Wash and ride

It didn't rain the whole time we were in Nova Scotia. It didn't even rain most of the time. It just poured whenever we were out riding our bike.

We went riding anyway.

The people in their cars looked like they felt sorry for us as we waited in the pouring rain with our tandem-bike-and-trailer to board the high-speed CAT ferry back to Portland, Maine. We felt sorry for the people watching us -- many of them let the rain spoil their fun.

The weather reports were truly horrible as we left Portland. We could have cancelled our getaway, but we're a rain-or-shine couple. We cleared Canadian customs quickly in the gloom of a misty, foggy evening. Then we pedaled the mostly-level two miles to Harbour's Edge, a perfectly marvelous bed & breakfast in a restored mansion overlooking the water. Our plan was to leave the trailer with our luggage at the B&B for two nights and explore the Yarmouth area by bike.

The next morning, as we ate a huge, absolutely delicious breakfast in the parlor overlooking the water, a squall blew in. Watching the rain cascading against the windows and tree-branches dancing wildly, we lingered over tea and coffee. By the time we'd donned our raingear, the winds had calmed and the rain had slackened a bit.

We started with a loop through the village of Yarmouth, looking for places to explore later. Then we headed out of town for a ten-mile ride out to the historic Yarmouth Lighthouse at Cape Forchu.

This southern tip of Nova Scotia is perfect bicycle country. Most roads have relatively little traffic and small hills. The coastline is uneven so each turn of the road offers new, often sweeping views of the harbour, the sea, and the coastal marshes. We saw deserted beaches and lobster boats tied up at wharves. The roadsides were lined with lupines and beach roses in full bloom. Even in the rain, the views were spectacular. The pace of a bike gave us time to enjoy them.

By the time we reached the lighthouse, it was raining hard again. So we ducked inside for a museum tour and a tasty lunch (try the lobster sandwich and Patricia's pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins for dessert) in the tearoom.

When we came out again, it was raining even harder, so we pedaled a looping route back into town, explored the local visitors center and a wonderful used book shop before heading back to the B&B. There, we showered, warmed up and dried out before walking back to town on a pleasantly dry evening. We thought a bit ruefully that if we'd taken the bike it would have rained. The lively Rudders Seafood Restaurant and Brewpub served us a great dinner of Digby scallops.

The next morning we rode our bike in another downpour back to the ferry. In total, we'd biked about 25 soggy miles. It was just enough to justify all the great food we ate. If we'd taken our car across instead of the bike, we'd have spent a lot more money and seen more miles of road -- but not as well. And we'd have probably gained weight.

There's a silver lining in every rain cloud.

Riding in the rain

Look on the bright side: You don't have to worry about sunburn, sunstroke or dry skin while riding in the rain.

A high-quality waterproof, breathable rainsuit is pretty much essential if you're out for a day on a bicycle. If the jacket has a hood to wear under your helmet and the pants legs zip closed to keep them out of your bike chain, so much the better.

For safety's sake, you definitely want to be seen through the rain and gloom. Our tandem is outfitted with super-bright LED head and tail lamps by Princeton Tec. These lights shine long and bright on regular batteries.

Even for short trips you want to carry your wallet, a camera, possibly a cell phone, maps and a few other essentials dry and safe. After lots of looking, I found a "Tour Guide" handlebar bag from Topeak ) that snaps off the bike for use as a shoulder bag, and has a fully fitted rain cover. Topeak also makes cool biking tools, pumps and other necessities.

Arriving at your lodging with wet gear wouldn't be any fun at all. We saw other bikers using all kinds of improvised stuff to keep their gear dry, including trash bags inside ordinary stuff sacks and bike bags and panniers. We put all of our gear in dry bags inside the Burley "Nomad" trailer, which we also use for going to the grocery store back home. The trailer pulls along with little additional effort and has its own waterproof cover, so everything was double-protected.

Nearby Nova Scotia

The CAT ferry service out of Portland means you no longer have to drive all the way out to Bar Harbor to cross to Nova Scotia. It would even be possible to load your bike on a train or bus bound for Portland and do even less driving.

The CAT is an amazingly fast, smooth ride. Six and a half hours after leaving Portland, you're in Yarmouth. It cost only $27 to bring along our tandem bike and trailer compared to $150 for a car.

A bike is the perfect way to explore the area. Rain or shine, I could easily imagine spending a week or two here enjoying great biking, good food, uncrowded beaches and wonderful people.