cycles

happy christmas!

2011-12-25T07:49:00.003-05:00

a very happy christmas to all my cycling (and non-cycling) friends!!!

may your roads be lined with beauty and the odd shop selling good pastries and nice tea or coffee, and may they end at a place that has an awesome dinner ready with something lovely to drink!!!!!

steven and my two bikes

riding on dec. 11. 2011

2011-12-11T19:28:00.014-05:00

okay so let's get this bit out of the way to start - it's freaking windy and so . . . well i'll admit it's cold. like, not thirty below cold, but cold in the way that winds that bore into you and subdue you and hold you still as they make their point can be cold.

then there's the whole piece of stopping at public places - intersections - and carefully hoisting the water bottle out of its carbon fibre frame and slurping back water so close to ice it literally freezes my tongue - i mean this is entirely about posturing. oh yeah . . . i'm soooooo tough. the water hurts it's that cold. it's one step from ice. but . . . the people in their audis and suvs don't know that do they? nope, they think i'm a freak on a roadbike still sitting on summer slicks. and that's what freaks do - they drink water on a day when the rest of the world is nursing rum and cokes to avoid the horror of dealing with the nasty truth that - even though the sign says autumn, it's winter.

so what! here i am!

i'm sitting right next to them on a carbon fibre bike that says f--- you i don't care, really i don't!!!!

i've already put on my uninsulated too tight gorgeous leather biking shoes and layered myself with a store's worth of performance wear and headed out regardless.

first impressions? damn it's windy. second impressions? what's my point here? well i'm aiming for a season total that sees the road bike get 4000 kms on it, so that's a worthy goal i figure. then there's the whole piece of knowing that most of my bike buddies have hooked their bikes up to rollers. not me. not yet. i will not weaken. or something like that!!!!

but then, riding out of the beautiful city i get to call "home" for now . . . well so much opens up and really all the ego stroking and self-perceptions that hover around the whys and whats of a ride that probably shouldn't take place disappear and it all comes clear exactly why i should go out and lose all feeling in the front half of my feet and suffer the brain ache i usually only get with a jumbo blue-coloured (and flavoured) freezie.

i fire snot rockets every twenty metres and spit every ten and i think more than once about the much more comfortable places where i could happily park my body and let it enjoy other experiences that would be far more gratifying and memorable!!

and yet, i ride on!

past the ducks sorting out the complications of three mammals in love.

they seem happy, but you know there's all sorts of shit going down there!!!!

past the place where the water is running down the bank and freezing into icicles before it hits the river.

check it out.

see the white things pointing straight down?

not roots my friend - icicles!

and i take a picture of the shadow of myself just to confirm that it's not summer or spring or autumn - no way man it's every part of the frosty fingers of winter and i'm in the process of earning some sort of amazing experience that has never been a part of me before and so this is what i look like as i watch myself - sand and dust and snow and cold water and a shadow . . . . and further on i stop to take a thankyou portrait of my road bike who remains nameless - perhaps not for long as i have requested support from she who will ride with me through snowsqualls and anything else!

but really, in the end the ride was defined by this little inukshuk dude standing waist deep in the cold fast-flowing water and somehow still retaining his super-high stop the bike ride coolness quotient.

evidence:

riding on december 3rd, 2011

2011-12-03T17:38:00.006-05:00

there's still no snow on the ground and sure it's one degree celsius out with a 17 kph wind huffing in from the south (which doesn't mean warm air by the way!!) but i have to take my road bike out and see the sights,

feel the feelings, i bet you know what i mean!

my bike and body stretch across the dry and fading late autumn landscape.

the rider who isn't really there rode with me today. "hey! long time no see.

i bet you're glad you could come along aren't you?!!!"

there's a peacefulness about this little part of the world.

everything is filled with the sense of waiting for the arrival of winter.

i saw autumn and winter merging across a pond.

i'm so glad to be riding on two wheels so late in the year. in such a beautiful place. and loved!

riding ... with love and care

2011-11-26T17:34:00.013-05:00

late autumn - november 26th -

i think of each ride on the road bike as the "last of the season".

it's what i call a "pointed stick" . . . a way of really experiencing something with the intent in this instance of holding the experience of this ride through the long, dark months on the bike trainer that are stretching out in front of me.

i left late - 3:25 - for a ride that i set aside two hours for - door-to-door 50+km.

the sun sets around 4:45 so even though i've got some cute flashy lights on the front and

the back, i still feel vulnerable and not entirely expected in the vernacular of the road at this time of year.

the temperature was hovering around 10 celsius, so it's pretty warm for this time of year. the air was almost windless which is exceptional for this area and especially for this ride which is notorious for malicious zephyrs that pummel you on the way out and somehow know to turn around at the same moment you do

and pummel you on the way home.

the sun was already dropping before i arrived at the turn-around point.

this was one of those rides where everything went right. i was entirely and completely able to take risks and not get hurt. lights changed in my favour, my legs did absolutely everything i asked of them, my body didn't crave food or water even though it's not been getting enough of either lately!!! i had the most wonderful conversations, sharing thoughts, and wishes and dreams and speaking so bravely about all that matters to me ... all on my own of course!!!

the return was even more beautiful.

i hold so much more in my head and my heart than i can share here,

but these images hold something of the moment.

i made it back in 1 hour and 45 minutes. i'll do the math right now - not that it matters a whole lot because really, for the beauty, the good loving feeling that filled me and especially for the tremendous fortune that holds my hand and quietly says "come on then" in my ear, the numbers are of no consequence but i moved at an average of . . . no seriously, well really, who cares!!!!

a late autumn ride

2011-11-24T00:07:00.002-05:00

in the late autumn the temperatures are in the single digits . . . above and below the zero line.

so, when morning opens torn and wild like this

words flutter fast and furious across my thinking

- much like the forecast snow.

do i ride?

which direction do i go first to grab a tailwind on the way back?

how much grip do racing slicks have in the snow?

how long will the hurt last when i drop?

will i be able to keep up?

the answers, are all found as i watch our wheels on the road

which care nothing for anything

other than the joy of quietly passing through this beautiful world

exactly as it is

and not as it might be

or could be

and when we stop and look over the fields at the places where

the sky meets the earth in a soft wavering film of falling snow

words pass through me:

we're here now . . . in this very moment.

it's all that it is and couldn't be anything more.

summer memories #1: the blondel deviation

2011-11-19T00:07:00.001-05:00

this memory, i think of as "the blondel deviation".

for those of you you who don't know dave blondel you might be expecting something a tad off colour - well no! blondel has tried to lead me down muddy and gravelly paths, but nothing really off colour.

if you don't mind, i'll take you back a little bit. a long time ago, dave mentioned on his blog that his buddy kieran had posted a piece about a little dirt road which (if followed) provided lovely scenery and exquisite views to cyclists who ventured off the river road bicycle pipeline. the dirt road he referred to is one i have passed a lot of times and yes, i have wondered as i pass it each time "what's up there" but it's the strangest thing that

i couldn't bring myself once to turn right and have a look.

note to self: stop writing notes to self and start asking more probing questions of self!

well one day this summer i followed dave's suggestion, and i am so glad i did!

i wasn't more than a hundred metres along the road when the quiet settled so suddenly around me it was breathtaking. to add to the beauty of the moment, a huge monarch butterfly fluttered up right next to me and followed me until i stopped to take this next photograph, at which time it flew on ahead and

then came back and joined me again!

it was right out of walt disney.

then it was entirely real.

further along this road, the sumac had really taken hold of the idea of autumn's arrival.

i love the gift of colour in nature and for that, the autumn has to be the most amazing

heap of gifts in the whole year!!!!

i got so immersed in the beauty of this little stretch of road that i took a "wrong turn". can you make a wrong turn when you're somewhere this beautiful? i think not!

i rode on, heading somewhere but i had no sense of direction although i figured at some point

i'd see either douro or warsaw.

but really.

i didn't care!

i mean ... why worry?!!

first ride - first snow

2011-11-18T19:30:00.014-05:00

an after-work ride south of peterborough - thirty minutes out and thirty minutes back, it's like grabbing a snack only much better because it's bicycling with a lovely person very late in the year.

entirely unlikely and entirely welcome!

the temperature is just below zero celsius.

the wind is merciless and blowing from the southwest.

snow squalls are forecast and visible.

we are riding south and southwest for the first half of the ride.

the sky opens up at a distance.

the snow holds off until we are riding north on crowley line and just past this house . . .

from which a hairy dog bullet comes flying down the driveway and across the road to gnaw on our tires - hers first and then (perhaps because i use my deepest growliest voice) -

the dog carves furry arabesques

and disappears behind us.

at which point a snowsquall flutters over us and settles all around us and i hear her laugh and i start laughing myself because really - REALLY - this is so epic!!!

we crest a hill by an old old wooden building and she says it could be a tavern (and wouldn't that be a dream come true!) a place to settle our windblown snow-covered bones and put back some liquid warmth.

but it's actually derelict and so on we go.

heading our separate ways.

one of my best ever and most unforgettable rides!!

on reflection

2011-11-12T00:07:00.001-05:00

the autumn is probably the most beautiful time of year to be out on two wheels.

one of the routes i love to take follows the otonabee river which at this time of year is often lowered quite

substantially, slowing the current down enough such that if there's no wind,

there are amazing reflections in the water.

these are from last weekend.

the side-effect of these scenes is to slow me down. to stop.

to look around and really let all this wonder settle in.

international angry dog day

2011-11-06T00:07:00.002-04:00

I sent this posting out today as a letter to friends and family and then i thought "hey that would make a good posting on my cycles blog". so if you come here and think "hey, i just got that in the mail" then please don't feel any less special!!!!

------ ------ -------- ---------- --------------- ------------------------------

today I went out through the hills of cavan and then back through millbrook and along wallace point road and back through downtown peterborough to my home on the western edge of the city.

i've attached this photograph because when you look at it, you'll see that in the distance is a little hill. on the other side of that hill there's a nice long swooping dive into a valley that's a bit like the ones i imagined when i first read the hobbit. sort of otherworldly in a good and kind way. except this valley has one detail that makes it different from the idyllic image conjured up by tolkien.

see, this one has a reddish-brown dog who today was celebrating international angry dog day. how did i miss that on the equity and diversity calendar?!

he started barking as i crested that distant hill and when i heard him i looked over - wayyyy over - across a field of scruffy acreage to a house that i guarantee had nothing in it that i wanted to steal ... but this dog's job was clearly to protect that homestead and so it started to run towards me - from a very long way away.

i kept on going, figuring I'd cross the next hill before he got to the road. wrong. VERYwrong. this dog was FLYING!!! when i did a second check on his progress and did some quick calculations in my head, i figured my ass would for sure be in his mouth before very long and so i slowed down and turned around, dropped from the Big Ring at the front to the small ring and started pedalling hard. REALLY really hard.

(remember, i'm in a valley at this point, there's a climb in front of me, but i have a tailwind in my favour and fear on my side!)

i was really moving when i decided to look back and see how i was doing. at that point I saw the dog jump through the split-rail fence and onto the road and keep coming. No Way!!! i have never had a dog that crazy. i mean, i'm a skinny guy - there's nothing to me. "IT'S NOT WORTH IT" i yelled out and kept pedalling as fast as i could until i crested the hill and saw the dog still running but falling back now and do you think I stopped until I was a good 7 km from Nasty Dog Land? not on your (or my) life!

when I got into the Pastry Peddler in Millbrook i shared the story with colin and deanne who empathized at my plight as i huffed back a beer-mug of water and a big piece of caramel-covered brownie to make me feel better about my lot in life.

it was a chilly ride at times - 67 km including the detour I took to avoid the Angry Dog - but so nice to be away from everything - well almost everything!

late autumn commuting

2011-11-02T00:07:00.000-04:00

this is the time of year for cold rainy day rides. i commute to and from the school i teach at and until recently - very recently in fact - i've been riding in shorts. temperatures are hovering around the single to low double-digits in celsius so it's been a manly character-building exercise in something that when asked to explain, i simply can't, not even to myself. i simple feel the need to do it.

however, those days are passing by as my hands now have gloves on them and my legs (no matter how hairy) are also covered, by riding pants.

the bike looks out onto the driveway ."oh no. not again".....

yep! get your nose out there .....

it ain't gonna go away

and i've gotta ride.

every day, the road unfolds under my wheels. on these days when it's rainy and the roads are often slick with leaves, i read the road even more carefully than usual for anything that could make my ride - and maybe even my life - less than pleasant . . . or worse!

but i'm careful and so (touch wood) nothing overly untoward happens.

i love the early morning streetlights reflecting in the rain on the streets.

they're the hidden gift of a rainy day ride for me.

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Nine

2011-10-28T00:07:00.000-04:00

The sun rose bright and full on this day and came streaming into the tent at a fairly early hour. Our last day. It's always a mixed-feeling as I know that something very special is coming to a close but then I get to see my family and sleep in my own bed and return to familiar surroundings . . . . . The house gradually came to life as everyone in their tents starting packing bins and admiring the gardens.

A huge breakfast was prepared and we were invited to join the family and friends inside the house where a lot of food was put back pretty quickly. Soon, it was time to say goodbye so bins were packed for the final time and bike tires pumped up and chains lubed and off we went. Our route was largely undetermined and figured out along the way. I remember passing through some little towns and certainly I remember one epic climb up a hill on the North side of the Mosport racetrack. Otherwise, I couldn't tell you the route we followed. It was super hilly and there were some breathtaking views and speedy descents.

