My Candisc Tour Report (Long)

[cosc]

This was a great 7 day 403 mile loop tour from west ND to Manitoba-Peace Gardens. Terrain varied from flat, rolling hills, and smaller mountains. There was around 420 fun riders averaging on the mature age range. Riders were early birds with some breaking camp at 4:00.

The area is very rural with few farmsteads, and towns on our route were only at our overnight stops. Rest stop were 10 to 22 miles apart, with portapotties with water stationed halfway in between for longer distances. Roads had very little traffic.

Temps were mostly very favorable for riding, but the weather reports were never-ever accurate.

Beautiful scenery included, wheat, sunflowers, soybeans, oats, flax and canola fields. Peace garden flowers and foliage were georgous. A wonderful place to visit.

Our 82 mile day ended up being the riders shortest milage day due to lightning, wind, hail and rain. What stories were told in the camp that night about the days adventures. Highway patrol ordered all bikes off the road so the sag wagons had a mighty challenging job to secure the safety of riders to the overnight stop. A few riders that didn't wait around for storms to leave the area arrived at the night destination and seemed to miss the worst of the weather. Did I say this storm was supposed to be through and gone within an hour after breakfast. I first secured protection under a stubby trees -marooned with 4 men till the hail let up. My dh will hear about this. Mabe next year he'll come keep me company. Rain and bad lightning followed my path every mile with hail ensuing every 10 minutes, the last couple of hours on the road. Sometime I would just stop and turn my face away from the wind. The hail was like riding over big gravel on the road. Thankfully most was penny size or smaller. The ping on my helmet made me so thankful for my helmet. My exposed parts and bike didn't have such an easy time of it though.
It was really hard to find protection because there wasn't farmhouses, and the shelter belt trees were eions tall. Did I say the lightning was baaaad and worse? I ended up finding refuge in a old tipsy hay loft which at that point looked like the Hilton. Two riders we yelled at came to join us and sawhorsed their bikes down by the highway so the sag could find us. I found that through all this you couldn't stay still long or you would get too cold.

Some bikers seeking protection scooped out a hay bale and said they saw a big pole crack and smoke when lightning hit it. Many locals and motorists picked up cyclist so it was eerie seeing bikes left solo by the road.

I was thrilled to meet a gal from the TE forum, Kayjay. I really had a great time of riding with wonderful folks, but hope for a little less excitement next tour.

Thanks for listening and sorry to go on so long.

Here's pics of my trip. The dark cloud pic from our storm day.

[Veronica]

Wow! What an adventure. I miss thunderstorms. They are fun to watch from the safety of my house! Geez... kinda scary to think about being on a bike in really major one.

V.

[Trekhawk]

Wow love the report and the pics. The storm sounds scary.
Im like V I love storms but from the safety of my home with a nice cup of tea to sip.

[Bad JuJu]

Sounds like you got a little bit of everything, both the likes and the yikes.
Thanks for sharing the story and those great photos!

[kjay]

Hi, Cosc, I am ever so thrilled to see your post and was just as thrilled to meet you in person. Thanks for looking me up. Your photos are terrific, and now I wish I had taken more.

CANDISC is just the BEST ride ever, and North Dakota is definitely one of the best states in which to ride; so little (if any) traffic and one of the best-supported organized tours available. This was my first time with Shuttleguy, which made it an easy tenting experience. I hope Shuttleguy is there next year as well.

Congratulations for crossing the finish line. I sagged the day of the horrible storm and at times the hail was the size of a quarter, which I'm glad you missed.

Your photos bring back such great memories!

[cosc]

Kjay, sorry about misspelling your name. I was fortunate the ride wasn't a week later, as I was sick. I love bike touring, seeing new territory and meeting wonderful people. The last overnight stay in the big 96 people town of Butte, was the best. Oodles of great food and locals that actually toted the luggage for you.

[sbctwin]

It sounds like you had an adventure and good stories to tell and events to remember. Riding in hail with thunder and lightening about is one for your memory banks . Great pics!!!

[eclectic]

Cosc
GREAT pictures!

I made it to Velva to see Kjay - DANG I wished I'd known you were there too, I love meeting TE gals.

I am from the area and have heard many adventure stories about the epic storm. I am glad to hear there were no injuries.

Erratic weather reporting
You just learn after living here that if they say 10 mph winds they mean 20, isolated Tstorms mean they will be where ever you are.

How did you fare w/ the 70 mph winds that night? I heard a lot slept in the church basement but kjay and my friend braved it out in their tents and lived to tell the tale.

all in all I was very sorry to not have been able to make the ride. Life got in the way this year but i plan on going next year.
so let me know if you are going too!

[kjay]

Am so glad you added the "s" to the word "tent" when you said, "I heard a lot slept in the church basement but kjay and my friend braved it out in their tents and lived to tell the tale."

I had no idea that winds got up to 70 mph! No wonder it felt like the tent wouldn't survive, but thankfully it did! I really kind of enjoyed the excitement of the storms that night, and was glad I didn't have to brave the weather to find the portapotty.

It's great to see your post here, eclectic.

[cosc]

Eclectic, yes I'm already looking forward to next Candisc. Sorry you weren't able to make it this year.
I was glad my sturdy eureka tent withstood the 70 mile winds and I didn't have to worry about trees overhead.

[r900]

Hi COSC, I believe I have spoke to you on the road! Your photos are great! I stopped at the cenex station in Drake, me and about a hunded of my best (soaked) cycling buddies! We waited about 2 1/2 hours for the storm to go through. After that, the sun came out and it was a nice warm ride in the sunshine to Butte. We certainly had a great supper feast in town. I slept through the storm that last night. Hey, next year the tour goes through the badlands. That is an epic tour, one not to be missed!