Photos

http://justabike.shutterfly.com/

It was a strange feeling

It was a strange feeling to wake up this morning and realize I didn't have to bike anywhere. See you all tomorrow (or even today)

Tire's so cut the inner

Tire's so cut the inner tube is sticking through

When someone came from the

When someone came from the wreck and said, "it's a man--and he's dead," I decided to call it a day. Asked for a ride and got one.

Repaired cable partially, stuck in

Repaired cable partially, stuck in one gear for 30 mi. At 11.8 mi, came upon a horrific car wreck that had just occured. (cont'd)

Yarmouth, and a dramatic end.

Yarmouth, and a dramatic end. Rode at twilight; 1" gash in tire @ 14 mi. Shifter cable snapped while repairing... (continued)

Awake and literally waiting for

Awake and literally waiting for the dawn

Shelbure, 45 mi. Tomorrow I

Shelbure, 45 mi. Tomorrow I leave @ dawn to ride to the ferry. Wish me luck...

Liverpool, 58 mi. Was on

Liverpool, 58 mi. Was on course, but checked British Daniel & he led me astray. Met some other riders, rode with them.

I've now been told by

I've now been told by two sources that 103 near Shelburne is more like a regular road: damn the panic attack, full speed ahead!

Called bike shop in Shelburne:

Called bike shop in Shelburne: they say 103 is good for bicyclists. (Some hwys have been.) Going to try to confirm.

Shelburne rte doesn't seem safe,

Shelburne rte doesn't seem safe, going to try to change plans for next 3 days. So far 507 mi

Totally ready to be finished

Totally ready to be finished w/ this journey. Kind of sick of it, but only way out is to finish. Can't wait to see you all soon.

To Lunenburg, 73 effing miles.

To Lunenburg, 73 effing miles. Was going super slow, then found tires were @ 50% inflation. Inn is oldest bldg in Canada. Tired.

Room had a jacuzzi in

Room had a jacuzzi in it...best thing ever

Absurd hills, dirty hippies, college

Absurd hills, dirty hippies, college students...Halifax is just like San Francisco. Bad directions, saved by British Daniel70mi.

Thank you to everyone who

Thank you to everyone who called yesterday!

Truro + detours, 51 mi.

Truro + detours, 51 mi. New luggage rack, trued wheel, sunburn not too bad, all OK. I miss my family on my 25th b-day, though.

New luggage rack, trued wheel,

New luggage rack, trued wheel, sunburn not too bad, all OK. I miss my family on my 25th b-day, though.

Maple coffee with maple cream

Maple coffee with maple cream and maple biscuits, maple baked beans and pancakes with maple. Also, it's blueberry harvest time

Feeling much happier thanks to

Feeling much happier thanks to Shaul & Rb. Blum: "Here's what you need to do for me: forget the ups and downs and keep pedaling."

The phrase "grueling slog" is

The phrase "grueling slog" is starting to seem more apt than "tour." Happy birthday to me. Fuck.

Pictou-Malagash-Tatamagouche. 60 mi. Unexpected mt

Pictou-Malagash-Tatamagouche. 60 mi. Unexpected mtn range tomorrow. Did I mention today was supposed to be a rest day?

Luggage rack snapped in two.

Luggage rack snapped in two. Winery was a detour into another county. Buffetted by headwinds so strong they were bending trees.

When the organizers of a

When the organizers of a celtic music festival got wind of my adventure, they announced it on stage and presented me with a shirt

Pictou via New Glasgow, 53

Pictou via New Glasgow, 53 mi. Flipped off, rained on, honked at, spurned, chased by a dog. No pics of today's ride bc it SUCKED.

I don't like kilometers. They're

I don't like kilometers. They're too small. Not enough to satisfy. Also liters.

Antigonish via Port Hastings, 74

Antigonish via Port Hastings, 74 mi. No synagogue here. :-( Shabbat shalom, everyone!

Waylaid by orcs. Used crossbow

Waylaid by orcs. Used crossbow +3 w/ ice arrows, then defeated evil mage overlord. Just kidding, Ethan.

Thru Margaree Forks and down

Thru Margaree Forks and down to Mabou, 65 mi. Hilly. Very beautiful. Toured a distillery. Got a flat. Talked to old RAF pilot.