Eventually we arrived in Millbrook and paid a visit to our friends Colin and Deanne at The Pastry Peddler.

Here's Michael's bike waiting patiently while its owner puts an Americano and a pastry where they belong!

(Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

Soon it was time to clip in again and head up the long steep hill East out of Millbrook and catch the awesome tail-wind that often waits at the top. Sure enough(and thankfully) it was right there. Scotia then made history with an epic pull that began at the top of the hill and ended at the VanDerHerberg residence in Peterborough. Speeds sat around 40 -45 km/h much of the time so we were there very quickly!

Friends and family were waiting there for many of the riders so a few beers were hoisted and there was a little celebration. We heard that the bus had broken down near Port Perry and that our bins of gear were being brought up in a van and so the celebration lasted a little longer as we waited for its arrival. Not a problem as Andrea magically hauled some chocolate cupcakes out of nowhere to continue the celebration!

My wife came to pick up my gear and after lots of goodbye hugs with the riders and support crew, I got back on my bike and rode home, west into the afternoon sun. Another amazing ride - my second - over too soon.

Next year, for Ride for Africycle 6.0 we will ride to Quebec City. It will be an epic, life-changing ride.

(Ed and I are planning on riding back as well).

If you've followed this story and are curious, or feel the itch to ride with amazing people and have incredible never-to-be-forgotten experiences, then you really should consider contacting the Ride for Africycle people.

A big thanks to the Voss family for their support of our ride. To Dave Barber for all his quietly incredible extra efforts and for being such an awesome man. To Jerred our chef for the excellent food. To the good people of The Next Church in Kingston for being so accommodating. To our many generous sponsors! To all of you who prayed for us and sent us your good thoughts.

These rides are entirely possible only because of the many good people who

generously provide their love and support.

My Love and thanks to you all.

Steven

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Eight

2011-10-22T07:51:00.023-04:00

Waking in Bronte Creek Provincial Park to a cool morning. The distant muted roar of traffic. The much closer sound of birds and people grudgingly extracting their bodies from sleeping bags.

My point-and-shoot camera battery said "no more" just after I woke up, so most of today's photographs are from the camera of Mr. Ed Kwaka, my biking buddy extraordinaire.

Here I am hauling my pillow over to my storage bin in exchange for a bowl of porridge.

(Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

The morning is a fragile place but there were always people laughing while they

parked back a couple of cups of coffee.

(Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

Today's ride had been the topic of much discussion as we were unsure whether to skirt North of the GTA or to cycle right through its heart. There are benefits to both routes of course but the decision was finally sealed by the Amazing Ben Voss who invited us to spend that night at his parent's home in Claremont. Our route there would take us directly along the Lakeshore until somewhere East of Toronto at which point we would turn North, ride past the Metro Zoo and then wiggle and twist our way through Concession and County roads until we would arrive at Chez Voss.

Most of the ride alongside the Lake followed the Waterfront Trail, a well-maintained and well-signposted route that we left when necessary as it does deviate away from what we thought was the best and most direct route for us.

The ride along Lakeshore Boulevard through Oakville and Port Credit was fast. A smooth uncluttered road with beautiful old trees on either side and of course, vast mansions whose wrap-around driveways are parking lots for Bentley's, Aston Martins, the odd Lamborghini and lots of other toys that are well beyond my experience. I wonder how the lives of their owners might be changed if they were to come along on an Africycle ride?!

Eventually the edge of Mimico arrived and we passed into the older parts of Downtown Toronto where the road was a little more broken up and of course bisected by streetcar tracks. I really enjoy riding along here - although the last time I had been on this stretch on a bike would have to be thirty years ago - it looked essentially the same. A lot of cool little shops seemingly untouched by the passage of time and very obviously deeply embedded as the anchors they are for the little communities they serve.

Shortly after passing through Mimico, we crossed the very stylish bridge over the Humber River.

Just up ahead and on the right are Dave and Mel enjoying the view across the Lake.

(Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

The views across the Bay to the Downtown skyline were really good!

Downtown Toronto skyline. (Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

We stayed as close as possible to the Lakeshore and blew past the Sunnyside Swimming pool, weaving and dodging through the bladers, runners, walkers, and other cyclists until we reached the bottom end of the Don Valley Parkway where we picked up the bike trail that would take us to our Lunch spot at Ashbridge's Bay. At Ashbridge's Bay we met the bus and the guys had picked up some roast chicken and fries and buns which was so totally unexpected and awesome! The park is huge and there were rugby games, a skateboarding park and all sorts of mega picnics and whatever else going on.

After Lunch we headed across the middle of Scarborough using the Danforth and Kingston Road -huge entertainment quotient there as bikes are definitely not expected and especially not welcome. This is a car and truck road and people are motoring along and have places to go and things to do!!! I was super happy when my front wheel turned North andI knew that we would pass by the Metro Zoo and head out into countryside pretty soon. Of course country roads are a bit rougher but there are all sorts of visual distractions that make it all worthwhile.

At one point we came across a countryside hazhard - the bridge was out. Not wanting to take the long way around we agreed that no matter what, we were getting across that river even if it meant we had to wade or swim across with our bikes!

Happily neither was necessary as the bridge had handy dandy planks where its paved span would normally be so we were able to walk across and remain nice and dry!

Here's Michael VanDerHerberg taking the difficult route across.

(Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

Here are the rest of us taking the easy way across. Is there a life-lesson there? You be the judge!!

(Photo courtesy Ed Kwaka)

From here some long smooth roads led us to the beautiful little town of Claremont where the bus was parked.

The bikes were put away in the garage for the night. I'm sure they had some amazing discussions!

(Photo courtesy of Ed Kwaka)

After we'd all enjoyed a couple of rehydrating beers, Ben's sister provided superb massages to all who wished! She worked on my shoulders which hold a lot of tension when I ride long distances and it was as if a weight had been lifted off them by the time she had finished working her magic!

Then we all gathered in the beautiful back yard of this gorgeous home for a candlelight feast that was beyond comparison around tables filled with the most amazing people. We ate and drank and laughed our way into the night and then retreated to our tents for the last sleep of this year's ride.

Tomorrow, the ride home to Peterborough!

Ride for Africycle Day Seven Part Two

2011-10-15T00:07:00.003-04:00

Night falls at Bronte Creek

Riding across the top of the Niagara Escarpment, you get some pretty good views of Lake Ontario and bits of the Golden Horseshoe conurbation.

After riding through a lot of countryside, the scale of cities always comes as a surprise.

Eventually we arrived above Hamilton and made the big decision about which road to drop down into the city on.

The picture below shows Dave Blondel scouting the terrain to determine which tarmac ribbon would get us the closest to the shoreline of the great Lake. This scene reminds me of those paintings of Columbus, Cartier and Cabot that have the great explorer standing on the prow of their ship while the scurvied lackeys wait anxiously for him to announcethat indeed we have arrived at the New Land .....

Dave's choice was a road that descended at a ferocious, brake melting rate with - bonus of bonuses - a sharp right about four fifths of the way down that cars coming up the hill left their lane and crossed into ours to take at a faster clip!! I was so nervous coming down that I didn't fully appreciate it and I hope that one day I can return and let the bike do its own thing!

We raced through the streets of Hamilton which were pretty clear and in surprisingly good condition.

We made our way to the Lakefront trail which is a wide paved smooth and very fast ride but on this day was also fairly well populated with roller bladers, runners, walkers, families, little and big dogs and so we picked up speed where we could and were careful everywhere else.

At this point last year it was the only cold and rainy day of the ride.

This year it was beautiful and so we were able to appreciate the mega-structure of the Skyway ...

Soon after passing this great big bridge we crossed another great big bridge. This is the lift bridge that you can see when you cross the Skyway by car. Some of us rode across it and some took the sidewalk. If you're thinking of riding across it I'd suggest taking the sidewalk! I've done both and the sidewalk feels a whole lot better under the wheels than the interlocking metal grid of the roadway!!

From here we continued along the Lakefront park trail which became even more densely populated. At one point we saw two women walking along it in scuba diving flippers ..... and eventually the trail ended and we came out into Burlington where we stopped at a favourite pastry and coffee stop of Ride for Africycle riders - the Lakeshore Coffee House.

Here we were able to strech out and put back some tasty Americano's and I believe that most people parked a slab of cheesecake back as well.

From there we rode on caffeinated legs at a very good rate of speed along Lakeshore Boulevard, and then North towards Bronte Creek. Bronte is an improbable park, located smack dab in the middle of suburbia. But you would never know there were housing developments within a kilometre of you at all times through some cool trick of nature that has placed trees, small rises and a really beautiful setting to distract you.

We set up the Ride for Africycle tent city ...

and watched the sun go down behind the trees.

Tomorrow we leave for Claremont.

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Seven Part One

2011-10-08T00:07:00.005-04:00

Crossing the border day! Our destination - Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville.

But first, getting the body back in gear - there's cycling to be done today and lots of it! The process of preparing for a day of riding becomes so much easier as you establish the little routines of bike maintenance, organizing clothes (trying desperately to keep the smelly ones away from the clean ones...), and packing up the camping gear, becomes secondary to enjoying the sleepy banter of a dozen people getting revved up for a ride.

Today's ride began gently with our wheels turning along a beautiful parkway that more-or-less parallels the Niagara River. We passed through the beautiful town of Youngstown - I'd love to spend more time there sometime.

Image courtesy Ed Kwaka

It's the strangest thing to look across a river at the opposite shore and realize that it is not simply "the other side", but another country.

We rode at a good pace and after the big climb up the side of the Niagara Escarpment ...

Image courtesy Ed Kwaka

we were on the Robert Moses Parkway. Another post-apocalyptic riding experience that saw us using a former Expressway that runs right alongside the Niagara River but is now entirely abandoned and given over to runners, walkers, and cyclists like us. The views were a bit industrial, but then I find that stretch of the River with its massive hydro-electric facilities a lot less than natural!

Here's Ed Kwaka putting the Big Ring to work

After a little fun trying to figure out how to get onto the Rainbow Bridge, we found ourselves riding alongside happy tourists who were bemused to see a team of cyclists making their way across the border.

This is what you see half way across the bridge!

This year we had agreed that when we got to the Canadian side, we would stay on top of the escarpment and only drop off it when we were near Hamilton. The route was tricky at times but between the pre-ride support of Evan Taylor of the Niagara Freewheeler's Club and our very own live-action sort-it-out-on-the-fly cartographer Michael VanDerHerberg, we made our way through little towns, beautiful countryside, along sometimes busy but always lovely little roads ....

until we came to the drop down into Hamilton.

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Six

2011-10-01T10:49:00.004-04:00

Look carefully - you can see Toronto if you want to!

Waking to our much looked forward to "Day Off" was a strange sensation. Really, I wanted to ride, but I also wanted to wander around the Park we were in and then I had heard that we were near Fort Niagara which I had seen many times from the Canadian side but never actually been near or in. So I figured some combination of those three things is how I'd spend my day.

A hot shower, fresh coffee and a simple breakfast and then I caught up on the notes I was compiling in my little red Moleskine. Along the way I'd also been reading "The Rider" by Tim Krabbe. I'd not made a lot of progress with the book because by the time I crawled into my sleeping bag, I was simply too tired to focus in the half light provided by my flashlight. So I read a few chapters (it's one of those books that you re-read sentences, paragraphs, chapters over and over again just to really enjoy the brilliance of his writing)

As I walked off to find the beginnings of a trail that led through a wetland I heard that a group had left for Niagara Falls, NY in search of food, bike parts, and a view from the American side of the Falls. I decided to head down to the Lake where a bench that Dave Barber had claimed was beyond awesome was placed with a sweet view of the Lake. I walked there and sat down and wrote stories and a few poems and took in the mellowness of a family playing in the waves below.

After a while I made my way over to the start of the "Nature Trail" and found myself immersed in a beautiful wetland bisected by a dusty trail, rippled with roots and rocks, and all the while I was wondering if perhaps the original occupants had come this very way through the wilderness.

no wonder they stayed ...

I started to get hungry again and was thinking about riding over to Fort Niagara - which I think was about ten km away, so I returned along the same path and found Chris and Paul pretty much ready to go on a ride to the Fort. The Fort has great presence and I was absolutely taken by the amount of original detail still available to be seen and touched.

Here's the entrance:

Inside the barrack house:

The view from the barrack house:

For more images of Fort Niagara please visit my Photobucket page here.
After a thorough, self-led tour of the Fort we biked back to the campsite and enjoyed another astonishing Jerrett-made meal before setting off to sleep knowing that tomorrow we would be returning back to Canada across the Rainbow Bridge.

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Five Part Two

2011-09-26T21:07:00.005-04:00

The Lake Ontario State Parkway is essentially an interstate that has been let go. Paved with concrete that has cracked in many places such that it looks as if it has been forgotten or as Dave Blondel put it (when I suggested that perhaps Cormac McCarthy had passed along it and gained inspiration for his book "The Road") "this is The Road Steve"!!!

Dave (in his own blog on the Ride for Africycle experience which you can read right here) said,

"The Lake Ontario State Parkway. Wikipedia it. The most post-apocalyptic-feeling bicycle riding experience you will have (this side of the actual apocalypse)."

