How does this compare to truck driving?
I still remember looking at the map of the Cape Chignecto area of Nova Scotia. Its about as isolated as it gets in Nova Scotia especially during the winter. Most places in isolated Atlantic Canada close up in the winter when all the tourists go home. I remember thinking, surely I would starve to death.
My goal was to add as many kilometers as possible to my Atlantic Canada route and this was the way through. Leaving Amherst Nova Scotia on January 13, 2020 my first and only meal stop for the day was fish & chips in Joggins at Margie’s Bayview Restaurant. Margie informed me that it was impossible to pedal a bike on the backroad #209 to Advocate.
Well, that might be, but I had come too far to turn around now. Besides I had nowhere else to go. It would be 60 kilometers up and down hills the whole way. And the road got very bad very quickly. With close to 2–3 inches of sticky snow over the road my wheels and fenders were caked in snow all day. The only part of the road I could ride was the white line down the center of the road.
The road was in such bad repair that the one time a snow plow did come by his blade was lifted as to not tear up the deteriorated pavement. If I saw a dozen cars drive pass over the next day and half, I would be surprised. Oh, did I mention that morning my gear shifter had froze leaving me with out my bottom 6 gears? I ended up having to push my 180 lb bike and gear over every hill through the snow.
Pedalling into the dark that night (seeing how there was no traffic) I eventually camped about 20 feet from the road. The next day I pedalled (and pushed) the remaining 37 kilometers. Coming into town of Advocate I came upon a gas station/ grocery store/ open for breakfast only business called Rite Stop.
A local guy was pumping gas into his pickup truck who I would later find out his name to be Laurie Currie. I asked him if this was the only place in town open at this time of year for food? He responded “how does this (my bike ride) compare to truck driving?” I couldn’t understand the question. So, I responded “So this is the only place open?” Laurie responded “Yes, and by the way I have been following your bike ride for a while now.” Now the question made total sense.
I had been interviewed by CBC Charlottetown on January 2 (12 days earlier) for a news web article. In the article and most every news article about my bike ride afterwards always referenced that I use to be a long haul truck driver. Hence the question “how does this compare to driving a truck?” The crazy thing was that I was so isolated that I thought I was going to starve to death. Instead, I was recognized by the first person I met.
Laurie also gave me some lock de-icer that instantly fixed my gears. Also, that night a stranger gave me the use of her home all to myself. And from that day forward I would be recognized dozens and dozens and dozens of times everywhere I biked through Atlantic Canada.
