Cycling around lake Erie - fund raising for CNIB

My next bicycle tour will be around lake Erie. Google map calculates the total distance as 1072 km. This is about 200 km more than my previous tour around lake Ontario.
So far my research shows that the terrain that I will cycle on from Brampton is not that hilly; just not sure what the surface and traffic conditions will be for most of the route.
I plan to complete the tour in 11 days, but I will allow myself to take more days if necessary.

Route and stops that were planned so far.

Start date is set for Sunday August 31st.; that is the first week of September, when the weather starts to cool and availability of accommodations is higher because school holidays are over. I may not book a room ahead, just see how far I can cycle that day. There are many accommodations and food available along the route, so I do not need to take along camping equipment. I will stay in inexpensive hotels/motels. This tour will not differ much from the last tour. The one big difference is that this time, besides enjoying the challenge, I am doing it to raise funds for CNIB - www.cnib.ca

In my late 40s and early 50s I did a few 5k and 10k runs for various charities, mostly for our local hospital. I have also done the "Ride to conquer cancer", a 2 days 200k cycling event from Toronto to Niagara Falls, and raised about $4000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Theresia, my better half, suggested to do fund raising on my last tour, around lake Ontario. I was not comfortable to take on an extra stressor at that time, I felt that I must totally focus on the tour.

CNIB is an amazing organisation. Many people, after losing part or all of their vision, reclaimed their independence and zest for life back with the help of the CNIB. We have been a long time supporter of the CNIB.
I am blessed with good health, no high blood pressure, no cholesterol problems, no prostate problems, no diabetes, no arthritis, and am relatively fit and agile for my age; but I do have many issues with my eyes. The most serious is Glaucoma. I have lost about 60 % of my vision in my right eye due to Glaucoma. I am not a client of the CNIB. There is no need for me to cross that bridge at this moment, but I am close to the bridge and I can vaguely see the other side of it. I can very much appreciate the CNIB. Please help me support this amazing organisation, please support the CNIB to help people with vision lost reclaim their independence and purpose of living.

All expenses for this bicycle tour will be paid by me out of my own pocket; I estimate that it will cost me $100 per day, mostly for accommodation. 100%, of your donation will go directly to CNIB and a tax receipt will be issued to you by CNIB. My target is to raise $5000.00.

CNIB has helped me to make it easy for you to donate, just click on the following secure link.
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=2184105&langPref=en-CA

Thank you for your support. I will keep you updated on my preparation and progress with this bicycle tour around lake Erie and fund raising for the CNIB..............till next time.

UPDATE:
January 30 2014.
Here is an update on my preparation and progress or lack of progress so far for this fund raising bicycle tour around lake Erie.

Equipment: Shadow is now equipped with a carbon fibre fork. Chris, our son-in-law, had replaced Shadow's aluminium fork with a carbon fibre fork; this should make the ride on side walks and bumpy gravel roads more comfortable.

The engine: Did some exercises on a mini trampoline, elliptical and bicycle mounted on a trainer, just to stay reasonably fit.
After two cancellations, I had my right eye surgery (deep sclerectomy) last Friday, January 24. It went well. Still recovering, that means no exercise for a while.
Had my annual physical check early this month. Went for bone density test and blood works. Turned out that I have osteoporosis. My lumbar spine L1 and L2 density T-score was -2.7, I am now on medication for osteoporosis (Alendronate 70mg). I was a bit disappointed. I thought I could stave off this hereditary disease by staying physically active, I was wrong, it was not enough. After cross checking my risk factor for stroke and heart attack with my cholesterol levels, it was determined that my LDL level was too high; Dr. Kristof put me on Pravastatin, 10 mg. This ageing engine is showing its wear and tear. I will do my best to look after it and hope it will be in good enough shape by the end of August to pedal around lake Erie.

Fundraising: So far $720 was raised. Here is the list of people that had donated and support my fund raising effort. Thank you all.
Theresia Tahir, Alfred Scammura, Kwei San Chan, Ivan Koval, Stephen Oram, Luke Sulatycki, K. T. Nguyen optometry, Lisa Ng, Designher Co Inc, Stephen Lee, Erin Callaway, Tiffany Watson, Dee Thomson, Secondina Merritt, Luis Pinheiro, Hanadi Traifeh.

On bicycle touring

In this blog I like to share my experience on bicycle touring. I am a novice bicycle tourer with only one successful tour under my belt, nevertheless I like to share what I have learnt.

Cycle touring for me is travelling by bicycle, for a number of days, and carrying with me all that I need to reach my destination. Personally I prefer to do this on my own without company. For safety reason it is better to have company. Also with company, the team need to carry only one set of tools, spares and first aid kit, and share the cost of accommodation. The problem is finding a tour partner that is compatible in ability, attitude and temperament.

Carrying as little load as possible is very important for the enjoyment and success of bicycle touring. The amount of stuff that a touring cyclist carried is dictated by the destination (route) and length of the tour. In my case my 'destination' was to cycle around lake Ontario. The route is in Canada and the USA, well populated, with  many accommodations (hotel, motel and campground), many restaurants and stores along the route.

The plan.
Preparing and planning properly for the tour is important. It allows me to achieve my goal with minimal stress. My first attempt cycling around lake Ontario was not properly planned and prepared. Lesson learnt.
For my cycling tour around lake Ontario, I do not need to carry cooking equipments and fuel, nor camping gears. I can stay in hotels and motels, and eat in restaurants (fast food - Subway restaurant is one of my favourite) or purchase from the grocery store. This eliminates the hassle of setting up, and taking down, tent and sleeping gears; less time wasted. Less worry about weather condition, less weight, less stress.
I plan to start cycling around 7:30 AM and finish the day around 4:00 PM, this gives me 8 to 9 hours travel time; plenty of time to cover 100 km, including rest and sight seeing time. I will only cycle during daylight, so I will not carry bicycle lights. Again less stress.
Based on my research of the terrain to be covered that day, a destination was determined. So if it was an easy flat terrain a destination of over 100 km was selected. If the terrain was hilly or not paved a destination of under 100 km was selected.
I will also incorporate an easy or rest day, to give my body some respite and a chance to recover. This is important for the success and enjoyment of the tour.
Hotels will be booked one day ahead, as I feel comfortable that I will most likely be able to get there that day. Again this is to reduce my stress level by ensuring a place to stay that day.
Of course, no matter how well we plan, things can go wrong; we just have to be mentally prepared for that possibility.
As it turned out, the plan that I made, called for 9 days to cover almost 900 km. Averaging just under 100 km a day.