It's funny how scenery like this:

and this:

can almost completely take your mind off the fact that you are riding on this: (here it is without people)

(and here it is with people - truly awesome people!)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the headwind. This was what we referred to as "our long day". 160 km approximately. When we got onto the L.O.S.P. we fought a headwind that stayed with us for much of the day. Occasionally it slanted at us from just right of centre which has its own special challenge as you push slightly into it and hope that the route doesn't turn back into its face, but for the most part it was an invisible pair of hands pushing at chest, face, helmet - anything wanting to move forward. We hugged as close to each as we could to grab some sort of draft and people were really good about taking turns at the front.

But somehow it found each person and ground us down, one-by one.

During the whole time we were on the L.O.S.P. maybe a handful of luxury cars with heavily tinted windows flew past.

The post-apocalyptic vibe was enhanced by the gathering stormclouds in front of us.

RFA 5: Riders of the Post-Apocalypse (Image courtesy of Dave Blondel)

We stopped for Lunch at Hamlin Beach where we had a superb meal and there was tons of great energy in the air which was grabbed by the Incredible Ben Voss who for a dollar took on the dare of riding a bike down a slide in the Park.

Here's the evidence provided by the awesome Ed Kwaka.

1. 2. 3. 4.

After Lunch we headed out onto The Road again - the wind was every bit the same and there was an endless false flat also to contend with. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?!!!

Eventually The Road came to an end and we dove off onto some small rural roads that more-or-less paralleled the Lake. We stopped for a pie (a whole pie that's right) and coffees at Burnap's Farm Market - a lovely fruit stand that has somehow become embiggened and offers all sorts of other stuff that is tasty and can be consumed immediately. A good place to stop - but we had a long way to go still. We rode through endless cattle farms and fields (the air filled with the interminable scent of manure) and really it was all so very lovely but it was such a long day and the wind had taken the edge off us but still, here we were living the dream.

We stopped in one place for Cherry Dr. Pepper and chips. Stopping in rural America for anything simple results in the richest slice of life you can possibly imagine. All is revealed!!

The bucolic scenery contains stories that could easily become novels.

But, the ride must continue and so it did as we gradually made our way in small clusters to the beautiful Four Mile Creek State Park.

Jerrett decided to try deep-frying a whole turkey - and folks he did it! It was absolutely awesome and combined with fresh beans, broccoli and beers and especially the knowledge that tomorrow was a day off riding - a "rest day", we all relaxed and I've got to tell you that I enjoyed the best sleep of the ride that night!!!

I was so looking forward to the rest day!!!

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Five Part One

2011-09-18T19:56:00.003-04:00

Waking in a conference room in a fire-station in Upper New York State. Well, it's all part of the Ride for Africycle experience! Jerrett was hunkered over the stove, banging out some oatmeal and toast while the team gathered up sleeping bags, mattresses, and the various odds-and-ends that had somehow made their way around the room in the night into our respective bins which we stacked at the back entrance to the Fire-hall.

The firefighters who had worked the evening shift dropped in to say hi and make acquaintances - all of them were really welcoming and friendly! We gathered the bikes and the bus in front of the firehall and took a pile of photographs with the guys of the Northeast Joint Fire District.

Finally came the time to get back on the road. Today, a 160 km ride to 4 Mile Creek State Park along the Empire State Parkway - surely one of the strangest roads I've ever ridden on. I recall it from RFA 4.0 but that ride was done in sweltering 45 Celsius heat. This ride was way more comfortable and we were able to look around and see the Lake. It's an interesting to me feature of the ride that it was really cool - exciting even - to actually see the Lake. You'd think that after seeing it a few dozen times you'd get tired of it but I found that I was actually really glad to see it.

The weather forecast was suggesting that there was a very good chance of rain and thunderstorms. Oh boy! The longest ride of the RFA 5.0 wonder voyage and it was going to be wet all over again. But you know what? The power of positive thinking kept the clouds - which literally gathered all around us - at bay. We had a super good headwind for the whole day which made every kilometre a prize to be gathered and stored in the warehouse of trophy experiences. You know, the "I pushed through something that was bigger than me" vault.

The day had lots of flats, a couple of broken spokes but it also had sweet smooth roads. Beautiful scenery, beautiful little houses with gorgeous fairy-tale gardens and best of all, after following Rochester Rick's detailed instructions generously assembled by Rick in his spare time, we made our way through Rochester's most beautiful streets,

a little bit of her parkland and then out past a beach that I could happily paste myself to and spend days grilling on!

We made our annual stop at Sips Coffee Shop, although this was a much shorter visit as the day was a long one in terms of distance. I still managed to put away a phenomenal and giant cookie alongside an Americano.

Fueled up with sugar, carbs, and caffeine we headed out and turned towards the Lake to pass through the harbour and then cut across through the beautiful town of Greece. If you looked South you looked over little lakes.

The little cottages that sat on the shore of Lake Ontario were truly beautiful.

Eventually we came to the end of this little heaven on Earth and rode onto the Lake Ontario State Parkway. More about that in the next post!

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Four: Part Two

2011-09-09T00:07:00.004-04:00

Pulling out of Oswego we were warmer, we could feel the coffee and tasty food racing through our veins, and most importantly we were for the most part much drier. It was still raining of course but we had also left behind the sketchier part of the road work.

Our next destination was the little town of Wolcott. We visited Wolcott last year for Lunch and there's a little park down the hill from the main street with a covered shelter - perfect for our needs. Wolcott has a strong sense of history about it - you can feel that as you ride in. I didn't really get a sense of that last time I was there so I took this blurry rain-soaked image of a little information board the locals have put up. (If you click twice on the image you'll eventually get a version that you can read!)

The rain was bucketing down as we glided down the steep hill into the park and the welcome sight of Ben's car and the Bus was truly awesome. Even better was the sight and smell of barbequing burgers! There's not much better than hot food when you're cold and soaked although I'd say that the smiles and good vibes from the riders and support crew was just as awesome as when we took turns standing by the barbeque to get the warm drafts from it. This was truly a day to remember. The ride really came together for me in that little town in Upper New York State. A bunch of people taking care of each other, supporting each other, and having a really good time no matter what. Oh and before I forget - here's the waterfall right next to where we ate.

Leaving the relative dryness of the shelter was a bit of a challenge but we found our pace and working together we struck out for the town of Webster where we were planning on staying in Webster Park a facility dedicated to providing shelter for campers, people passing through, cyclists and whomever else. Ben and Dave Barber and Jerrett had thrown out the option of staying indoors and we knew that Webster Park had buildings that they rented out. We learned later that apparently they had nothing of the sort available to us and that we would be obliged to camp out. Not a big deal but not the very best option.

Ben went ahead and then wandered through the town of Webster asking people if they knew of somewhere indoors where the cycling team and support crew could cook some food and sleep for the night. Somewhere along the line Ben ran into someone who suggested trying the firehall. Journeys are made of moments and this is one moment that will stay with us all for a long time. Ben and his Dad went by the Webster firehall and were welcomed in no uncertain terms to encourage the team to make their way and bed down for the evening.

We didn't know about all of this until we had found our way into Webster, a truly lovely town with that fascinating mix that so many upper New York State towns have of the beautifully maintained (or restored) clapboard house with a big old front porch and massive gardens, side-by-side with a little mall or an auto shop.

On the ride into Webster itself, the team somehow got split up into little groups but we eventually found each other and rode up somewhat curious to see what Ben had lined up for us. At first sight and thought, a firehall seems like an improbable place to spend a night. I mean would you?! But these guys were so welcoming and genuinely warm. They really respected what we had ridden through and what we were trying to achieve and it showed in the way they opened the facility up to us, encouraging us to use their showers, to help ourselves to their clean towels, to use the kitchen, and to set up our sleeping bags in their conference room.

Once we had set up our sleeping situations, Jerrett got onto the matter of dinner and of course we were really hungry and thirsty. It couldn't come fast enough!!! Our bikes were stored in a garage area of the firehall. We were given a complete and very thorough tour of the entire Hall which is an incredible state-of-the-art facility. It has everything you can imagine in terms of creature comforts which makes sense if you think about the the brave guys who head out on the trucks to face danger without really thinking of themselves.

"Sleeping quarters (Image Ed Kwaka)"]

"The Voss boys getting the tour! (Image Ed Kwaka)"

"Inside the fire-engine bays (Image Ed Kwaka)"

"Heart and soul"

After the tour we gathered around the maps for tomorrow and looked at some possible routes - a long day ahead of us - 160 km. Hopefully a lot drier!!!

Here's looking at tomorrow!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To see more and read more of Chief Akins and the amazing guys at Webster Fire check out their webpage right here.

The generosity and kindness of the men in Northeast Joint Fire District Enderlin Station completely underscores the pride, generosity, and care that firefighters around the World are renowned for.

Thanks for taking such good care of us Boys!

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Four: Part One

2011-09-06T00:07:00.003-04:00

The weather for Day Four was looking and feeling like it was going to be a whole lot wetter than we had experienced so far. For me rain puts a damper on bike riding and I know that's a cheesy line and reflects more of my inner wimp than I really should share but it's the truth. If I'm alone and it's going to pour hard and there's no reason for me to ride - then I don't. However, if I'm in the company of good people then the ride is definitely on. Push on regardless. Find the joy!

Because of the rain there are very few pictures of this day. I have a picture in my mind that I'll share with you of riding on some very smooth bike lanes and then entering a construction zone. The two lanes each way roadway narrowed to one lane each way with the side where the shoulder should be marked by orange pylons. Trucks were hissing past leaving great clouds of spray in their passing which didn't really matter in terms of getting wet because everyone was already soaked. A couple of riders flatted out and several riders noticed they were chilling down and needed to get their rain gear off the bus so we contacted Dave and Ben up ahead and arranged to meet with them at Port City Cafe - a planned stop - in the lovely little town of Oswego.

Last year when we arrived at Port City the air conditioning was a blessing. Stepping from the 45 Celsius humidex into the impossibly cool atmosphere of Port City was amazing! This year with the temperature some 20 Celsius cooler and with several riders really feeling the rain, the experience of stepping inside was a whole lot different!

Some of us decided to try the place next door. An unassuming little bagel shop named the Oswego Bagelry and Sandwich Shop. We were just about to open the front door when a guy came out and noticing our distinctive apparel, got talking to us about our ride. He said that if we needed any repairs done on our bikes that the labour would be free, just bring the bikes down to Murdock's Bicycles and Sports and he'd take care of us. He also said that the Bagelry was amazing. He was totally right! Wickedgood homemade bagels, homemade cream cheese, great coffee and most important of all - it was warm inside!!

The two guys running the place were very cool and fun and one of them showed us a "Made in Canada" tattoo on his arm because he was actually made in Canada! Scotia, Dave, Mel and Ed and I hunkered inside a booth and scarfed down a pile of truly fine food and coffee and laughed our way through a really funny table cover made up of old newspaper clippings and advertisements from the late 1800's and early 1900's. We were joined by some of the other riders shortly afterwards. It was perfect for lifting our spirits.

Then we walked the bikes down the street to Murdock's where they encouraged us to use their facilities and make ouselves at home.

They took care of some repairs for us and I bought a happy-making rain jacket and a pair of riding gloves that would see me through the rest of the day in warmth and dryness.

Everyone put on their rain gear and set out once more in a better frame of mind to continue our journey to Webster where we planned to stay at Webster Park. There was talk that Ben and Dave were going to go ahead and have a look to see if we could perhaps rent one of the shelters at Webster Park given the difficult riding conditions and general moistness of the day. I was pretty pumped for the idea of staying indoors! I'll let you know how that one all worked out with the next post!

Ride for Africycle 5.0 Day Four: Part One

2011-09-06T00:07:00.002-04:00

The weather for Day Four was looking and feeling like it was going to be a whole lot wetter than we had experienced so far. For me rain puts a damper on bike riding and I know that's a cheesy line and reflects more of my inner wimp than I really should share but it's the truth. If I'm alone and it's going to pour hard and there's no reason for me to ride - then I don't. However, if I'm in the company of good people then the ride is definitely on. Push on regardless. Find the joy!

Because of the rain there are very few pictures of this day. I have a picture in my mind that I'll share with you of riding on some very smooth bike lanes and then entering a construction zone. The (two lanes each way) roadway narrowed to one lane each way with the side where the shoulder should be marked by orange pylons. Trucks were hissing past leaving great clouds of spray in their passing which didn't really matter in terms of getting wet because everyone was already soaked. A couple of riders flatted out and several riders noticed they were chilling down and needed to get their rain gear off the bus so we contacted Dave and Ben up ahead and arranged to meet with them at Port City Cafe - a planned stop - in the lovely little town of Oswego.

Last year when we arrived at Port City the air conditioning was a blessing. Stepping from the 45 Celsius humidex into the impossibly cool atmosphere of Port City was amazing! This year with the temperature some 20 Celsius cooler and with several riders really feeling the rain, the experience of stepping inside was a whole lot different!

Some of us decided to try the place next door. An unassuming little bagel shop named the Oswego Bagelry and Sandwich Shop. We were just about to open the front door when a guy came out and noticing our distinctive apparel, got talking to us about our ride. He said that if we needed any repairs done on our bikes that the labour would be free, just bring the bikes down to Murdock's Bicycles and Sports and he'd take care of us. He also said that the Bagelry was amazing. He was totally right! Wickedgood homemade bagels, homemade cream cheese, great coffee and most important of all - it was warm inside!!

