The 92 km That Could
Well, despite unusual heat and humidity, I went for it again. This time, I thought, my big advantage would be to avoid unpaved roads at all costs. Oh boy, that idea got expensive...
For the first time on a long-term trip, I gave a chance to my BiSaddle. I'll publish a full report on the matter separately, but suffice to say I am highly satisfied with this product.
The general idea was to use Rang 6 to reach the 249 to avoid gravel on Ch. de la Riviere, then to go right through Windsor up to whatever would reach the 216 back towards Sherbrooke via Stoke. The ride was expected to slightly exceed 100 km, if all went well and I didn't have to turn around. It was, afterall, the hottest day I ever dared biking.
As usual, the first hour, or 15 km, is the hardest part of the day. The objective seems impossible to achieve, and just another 5 km feels like an exploit. Then a rythm takes place, and hours go by...
This is where I had lunch in Val-Joli. Crappy photo, but the municipal park was actually quite nice. It was the only place all day where I could rest in the shade.
Typical rural road and associated farming scenery. Very peaceful.
Of course, the day wasn't perfect. The photo on the right doesn't nearly do it justice, but the 249 and the 216 were a non-stop rollercoaster. If you weren't plunging at death-defying accelerations (which even the BionX regenerative mode couldn't keep up with), you were going uphill for ages to regain the lost altitude. At first, I thought one or two such valleys would be allright, but it turned out to be a pattern for the rest of the day. My 28/28 first gear wasn't slow enough after a while, and to continue my habit of using the motor only as a last resort, I even walked a hill or two. You know in the movies, when survivers have to walk for days searching for rescue, how it's always about "just one more hill to go"? That's what it felt like. My legs took a beating. :)
The Cow. That was on the 249, one or two rangs before St-Georges-de-Windsor. From afar (first photo), we wonder what's going on. Turns out it's sitting on a high point for enjoying the view, with stairs and everything. A pile of rocks with a big metallic cow head. (Second photo.) Under it they had these weird gravel paths with the names of surrounding towns. Kind of a map I suppose. (Third photo.)
This was on 216, around my 75th kilometre. On the 216, the valleys were just as deep as on the 249, but peak-to-peak they were much longer. Not necessarily an improvement... At this point I realized that digestion issues had prevented me from eating as much as I should have, and I was getting very weak. I finally decided: "what the heck, if I'm going to stop short of the finish line, might as well use up the battery to go as far as possible."
I still had time to notice the very first hints of autumn colours in some leaves. What I really needed at that time was food though, but I didn't have the stomach to handle it, so I kept on pedaling.
Unavoidably, even with the battery's assistance, I finally crashed in Stoke just after passing by the lake. I didn't crash the bike, but I literally had to lie down for a good 10 minutes to feel somewhat normal again. See, what didn't help was that I ended up drinking water instead of Gatorade all day, further deepening my energy deficit. That'll teach me to bring the orange flavour (too acidic for me on long runs). I tried calling a taxi, but had no cellular reception and didn't feel like bothering nearby people, so I got back on the bike for a few more kilometres, up to Rang 5.
So, that's why the ride stops short of completion on the map above: I mismanaged my energy, underestimated the hills of these roads I had never biked on before, and ended up completely drained at the 92nd kilometre. Today, boys and girls, I learned the hard (and thus memorable) way that when doing long endurance exercise, one must take care to eat before being hungry, even if it means stopping for 20 minutes in order for the stomach to handle it.
You can bet I'll want to try that route again soon, and succeed it.