Miles Today = 16 (Sight seeing Vancouver)
Total Miles = 16
Well got up quite early and got ready. Set the co-ordinates in the GPS for both MET the outdoor shop and Stanley Park. Then set off. The first time on Canadian roads. Back home I am a confident cyclist and traffic does not intimidate me. I have to admit I was not like that here until about half way through the day. To start with there is this big highway running right outside the hotel and I did not even know if I was legal to ride on it, turns out it was fine and I can ride on anything that has a speed limit of up to 80kph. Obviously want to avoid anything like that, but it is good to know.
The weather was not good, very cloudy. I stopped off for a breakfast and everything and I am trying it hard to find anything unhealthy on any menu I have seen. I went for this protein box which consisted of boiled egg, oat bread, peanut butter, grapes, apple cheddar cheese. Umm lovely my kinda breakie!
I found the outdoor store MET, it is my ideal shop! It has everything! I was trying to find a reason why I would need to dragged an inflatable kayak around in a cycle trailer. Surprising common sense prevailed and I kept the credit card in its holster, now if you know me let me repeat that..... I demonstrated normal behaviour, common sense, crazy!
I bought my sleeping bag about £100 for a duck down, less that 1kg and volume size of 5L. You got a bag with it but it did not compress it so I had to buy a compression sack as well. All the cycling stuff was amazingly cheap and could of got well and truly kitted out to look like Darran Jugroop on my bike :)
He fixed my bend rotor for 10 dollars and I went up to Stanley Park had a ride around the trails. It is a lovely park saw a few signs saying 'Rabies Alert' got to watch out for those darn Racoons. Got me thinking though, were I meant to have shots before coming here?
Then I felt like I wanted a beer. Only the one. I wanted a nice water front bistro type of place and I asked people for that requirement. They directed me to this street that was like Blackpool, no thanks. I gave it a miss and headed off back to the hotel. Whilst on the water front I saw a restaurant and people were sat out having a beer. So just like last year in France it is the restaurants where it all happens.
The one pint turned into more, but you get served a pint of water for every pint of beer, I like that idea. Whilst I was sat outside I saw lots of cyclists. I need to get used to this tipping thing over here. When I was sat at the bar the waitress who was very beautiful said those words every single bloke wants to hear. "I get off in ten minutes so" ................... shit I thought what do I do? We have been nicely chatting, but I did not know it had come to this, did I read it wrong? But then came the put down ............. "So do you want me to transfer your tab?" I did not understand this transfer the tab, but it is all down to their tips. I should of cleared my bill, given her a tip and then started a new tab, or thats what I think I should of done. But I did not, I said "Yes transfer it please". To be given a weird look, it was at that point that I realised I should of done the other. Or just given her a tip, but I did not have any hard cash on me. All a learning curve!
I left the bar and on the way back I got a view of the mountains with some attractive cloud cover. I needed picture so I went chasing them. Got my pictures, but on the way I found the kind of bar I was after, so I popped in and had a couple more. I was riding back on a trail so everything was safe.
I got back to the hotel, dumped my stuff and went to the food place next door for my tea.
Realisations Of The Day (ROTT)
Total Miles = 16
Well got up quite early and got ready. Set the co-ordinates in the GPS for both MET the outdoor shop and Stanley Park. Then set off. The first time on Canadian roads. Back home I am a confident cyclist and traffic does not intimidate me. I have to admit I was not like that here until about half way through the day. To start with there is this big highway running right outside the hotel and I did not even know if I was legal to ride on it, turns out it was fine and I can ride on anything that has a speed limit of up to 80kph. Obviously want to avoid anything like that, but it is good to know.
Once I had been on the highway about 10 minutes I took a turn and came across a sign bragging about how the city is made for cyclist and it showed how to get around using road and off road trails. That was all I needed to see to own the road again.
I found the outdoor store MET, it is my ideal shop! It has everything! I was trying to find a reason why I would need to dragged an inflatable kayak around in a cycle trailer. Surprising common sense prevailed and I kept the credit card in its holster, now if you know me let me repeat that..... I demonstrated normal behaviour, common sense, crazy!
I bought my sleeping bag about £100 for a duck down, less that 1kg and volume size of 5L. You got a bag with it but it did not compress it so I had to buy a compression sack as well. All the cycling stuff was amazingly cheap and could of got well and truly kitted out to look like Darran Jugroop on my bike :)
He fixed my bend rotor for 10 dollars and I went up to Stanley Park had a ride around the trails. It is a lovely park saw a few signs saying 'Rabies Alert' got to watch out for those darn Racoons. Got me thinking though, were I meant to have shots before coming here?
Then I felt like I wanted a beer. Only the one. I wanted a nice water front bistro type of place and I asked people for that requirement. They directed me to this street that was like Blackpool, no thanks. I gave it a miss and headed off back to the hotel. Whilst on the water front I saw a restaurant and people were sat out having a beer. So just like last year in France it is the restaurants where it all happens.
The one pint turned into more, but you get served a pint of water for every pint of beer, I like that idea. Whilst I was sat outside I saw lots of cyclists. I need to get used to this tipping thing over here. When I was sat at the bar the waitress who was very beautiful said those words every single bloke wants to hear. "I get off in ten minutes so" ................... shit I thought what do I do? We have been nicely chatting, but I did not know it had come to this, did I read it wrong? But then came the put down ............. "So do you want me to transfer your tab?" I did not understand this transfer the tab, but it is all down to their tips. I should of cleared my bill, given her a tip and then started a new tab, or thats what I think I should of done. But I did not, I said "Yes transfer it please". To be given a weird look, it was at that point that I realised I should of done the other. Or just given her a tip, but I did not have any hard cash on me. All a learning curve!
There is a big cycle scene happening over here. A group turned up that had to wear an item of bright clothing to be in their gang, they were a group of drinking cyclists, they just stick to the cycle trails. That is a group for Robbo and Jeerve and the way today is panning out ME.
I left the bar and on the way back I got a view of the mountains with some attractive cloud cover. I needed picture so I went chasing them. Got my pictures, but on the way I found the kind of bar I was after, so I popped in and had a couple more. I was riding back on a trail so everything was safe.
I got back to the hotel, dumped my stuff and went to the food place next door for my tea.
Realisations Of The Day (ROTT)
- This city love their dogs, they are walking them everywhere
- The bigger the guy the smaller the dog
- I love this city it is really cool
- Once you are sat somewhere looking at the view, doing as you please. Trust me it all becomes very clear. I love cycle touring and if you are interested you need to jump on board the touring train! It is a really cool experience not having any plans just the open road to chew on!
So tomorrow I set off. Looking forward to it now. Today was just what I needed to get used to the roads.
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