Safe Return Doubtful

92 km (57 miles) – Total so far: 391 km (243 miles)

Up early at wild camp after a peaceful night, although the ocean is loud. A breeze kept away the early mosquitos at 6:30 to break camp.

20 minutes up the road at Lepreau in a gas station with a store, so breakfast there before a very rapid 42 kilometres into St John. This part I did all on Route 1. It has a good shoulder for bikes, but is a freeway with traffic at 120 kph +, so really it isn’t the most pleasant riding. But it’s riding for a purpose, and I was averaging 20 km/hr and in St John just after 10. Future riders beware the bridge into St John in the next few weeks. It has construction taking place, and one narrow lane in each direction open only. It’s probably an 800 metre climb to the top of the bridge, so the traffic has to follow the bike. If you are going directly to the Digby ferry, you turn off before, but I needed some patches as I didn’t bring enough, and another tube. I went to the bike shop I was directed to, but it had closed down last week. City centre St John was full of such closed down places. Rather unimpressive, with little to make it interesting. At the closed down bike shop, I asked a motorbikes where the nearest bike shop was. 10 km out of town. He offered to go for me, and met me at the ferry. Tremendous. A busy ferry, and wifi for the first time for a couple of days, where I am updating the blog.

From Digby I may head to Annapolis Royal. It is a 3 hour crossing to Nova Scotia, and I’m not keen to ride much after 4 pm.

Off the ferry and decided after some debate to ride for a while. Passing the city if Digby I was happy it was the right decision, it’s a big place, no good for wild camp for starters. The section of road then from Digby until the turn off on the Evangeline Trail is the worst I’ve ridden so far. Probably 8 km on a very busy single carriageway with no shoulder. Great to turn off, much quieter and a series of steady ups and downs all the way to Annapolis Royal.

Distance 92 kilometres Max Speed 34 mph Moving Average 19.6 kph Riding time 4 hrs 37 mins Departed 7:30 am, and 3:15 pm from ferry Arrived ferry terminal 10:45 am to Annapolis Royal at 5:15 pm

Wildcamp at New River Beach

St John over the bridge – warning, not good to cycle on

Note the “anti-mosquito” socks (or Cardiff Blues)

Note the guy on the right in his denims, Arthur King his name, at 71 years old, we are the only two cyclists on the boat.
He has ridden from Toronto on a bike he bought from a yard sale. It should have 5 gears, but he only uses two, and today, he has trusted only one. He is on his way home to Yarmouth in Nova Scotia after 4 weeks on the road. There he is going to trade his bike for a newer version, and then wants to head from Toronto west to Vancouver. He wildcamps at night, and does about 100 k a day, slowly he says. An interesting guy. He has 90 kilometres to go to get home, which he says he will do today, starting 3:15 ish I guess, after 3 beers on the boat also. He will be home about 9 pm he hopes. Hopefully his sister, who uses the Internet will read this. He is in training to ride from Toronto to Vancouver he says, but maybe on a new bike.