Report by James Spears and Jane Purdie

This is my third annual account of the June Ottawa Hub & Spoke and I hesitate to write about it. Too much publicity. The locals, who do all the work, are being overwhelmed by visitors from the Pacific Coast –10 this year. In 2006 we enjoyed the prime cycling country up and down the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River and in 2007, nearby Quebec and the Eastern Townships.

The 2008 ride was on the New York State side of the St. Lawrence River, south of Ottawa, on the campus of St. Lawrence University at Canton. It was scouted and planned by Geoff Kennedy, Deanne Ryan, and Peter Wood and Ed Weber, and Don Taylor, all of the thriving Ottawa branch of the CCCTS. The tour planners used Ottawa’s most famous administrative skill– delegation– and obtained assistance of 3 members of the small but active Canton Bicycle Club, some of whom are associated with the university. Canton Cycle club member Will Joyce, who moved from Vancouver to upper New York State a few years ago, was eager to hear epic tales of Vancouver rain, readily provided. We were very grateful for the help of the Canton local cyclists, and they in turn were happy that such a large group of cyclists raised the profile of cycling in their Upper NY Statecommunity, even in the media. CCCTS members were also interviewed on the local NPR radio station. Here is the NPR promotional clipping:

Canadian tourists continue to flex their strong dollar in the US. Almost 40 cyclists from north of the border are also flexing their calf muscles this week in the North Country. On today’s Heard Up North, we hear from a couple of members of the Cross Canada Cycle Touring Society who are spreading the word about great riding and great people here in the North Country.

All of which was true, although our paying $32 for a double room on campus probably didn’t substantially raise the Gross Domestic Product of St. Lawrence County. We were liberal with our inflated Canadian dollars at the local restaurants during our 5-day visit. Most of the 37 participants took cars, thanks in part to the generous offer of car-pooled rides to out-of-towners, and a special thanks to Don Taylor for our ride and en-route horticultural backgrounder. A small contingent led by Ed Weber braved the heat on Sunday and Monday (Day 1) to cycle the 120 k. from Ottawa to Canton, NY. Heat took its toll on that ride and shortened some rides later. The temperature hit the mid-30s, with high humidity. The first two days of heat were tough on the wimpy Pacific Coast crowd, but even the locals were panting.

On Day 2, riders had scattered and meandered in all directions because of the relaxed and friendly roads and friendly drivers. Any back road was a good road; it was summertime, and if you kept hydrated, living was easy. Within an hour, things changed. There was a weather break with a tornado alert, and in various locations we were taken aside by locals and warned to hurry home. With sunny skies and heat in the mid-30s not showing any sign of storm, a local nurse 15 k east of Canton pulled me aside after she received an alert on her cell phone. The storm arrived as predicted but no tornado was spotted, but it cooled considerably after thundershowers. On Day 3, we could see trees toppled by high winds in nearby Colton, on our route where the Hideaway Restaurant managed to feed over 30 hungry cyclists without major disruption. The weather cooled for the next three days to the mid-20s, or high 70s in the local Fahrenheit dialect.

We Canadians tend to crowd close to our side of the border, but once we cross to the U.S. side, the landscape becomes very rural– rural enough to attract some Amish families, but not in the large numbers found in Pensylvania. At least one rider noticed that either poverty or at the very least dental neglect was evident among some Amish children. However, on a solo ride I encountered an Amish family, in horse and buggy, obviously in a hurry to get to town. No chance to inspect the teeth of either the horses or the children, but horses, buggy, and passengers looked prosperous in a very traditional way. The same rural countryside that attracted early settlers and the Amish is equally attractive to cyclists. Nothing unpleasant about sharing a road with a horse and buggy, but while climbing a gentle hill, my bike couldn’t keep up with the smart buggy pulled by two speedy trotters. After being left behind by the horses, I reminded myself to eat more oats for breakfast.

Since the rural countryside is at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains there was a good contrast between the older riverside settlements (starting in the 1820s) and the more recent population closer to the mountains. Thursday was, for both “cruisers” and the “pacers” a tour of historic churches and a gentle downhill meander to the shores of the American side of the St. Lawrence River and the town of Waddington. Since the area was settled early, the churches and their surrounding villages dated from the 1820’s.

Although there were hotel options, all riders were happy with the accommodation at the Gaines College residence at St Lawrence University, especially the $32 double room rate, The washrooms were college dorm style, communal, and special concessions were provided to the aging bladders of the male population when the women voted for (or tolerated) unisex washrooms from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. We all had to walk down the corridor but the unisex designation meant those on the wrong floor didn’t have to walk up or down a flight of stairs at 5 a.m.

No H&S would be complete without a wind-up dinner, and a “roadhouse” establishment, the “1844 house”, was a good choice. We discovered other good restaurants in Canton and also noticed that we were not in prosperous surroundings, nor in the busy season. Our patronage was more than welcome, and one downtown Canton restaurant opened early for breakfast at our request. The owner mentioned Canton’s slow business and said we made a difference to the balance sheet.

After three consecutive years on the Ottawa H&S, Jane and I have come to know many of the Ottawa regulars, and have been made to feel very much at home. And we traveled a good distance this year to meet a number of CCCTS members for the first time — almost all from the Pacific Coast!

James Spears

Jane Purdie