The engine.
The rider is the engine; the most important component of the bicycle tour. The engine must be in the best condition possible, well tuned and in good shape.

Exercise, that means lots of cycling, some strength and flexibility training, and proper rest. Good nutrition. Health care, dental, eyes and annual check up. All those are important to have the engine in good shape and well tuned. When I started my first tour in 2012, I was not in good health, had sinus issue. It was not a wise decision to go ahead with the tour, especially not at my age (70).

This challenge, cycling around lake Ontario, was my biggest motivator to exercise and to take care of my health. It motivated me to exercise even in bad weather. It made me more discipline in the food and drinks choices I consumed.
I had lost 12 lbs in the process; I was 128 lbs when I started my cycling tour on the 1st of September 2013. Always good to loose unwanted extra pounds, less weight on the bike.
Now that this challenge is completed, I need a new motivator to keep this engine humming -:).

The bicycle.
The bicycle I used for this tour was a 2010 MEC Shadowlands; with Aluminium frame, 700c X 32 Hutchinson touring tires, Hydraulic disc brakes, 27 speed (3X9). Designed to be a light duty touring bike.
Ideally, the bicycle type and design should match the terrain, surface and condition of the route. There are many bicycles that would perform well for a bicycle tour around lake Ontario, it just happened that I already own this bike and it is my favourite bicycle. It is very stable and smooth.
My other bicycle, a Giant Sedona Dx comfort bike, would also make a good touring bike after a few upgrades. I would upgrade the rear cassette to a 9 speed from a 7 speed and change the shifter to a 9 speed trigger shifter from a 7 speed twist shifter. This is crucial for climbing the hills. I would also replace the 26X1.95 tires with a 26X1.5 to make it more nimble.

This MEC Shadowlands bike had performed well, I did not have any issues at all with this bike during my tour. I had replaced the original pedal, meant for special cycling shoes, with a regular platform pedal. Initially I had replaced them with inexpensive pedals purchased from Canadian Tire store. They did not last long. Water and dirt found their way into the bearings. I like to be able to use regular shoes. The other thing that I would like to replace is the aluminium fork with a carbon fork, this should help absorb the vibration from the road and sidewalk bumps; it will be more comfortable to ride. Wish I had done this before the tour.

Hydration.
I drink often, a few sips every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the cycling day.
I carried 2, 750 ml water bottles. One filled with water and the other one with Gatorade that I made myself form the powder, this way I could control its concentration. I may replenished the water along the way, depends on the weather, but one 750 ml of Gatorade drink was all that I needed for the whole day of cycling. Carried 10 days supply of Gatorade powder as well as Protein powder. I made and consume the Protein drink at the end of my ride each day, usually during my ice bath.
Whenever possible I took an ice bath at the end of my riding day to speed up recovery.

Kitchen, snack and food.
I like to snack while cycling. By snacking throughout the day I maintain my energy level at a more even level.
Banana chips, various cookies, biscotties and energy bars were some of my choices. A few snacks were wrapped in plastic and stuffed in an open bag that was mounted on the handle bar, so I could easily reached them while cycling. I snacked often.
I carried some food, mainly for breakfast. Instant oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, tea bags, miso soup and a freeze dried package food. Together with the snacks that I carried they also served as emergency food, in case I could not get food from restaurant or grocery store when I need it.
Each morning before I start my ride, I had instant oatmeal with tea and one hard boiled egg. This spared me from stress of finding a restaurant for breakfast.
After the days ride I had protein drink and sometimes miso soup. I also boiled water for next day Gatorade drink and water bottle. I use a small (1 Liter) electric kettle to boil water.

Clothing.
One set of street clothing, they consist of one pair of shorts, one pair of underwear and a long sleeve T-shirt that also served as a back up cycling shirt. Two sets of cycling clothes, they are two pairs of cycling shorts, one short sleeve cycling jersey and one thin, long sleeve, merino wool T-shirt. Three pairs of wool socks, two ankle length, thin ones and one thick standard length. I washed every day.
One pair of sandals as the only footwear. They are Keen sandals. I like them, they are comfortable and look great for all occasions, they also protect the toes. No special cycling shoes.
A rain jacket, 'shower pass', very useful. Together with a water proof helmet cover, protects me from the elements - rain, wind and cold temperature. I really like the 'shower pass' rain jacket.
A pair of thin, one size fits all, cotton gloves that I wear underneath my regular cycling gloves for additional warmth when the temperature gets really cold. Next time I will replace them with one made from thin merino wool.

Personal stuff and medications.
Tooth brush and paste (small tube), comb, disposable shaver and dental floss.
First aid, - polysporin, band aid of various sizes. Gel soap. Ibuprofen, Imodium. Eye drops and supplements.
Should have some toilet paper and dish liquid soap as well for all purpose washing.
For personal safety, next time, I should also carry a pepper spray to protect myself from dog attacks.

Navigation and communication equipments.
For communication I brought 2 cell phones, Bell and Trackphone. The Bell cell phone (Samsung T669B) was to be use in Canada. With this I could call Theresia's cell phone without incurring any long distance or roaming charges. The Trackphone (Motorola flip phone) was to be used in USA, it is a prepaid phone that can be used any where in the USA for the same rate. It had over 1000 minutes, good until April 2014. Whenever there is good WiFi connection I could also make Skype calls from my Nexus7 tablet.

