff and I was surprised to see that it was nearly 11:00 by the time I left.  These mornings really seem to get away from me...  I elected to ride "Old Hedley Road" which follows the same basic route as Hwy 3 but on the other side of the river.  It's more or less the same distance/profile but there's a lot less traffic and it's a little more scenic.  I was rolling along, thoroughly enjoying the sun and warmth.  In the time it took me to eat breakfast and pack my bags it had warmed up considerably and I was thrilled to be out in just shorts and a jersey.  I'd guess it was 24, maybe 26 degrees.  Perfect riding weather.  I stopped a couple of times to take some pictures, and then started to shoot from the bike.  Seb does this constantly, and I'm pretty used to doing it with my little rangefinder as well.  It's a little different with an SLR however, and after taking a few shots I looked up to see that I was drifting toward a crack in the road.  I steered away from the crack but the quick one-handed input combined with the extra weight I'm carrying instigated a bit of a front end shimmy.  I went back and forth a few times flirting with the edge of the road and ultimately crashed.  When the world stopped spinning I got up and walked down the road to check the damage to the camera - which was unfortunately inoperable.  The electronics still work in that I can review pictures, but it won't focus or shoot.  The left side of the body was also separated a bit.  I hope I haven't done unrepairable damage to the camera, but I guess the good folks at Nikon will have to tell me that.  For now it's just ballast.  Assessing the other damage I scraped up my right knee and elbow, bashed my left palm, and strained my left pinky and ring finger.  My bike wasn't badly damaged though I did need to reset my left brake lever and untangle the chain.  I rinsed off the blood from my elbow and knee, reattached my panniers which had come off, and saddled up.

Back on the bike, I rolled on toward Hedley - there wasn't anything else to do.  Hedley came and went, and I pressed on toward the Crowsnest Bakery in Keremeos - home of the best sausage rolls I've had pretty much anywhere.  I made decent time, arriving in Keremeos from Princeton in 3hrs (incl crash time).  I pulled up to the Crowsnest and went in for a much deserved cup of coffee and a couple of sausage rolls.  To my great disappointment, they were all sold out!  The lady told me that they had "just sold the last ones" - which prompted me to wonder if I hadn't crashed (and not lost some 25 odd minutes) if I'd have gotten the last ones.  That may haunt me for the rest of my days...  Or at least until I get a good sausage roll.  :p  I consoled myself with 2 cups of their very good coffee and an apple turnover (look Ying, FRUIT!).  I hung out there for a good while, chatting with Phil and Julian on FB and not really in a hurry to get moving again.  Finally I rolled up the little hill to the gas station where I bought a Powerade and met a couple of triathletes training for what I assume to be their first Ironman (based on their nerves and comments).  I gave them a few course tips and was on my way - about an hour after I arrived in Keremeos.  :p  I sent Jen and Vince a text as well, to let them know where I was - also that I would be headed straight to Penticton rather than looping down to OK Falls.  I was feeling the effects of my crash and had no interest in adding extra mileage.  As I rolled past the Bear (fruit stand) I contemplated taking Green Mountain Road rather than going over Yellow Lake.  This would skip the climb, but is a longer route that rolls pretty much constantly.  In the end I decided to go over Yellow Lake.  There's no cell service in the area and Green Mountain Road gets very little traffic.  If I ended up in a bad way I'd have a much better chance of getting help if I stuck to the main highway.

Up I went.  Slowly.  Very slowly.  It didn't hurt that much.  I wasn't tired.  I wasn't even feeling that bad - but I wanted the day's riding to be over and done with.  It had warmed up a bit more, but it wasn't hot - it was just comfortably warm (high 20's maybe?).  Another triathlete went by with a car driving sag.  When I got to the top of the climb there were 4 lines of cars, stalled.  The road was closed and they were alternating traffic due to an ongoing construction project.  All three cyclists were there so I chatted with them for 15min or so until they let us go.  I took off first and was surprised that they didn't immediately go past.  After a while one pulled around, followed by a second who told me "I was feeling guilty drafting behind you".  The third said "I wasn't - I'm tired!" and they slowly vanished into the distance.  From there it's pretty simple - one last little rise and then a bunch of descending into town.

I rolled into Penticton and stopped at a 7-11.  I sent Vince a text and went in for some fluids.  When I came out he had sent a text back saying that he was on his way.  Perfect.

I'll be supporting Vince as he races Ultraman this weekend so I won't be making any forward progress until Wed the 3rd.  Then it will be up through Vernon on my way to Lake Louise, Jasper (along the Icefields Highway!) and the back down through Lillooet to Whistler - and finally, Vancouver.



