The Long Ride East

Day 2 of the Bike Rally began at 1:30 AM with a bang – a clap of thunder to be precise. A large thunderstorm rolled in bringing high winds and torrential rainfall. Some peoples’ tents were completely drenched, others got very wet or were annoyed by the loud storm that continued for hours. I was lucky on all counts, though. My tent stayed dry and the noise didn’t bother me. I slept well until about 5:30.

When I woke at 5:30, the rain had stopped. I couldn’t sleep any longer and it was a good thing I didn’t. I set right in to breaking camp, drying off the tent fly as best I could and putting everything back into my rubbermaid bins. Soon everything was put away and it was time to head over to breakfast. Breakfast was my usual Bike Rally breakfast. Oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar, baked beans, and if I’m extra hungry a scone or bagel. And of course, coffee. And by the time breakfast was over the storm was back. This time with a vengeance. Before long, everyone huddled in the large cafeteria tent while the rain poured down and thunder boomed. The departure time that was scheduled came and went, and soon an announcement came that we wouldn’t be leaving until 30 min after the last thunder. Because this day’s ride is the Bike Rally’s longest at 126 km, we need to get on the road promptly so that those who ride a bit more slowly have time to get in to camp in time to get settled in before dark. At this time contingency plans were being made. The best case is that we’d leave shortly once the lightning stopped. The worst case was that they’d use trucks to get our bins and bikes to the next camp and bus us over – an idea nobody liked. Not even me who despises riding in the rain.

Finally, though, we did get moving – albeit about 2 hours later than we’d expected. Before long the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day. But by the time we got to the first break things weren’t looking so good. Behind us was another wave of pitch black clouds. I ate my snacks as quickly as I can – which wasn’t easy as I was ravenous as we’d had to wait a long time between the end of breakfast and our first break 30 km in. Finally, though, we got on the road.

As expected, the rain came. There was little warning – one minute it was dry and the next it was torrential rainfall. As I was wet within a minute, I saw no point to taking shelter and kept going. My most vivid memories of that hour or so in the rain are sensory – the feeling of my feet squishing in my shoes – it almost felt to me like they were in a washing machine, and the sting of the raindrops as I rode quickly down some hills. Traffic wasn’t too bad so I felt pretty safe despite the bad weather. Sadly for some, the rain seemed to have another effect – so many people were stopped with flat tires. More than I’d ever seen on a ride.

Finally, though, it did clear up. And before long I was at the lunch stop. This day’s lunch stop is a special one as it happens at a B&B with friendly owners who give us homemade ice cream when we’re there.

This ride seemed as long as it sounds and by the time we got to the third break at the 100 km mark, many were exhausted, they’d left late, suffered flat tires, and it was getting late. Fortunately for them the Bike Rally delivered. At the rest stop there was a bus waiting for riders who had had enough, and a truck on which they riders could put their bikes. I was given the option to go on if I wanted and I *really* didn’t want to have to say “I rode all the way to Quebec – well except for 20 km in Picton.” And so I continued down through Picton to the dreaded Glenora hill. While not as big as some of the hills on the training rides that took us up the Niagara Escarpment, after over 100km this hill is a challenge – and for me it would be even more challenging as this time instead of a 27 lb bike, I was riding a 42 lb bike. Still, I pushed and pushed and was doing pretty well. I did even better after a busload of riders went by cheering me on. Finally we got to the Glenora Ferry which took us to the other side where we rode 2 km to the second day’s camp site.

It had been a long day but after managing not only 126 km of riding but a big hill at the end, I was confident in my ability to make it all the way with the heavier bike.