Day 24 Selkirk to Port Rowan - 40 Years Later - CycleBlaze

June 4, 2025

Day 24 Selkirk to Port Rowan

Average speed: 10.1 mph


Today was another good day. I got moving at about 6:30 am. I went to bed early, so was up before 6 and decided to just get going. The tactical objective was to get to Selkirk Village, six miles away, since that was the closest place that had food. The first few miles of the ride were close along the shore, which was peaceful. Quiet, no traffic, a light cool breeze and the sun coming up over the lake. Very nice. The route turned inward, and I arrived at Selkirk Village by 7ish. Good thing, since the cafe, pretty much the only one, opened at 8 am!!! The convenience store, which only sold beer, opened at 9. The other restaurant, which didn’t look like a cafe, also opened at 8. The next nearest breakfast of food place was 18 mile away according to Google, so I had to wait. 

Farmhouse at sunrise on way to Selkirk
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The Sunflower Cafe - excellent!
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Ellie Carneycan they accommodate a sunflower seed allergy?
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For about an hour, I watched traffic stop and go at the single intersection in Selkirk Village. It wasn’t bad. A few folks came by and were pleasant, I petted their dogs. There were lots of oil trucks passing through, several from Lewiston and Buffalo, NY. This was a main route, even though small. At 8 I went in to the Sunflower Cafe - I was the only there and had a great breakfast with excellent service, and also got several items to go since I knew food places may be scarce (and they were) and took off. Before I got moving again, I starting talking with a local man who lived nearby. I told him I was from Boston and we exchanged hockey talk. He was happy that a Canadian team was in the Cup Finals, and we both commiserated about Florida, of all places, having a great hockey team. I did not bring up Marchand.

Once moving, things were fine. It was a highway stretch for a bit, with no shoulder but polite traffic, then side roads taking me closer to the shore, however not right alongside it. This was the model for the day, going along the lake, but not really able to see it, except past some huge mansions. It was also a mix of farm country. Many fields were dormant, but you could see the remnants of corn stalks from last season, and farmers plowing under to get ready for planting again. Of course, that is my assessment of what they were doing or what was planted. The reality is I have no idea, but that’s my guess.

Heading along a side road close the shore, I came to a sign “Local Traffic Only”. That’s a signal for cars which don’t live on that road to not enter. Bikes though, typically can get by. I headed down the road, expecting some complications, but that they would be manageable. I came to the construction which was going on, and the construction worker told me I had to turn around. I really don’t like to backtrack - who does? It would have meant probably an 8-mile detour, almost an hour, and it was unclear where to detour. I tried to negotiate. I asked if I could squeeze along the side. He said there was trench along the entire width of the street. I asked if I could go into the field to the right of the road. He said I would get ticks and again suggested I turn around. He then told me if he let me go, the workers would get angry at him and then he would get angry at me. I have to say, he was very calm and borderline polite about the whole thing. You would not have the same type of tone in the US. So I just stood there, and he stood there. I told him I was not angry, just trying to sort out something that would avoid backtracking. Then a woman came out of pickup and walked towards us. She seemed important. She told me to just go around by the beach! Great!!! I cut through a property, walked down to the beach, struggled for about 30 yards in the sand, long enough I estimated to get past the construction, then looked for an opening to climb back up to the road. I found some old broken cement steps which I could use. There was not way I could lift the bike and gear (not enough time at the gym). I unloaded, brought the bags up in two trips, climbing the broken stairs, over logs, and through some tall grass back to the road, just past the construction. I did the same with the bike. Mission accomplished. No backtracking. But now I just think about ticks. 

The construction problem - solved!
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One other note. My strap solution to keep my right pannier on failed. The bag did not fall off while riding, but my Mighty Strap was not so mighty.

