Leisure Ride with Friends - Back on the Bicycle

I simply have not been riding.
Between having a brutal head-cold, lack of motivation on cold mornings and needing a car at work to shuttle myself through a day of meetings I have found plenty of excuses.
As I was slowly watching my waistline grow, my wife suggested we call some friends to get out and ride on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Great suggestion.

We rallied at their house on the mountain, and JD took us on a nice loop nearby.  First we skulked along the mountain brow (a well trod path on a day like today). Then we circled back north toward his place and Valley Park. Finally into a local conservation area I had always wanted to explore but never taken the chance to do so.

JD is fresh off finishing the Great Divide race. His frame failed with a few hundred miles to go (and he still finished!) and this was his first time out on the new replacement. Pretty sharp setup.

You never know when the GoPro is aimed at you! Here my wife takes a break to enjoy the view.

We left hills out of the equation, our total mileage might have been about 10 (miles), and there was no perspiration of any kind involved. You know, its just what the doctor ordered! Sometimes whatever it takes to get back in the saddle is enough.

No roots, no slippery stones ... this path is just my speed!

Cave entrance.  I didn't go inside but its clear that lots of others had.

I'm away for the next few days but when I get back to the normal routine I plan on my bicycle being a part of that.

A Morning at the Cannon

A friend flew in from Edmonton and wanted to meet up so I recommended the Cannon.  He's quite a coffee connoisseur and gave their pour-over-style the thumbs up.  I wish I had taken a shot of our breakfast sandwiches - they were pretty decadent as well.

I got the GoPro rolling for the ride home and went a bit out of my way to have some fun.  Not too many days like this left.

If I was trying to make time I would have headed south right away, instead I headed east to the Red Hill expressway and it's parallel gravel path.

At times, the highway isn't very far away (immediately to my left in the photo below).

Then back into traffic once I hit Queenston, and from there, Highway #8 and home.  This fellow came close and his mirror even closer!

Whereas this bus driver left his rightful lane in order to give me space.  Thanks HSR!

The new bike lanes on Highway #8 are nice. Let's see if they keep them plowed in the winter.

Overall observations. It's now officially cold on the hands in the morning and not much better by noon.  The Kenda Small-Block 8's needed a bit more pressure today but should (as always) prove excellent once the weather really turns.  My brake hoods are beginning to feel like they stretch me out a bit too far so I might need to look for an alternative, shallow, handlebar that can get them in a bit closer.

I'm also beginning to think that I should look into a 58" frame. Wondering if the 60" is too much for me. Perhaps that's part of the issue.

Before the Rain Comes

Riding south to Smithville again today.

This is a nice stretch along Church Road.

Serendipity to the South

I woke up early enough to beat the usual Saturday morning garage-sale-crowd to the roads. I was pretty certain I wanted to bicycle into Smithville but was somewhat less certain about how I would get there.
My memory did not serve me as my best recollection was an endless series of minor highways littered with heavy truck traffic. Not anyone's ideal riding condition.

I took ridge road east through Grimsby mountain. It's a route I know well enough but knew that I would eventually have to turn south.

To my surprise I found a lovely series of quiet roads and a touch of gravel as well! In fact, they led me all the way to Smithville without so much as a single truck passing.

I couldn't get over the number of airplane exhaust trails. Kind of pretty though.

Once in Smithville I passed up the ubiquitous Tim Horton's Donuts in search of something with a bit more of a local flavour.  Whereas Timmy's dominated the coffee crowd on the east side of the town I found Jackie's Bakery & Cafe on the west side.  Tremendous! Just what I had hoped for: a quiet, local spot, with a large hot tea and a fresh raspberry donut. It was difficult to choose which delicious confection from her large selection so I'll just have to go back again!

Jackie even had a map that I could take. Very helpful because I didn't want to take the same route home but hadn't planned far enough ahead to ensure I'd not get lost using another route.

I have a real aversion to large homes. It's  a long story. But to be fair, I do find some from time to time that are thoughtfully designed and beautifully constructed. Actually, it's not all that rare of a thing. And so I decided I should be sharing more photos of such places (And churches as well. I see a lot of really great churches).

Nice new Tudor. Hard to see from here but it's a beautiful spot.

I'm deeply interested in things like simplicity and sustainable living and don't show that enough on my blog. Here is a photo-worthy house I passed on the way home.

Today's ride held many wonderful surprises. I'll be heading south again. Soon.

