May 3, 2025 - As I approached Les Mechins, a small village nestled on the St. Lawrence River in the Gaspe Peninsula, I had a decision to make. Call it a day, or continue eastward for another 50 kilometres to reach Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, where a friend of my partner offered to put me up for the night.

With only a single 725W battery on the Tern Orox, I had started the day pedalling without assistance to preserve power for when I most needed it. Now, after 130km in the saddle, this strategy had paid off as there was still enough juice to go the extra distance.

Moreover, the next day’s forecast looked grim with 60mm of rain expected by early afternoon. The weather today hadn’t been great either, but I never really minded wind or rain all that much, being used to cycling in Scotland.

I texted Denis to accept his kind offer of accommodation, and he promptly confirmed. With a room to look forward to, along with good lights and power on my trusty e-cargo bike, the remaining 50km in the dark was a fun jaunt.

I reached the town, at the edge of nearby Gaspésie National Park, around 9pm. Following a can of beer and a quick bite, I fell asleep almost immediately. Today’s 170km wasn’t the furthest I have cycled on a cargo bike in a single day. In fact, I managed 6 kilometres more on a Hase Gravit Dust in December 2023 when I biked home for Christmas.

While tackling around 800m of climbing is not much on a regular bike, propelling 50kg on two wheels, with or without motor assistance, is similar to riding a singlespeed mountain bike with luggage. This is still my claim to fame — riding a singlespeed bike for 34,000km around the planet from 2015 to 2016 — and what I’m mostly known for.

Since then, I have worked tirelessly to make bikepacking more attractive to a larger audience, and this adventure in Quebec was no different.

Being able to enjoy Canada and the amazing autumn colours of the Gaspe Peninsula was a very special journey on two wheels. Having the opportunity to experience the new Tern Orox, an ideal e-cargo bike for long bikepacking adventures, was icing on the cake.

I tested the Orox back in May 2024 on the Moray Coast in Scotland together with Jenny Graham, a fellow Scottish round-the-world cyclist. We were both amazed at how much rough terrain the Orox could handle.

With massive 27.5 x 4-inch tires and loads of load capacity, the Orox defines a new and more comfortable category for long-distance bikepacking. My 7-day adventure of cycling from Quebec City to the Gaspe Peninsula reaffirmed the capacity of this adventure e-cargo bike.

The journey here began on October 4. As with any good bikepacking trip, there is only so much one can plan for a 777km adventure. My guide and contact on the ground, Jean-Guy (my partner’s dad), had advised that autumn was the best time to visit and enjoy the amazing fall colours of the region.

My start in Quebec City was a bit rocky, as some last- minute juggling meant that some items for the Tern Orox demo bike did not arrive at Echo Sports.

Instead of two 725W batteries only one arrived, and unfortunately the key to remove it from the bike was lost somewhere in transit.

With my departure into some fairly remote parts of Quebec rapidly approaching, there was no time to secure an additional battery.

On a positive note, the massive panniers on the bike, which hold 72 litres each, were ideal. There was so much room that I could take two sets of bikepacking baggage with me — great news, as immediately after this trip I was heading to a photoshoot.

I rolled out of Quebec City in warm sunshine, amazed by how many people I saw riding on all kinds of bikes. After crossing the Saint Lawrence River via ferry, I cycled from Levis along the eastern shore of the mighty river into the night.

At L’Islet-sur-Mer I found the lovely Auberge la Marguerite to spend the night, but I had the challenge of charging the Orox battery without being able to remove it. The owner kindly suggested that the bike could be charged in the cellar and together we manoeuvred the hefty e-cargo bike down a couple of steps for the night, and then back up the next morning.

Day two started with an amazing breakfast before a strong headwind made cycling more challenging. While the powerful motor did a great job of keeping me moving, there was a significant difference in battery drainage during this stretch of the journey.

Still, I was blessed with not only a proper taste of autumn colours between La Pocatière and Saint Pascal, but I arrived at my hostel in Rivière-du-Loup with 3% left in both battery and body.

Day three welcomed a very sumptuous breakfast to get started, and after loading up with carbs I planned to make it to Rimouski. From an earlier trip in June, I knew this stretch of the Route Verte and opted for a more direct path inland. At Trois-Pistoles I took a detour and crossed a small bridge over the Rivière des Trois-Pistoles — it was well worth the extra climb.

The forest around the river was a sea of amber and yellow in all shades, with pine trees providing a nice contrast. After about 88km I reached the Parc National du Bic and took a side trip to the beautiful beaches along the coast as the sun began to set.

With about 50% still left in battery life, I contemplated pitching my tent at a small campsite in the park. But with the weather turning rougher in the coming days, I carried on past Rimouski to a small local gîte (cottage) where I recharged the bike and enjoyed being the only guest for the night.

There was no shortage of “wow” moments along the coast of the Gaspe Peninsula, and I carried on to Sainte- Anne-des-Monts on day four.

En route to Saint-Maxime-du-Mont-Louis on day five, I stopped after 65km at a small campsite and rolled the Orox into the dormitory to charge, just as a heavy downpour of rain began and continued for hours. I ate all of the remaining food I could find in my panniers as 60 millimetres of rain sent leaves tumbling down to the ground.

With around 1,700m of climbing and 145km to go, day six would be the biggest day on the journey. My original thought was to stay in Murdochville after around 100km, but with enough energy left in my body and the battery, I added another 45km to arrive in the dark at my partner’s parents’ house in Gaspe.

Setting off very early the next morning for my photo shoot, I got a brisk taste of winter as the temperature plummeted well below zero. Filming the sunrise and the fog clearing over the Dartmouth River was a special experience that made it worth the cold hands. Meanwhile, the colours of the forests along the road to Rivière-au-Renard presented some amazing autumn tapestries for my camera.

For seven days the Tern Orox had taken me to many beautiful forests along the stunning coast of Bas-Saint-Laurent and the Gaspe Peninsula.

With a second battery, it would have been a bonus to camp for a night or two and take in some of the rougher, more energy-consuming trails — something to look forward to the next time!

For more information on Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula visit here.

For more information on the Tern Orox visit here.