The Bell cell phone worked well, I did not encountered any problem making and receiving calls within Canada. To control cost, I did not use it in the USA.
On the other hand the Trackphone had problem getting signals several times, always in small communities. No signal around Albion, Palmyra, Wolcott. Pulaski, Cape Vincent and along the route between those cities. I was able to use it at the Canadian - USA border (Niagara, NY), in Lockport, Rochester and Oswego.

For Navigation, I used Google map to plot the daily route to travel by bicycle from point A to point B, and print a hard copy. Each day, the printed route for that day was inserted in a plastic protective sleeve and carried in the handle bar bag for easy access. Together with the bicycle trip meter this printed route were my main navigation tool. This printed routes were prepared at home before the trip. A compass on the bicycle bell and down loaded maps from InReach GPS site and from Google site on to my Nexus7 tablet, made up the remaining navigation tools.

These navigation and communication system had worked and got me through the tour; they are existing electronics that I already have, I did not purchase anything new specific for this tour. With the problem I have with my eyes, I needed something that could guide me by voice, like a car GPS; it has to be operated by a rechargeable battery that will last 8 hours or more between charging and it must also be able to map bicycle trail routes. Hope I could find something like that for my next tour that is within my budget.

Spare parts and tools.
Two inner tubes, tire patch kit and a variety of nuts and bolts were the spare parts that I carried for this tour.
My tool kit contained a set of tire levers and various screw drivers, Allen keys and small wrenches. I also carried a small bottle of chain lube, a rag and some disposable plastic gloves. Baby powder. A bicycle pump is always mounted on the bicycle. I will add a spoke wrench and a chain tool on my next tour.


Conclusion.
My first tour went very well. Besides good luck, good planning and proper preparation played a huge part. As indicated above there are a few things that I could improve.
I will change Shadow's aluminium fork to a carbon fibre fork, this will make the ride on side walks and rough surfaces more comfortable.
Toilet paper, liquid dish soap and bathtub stopper will be added to my gear list as well as a pepper spray.
Use only clothing that are comfortable, and quick to dry.
A GPS navigation for bicycle with audio (voice turn by turn) instruction would be very helpful.
I did not take enough picture on my last tour partly because I did not carry a camera that suit me; I just used my cell phone. On my next tour I will take along a small digital camera with a view finder and a small tripod.
Yes, I do have a plan for my next tour. I love bicycle touring, at this moment I am dreaming my next tour and I am going to live my dream. Life is short, especially if you are over 70. Live your dream while you can, you are never too old to seek new challenges.............till next time.

Brampton Guardian article - about my bike tour around lake Ontario

Oct 13, 2013 | Vote0   0

Brampton senior undertakes 900-kilometre bike ride

Triumphant

70-year-old Budi Tahir took a 900-kilometre ride circumventing Lake Ontario. The long-time Brampton resident said he did it to inspire others.

Brampton Guardian

ByRadhika Panjwani

BRAMPTON — When Brampton’s Budi Tahir, 70, set out on a grueling a cycling trip around Lake Ontario, he not only accomplished the feat in nine days, but along the way, he learned more than a couple life lessons.

Tahir learned; much like life, one must travel light; be prepared to navigate physical and mental roadblocks; realize sometimes the road doesn’t lead to where it’s supposed to and that every hill, no matter how steep, can eventually be conquered.

“I always look for new challenges,” Tahir told The Guardian. “Otherwise I would be bored. These challenges make life interesting. With this ride, I want to inspire others and tell them not to give up on their dreams...”

This was not his first attempt though.

Last year, the Brampton man wanted to commemorate his 70th birthday by successfully completing the 900-kilometre ride, but he had to abandon his plan two days into the trip because he developed a fever after getting caught in a heavy downpour.

This time around, the former Nortel employee, decided to invest in proper rain gear. He set himself a daily goal of 100 kilometres and appropriately charted a route that would allow him to rest the night in motels dotting around the route.

His nine-day sojourn cost him just under $900, but the bragging rights and the sense of pride on having accomplished the feat are priceless, he estimates.

In 2008, three years after he started cycling in earnest, Tahir signed up for the Ride To Conquer Cancer, a 200-kilometre, two-day fundraiser and successfully completed it.

Emboldened, he began thinking about pushing himself further. That same year, his daughter gifted him a yellow touring bike, which he aptly named Shadow.

For his recent adventure, Tahir couldn’t have asked for a better sidekick than Shadow.

Each of the nine days, the senior would set his alarm to go off at 6 a.m. so he could begin his journey latest by 7:30 a.m.  The idea was to travel 100-kilometres each day.

“I know my limits,” he said. “I know what I can achieve and what I cannot do. The reason many people quit what they set out to do is because they think they can do more than what they can actually do. I believe people should be persistent and not underestimate themselves.”

On his second day, Tahir crossed Welland Canal on Queenston St. bridge and decided to walk across as he did not want to risk damaging the tires of his bike, but just as  he neared the middle, an approaching cargo ship set the bridge’s alarm system off.

The Bramptonian literally scrambled for dear life and made it to the other side minutes before the bridge opened. Those few minutes were somewhat harrowing.

A day or two into his trip, Tahir encountered the first of many steep hills, In his previous attempt, he walked the hill in question, but this time, he decided to tackle it.

“At first, I wondered if I could conquer it,” he said “I took a deep breath and went for it. About one-third of the way I realized I had Shadow on the lowest gear already. I exhaled forcefully on each and every stroke. We (Shadow and I) climbed slowly and after what seemed like eternity, we made it to the top.”

Tahir made it back to Brampton safely as planned on the ninth day.