Backroad Bliss

Mornings in the country are always nice on a day like this; clear, cool, dry, breezy but not windy. I cannot imagine conditions being much better.

Action shot: here I come.

Shaky.

I didn't leave the cottage especially early this morning but no one else was up when I left and that makes it all the more serene.
It feels too long since I have saddled up for a leisure ride but soon as I am on the gravel I wonder why I've left it so long.
These roads are normally very quiet so it was a first for me to pass a road cyclist (looked like he was training) on a paved section and someone out for a run.  The city "lifestyle" is clearly making its way into this farming community.

Trans Canada Trail runs through here. Might have to properly check that out someday.

Ah, yes. This is what I was looking for!

Small Methodist church outside Balderson. I think it's defunct though.

Bridge near Fallbrook. I thought it crossed the Fall River but I'll need to double-check.

I love the city and all its variety but I also love the tranquility of the country.  It's interesting to me that the further I physically bicycle into the middle of nowhere the further my desire is for the city - but when I am back at home I love it too. Which would I choose if I had to? Not sure.
Rounded out my ride with a stop at Balderson Cheese for a coffee. Wonderful way to spend time here at the cottage.

This pic is actually outside Coutts Coffee in Perth. It was a better shot than the Balderson stop.

Photos all courtesy of my friends GoPro. Still don't quite have the knack of it but its a really fun tool to bring along.

Niagara River Parkway

Never in my adult life have I taken 2 weeks vacation back-to-back.  It's nice.

Day trips are the order of week-one.  Today we went to Queenston (across the bridge from Lewiston, NY) and took the Niagara Parkway bikepath into Niagara-on-the-Lake (Ontario) for a butter-tart (yum!).

It's always a nice ride and we do it often.  We were surprised that it was not very crowded on this beautiful day - but that meant we could ride side-by-side most of the time.

My wife doesn't commute but is really getting her chops on the bike.  She mowed down our 25km-ish route without issue. Hills and all. Maybe it was butter-tart motivation? I can't blame her.

I let her do the work.

Week two is back up at the cottage and we are all looking forward to that. I'm bringing the Paké

and the GoPro, with a solo trip to either Ottawa or Burnstown in mind. 

"What is Flat?"

  Although I still consider myself primarily a bicycle commuter and not a bicycle racer, recent competitive events have given me some interesting perspective.
  At last month's Hilly Billy Roubaix I found that if we weren't going down we were going up. In other words there were seldom any genuinely level stretches of consequence. No sustained "flat."
  On holiday this past week an old friend loaned me a rather nice 29er and took me on some single-track for a couple of hours. I sorely underestimated what that meant as we proceeded up and down hills of rock that appeared more like sport climbing routes than bicycle trails. Each time he slowed to let me catch up he described the trail ahead: "From here we'll go down to the left where it really flattens out before we jump back up a short climb..." He would say. The downhills were always treacherous. I think instead of removing rocks from the trail the club actually sought out rocks to add. A counter intuitive maneuver in my experience.
  But more to the point, where was the so-called flat trail? How did I miss it again and again? My lesson from these two experiences? Flat is relative. I'll never complain about those few rollers on my commute to work again.

Riding in Dryden, Ontario.

Bicycling Ridge Road on the Niagara Escarpment

Much to the chagrin of my wife, getting up early is becoming standard practice for me.  It often means some time alone to read but this morning I joined the ranks of unnumbered other cyclists who hit the pavé at the crack of dawn. This was a bit of a new experience but quite enjoyable.

I started out climbing the Niagara Escarpment.  As a means of training for the hills of West Virginia I did it twice.

Smiling at the top, so it couldn't have been that bad!

If you do an 8% grade twice does that equal a 16% climb?

My new bike-computer actually has an altimeter but I don't have the sensor hooked up yet.

I turned east at the crossroads and into Grimsby mountain.  It's just beautiful riding up here on the escarpment.

I'm loving this whole "gravel-grinding-thing" so I typically stick to unpaved shoulders. I think other bikes that pass me wonder what the heck I am doing!

Finally the ubiquitous coffee. I am new to the world of coffee consumption and thus far from being a connoisseur.  I passed up two designer coffee shops for McCafé!

Happy cycling to you, today!

Burnstown Gravel Ride

This was an inspiring ride.  I wish I had bothered to take more pictures but when I get in the moment I don't want to interrupt things.

This was my route.  Google says 61.9km and 3 hours 39 minutes.  But after a few wrong turns I ended up with a cool 80.5km ride in 3 hours 31 minutes.