Stats:

Total Ride Time: 4:37
Total Elapsed Time: 6hrs
Distance Traveled: 111.2km
Avg Speed: 24kph
Max Speed: 65.4kph


Breakfast:

The beautiful Similkameen Valley:

The last picture my Nikon D80 took:

Aug 27th - Day 2: Hope to Princeton

Another cold & damp day.  It wasn't raining but the weather in Hope and along that route tends to be "misty" all the time - so the air is slightly damp unless there's a strong sun shining.  Today was more or less a repeat of yesterday, only colder - so no sun to burn off the fog.

I woke up at 07:30 but stayed in bed 'til after 09:00, and didn't hit the road proper 'til nearly 11:00.  Breakfast @ Timmy's and I was on my way.  Due to the chill I was wearing arm and knee warmers as well as a gillet.  Rolling out of Hope is uphill - annoyingly so.  You climb a false flat or mild climb for a while, descend for a brief spell and then climb until you get to the base of Hope Slide - about a 6km climb.  Last year I had real problems that started with this climb, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was a little apprehensive about the day.  This is probably one of the toughest days of the tour.  Not only due to the profile, but also because of where it comes.  Early enough that there's no time to have built up some fitness, but after a solid Day 1 that leaves some fatigue in the legs and body.  As I remembered later in the day, my butt hasn't had time to acclimate to the long days either.  :p  There's a massive difference between riding for 3-5hrs and 6-9.  Regardless of the pace or intensity, the long days take their toll...

I was working my way up Hope Slide with no sign of last year's issues.  Gillet wide open, dripping sweat like crazy, but still feeling a bit chilly due to the weather if that makes any sense...  It's a weird sensation.  Still, my legs felt okay and while not "on", I was making it up just fine.  Made the summit and skipped my planned stop due to the wind and cold.  About 150m later I had to pull over to put on a jacket - it was COLD.  The road rolls downhill slightly from there for a bit, through "Sunshine Valley" - a gross misnomer if there ever was one.  I've driven this route countless times and it's NEVER been sunny.  Somehow the 55 odd km to the Manning Park resort seems to stretch out forever from this point.  The road isn't killer steep or hard - though there is an "official" summit along the way, but for some reason it's an ass-kicker.  And leg, and back, and body in general.  While not suffering brutally like last year I was questioning whether I'd make it over Sunday Summit (past Manning, on the way to Princeton).  I was definitely struggling.

Slogging up the road, I saw something weird on the side of the road - on the right side of the safety barriers.  When I got closer I saw that it was a cyclist - bike leaning against the concrete barrier, lying down (on the safe side) taking a nap.  I woke him up to make sure that he was okay, and he seemed to be in a bad way.  He had a bunch of food with him, and water - but looked cold.  He insisted that he didn't need help though, so I told him where a couple of campsites were located near the Manning Lodge and encouraged him to get rolling.  I stopped to take some pictures not too far up the road and noticed that he was back on his bike - so that's a good thing.  If he had stayed like that he could have gone hypothermic even though he was still "okay" when I talked to him.

Made the summit and just the sight of the gates was a significant pick me up.  From there I knew it was mostly downhill (with only 2 small rises) to the lodge where there's a restaurant and gift shop.  I wasn't out of water but my 3 bottles were pretty much done.  Pulled into the lodge restaurant for a forgettable meal (coffee & a pretty sad burger) and was on my way again with newly filled bottles.  While stopping at Manning was tempting - especially as my legs were pretty toasted, it was too early in the day and the sun had finally come out.  Princeton isn't that far, and there's only one "official" pass to climb (though there are a LOT of hills that aren't officially "passes").

Flirting with disaster for a moment, I discovered that swatting at mosquitoes while doing ~6.5kph uphill might not be the best idea - but I was moving slowly enough and there was no wind, so they were getting a very good opportunity to feast.  After a while they disappeared so I wonder if there's an altitude above which they can't/don't go?  Whatever the case may be, they went away as I went higher.    The sun was shining but it was still plenty cold.  I had removed my jacked after the Manning stop as I wanted to dry out a bit in the sun - but I had to put the jacket on within an hour or so.  For the rest of the way it was the same routine - unzip while climbing, zip up while descending - lather/rinse/repeat.  I was making pretty decent time, and really enjoying the sunshine.  My legs were pretty much fried and my R ankle started to bother me (it seems to be the same thing as last year only on the other side).  My low back was getting sore, and my neck as well.  There's just no adequate way to prep for the long days in advance...  My butt was getting pretty sore as well.  Even with a new tub of Assos, I might have to treat post-ride with the "gold standard" anyway.  :p

Rolled into Princeton by 20:20, and found a place to crash.  Who am I kidding - feeling this beat up there was no way I was camping.  Tomorrow's "short easy day" to Penticton should do me some good, as will a few days spent off the bike (more or less).  I've got 600mg of Advil in me and a healthy slathering of Tiger Balm on my legs.  A good night's sleep and I should be good to go in the AM.


