Day 52 Aug 17 2009

Fredricton NB to Moncton NB

Depart: 6:30 am
Arrive: 7:00 pm

Daily distance: 182.65 km
Time: 8:53:56
Odo: 6202.7 km
Max: 49.5 km/hr
Avg speed: 20.5 km/hr

Weather: Sunny/ Hot/ muggy
Wind: W 10
Road: hwy 2: some hills
Road Condition (A+)

Left early to beat the heat and make a run for Moncton on a good tailwind, there's no great places to stop in between the two cities. I took hwy 2 as it was the shorter route and the road is excellent. As long as I was moving at a good pace the heat was managable but on slow hill climbs the inside lens of my glasses were dripping like it was a rain day.
I'm looking forward to heading to PEI, its somewhere I've wanted to see, the Canada Games are on right now so I'm just going for the day, no accomodation anywhere on the island.
The last of my big milage days are done, the next biggest one is in NFLD and its only 130km, a distance I don't mind, some of the next few days may even be below 100km

Day 51 Aug 16 2009

Woodstock NB to Fredricton NB

Depart: 8:00 am
Arrive: 8:00pm

Daily Distance: 122.43km
Time: 6:53:23
Odo: 6020.0 km
Max.: 46.3 km/hr
Avg. Speed. 17.7 km/hr

Weather: Sunny/Hot 31 deg 38 humidex
Roads: Lots of hills on Hwy 2, 105, 102.
Condition: (B+)

Got onto Hwy 2, the new TC highway to try it out. After putting in about 10km I was heading down a hill full speed and the tail end of the bike started swaying, another flat, two in 2 days, this time a shard of glass. Burt whom I met last night and his wife were passing by, saw me and stopped, I was ok so they headed on, NB is good for people wanting to help, even if they are from Ontario.
It started getting hot so I thought I'd get back to 105 which I felt would be better shaded, which it was, but it was full of short steep hills which, combined with the heat was very draining.
I was about to take the bypass route around a little town called Nackawick when an old guy who was stopped in his car called me over. "If you go that way you won't see the worlds largest axe, you can get back onto the highway at the other end of town" how could I resist, it was very impressive, quite sharp.
I got to the next town  after several rest stops and bought a couple of popsicles. Before I left the store  I thought I'd top up the rear tire with air. as I was removing the pump, I tore the valve stem right out of the tube, another flat to fix. I ended up speaking to several people, one nice lady even gave me a map of Fredricton which came in useful and provided me a better route than I had planned, figure it saved me half a hour in the heat.
5:30 start tomorrow heading towards Moncton.

Day 50 Aug 15 2009

Grant Falls NB to Woodstock NB

Depart: 7:30 am
Arrive: 5:00 pm

Daily Distance: 130.69 km
Time: 7:42:38
Odo: 5897.6 km
Max. 46.2 km/hr
Avg. Speed: 16.9 km/hr

Weather: Sunny/Hot Wind: S 10

Roads Hwy 130 Sud, hilly
Road Cond. (A)

The ride today was on an old secrion of the TC highway, virtually abandoned and in excellent condition. After riding on generally flat conditions for the past week I really was enjoying the hills, they break up the monotiny. The wind was quite fickle today and would change direction in an instant which came in handy at times.
I'm enjoying the people here, Burt whom I met at the campsite lent me his laptop for some google mapping. When I asked for directions at the gas station I had two people offer to drive me where I needed to go and one offered me to follow them.
I got to get a few things at Sobeys tonight which was very nice, when I got back I called home, got back on my bike only discover a rear flat, second one of the trip. When I went to change the tube I discoverred my new tire that I bought in Saskatoon is paper thin and worn right down to the threads. The rest of the evening was spent swapping the half worn front tire to the back and the worn tire. (Just over 4100km)  to the front, by the light of my helmet light. Looks like 2 new tires when I get to Moncton.

Day 49 Aug 14 2009

Cabano QC to Grand Falls NB

Depart: 8:00 am
Arrive: 6:00pm (Atlantic time)

Daily distance: 135.07 km
Time: 7:07:11
Odo: 5766.9 km
Max. 43.2 km/hr
Avg speed: 19.0 km/hr

Weather: Sunny/ HOT

Roads: flat/ some rolling hills
Road condition (B+)

I thought it would be quiet with not a person around me for miles, forgot about the racoons, they never shut up all night.
When I arrived in NB I was surprised to find that nothing has changed from. Quebec, I guess I have to get closer to the big cities,
I'm taking Hwy 144 which is a bike route and its great, most traffic stays on Hwy2, and its much flatter, nice route.
Looking forward to seeing the Maritimes and starting the last leg.

