Sideways
August 10
I dropped out of my hammock and back onto the bike (literally) for another day of riding through the flat prairies drenched in sunshine. It was hot and clear, and the multitude of insect dwellers along the road shoulders were deafening and very hoppy. Today was a fairly uneventful ride punctuated by diving hawks, rolling hills, and a friendly driver who pulled over to the side of the highway to ask me where I was coming from and going to. The chat provided a nice break from my solitary ride and the driver told me that the 'hills' I was the midst of were the last I would see until Kenora (a few thousand km away). And he was right - as the hills faded away, I refined my definition of 'flat' and rode into Saskatoon! In ToonTown I had the absolute joy of reconnecting with a few 'old friends' @connoranear and @kateemorr, eating a delicious, home-cooked dinner and being an eager participant in Miracle Treat Day.
August 11
I had a very respectably early morning as my host had to go to his real-person job (eh @connoranear) and I set off on yet another mission to get my bike fixed properly. I #gotmyfix at the @bikedoctorstoon, and was blown away by the bike shop and the quality of work. Amongst other things, they actually managed to clean the tar off my bike - something that other shops had told me was impossible. I also procured a new tire (my old one had a bit of a slice in it that has been giving me ~daily flats), and Nutterbut and I are feeling great! Thanks for the water bottle and good chats Bike Doctor Saskatoon!!! While the folks at Bike Doctor were working on my bike, I ate a pound of blueberries and spent some quality time with a computer in the Saskatoon Public Library planning my send east to Waterloo, Ontario. I've now got my route mapped out and I'm ready to roll! By the time I left Saskatoon it was late afternoon, so I just biked a quick 57 km until finding another campsite near Blucher. The 57 km were rather eventful as I encountered my first on-bike prairie storm. I could see it stewing on the horizon for a good long time and thought for a while that the road would skirt around it, but alas, it didn't. The winds came towards me from all directions but thankfully the rain was fairly warm and I never got too close to the electrical action - so no real complaints. Regardless, the skies before, during and after the storm were epic enough to make it well worth the sprinkle. I set up camp for the night in an orchard putting my tarp up - not because of the possibility of rain, but for protection from the falling apples. Ha!
August 12
Wahooo!!! Coming in hot and tired to Yorkton with a new daily mileage record of 270 km! The flat prairies definitely helped but the mild headwind and the heat did not. However, after basically gluing my butt to the bike seat for the day, I have almost made it across Saskatchewan. My day started with some 'day old' bakery gifts received yesterday from a very rad, slightly older, randonneur woman and they, along with lots of other nibblies, fuelled me enough to keep me on the bike. I've found two things that I need to help me put in long cycling days - starting my ride with the sun, and not getting off the bike unless absolutely necessary. The scenery for today's ride (when I noticed it), was flat prairie landscape with lots of wheat and other crop fields frequently punctuated by smaller pond and wetland areas. Mostly, my day was full of whirring tires, dodging road furniture, and pedalling. The last about 40 km was an adrenaline-fuelled race against the setting sun, and the rest reward was blissfully uneventful.
Saskatchewan
August 10 - 12: Saskatchewan
August 10
I dropped out of my hammock and back onto the bike (literally) for another day of riding through the flat prairies drenched in sunshine. It was hot and clear, and the multitude of insect dwellers along the road shoulders were deafening and very hoppy. Today was a fairly uneventful ride punctuated by diving hawks, rolling hills, and a friendly driver who pulled over to the side of the highway to ask me where I was coming from and going to. The chat provided a nice break from my solitary ride and the driver told me that the 'hills' I was the midst of were the last I would see until Kenora (a few thousand km away). And he was right - as the hills faded away, I refined my definition of 'flat' and rode into Saskatoon! In ToonTown I had the absolute joy of reconnecting with a few 'old friends' @connoranear and @kateemorr, eating a delicious, home-cooked dinner and being an eager participant in Miracle Treat Day.
August 11
I had a very respectably early morning as my host had to go to his real-person job (eh @connoranear) and I set off on yet another mission to get my bike fixed properly. I #gotmyfix at the @bikedoctorstoon, and was blown away by the bike shop and the quality of work. Amongst other things, they actually managed to clean the tar off my bike - something that other shops had told me was impossible. I also procured a new tire (my old one had a bit of a slice in it that has been giving me ~daily flats), and Nutterbut and I are feeling great! Thanks for the water bottle and good chats Bike Doctor Saskatoon!!! While the folks at Bike Doctor were working on my bike, I ate a pound of blueberries and spent some quality time with a computer in the Saskatoon Public Library planning my send east to Waterloo, Ontario. I've now got my route mapped out and I'm ready to roll! By the time I left Saskatoon it was late afternoon, so I just biked a quick 57 km until finding another campsite near Blucher. The 57 km were rather eventful as I encountered my first on-bike prairie storm. I could see it stewing on the horizon for a good long time and thought for a while that the road would skirt around it, but alas, it didn't. The winds came towards me from all directions but thankfully the rain was fairly warm and I never got too close to the electrical action - so no real complaints. Regardless, the skies before, during and after the storm were epic enough to make it well worth the sprinkle. I set up camp for the night in an orchard putting my tarp up - not because of the possibility of rain, but for protection from the falling apples. Ha!
August 12
Wahooo!!! Coming in hot and tired to Yorkton with a new daily mileage record of 270 km! The flat prairies definitely helped but the mild headwind and the heat did not. However, after basically gluing my butt to the bike seat for the day, I have almost made it across Saskatchewan. My day started with some 'day old' bakery gifts received yesterday from a very rad, slightly older, randonneur woman and they, along with lots of other nibblies, fuelled me enough to keep me on the bike. I've found two things that I need to help me put in long cycling days - starting my ride with the sun, and not getting off the bike unless absolutely necessary. The scenery for today's ride (when I noticed it), was flat prairie landscape with lots of wheat and other crop fields frequently punctuated by smaller pond and wetland areas. Mostly, my day was full of whirring tires, dodging road furniture, and pedalling. The last about 40 km was an adrenaline-fuelled race against the setting sun, and the rest reward was blissfully uneventful.
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