As he neared his home, an exhausted but triumphant Tahir was greeted by his wife and child who had been following him on the GPS tracker.

“The highlight of the trip was the people I met along my trip,” he said. “I feel so blessed because I met so many people who had to give up cycling because of either an illness or an injury. I also did this trip so I could inspire the younger generation and tell them they can do anything they want once they set their mind,” he continued.

 You can read Budi Tahir’s journey in his blog.

Around lake Ontario - second attempt

Saturday, August 31st 2013.
Tomorrow morning, Sunday September 1st 2013, I will start my cycling around lake Ontario. It was exactly 1 year ago when I failed to cycle around the lake, to celebrate my 70th year on this planet, due to illness.
I have learnt a few lessons from that experience.

This time I will travel light. I am leaving my camping gears behind, this reduced the total load by more than half, so I could travel faster and further. I will stay overnight at hotels and motels along my route. Last year plan was to cycle under 100 km a day and complete the journey in 15 days; this time I will cycle on average 100 km each day and complete the journey in 9 days. Proper rain gears were purchased and the broken pedals and stand were replaced with a better quality. I continued to cycle regularly and had become physically a stronger distance cyclist.
Everything is packed and loaded on Shadow, my favourite touring bicycle, ready to go.

Sunday, September 1st 2013.
I choose to start on a Sunday because of much less traffic leaving the city, so I went to mass on Saturday evening. To my surprise, after mass, just outside the church, I was blessed by father John M., our pastor, with father Roger P. and deacon Franciscus S., to have a safe cycling adventure around lake Ontario. This was a very good omen.

Ready to roll.

Of course I did not sleep well last night. Finally, after saying good byes to Theresia and Edward, I started my journey around 7:45 AM.

About 2 km later at a traffic light stop I realised that I had not turn on the InReach tracker. With this GPS tracker my family could see where I am at 10 minutes interval on their computers. This was Elaine's and Chris's idea. I had mentioned about this tracker in one of my previous blogs.

Cycling out of Brampton this Sunday morning was a breeze, hardly any trucks on the road. Cawthra road in Mississauga was a bit busy, Lakeshore road in Oakville was lined up with huge mansions with lake front as their back yard.

By 11:30 AM I reached Burlington. Here I had lunch with my good friend Alfred S. at Lake Shore Coffee House. My odometer showed 64 km. I had moved along well so far.

Alfred and his wife Bernice lived in Burlington, they hosted me last year on my first attempt around the lake.

At 88 km in Grimsby I took a washroom break at Harvey's restaurant. Soon after I got lost around Olive and Ontario Street in Lincoln. Cycled around and found an elderly gentleman who gave me the right directions. As I cycled towards St. Catherines a little girl came running towards me and pleaded to buy some drinks from her lemonade stand beside the road. Of course I obliged, it cost $0.50; while enjoying the cold drink I prayed that it will not cause me a stomach ache. I brought some Imodium with me - I consoled myself.

Rose flowers farm along North Service Road near Lincoln.

Checked in the Days Inn hotel in St. Catherines at 4:15 PM. Distance cycled 125 km. The weather was cool and bit cloudy, perfect for cycling; just a little head wind between Burlington and St. Catherines. The terrain was mostly flat.
Day 1 went very well. After an ice bath, a shower and washing my riding clothes, I went for supper at Perkins next door to the hotel.

Monday, September 2nd 2013.
Woke up at 6:00 AM. I had set my alarm to wake me up at this time each day. My plan was to start cycling around 7:30 AM and checked in the next hotel around 4:00 PM each day.

Had instant oatmeal and hard boiled egg for breakfast - Days Inn did not provide breakfast.
Start cycling at 7:30 AM. The Google map route in St. Catherines was somewhat confusing and directed me through a construction zone; had to cycle on gravel road for about 1 km, it was not pleasant.

Crossed the Welland canal on the Queenston St. bridge. This was a metal platform bridge. Not willing to risk damaging Shadow's tires, I walked across. As I reached the middle of the bridge I saw a cargo ship approaching and the bridge alarm went off, so I hurried to the other side and watched the bridge opened up to let the cargo ship through.

Bridge opening up.

There was a very steep hill at the start of Niagara Townline road. Last year on my cycling tour from Toronto to Niagara Falls with Kristian and friends I had to walk up this hill because I was already tired after cycling over 100 km from Toronto up to this point. This time, I had cycled only 15 km so far - still 'fresh'. I wondered if I could 'conquer' this hill with the extra 25 lbs on Shadow. I took a deep breath and went for it. About 1/3 rd of the way I had Shadow on its lowest gear already. I exhaled forcefully on each down stroke. We climbed slowly at about 6 to 8 km per hour. After a few minutes, that seems like eternity, we made it to the top. Hooray!

Before going to bed last night, I studied the route for this day. I noticed something insane. Google map directed me to cycle on hwy 405 from Stanley ave. to the Queenston bridge to U.S.A. I decided to take Portage road instead, which was parallel to 405, and approached the bridge to U.S.A. from here. Near the end of Portage road as I approached the bridge I saw a sign directing cyclist towards an office building. More signs for bicycle appeared. I cycled, following the signs, around the building and finally saw one that told cyclist to report to the captain's office. As I parked Shadow to enter the captain's office a couple officers came out, one of them asked me if I was going to cycle across the border. He then directed me where to go and told me to cycle across the bridge in the Auto/RV lane. He also said that he will radio the other side and tell them that I was coming and made sure that I made it to the other side safely - that was very nice.
I followed the instructions. At the US side of the bridge I lined up behind cars in the Auto/RV lane to go through US custom. The officer asked me the usual questions, over hearing my answer that I was cycling around lake Ontario, his college commented: "That is crazy". Of course this was not the first time that I heard this comment, it actually encouraged me to do it.

