Better to be innocent instead of freaked out?

[shootingstar]

Came across a blog by a French 20-yr. woman who is excited to cycle across Canada in 40 days...with 10 days of exploration. With her own stuff. That's over 5,000 km.

She's starting in Halifax, Nova Scotia on the east coast. (Better to start in Vancouver BC...)

You know sometimes it's better not know in great detail how tough the journey will be ahead of her. But it makes one wonder who fed that type of hype to her.

In speaking with some European tourists a few months ago, they were a bit freaked out how big Canada was. One of them, a Belgian said to me: "Just driving 100 km., we are in foreign country". Well, that may be true it you live close to the Canada-US border.

[zoom-zoom]

Is this woman insane in the most truest sense?! I have 2 friends pedaling across the US right now...they're planning for it to take 3ish months. And this woman is pedaling against typical wind patterns...?

[rebeccaC]

I have no idea how well she can ride distances, she could be a young Seana Hogan i'd have to take more time but hey she would be doing it a lot slower than some women solo RAAM riders who have done close to the same mileage (3000 miles) with 170,000 ft of climbing in 9 to 12 days. Hogan and Muffy Ritz have both done it in 9 days.....of course there are very FEW Hogan's in this world

i hope she has an enjoyable time!!!!!

[shootingstar]

I reread her blog..it's 2 months. Still it's pushing it, physically. She's not doing the RAAM.

[rebeccaC]

I reread her blog..it's 2 months. Still it's pushing it, physically. She's not doing the RAAM.

5000km in 60 days with 10 days off is just 100km a day. a few women here could do that. interesting write up on wind patterns. i was just using raam as a comparison mileage/time wise would you post a link to her blog or pm it to me? i'd like to read it.

[shootingstar]

Honest to cycle daily, for 100 km. for 60 consecutive days...would be mentally tough. Sure, there are at least 4 mountain ranges to pass through between Alberta and British Columbia. The 3 Canadian provincial prairies can be deadening on the brain...my partner who is a happy hermit cyclist (he did cycle from Vancouver to Toronto twice, 4,800 km. one way...lst time in 45 days with his own gear). He was happy to even see a tree or a truck on the horizon..

I'm not trying to be negative...but Canada and US are huge countries. There are huge tracts of unhabited land and space that is different from more tighter areas of Europe. Especially wilderness with no services for 100-150 km.

When we cycled only 1,000 km. in the Maritime provinces, I lost 7 lbs. I had not anticipated the strong ocean breezes and poorer road grades....Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia do not design their roads with more gradual grades. (So says my civil engineer partner).

Interesting link. I think psychologically it might be easier to tackle the mountain ranges first, in the West.. Then the Canadian east coast would be a nice book end. The history, flora /fauna and culture on Canadian west and east coast are quite different.

But everyone is different about cycle touring. My preference is not to breeze through an area and collapse into bed after supper. I like to stop, enjoy and learn about the local area also.

[nuliajuk]

Is this woman insane in the most truest sense?! I have 2 friends pedaling across the US right now...they're planning for it to take 3ish months. And this woman is pedaling against typical wind patterns...?

From British Columbia through Alberta and perhaps the westernmost part of Saskatchewan, it's mostly prevailing from the west. Once you get into the middle of Saskatchewan, it can come either direction, but we get it somewhat more from the east. I don't know what it's like from Manitoba onwards.