The two guys running the place were very cool and fun and one of them showed us a "Made in Canada" tattoo on his arm because he was actually made in Canada! Scotia, Dave, Mel and Ed and I hunkered inside a booth and scarfed down a pile of truly fine food and coffee and laughed our way through a really funny table cover made up of old newspaper clippings and advertisements from the late 1800's and early 1900's. We were joined by some of the other riders shortly afterwards. It was perfect for lifting our spirits.

Then we walked the bikes down the street to Murdock's where they encouraged us to use their facilities and make ouselves at home.

They took care of some repairs for us and I bought a happy-making rain jacket and a pair of riding gloves that would see me through the rest of the day in warmth and dryness.

Everyone put on their rain gear and set out once more in a better frame of mind to continue our journey to Webster where we planned to stay at Webster Park. There was talk that Ben and Dave were going to go ahead and have a look to see if we could perhaps rent one of the shelters at Webster Park given the difficult riding conditions and general moistness of the day. I was pretty pumped for the idea of staying indoors! I'll let you know how that one all worked out with the next post!

Kingston to Selkirk Shores State Park (ii)

2011-09-03T00:07:00.003-04:00

It's always hard to get up and get going after you've settled into a really good chocolate croissant and an americano but that's the nature of the Ride for Africycle beast. It's what separates the I'm-just-here-for-the-perks chumps from the it's-all-about-the-ride chumps. I find it takes me anywhere from five to ten kilometres of riding to get my legs going at the same pace as my heart and lungs and mind. Younger readers - be warned and prepared!!!

We set off through Cape Vincent and turned left onto NY 12E, a beautiful smooth road that traces the rolling contours of the countryside that lies about ten km back of the Lake Ontario shoreline. People who admire homes that have been abandoned will appreciate the many old houses and barns that are gradually being reclaimed by Nature and Time.

Eventually we arrived in Dexter.

The bus hadn't made it this far so several riders opted for the ice-cream pleasures that are happily dispensed at the Lickety Split ice cream hut.

(photo Ed Kwaka)

Jerrett preparing Lunch (photo Ed Kwaka)

Time was ticking though and we left this idyllic spot for another year and put the bikes back on NY 180 which melds eventually into NY 3. Riders who had ridden this stretch of road before had been talking about a "huge climb" that was coming up - and it's a good hill to be fair - but we were all surprised when it actually showed up just how not that big it actually was.

The view from the top this year was really good (last year it was entirely obscured by the humid haze that lay over everything) if you look past the dilapidated structures!!

The road conditions for cyclists in this part of New York State are amazing - super clean, smooth, and wide enough so a cyclist doesn't feel like they're squeezing cars out of their lane. We moved along at a good pace, taking turns at the front to pull until eventually we arrived at Taco Bob's Wayside Inn. An oasis that magically appears just as you feel you can go no further without refreshment!

After a quick round of cold Gennie's, all attention was shifted to the shuffleboard table where last year I had been thrashed by Michael VanDerHerberg.

Sadly - and not surprisingly - I was whipped once more by the VanDerHerberg juggernaut. Does he lose at anything?!!! Fortunately I have arrived at an age where I can accept defeat graciously - I have plenty of practice when I hang around Michael!!!

From Taco Bob's we set out for the final stretch of riding - a series of long rollers that taxes both mind and body and which you begin to believe will have no end until all of a sudden there's the right-hand turn into Selkirk Shores State Park.

The park was really quiet. Dinner was amazing once more with fresh fruit and vegetables making a welcome appearance alongside some excellent pork chops. A camper generously donated a pile of wood to us so we had a beautiful campfire before turning in for the night.

Tomorrow we ride to Webster Park.

Kingston to Selkirk Shores State Park (i)

2011-08-30T00:07:00.002-04:00

Sleeping in the pew was a bad idea but it had to be done. The opportunity might never present itself again. I kept telling myself that as I slowly dragged myself out of the half-sleep I'd experienced through much of the night as people shuffled to the washroom and the kitchen, started packing up their stuff and generally started the day.

Jerrett the wonder chef appeared with aviator glasses on that did not leave his face for a very long time. Jerrett scored major cred for preparing a huge batch of French toast while being seriously worse for the wear after a very long night out with Dave and Ben.

There were several reminders to make sure we had our passports handy as today we got to cross the Lake into the U.S. The Ride for Africycle is really well-organized, but it can be a very laid back affair in terms of getting started each day. This was no exception! After saying our goodbyes and thankyous to the good people at the Next Church,

we eventually made our way through the sleepy streets of Downtown Kingston to the ferry, which we observed making its way across the outer edges of Kingston Harbour. It had left about fifteen minutes before. The next ferry? Fourty-five minutes.

For future riders, here's a handy-dandy ferry schedule! Oh well. Michael, Ed and I decided to go for a little ride and made our way through downtown and then along the shoreline, picking out little paths and byways until we got back to the ferry dock. After a bit more waiting, the ferry returned and we walked our bikes on and

found places to enjoy the brief journey to Wolfe Island.

Wolfe Island is home to a massive windpower generating project. Wiki says there are 89 towers.

The RFA wind turbine counting team says easily more than a hundred.

When we got to Wolfe island we got back on our bikes and rode across to the next ferry which would take us across to the U.S. When we got to the dock we could just see it making its way into the harbour on the U.S. side. No problem! Look at the beautiful day we were getting to enjoy!

Even the bugs sitting on this capstan knew enough to just chill and enjoy the sun.

Eventually the little ferry returned and the Captain remembered us from last year! How cool is that!

Here he is (in the window) and there's Scotia. We're right on top of the border.

Passage through the little shack at the border was quick and easy and we made our way over to our favourite cafe in Cape Vincent for coffee and baked goods. A slow day slowed down even more and when we realized what time it was (a couple of times) we got back on the bikes and started off for Selkirk Shores State Park.

Day Two: Presqu'ile to Kingston

2011-08-27T00:07:00.005-04:00

When you reach the advanced age I've attained, a night on the ground in a tent necessitates something of an acceptance of pain or at the very least, discomfort. But that quickly disappeared as I woke up and remembered where I was,

why I was there, and who I was with!

The weather for today was expected to be on the gently moist side, so after breakfast, we set off along the bike path out of Presqu'ile

to hook up with Hwy. 2 headed for Kingston. There were smiles everywhere and lots of quiet early morning talk and beautiful rural scenes helped the kilometres go by.

This is Stephen VanDerHerberg who joined us for the two day ride.

We're hoping that he can join us for the full ride in 2012!

The drifting rain eventually stopped and we dried out as we rode.

The stops along the way are almost as important to the ride as the cycling itself. On this day there were two key stops. The first was at this fruit and vegetable shop where superb homemade donuts are sold in paper bags to people who honestly think that six is all they'll need!

The next stop was at the incomparable Bloomfield Bicycle Company. For those of you familiar with "The Hobbit" it draws a close comparison to Rivendell in its fantastic almost magical qualities.

Here are the Ride for Africycle bikes all gathered together on B.B.C.'s cool rack.

After a nice chat with the owners and a guy cycling from Calgary to Montreal, Ed set a new local record for the most graceful flattening of a bike display by selecting the key bike in a row of bikes and sending eleven others that were somehow linked together, in a slow-mo tumble to the turf!!

After reassembling the display, we headed out of Bloomfield to catch the Glenora ferry that would carry us across the Bay of Quinte. We were super happy to find that lunch was waiting on the other side, nicely set-up inside the RFA Hospitality Tent by Dave, Ben and Jerrett.

Without getting too graphic, by this point my butt had developed a problem known by many terms - "Monkey Butt", "Rider's Rash", etc. etc. It's an exquisite sort of pain (if you're into pain and I'm not really), comprised of thousands of red-hot needles stabbing into the fleshier portion of the butt area. The solution is simple - chamois cream. The timeline is undetermined as far as when the relief begins. Much to the delight of my fellow cyclists, I shared the process of repair and the suffering in detail.

After Lunch we rode along County Road 33, a beautiful stretch of road that is locally named The Loyalist Parkway

and before long we were riding past the beautiful limestone buildings that Kingston is famous for while working our way towards our evening accomodations at The Next Church who had graciously offered to have us back again!

An awesome dinner of the most incredible beef stew was followed by some quiet time and then we headed out to enjoy a little bit of Kingston night-life. My set-up: a church pew, a copy of The Rider, a beer, and a container

of Pringles.

Tomorrow we take the ferry from Kingston to Cape Vincent, NY, USA!

Day One Part Two: Peterborough to Presqu'ile (ii)

2011-08-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, I dropped away from the official RFA route to see my Mum.

Here we are sharing a hug.

There's a combined 134 years of mutual admiration looking right at you!!!

From my Mum's place I rode through downtown Cobourg until I got to Victoria Park where the Bus was already parked, lawnchairs were set up and lunching was well underway. My Mum and Aunt made their way over to say hello to the Team. After a superb lunch of salad and potao salad made up by Jerrett the Wonderchef, we made our way out of Cobourg using the fantastic bike lanes that are a part of the Lakeshore Bike Trail. I've used this route several times to get to and from Kingston and I highly recommend it.

The weather held nicely and we made good time through to the little town of Colborne where a stop at Gilligan's loosened limbs and tongues and replenished lost fluids. It's always fun to walk into a bar in lycra bike shorts. I can't get enough of the laughter and the soto voce comments as you leave.

The ride from Colborne to Presqu'ile isn't that far but the ride in off Highway 2 and then past the camp's main gate to the site was amazingly long! I figured we were pretty much out near the tip of the point of the park.

Looking at this map - we were within walking distance of the lighthouse - I'd say I was right!! But you know what. I'd love to be biking along that road right now! We got a huge campsite and quickly pitched our tents.

The bikes all gathered together for a talk about the riders , the scenery, and the next day's ride.

Michael made sure he got a really good faceful of woodsmoke ... it's way cheaper than smoking.

On tomorrow's ride we make our way to Kingston!

Leaving: Day One Peterborough to Presquile (i)

2011-08-20T08:22:00.007-04:00

Morning's somehow feel colder when I'm leaving to go somewhere. This one was no exception.

I had spent the evening before packing up my tote box. I'd live out of that tote box for the next nine days so my choices of what to take had been very carefully considered. using last year's list, I felt fairly confident that I'd have what I need and wouldn't be taking anything extra or forgetting anything crucial.

Astonishingly, I slept most of the way through the night. I had trouble eating breakfast but after the painful goodbyes to my children that I dread more than anything about travel, I got on my bike and pedalled off downtown to meet up with the rest of the Ride for Africycle Team.

We had agreed to meet around 8:15 a.m. at B!ke's new location and as I rolled up I noticed that I was the last one there.

My wife rolled up with my tote bin in her car as well as my sleeping bag, tent, sleeping roll and camp chair. I loaded those up by the side of the bus and introduced myself to those members of the team who I had not met yet.

A couple of get-to-know-each-other rides in the week before had helped to bring together the newer members of the ride, so there was a lot less of the awkwardness that goes with setting out on a huge endeavour like this with people you barely know.

The press arrived eventually so a photo and video shoot was set-up.

Then it was time for hugging and waving and whistling and cheering and off we went.

We waved at everyone we passed, talked to people just cracking their first bottle of beer for the day, out walking their dog, or just plain sitting on their porch letting the Sun do the work of waking them up gradually.

No gradual wake up for the riders though as we were soon past the City limits and out onto Wallace Point Road working the kinks out of riding, taking turns up front, getting some photographs, and taking in the beautiful countryside.

One of the highlights of the morning ride was riding along one of the most beautiful roads I've ever ridden on - my camera was in my back-pocket and on this day was coated in my sweat so the images have a sort of fuzzy quality about them which in my view just adds to the magic!

I ducked away from the team just above Cobourg and raced into town for a visit with my Mum - an annual tradition - where I grabbed fresh water, a hug, and a photograph of course! I nipped by Monk's Cove and then hurried along the Main Street to join my fellow riders at Victoria Park for Lunch.

Lunch was our first taste of Jerrett the cook's food. It was amazing and yet somehow Jerrett outdid himself with each meal after that!!!

Next post - from Cobourg to Presqu'ile.

back again!

2011-08-17T10:04:00.002-04:00

the ride for africycle 5.0 team arrived back safe and relatively sound in peterborough on sunday, august 14th!

the ride was awesome and fun and filled with memories. i'd do it again. right now in fact!

the weather was really kind to us this year with only one day of torrential rain and one day of headwinds and cross-winds to contend with.

we met all kinds of lovely, fun, and kind people along the way.

the food was nothing short of incredible! having jerrett the pro cook along was a total gift!

the support crew - big dave barber and the incredible ben voss - were super good to us also.

over the next little while, i'll put together the stories and photographs from the trip and share them here and over on the ride for africycle blog itself.

a huge thankyou to all of you who supported the ride with donations, prayers, and good thoughts.

all are received with equal gratitude.

i'm leaving on a big bike ride!