The only route away from the bridge was to take I190, a major highway; Google map directed me to take the first exit towards Upper Mountain Road followed by a sharp left (U turn) onto Upper Mountain Rd. and walk my bicycle to do it. Once I was on the exit ramp, I looked for Upper Mountain Rd. I realised there was a 2 1/2 feet tall metal barrier between the exit ramp and Upper Mountain Rd. I dismounted and ran across the exit ramp with Shadow towards the barrier, then I unloaded everything, including the water bottles, from Shadow and put them over the other side of the barrier one by one. Finally, I carefully, as not to hurt my back, lifted Shadow over the barrier and climbed over myself. After loading everything back on Shadow I ran across to the other side of Upper Mountain Rd. with them. Then I continued to cycle along Upper Mountain Rd. following the route as directed by Google map.

It started to rain as I cycled on hwy 31 going East. I put my rain jacket and helmet cover on and continued cycling Eastward. Another half hour went by, my trip meter read 40 km and the rain became more intense. I saw a Subway restaurant just ahead on the right hand side so I decided to stop for an early lunch and wait out the rain a bit. It was 11:15 AM.

As I reached Lockport the rain had stop. Soon I found myself cycling on the Erie canal trail. This trail was mostly hard pack dirt and sand, some sections had gravel, broken concrete or nicely paved. It was free from motorised vehicles and run along the canal so it was mostly fairly flat. My average speed on this trail was 16 km per hour, one could not go fast on this surface.

 My destination for this day was Albion.  On my way to Albion along this trail I passed Gasport, Middleport and Medina. Walked around Middleport, we used to come here to visit our dentist Dr. Steve G, he retired several years ago, not much had changed, seemed to be more deserted. In Medina I heard and then saw a waterfall below the trail. Took some pictures then walked up further to see if there was anything else that was interesting. I could hardly believe what I saw - the river with the waterfall actually run underneath the canal. No wonder this section of the trail was all concrete.

Waterfall as seen from the canal trail.

Between Medina and Albion there was a small park with a bench under the shade of a huge willow tree. Since it was still early, around 3:00 PM and my destination was within half an hour I decided to rest here, watch the boats on the canal and took a nap. By this time my sandals and socks had dried out.

At 4:00 PM, I reached the Dollinger's Motor Inn in Albion. No one was around. It appeared that the Motel was a self serve one. I picked up a telephone in front of the closed office, got connected to a person in another location and was told where to pick up the key for my room. It rained as I entered my room.
Distance cycled this day was 99 km.

 After a cold bath (ice was not available), a shower and washing my clothes, I walked next door to a TOPS supermarket. Bought a couple bananas, Greek salad and chicken salad for supper in my room.
Day 2 went well - on time and on target.

Tuesday, September 3rd 2013.
Start to cycle at 7:30 AM. The weather was cool and rained a little. Put my rain jacket on.
Destination of the day was Palmyra. Which could be reached entirely via the Erie canal trail, but Google map route partly used hwy 31 to cut short on the distance a bit.

The Erie canal went all the way to the Hudson river in Albany NY from lake Erie, Buffalo NY. It was relatively narrow compared to the Welland canal in St. Cahterines Ontario. Also unlike the bridges crossing the Welland canal, the bridges crossing the Erie canal did not 'open up' to allow any height of ship to pass; the bridges were raised up and down and the maximum height was around 15 feet, in Palmyra. So only small boat and low barges could pass underneath the bridges. During my 2 days cycling along this canal, I only saw fishing and leisure boats on the canal, no cargo ship.

Saw a white duck(?) swimming in the canal with a couple mallards.

Had a coffee break at McDonald on hwy 31 at the 40 km trip meter mark. I missed the turn, as directed by Google map, to get back on the Erie canal trail. I just remembered that the trail was North of hwy 31 at this point, so I just kept going North. A few minutes later, ahead I saw a couple cyclist attempting to cross the street. I stop and asked them if they knew where the Erie canal trail towards Palmyra was. They pointed to a hidden trail just behind them and said that they just came off the trail from Pittsford. How lucky I was.

Around Rochester the trail branches off to several directions a few times, so I had to ask for directions 2 more times and checked the map on my Nexus7 tablet once. Soon I reached Pittsford, a small charming city just on the East side of Rochester. Decided to have lunch here; I walked around with Shadow to find a restaurant where I could park Shadow safely, surprisingly it was not easy. Finally found one at the Village Coal Tower restaurant.

Close to Palmyra on the trail a cyclist approached from the other direction, he stop and asked questions about my tour. We chatted for a while. He was 70 and in great shape, an avid kayaker and occasional touring cyclist. He suggested that I take hwy 21 North to hwy 104 East to go to Wolcott tomorrow, instead of the zigzag route direction from Google map. He also mentioned that he was one of a team that was responsible in restoring a historic iron bridge that I will passed on my way to Palmyra. Interesting and nice person.

The historic iron bridge that was restored.

The Palmyra Inn was a very nice place, best hotel, best value, during my entire cycling tour. Checked in at 4:15 PM. Distance cycled this day was 99.4 km. Weather was cool and cloudy with some drizzle, had my jacket on all day. Day 3 ended well.







Wednesday, September 4th 2013.
I planned this day to be an easy day as I was not sure how my body will react, cycling 100 km each day for 3 straight days. Palmyra Inn was the perfect place to sleep in and relax. Had a good ice bath, showered, wash my clothing, and a good supper. The wifi internet connection was good and fast, I could make skype calls to family and friends. Took advantage of the extra time of this 'rest' day to clean, oil and pump Shadow.

Woke up around 7:00 AM, had a nice breakfast courtesy of the hotel. Printed out my revised cycling route for this day, as was suggested to me the day before by the cyclist I met on the trail, from the hotel's business office. Start cycling at 10:00 AM.

