Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 | Page 30

ADVENTURE
worried me was the thought of camping for 10 weeks. But
you become a family—with squabbles, of course—but deep
down, we all love each other. We still have a social media
group to stay in touch.”
“We feel Canada is the best country in the world for cycling,”
Margot says. “It has natural beauty; friendly, accommodating
people; and the world is tuning into that.” Margot and her
husband are co-owners of Cycle Canada, a cycling tourism
company that has offered tours since 1988. Later this year, 20
cyclists will start pedalling their way out of Vancouver; two
months and 7,600 kilometres later, the group will arrive in
St. John’s, Newfoundland. It’s the signature event for Cycle
Canada: the “Cross Canada Tour.”
While riding an average of 130 kilometres per day may
appear to be a monumental challenge, cyclists complete
each day’s ride on their own time. “It’s not as daunting as
it sounds,” says John Woakes, a self-described keen cyclist
who retired in 2015 and rode the Cross Canada Tour in
2017, in part to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. “What
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The tour is not inexpensive, but for a little over $6,000,
cyclists can expect a well laid-out route, support vehicles to
transport gear, all meals and basic accommodations, mostly
campsites. As a not-for-profit venture, Cycle Canada also
offers bursaries of $1,650 to students and recent graduates. “It
really is a multi-generational ride; the ages can range from 14
up to the 70s,” Margot says. “One year, a 14-year-old rode a
tandem bike with her mom.” But the real value for cyclists is
in overcoming physical and mental challenges to accomplish
something very few people will ever do.
For Vicky Thompson of British Columbia, the Tour was life
altering: “I stumbled across the ride during a year-long break
to self-reflect.” After the death of a close friend, the 27-year-old
needed, as she says, to shake up her life. “Just getting to see our
fabulous country was a profound experience. A car is too fast,
walking too slow, but a bicycle is a perfect way to see Canada.”
Her biggest challenge was getting her body ready to ride a bike
every day. Cycle Canada helps riders train for the event and
provides support leading up to the start of the tour.