The Author at Mosquito Cove, July 1996
My summer holiday in 1996 was a bicycle ride across Canada. "Spin Spin Spin" is a recollection of that odyssey.
During the ride I had no thoughts or intentions of ever expanding my sketchy diary. However, one day in the early fall, just filling in time, I typed "Day One" on the computer. I discovered two things: many memories were vividly resurrected; and recalling them was fun. I still had no intentions of ever making my journal public.
Believing that my immediate family would be interested in details of the trip I pictured them as I wrote, namely: my wife and daughter, but also my extended family: my mother; my sisters; my neices and nephews who met me along the way; and also friends who took time out of their day to wish me luck as I passed their homes.
I pictured these people as I pecked away at the keys. Thoughts and feelings never intended for public view were therefore recorded. In time I have decided to share them with the world, as originally written.
Because the nuances of cycling are mostly unfamiliar to family members I occasionally took a moment to explain cycling terms and techniques.
Twelve strangers assembled in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 25, 1996. We were the 1996 cadre of the annual Tour Du Canada™cross-Canada bicycle ride. To pedal our bicycles from one coast to the other was, of course, the reason we were there. I felt confident that I could make it.
There were, however, two additional goals I set for myself. One would require good luck, the other a great deal of hard work. The first goal, my hope, was to ride every millimetre of the route—not being forced to sit out any part of the distance due to illness, injury or breakdown. The other goal, my resolve, was to complete the ride without ever resorting to the use of my "granny gears," the small third chainring that provides extremely low gears. (Nevertheless, it was comforting to know they would be there if I should ever need them.)
The night before it all began I went to bed feeling it was going to be a great trip, with great people. I was right on both counts.
The Author at Mosquito Cove, July 1996