It looked stronger than it really was
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Mike AylingTry a cable tie?
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1 month ago

The difference from the past two days were the hills. They were mostly “rolling” with one or two climbs, but nothing like the ones earlier in the trip.  However, my climbing legs were not as good. I was out of practice. At the end of a day riding mostly flat with high cadence, your legs do feel a different “soreness” than on the climbing days. 

Along the way, tracking the lake from a distance, there were some pretty astounding estates, or ranches, with magnificent homes, all made out of stone. This is a vacation spot, or maybe home, for the wealthy. Some were alongside farms, but I don’t think the owners were farmers. 

Nice
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The big city is Port Dover. It’s about 1,000 times bigger than Selkirk Village. It must be the hub of several industries (have not Wikipedia’d it). It’s also a hub of convenience stores, which I took advantage of for a break. Traffic was not too bad and soon I was out of the “city” on back roads.

Shortly after Port Dover, I entered Nanticoke and came across a pretty significant industrial site. Huge buildings in the distance, separated from the road by a hundreds yards of open field, with barbed wire fences. The industrial processing building went on, you could see conveyor belts, incredibly large mountains of sand and some other grayish gravel. It was very interesting. Then I recalled a sign early that read “Erie Steel Works”. This was it. Huge. Very important to the vibrancy of the local economy, generating probably thousands of jobs. A suppler of steel to GM (thanks, Wikipedia). And, today was the day that Trump’s (our terrible president) steel tariffs took effect. The ramifications on this community will be significant.

Erie Steel Works (now Stelco)
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Backroads, farms, hills was the formula for the rest of the day. Heat started to play a factor. The first time on the trip that it has been noticed. Not huge and its effects were mitigated by the 30mph wind gusts! Those were a pain in the neck. Climbing hills is slow, but at least you get some potential energy. Wind however, when in your face, which going East to West it typically is, (is that El Niño?), is a pain in the neck with no benefit. A pure tax that requires, at least today, two gears of downshifting on flat terrain. But you deal with it. (note: no picture of wind). 

Finally into Port Rowan. A very cute little town, situated near Long Point. The town has everything you need: a grocery store, a cafe, a restaurant, a bar, several antique stores. A very quaint little village. While getting off my bike to get groceries, a woman stopped to talk. She asked me what I was doing; I told her, and her response was “Why?” I did not have a good answer. We talked for over a half hour - about the ride, Port Rowan, birds (Long Point is a big migratory stop), her sister (a big birder who lives 5 hours north), her son who has passed, her grandson, Trump (she feels sorry for us) and more. It was great. She was so friendly and sincerely wanted to know more about me and I her. She didn’t think I had a Boston accent until I said her name. 

Martha
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And then, while “Maatha” and I were talking, Lindsey, from yesterday’s ride, showed up. She rode ahead of me yesterday, but had a late start today from her Warmshowers host and was stopping to camp at Long Point. I was (and am) not camping, so am staying in Port Rowan at a wonderful B&B (Front Porch B&B). Lindsey, Martha, and I talked for a bit. I kept on eye her bike while she shopped for groceries (which prompted me later to lock mine while I shopped). Martha left. Lindsey packed her food and was off to camp.  

I was finishing my soda when another biker showed up. He was thin, with a full gray beard and near my age. We talked a bit. He’s from Vermont, a very experienced bike tour person, and we’ve pretty much followed the same route. We exchanged notes on the trip, and I watched his bike as he shopped (I’m good at bike watching). He was off for another 15 miles to camp. I felt like a slacker staying in B&Bs, but didn’t feel bad enough to camp. As he was packing, he made the comment that I looked pretty fully loaded for doing motels. His total weight, bike and gear, was 62 pounds, about 20 pounds lighter than me. But if he had to build a ropes course, could he?

Tomorrow the forecast is rain. And not just light rain, the heavy stuff. I’ll track it in the morning, but I may be staying another night in Port Rowan. 

This is good direct marketing
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Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 961 miles (1,547 km)

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George GrantDid you try the Frisky Pizza?
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1 month ago