Stop at a local diner on hwy 21 for lunch around 12:30 PM. As I was waiting for my food I noticed that the tracker was not on. I was sure that I had turned it on just before I left the hotel. Turned it on but it went off again; the batteries must be dead. I went out side to get spare batteries from the bike. The panniers were well organised so I knew exactly where the spare batteries were stored. The tracker was on and working again after the batteries were replaced.

Also on hwy 21 close to junction 104, I bought a quart of apples, 5 good sized Cortland apples, from a fruit stand. It was self served. The price was posted, $1 for one quart.  I put $1 in the money box and picked up one quart apples. No one around. They were good fresh apples.

As I came closer to Wolcott, the terrain became more hillier. Arrived at Wolcott hotel 2:30 PM.
My room was on the 3rd floor, there was no elevator. I would not carry Shadow up to the 3rd floor and risked hurting myself, so I locked Shadow in the small front lobby/hallway and took all the bags and panniers into my room.

The room and hallway were depressing. The carpet was dark and looked dirty. The bed cover looked very old and had stains. The whole place was very dated. Dark fake wood panelling covered the walls. Chips and stains on the bathtub, sinks and toilets. No phone in the room. The room was very small. All in all it was very depressing. Could not wait to leave this place. It was the worst place I stayed during this tour but it was also the lowest price - $43.15 including tax. This was about the same rate I paid for a camp site in Ontario.

To day I went from the best place to the worst place - what a contrast. After a shower, I was not going to take a cold bath at this dingy place, I went out for a stroll around town. A gentlemen greeted me: "Are you new in town?" Very  obvious, no? We chatted. He introduced himself as 'Bill' and he was doing a bicycle tour himself. He cycled from Palmyra today and was heading for Pulaski tomorrow, just like me. We sat down in comfortable andirondack chairs in the front porch of the hotel and chatted further. Bill also stayed at the Wolcott hotel, the only hotel in town.

Bill was 66 years old, he was from Dayton Ohio. He started his cycling tour from Erie Pennsylvania and headed to Bar Harbor New york. His wife will meet him in Pulaski and will support and accompany him by car the rest of the way. Initially I agreed to cycle together to Pulaski but later on I declined. Bill followed a route map that will take about 20 km further than mine and he was always in a rush. I did not feel
comfortable cycling together with him and did not want to go the extra 20 km.
We had supper together across the street from the hotel and after supper we walked to the supper market. I bought a couple bananas and a bottle of water. I agreed to meet him for breakfast at 7:00 AM at the restaurant behind the hotel.

Day 4 was easy and relaxing. Distance cycled was 58 km.  I was glad that Bill showed up, my otherwise dull evening at this depressing hotel was rather fun with him around.

Thursday, September 5th 2013.
 At 7:00 AM, I peeked through the window which had a clear view of the restaurant behind the hotel; saw a loaded bicycle parked near a window. That must be Bill's, he was early, he must be anxious to go.
Bill was studying a map, he sat by a window, as I entered the restaurant to join him. The map was issued by the American Adventure Cyclist Association. It was a beautiful map, detailed, well organised with important information for the touring cyclist. Bill said that he was looking for a bicycle shop along the route, he felt that his bicycle rear wheel was a bit loose. He wanted it checked out.

Before I finished my breakfast, Bill stood up and said that he wanted to see if he could fix the rear wheel himself. After I was done I went outside to see Bill and offered him my assistance, he thanked me for the offer and said he could handle it. We then said our good byes and wished each other a good trip. I went back to my hotel room to prepare for my trip.

At 7:45 AM I was ready to leave, took a quick look at the direction of the restaurant and noticed that Bill had left. Found my way out of town. The weather was sunny and cool. About half an hour later I saw a cyclist coming towards me, it was Bill. We stop. Bill asked if I saw his bag on my way, he lost his bag that was on top of his rear rack. He must have left it behind at the restaurant. He forgot to put it back on the rear rack after working on his bike. As he continued to cycle back to the restaurant I wished him luck and prayed that he will recover his bag.

The terrain was very hilly. The hills came relentlessly one after the other without any flats in between. Around noon time at the 40 km trip meter, stop for lunch at 'Rudy Lakeshore Restaurant' just west of Oswego by the lake. Had a delicious salmon burger.

Cycled pass the beautiful State University of New York complex. After Oswego the hills were more frequent and intense. I needed frequent rest. The country side was beautiful. I often walked back and forth during my break from cycling and enjoyed the beautiful scenery while munching on snacks and sipping drinks.

The Port Lodge Motel was on hwy 3, the main route to the ferry to Canada. I arrived at 3:15 PM, very tired from cycling the hills all day long. Distance cycled was 78 km, not very far. By now I was more than half the distance around lake Ontario. I was happy that the cycling tour went without any major problem so far. I felt that I had planned this tour just right for my condition and ability. Day 5 was under the belt.

There was no tub just a shower stall, so no cold bath. I washed my clothes and hang them to dry outside on the backyard deck, still plenty of sunshine. This place had good wifi connection, but I could not study the route for tomorrow, I had problem focusing my eyes. Restaurants were too far to go to by bicycle. Cooked and ate the emergency food that I carried along with the bananas and apples I bought yesterday. Went to bed early. Many sport fishermen stayed at this motel. They woke up very early in the morning to go fishing and made lots of noise.

Five days ago, at home.

Friday, September 6th 2013.
Weather was very cold this morning, below 9 Celsius. I put my thick wool socks on and extra gloves underneath my riding gloves. Also put my rain jacket and helmet cover on. Start to cycle at 7:15 AM.
The terrain was still hilly. Good thing the sun was out shining and warming the day.

I made little progress because some areas on this route had very bad surface, loose gravel. At junction 289 and 75 I saw a coffee house, it was 10:30 AM and my trip meter showed 26.8 km only. I stop for coffee, warmed myself up and had a washroom break. Noticed that I had forgotten to turn on the GPS tracker, I was distracted by the cold temperature this morning. I went to the cashier to pay for my coffee but the cashier told me that it was paid for by the gentlemen that greeted me earlier as I came in the coffee house. He had commented that it was too cold to cycle, I agreed and said that I needed a warm coffee to keep going. I was very surprised; never had a total stranger bought me a drink. I thank him and told him that it was very nice of him.

