On the post-trip assessment

I don't have the energy to properly write-up the New Brunswick trip right now. What I do have the energy for is to pick over some of the results of the trip. The first of them is that my parents seemed to have really enjoyed themselves and my Father was talking about other trip possibilities. I informed him rather firmly that I would only take him on another trip if he replaced his current bike (which is geared much too low) and if he had a more visible jacket. The former condition was actually rather to his liking as he has been somewhat dissatisfied with his current bike. On train back from Moncton, he and I discussed bikes over some Famous Grouse.

The second result is that I am pretty sure that I will eschew much of the Kettle Valley Railway trail for my trans-BC trip in September. The significant sections of unfinished rail bed on the New Brunswick trip were pretty hard work. I don't know precisely what route I will now take through B.C. but I have three months to work on it. If nothing else, I could always take the Crows Nest Highway. One benefit of this is that I will probably be spared the expense and hassle of getting wider tires for Leonardo. Mind you, Schwalbe has pretty nifty 700x40c's. ;-)

The third conclusion is that I may well have botched the planning a bit. Much of tourist New Brunswick only opens for business in mid-June and it was only in Moncton(!) that I managed to find an open tourist information office. As well, I think I should have worked in a proper rest day: in trying too hard to keep within the margins of my parents' need for short days and a limited time frame, we biked for seven days, no day shorter than 50 km, according to my log. It was a bit too much. Of course, I am saying this a few hours after biking 104 km in the Défi Métropolitain in very windy conditions. (Gusts over 50 km/h). Time to relax with some Demerra rum.