Canada tour - Day 0 - Arriving in Toronto



Based on the recommendation of folks I met through my local biking e-mail list (www.bikewashington.org), I signed up for a bike tour with Bike and the Like (www.bikeandthelike.com). I chose the O Canada trip for the level of riding (which was just about right), the scenery, and because it fit my schedule. Bike and the Like is run by Suzie and Roger, a very sweet couple who love to ride and like to keep their trips simple and inexpensive.

I did this ride on my Bike Friday Pocket Crusoe, which is a light touring bike and also a great travel bike (it fits in a suitcase). When I signed up for the tour, I also decided to spring for a Bike Friday, since none of my other bikes--two single speed mountain bikes and a cheapie Dahon folding bike--were really suitable. My bike arrived at my house in may--by September I had put 800 miles on it and was ready to go.

The flight went well, but it wasn't clear where I should look for my shuttle pickup (Suzie with the SAG wagon). I made an educated guess and Suzie spotted me with my Bike Friday suitcase on the curb.

Suzie also found Pat and Nancy, and their bike boxes, fairly quickly--they had been on the same flight as I--but finding Dave from Denver took longer. I wound up going in to ask for info once and even drove the van on one loop around the airport while Suzie was inside looking. We found him.

After a quick check-in at the motel, the five of us, plus Roger, had a nice lunch together, where we learned about Canadian money (loonies and toonies).

I got my bike assembled without trouble and got in a quick 3 mile ride before the group dinner.


Dave put together this route map. His Canada tour web page can be found at http://www.woodtopia.org/canada/


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Canada Tour / Jonathan Krall / revised September 2005