Distance Traveled: N 44 15.355 W079 02.178 to Reaboro 49km
Money Spent: $15 for new tire Time cycling: 2 hours 47 minutes
Moving Average: 17.4km/h
Total Distance Traveled: 2357 km
It rained a fair bit last night but thankfully I set up my tent and tarp properly anticipating rain for the night, my belongings and i stayed dry.
When I packed my things I munched down an apple and some granola bars for brekky.
Just down the road from where I camped I finally joined the Trans-Canadian Trail that went from this point all the way into Peterborough... no traffic, a tranquil trail with me and my bike. Sound good dosent it? Well, it wasnt the first 5km of this trail because it was partially flooded with puddles and where there was no water it was either coarse rock or sand neither of which are too good for cycling. Because of all the rock after the painful first 5 km I managed to puncture my front tire; luckily where this happened was right beside a side road with a little bit of traffic going by. Because I didnt know where I was (even my GPS didnt list any of the towns about) I ripped off the wheel and started to repair the issue but found out I had a problem, or as it so happens i couldnt find my pump, I must have lost somewhere over the last week... fuck! It seemed the only option I had was to hitchhike – now, trying to hitchhike with a broken bike on the side of the road I thought would be easy you know because people would feel sorry that your means of transportation is ruined; well, its not easy to hitch this way, all I wanted to do was ask directions to the nearest town and weasel my way into convincing them to give me a ride. This took a good 45 minutes to find out there was a town less than a kilometre up the road – unfortunately I wasnt able to get a ride but seeing as it was only 1 km away I decided to walk with all my stuff loaded on my bike with my front rim scraping on the gravel.
When I made it to a residential area I asked for advice on where to get a pump, someone was kind enough to offer me theirs at around the corner at their place.
This is where I had another issue, the pump would not fit the valve...arrgg!
I ran about the neighbourhood and asked a bunch of people – seemed like no body worked in this town – and finally found a pump that would fit. After several attempts of fixing the puncture I finally got it sorted where Frank and Dorothy kindly gave me a pack lunch to take with me. :)
I got back on my bicycle and found a road headed towards Peterbourgh running parallel to the trail. I passed through a town called Lindsay where I went to Canadian Tire to pick up a new tube. Looking at my wheel in the store I realized too that pushing my bike up a hill, fully loaded with a flat front wasnt such a wise idea – I ruined the tire...
I had to replace that too. The workers at the store where truly ecstatic to meet me and didnt charge me for the repair nor the tube. What I paid for was a new tire setting me back $15. Craig, Angus and Staff at Canadian Tire, thanks so much! I hope that picture you took of me gets into the local newspaper.;)
Having such a 'fun-filled' day I wanted to call it quits and as the forecast was predicting rain I looked at the warm-showers list and found a couple 15 km down the road who were willing to host me.
Again I stayed away from the Trans-Canadian Trail and made my way to Steve and Marnies farm in a quant little hamlet where I was invited into their home with a nice cold beer. Relief at last!
Steve and Marnie fed me a lovely dinner and I continued to chat away joking, telling them my stories and my adventures around the world. Before we knew it, it was getting late and was time for bed.
Repairing my tire on Frank and Dorothy’s driveway
Craig, Angus and I at Canadian Tire in Lindsay, ON
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