Stats:

Total Ride Time: 7:45
Total Elapsed Time: ~9:10
Distance: 137km
Avg Speed: 17.5kph
Max Speed: 65.9kph

Day 1: Oh yeah - I remember this...

Tuesday July 26th - Vancouver to Hope

I had been up until just shy of 03:00 looking for stuff and prepping my gear.  Not ideal, but about what anyone who knows me would expect.  Up at 07:00, I rolled over and figured there was no reason to start the tour more tired than necessary so I flopped back down and slept 'till 08:45 or so.  Mom called at 09:00 to wish me a safe trip, and I got to finishing up packing, getting the apartment ready for me to be gone for a month, and had a little breakfast.  I finally got rolling just before 11:00.  A quick stop at BCAA for a map (I wasn't able to find my map of BC from last year) and I noticed that I was cruising along at 35-40kph.  Hmmmm...  I had reset my computer last night at ~02:30 and lost my wheel size - so I did a rollout but apparently something went sideways.  I rolled down to Ed's to borrow a tape so I could do a new rollout and figured I'd pick up some extra brake pads just in case.  As much as I'd love to think I can move that fast fully loaded, I'm no Thomas Voeckler.

It was a cool, overcast day.  Pretty dark skies (but not black or terribly threatening) and variable wind.  Maybe 18deg, if that.  So not perfect weather, but warm enough that riding in just shorts and a jersey was fine as long as I was "riding".  There's probably a "nice" way to get out of Dodge, but I stuck with the simplest route - which was Hastings/Barnett Hwy/Hwy7.  That stretch of Hwy7 through Port Coquitlam, Port Moody and Maple Ridge is pure and unadulterated suburban hell.  I'd put it up against Surrey, Mississauga, Kelowna, or any other example of "what not to do".  The drivers aren't that bad, it's the complete lack of town planning.  Anyway, I got through there and out into the countryside within a couple of hours.

With the additional weight, the bike handles more or less the same as it did before - only it sort of feels like I have a going-flat rear at low speed.  That's a bit of a weird sensation but I'm getting used to it.  I never did get around to changing that rear tyre so I'm slightly paranoid about it...

I'd put some different insoles in my shoes after coming back last year, which should take care of the achilles issue I had - but the extra height might cause some issues over the top of my arch.  We'll have to monitor that.  I also swapped pedals as I really didn't like those Shimano SPDs I had last year.  My mid-range Times hadn't arrived, so I'm rocking the Carbon ATACs for this trip.  :p  The combo puts my shoe platform a little higher than before, so I was sitting a little low.  I had bumped the saddle height a touch, but it needed some further tweaking - so I bumped it up a little more as well as forward during my 2nd food stop of the day.  Naturally I put all my tools away after that so when I realized it was now a little to high I had to dig everything out all over again.  :p

There's no interesting food on this leg with the exception of right in Vancouver - when I'm just getting going - so it was a "gas station special" kind of day.  I did find a neat little tea shop/used bookstore in Haney, so I picked up some Irish Breakfast Tea (which came in handy later on in the day).  I also learned why Seb never puts anything in his handlebar bag with his SLR.  Even if one lays bananas very gently on top, the road vibrations cause the bananas to bounce enough to mash themselves into the camera.  Yuk.

The riding was pretty solid.  I was just kicking over the pedals at a moderate effort and making decent time.  It was still a little chilly, but not cold enough to stop to put on something warmer.  One thing about the wet "Summer" that we've had is that there are TONNES of mosquitoes everywhere!  Far worse than last year - at least on this leg.  I'm looking forward to the desert climate of the Okanagan where there aren't any mosquitoes, or flying bugs of any significance.  :)

I started to get a little tired at around Harrison Hot Springs and my legs were feeling the effect of the longest and hardest ride I've done all year.  I thought about stopping at Harrison for a soak but knew that would knock me out for the evening and I didn't want to add ~45k to tomorrow - so I pressed on.  It started to get colder, windier, and my legs were really feeling it.  Energy wise I was starting to fade as well - and it wasn't a simple fueling issue.  Nothing to do but press on - I was only ~1:30 out anyway.  Once I hit town I rolled by the campgrounds on my way to a grocery store - I needed to pick up a few things as tomorrow has only one place to get food or water at Manning Park, which is a bit past the halfway point to Princeton.  At this point I was still thinking of camping but in the span of the next 20min or so I got really cold.  I have lovely warm fleece clothing and nice down quilts - but for those to work one has to be able to produce body heat.  I was chilled right to the core.  So I kicked off this tour the same way I did last year (only in a different hotel).  I checked in, turned up the heat, took a LONG, HOT shower and had 5 or so cups of hot tea.  Feeling much better now, I just hope my legs come 'round tomorrow!


