I was looking forward to experiencing my first 400 km brevet in the company of other riders. For a good portion of my first 300 two weeks earlier I had ridden solo. Thankfully Alard Malek joined me for 55 km at the beginning and Rob Nygren for 68 at the end, with their hospitality and great conversations. Alone again, I didn’t mind the solitude this time but from Bowser onwards the highway was so deserted it gave me the creeps thinking that if a big cat jumped me I wouldn’t get any help from a passing motorist. When I could put that out of my mind the dark hours were peaceful and it was great to have the entire lane to myself.

Many of the roads were enjoyable. The suburban and rural section from Nanaimo to Ladysmith and back was especially beautiful as was the return route into Courtenay. The old highway’s shoulder felt safe as did the new highway’s but water views and calm are vastly superior to the blast of cars and trucks going by at high speed. The climb back up to Nanaimo seemed to go on forever but once there, with hardly any traffic, I was able to transit through the outskirts back to the finish control at Tim Horton's in no time at all.

Showers doused me between the Nanoose Bay intersection and Nanaimo at the end otherwise it was clear skies. I had an easy headwind for the first half which helped when I turned south at the 50th parallel. My biggest challenge and time lost was in stopping, trying to find food that I could stomach. I thought I had discovered a new favourite at the starting Timmy’s; a toasted cinnamon and raisin bagel with butter. It was all I could think about from Courtenay to Campbell River but when I bought two there the magic was gone. It tasted like cardboard in my dry mouth and eventually I threw them out. The pralines and cream milkshake near Union Bay might have been a mistake. My go-to has been energy bars but on this ride their taste left me feeling nauseous and no amount of chewing would coax them to go down, perhaps due to dehydration.

A sit-down slice of pizza in Cumberland with ice water and Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa finally brought me back to life and, with the hour’s rest, made the remaining 100 kms feel doable. Good thing I stopped; there wasn’t much after that and thanks to Jeff Mudrakoff for mentioning that possibility during the ferry ride over from Horseshoe Bay with Mike Gottlieb and Kieran Iles. The Qualicum Beach Shell was closed, 10 pm - 6 am, so I pushed on hungry to Parksville where the 24-hour McDonald's would not serve me on my bicycle. I asked the truck driver in line behind me to buy me some fries (I had no cash, just cards), and the good samaritan obliged. I was able to choke down half the order but they gave me a case of burps that I worried would make me wretch so into the garbage went the rest. What did work on the last stretch was a banana I had been packing around all day, Scratch Energy Chews and some salted cashews from the Nanoose gas station.

It took a little while for someone to appear at the Timmy’s takeout window. After the young woman signed and time stamped my control card I asked her what the hour was and she replied 1:54, bless her soul. I was feeling quite good about that but a few minutes later when I remembered to stop my GPS and checked my phone the time was 02:28. I can’t imagine how her clock could display a half-hour earlier. I calculated she signed my card at 02:24 and that’s what I entered as my finish time.

I was able to say hi and fist bump Rob Nygren at my 145 km mark and his 155. I started the ride in Nanaimo, he from Courtenay and he was making good time. I missed Rob going the other way by only a few minutes. He said he passed my camper van parked on Highland Boulevard around 02:15. We might have intersected if I had used the tunnel to cross the highway but some sketchy fellows were hanging out down there and I didn’t want any trouble at that hour of the night.

I made it back to my Living Forest campsite around 03:00 and slept lightly until 08:00. I sailed out of Duke Point for Tsawwassen on the 10:15.

My first 200, 300 and now 400 kilometer brevets have all been with the Vancouver Island section. It’s beginning to feel more like home over there. Thanks to Stephen Hinde for rising before 06:00 to greet the five Nanaimo starters of the Make Up Brevets he organized for that weekend, and for his very enjoyable 400 route.

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