Travelling across Canada in less than 30 days may not be unusual, but a young Salmon Arm man鈥檚 version is one not many have accomplished.
Twenty one-year-old John Connor just cycled across the country solo, from Victoria to St. John鈥檚, Newfoundland, in 29 days.
Also of note, he spent only $1,500 doing so. And he trained for just a week prior to going.
Connor is known in sports circles for his athleticism, having achieved many successes, particularly in cycling and nordic skiing.
A couple of summers ago he rode his bike from Salmon Arm to Toronto 鈥� and so the idea to 鈥渞ide the whole thing properly, to do the whole trip鈥� was born.
Busy working at freelance yard work in the Shuswap this summer, he realized about a week before he left that he鈥檇 better spend some time on his bike. So he decided to cycle to Victoria via the high-elevation Coquihalla Connector.
鈥淚t was really tough, really hilly, especially the connector,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was a good wakeup 鈥� I hadn鈥檛 really done a lot of cycling until then.鈥�
He points out that he has been cycling for years, so the lack of preparation wasn鈥檛 too hard on him.
鈥淚鈥檝e always been training for something and I guess your body and your mind adapt to it.鈥�
Along with not much training, Connor鈥檚 source of nutrition on the ride was also a little unconventional. All his meals were fast food. Some Tim Hortons but mostly McDonald鈥檚. About $50 a day at McDonald鈥檚. He laughs when asked if he鈥檚 been approached for an endorsement.
鈥淧eople hear McDonald鈥檚 and they say, 鈥極k, it鈥檚 super unhealthy, you can鈥檛 do it.鈥� I鈥檇 have to ride 250- or 300-k a day,鈥� he explains. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 like 10 hours of riding at 25-k an hour. There was a lot of days that were 300-k. You need a lot of calories to support that 鈥� 6000, 7000, 8000 calories. It鈥檚 pretty easy to get those kinds of numbers at McDonald鈥檚.鈥�
He鈥檇 also fill up his water bottles with pop at McDonald鈥檚.
鈥淚鈥檇 fill up all four of my bottles with Sprite鈥� Pretty unhealthy, I wouldn鈥檛 recommend it to the kids, but that鈥檚 all right.鈥�
And one other thing.
Although he took a tent, he didn鈥檛 take a sleeping bag or sleeping pad.
鈥淚 just had a sleeping bag liner, just a cotton sack.鈥�
How uncomfortable was that?
鈥淎fter riding all day, you鈥檙e pretty tired. If you鈥檙e sleeping on grass it鈥檚 not like a soft bed, but I don鈥檛 know, it feels all right. A few times I had to sleep on concrete. If it was wet I didn鈥檛 want to have to pitch my tent in the rain. So I鈥檇 find a spot under cover... It鈥檚 fine if you sleep right on your back 鈥� they say it鈥檚 good for your back.
Connor adds: 鈥淚t鈥檚 good to be young.鈥�
Every day he鈥檇 get up at 6:30 or 7 and pedal till dusk, his favourite time to ride.
鈥淛ust after the sunset, it would kind of cool off, no breeze, less traffic and you鈥檇 have the road to yourself. It鈥檚 the end of the day so you鈥檙e tired but you know you鈥檙e almost there.鈥�
He鈥檇 camp at schools or city parks.
鈥淚鈥檇 roll into a park or school after it was dark. Then I鈥檇 be out again right when the sun rose. I never had any problems, no one bugged me or anything.鈥�
He thought with respect about Terry Fox along the way.
鈥淚 thought I had a tough time on a bike but to do it on foot, to attempt that, it鈥檚 crazy.鈥�
Connor says his trip contained many highlights, including the beauty of the country, the kindness of strangers and one unexpected treat.
鈥淩iding after dark in Ontario, I saw these flashing spots of light and I didn鈥檛 know what they were. Then I realized they were fireflies. That was kind of a magical moment鈥� They鈥檙e something you hear about but you never see.鈥�
People were very kind, including one man who offered to help him fix his bike when he had a serious problem with it 鈥� and afterwards left him a cooler of food.
Overall, he recommends the cycling trip 鈥� at any speed.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a beautiful way to explore. When you鈥檙e driving, you don鈥檛 really see a lot鈥�
鈥淐anada is huge and a lot of people have explored the world but they haven鈥檛 explored Canada yet. We have so much to offer, it鈥檚 just beautiful.鈥�
