TORONTO -Instead of spending the summer lounging on the beach or working part-time jobs, friends Sam Edwardes and Cory Babiak embarked on a different adventure - cycling across Canada in under 50 days.

On May 1, the duo dipped their bikes into the Pacific Ocean in Victoria, BC, and rode across the country, coast to coast, ending in Halifax on June 17 - 48 days later.

Their goal was to raise money along the way for the BC Cancer Foundation, because both men have lost family members to the disease. They're within $1,500 of their goal of $15,000.

Edwardes, from Burlington, ON, and who is in his second year at Queen's University in Kingston., ON, said after multiple flat tires, endless exhaustion and being chased for miles by a huge dog, he's still glad he did it.

"It gave me a totally different perspective on the country. You don't really understand what it's like when you're in a car as compared to biking across it. It's totally different," Edwardes said.

He said when he went on road trips by car, he was always excited to see wildlife.

"When you see a bear near you on a bike, the excitement kind of fades," he said.

Edwardes added the trip challenged stereotypes about different regions of the country.

"The Prairies aren't as boring as everyone thinks. There are actually hills there and we saw the most wildlife on the Prairies, believe it or not," he said.

On average, the duo biked 140 km a day, carrying about 50 pounds of gear on their bikes that included tents, sleeping bags and clothing.

Edwardes said despite having some serious challenges along the way, and being so exhausted they could barely hold conversations some of the time, he and Babiak are still friends. Babiak is from Halifax.

Now that it's done, though, the two will head back to work. Edwardes will spend the rest of his summer working in a factory and resting up for school again in fall, though he admits he won't be going back as the same person.

"We had to put a lot of trust into total strangers on this trip. It's restored my faith in that I think people are generally good and want to help. I won't ever be the same."