Epic tailwind – 195 kilometers
A little update between yesterdays post since I posted early. I went into town for dinner and there didn’t seem to be a restaurant. I came across two young men, really 8 or 9 year olds who mentioned the Elk hotel. They really seemed to be a lot older in maturity, maybe they were thinking of roughing up the city boy. Totally kidding but they seemed excited that a subway restaurant was coming to town this year. Anyway I headed to the Elk and when I walked in there was complete silence and everyone was starring at me. I said “hello” and one of them said hello back as they all watched me go sit down. After about 15 minutes a waitress came by and as always people warm up to me quickly. I probably didn’t need more food but I had the fried chicken which was a cholesterol nightmare!
Okay sorry to bore you. At 4am I woke up to the howling wind, I had to look outside to check the direction: it was going my way. I was thinking about getting up but slept in to 6am before getting packed etc. I was off by 7:30 and the wind was massive and for the first time a tail wind! I went into a zone right away. For those that do not bike, you do not question or wait to admire a tailwind you get out there and crank out the gears. Even though I had to pee I did not stop until 38 kilometers in because you never know when the the road or wind will change direction. It was a challenging wind as well since it was from the South West so the southerly gusts would give the bike a good jolt. I had to keep a tight grip on things which meant my hands started to go to sleep after a while.
I took my first drink of water also at the 38km because it was not safe to have only one hand on the handle bars. Again cyclists understand. This is like a powder day for skiers, you just go and ask questions later. Around Chaplin lake I had a few surprises (please stop reading if you are my mother or a sister), the first being the paved shoulder disappearing and being replaced by loose gravel. I think I got a little lucky and hung on until I got back on the road. This was unpleasant though because I had to ride on the road. It was a good kilometer before there was about a foot of shoulder which was still unsavoury. Eventually the shoulder expanded again, keep in mind I still had cross winds gusts from the south so I was a little nervous out there. Then it happened again, this time it looked like gravel but I wasn’t sure and when I hit it there was no option to turn out of it, I had to ride it out to a complete stop. I think this one was luckier because I was going 40km/hr and in gravel things happen really fast and I wouldn’t have been able to clip out. After that a another slim shoulder for quite a while. This is a bad stretch of road folks and you need to be careful here.
Most stretches felt like no chain and I had a stretch of 45km/hr for about 4 kilometers without much effort at allow. I rarely got out of the big ring even on the hills where I would only slow down to the low 20’s. I loathed to stop for pictures but I have to do it because sharing the story is very important and some of you folks paid for some road. Earl your stretch kicked ass!
I arrived at Moose Jaw and was immediately beaten by the wind since I was now heading South into town. I met with reporter for the Moose Jaw Herald Lisa Goudy for some photos since we had talked on the phone yesterday. Hey I made the paper!
Then I went to the Moose Jaw tunnels! I can really not say enough about the tour. First off the tour is the “Al Capone” tour but it is more about bringing you back to the 30’s and prohibition in the US and how Moose Jaw did their best to wet the American palette. The first guides are dressed sort of like “can can girls” and play the part of social gossipers about the town and the going on’s of the crooked cops who got caught robbing businesses they were supposed to protect and catering the gangsters. You get to see Al Capone’s room and various secret doors/escape routes through the building. You make your way down to under the street where you meet a member of Al Capone’s gang – great entertaining actor Calvin. I got to hold a Tommy gun and imagine all the time I am in bike shorts and helmet which Calvin took opportunity to mock once and a while.
Getting out of Moose Jaw was just as challenging with the crosswinds but as soon as I got out on the highway it was back to massive tailwinds! I was very happy and simply went with it. I didn’t stop until about 10km out of Regina to stuff myself with food. The trans Canada kind of goes around Regina so make sure you turn in. I found the hostel pretty easily but it was closed until 5pm so I looked around for other shelter before finally coming back. I talked to some guys from Ontario who blew their transmission in their car and found Regina boring but beautiful. I think I will stay until Canada day since I could have to ride 600km in 4 days to make it Winterpeg.
Ride was 195km in 6:30!