Day 48. Aug 13 2009

L-Islet QC to Cabano QC

Depart: 6 :30 am
Arrive: 6:30pm

Daily Distance: 173.35 km
Time: 9:18:14
Odo: 5631.8 km
Max. 52.4 km/hr
Avg.: 18.6 km/hr

Weather: Sunny 24 Wind S 10

Road:  Flat until Riviere du loup, steady 4% grade firs 50 km of trail to Cabano
Road and trail condition (A)

Had a quick ride to R du Loup,  I had done 110 km and had lunch by 1:00. I wanted to get to Cabano and because I had made good time to RDL so I opted to take the bike path. The path is part of the Route Verte and Trans Canada trail systems and although they are longer and slower, they're generally more shaded and quieter. Being there's no traffic it dawned on me that I could listen to my IPod instead of the voices in my head  that were beggining to speak French, I was hoping the music would  re-set everything.
The trail also provided " rustic" campsites which I am staying in tonight and are better than most campsites I've stayed in, however I do miss the sound of the generators in motor homes running all night.
Lorraine has booked my Ferry to NFLd for the 24th and my flight home on the 29th, I wanted earlier but she insisted I stay a little longer.

Day 47 Aug 12 2009

St. Augustin- de Demaures QC to L' Islet QC

Depart: 8:00 am
Arrive: 5:30 pm

Daily Distance: 104, 41 km
Time: 6:19:30
Odo: 5458.5 km
Max: 38.2 km/hr
Avg. Speed: 17.2 km/ hour

Weather: Sunny 24 Deg. Wind E 10

Roads: small rolling hills
Shoulder: A

I knew as soon as I said I won't stop until I do 130 km it would come back to bite me. Today was a "going through a city day" which is always slower and Quebec city is a fair size. (On a bike) Lorraine insisted I stop and look around so I headed to the old part spent an hour and a half and took it all in, I don't think I missed a thing. I was mildly ticked though when I got on the ferry to get to Levis (which isn't pronounced like the blue jeans) I realized I could see the whole old town from the passanger deck and didn't even have to ride through it.
The roads are becoming less flat and the wind contiued to be a pain, with friendly  Southerlies in the forcast for tomorrow and the next campsite 30 km away, I called it a day.
I have to say that I am really enjoying QC even though the Quebecois are a little more reserved than the Prarie folk.
QC. has been a great part of my trip. The roadways are a cyclist paradise, the shoulders are wide and well looked after. The towns are close together so anybody that can ride 30 km in a day could easily have the experience. Another big plus is how clean  the highways and ditches are.  And the biggest plus is that campsites, motels and good food are all plentiful.

Day 46 Aug 11 2009

Yamachiche QC to St. Augustine de Desmaures QC

Depart: 7: 30 am
Arrive: 6:30 pm

Daily Distance: 146.22km
Time: 7:58: 00
Odo: 5349.1 km
Max: 36.4 km/hr
Avg speed: 18.3 km/ hour

Weather: Sunny 21 degrees
Wind: NE 10

Road:: Flat, starting to get small hills at Nouville
Shoulder: B+ not a well travelled highway by trucks, or cars

An annoying head wind, actually,  head breeze was just enough to keep my speed and motivation down. I was looking for any excuse to stop and today there just happened to be more cyclist on the road than I had seen the whole trip. It seems this strech of flat scenic Highway between Montreal  Quebec City is a popular cyclist  route and gave me ample opportunity to stop and chat with all kinds people. Some were groups staying in B and B's others were individuals asking home owners along the way to borrow a patch of grass to set up a tent on.
I stopped and helped three sisters Jen, Christine and Char fix a flat tire, these three were all around the same ages as my three sisters and reminded me of them. It wasn't hard to pick up that they were Americans, Jen had the exact same accent as our friend Jan, turns out that Jen an Jan live close to each other in Maine . I ended up runnimg into them again later in the day and they shared some cheese, bluettes, baggettes,  hummus and a few laughs, they call themselves.                               "realwomen.realadventures.realsisters". 
My plan was to stay in Nueville for the night but I had only done 127km when I arrived at a campsite, so that didn't meet my 130 mark I try to do each day.  It was about 6:00 and the wind had tapered of so I thought I'd just keep going. I found a private campground and had my laundry walk over to the machines and jump in, it was long over do.
Alls well and I figure I have 9 riding days left.