2011-08-06T09:00:00.001-04:00

the ride for africycle pulls out of peterborough at nine a.m. today!

i'll be riding with a small team of cyclists around lake ontario - eleven hundred kilometres -

to raise money for africycle.

when i get back, i'll share the experience!!!

happy cycling.

into august

2011-08-05T00:07:00.000-04:00

time for an update here as i've been putting a lot of kilometres on the bike in preparation for the big ride which leaves in less than three days. if i told you i wake up every night thinking about the ride, that it crosses my mind constantly, you'd only get half a sense of how jacked i am to head out and around the lake. oh and nervous!

eleven hundred kms is a long way to ride in eight days and i feel physically and mentally prepared for it but there are variables (like the weather and other things you don't say or write about because it's just plain bad luck) that can change the tone of a ride. being responsible for the mapping of this ride has been really cool and also nerve-wracking because i don't want to take these good people on a wild goose chase up and down every hill in the region!

meanwhile i ride whenever i can which is most days. i'm putting about fifty to seventy-five kms a day on the bike and trying to remember that it's not just about the distance but also about the experience of riding.

so i'll share a few of my favourite photos from recent rides for you to enjoy here.

this is my riding buddies joe and blair dragging their butts up a hill in cavan on a hot day

hay rolls about twenty km southwest of peterborough

the awesome chloe black!!

july 31. 2011

2011-07-31T17:59:00.005-04:00

today was the first gathering of the africycle 5.0 riders. i got to the start early in the hopes i could score a double americano to jazz up the legs and heartrate and lucky for me there were some late arrivals so i popped back a lovely cup of coffee that delivered enthusiasm in abundance!!

we did a lovely ride that pcc riders will know and love that took us north and west of peterborough through bridgenorth and then east towards lakefield and back down river road into peterborough ending with more refreshments and tasty items at the silver bean.

some river road moments

2011-07-21T08:52:00.007-04:00

lately i've been putting in some time on river road north of peterborough. partly to work on speed and also to work on endurance. i also really like the ride for its little details. right now the river has slowed to a crawl as the drought continues and so some of the lake levels north of here are getting quite low. with the river being slow, the surface tends to be a lot calmer and the flowers punch out so much more vividly against the deep blue of the water.

two days ago i was traveling at a good clip when i saw a garter snake about thirty feet in front of me start to cross the road. in the same instant a crow launched itself from a nearby tree and snagged the snake, biting through it as it flew!

yesterday i saw a squirrel hanging upside down from a small branch. at first i thought the worst - that someone had hung it there - until i saw that it was hanging from its back feet, tail pointing straight to the sky and it was eating a berry with its front paws!

tomorrow i plan on heading south to cobourg. i'll post any decent pictures and stories from that journey in a little while.

x-c

2011-07-15T17:18:00.001-04:00

i'm laughing so hard after watching this i have nothing to say other than watch this. it's brilliant!!

a hot july morning ride

2011-07-11T16:37:00.005-04:00

riding on the hottest days ... common sense goes out the window and it's a case of survival while not giving up the good aspects of a ride through the hills which include the beautiful views, the bird songs, and the strangely satisfying yet warm drink that comes out of the water bottles.

that was today's ride. a repeat of the millbrook loop with one big difference and that is that my plan was to refuel and get fresh water at the pastry peddler. i drank my last drop on the ride into millbrook and

wouldn't you know it - "sorry, we're closed".

no, really!!!

yes really!!

so i didn't bother stopping and rode straight past all the fields filled with giant hay rolls and on through to the silver bean for a small americano and a giant ginger cookie.

i got home pretty much cooked.

poke me with a fork.

i'm done!

i'm currently experiencing a radlermass lager courtesy of the waterloo brewing company.

millbrook loop

2011-07-02T18:22:00.017-04:00

my summer holidays have started and so yesterday i enjoyed a very easy ride up to lakefield with my wife and friends. essentially an ice cream run, i found a couple of spots to stretch out and travel at a bit of speed but you know, it wasn't that bad moving along at 2/3 the usual speed. i got to talk with my wife, really appreciate my surroundings and travel the 47 km round trip in comfort.

but, i wasn't satisfied. i've been harbouring a wish to pass through millbrook and sample the wares at the pastry peddler. so last night i went over to ptbo rides and scouted out

a route i remembered reading about some time ago.

i wake relatively early every day no matter whether i am working or not. so after a leisurely start to the day reading with the windows open and listening to the birds and chipmunks establishing their territories, i helped my daughter deliver her newspapers, made breakfast for my son, sorted out a slow leak on the rear tire of my road bike and then struggled to find helmet, camera, water bottle, etc. etc.

it's funny, i've noticed other times that some days when i am entirely psyched for a ride, things seem to disrupt the flow of preparation. in fact i was ready to give up the idea of a ride today. i'm not usually that easy to defeat but i was getting the sense that something was preventing me from going on this ride.

not to be put off i finally got everything together and left, knowing that the rear tire might cause some grief.

i raced down brealey/airport road and turned at sharpe line which has a few small but challenging to me hills.

the views from the top are always beautiful.

after i had taken this picture i shouted out "thankyou for this day" and laughed.

turning at tapley quarter line i passed this little shed which is one of many old buildings

in the area i really love to see.

eventually i arrived in millbrook which was right in the middle of the annual classic car show. the car show shuts the main street down so i walked carefully between some beautifully restored fities, sixties and seventies metal on my way to the bakery where i picked up a tasty pastry and some water.

i was smitten with these wheels.

a 1962 pontiac tempest le mans. one of four in canada.

a fast ride out of millbrook travelling east at 40 km/h plus with a tailwind.

it was beautiful, expansive, and very quiet.

long stretches of road were entirely mine.

except for the odd turkey vulture.

and quiet little places i couldn't just ride by.

this is a beautiful ride that links up little pieces that i've done at one time or another but not put into a loop.

i'd happily do this ride again.

and i will!!

p.s. no trouble from the rear tire - go figure!!!

ride for africycle 5.0

2011-06-14T21:08:00.003-04:00

as a feature of my life, i like to help raise money for worthy causes.

three causes draw my attention - pediatric cancer, huntingtons, and malawi.

each gets my attention in a different way,but the one i wish to draw your attention to here

is the piece with malawi.

it's a little country, very far away.

of course it's very poor.

but. there are people there.

people with spirit and ambition that doesn't easily compare to that of their western counterparts because the model on which their scope and expectations are based is much different.

my work to support their work is very simple and in my own view very lovely.

because it involves bikes.

visitors to this blog may not know that i have never owned a car driver's licence.

a strange and yet irrefutable fact that becomes more incredible when you learn that my family used to own and race vintage jaguars and has always had a taste for nice cars.

i own two bicycles.

one is a road bike.

a really good road bike that propels me around the countryside at great speed and in comfort.

that's the one i'm using to get me around lake ontario in august of this year.

the plan is to complete the 1120 km journey in nine days.

eight days of riding and one day of rest.

oh boy!

the ride for africycle is in its fifth year.

i blogged last year's ride

if you'd like to read and see that ride then you can start right here.

the ride for africycle supports africycle who in turn support the zomba shop, and grace orphan care.

my goal is to raise money, so i am posting this as a shameless request for you to consider supporting my ride and the work of africycle by heading over to my fundraising page which is right here.

if that one plays hard to get then try here.

because i choose to place no expectations on your financial support,

given that i know nothing of your circumstances,

i would ask in all humility that if you cannot or choose not to support the ride,

if you would rather provide blessings and prayers

that you feel comfortable in doing so

knowing that they will be received with equal gratitude!!!

steven

the bike lane dilemma

2011-06-09T17:52:00.003-04:00

let's get political.

i'm on record as not being political. but perhaps there's a place for some of the features of being a cyclist in a world that is (in my neck of the woods) super slow or close to unwilling to accept

that the bike is for me and many others, my primary mode of transportation.

it's fun, i love it, and it is how i get around.

period.

end of story.

i'd really like my city to move a little faster in terms of getting the idea that just as with cars there are special provisions to ensure their safe movement around, so do there need to be accomodations and infrastructure put in place that protects a cyclists needs and rights.

above all, i'd like to avoid what this poor guy has to deal with!!!

the ride home from young's point

2011-05-28T09:21:00.012-04:00

i've done a couple of rides up to young's point and back recently. partly for the distance and partly also because it's a beautiful ride. strange fact though is that usually when i've ridden to

young's point over the last few years, it rains.

i remember a ride last summer. i saw a black cloud to the west. it was travelling south right alongside me. i thought for sure that it would turn west and then just before i got to lakefield it turned east and kaboom, crack, splash - a thunderstorm. i'll ride through them but i don't like them. there is something very visceral and ennervating about the experience though.

anyhow, my latest journey was no exception as i turned around at highway twenty eight and

headed south along young's point road.

the clouds gathered.

and sure enough little spitty bits started blowing my way.

it wasn't wet the whole time though.

i remember when i worked in a factory in toronto, dreaming of days like this.

teamwork

2011-05-20T06:18:00.001-04:00

working as a team is one of the features of cycing that makes getting there that much more fun.

racing the pavé (3)

2011-05-14T00:07:00.000-04:00

the third and final clip from this film captures the grace and pain that is long distance racing. the faces of the riders after they have finished are as telling of the true cost of this race as any words could describe.

racing the pavé (2)

2011-05-06T17:26:00.001-04:00

as promised, here's part two of the team net app film about the paris - roubaix.

part two is ripe with pre-race nerves. you likely know the tight clenching fluttering feeling in your throat and stomach when you're setting out on a ride that you know is going to challenge you - this film captures that sensation so well! you can see it in the rider's faces as they talk to the camera.

260 kilometres. i still can't get past that!

racing the pavé

2011-05-03T00:07:00.007-04:00

this is part one of a three parter generously shared by tem net app on their first attempt at racing the paris - roubaix. it boggles my mind to imagine a person cycling 258 km. sorry to all you hard core riders who are scoffing at my soft ass awe but really that's a long, long way.

i'll post the next one in a handful of days and then the last one a handful after that.

cool kids

2011-04-29T17:18:00.000-04:00

getting prepared for africycle, im rooting around on the net for inspiration for people who might be hemming and hawing (that's fifty three year old man talk for thinking 'bout it). i came across this . . . .

the commute improves

2011-04-16T00:07:00.001-04:00

so i'm at the four week mark of commuting and it's starting to feel good again.

good means i can ask my legs to do something and they usually respond positively!

good means that even when it's blowing fifty km/h, i'm riding through an ice fog and watching ice crystals growing on my gloves (honest!), i'm smiling and can't really stop.

good means that when i signal for a right turn and a guy with two kids in a car watching from their seats,

dives at the corner and chops me, i get over it within forty-eight hours.

yep, all-in-all, it's all good!!!

anyhow i came across this video of a bike i'm not really tempted to ride

but it'd be so cool to try just once.

i think.

here's the bike hunkered in with a good buddy

and here's the link to the video.

if you feel an itch in your brain and your wallet is making its way out of your pocket then you should probably click right here and make a visit to the manufacturer's website!!

little ride (i)

2011-04-12T00:07:00.001-04:00

a very long time ago i learned about the quiet beauty of cemeteries.

as a boy in england, my schoolyard chums and i would climb over the stone wall separating our yard from the church of england grounds next door. in the autumn we would slide on the flat stones which, when covered with leaves were not that different from the snow slides that very shortly afterwards became my new playground when i moved to canada.

one of my favourite "little rides" is through a cemetery called "little lake cemetery".

it is a fairly large and quite old place with lovely mature trees

and an exquisite placement next to the otonabee river.

i passed through it recently as i knew that the dogwood would be incredible on an early spring day with the sun shining soft and warm and the sky as clear and as robin's egg blue as they come.

just one more reason why i love to ride on two wheels.

a week of riding

2011-04-04T00:07:00.003-04:00

the end of the first week back on my commuter bike has arrived bringing with it a rekindling of my appreciation for what truly happens during the winter. no matter what i did on the trainer, there is little connection to the realities of fighting into a headwind, dealing with cars, trucks, schoolbuses, the piles of sand and salt that spread in some places more than a metre from the side of the road and the simple fact of rolling resistance. which also explains the tidy little muffin top that has emerged tumbling gently

up and over the waist line of my shorts!

i thought i was working hard, but i fooled myself!

not to worry. i'm thrilled - yes i'll use that word in its richest sense - to be back on a bicycle after finishing last season on december 12th with the snow coming down almost as heavily as my mood. the road - literal and metaphoric has opened up once more and my preparations for a season of riding culminating in the africycle ride around lake ontario are gently underway.

my commute each day is very brief - eight km each way - but it's got a couple of good climbs and depending on the lights, the opportunity to push the speed envelope and to really challenge my body to return to where i left it last december in terms of fitness. but what's truly exhilarating is the freedom in knowing that i can leave whenever i want. go wherever i need. stop when i want. it's so simple. it's that magical!

the dog days are over

2011-03-27T18:05:00.002-04:00

tomorrow my commuter bike gets its wheels on the road after almost exactly three months of waiting patiently down by the furnace in what the residents of this house call "the way down there". the journey begins with a pedal stroke around seven thirty tomorrow and hopefully carries through seventy round trips to and from school, two duathlons, a ride around lake ontario,

and unknown rides

yet to be planned and ridden with the boys and girls of peterborough.

i'm so excited i doubt i'll sleep tonight!!!

this very cool video carries all the energy i share with my biking community.

the cyclist

2011-03-13T00:07:00.001-05:00

the cyclist mario sironi 1914

i thought i'd let you know that i'll be off the trainer for about nine days while i absorb as much sun and sleep and food and drink and read as many books and magazines and visit as many historical sights and see as many bloming flowers and as much green grass and broad-leafed tropical plants and whatever else i can take in down in cuba.

i'm hoping and wishing that when i get back, the streets will be dry and clear and i can start to commute back and forth alongside the very much younger guys i 've seen starting out on that very same journey in the last few days.

on the trainer

2011-03-06T18:20:00.006-05:00

it's late winter and not quite spring. the most tormenting time for a cyclist (at least where i live) because you really can't do any decent cycling on a daily basis.

some days the roads are dry and other days they're covered in snow, or ice.

so for now i put on my ipod and stare at the wall and push the pedals imagining all the time.

good news for me is that registration for the ride for africycle has kicked off and i've registered to ride around lake ontario again this summer! actually i'm training for three events - a couple of duathlons and of course the africycle ride.

i'll put up more about the africycle ride as i learn more.

for now, here are some pics of me dialing up the sweat quotient.

my bike is so much more patient than i am.

imagine sitting still in a basement all day, knowing what lies in front of you!

head down as i drop the gears.

heads up for a good tune.

today i was listening to brian eno and john cale's disc - "wrong way up".

new link!

