Hello Canada!

We have arrived in Vancouver. We managed to put our bikes together in a corner of the arrivals lounge, casually leaving the cardboard boxes they travelled in behind a big pillar, and took the sky train downtown. We eventually found our way through the city to our hostel and fell in bed for a long long sleep (although the jet lag problem meant we were up at 5 full of beans). 

We spent the morning hunting for a good breakfast, which they don’t appear to be big on in Vancouver. We eventually took a boat to the food market on Granville Islan where I had the smallest portion of scrambled eggs known to man.  We spent the rest of the day cycling round the city park in the sunshine testing out our wheels. Vancouver is BEAUTIFUL and definitely somewhere to come back to for longer than 36 hours. 

The Bikes

Team Osborne mechanic Timmy found a cracking second hand touring bike for me. Cheap it might have been. Light it is not. Weighing in a solid 14kg, I’ve named her THE TANK. One plus side of her weight issues is that she is pretty quick down the hills. Maybe just not up them.

Rosebud is riding her tried and tested cyclocross bike, with the addition of a dynamo in the front wheel so we can charge our electronicals. A great addition as I’m not sure we can read the maps I bought. Google map telling us directions might become the daily norm.

I’ve had my bike fitted at Sports Tech Lab in Wheatley with Dr Brian. He may not have made be look like a timetrialist, but if my bum stays happy, I’ll take the city shopper position any day.

The Route

We are flying into Vancouver, cycle north to Powell River before catching a ferry to Vancouver Island, turning south and cycling down to Victoria. From here, we catch a ferry to enter the US, and will then pick up route 101 along the coast down to the Mexican border.

2o00 miles. 6 weeks. Oh shit.

 

The Plan

For reasons no longer clear, I managed to convince Rose that she should spend her off season from racing her bike around Europe riding her bike around America. I said it would be fun. And hot.

We are now sitting in departures with as few possessions as we could manage (although how we will get it all on the bike I’m not sure) thinking we might be terribly cold and develop trench foot after checking the weather. One pair of soggy shoes for 6 weeks probably wasn’t a great idea.

I’m thinking we may have bitten off more than we can chew. Well, maybe not Rose. Maybe just me…