Crossing the river

Bicycle Parking

We’ve been on the road now for about two weeks and the biggest problem we have yet to overcome is parking our bikes. They’re heavy and long. I’m pulling a trailer and Julie becomes a tandem when she’s attached to Leo. My bike is easier to park because the trailer will swivel to about ninety degrees. Julie on the other hand doesn’t have that flexibility. The tow bar is kept from moving laterally by the bungee chords she has on the back of her bike that strap down her gear. We each have kickstands but with all the weight. They’re not reliable. There’s also the risk of our bikes falling because Leo or Charlotte bump into them or jump in and out of the Chariot. We like flat walls to lean our bikes on. Julie needs to gently guide her bike against the wall due to restricted turning radius.

At the beginning of the trip, I would find a good spot to place my bike, park it, and then wait for Julie to do the same. Of course we tell the kids to get out of the Chariot or off the bike, which is sometimes met with some resistance. Now, I wait until Julie parks her bike then I find a spot for mine, or just lean it up against hers. But, every now and then, her bike just doesn’t want to cooperate and starts sliding down whatever she leans it up against. Then she throws her legs out wide, bracing herself to catch the bike. Overall, I think we have managed quite well. There’s still room for improvement.

Re-routing the route

We have decided not to forgo the planned route through the ‘parc’ 175 for obvious reasons: traffic, lack of shade, fenced in sections, etc. We will now follow “la fleuve” until we get to Riviere du Loup, then take the ferry to St. Simeon (where we are now). From here we will travel up to Tadoussac and then along the Saguenay river to Alma and Lac St. Jean. We’re about two hundred km from the lake.

Lack of time to write

I originally thought I would have more time to sit down and write, but that hasn’t been the case. We’re usually in the tent with the lamps out by 9:30, exhausted. I have been taking notes and will try to get something out before winter!! Or I just post to the blog without too much effort in editing. We’ll see. What do you think?