The First long distance ride with the wife

When we got married, Marina said she wanted to learn how to ride. "After all", she said, "I've ridden a scooter before and I've always been into motorcycles". Honestly, at the time it sounded too good to be true, but we got married on account of her many other charms.

Last summer, after much goading, she finally got around to taking (and passing) her test. I celebrated by first trading in my Daytona 675 for a Triumph Street Triple 675 as it was easier for her to ride and then buying her a bunch of riding kit. Again, I never thought it would get used that much.

Since then, we've been out for a few rides. Mostly short ones and other, slightly longer (read 3-4 hour) with the rest of the ESR team. Again, i thought it would be as far as she got and that would be great. But when she mentioned a trip to Quebec city the other week, i thought nothing of it until she suggested we take the bikes...

Part of it was that we wanted to see Jordan and Sandra - http://eatsleepride.com/jordan sandra - before they set off to Ushuaia. Bon Voyage, people. Given that they are riding so far (and staying at the cottage), we couldn't do much but ride to meet them.

The other part of wanting to ride to Quebec was harder to define: She's normally a little wary on the bikes, still not 100% confident and that makes it all the more difficult to appreciate. Surely the truck would be easier?

At dinner tonight, she told me she hates road trips in the car, but the bikes are a different story. On them, she feels freer, and more open. We may be a little slower but we see more of the world. Perhaps this could be the start of some much further afield travel? Maybe, but only if I read all the maps...

The journey itself is only part way done. We've ridden 498 Km today, making it as far as Mt Tremblant on the back roads (route below)

I'm happy to say the weather played it's part and we stayed dry. Frustrations were all but nil, except for the diversions in Ottawa and the accomodations and food in Tremblant are good. Granted, there were a few moments when Marina appeared frustrated (I really must record her U-Turns...) but the roads pretty much all along the way were superb. Mostly sweeping but not too much traffic (at least in Quebec) means they were all great fun.

It's a day off tomorrow, but after that, we press on to Quebec city.