Stop for lunch in Dexter, about half way of to-day's distance target. I had a Delicious warm chili with a bottle of Gatorade, a nice chat with the cook / owner of the restaurant about cycling. She was an avid cyclist until she busted her knee and had an unsuccessful operation. The day warmed up, I no longer needed the extra gloves and helmet cover, but kept my jacket on.

Form Dexter to Cape Vincent I had a constant head wind, but only a few hills. Arrived at the ferry terminal in Cape Vincent around 2:30 PM.  I did not have to line up behind cars, I was allowed to get on the ferry right away and parked Shadow in the corner behind cars. The fare was $2.00 US.  The ferry trip to Wolfe island was a short one, about 20 minutes. On Wolfe island I had to go through the Canadian immigration and custom. I was the third person in line behind two other cyclists, a mother and daughter who cycled to Cape Vincent from Kingston to have coffee only to find that the coffee house was closed. The crew let cyclist disembark before the other vehicles.The two cyclists waited for me to cycle together across to the North side of Wolfe island to catch the next ferry to Kingston, but I told them to go ahead because I will be much slower on my loaded touring bike. About 40 minutes later I met them again at the North ferry terminal.

The North ferry was much larger than the one on the US (south) side, it was free, run by the Ontario government. At the end of the ferry ride I parted with the two nice and kind cyclists, the mother wished me all the best with my tour. I cycled through downtown Kingston in the rush hour. It was not too bad, cars gave room. Arrived at the Howard Johnson Inn at 4:15PM. Had supper at Subway just one block north of the hotel.

The wifi connection was really good, so I made a few skype calls and checked out the weather for tomorrow. It called for thunderstorm, I decided to stay put if the weather got nasty tomorrow. Again had problem focusing my eyes. Day 6 was over, distance cycled 110 km. I was back on Canadian soil and could feel the end of my cycling tour. I thought the next 3 days would be much easier - how wrong I was.

Saturday, September 7th 2013.
As soon as I woke up, I looked out the window, it was cloudy, some wind, no rain, no storm. Great, I could continue with my tour. Had a nice breakfast, courtesy of the hotel, it started at 7:00AM. Took an extra apple for the road. By 7:45 AM start cycling out of Kingston.

Soon I was surprised, the terrain had lots of hills, combined with the NorthWest wind made cycling difficult. I really underestimated the difficulty of the Kingston to Toronto part of this tour. I thought the terrain would mostly be flat. Adding to my anxiety, Google map had a few errors. Upper Slash Rd. disappeared into a dead end road and before that, Lower Slash Rd. became a T junction without any road names available; should I turn left or right? These roads were in the Mohawk Indians settlement, not sure if that was the reason that the map were not up to date.

Saw a few stores offering tax free cigarettes in this area. I also saw gasoline sold for $1.18 per litter; in Brampton it was $1.32 per litter. The local people were friendly and helpful; I was back on the right track without consulting my tablet.

Had lunch, fish (basa) and chips, at a local restaurant on York St. A lady approached me as I was leaving the restaurant and asked if I was the local newspaper photographer. I wondered what made her think that.

Migrant seasonal workers in the field.

It rained as I neared Trenton, I still had my jacket on; just continued pedalling to my next destination - the Bayside Motel on Old Highway 2 in Trenton. Reached the Motel at 3:30 PM. Distance cycled 92 km.

It rained unabated, so I stayed inside and had my 'emergency' food for supper. Wifi connection was not bad, read e-mails, but could not focus well to study the map for tomorrow's route.

Sunday, September 8th 2013
Woke up around 2:30 AM with some pain in my ankles, knees and hips joints. Took one Ibuprophen and another one before my ride. Perhaps 7 days of cycling started to have some effect on my joints.

Start early, 7:00 AM without breakfast. I planned to have breakfast at one of the fast food restaurants 5 km ahead in Trenton. Had 'Super breakfast' at McDonalds. The weather was cool (14 Celsius), sunny and a bit windy.

Like yesterday, the cycling was more difficult than I thought. I should have added an 'easy day' in my plan and made the tour to 10 days. I could use an 'rest/easy day' to day.

Stop for lunch in Cobourg at a  downtown Subway restaurant, ordered a one foot tuna sandwich. Saved half for later down the road. Got lost in Port Hope. Google map directed me to turn right onto Queen Street at the 69th km, my trip meter showed 73 km and no Queen Street in sight and the road branched off onto two directions and neither was Queen St.  I saw a family having lunch at an restaurant outdoor patio, I approached them and asked if they knew where Queen Street was. They did not know of any Queen Street in Port Hope. Asked where I was heading. Told them that my destination for to day was Bowmanville and that I was going to cycle mostly on Lakeshore Road to get there. They showed me a simple route to get to Lakeshore Road but were concerned about a steep hill that I had to climb and told me that Bowmanville was still quite a distance. I told them that I had been cycling hills the past 4 days and was on the last 2 days of my tour. They were amazed and when they heard that I was celebrating my 71st year  on this planet, they invited me for lunch with them to celebrate together. I thanked them for their kindness, I had my lunch and Bowmanville was still quite a distance away, I could not afford a long rest time.

Lake Ontario viewed from Lakeshore Road.

Cycling along Lakeshore Road was nice, light traffic and nice view of lake Ontario. Bought 3 peaches for $1.00 from a local farmer who was selling them from his front yard. Somehow I missed the right turn onto Stephenson Road and found myself at the end of Lakeshore Road in Newcastle. I saw a nice park right on the shore of lake Ontario. Decided to rest here and ate a little, it was 4:10 PM already. Consulted my tablet to see where I was and find out how to proceed, but my eyes could not focus very well even with a magnifying glass I had a hard time to see the map. I called Theresia and asked her to help me with the map, unfortunately she was not good at reading maps. Roughly I knew where I was. After the short and nice rest I asked around for directions to Bowmanville.

