Day 26 - Regina, SK to Broadview, SK

Day 26 – June 8th, 2026

Start Time: 6:00 am

Stop Time: 12:30 pm

KM Travelled: 160 km

Elevation: +362/ -331 m

Special Stuff: Dancing grass, commercial and industrial transport industry, the weather

Today’s ride was a breeze (listen to me - haha!} I get 160 km done in 6.5 hours. I want to keep going, but I have set some restrictions for myself with the weather issues. I still am a bit uncertain about how to navigate things - I don’t want to get stuck halfway between towns and have the weather turn on me. What I need is experience - which is exactly what I am getting.

Today I finally experience ‘flat as a pancake’ Saskatchewan – quite amazing really. The land and the sky go on forever. There’s lots going on too with birds chirping and flying around and the odd frog croaking. I crossed by a coyote today - it just stared at me as I went by. (I wonder if the Indigenous people here also refer to coyote as ‘trickster’).

The last couple of days of riding, I’ve noticed the grass getting taller and this year’s bull rushes starting to grow. The crops have only recently been planted, and are just starting to take form. The grass on the side of the road dances in the wind (it’s mesmerizing to watch). I realize that the view that I have of Canada on this ride is different than the view of bikers coming behind me. A person could do this same ride many times and have a new perspective of Canada each time.

https://video.wixstatic.com/https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c90cc6_348a922af7244ac3b1bc4c030256608d/file

I have a very busy brain - always planning, flipping over ideas and considering options and alternatives. When on the bike, I need to stay present observing the traffic, road and environment conditions, but I also like to keep my mind pre-occupied. A highlight of every riding day is that I review the bike ride from Victoria (where I started) to where I am riding at the moment. I think this practice helps me to remember the trip - it’s so easy to let the days blur together otherwise. I also think about the future and where I will go next on this trip - and also some other bike trips that I might like to do. Usually when I think about what’s coming up, I get a bit frustrated - the future is so uncertain. When I get frustrated, I bring myself back to the present and remind myself that all I need to do is bike and enjoy exactly where I am in this exact moment. I don’t know if this is a grounding technique, but it works fabulously.

As I’ve been travelling, I can’t help but notice the commercial and industrial industrial transport - not only by big rig, but also by train. In BC, I typically only see parts of a train as it snakes in and around corners. Here on the prairies, I usually see the entire train! (I’ve found it interesting that not all the engines are Canadian Pacific – some are Kansas Southern engines. I wonder if CPR bought them second hand and didn’t get around to re-painting them? Maybe a train expert reading this blog can share some insight), I have a new appreciation for the commercial and industrial transport industry and that it is a significant employer in our country.

I pass a bunch of little towns today, but one that stands out as one to come back to and visit is Wolseley. The town has a drive-in movie theatre (Twilite Drive-In Theatre) and a swinging bridge.

I decide to stop riding today at Broadview, but I wish I could just kept going – especially having since learned that tomorrow, not today, is going to be having significant weather issues. Frustrating!

After mulling things over for hours, I decide I will get to the next town first thing in the morning, before the thunderstorm risk starts up at 9:00. My room here is adequate - but not one that I want to spend another mandatory rest day in. I’m also excited to keep moving forward towards Winnipeg (even if only by 24 km). Wednesday (in two days) shows the promise for another great tailwind – I’m confident that I can make up for lost time. It’s frustrating when I have the energy and zest to ride but can’t because of weather conditions.

When it comes to the weather, the locals are all talking about it. I often join a conversation with strangers about the weather to try and learn more. When people find out that I am biking, they are always generous with their knowledge. I learned of another new weather app today – The Weather Network.

Not too much more to add. I’m just a bit bummed out with the weather, but there’s nothing much that can be done about that. Maybe something to look forward to tomorrow is to get experience watching the sky change and seeing a good ‘ole prairie thunderstorm (from a safe location - of course).