There we were. Cycling rural farm roads north toward Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu along La Route Verte 1 in Quebec. A beautiful, sunny day with a light breeze. Almost four years since Martine began dreaming of cycle touring. A little more than two years since we met on bicycles and quickly fell in love. Six months since putting our adventure cycling plan into action, purchasing one Salsa Vaya touring bike and building another. Five days after leaving Middlebury, Vermont, where we began a two week tour of the Lake Champlain region and north into Quebec. A few hours after crossing into Canada.
We had lapsed into silence, lulled by the easy flatland pace and endless vistas of farm fields. So quiet that I became aware of the hum of our tires on the pavement, the characteristic song of heavy duty inverted tread supporting steel bikes, our gear and us. This is the sound of bike touring with a partner so comfortable that silence is sometimes just fine. Anyway, we had done it. Here we were approaching the middle of our first major bike tour! The next day we’d be cycling into Montreal.
The tire hum was a revelation, a joyful sense of accomplishment. Martine and I had ridden many miles side by side, but mostly on carbon-frame road bikes and high performance tires. This was different. Cruising comfortably at 10-12 miles per hour on stable touring bikes and travelling – was a very different sort of experience. The hum of our tires competed only with the recurring “whosh” of pedals and the faint sounds of our breathing.
There we were, feeling truly alive. And we knew in that moment that we would continue to pursue bike touring for years to come. But this is getting ahead of the story…
Velo Spirits 