California Dreamin

Magog, Canada

Peter

We have been back from our nine-day tandem bicycle trip to Montreal, Quebec, Canada for a week now, and the French running through my head is just now starting to fade. This is a good thing too because we are writing our new book, “Bicycling Historic Route 66,” in English. The biking was good, but what we enjoyed most was the culture. The further east we went the “Frencher” it got. When we first entered Canada at Sault Ste. Marie, all of the road signs were in both English and French, and the gas station attendants and waiters at restaurants all spoke both languages. But, by the time we got to our condo in Magog, east of Montreal, all the stop signs simply read, “ARRET.” So much fun!

We were traveling with two other tandem teams, one from the Green Bay, Wisconsin area and the other from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We met a couple of years ago through the COWS (Couples on Wheels) tandem group, we have been friends ever since. We even have a secret handshake (all COWS do).

Traveling with other tandems is a rare joy. While tandems are becoming more popular, they are still uncommon, as are the people who ride them. Not everyone can ride a tandem or wants to. We get a surprising number of inquiries from couples who are considering giving it a try or who have tried it and are looking for tips to get more comfortable. Ultimately, it comes down to the stoker (person in the back) having absolute trust in their captain, and the captain not violating that trust. We often quip that we could easily be the keynote speakers for a marriage counseling seminar. 

Bicycling with riders on single bikes is very difficult when you are on a tandem. Comparatively, tandems have a bit of an edge on flat ground. With the power of two and the wind resistance of one, we can usually out pace singles. This is even truer on the downhills. It is common for us to top 45 MPH on descents. Then there are the climbs. Generally speaking, tandems go up hill like a brick. Single riders almost always beat us to the top, and we almost always beat them to the bottom.

Riding with other tandem teams is a special thing and doing it in French made it even better.

This week we were back in work mode, which not only included work on our book, but meetings as well. On Monday, Tracy chaired a Village of Ashwaubenon Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee meeting. (Tracy founded this committee almost thirty years ago when she was the village’s Parks and Recreation Director.) On Tuesday morning, I attended a quarterly Brown County Traffic Safety Commission meeting where I am the education representative. Tuesday night, Tracy attended a special Village Board meeting. That’s enough meetings for the week.

Tracy

Work continues on Chapter 8 – State of Arizona. We have finished day forty-five and only have two days to go until we enter California and Chapter 9 – State of California (the last chapter). Northern Arizona was beautiful, and a bit cooler up in the mountains. Holbrook, Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, and the Grand Canyon all provided us with wonderful adventures.   

We made some new friends and ran into old friends during this part of our trip. We were getting a bit lonesome and these chance and planned encounters helped to keep our spirits up. It truly is a small world.

We are getting closer to the Mohave Desert, which we must cross to get to California. My brother Bill, who had recently motorcycled across the desert with a friend, kept texting me to warn about the heat and difficulty they had crossing the Mohave. He was worried about us.      

DePere Farmers Market – Bosse’s Newsstand

We did a book signing event for our first book “Coast to Coast on a Tandem” at the Thursday Farmer’s Market /Bosse’s Newsstand in De Pere (Green Bay), Wisconsin. The event was a lot of fun and has gotten us thinking about the book release party for our next book, “Bicycling Historic Route 66”.  Stay tuned for more information.   

“Motel Du Beau in Flagstaff Arizona was established in 1929 and has been welcoming happy travelers for over 90 years. The initial vision for the Du Beau materialized in the mid 1920’s when Albert Eugene Du Beau (a hotelier of French-Canadian descent), was vacationing in Northern Arizona.” (https://www.modubeau.com/history)