So after getting off the ferry in Levis I turned west and followed the bike path along the river stright throung the now peacefull park that had served as our race transition.I continued on along the bike course and then hit new ground as I quickly left Levis behind.I did stop in at a local bike shop at the end of the bike path to see if they could help me with a s
pare tube for my trailer tyre.I still hadn't fixed it and the slow leaking valve meant that I had to pump it up every four hours or so.They didn't have a tube that size so on i went and rejoined route 132 which had brought me to Levis some ten days earlier.
I was headed away though and once I negotiated the traffic out of Levis and ducked under the huge bridges that lead to Quebec City I was on quite country roads again.The only problem was that this section of highway 132 was just terrible.There were pothole everywhere and almost no shoulder for me to ride on.I swear,it would be safer to ride on the damn expressway.At least there I would have a huge lane to myself insdead of waiting to be hit from behind by a vehicle on this narrow secondary road. There was noting I could do but suck it up and continue.
After about ten kilometers I stopped to take some photos of the river which could be seem for the first time since the bridges.While I was taking the pictures a guy wandered over and started asking me questions about my bike and the trip.He was really interested and asked if I was hungry.He then mentioned that his family were about to have brunch and I was welcome to join them at their house across the street.It was then that I looked over to his place and saw two really nice mtb's on the top of his car.Obviously this guy was a mountain biker and by the numbers on the bikes I figured that he raced as well.Sadly I had to turn his offer down as I was on a bit of a schedule and I knew that if I stopped now I may not get started again.I really did have to get to Montreal to visit my sister and I had promised her that I would be there the next day.I made a mental note to make s
ure I didn't force any time limits on myself for the rest of the ride after Montreal.
Not long after,the wind started to pick up and I found myself struggling into the strongest wind of the trip so far.It was brutal!Thankfully there wasn't a lot of rain associated with it but there were the occaisional rain cells that did dump their load a couple of times.Luckily for me I was near shelter both times and was able to hide out in an info center for the first storm and in a gas station for the other.The rest of the trip was relatively dry but the wind did give me something to complain to myself about.There was nothing to complain about regarding the scenery though as there were plenty of nice views of the river and surrounding farmland to keep my fully appreciative of where I was.
Ever so slowly I plugged along the road getting closer and closer to my intended destination of Trois Rivieres.I figured if I could make it there(or close enough) then maybe I could cross the river and ride into Montreal on the higway on the other side.I was a bit worried ab
out crossing the bridges in the city as they are really high and I do suffer a little bit from a fear of heights.I did not relish the thought of riding over those bridges at all,especially if the wind was blowing.
Hour by hour I fought my losing battle with the wind and decided to just cruise along until I had covered about 140k.According to my map that would be about half way and in my mind that would be enough for the day so i put myself in cruise mode and even tok the time to stop at some nice veiwpoints overlooking the river and take in some of the scenery.Even though it was windy I was kind of enjoying the day.The rest in Levis had done my legs the world of good.
By late afternoon I had seen enough of the highway for the day and started thinking about a place to stay for the night.I was getting tired and decided that I would spoil myself one more time and stay in a motel if I could find one in the next half hour or so.Just as I was thnking about it I saw a sign on the highway advertising lodging in a hamlet just outside of the town of Becancour a little ways off the highway. I took that as a hint and followed the signs through the streets until I came upon a really nice and very new looking motel.Sitting outside the reception was a burly looking guy with a full beard and coveralle that looked like they had seem a full day on a worksite.I rolled up and said hello and he asked if I needed a room.Turns out he is not only the owner of the motel but he built the damn thing from scratch.
He organised my check-in and then told me he had somewhere safe for my bike as he didn't want it in the rooms.Fair enough I thought and so I took what I needed from my panniers and then he showed me around the back of the motel where he locked my bike in an unfinished room.He then gave me a quick tour of his motel and told ma all about how it had taken him two years to get to this point and that the last rooms should be ready in a month or so.he was obviously very proud of what he had done and if the condition of my room was any guide he should be proud as well.The room was really nice,easily the nicest place I had stayed in Canada thus far.I was very impressed.