Stats:

Total Duration: 8:20
Actual Ride Time: 7hrs
Distance: 163km
avg speed: 23.2kph
max speed: 73.5

It's "Go-Time"...

Some men are born mad.  Others have madness thrust upon them.  The World Bicycle Relief "Bring the PAIN" Tour officially launches tomorrow morning.  There hasn't been a whole lot of build-up to the launch of this tour.  It's not like last year, where nervous energy and the uncertainty of whether I'd make it in time kept me focused on the task at hand.  This year I got really busy with work for the ~6 weeks prior to launch date, and I really didn't have much time at all to focus on fundraising or preparation.  No prep I can deal with - that's more or less how I roll anyway.  I'd have like to have been a little more "on it" on the fundraising side, but as of right now we've raised 30 bikes for WBR.  Not exactly my original goal, or my amended goal even - but still not a bad effort.  I thank each and every one of you who donated money, who forwarded my fundraising efforts on to others, and who have supported me in general.  WBR is such a fantastic organization and the work they do is really incredible - I feel very fortunate to be able to help in some small capacity.

My bike still needs a little tuning and if I'm smart I'll replace the rear tyre (that has some 8000+ km on it - mostly from my last tour) before I take off.  I need to weigh everything out and load balance my panniers.  I need to find the remaining bits of my repair kit that got strewn around in the year since I came back, and double check with Ed to see if my new rear light came in yet.  I need to pack some food.  But those are all minor details.  In 3 days I'll be in Penticton where I can easily purchase any forgotten items or attend to other related issues.

I've got my GPS Tracker up and running again, so you can see in "near time" where I am (and how slowly I'm moving).  Luckily I'll be turning North at Osoyoos this time - so instead of that soul-sucking death slog up Ho Chi Minh trail Anarchist Pass I'll be enjoying ice cream at Tickleberry's and loving life in Okanagan Falls on my way to Penticton.  :D  Between that and the sausage rolls at the Crowsnest Bakery in Keremeos, I might be tempted to just do laps between Penticton and Princeton the entire time.  I'm quite certain, however, that the siren song of Jasper and the Icefields Parkway will lure me further North.

Okay - enough dilly-dallying.  The next blog update will be from the road, where I hope my first day of travel will go as well as it did last year and my second nothing like last year!


The full route is outlined here: http://tinyurl.com/3sttoyw

Track my progress here: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0ghCxT3Q7TUZ6zp6xX2Itq0qftjbyJ1SJ

And most importantly, donate here!: http://grassroots.kintera.org/active/khai

T minus 2 weeks and counting

I've been remarkably slack in my posting as the build-up to my tour launch approaches - and for that I apologize.  I had grand visions (can't call them "plans" as that would imply a greater deal of forethought and detail than I really had) of a whole host of blogs leading up the the launch date, but life got in the way and I've not been able to dedicate the time I had hoped to journalling my efforts thus far.

To date, just shy of 24 bikes have been raised to send to Africa.  I expect we'll see that number climb to at least 30 before I leave.  Not quite the 100 that I had hoped for, but I'll take it.  The donation page will remain "open" during my tour but obviously I won't be able to track it in "real time" - so any weight that gets added might see a bit of a lag before it really gets added.  :p

I did a bit of "training" on the weekend.  As with training for anything, specificity is key - so I rode up a hill one handed while eating a pain au chocolat.  If that doesn't get me ready for this tour then nothing will...

So far with the assumption of 30 bikes, I'll be hauling 90lbs.  That's "light" enough that I can carry all the superfluous weight in my panniers and not need the Burley Cargo trailer that I procured specifically for the task of hauling a pile of extra weight.  The nice part about that is that pulling a trailer is a lot more work than just riding with laden saddlebags.  The downside is that I kind of wanted to have to pull all that weight.  So if you haven't already donated (or are feeling rather flush with cash and feel inclined to donate some more), please do so and force me to pull that trailer!  It won't be just additional weight that I'm carrying, but additional frictional drag as well as horrible aerodynamics to boot!

Just picture me hauling this, filled with virtual bikes!

Can we hit 50 bikes?  I think that we can...

Donate here