2011-02-26T17:30:00.005-05:00

i was in a shop today picking up some duds for a holiday coming up and (if they get worn in nicely) they'll make some nice additions to my africycle wardrobe. anyhow, i got to talking with the guy running the shop and the subject of cycling came up - turns out he has relatives cycling from alaska to chile. so he gave me their bloggy link and if you look sideways you'll see that if you click on the image of two little people with bikes standing in front of a honking great cactus you'll be transported into their incredible journey face first!!!

go quickly and plan on spending some time because it is a really beautiful, rich blog filled with great stories and photographs!

start here.

beer and bikes

2011-02-17T06:46:00.006-05:00

bringing together the two disconnected but mutually supporting worlds of beer and bikes is the dream of many a cyclist pedalling his sorry behind up what he or she imagines is the last hill before home. it's in that the most vulnerable part of any ride that dreams are born, wishes are made, curses are flung and hitherto unimagined possibilities rear their ugly or beautiful heads.

the beer bike must have come about during such a moment (or so i'd like to think) because there are issues with pedalling quantities of any liquid anywhere that beg to be discussed,

but for now let's just focus on this beautiful if unlikely marriage.

here's a beautiful contraption that can be found on the streets of amsterdam.

here's some action footage!

i'm just imagining the end of a long hard africycle day - a hundred and something clicks on the odometer, the thirstometer registering well into the red and this beautiful beast glides up alongside!!!

a long way west of here in portland, the bike bar has made a splash of sorts.

here's some really cool footage that explains the origins of the bike bar.

by the way, put your hand up if you've had to ride with a box of beer balanced on the handlebars any distance. that's how this machine was born. see what i mean about great ideas being born out of adversity!!!

while probably a bit of a challenge to propel over long distances, the beer bike has in my eyes bridged the gap that exists unnecessarily between beer and bikes.

portlandia by linda sue

2011-02-10T16:42:00.001-05:00

my bloggy chum linda sue just got in from portland with some tasty pics and words from a town that truly gets bikes. the video clip is too good. go here

boy and bicycle (part two)

2011-02-05T07:50:00.003-05:00

maybe you were so intrigued by part one that you've been back here a handful of times yearning for part two?!!!!

well yearn no more. additional satiating and tantalizing footage of the boy and his bicycle has arrived in the digital post!!!

the plot so far:

a teenage boy skips school, and spends the day riding around the town and the deserted beach on his bicycle, letting his mind wander as he imagines he is the only person in the world.

boy and bicycle (part one)

2011-02-05T07:39:00.002-05:00

the film bladerunner has long stuck in my consciousness as an example of what is possible when visual and audio artists team up with someone who has an extraordinary insight. the filmaker ridley scott had relatively humble and obscure origins that began apparently with this film which i'm going to share here in two parts.

the film is entitled "boy and bicycle" and was filmed while scott was

a photography student in art college in 1962.

while not carrying the weight of presence of my favourite bicycle film "the bicycle thief", it still conveys images of an england long past through the eyes of a boy entering young adulthood.

the plot: a teenage boy skips school, and spends the day riding around the town and the deserted beach on his bicycle, letting his mind wander as he imagines he is the only person in the world.

messenger

2011-01-30T07:03:00.002-05:00

sometimes in the grand scheme of things i have "wish i may - wish i might" moments that allow me to see what could or perhaps even should have been.

i think that if i had been born twenty or thirty years later than i was,

i would have been a bike messenger.

i love the vibe, the edgy camaraderie, the hovering close to the fringe and

especially the bike as a tool of employment and pleasure.

tuck in to this wickedgood clip of messenger life.

the great velocipede migration

2011-01-18T00:07:00.000-05:00

i'm reading catherynne valente's book the "girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making". a mind-blowing tour de force of fantasy literature, it occasionally makes cool references to bicycle culture.

if you've got time you might like to read these excerpted chunks. if you like them then you can start the whole book online for free by going here. or you can just read the full chapter i've excerpted these chunks from right here.

september looked uncertainly at her denuded sceptre, hanging sadly from ell’s bronze chain. “i don’t think i've anything like enough rubies left to buy bicycles for both of us.”

“pish! we don’t buy, we catch! september, the bicycle herds, well, i suppose they’re called voleries, not herds, right, saturday? voleries. anyhow, their migration path runs though the meadowflats just east of the city, and if we are lucky, and have a bit of rope with us, we can hitch on with them all the way to the provinces. or nearly all the way. it’s difficult, they’re wild beasts, you know. and if i run just as hard as i can i shall be able to keep up with you and no one’s bones need be smashed or jangled. it goes without saying, i think, that it would be a bit ridiculous for me to ride a highwheel, even a big, brawny bull. let us go now, right away! i shouldn’t want to miss it, we would feel much chagrined, and stuck.”

“remember, they are fast and tall and vicious! many have perished or at least been roundly dumped off and bruised in the attempt to travel by wild bicycle.” a-through-l fretted and stamped his great feet in the grass.
a long, loud horn sounded, and several answering hoots honked into the blazing day.

“they’re coming!” shouted ell excitedly, his wings wobbling under the chains as he leapt up, his tongue lolling like a puppy’s. really, he needn’t have said anything. the velocipede volery sent up a choking cloud of dust. saturday and september could see it quite clearly, full of flying grass and dirt. and as soon as they heard the horns the bicycles were nearly upon them, a great throng of old-fashioned highwheels. the front wheels of the beasts were tall and enormous, the wheel behind tiny—though tiny in this case being somewhat larger than saturday’s whole body. their seats, borne loftily into the sky, were battered velvet of various motley, dappled shades, their tires spotted like hyenas, their spokes glittering in the naked meadowflat sun.

“well, a velo is a lazy thing, in the end. they don’t like to go as fast as they can go. it suits them just as well to roll along leisurely-like. this is the great migration—they’re all homebound, to the spoke-nests, to mate and die. some of them feel the mating drive stronger than others. some only feel the dying drive. makes them lag. but if you and i apply a bit of encouragement, they’ll bear down on the road like it’s dinner. and by encouragement i mean whipping of course and i know it’s not civilized and i cringe to think of it but sometimes with steeds it’s all you can do.”

parallel world (i)

2011-01-14T00:07:00.000-05:00

who knew that waterloo was the most intelligent city in canada?

really!!

have you been there?!

in this video it's given that credential but what's interesting is that while the narrator's dropping that dud,

the camera's entirely focussed on a waterloo dark beer sign!

not to be distracted though, this video shows the cool work of bicycle creator brent curry.

the couch bike wins my award!

to the sun

2011-01-12T00:07:00.001-05:00

i'm getting through the dark icy days of a peterborough winter by reading a book about a journey around the world done on a bicycle by author alastair humphreys. the book (the first of two that he's written to cover the journey) is called "moods of future joys". alastair is a speaker now and you can hear his thinking right here.

by chance - well, if anything is by chance - i came across this clever animation called "to the sun" or "au soleil".

"to the sun" is based on the memories of a cycling trip josh wedlake undertook across eastern europe from berlin to istanbul. he travelled with three close friends on a journey lasting one month; they cycled through incredible scenery in germany, poland, slovakia, hungary, romania, bulgaria

and turkey crossing the beskids and the carpathians.

to learn more about josh and his journey then read the interview right here.

Au Soleil (To The Sun) from Josh Wedlake on Vimeo.

way back home

2011-01-07T00:07:00.000-05:00

i've followed danny macaskill's amazing, mind-numbing bicycle work - chiefly because it blows me away and secondly because i wish this had been possible when i was a lot younger. would i have done it then? probably not. but i would've liked to dream. hey i'm doing that now!!!

winter riding

2011-01-01T00:07:00.000-05:00

until a few years ago i cycled through the snow.

there's something about succeeding against all odds that goes with completing a journey on two wheels in the depths of winter.

then again there's something about life that holds a real attraction for me.

so the last deep snow ride i took along a major street that resulted in three "drops" for me, was also my last.

there are a couple of factors that play into the decision.

one is the amount of time it takes for my body to recover from such an event.

time was it took next to no time.

now it seems like days, then weeks pass and i can still feel the damage.

the other factor is that i share the road with cars. cars doing their best to get themselves to wherever they're going.

dealing with a cyclist struggling along, weaving and wobbling and grinding to a halt in the deeper drifts is not entirely fair.

so i love this image.

the boys pegging the guy riding past with snowballs.

as if he hasn't got enough on his plate!

alan lowndes cyclist in the snow

bike flick night: the wolfpack hustle (ii)

2010-12-27T00:07:00.000-05:00

they're back!! killer tunes - scenes that'll make your bowels gurgle and best of all

you get an adrenalin rush without even having to take your eyes off the screen!!!

Wolfpack All City Race 2 from Bicykiller on Vimeo.

happy christmas!

2010-12-25T00:07:00.003-05:00

a very happy christmas to all you cyclists (and armchair cyclists).

special hugs to my africycle buds!!!

i hope that father christmas drops some tasty goodies and luxurious components under your yule tree!

fear and beauty

2010-12-16T00:07:00.002-05:00

i face the sky

grey in the afterlight

of a long-set sun

it's almost five o'clock

it's cold

the snow falls

in feathery strands

pierced through

with a gunmetal blue core

that speaks more of winter than autumn

and my heart soars

for the beauty

just as it plummets

with fear

because

for a cyclist

fear and beauty

live side-by-side

in the wintertime

as of december 12th my bike is off the road

i'm crying inside . . . .

warm me up

2010-12-11T00:07:00.005-05:00

for the past few days the temperatures have been floating between minus ten celsius and minus twenty celsius depending on the wind. on the way into school i travel down some long hills and the windchill on those downhill stretches digs deep behind my balaclava and grabs with little icy metallic fingers

at the tender parts of my ears.

when the snow falls i take the lane. brave words when you have cars who already own the lane. but i'm warm in my layered garb - four layers top and bottom - warm but not fearless.

front and back i have flashing lights, on my arm and leg really good reflective bands earned from riding in cliff mccarten's former project getting workers out of their cars!! worked for me - i don't even have a car!

otherwise the only deep cold i'm feeling is on my right thumb and both big toes. i'll take that in exchange for riding this deep into the year!!! people are generally supportive although i get the sense that after the initial shock and awe, they are definitely thinking "this guy's either nuts or a glutton for punishment".

a fave moment. the other day riding home through the dark, a gusty wind blowing from the west into my face - windchill minus nineteen - i finish the climb to the top of a hill and a guy is standing at a bus stop. my lights are flashing all over the bike and he yells out "no f---ing way!!!" i yell back, "way man!!!" and he yells "go f---ing go!!!" i laughed so hard i had to pull the balaclava away from my mouth so i could breathe.

but nothing says goodness like home - even from a couple of kilometres away - because there's my family and warmth and nice beer and good food and nobody to have to protect my body from. some nights that's what pushes me on regardless of the snow, the cold, the really close cars and even closer trucks.

speaking of my body, i've got to be thankful for the simple fact that in the last six months it has propelled me around lake ontario through a humidex of 45 c and is now pushing me

through temperatures 60c colder.

thanks body.

two- wheeled community: matt stetson

2010-12-07T00:07:00.002-05:00

matt stetson

former neighbour, one half of the infamous "racing for booze" championship duathlon team, primary salesperson and chief wrench for all my wheels and parts in-between, wild boy matt has a sweet article in this month's issue of canadian cycling that you can read right here or better yet

sink some money into at your local magazine shop.

hey, while you're here.

here's a shot of matt and i after another podium finish in the peterborough dirty duathlon.

the following year - after we ascended to the top - a team of such raw talent and unbridled competitive ferocity was assembled (we believe expressly to address our ambitious assertion that we could set a new track record), that we were bumped one notch down the podium.

we still received our boozy rewards but the view from the second place podium spot was not quite as exceptional........

needless to say, matt and i bailed after that and matt has focussed on many things - domestic and recreational.

i've focussed on using the bike for good and not evil!

looks like matt's adding sportswriter to his long list of creds.

a gorgeous photo of the thursday night fight night ride appears in the same issue

in a two page spread.

buy the mag and

check it out.

attaboy stets!!

riding in december in the pre-winter blasts

2010-12-02T17:12:00.005-05:00

the rides are suddenly sketchier courtesy of the snow and then too the evening temperatures that drop below the freezing mark rendering any free-flowing liquids into thin films of barely visibly ice.

to put it simply: in the murk of an early-morning ride, clarity (especially in terms of the road surface and conditions) is a critical and essential quality i look for in the information entering my eyes!

by the end of today the roads had dried somewhat due to the one degree above zero temperature we hit

as well as some well-placed sunshine.

so i got to ride home.

i was so truly and deeply happy!

at the end of my ride are the fields.

i leaned my bike against a pile of yesterday's snow.