After a quick shower it was off to the store a short few blocks away to buy some food for the night and then it was back to the room to call my sister and lie in the comfy bed watching t.v.It had been a pretty good dayreally, even with the wind in my face for hours.I was happy and confident that I would make Montreal without too much trouble the next day.
pare tube for my trailer tyre.I still hadn't fixed it and the slow leaking valve meant that I had to pump it up every four hours or so.They didn't have a tube that size so on i went and rejoined route 132 which had brought me to Levis some ten days earlier.I was headed away though and once I negotiated the traffic out of Levis and ducked under the huge bridges that lead to Quebec City I was on quite country roads again.The only problem was that this section of highway 132 was just terrible.There were pothole everywhere and almost no shoulder for me to ride on.I swear,it would be safer to ride on the damn expressway.At least there I would have a huge lane to myself insdead of waiting to be hit from behind by a vehicle on this narrow secondary road. There was noting I could do but suck it up and continue.
After about ten kilometers I stopped to take some photos of the river which could be seem for the first time since the bridges.While I was taking the pictures a guy wandered over and started asking me questions about my bike and the trip.He was really interested and asked if I was hungry.He then mentioned that his family were about to have brunch and I was welcome to join them at their house across the street.It was then that I looked over to his place and saw two really nice mtb's on the top of his car.Obviously this guy was a mountain biker and by the numbers on the bikes I figured that he raced as well.Sadly I had to turn his offer down as I was on a bit of a schedule and I knew that if I stopped now I may not get started again.I really did have to get to Montreal to visit my sister and I had promised her that I would be there the next day.I made a mental note to make s
ure I didn't force any time limits on myself for the rest of the ride after Montreal.Not long after,the wind started to pick up and I found myself struggling into the strongest wind of the trip so far.It was brutal!Thankfully there wasn't a lot of rain associated with it but there were the occaisional rain cells that did dump their load a couple of times.Luckily for me I was near shelter both times and was able to hide out in an info center for the first storm and in a gas station for the other.The rest of the trip was relatively dry but the wind did give me something to complain to myself about.There was nothing to complain about regarding the scenery though as there were plenty of nice views of the river and surrounding farmland to keep my fully appreciative of where I was.
Ever so slowly I plugged along the road getting closer and closer to my intended destination of Trois Rivieres.I figured if I could make it there(or close enough) then maybe I could cross the river and ride into Montreal on the higway on the other side.I was a bit worried ab
out crossing the bridges in the city as they are really high and I do suffer a little bit from a fear of heights.I did not relish the thought of riding over those bridges at all,especially if the wind was blowing.Hour by hour I fought my losing battle with the wind and decided to just cruise along until I had covered about 140k.According to my map that would be about half way and in my mind that would be enough for the day so i put myself in cruise mode and even tok the time to stop at some nice veiwpoints overlooking the river and take in some of the scenery.Even though it was windy I was kind of enjoying the day.The rest in Levis had done my legs the world of good.
By late afternoon I had seen enough of the highway for the day and started thinking about a place to stay for the night.I was getting tired and decided that I would spoil myself one more time and stay in a motel if I could find one in the next half hour or so.Just as I was thnking about it I saw a sign on the highway advertising lodging in a hamlet just outside of the town of Becancour a little ways off the highway. I took that as a hint and followed the signs through the streets until I came upon a really nice and very new looking motel.Sitting outside the reception was a burly looking guy with a full beard and coveralle that looked like they had seem a full day on a worksite.I rolled up and said hello and he asked if I needed a room.Turns out he is not only the owner of the motel but he built the damn thing from scratch.
He organised my check-in and then told me he had somewhere safe for my bike as he didn't want it in the rooms.Fair enough I thought and so I took what I needed from my panniers and then he showed me around the back of the motel where he locked my bike in an unfinished room.He then gave me a quick tour of his motel and told ma all about how it had taken him two years to get to this point and that the last rooms should be ready in a month or so.he was obviously very proud of what he had done and if the condition of my room was any guide he should be proud as well.The room was really nice,easily the nicest place I had stayed in Canada thus far.I was very impressed.
After a quick shower it was off to the store a short few blocks away to buy some food for the night and then it was back to the room to call my sister and lie in the comfy bed watching t.v.It had been a pretty good dayreally, even with the wind in my face for hours.I was happy and confident that I would make Montreal without too much trouble the next day.
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