Reverse Gear Blog

Day 1 – May 31, 2009

Sunday was departure day and it took all day to get going…

Packing the vehicles took all morning. After lunch we headed to Chatham ON to pick up the trailer that would be home for the next 110 days. I left getting lessons on how to stabilize the jacks and wheels and empty the septic tank to the boys and spent the afternoon playing ball and hide and seek with the owner’s 3-year old daughter. Someone had to do it.  First stop was Port Huron MI across the border from Sarnia ON. We had a late dinner of chicken in a panini. And we all crashed for our first peaceful sleep in new beds.

Day 2 – June 1, 2009

In the morning we trundled over to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant for gigantic American breakfasts and all compared our aches and pains from sleeping on poor mattresses. Except Aaron. I guess at age 20 – nothing aches – yet.

The drive was going well until we noticed that we had lost a vent on the side of the trailer. The detour to a Camping World for parts and a trip to Walmart in the resort town of Houghton Lake took more time than expected. The day ended with Anna’s great bbq ribs and a bottle of red wine in a campground by Lake Michigan, just past St. Ignace MI.

Day 3 – June 2, 2009

Needed to make up some time, so we had a very long day of driving through some very pretty country along Hwy 2 on south side of Lake Michigan. Just past Deer River MI, and 15 km off Hwy 2, we found a 64 year old fishing lodge with an RV hook-up for the night. Dinner was leftover ribs and potato salad. We ate inside the trailer where we still had to fight off hundreds of mosquitoes. Unfortunately we didn’t get them all and at least one found Judi’s forehead so she looks like she ran into a rake handle (again).

Day 4 – June 3, 2009

Woke up to the sun shining which deceptively hid the fact that it was few degrees above freezing. Got one last glance at the very scenic Tamarack fishing lodge before we hit the road - which would be a long open flat boring drive across the USA prairies of Minnesota and North Dakota. This gave Judi time to load the Canada maps into the GPS before we start cycling. With several crashes and slow download speeds that took most of the day. Dinner was sandwiches on the shoulder of Hwy 52 because there was no place else to stop after Minot ND.

Crossed border at Portal ND. Judi got her bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin for summer G&Ts. She expects to reward herself at the end of the tough hill-climbing days. Arrived in Estevan SK at about 11pm EDST (9 pm CST). The day ended with a beautiful prairie sunset. (It would appear that Saskatchewan does not move to DST.)

Day 5 – June 4, 2009

We went north from Estevan to Moose Jaw to pick up supplies and new walkie talkies so convoy could communicate better. After quick lunch at Smitty’s headed for the Trans Canada Highway. Highlight of day was seeing potash (or salt) blowing in the wind. It looked like clouds of smoke rising from the earth for miles. Dinner was snacks in car. Arrived at 11:30 pm and stayed in Campground overlooking Olympic Park in Calgary AB.

Day 6 – June 5. 2009

Had brunch in Canmore AB and drove to Kamloops BC. Beautiful mountain driving. Dinner was BBQ steak, baked potato and salad.

Day 7 – June 6, 2009

Arrived in Vancouver at about 3 pm and had lunch with Richard’s cousin. Camped in Delta BC and had snacks for dinner after the trailer developed an electrical problem and we ran out of gas so no cooking ability.

Len is cycling across Canada this summer with Blind-Guy Biking, to raise funds for a program that Richard created called Pedal for Medals. They have been planning this trip for many months and Len has been helping Richard acquire a customized Greenspeed tandem for the trip. Not sure how many x-country trips have ever been done in Canada on a tandem trike but this one will certainly be unique. The tandem arrived this week.

I was envious because I love to travel (the gypsy in me), love to cycle, and love meeting people. And they were going to be doing that for 3 months without me.  

But now - they are not - going without me, that is! Last weekend, I decided to join them. I still haven’t figured out all the details (leave from work, who will water the plants, etc.) - but those are only details. The decision to go was the “big ticket”. And I am so happy that I have made it. Life is too short to not being doing the things that I want to do.

There are two reasons why the decision was easy to make - besides the “fun” that I will have cycling/travelling some 10,000 km. The first one is that I have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. It’s genetic and I should be able prevent it from becoming diabetes through diet and exercise. But I was still shocked to learn that in spite of all the “right-living” I was already doing, that this was happening to me. So I need to do more “right-living” if I am going to stay healthy and this cycle-trip is one of those things that I can do for myself.

The other motivator was the recent passing of a friend. She retired on January 1st and by end of February she was dead. It was a shock to everyone. When I saw her in November we talked about how much she was looking forward to a new relaxed life with her grand-son (born in December) and doing some renovations. I was so sad, especially for her family. (My heart goes out to them.)

Today, I know I am blessed with an opportunity - this gift - to join Len and Richard and Anna and the team. While I hope to  contribute to the goals of Blind-Guy Biking, I am really doing this for Numero Uno - ME. And I am so happy that I have made the BIG decision to go…  

<< more to come on our adventure - they say that I have to start “training” today because we leave in a month - training yuch!!! I just do this for FUN!>>

It poured rain for most of the day and I decided it was too wet to go for a bike ride. So I sat around and caught up on email instead. It may have been a weekend of responding to Reverse Gear requests, but for me personally, it was actually one of ‘inspiration’. 

At the Toronto Bike Show we recently received two requests to sponsor upcoming events and Reverse Gear has agreed to provide prizes for:

1. Tour BC  an annual 7-day bike tour that will have about ten recumbent riders participating this year.
2. Cycle for Sight- 100 cyclists will undertake a 133 km journey from Toronto to Collingwood to raise funds to support research aimed at restoring the gift of sight to people living with vision loss on Saturday June 20th, 2009.

 We would love to support Cycle for Sight by riding as well - but this year we cannot - because Len will be riding across Canada from June to September with Blind Guy Biking. Richard has asked Len to be a Captain on his Greenspeed tandem tricycle as he cycles from BC to Newfoundland to raise funds for Special Olympics. Reverse Gear is also the clothing sponsor because we want the team to look good on this ‘big ride’. Watch for details on the blog this summer.

This weekend Reverse Gear  also received a request to sponsor another ‘Big Ride’ from Lee Kelly.

During September 2009,  Lee plans to take a very special journey for a very special cause. His journey will be by recumbent trike from Cleveland, Ohio to Dallas, Texas. Over 21 days and about 1,200 miles. He is riding to raise funds and awareness for returning disabled soldiers and their families. He hopes to encourage any veteran with a disability to set their goals higher, and to accomplish them one way or another. Lee rides to help him recover from a major accident that left him in a coma and later in a quadraplegic state.  To learn more - go to: http://www.mybigride09.com/

Reverse Gear is proud to sponsor all of these events. And these folks are certainly inspiring me to spend more time on my own trike than in the office… << more to come>>>