Last Day - 31st of August

Wow! What an adventure this challenge has created for Dax and I!! Thank you to everyone who supported us and encouraged us along the way and a big thank you to all those who donated towards helping us fight childhood cancer!! It means the world to so many!

See more details of Dax and my bike tour around southwestern Ontario 500+ kms in 22 days at our blog:

doggonebikingadventures.com

And check out this final group ride tictok video at:

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMrwV816a/

Thank you all!! See you next year!!

Day 23 GCC - Great Cycle Challenge

Whoo Hooh!! We are done!! But still accepting donations till the end of the month..

This month, I’ve been taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer!

I’ve pedalled for the entire month and my goal to ride 500 km has been completed!!

Why am I doing this? Because cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in Canada – 3 children die of cancer every week!

Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.

It was tough but nothing compared to what these kids face every day of their lives as they battle this terrible disease.

And so I took on a personal challenge to raise $500 to help these kids and give them the brighter futures they deserve.

I achieved my goal, thanks to your support.

It’s not too late to join me to fight kids' cancer!

Simply click the link below to view my personal fundraising page and make a donation:

https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/KerryjaneVoth1

All funds raised will support SickKids to continue their work in developing treatments and finding a cure for childhood cancer.

Thank you for your support.

Kerryjane

Day 22

Sometimes all Dax and I could do was push the bike up hills!!! It was tough work but it was something I had complete control over.. children with childhood cancer don’t have that luxury of choice…

39 kms left to go!!! Can’t believe this adventure is almost done!! There is still time left for you to donate to help me fight childhood cancer, if you are able.. please donate today!! Every little bit helps.. even 9 year old Frank from Windsor donated his $1 loonie to sponsor 1 km for me to ride!! ❤️

Day 21

Whoo Hoo!! My Jersey came in the mail this morning!!! So proud to wear it..

Daxy looks really happy too!!

Day 21

Getting close to the end of this amazing adventure.. 39 km to go to reach my 500km goal. Dax is recovering nicely. He has more energy than me at the moment after 4 or 5 days of resting in Port Burwell with friends. !! I’m still a few years older than him so… ha!!!

Day 17

I want to mention a very special $1 donation I received from Frank. I met Frank with his cousin and grandmother in the park along the Lakeshore Trail in Windsor. He was especially keen to contribute. At 9 years old, I was really impressed with this young man.

A special thank you to Frank for donating!!

You’re the best!!!

Kj and Dax

Day 17

Taking a few days off the road to rest up, get laundry done and restock supplies before heading back out to finish off our 500 km goal - 45 km left to go!! ..#greatcyclechallenge #GCCCanada #GCCFriends

Day 15

Big thank you to Sherry and Michael for all your generosity and kindness over the last few days.. meeting you both has been a real pleasure and both Dax and I look forward to visiting with you again.

Thx for the picnic meal!! Just what a tired hungry cycler can use after riding 24 kms. The homemade asparagus soup was delicious !!!

You’re both the best!!

Kj and Dax

Day 11

Day long ride. Tailwinds, threat of rain, gravel roads everywhere to finish with a home made hamburger and fries with strawberry sunday for desert…

Update - Day 4 to Day 10

It’s been a very interesting week so far. Lots of kms rode in high winds, rain and thunderstorms!! Sleeping Matt had a slow leak in to for the last 5 days. Patched it a third time today.. hope that’s the charm. Dax is doing well but I can see he is tired like I am. It’s to be expected though. We just slow down and rest more often. He is riding in the trailer for more kms the last day or 2 , my choice. Want to give him lots of opportunities to rest. Still, he does cry to get out and run, but not as loud or as long as last year or the year before.. did some wild camping and warmshower hosts too. Shout out to all those who host cyclists! You’re the best!! Heading east now.. cheers!!

Day #3 GCC Update

Whoo!! Whoo!!! That’s a total of 103 kms for this 1st week of the Great Cycle Challenge!!

398 kms more to go to reach my goal of 500kms … if you’re able, please support this ride by donating to help fight childhood cancer with SickKids!! Use the QR Code to donate.. read more about my GCC adventures with Dax at https://doggonebikingadventures.com/blog-2/

Day #3, 38.97 kms

Success!!! After such a rough ride on the same loop on Thursday due to excessive heat, I was able to fly around London on the TVP in the cool early morning air!! I’m riding to raise funds to fight childhood cancer… if you are able to donate to support my rides, please and thank you.. 😁🙏❤️ read more on my “Great Cycle Challenge” Blog https://doggonebikingadventures.com/blog-2/

Day #2 Dark and Rainy Ride

Some words of wisdom that were given to me just before the Great Cycle Challenge began. Hope they inspire and encourage you too

…”Exciting time for sure! Fourth year for me and now I understand there is much I can't control: donor ability to contribute, weather, health, bike breakdown and so on.

Not scary now as I see that every bit of effort and contribution each of us makes is so useful. I will, as always, try to meet my goals but there will be joy and pleasure in riding and trying to help no matter how the final result turns out. Ride on that highpoint! Best wishes.😘…”

Decided to take my own advice when I heard we were in for another scorching day of 30’C + temps. Set the alarm for 5:00 am and was out the door before 5:30 am. Dax was still sleeping, so I left him a peanut butter kong to chew if he woke up before I got back. Rode in the dark for the first 8 kms but because of the cloud cover there wasn’t much of a sunrise to be seen. I was hoping for an epic sunrise over the Thames River.. drats!! Visit my blog to read more…

https://doggonebikingadventures.com/blog-2/

Slow Roll Group Ride

Great to meet up and ride with Kevin!! The Slow Roll Group Ride was a success!!