this is what i call my commuter bike.

this bike has seen me through four years - over twelve thousand kilometres of riding - so many beautiful rides, so many rides through the most torrential rain, thick fogs, roaring winds, snow squalls,

sunny days without compare.

i love this bike!!

activation

2010-11-27T17:10:00.006-05:00

i came across these cool posters over at wired magazine online.

the posters are "part of a body of work made for the street protests during the

2009 g20 summit in london, copenhagen during cop15 and bolivia during the people's summit,"

i sure like these two.

if i find a place that sells them then i'll backfill this posting and include the link.

bike flick night: the wolfpack hustle (i)

2010-11-22T00:07:00.005-05:00

this is a 30 to 40 mile ride through the streets of la.

the rules: from the east to the beach. 5 person teams with minimum 1 fixed gear per team race any route they choose from tang's donut in silverlake to docweiller beach by lax.

the first complete team to cross the finish line wins

"wolfpack hustle is dedicated to fixed gear, track and road bike culture in los angeles, a city currently dominated by the lowly automobile. no they aren’t olympians or roided-out weekend warrior types… they are simply here to ride stronger, faster and to assert our rights as riders to the gritty streets of la."

here's the video evidence to back it up!!!

enjoy the ride!!

if you just wanna watch then turn the tunes down.

hooked? want more? me too! go here . . . .

gusts

2010-11-20T13:36:00.004-05:00

riding a bike

in an unforgiving wind

is so like life

it pushes with fingers

sometimes with hands

that are apparently joined

to a limitless body

that flows

around me

like thin cold water

a rip tide of air

pushes me

and my bike

across the pale-grey

ribbon of tarmac

i call "mine"

of course

like life

it's no more mine

than anyone else's

hanging on an edge of rubber

and wish-driven need

i'm compelled

to lean into it

until it gives

and then just as suddenly

i am compelled

to lean back

so i don't fall over

no sense in sense because it makes no sense

this wind

crushed into life between clouds levelled by temperate zones

and then flowing like silvered magma

across the surface of this world

disregards the forms

of buildings

trees

signs

lampposts

and of course

a man

on a bicycle

pushing sideways through

it's roaring mouth

the learning of course

is to work with the wind

to chart a different course home

i listen

to the wind's gusts

so like life

letting go

2010-11-12T00:07:00.003-05:00

for about a year and a half i've been thinking about a different bike.

strange that isn't it.

the bikes i have - the commuter and the road bike - are both good bikes. they have been well-used and cared for, but there's an itch that i can't scratch. so i've been scouring the net, bookmarking this manufacturer and that manufacturer in the hope that somewhere, i'll see a thumbnail picture and a glowing description that describes the next bike for me.

after much deliberation, soul-searching, head-scratching and several beers over the year and a half, i had settled on buying one of two bikes. the cervelo s1 and the argon 18 krypton.

my first rule of thumb is that bikes - like clothes, furniture, wall-paint and book covers - must look good and both of these do. having become a little more knowledgeable through experience and research i also knew that within my budget i could afford a shimano ultegra drivetrain and peripherals.

not a cyclist? then reading all that stuff likely put you off.

so i'll continue for the benefit of the two of you still reading.

i shop for my bike bits and even whole bikes at wildrock in downtown peterborough. it's an excellent shop with cool, knowledgeable and real people working there, some of whom are chums and even riding friends from africycle in the summer.

so i had more-or-less decided to try and buy one of the two aformentioned bikes through wildrock when an e-mail arrived informing me that my fave bike shop was having a "ridiculous sale" of all 2010 models. i saw two bikes listed that caught my eye and their prices - neither were the two i was looking at and for, but what the heck.

so off i went.

well - there it was.

the glance across the room that sealed my fate.

a trek madone 4.7.

it wasn't the bike i wanted, dreamed of, saved for.

nope. i recognized it as "the next bike" as soon as i saw it.

i don't try on clothes.

i don't take bikes out for a test spin.

either i know or i don't know that i need to have whatever it is i see because it's right for me.

strange isn't it.

that someone so thoughtful, someone who's always thinking things through......

and then bam!!!

i'm handing over scads of cash and saying "i'll be by to pick it up tomorrow!"

and then leaving, now owning three bikes.

so, long story short - the glacier "team ice" has been sold at wildrock's annual bike sale day.

so i'm a little wistful.

the glacier carried me for five thousand kilometres, eleven hundred of which were around lake ontario.

i have great memories of it, some of which have been shared here, but now i'm moving on.

a new relationship with a different bike.

to this point i've put three hundred and fifty km on it so it still looks and feels like new.

stick around and there'll be more about what my new bike and i achieve.

hero

2010-11-04T00:07:00.002-04:00

the hero "royal" model

perhaps you can help me understand why i have this deep-seated compulsion to own a bike that is the antithesis of the slick machines that take care of my need to move from point a to point b. for reasons i can't articulate, i am drawn to old english bikes like the raleighs with the three-speed sturmey archer and i get the same sort of butterflies-in-the-gut feeling i get when i see a bike that is far beyond my pecuniary abilities to afford and even more importantly - which couldn't possibly be rationalized to

she who provides reason to my life.

maybe that's what makes my heart sing when i watch this very short but oh-so-lovely video on the hero bike.

big decisions

2010-10-30T00:07:00.000-04:00

as one small feature of the tyrone mill ride, a decision had to be made by five riders - do we take the easier way that we had already taken to get to our midpoint, or take a route that has a hard climb with a really incredible view at the top and a steep descent with a very sharp stop at the bottom because of the very sketchy railway crossing? then a really steep, thigh burning climb out of the valley.

oh, and there's a beautiful swimming hole - too cool at this time of year for swimming but still beautiful.....

my answer?

"i'm happy no matter what we choose because i'm right here right now."

top of the hill . . .

bottom of the hill . . .

sometimes grace just shines on a place, on a moment.

tyrone mill bakery ride (iii)

2010-10-25T00:07:00.003-04:00

journey's home are sometimes bittersweet.

returning over familiar territory - in reverse - seeing scenes that are both familiar and unfamiliar.

always with the background knowledge that at some point, you'll be back home.

that doesn't have to be a bad thing of course, but the journey is - well an immersion into experiences as diverse as newness, innocence, escapism, ineffable goodness - and so the return is . . . well bittersweet.

fueled up with honey, coffees, pastries and of course some really spicy cheese curds we headed up the very short very steep hill that leads northeast away from the tyrone mill.

big skies chased us. we were able to watch clouds parallel to our journey move across the landscape, rain a little and continue on their journey.

they rolled along like the great soft beasts they are!

while we rolled along in quiet appreciation through the ganaraska forest.

here's local bike czar clifford on the glory glide.

a dangerous practice for a cyclist - looking skywards at speed while holding a camera.

but worth the risk.

then onwards through the land of long rolling hills.

where laughing egos were toyed with on climbs ill-suited to those of us who are flat land speed demons!

egos easily and smirkingly crushed by those with the stamina and will to drop them (me included)

as they race on up the hill at the same speed i just descended at.

the post after this one will tell you about a moment. a decision that was made by a little group of cyclists. take the easy way and see what we've seen in reverse. or take the hard way and see something truly beautiful. something i'll not forget. please check it out when it arrives here. for now though, one of my fave moments on a ride.

so like the gurdjieff stop exercise. stop. examine the moment. examine your presence in its entirety.

begin. onwards past windswept early autumn fields.

i've noticed that on longer rides, my eyes start to focus on the details of the ride. the vistas, the little clusterings of plants, the moments. it's almost as if the experience becomes more refined.

maybe there's another word or explanation for it.

i've noticed that even though i put my bike away for the night,

the ride doesn't end.

here's the google map for the route.

the tyrone mill bakery ride (ii)

2010-10-20T00:07:00.000-04:00

any ride has many objectives when you sit back and think about it. which, because of the way i was brought up as well as the way i have chosen to be - i do! this bike ride was about riding through the rapidly changing fall colours. the mid-point destination was the tyrone mill - a lovely old bakery that by reputation alone has managed to draw countless generations of people to get out of their comfort zone and make the trek to its relatively isolated self and give them good grain, good wood, good breads, and good honey and fruit. all good motivators for sure.

the bicycle ride - well it was about all of that and then also, bicycling in the company of really good people.

i know i crave and treasure that, and this ride was so much about that.

the mill is situated at the bottom of a steep hill and so the anchors were out the whole way down as we negotiated our way into a space (next to some old gears from the mill) for the bikes.

and then made our way inside past this display of local apples to sample the fare.

a gentleman offered samples of cinnamon and regular honey. both were stunningly tasty and filled with the fullness of a summer clearly good for busy bees. i made my way to the sales counter and asked for a white chocolate-raspberry scone and a cup of coffee. both were incredibly good. really truly!!! we sat out in the gorgeous early fall sunshine and enjoyed the luxury of sitting back and sharing life stories and the very simple luxury of good company while eating and drinking pure goodness.

here we are outside at the mill.

now i feel kind of bad that i didn't get more about the mill itself so i am relying on this video tour

to help carry the weight of that missing piece!!!

the tyrone mill bakery ride (i)

2010-10-15T00:07:00.000-04:00

if you're a cyclist and you don't belong to a club but you hang around with like-minded people, these are the sorts of e-mails you love to receive:

"last week i was driving back from a work appointment in the oshawa area and i stopped in at tyrone at the bakery for some awesome snacks (fresh blueberry scone, and a dozen donuts). as i drove home from there i kept thinking about how great it would be to be on my bike instead of in my car. and so, the idea of a big group ride to tyrone and back was formed."

it took me a couple of moments to reply in the affirmative and from that point on, each moment in which i wasn't involved in doing or thinking about something else came back to the prospect of a ride through the early autumn landscape southwest of peterborough with some really awesome people!

well, the day dawned cool and sunny. i had just bought a brand new trek madone 4.7 the day before and so i was pretty jazzed to see if it was comfortable. you see i don't try out bikes, try on clothes or any of that junk, i just get 'em and hope they work out!! what better way to see if a bike is for you than to

ride it through 120 kilometres of hilly countryside?!

so we all gathered at the famous silver bean at roughly nine a.m. some of the riders put back a strong coffee. others nursed hangovers from the night before, some were too mature for any of that, and still others were just glad to have a chance to get out of the house.

along for the ride were africycle chums jim vyn, dave breukelar, andrea and michael vanderherberg, as well as bike bud dave blondell, bike manufacturer and local cycling czar cliff mccarten, and three new riders

who i knew as jim, kim, and meg.

the early part of the ride proved costly as we lost jim vyn and his son-in-law (who very generously (and wisely) offered to accompany his father-in-law back to peterborough) about fifteen km in.

here's the group riding out of peterborough along wallace point road, recently reopened after

being closed all summer due to bridge reconstruction.

within five kilometres we said goodbye to kim and meg who had planned all along to travel to a certain point and then turn back. it was becoming a lot like an agatha christie novel - who will be last on the bike?! not to worry, there were other steeper, longer distractions to fill our minds called hills! you climb up them . . .

you race down them . . .

it all sounds so easy unless you factor in headwinds that don't let up. headwinds with that pernicious, cynical, hurtful tone that accompanies your very best efforts and ever so gently, ever so remorselessly crushes you!!! or not. see the thing with these riders is, they were - like me - motivated by the prospect of fresh baked goods at the mid-point. so working together, keeping it positive, laughing, stopping for photographs,

stopping to regroup was an integral part of the ride.

david byrne's bicycle diary - speaks!

2010-10-10T00:07:00.007-04:00

on this - the triple ten of days - i'm really pleased to share something that has a little bit of that

cooler than cool quality we all crave.

david byrne has been one of those iconic figures in my life who have lived louder than i dare.

his work with talking heads and then as a solo artist and especially the seminal work "my life in the bush of ghosts" which he co-created with brian eno, drove me to think beyond my thinking at that time, to see the world as something completely different and richer than i had previously known.

that david is a cyclist came as something of a revelation when i came across some mentions in his online journal that got me to thinking about how a guy who is a slightly off-centre personage, could fit cycling

into his persona and lifestyle.

it brought me to think about my own relationship with my bicycles and especially my own rationale for being a cyclist. which brings me to my own reading of david's book "the bicycle diaries". i read the book a little bit at a time last year, sort of like eating a bento box of sushi - the experience being a lot about unpacking small spaces and letting the unpacking extend into the bigger spaces of your experiencing.

i enjoyed the book from the perspective of reading words written by david because even though i haven't ever met him, he has a place in my life - a good place actually. i enjoyed the book because it's about an intelligent creative person talking about swimming ever so slightly upstream - riding a bike brings with it a very slender coolness quotient and regardless of how many other people are doing it, you really are on your own, carving your niche, making the space within which you wish to move from point a to point b and survive and thrive

and especially to love the experience for ever after.

if you're not a reader but you are a listener then you may be delighted to have the opportunity to hear the first audiobook i know of that features a guy talking essentially about cycling in an urban context.

an intelligent, hip, cool, insightful, streetsmart, artsy, wish he was my friend sort of guy.

curious at all?

good, then you belong here and you should give this a listen.

like it?

wanna spend some of last weeks pay cheque on more of it?

then go here for the book or you can go here for the chapter by chapter audiobook.

cobourg to peterborough

2010-10-03T00:07:00.018-04:00

my ride from cobourg back to peterborough was under mostly grey skies.

the weather forecast - well it's a prediction really isn't it -

"60% chance of showers late in the day in the peterborough area".

you know what that means,

i know what that means

and even though i was offered two rides back to peterborough i politely declined because -

a ride is a ride and won't be put on hold for the "chance of showers".

my approach to cycling has always been to go riding and make the best of what you're given.

here's a shot from the day before.

sunny skies - perfect for sailing, cycling, heading out for a walk, a run - whatever strikes your fancy!

so after a photograph of the bike down by lake ontario,

i headed out of cobourg and flew across the kilometres to port hope courtesy of a steady and strong tail-wind.

