August 2, 1966 - My first bike (trike?!?)
Cam's story...
My story.....?
My story's not too interesting and I don't want to bore you, but a few historical tidbits might help to explain how I got to the point where I want to ride my bike across Canada with my buddy Ken and to try to answer the question many of you have asked --- "WHY?".
My story.....?
My story's not too interesting and I don't want to bore you, but a few historical tidbits might help to explain how I got to the point where I want to ride my bike across Canada with my buddy Ken and to try to answer the question many of you have asked --- "WHY?".
- My first bike was a very cool tricycle that I got on my 3rd birthday (see image). Thanks mom and dad (except not so much for the haircut dad!)
(Legal Note: There were no distracted driving laws then, so you could eat birthday cake and ride simultaneously)
- I learned how to ride a two-wheeler on a little blue girl's bike (no crossbar) that was owned by the Langridges on Almond Crescent. We bought it from them for a dollar or something like that.
- My first new two-wheeler was a metallic purple, CCM Wildcat banana seat. It was so cool that Terry MacIntosh of the Acadia Vandals stole it and souped it up with chopper forks. We offered a reward to anyone who found my bike and Barry Walls from the other side of the block stole John Koopman's Wildcat hoping to collect the reward money! Sorry Barry - wrong serial number, no reward... Dad ended up catching Terry MacIntosh with the bike down in the valley that is now Deerfoot Trail.
- My first bike trip was in sixth grade from Almond Crescent to Okotoks with my cousins Jeff and Darrell Germo, and my best friend Bruce "JB" Adams. I was riding my red Saint Tropez 10 speed that I bought from our neighbour and babysitter Pat Wilson. At 12 years old, we rode the 19 miles from Calgary to Okotoks, much of it on Highway #2. Times have certainly changed! We camped in the Okotoks Campground, but spent a lot of time in the general store/cafe on main street (Frank's or Fred's?) seeking refuge from the rain. I hope that Ken and I have learned to pack better as I remember having to stop on the big hill up to the Okotoks turnoff to re-pack about 10 cans of beans and soup in JB's backpack!
- Interestingly, the first time that I met Ken was on a bike in 1991. He was riding in Riverbend with Elaine and their toddler Zac. I recognized them from a new church that we had started attending and stopped them to introduce myself. It turned out we lived on the same street and the same builder had built our houses. It wasn't long before our many commonalities lead us to become best friends (sorry JB) and I joined him in commuting 12 kms into work in downtown Calgary. (An interesting commonality was that we are exactly the same birth order being the third born son in families of Son, Daughter, Son, Son. And our own families are identical as well - Son, Daughter, Daughter!!)
Aug 5, 1998 - First Annual Bike Trip - the GT '98
- After many morning miles together, we decided to see if we could transfer our urban riding skills into the mountains and from August 5th - 8th 1998, we rode the first of what became our annual bike trips - The Golden Triangle 1998, aka GT '98. The picture to the left was the start of that auspicious trip including John Feniak, Cam and Ken. Little did we know that day would lead to 14 annual trips (so far) involving various combinations of our friends John "Johnny" Feniak, Jim "Jimmy the Hood" Mahood, Dwayne "Dee-Wayne" Slack, Phil "I Don't Snore" Gabriel, Paul "Energizer Bunny" Lavallee, Zac "Try To Catch Me Dad" Schultz, and Ron "the Zieb" Zieber. Ken and I are the only constant in all of these trips - not having missed a single year. Interestingly, each leg of the Golden Triangle is about the same number of kilometres as the average that we will be riding daily on X-Canada '13.
My recollection was that we first talked about riding across Canada during that first trip in 1998, although Ken remembers it a little differently. Our goal was to do the ride before we turned 50. Although it didn't work out for Ken's 50th, we realized that God meant for this to happen when I learned that I would be ending my current role at Hemisphere GPS on May 31, 2013. I sent a cryptic email to Ken asking if he might be able to do the trip in June and July - not mentioning the impending changes for me. A couple of days later, he replied that his contract was ending on May 31st, and so June and July were perfect...! Amazingly, we finish on July 31st, fly home on August 1st and I turn 50 on August 2nd! Meant to be...
I will be riding a Trek 520 touring bike purchased with the excellent help from Ron at Ridley's Cycle on 10th Street NW in Calgary.
I will be riding a Trek 520 touring bike purchased with the excellent help from Ron at Ridley's Cycle on 10th Street NW in Calgary.
Well, I intended not to bore you with my story, but unfortunately, I can't help myself. In any case, that all brings us to our 15th Annual Bike Trip which is Cam and Ken's Most Excellent Cross Canada Adventure, aka X-Canada '13! I am totally excited to spend June and July 2013 with my best friend Ken, and look forward to sharing some of our adventure with you through this blog.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful wife Sue who has completely supported and encouraged this harebrained idea from the very beginning, in spite of it taking me away from home for 2 months at a very busy time of year... Thanks Sue, I love you and will miss you and the kids!!!
Cam
I also want to take this opportunity to thank my wonderful wife Sue who has completely supported and encouraged this harebrained idea from the very beginning, in spite of it taking me away from home for 2 months at a very busy time of year... Thanks Sue, I love you and will miss you and the kids!!!
Cam