Red Deer family prepares to cycle 6,000 km across Canada this May

Weber says the dream started back in fall 2022 when Jade expressed she was inspired by a similar trip he made in his early twenties.

Roughly 30 years ago, Weber reminisced when he biked in the summer from east to western Canada, against the wind’s direction, carrying his tent on his back and road map in hand. Although travelling solo at 24 years old, he said he never felt lonely, quickly learning how kind Canadians were as many invited him over for dinners and into their homes.

Jade will be turning 23 years old during the trip.

He says the motivation for him then is the same for his child now: for the hell of it. He says the trip is also a great opportunity to see the country in a fun and challenging way.

“I think [Jade and Tristin] both realize that if they don’t do it now, it might not happen. They’ll have a family maybe and they’ll get so busy it’ll just fall by the wayside,” he said. “I think that’s the neatest thing with this trip is there’s no ulterior motive I guess. They just want to go and do this trip and experience it and just do it because.”

This time, however, things will be very different for Weber. Their bags will contain just a few clothes and essentials as they sleep in small, budget-friendly and quaint hotels rather than large chains. He says they want to maximize their chances of meeting the most interesting people through unique experiences and explore each stop they make.

After celebrating his 25^th anniversary with his wife April, Weber and the young adults will bike along Highway 3 through 7 in southern BC, making their way to the Trans-Canada highway through the Prairies. They will then dip under Lake Superior and into the United States before coming back into Ontario and Quebec where they will make various stops to see friends. Weber says he expects to complete the trip by June 25.

(L-R) Keith Weber, Jade and Logan, a friend of Jade’s boyfriend who will be joining them this trip, on a previous cycling trip. (Supplied)

Long-distance cycling trips are no stranger to the family as Weber says they have frequently done, for example, the Golden Triangle three-day bike trip in the Rocky Mountains through Alberta and BC.

For this trip, he says the family trained all winter on stationary bike trainers while watching old 90’s movies in their basement.

Weber says this tight-knit bond has been a strong family value since his son and daughter were born.

“Do as much stuff as you can with your kids when they’re little. Just be around them. Don’t sit at the playground; go on the monkey bars with them, don’t watch them. If they’re going to the swimming pool, play at the swimming pool with them,” he said. Although at times he would feel too tired to play after a day’s work, he says he’s glad he did, adding that ‘the action comes before the motivation’.

He says parents should not only be active participants in their children’s’ lives, but also in their own psychical health.

“Don’t take your health for granted; work at it. It’s not something that we’re just granted. It’s something that we have to work for; otherwise we’ll lose it. We need to make it more of a priority so we don’t have to miss out on any opportunities,” he said.

“I’m so thankful that I’m healthy enough to do this,” he said. “It’s all paying off now.”

The family will be documenting the trip using drones, GoPro cameras and Instagram, Weber’s being @cross_canada_keith. Upon completion, they will FedEx their bikes back home and return by plane.

by Alessia Proietti

Red Deer family prepares to cycle 6,000 km across Canada this May

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