It's backwoods all the way.  Beautiful riding & just what I was looking for.  There are no sustained gravel stretches like this where I live (the Burnstown route is a 5 hour drive north). Below is my folks cottage - ready for liftoff.

These are the kinds of roads I have been looking for.  This is an example of one in good condition.  Most were impassible for cars because of the large ruts but were perfect for my purposes.  In fact, I believe I counted 6 cars on this route, and that's not a whole lot.

I got a lot of looks.  Helmets are an unusual sight around these parts - never mind spandex.
Let's just say "this was good training for the Hilly Billy" and leave it there.

 

Accidental close-up or giant mosquito?  Don't stop for long or you may end up with West-Nile Virus.

Burnstown may be nothing more than a whistle-stop but Neat is a great place for a reward.

I could say so much more but lets keep this simple.  Here's my summary:

• A route so fun that I am considering turning it into a race/tour.
• I will learn to take more photos.
• Seeing as this was half the distance of the Hilly Billy, I must learn about proper nutrition quickly. Otherwise I won't survive the Hilly Billy.
• Most dogs that chase you are just out for a good time. Some aren't though.
• Just because you're the only person on miles of road doesn't mean the locals will give you a wide berth as they pass.
• My wife is awesome.
• Good geometry is worth the time to figure out and a good saddle is worth the money.
• I'll be doing that again.

My Music @ Work

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.
~ Berthold Auerbach

My everyday life is not so bad that I need to escape it, but I truly enjoy the places that music takes me so I engage it as often as I can. Music doesn't just help pass the time, it helps me reflect, brings memories back to life and can make most chores more enjoyable.

I have always wrestled with the tension between using headphones on my commute vs. the potential dangers it invites.  On the one hand I get my music while on the other it minimizes a critical commuting-sense.

Using one earbud instead of two isn't a bad option but I may have found an even better one.

I put my iPad in one of those thin nylon bags with the rope-y shoulder straps and turned it up as loud as possible.  The sound easily penetrated the thin fabric of the bag much better than it would have my normal commuting pack. On quiet streets this worked really well but on major roadways the music was easily drowned out.

It then occurred to me that I could get improved volume by putting my Jawbone Jambox into my bento-bag.  The Jambox speaker connects to the iPad via bluetooth, and I speculated that having the sound originate in front of me would result in better overall quality. 

While neither of these is a perfect solution to the earbud issue, I think I am on the right track. 

What about you?  Do you also like to ride with music?  How do you do it?
 

40k ride that felt longer

I'm entered into a fantastic looking gravel-grind for June so instead of just commuting I am compelled to do a little extra. The event is called the Hilly Billy Roubaix and it was my wonderful wife that suggested it in the first place!

When it comes to training for this kind of thing my friend, JD, is the go to fellow.  I mean, anyone who competes at the Tour Divide can certainly show me a thing or two about singletrack and handling on soft ground.

After climbing the Niagara Escarpment we headed west across the DOFASCO Trail.  It's a pleasant ride with crushed limestone double-track all the way. After a pause at the Punchbowl Market  we headed back down the escarpment.  One would think going downhill on a bicycle is the fun part, but it was also the most difficult part. In fact I got stuck going way fast between a runnell and soft gravel and it took me down.

White coffee & a Cliff Bar.  Now that's a winning combination!

"He's OK!"

After quickly reassuring myself I could move my legs and that nothing seemed broken I started to chuckle.  Maybe it was shock, maybe it was thankfulness. Not to say that I wasn't in pain, because it hurt. A lot.  But I did survive it.

The picture above looks posed but nope, that's right where I lay until I got my wits about me.

From there we turned west and went across the base of the escarpment, and then back up.  I was pleased with my climbing but I am certain I need more gear options for the Roubaix. I'll have to see what Pinkbike has to offer.

In the end we covered just over 40km. Not a long distance if you ask me, just don't ask my body because it thinks it went much further than that!

Riding in Ottawa - it's not 1983 anymore

I always felt secure on my bicycle while growing up in a quiet west-end community of Ottawa.  I no longer live in Ottawa but my parents do, and on my last visit I rented a Salsa Beargrease and toured about the city.
Some reactions were positive, others not so much.  Since I don't have any photos for this post I shall keep it brief.

The Negative: I got stared down by a guy driving a ParaTranspo Bus, I got honked at twice (not the just-a-friendly-toot-to-remind-you-that-there's-a-car-here kind, but the GET OFF THE ROAD kind), and there were at least two times that a car seemed to pass me intentionally close.