Thru Eskasoni, Iona and Little

Thru Eskasoni, Iona and Little Narrows. Signs in Miqmaq and Gaelic. Talked to some old Miqmaq folks. Baddeck tonight: 60 mi.

Sydney to Northside East Bay,

Sydney to Northside East Bay, 25mi. Riding in the rain on a freeway that's under construction is challenging.

Unboxed bike @ Sidney. Handlebar

Unboxed bike @ Sidney. Handlebar bag no longer on handlesbar. otherwise good. Light rain. Hungry!

3:45am is an ungodly hour

3:45am is an ungodly hour for anything. Here goes nothing...

If +that+ didn't stop me...

The plan was simple enough. Ride 80 miles, climb some hills, box the bike, study for exam.

That first step had some complications. I had been having some shifting problems the last couple of days, and this morning they were really getting frustrating. Climbing up Wildwood Hill the first time, I felt like the chain kept skipping. At the crest, I got off and discovered that one of the links was coming apart!

I "limped" back to my house very carefully and installed a replacement chain I had around, keeping the old one for spare links on the trip. Adjusted the rear derailleur, which had gotten a little out of whack. Maybe was never in whack. Whatever. Skipped lunch in favor of a granola bar. (Big mistake.) Got going again.

7 laps into the Wildwood Hill plan, it started raining. "Well," I thought to myself, "the forecast called for mostly sunny skies, so it's probably just a passing shower." Stopped with the hill climbs and proceeded to Walden. By then, I was going pretty slow--I was hungry and wet and a little worried about saddle sores.

The weather started clearing up and I thought that I was past the worst of it. "Hey," I thought. "Maybe my shoes will dry out from the wind and I'll be able to pack them tonight!" I even considered an additional Walden loop to get to 80 miles for the day as originally planned, but thought better of it. And so I plodded along on home, thinking about Nova Scotia, when it started to drizzle.

And then rain.

And then pour.

And then hail.

And then it was a complete, driving, gray-out torrent. I took one turn onto a street to find myself suddenly knee-deep in a flash-flood. (If I had my glasses on and/or it weren't dark as night from the clouds, I might have noticed this.) I picked up my bike and placed it on my shoulder, cyclocross-style, carrying it for 50 yards through what was essentially a small river.

That can't be good for the rear derailleur.

When I got to the other side, there was actually a reed caught in my front wheel. (Sorry, no pictures; seemed like a better idea to keep the waterproof pannier closed.)

Naturally, I was without raingear.

In the end, I did cover 65 miles and 3,600 feet of climb. Now to go figure out how to dry off the bike.

Training (or: bumbling idiocy)

Between adjusting a new bike, trip planning and exam preparation, I hardly had time to train: until yesterday, I had done about 5 40-mile rides since Climb to the Clouds on July 19, when I covered 106 mi while climbing Mt. Wachusett.

I decided that it would be wise to undertake some fairly strenuous distance sessions this weekend, leaving tomorrow open for the end of study and packing. That would give me a day of recovery before starting the journey.

Yesterday I left my car at a relative's house and rode home (10 mi), then swapped out a finicky cycling computer, in the process locking me out of my house. With absolutely nobody around, I had to be rescued by my neighbor's mom.

I was going to do Walden after that, but I had adjusted my seat too high and had to ride around looking for an auto garage with a wrench. So after riding 25 more miles, I found a hill close to my house and rode up it 10 times, then went home, for a total of 42 miles.

Today, assuming none of the same calamities befall me, I plan to do Inman to Lexington Green, with 10 climbs of Wildwood Hill (a 310-foot ascent), then lap between Lexington Green and Walden Pond 2-3 times. 65-80 miles, 4200-5000 feet of climb.

This is a test of

This is a test of the SMS posting system. Is that me, John Wayne? Is that you?

Prologue

Sometimes I get these crazy ideas. Most of the time a good shower gets them out of my head, but every once in awhile, they stay long enough for me to punch my ticket.

On Tuesday, August 12, I am flying from Boston's Logan Airport to Sydney, Nova Scotia by way of Halifax. I will have only my bike, parts and tools, maps and a few sets of clothes. My mission: to get back home to Boston in time to go to work on Monday, August 25.

A lot of people have asked me to provide a narrative of the experience. Lacking a laptop (and not hankering for the added weight anyways), I will be sending terse updates here by SMS message. Photos will follow after the trip.

See you on the road...