All You Need to Know About Biking Across Canada
If you reside anywhere inside Canada and consider yourself physically able to cycle around town, you have come to the right place. However, you must let time not cloud your mission of crossing the continent using just two wheels, muscle power, and of course, strong willpower as well. Biking asks for a massive amount of patience, stamina, and the human spirit. But one must know that it does not matter how quickly they cover the journey since it all comes down to the thrill of experiencing it, which sticks with you the most. Let us now consider the nitty-gritty of a workout such as this one, including the time and distance between an ocean and the next and those other factors that can strongly impact how much time it would require to cycle across the whole of North America.
Time
The world record back in 2019 by Chris Bruckner for the inter-Canada bike journey made a significant mark in history. He made a remarkable journey from Vancouver to Halifax, taking only thirteen days. His accomplishment has remained unbeatable and has inspired many like him in the field. One can only wish to challenge such an impossible target for a cross-country cycling trip. The chances are that Chris’s thirteen days will always top the charts.
However, that should not stop you from aiming for the stars. Take your own time to get to that level. If you feel that you cannot manage two weeks, then you should strive for six weeks, or ten, or even twelve.
But remember that challenging yourself is one thing, and overworking is another. You must set goals for yourself, but only those that are physically and logically achievable. For instance, Chris even suffered nerve damage because of overworking his muscles to that extent, and that is the kind of damage you might not want for yourself. Perhaps a more comfortable and realistic target would include cycling across the country, taking up about two months, speeding at a rate of approximately 20 kilometers per hour, and covering a total distance of 90 kilometers per day. In a more doable plan like this, one would feel surprised to know that it only requires five hours of biking per day. And such a target can stay achievable for someone who does not consider themselves insanely fit for the job. For better safety measures during the journey, one can give the guide book a thorough look-see that would teach them how to sit on your bike saddle post.
Tips on how to Efficiently Ride Your Bike
Perhaps the commonly heard phrase, “it’s like riding a bike,” seems to be fitting here. It gets used for something easy to do or accomplish, or it can easily come back to you. As most of you already know, cycling includes muscle memory, but you might underestimate how complex riding a bike can be. If you do not keep up the correct posture and adopt the appropriate strategy, cycling can cause several health problems that makes riding even more difficult in the future. Hence, some tips and tricks for fixing postures to preserve the spine and overall body health can go a long way. An extensive ride can cause soreness of muscles, but long-term pain can get avoided.
Pay Attention to Height
Perhaps one of the leading causes of bad posture is the incorrect positioning of the saddle on the bike, which sets the overall height for the rider.
If you feel confused about which height suits you best, you can try the technique of leaning onto your bike when placed next to the wall and mount it properly so that it stays in place. After deciding the height, one can adjust the length of the saddle through the quick release or Allen wrench. The goal is to bring up the cycle high enough that the knees only have to bend a hint during pedaling when the pedal goes to its lowest position. Such caution prevents the body from straining too much to reach the pedals. If one bends for too long, it increases joint pain by putting excessive pressure on it. In this way, it will make you go harder on your joints and sacrifice more strength for leas morion.
Assume the Position
Sitting securely on the saddle might be another concern that one must keep in mind. It makes a massive impact on your physical health whenever riding the bike, and this especially goes for racing bikes or drop bars when transitioning to their various positions.
Hence, if the sitting position on the bike gets looked after, and the bike gets propped at the correct height, one should be able to tilt the pelvis for a more aggressive cycling stance with your hands at the lower regions of the drop bars. Such a position can often get seen by cyclists since it gives them an aerodynamic body structure that makes it easier for them to surf through, even at higher speeds. A dropped position on the bike is one of the most stable ways one can ride since it promotes unmatched control, helping to race you towards the finish line.
Frame Sizing Matters
However, such adjustments should not be your only concern since a properly fitting bike becomes necessary in conjunction with those mentioned above. Sometimes, the bike frame is too large or small to suit your proportions, and that can cause damage to your posture. And you can measure the height based on your pubic bone.
Last Thoughts
Even after abiding by all the safety measures., you can still feel fatigued quickly, especially while you explore the mountain ranges of BC, the high slopes of Alberta, and the famous hills in Ontario. Therefore, when thinking about how long would it take to bike across Canada, make sure to throw in a couple of rest days to prevent long-term exhaustion and injury. It will also leave you with enough time to take in the beauty of the place, with famous cities such as Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal that you will most likely pass by along the way.
Take this as your cue to enjoy your surroundings in the rawest form possible, with no car windows blocking those incredible views and the open sky above you.
