August 12, 2010
Day 69: Gladstone to Winnipeg
I followed the Yellowhead Highway for a while at the start of the day, but eventually gave up due to narrow shoulders and stupid drivers. I was on gravel roads for a while, but it was nice and quiet. On the way to Winnipeg, I eventually got onto the Trans-Canada for a few miles where thankfully there were shoulders.
I had to change my rear tire today. It failed, but in an unusual manner. Normally, the treads wear out till you can see the cords. There was no sign of this happening on my Schwalbe Marathon XR tires. However, there was a bulge that caused the tire to hit the chainstay on both sides at the same spot. I had been hearing the sound of this for a day or two, but could not figure it out. So, I unloaded the bike and put on a new tire. Nobody slowed down to check if I was OK. I mention this not because I expected or needed it, but to contrast it with the Dempster Highway where I once stopped to adjust a shoe and passerbys stopped to see if I needed help. Ironically, it seems the fewer people there are the more likely it is that someone will stop to help.
I stayed at the youth hostel in Winnipeg ($70) in a private room and bought a youth hostel membership. The rooms are clean, I had a private shower and the location is great - it is right downtown within walking distance of the Mountain Equipment Coop. The only problem is that the hostel can be tricky to find.
End point:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=49.89385,-97.14993&ll=49.89385,-97.14993&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
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Today's ride: 152 km (94 miles)
Total: 8,333 km (5,175 miles)
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