Day #1 “Great Cycle Challenge”

…It was so hot and humid!! I’d never had any issues with riding in the heat until today. Could have been I was so excited to start my August riding that I didn’t fall asleep till well after midnight. I’m old, so that matters… haaa!!! …Read more at my Great Cycle Challenge blog at:

https://doggonebikingadventures.com/blog-2/

Slow Roll Group Ride Invite

Let’s get out for a slow roll ride together!!
Come join me for Day #1 of the Great Cycle Challenge for a slow roll ride along the TVP (Thames Vally Parkway) in London On. I will be riding my fat bike at a very slow leisurely pace around approximately a 52 km loop with a coffee and cookie stop at the London Bike Cafe. Ride with me for a portion of the TVP or ride with me for the whole loop… look forward to meeting you and sharing the excitement of riding to fight kids’ cancer - a great cause..because of the heat expected, I’ll be leaving Daxy dog at home for this group ride.

When: August 1st, 2024

Time:9:30 am meet up

Ride starts 10 am Sharp!

Where: Springbank Gardens Community Centre 205 Wonderland Rd S, London, ON N6K 3T3

If you can’t make it, you can still support me by donating to help fight cancer for SickKids!!

https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/KerryjaneVoth1

Tribute Day!!!

Next month, I am riding 500km in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer!

And my challenge starts NEXT WEEK.

Right now, over 1,700 children are diagnosed with cancer every year in Canada.

My 500km challenge will be tough, but it's nothing compared to what these brave kids and their families face every day of their lives as they battle this terrible disease.

Kids should be living life, NOT fighting for it.

Please support my challenge to end childhood cancer and save little lives by making a donation through my fundraising page:

www.greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/KerryjaneVoth1/a

Great Cycle Challenge 2024

Hi there!!

If you have been enjoying my posts about how I get ready to do a bike tour and would like to read more in-depth, you can find my “Great Cycle Challenge 2024“ Blog at the link below. I will be updating the blog while I’m on the road in real time starting August 1st till the 31st. If you subscribe, you will get notified of updated posts. Cheers Kj and Dax

https://doggonebikingadventures.com/blog-2/

Prototype Wood Block Riser

Here is a pic of the wood riser I installed on my left peddle. It works surprisingly well!!

Always More Bike Maintenance 🤣

Today I spent a few hours designing a prototype ergonomic wood block for a peddle “riser”.

I’m designing and testing out the ergonomic prototype wood block I installed on my left pedal because my hips dip to the left when I ride. This causes my back to ache later. It’s due to having a significant difference in the length of my left leg in comparison to my right. The test ride went well. A few more adjustments and tweeks and I think it’s going to be a success!! So far it felt super comfortable..

I noticed my kickstand foot was splitting apart leaving only the metal post holding up the bike. So I took it apart, cleaned it, installed new rubber protective covers for the frame and installed a foot I took from one of my hiking poles. I glued it into the post and let it dry for 24 hours. Did a 7km test ride with it this morning. It works perfectly. Did a few minor height adjustments when I got back home. Success!!!

Bike Repairs in Anticipation

Making sure my bike is in good working order is so important to me. I want to have confidence that the brakes will be there when I need them the most. During my bike tour from Valens Conservation Area by Cambridge to London my back brake pad wore out. So today, I rode down to the Squeaky Wheel Bike Coop here in London and spent a good 2 hours with Jensen rebuilding my front and rear brakes. I'm so glad I did because now I can relax knowing that I'm safe while riding.

What Have I Learned about Bike Touring?

What I’ve learned over the years is the most important thing is to keep it simple!! It’s not a race!!! You can stop and rest, eat or just take pics any time along the way. You can travel for days or take a few days off. It’s your ride!!!

Always have a back up plan incase your pitch for the night doesn’t work out. I use Warmshowers.org to find free hosts for a night and I keep enough cash on me to buy a night at a campground. Campgrounds are cheaper if you buy at the gate and not on line. The most important thing to remember is, it’s an adventure!! You will have challenges and learn to make the best choices for that moment. Stay safe and have fun!!!

Which Route do I Choose?

Over this past week, I’ve been researching the best routes from Windsor, On past London to Port Burwell, On. I had to reach out to friends because I’m not familiar with the Windsor area. So far I’ve been able to put together a route that includes the Chrysler Greenway Trail starting in Windsor and the back roads from Blenham, On through to Port Burwell. I’d like to ride the Great Waterfront Trail along the shoreline through Windsor too. It will be interesting to see how this whole adventure comes together when the time comes to leave. In the meantime, Dax and I are staying in shape by riding early each morning. Although these kms are being tracked, they will disappear on August 1st.. I will begin this challenge at 0 km along with everyone else who is riding the challenge..

Planning the Route

Half the fun of bike touring/camping is planning where and how it’s all going to come together..

One of the first things I do is work out the distance I want to travel, then divide the total by the weeks I have available. Then I divide that by the days to give me my daily distance. This is a very important number because I have to keep the daily kms reasonable for Dax. Dax is more than capable of travelling 35 to 50 kms per day, that does include time in the trailer resting while I continue cycling.

To plan to do 20 kms per day gives us lots of wiggle room for weather and rest days.