Published in the St-Lambert Journal
For some, retirement is about stepping back, hanging around with little to keep them busy. For others, it’s a partial venture with a lesser workload. Then there are those like David Cote.
The St-Lambert retiree is no longer on the clock, but he certainly is still active. A cycling aficionado, Cote, 70, recently returned from a two-month, 82-day journey that saw him pedal from Portland, Oregon all the way to Yorktown, Virginia. The trek spanned more than 4,300 miles and in all, he and the two riders with whom he reached the finish line, took just seven days off for rest.
“I’ve wanted to cross the country for years and didn’t find anyone that would want to do it,” he said.
He found this trip, the TransAmerica Trail, through Adventure Cycling. Cote and his main riding companions, aged 70 and 71, logged anywhere from 60 to 75 miles a day (100 to 115 kilometres) spread out over five to six hours. One day, good tailwinds helped them reach 100 miles.
“People would ask us why we were doing it and I’d say ‘Well, it’s a personal challenge’,” explained Cote. “That’s basically it, the whole thing why it’s been done. It was a personal challenge to all of us.”
Alone, it’s an incredible feat but consider this: It’s the second time Cote has embarked on such an excursion. Eight years ago, he took his bike down to Florida, where his daughter lived at the time, and hit the road solo back to St-Lambert.
Thirteen cyclists – the youngest being 62 – set out on the journey; only four finished. Of the first 31 days, he estimates about 25 included rain and that had an adverse effect on many riders.
There were obstacles along the way, ranging from inclement weather, flat tires – Cote had just one the whole trip – as well as a scare when a riding mate was rear-ended by a car. Part of his bike was damaged and he was injured, but both were good to go after a day off.
There were tough climbs along the way, including going from sea level to 7,000 feet in a mere 50 miles and the Teton Pass in western Wyoming, which at its steepest was at 10 degrees for nearly three miles. Yet despite not knowing a soul outside their group, friendly faces were aplenty.
“When we got down on the other side (of Teton Pass), one person said, ‘I saw you working there. Come stay at our house; our house is open to you.’ Several people saw us and they opened up their house to us,” recalled Cote, noting they were also invited to a roast beef dinner at another stop.
“It’s amazing how generous the people are.”
At night, they pitched their tents in campgrounds or parks. One town didn’t have either, so they set up camp on a grassy area behind the bar, at the owner’s suggestion. She even left them a hose to wash up.
When all was said and done, his wife of 43 years, Beverly, was there to toast his accomplishment with champagne. And while admittedly apprehensive at first, she knew it was a passion he wanted to fulfill and attempts at dissuasion would be for naught.
“I’m just overwhelmed by his tenaciousness and determination and the fact that he did it. There were times when we spoke on the phone after he’d had a particularly tough day or couple of days, I’d say ‘Well, you can do it the way people hike the Adirondack Trail. You can stop, come home, and continue another time.’ But it never happened,” she revealed.
“I know that he’s very determined. If he says he’s going to do something, it’s pretty much a fait accompli.”
Once a swimmer until shoulder problems pulled him out of the pool, he’s been cycling now for over 20 years. These days, he’s on his bike anywhere from three to four days a week. Even Mother Nature has a hard time holding him back.
“I have winter cycling gloves and winter clothes for cycling. As long as it doesn’t drop too far below freezing and the pavement is dry, I get out there,” said Cote. And when he can’t, he settles for the stationary bike or treadmill the couple has in their home.
As for what the future holds, other cycling adventures are always a possibility. But for now, Cote is just taking it easy.
Well, sort of.
“He’s been out on his bike a few times,” Beverly revealed. “He said he wasn’t going to go out for a while. It didn’t take him long to get back on it!”