These kinds of things don't seem to happen in Hamilton.  I wonder why?  I wonder which is a more realistic expectation for a vehicular cyclist?

The Positive:  People all over were staring at me (the good kind, I think.  Remember, I was on a big, fat-tired bicycle), I heard "that is the coolest bike I have ever seen" from three different teenaged boys on school trips, I had two city workers approach me grinning ear to ear eager to have their questions answered about the bike, I had a truck pull up alongside me (while in motion) and the fellows in it (also grinning widely) give me the repeated thumbs-up.

I have to say, I felt special riding this thing. It was a real ego-boost. In other words, since I didn't actually get hit by a car, the positives well outweighed the negatives.  I'll do it again one day but for now I will put this "thread" to rest. Cheers.

Beargrease Post III - the components

Nothing on the bicycle was stock (in case you were wondering), but the components on the Salsa Beargrease really impressed me.

I often defer to cheaper components because my philosophy is "what can the difference really be?" Well...here are a couple of observations that threaten to rock my thrifty world.

One. Disc brakes are terrific.  I don't own a bicycle with disc brakes but I can certainly see the attraction.  These were Hope Pro Hydraulic and their stopping power was excellent.  I enjoyed a feeling of security which I seldom have in wet weather.  They were quite noisy, in fact, embarrassingly so at times.  But if they saved me (even once!) from gliding out-of-control into a bus, well then, I can put up with a bit of a screech.

Two.  I loved the pedals.  They were platforms with pins and no clip-in system whatsoever.  I take it thats the rule for mountain bikes (which I don't know much about).  They had surprisingly marvelous grip.  I have used strap systems since the age of 13, but now I am wondering if even that is necessary. In Grant Petersen's book "Just Ride" he argues that we spend much less time "pulling up" than we think.

On the Beargrease I was surprised that I had no difficulty keeping my feet where they were supposed to be.  I admit, I thought that I "pulled up" more than that.  I guess I "pedal squares" as I once heard Bernard Hinault (the Badger!) put it.

Will any of this translate to the Pake - my regular commuter?  I think yes.

I am not suitably equipped to "review" the drivetrain, but I will say that it shifted quickly and flawlessly.  Brand: unknown.

I have one more post to come in this series.  It will be about the varried reactions I received cycling through Ottawa on the Beargrease.

Walking the Bear - my day with the Salsa Beargrease

Having rented such a wonderful bicycle for the day, I set out to fully enjoy it.  That meant some trail riding, but mostly it meant retracing the routes I commonly took growing up in Ottawa.

Although the paths of my youth would look much different covered in a foot of snow, and some 30 years later, they absolutely succeeded in resurrecting a lot of good memories.

Starting from the far east, the route traces back to itself counter-clockwise.  Turns out the route that took me four hours (including a couple of rests) was only 27km long - but it sure felt a lot longer than that.  I would equate the workout to doing 60km, full-out, on the road.

Salsa Beargrease

I arrived at Phat Moose Cycles with the impression that I had booked a Salsa Mukluk II.  I had never been on a fat-tire bicycle before and to say I was looking forward to it is an understatement.  They opened at 10 and I was there for 9:55 in full gear.  

 
The weather was ideal and although I wouldn't have the time to get to any of the  recommended trails, I had a route well planned out that would include a variety of challenges.
 
I was stunned when the two guys at Phat Moose had instead prepared for me a  Salsa Beargrease.  Holy cow. It was like getting the ultimate, free upgrade at Budget Rent a Car.
 

A Weekend Retreat (without a bike)

Whisked away to the (even snowier) north this weekend for a retreat of sorts, and as always, on the lookout for signs of the year-round-cyclist. I can't prevent my thoughts from dwelling on the recurring fantasy of carving through the icing sugar forests whenever I am in an environment like this. 

I am sentenced to live vicariously through other's BLOGS - which although I appreciate very much - I hope only serve to satiate my yearning until I join the ranks of the fat-tire revolution.

An Ottawa dealership maintains that they cannot keep Pugsleys and Mukluks in stock because of the demand but I have yet to see any evidence of that this winter.

I did find this lonely and abandoned fellow outside the dining hall but given the condition of his rear brake lever I chose not to disturb his winter's sleep.

I certainly have no right to complain when I have this as my fall-back plan though.

Good cycling, everyone.