Challenges abound

September 21, 2020

Stone Creek to Quesnel

We had a good night in our cosy cabin, even without running water or a bathroom en-suite. It rained during the night, and more is coming today. There is no mistaking that summer is behind us. It is officially fall, northern style.

The lovely resident dog dropped by to say farewell and have a final cuddle.

The resident dog is obsessed about the squirrel who lives in the tree and spends his day chasing it. He took a brief break from his obsession and came over to see us for a final visit. A lovely dog.

Dressed in warm layers, we set out, full of enthusiasm for the ride to Quesnel. However, at the moment we left the campground, our motor died. The connections look secure, the batteries are fully charged, there are no error codes on the display...what the heck. We know that we have a long ride ahead of us today...about 90 km...and there are no accommodation options before that. We also know that hills are what are waiting for us today. Okay, this is character building right, but do we need the rain too?!

Initially we rode 30 km without any pedal assist, and this can be quite difficult in this terrain as our fully loaded tandem towing a trailer and transporting 2 batteries and 2 riders is a heavy load. Sadly, the hills were plentiful and went on forever...often a couple of km. We proceeded slowly, sometimes achieving a high of 5 or 7 km per hour. The good news is that we didn’t topple over and we made it.

Originally we had planned to stay in Hixon, but the 2 motels, B&B and campgrounds are fully occupied with pipeline workers. Nonetheless, all is not lost, as we are going to stop at the General Store for food, bathroom and dry warmth.

And here we are at the General Store. We were ready to stop.

We stopped for lunch in Hixon at the General Store. This family run store offers everything, including home cooked food. We were cold from the heavy rain and tired, so we had lunch here. We chose the “all meat” sandwich which had a pile of assorted meats with cheese on a delicious bun. It is fair to say that we were fuelled by meat to Quesnel.

This sawmill outside of Hixon is a big operation and a major employer for the region. This mill is one of the reasons for the many logging trucks on the road.

For the rest of the journey we had intermittent function from the motor. Barry found that if he turned it off and then back on, that it would sometimes work. We would blissfully ride for a few km and then it would stop. A frustrating experience. Other times, we would be cycling without power, and unexpectedly there would be a surge and we would have power again. We are not experts, but we have Bafang motors on both of our tandems and we have had breakdowns three other times. The additional problem is that most bike shops have no understanding of how to fix a Bafang, which leaves us in a difficult spot. Integrated systems, such as Bosch and Shimano, are sold by many bike shops and are often accredited repair sites.

The unexpected problems with our tandem has left us in a quandary. We need to make a decision on how to proceed.

This stretch from Prince George has many freight and logging trucks. The drivers are professional and considerate giving us room when they can. This slow uphill was difficult though as the weather made visibility poor and we got further soaked by the spray from the trucks.

When you ride in foul weather, it is a bit of a guessing game how to best tackle the elements. It is almost guaranteed that when the rain pants go on, that the rain will stop. We will see.

After today’s frustration, we have contacted Azub in Czech Repiblic regarding the trikes we have ordered. To allow for international travel with our trikes, we had originally decided not to have the Shimano motor system installed as we wanted a system that could accommodate Ligo batteries (which are allowed in your carry on bag). In order to get the Shimano Steps system , it must be installed when the bike is built for warranty reasons. Azub promptly got back to us and they have agreed to outfit our trikes with Shimano. This will delay the arrival of our trikes by 2 or 3 weeks, but it seems worth it as we feel that it should be more reliable. Plus we like the clean look of integrated w

We are staying at the Quality Inn in Quesnel and it works well for us. The staff are very accommodating and their motto seems to be “no problem”. Our tandem was given a secure locked room and we were offered a King room at a nicely discounted price (thanks BCAA) with a balcony overlooking the park.

We went for a walk to explore Quesnel’s downtown and we were thrilled to find that it is vibrant with interesting shops and restaurants. We bought a roast chicken and salad at Safeway...dinner in our room. We are too knackered to go anywhere. The comfort of our room is what we need.
We may stay here a second night to figure out our bike problems and consider our options. Due to distances between accommodation locations, we have a few days ahead of us at 90+ km. We’ll figure it out.

I visited this coffee place last year and I can’t wait to take Barry to Granville Coffee for breakfast or lunch tomorrow.

The vastness of the north and the open spaces with vistas in all directions are something we love about being here.

The colours of fall and the harvest are quite striking.

We see many creeks and rivers from the Fraser along the way.

We are in Cariboo country and we love it.

It is a wonderful feeling to be on the road with such beautiful natural surroundings and sharing the road with a lone trucker.

A beautiful marsh. We looked for moose, but no luck.

Another look at the marsh. There are cat-tails growing along the road most of the way.

Fascinating watching the construction of this log house.

Today's ride: 95 km (59 miles)
Total: 638 km (396 miles)

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Jeanna & Kerry SmithI admire your positive spirit in the face of so many challenges. I don't think Kerry and I would deal with all you have with such equanimity. Enjoy your warm and dry night!
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4 years ago

Steve Miller/GrampiesEven sitting here in my warm PJs and slippers I know well what 95 km heavily loaded in the rain means. You deserve kudos for this day. But wow, those Bafang motors have been trouble!

We have Shimano Steps on one bike here. The battery setup looks pretty proprietary. But you have discovered how to use LIGO with it?
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4 years ago