Rest area.

Over one hour later at 5:30 PM I arrived at the Liberty Inn on Liberty Street in Bowmanville. It was a long day. Cycled 112 km to day. Tomorrow I will be home. Hooray!


Monday, September 9th 2013.
Initially my plan was to cycle North from Bowmanville to Brampton through the North side of Toronto. Which I thought would be a better choice than cycling through downtown Toronto during rush hour. Changed my mind after cycling from home to Toronto and back via the Humber river trail, 2 weeks prior to my tour. Decided to cycle home via the Humber river trail and take the GO train from Ajax to Toronto CNE  station to avoid cycling through downtown Toronto East in the rush hour. An article in the Toronto Star, about one week before my tour, about cycling accidents, statistics and locations in Toronto, confirmed that I had made the right decision to take the GO train into Toronto.

Shadow inside the GO train.

Two days ago I had contacted father Joseph R. in Ajax to see if it was possible for him to meet me for lunch. I would love to see him. Father Joseph could see me after 12:00 PM, that was great I could plan my arrival time in Ajax.

Took 2 ibuprophens before I started cycling at 7:30 AM. I did not have to start this early, I could be in Ajax in less than 3 hours, but I was ready and rather anxious to be home again. The weather was cool with some cloud. I decided not to use Google map's directions which will take me south to lake Ontario shores in a complicated zig zag pattern. It might be safer and more scenic than the route I choosed; I was not in the mood for sight seeing. Cycled North on to hwy 2 and then East on hwy 2 all the way to Ajax, through Oshawa and Whitby.

Cycled at a leisurely pace, went through busy sections in Oshawa. Sometimes, had to cycle on the side walk to avoid trucks and buses. I was not in a hurry so it did not bother me much. It was only 10:00 AM when I passed Whitby, so I decided to have a coffee break at Tim Horton before I reached Ajax.

Found a quiet seat by the window where I parked Shadow. As I sat down to enjoy my coffee I noticed the free wifi sign on a window;  pulled out my tablet and set it up to connect to Tim's wifi. Opened Chrome, and was connected to Tim's website. It offered fast connection if I registered, membership was free, and basic (slow) connection otherwise. I registered, all that was asked was my name and e-mail address. The connection was really good. Went through my e-mail,  made a few skype calls and checked out the weather forecast for Brampton, then I consulted Google map for the route ahead.

Heart warming sign.

One hour later I continued with my tour; had a productive time at Tim's. Soon I reached Ajax city limit, I stop to take a picture of the welcoming sign - Bicycle Friendly Community, that was heart warming for a cyclist.

In Ajax I used the Google map direction which directed me to use a street parallel to hwy 2; I studied this route earlier at Tim's. It was a good one, much less traffic and a bicycle lane. Ajax was truly a bicycle friendly city.

I reached the parish office office at 11:45 AM, a bit early. Did not see father Joseph's car anywhere in the parking lot. He had not returned from his duties, I thought. Walked around the church grounds, as I turned the corner I saw father Joseph walking towards me. He had put his car in the garage. Another person, Arthur P, was there to visit father Joseph. Arthur was a prominent member of our parish in Brampton. He had a business to attend to in Ajax and made time to visit father Joseph.

Had lunch and spend some time with father Joseph. I had lunch with a good friend, Alfred S., on the first day of my tour and now on the last day of my tour I had lunch with another good friend; sounded like a perfect opening and ending of this 'story'.

Father Joseph accompanied me on his bicycle, we cycled together to the GO station. That was a nice gesture of him. Got off the train at the Toronto CNE station, on the North side of the train track, had to cross the tracks, the Gardiner expressway and Lakeshore Blvd to reach the Martin Goodman trail along the shores of lake Ontario. Cycled West and kept looking South for a way to get safely to the Martin Goodman trail. The first bridge was under repair and closed, the second one took me to the on ramp of the Gardiner Expressway, had to make a U turn here. Cycled further west and found myself on the Qeensway and saw a pedestrian / cycling bridge crossing on to the Martin Goodman trail across the street.

Toronto, viewed from the junction of Martin Goodman and Humber River trails

Cycled West on the Martin Goodman trail, then North on the Humber River trail. About 42 km more and I will be home. I felt relax and pleased. Took my time to enjoy the scenery. Different section of this trail offered different scenes. Stop to see a young family attempting to create a stone sculpture by balancing stones one on top of the other.

Balance stones sculpture.

Further down the trail there was a nice flower garden with a few benches under some shades. Stop to rest enjoy the scenery and contemplate. Soon this adventure will end. I had planned it well. The journey started well over 2 years ago, it was quite a journey. The challenge gave me motivation to exercise and take care of my health. It made me feel alive and made live interesting. In the process I had learn many things and hope had become a better person.

Beautiful flower garden on the trail.

I also hope that I had inspired others to keep challenging themselves. Never give up on a dream. Never give up trying. Never give up hope. Do not let others set your limits.

After cycling the Humber River trail, I cycled home, on the side walks of Goreway Drive and Williams Parkway. It was rush hour. As I turned the corner I saw Theresia and Edward waiting for me on the driveway, they had been following me via the GPS tracker. Home sweet home.....................

Almost home.........

My cycling adventure around lake Ontario had come to an end. It was a success. Everything went well, No accident, no injury, and no mechanical failure of any kind. It was amazing......
I thank my family and friends who had supported and prayed for me, especially my dear wife Theresia who had also suffered much to allow me to fulfil my dream. Without you I could not have done this. Thank you.

The Route.

THE END.