The significance of good nutrition really cannot be understated. We’re going to be pushing the limits of our physical endurance from day one onwards and won’t stop for half a year. From the rain of the Atlantic to the winds of the Prairies to the gravel of the Arctic, we’re going to need to be well-fed and taking care of our bodies carefully, healthily, and sustainably.
Throughout this expedition, we’re taking on a lot of different roles. At the end of the day, however, we are engines. Our muscles are pushing our bikes across the country. That’s it.
Like any engine, we’re going to need fuel, so we’re going to be packing in as many calories and grams of protein as we can. CLIF Bar is helping us do that. CLIF Bars usually feature a stylized image of a rock climber doing a sidepull on the Chain Reaction climb in Smith Rock Oregon—which at least in my head always connected CLIF to climbing culture—but the idea for CLIF Bar actually began on a bicycle. In 1990, Gary Erickson pulled a day-long, 175-mile ride and decided he was done with traditional energy bars. He designed the CLIF Bar as a natural and tasty energy alternative, and the family-owned company has become a leader in organic and sustainable adventure-based nutrition.
They sent us enough bars to cover our entire expedition, and we spent yesterday packing them to be shipped along with other supplies to different pickup points on our route. Oh, and found this van on a random street in the GTA.
That’s CLIF. From one cyclist to the next.