(this, by the way is the bike i ride to and from school every day.

i call this bike, my "commuter".

it's actually a de vinci nassau.

i've had it for four years now and i love it for its huge gear range which gets me up hills and gives me good speed across the flats. it's relatively light and comfortable,

plus, it has a blackburn rack at the back so i can carry stuff!)

it's got about ten thousand kilometres on it.

i'd thought about stopping in at dreamers for another crazy cookie and americano but i'd had a good lunch at my mum's and figured i'd just pass through.

the climb up and out of port hope is long and fairly steep. lined with old houses and little shops, the distractions are many but eventually i reached the turn for hwy. 2 north and left port hope behind.

at the point where hwy. 2 becomes country road 10, i passed through the lovely little hamlet of "welcome".

it was not long before i was riding through a very rural landscape.

many of the farmers were working in their fields. i like to wave at them when i pass by -

sort of a thankyou for their work which helps get food to my table.

many of the fields are filled with tall corn plants.

i'm not sure what's growing in all of the fields but i was really drawn to the distant hills - despite having ridden up and over the oak ridges moraine, there were many more hills yet to go.

in fact on this ride there are a dozen or so good climbs.

each has an excellent view either in front or behind.

you can see that the skies are filling with grey fluffy stuff.

i came over one hill not far south of millbrook and saw this lovely old farm.

so many farms have the most spectacular views.

as i approached cavan the skies opened up. gently at first and so i was grateful for the cooling rain, but the tempo gradually increased and then i heard the distant ominous rumbles of approaching thunder which naturally drew closer and closer until they were passing overhead.

this was the third ride i've been on in two weeks in which i've ridden through thunder and lightning!!

it goes with the time of year but there is nothing to match racing along a road with the rain pelting down and the sudden flash of a lightning bolt coupled with a grand boom of thunder to remind you of

how tiny and insignificant and vulnerable you really are.

the cows know what to do at times like this. just sit down and wait patiently.

i had about ten kilometres from here, so on i pushed.

happily i made it home in one piece, had a hot shower, changed into dry clothes, got the laundry started up and was tucking into a nice dinner before very long.

about 70 kilometres. two and a half hours of riding.

here's the google map link for my ride from cobourg to peterborough.

peterborough to cobourg

2010-09-28T00:07:00.017-04:00

once a year i ride my bicycle down to my mum's home in cobourg.

i see her more often than that, but this is a ride.

which means it takes extra effort.

so there's a form of satisfaction in not only getting there, but getting back home.

leaving my own family is always hard.

but then there's the open road, a bicycle propelled and steered by myself.

so the trade-off of a small amount of misery for a large amount of happiness works out - eventually.

to get to cobourg means crossing lots of long rolling hills. if you look at these two photographs, you should know that the hills in the distance are the height of land also known as the oak ridges moraine.

there are many other steep climbs and racing descents before i even get there.

riding almost entirely through countryside. the road is fairly quiet and you can hear the birds, the crickets, cows, the odd bit of farm machinery, the wind rushing past your ears,

and of course the sound of the tyres on the pavement.

and then the scenery does change abruptly when you enter the ganaraska forest.

there's a rich hush about the rows upon rows of conifers.

and then magically after a long climb around a sweeping bend you get your first glimpse of lake ontario

(it's just right of centre in the image).

on the africycle ride, bike buddy michael prepared me for this moment.

it's so simple,

this matter of the sharing of the very simplest and most astonishing joys.

and then before you know it you're in port hope.

in port hope there's a lovely coffee shop called dreamers

where you can get a really good americano and a crazy cookie (yep that's what they're called)

that like many baked goods, tastes a lot better than it looks!

nicely fueled up it's back on the road and across the bike lane beside highway two to cobourg!

here's the google map link for my ride from peterborough to cobourg.

the pacer

2010-09-21T03:07:00.001-04:00

in the last week of july i visited prince edward island with my family.

it's the first trip we've taken like this as a family.

you see, we always travel with other families but this time we went on our own.

prince edward island is beautiful.

visually beautiful and beautiful in the way that places can be that have somehow managed to retain their innocence - an informed innocence -

but an innocence that has much to do with life as it was lived some time ago.

the place we stayed was just outside a little community called french river.

here's french river.

of course, i didn't have a bike there and when i mentioned this to the gentlemen who we had rented our cottage from he took me over to his barn assuring me that somewhere inside its dark and musty depths was a bike. actually, there were two bikes as it turned out.

he hauled the one nearest to him out for a look see.

it's a pacer!

a ten-speed pacer!

in the light of day - which i think it was seeing for the first time in nearly two decades or more - it was covered in leaves, cobwebs going back generations ad infinitum, mud and of course rust.

i pushed off what i could and wiped it down.

after clearing off most of the obvious detritus,

i tried to roll it along the ground but the front brakes had seized and rusted shut.

so with his permission i gave the brakes a kick and sure enough - kachoing! - they parted enough to allow the wheel to move, catching once every rotation as the wonky wheel swivelled from side-to-side.

here are the front brakes, temporarily released from their rusty purgatory.

the gear changers had long ago given up any intention of working so the derailleur was stuck in a gear that made riding on anything other than flat ground and with a good push start nigh on impossible.

but it was a bike!

i did try one abortive attempt at riding it.

sadly and predictably, it was just not workable.

the brakes didn't actually work - front or rear.

as i mentioned earlier, the gears didn't work, and the owner suggested that i carry a humungous

floor pump with me to ensure that the tyres remained inflated!

so back it has gone to the barn . . . .

i feel a little sorry for it actually.

bike ride to the liftlock

2010-09-15T03:07:00.002-04:00

it's strange that you can live somewhere for a very long time and not go see one of its main attractions.

i bet i'm not alone in that experience.

for example, in this town we have the peterborough liftlock.

it's the highest hydraulic liftlock in the world - big news if you're into hydraulic liftlocks (which i'm not!) -

but actually very cool to watch in action.

so the other day i decided that i had to see this thing at work.

here's what i saw.

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

what's amazing to know is that there are 1700 tons of water in those containers going up and down.

that's a whole lot of water!

park a few boats inside and there's a lot of stuff going up and down.

the boat in the pictures - the white one coming down the right-hand side - is a sidewheeler tour boat that cruises around the local area waterways.

well worth the bike ride over to see!

here's the google map for hardy souls wanting to make the journey.

back to school

2010-09-10T00:07:00.001-04:00

this piece is for my bloggy chums who may be interested in the commuting part of my cycling life.

you know, the ride that gets me to work (and later on gets me home).

6:18 a.m.

wha . . . whatimeisit? ohmannnnnnnit'stimetogetup!!!

oh hey!!

it's a school day.

the morning begins with coffee - always coffee!!

two mugs of joy juice are good for me.

which mug to choose? i have six.

each has been carried over a great distance.

mostly from the black dog pottery in kingston.

i'll bike great distances to have some of marc's handiwork!

because he's my favourite potter!!

this one usually wins!

toast, bagel, either way with butter and peanut butter or jam

or sometimes cream cheese.

some days i cook an egg in butter.

i take a slow walk through the land of blogs and try to answer as many comments as i can on my own blog

before scanning the manchester guardian online, bbc online, wired, lost at e minor, and dgm.

next up is to find my lunch in the fridge where i

tucked it away the night before

(i always make my own and i used to make all my kid's lunches but

now they prefer the autonomy of creating their own),

my macbook, my dayplans, and anything i might need for the day

get stuffed in my panniers.

kisses and hugs and love to everyone.

it's really hard for me to leave my family.

really hard.

i've never grown out of that as people said i would

when my children were very little.

in the garage now.

which bike to ride?

this one gets me there in twenty minutes but carries nothing .

hmmmm gotta take the panniers today.

i've got a lot of stuff!!!

better take this one instead.

down the street.

across and through the long shadows.

in fact, i'm just a shadow of myself at this time of day . . .

to the top of cherryhill.

i get a really nice view of the city from here

but today it's a bit hazy

with the early morning mist spreading from the river across the city.

travelling east down cherryhill.

wayyyyyyy down.

i can move at fourty to fifty km/h down this hill

but there's a sharp right at the bottom

and some days i can take it without braking.

other days i feel my mortality and slow down.

it's all intuitive.

i trust the moment.

a kilometre or so later.

to the top of lansdowne hill.

again, i can usually see across the city from here but it's a hazy early morning.

still travelling east. down lansdowne hill.

wayyy down lansdowne hill.

(remember reader,

what goes down must come back -

at the end of the day -

dog-tired

with a load of marking, a laptop,

maybe some beers from the shop tucked

away in my panniers!

these hills are true tests of character!)

through fastfood alley.

which despite its more nightmarish features

does have a really good eighteen hole mini golf course

that ranks high on my personal fave list.

i've played mini golf in scotland, wales, england, holland, germany,

several of the united states,

and of course at many lovely courses here in ontario.

a few kilometres later

i take the bridge

over the otonabee river.

turn right and go south down river road.

so named because just behind those houses at the right

is the otonabee river i just crossed.

these lucky people have gorgeous back property

that unfolds right to the river!!!

and finally,

here i am!!!

my school.

otonabee valley public school.

i've had the privilege and joy of teaching here since 1991.

thanks for coming along!

up to trent

2010-09-04T13:51:00.020-04:00

every so often i get asked to work up at trent university.

it usually involves facillitating the learning of teacher candidates in trent's school of education.

it's among my most very favourite work!

the ride there is lovely as it involves a quick descent out of the west end of peterborough.

note the blurry quality due to the high speed!!!

i stopped at the last bit of hill before descending into the misty environs of the

"downtown" core for a look at the sunrise.

which i didn't really see until i was right beside the otonabee river.

this particular day had an early start as i was meeting my co-facillitator cathy for breafast at the east city coffee shop. the east city coffee shop goes back in my own experiencing to 1979 when i first started stopping in there for peanut butter on toast and coffee to start my day. it's been going steadily along ever since although i've hardy been back to be honest.

the owners are super friendly people who put together a really excellent breakfast!

we ate a leisurely breakfast during which we mapped out our work for the morning and then - as neither of us wear watches - the sudden realization arrived that

we needed to be biking fairly quickly in order not to be late. so we got going.

photos were taken on the fly - i usually take pictures on the bike on a point and shoot but i had my big dslr with me, so balancing that in one hand and managing the bike with the

other led to some wobbles. so sorry 'bout that!!

here's cathy (a.k.a. dr. cathy bruce) flying up the path!

which was quiet and beautiful.

a pause for reflection as we crossed the bridge over the trent canal.

and finally we arrived at the front doors of otonabee college.

ready to think and learn out loud.

an early morning ride

2010-08-31T00:07:00.001-04:00

the summer has been filled with gorgeous day after gorgeous day.

some maybe too hot

but i remember last summer when almost every day was punctuated by rain -

which for me is not a problem at all - but for me as a cyclist,

well it's not my fave way to spend time outdoors.

so i'm really enjoying the chance to step out the door at any time and

know that i can go as far and wherever i wish.

this was a special ride as i got to share it with pro rider chloe black and

africycle bike buddy ben tyne.

ben's usually slinging americano's and yummy sandwiches at the silver bean

but this was a day off for him, and so he and chloe and i met up at the silver bean at 8 a.m.

chloe splits her time between racing, coaching, and training in arizona

and doing much the same up here in peterborough.

heading north through peterborough along the rail trail, we passed bushes

loaded up with shiny, little red berries.

some sumac thinking early autumn sumac thoughts.

and big summer clouds massing but not threatening. right?!

then we turned through trent university, exiting through the northwest driveway and

off into the fields and long open roads that lead to ennismore.

look up.

look down.

it's beautiful wherever you look.

eventually you round a corner, crest a hill and there before you

are tantalizing little glimpses of chemong lake.

but on this ride, this is about as close as you get. unless you decide

to not apply your brakes and turn the corner at the bottom of the hill!

from this point the ride between ennismore and lakefield becomes circuitous and you need to be with someone who has a very good memory or a strong visual sense for landmarks.

i navigate using landmarks which occasionally fails me as i reach the landmark and then can't see the next pointer. the result? well i ride further. no big loss!

here are ben and chloe.

a rare moment when chloe slows down.

sorry about the industrial backdrop!

believe it or not, on the entire ride there is only one scene like this.

the rest is bucolic, idyllic, rustic!

we rode back down river road from lakefield to peterborough at a good clip

and then into the silver bean for an americano.

lucky me to get to do what i love with such good people!!

the road to young's point

2010-08-27T00:07:00.001-04:00

the ride out to young's point is a beautiful addition to the ride to lakefield.

with a little detour west through the town you end up on the outskirts of lakefield.

take the first right turn and you're off on a wide country road that takes you past all sorts of lovely sights including these buildings that caught my eye.

on this particular ride a large red fox crossed the road about thirty feet in front of me.

i wanted to say hello but he moved as smooth as water into the trees to the right

and was completely gone within a moment.

i love the fields, trees and big skies the most!