Day 68 - Lac St. Augustin, QC to St. Michel de Bellachasse, QC

July 20 (Monday)

Start Time: 7:00 am

Stop Time: 1:15 pm

KM Travelled: 58.7km

Elevation: +179/-191 m (to the bike shop) & +302/ - 325 m (after the bike shop)

Special Stuff: Courage, New chain, Great bike lanes

My morning routine is thrown off because I have an appointment at the bike shop (Primeau Velo) in Lévis, which is 17 km away on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River (across from Quebec (city)). My appointment is at 9:30 am, but I am not sure what I need to navigate to get there, so I leave at 7:00 am to make sure I have plenty of time.

It is cold and feels a bit like fall. I wear my socks on and put on my jacket.

I have very little energy to ride today. I'm not sure if it's my late departure, the heavy poutine dinner or knowing I only have about 60 km to travel. Whatever the cause, I am feeling like a sloth on the bike. Hills don't feel as exciting as they usually do. I make a mental note to eat an energy bar or two when I leave the bike shop for the second part of my ride.

The journey to the bike shop starts off pretty chill, but quickly turns into an adventure. I navigate my way through the outskirts of Quebec (city) which goes smooth, but then I am lead to some very steep hills (under an impressive railway tressle) and then to a MASSIVE iron bridge that crosses the St. Lawrence River. This bridge has a two-way pedestian/ bike lane with room enough for a single person. The barriers to the right and left are at shoulder height - I can see through the one on the left (I think it's an open railing) because there is a clear view of the river way down below. The bike lane goes on for more than a kilometer, and there is a sign indicating that somewhere in the distance there are workers hanging over the side of the bridge doing some work on it (believe it or not, there is a pictogram sign for this).

For many, this would be an exciting adventure...unfortunately for me, it nearly stops me in my tracks. In my 20's, I was fearless - I did all kinds of crazy shit - riding my bike on high sketchy trestle bridges was no problem. When I got pregnant, something changed for me biologically and I developed a fear of heights (it must have been a feature that came with the 'mamma bear' package). This fear is so pronounced that I've even experienced panic attacks over the years (like on the Disneyland ferris wheel - that was fun).

At the entrance to the bridge, I assess the situation with facts and determine that it is safe - it is impossible to accidentally fall off this bridge. It is possible, however, to crash my bike, so I decide to walk and push my bike. I summon ever morsel of courage I have - I rationally conclude that the worst case scenario would be to succumb to my fears and have a panic attack. I decide that I need to be strong, stay positive and avoid thinking about anything negative or scary (including the workers hanging over the side of the bridge on the far end).

As I cross over the bridge, I need to stop several times to squeeze over to the right side to let people who are riding their bikes and scooters go past me. My legs feel wobbly and I can feel my heart thumping in my chest. When I get to the bridge worker who is manipulating some ropes that are dangling over the edge, I smile at him nervously and then look away - I just can't let my mind think about the workers dangling about working on the bridge below.

When I get to solid ground again, I am so relieved, and proud of myself!! Any positive effects from doing my morning stretches have completely lost their value because my whole upper body is wound up tighter than a drum.

There are no pictures of crossing the big iron bridge nor the St. Lawrence River below - I really couldn't tell you what either of them look like (as I only did a quick assessment at the beginning and then had tunnel vision for the rest of the crossing). I do have a photo of the exit, but it is wrapped up because of the construction work - not very impressive - sorry.)

I am grateful that I gave myself lots of time to get to the bike shop because my 17 km journey took me two hours! I arrive 30 minutes early, giving me some time to get myself organized to easily unpack my luggage for the bike servicing.

Each bike shop takes a different approach to bike travellers. Some will fix a traveller's bike immediately, while others require that you leave your bike with them all day. I am mentally prepared for both. I am the first person in the bike shop and they tell me they will do my bike repair right away - it should only be about 10 minutes or so!

30 minutes later, my bike is ready to go - I square up my bill and start loading up my bike. Loading my bike takes focus and careful balance because I don't have a kickstand. As I'm loading my bike in the now busy bike shop, a middle-aged man comes by to talk with me. He's watching me load my bike (which is a bit distracting), and is genuinely interested in my technique. His level of interest suggests that he's an experience rider (who must use a kickstand). We have a bit of chit chat about my journey and then he leaves to continue on with his shopping.

A few days from now, my journey involves a tricky stretch that shows an alert on 'Le Québec à Vélo' map - I just can't figure out how to get through that section using my planning tools - and no one is answering the contact number provided. My route planner (Ride with GPS) will not allow me to navigate through this section of road and it sends me an alternate way up into the bushes (the heat map shows that no other biker has used the alternate route in the last 7 or 30 days). Earlier in the day, I had wished for someone to talk to about the upcoming stretch of the journey (Brian and I don't talk about this kind of stuff). As I load the last of my panniers back onto my bike the middle-aged man comes back to talk with me. I get a feeling that this man has come into my day for this purpose, so I stay open for ongoing conversation. It turns out he has recently passed by this exact area! He shares information about a trail closure and shuttle service for this section of the trail. At the time he travelled through he had to take shuttle and was told by the driver that the construction work should be wrapped up by July 15th. He could not confirm if the work has actually been complete. He also lets me know that they have put a tunnel in for bikers - and to expect to go through a tunnel. This information is golden! I add it to my data bank.

Taking the time to chat with locals who are passionate about biking is incredibly valuable - they are the seasoned folks who know the trails. Talking with strangers requires some discernment. I adhere to the belief that most people are kind and have good intentions. I think most people don't feel threatened by me, but they might think I'm a bit atypical. I'm a tall, middle aged woman that looks quite awkward with my unfashionable bike gear, frizzy ponytail hanging out of the bottom of my helmet, and streaks of white sunscreen that have not been rubbed in quite enough. I feel like if people are talking to me, they must genuinely have an interest in biking, or in the adventures of other people. Occasionally I've felt uncomfortable with strangers - in these situations, I listen to my gut and adapt the situation so that I feel more comfortable (e.g., leave the conversation and get into a space where others are in close proximity).

Within 1 hour, I'm in and out of the bike shop (with a new chain, a new bike bell and great information) and on my way to St. Michel de Bellachasse! I asked the bike shop to see if they could take a look at the clicking that happens when I pedal - they said it is not a chain problem and that it is probably dirt (because my bike has 5000+ km of dirt on it). I might just need to live with the clicking as I don't want to mess with a system that otherwise works really well.

The bike ride today is fabulous! It takes me down a two lane bike path. There are lots of people out riding, and I have to be careful when I stop to take pictures so that I don't cause an accident.

Looking over at the Quebec (city) side of the St. Lawrence, there are some spectacular buildings - I'm guessing that I am looking at Old Quebec (city). There seems to be a ferry that shuttles people across to Old Quebec (city). I have a feeling there's a lot of great riding in and around Quebec (city).

This cross-Canada bike ride has made me realize that I need to incorporate more hostas into my garden. They grow so lush and green - and I've seen so many different ways to use them.

The ride is over fairly quickly and I navigate by way to where Brian has set up to camp for the night. By accident, I ride past the campsite (I blame poor signage), and get a better sense of the surrounding neighbourhood. Upon arrival to the campground, I ride up to the campground manager who stops and turns off his ride-on lawn mower. In my broken French, I try to tell the gentleman, who is well into his 80's that I am here to join my husband (and I point to our truck and trailer). He answers back in his clear English that he does not understand me - he's clearly not a Francophone.

For a short riding day, this one was full of lots of interesting adventures.