My first cycling trip was a solo expedition, a backcountry ride up and over the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide from my hometown of Cranbrook to ‘the big city’, Calgary. During the five day journey I ventured into the provincial parks, riding alone, watching the trees get bigger and the sky get bluer. There were moments of fear, when I startled a bear early one morning after sleeping in a hunting cabin, and of sheer delight, when I came across a roadside cafe offering unlimited refills of lemonade in the summer heat. But the biggest thing I took away from this trip was a desire to see more of my country on two wheels. Over the next five years I set out on six more of these expeditions, some lasting a few summer days and some three months as I cycled my way across three of Canada’s western provinces. There is something magical about touring a country by bicycle. It becomes an entirely sensory adventure. You are able to hear more; the familiar sounds of your bicycle’s mechanics or the cadence of your breathing. Smells become stronger as the wildflowers and berries lining Canada’s highways invite you to pull over for a longer sample. Flavours are sweeter, whether
Travelling by bicycle makes you more than just a tourist; you’re an adventurer, a voyager. People greet you outside grocery stores with freshly baked bread and ask about your journey. On my cycling trips I relied on the kindness of strangers many times after flat tyres or incorrect navigation. The bicycle adds a new dimension; it carries with it this sense of purpose. You are not just here to see the world. You are here to embrace it.
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