In late summer my partner and I embarked on another bucket list bike trip: The Gaspe Peninsula, or Gaspesie, in Quebec. The name Gaspe comes from the Mi'kmaq word gespe'g, meaning “end”, referring to the end of the land. Cycling along the northern rugged coast of the peninsula, it did feel like the end of the land.
We flew to Quebec City with our road bicycles at the end of August. After a couple sightseeing days in the city we headed north on the east/south side of the St. Lawrence River around the Gaspesie and into New Brunswick. The highlight of the trip was Perce Rock, an historical and geological icon. It is an island of limestone that forms one of the largest arches over water in the world. Cycling along the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St Lawrence was a world class road cycling experience.
Safe roads, friendly small towns, great food, coffee and craft beer along the route, and amazing scenery day after day. We had easy touring days along the river through picturesque villages, we suffered through poor weather days with wind and rain lashing us as we hugged the rugged northern coast, and there were days where the road only went up or down with double-digit grades in and out of remote and spectacular coastal towns. We loved it all! 22 days, 1408 kms, 29953 ft of climbing, 1 beautiful rock, and 1 Hurricane Dorian. My SPVC 80 Road Jersey worked like a charm, day after day.
The LS and SS merino wool base layers ensured I was ready for sightseeing and stylish restaurants in Quebec City, mid-day cafes while riding, and craft breweries and coffee shops in the quaint towns throughout the Gaspesie. The cooler fall days meant I was often wearing a base layer under my jersey, and it was nice to roll into a cafe and simply take off my jersey to blend in a little bit. The HI-5 merino socks once again performed flawlessly day after day, in all weather.
The Spandex Panda Collection is truly Style Designed For Adventure. I don't leave home without them.
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