David Morrow
Well-known member
I just completed an IBA Trans Canada Gold ride and among the other things I learned while planning and riding, here's one of the most fundamental things to remember if you're doing an East to West or West to east ride.
I live in Vancouver, BC and started my ride here. Day #1 would be from Vancouver to Brandon, Manitoba. I left at 2AM which was about 3 hours before sunrise. I arrived about an hour after sunset for a total of about 4 hours of riding in the dark. Not a big issue necessarily if you're not in critter country, but some places, like northern Ontario & Quebec have a lot of moose, deer, bears and others who like to inhabit roadways at night.
Circumstances (an errant engine warning light )worked against me and I had to call off the ride at the end of Day 2.
Plan B was to go to Halifax and start again which I did. Going East to West, Day #3 was from Brandon to Vancouver. I had about half an hour of darkness in Brandon and about the same going into Vancouver. Total darkenes riding time - about 1 hour.
Darkness sucks, especially at the end of a long day. Tip number two would be, leave early and ride the dark leg first leaving just enough light to find your destination when you're really tired. I had three day of riding which were typically 19 - 20 hours long. Don't waste daylight if at all possible.
So, if you plan a TC ride or a CC ride, give it a little thought. Do you want to ride with the sun, or against it. North to South rides are irrelevent in this context mostly.
I live in Vancouver, BC and started my ride here. Day #1 would be from Vancouver to Brandon, Manitoba. I left at 2AM which was about 3 hours before sunrise. I arrived about an hour after sunset for a total of about 4 hours of riding in the dark. Not a big issue necessarily if you're not in critter country, but some places, like northern Ontario & Quebec have a lot of moose, deer, bears and others who like to inhabit roadways at night.
Circumstances (an errant engine warning light )worked against me and I had to call off the ride at the end of Day 2.
Plan B was to go to Halifax and start again which I did. Going East to West, Day #3 was from Brandon to Vancouver. I had about half an hour of darkness in Brandon and about the same going into Vancouver. Total darkenes riding time - about 1 hour.
Darkness sucks, especially at the end of a long day. Tip number two would be, leave early and ride the dark leg first leaving just enough light to find your destination when you're really tired. I had three day of riding which were typically 19 - 20 hours long. Don't waste daylight if at all possible.
So, if you plan a TC ride or a CC ride, give it a little thought. Do you want to ride with the sun, or against it. North to South rides are irrelevent in this context mostly.
