Do wide tires make you faster – one rider’s experience
Now I’m just one numbers-obsessed rider. No expert. But I have been following with interest the whole inquiry into whether or not the road cycling religion of Skinny Tires and…
cmkl
Lap the Gats: an 80km hilly crit
Lap the Gats. Done. I did well, I think. I cut about 8 minutes off my last year’s time, scored my top three results on the Fortune Parkway climb segment,…
Half way, a week away
Today my buddy Joel and I rode out to Dunrobin Shore and back — all in about 117km. I hit the half-way point for my yearly kilometre goal and I’m…
Much pavement in my near future
I’m having a relaxing evening trying to get a decent earworm into my head in preparation for riding 420km from Ottawa to Kingston and back in the Rideau Lakes Cycle…
Why are we subsidizing landlords to keep commercial buildings vacant?
How is this even a thing? A 30 or 35 per cent refund on property taxes for vacant commercial or industrial properties. What purpose does that serve? It doesn’t seem…
Pedalling against Parkinson’s again
You don’t have to join me. You can just donate. I’m riding the Gatineau Parkway ‘A’ Loop four times — maybe five — to raise money for the University of…
The Trudeau government needs to speak, take risks to oppose Trump
I’m not normally one to reach out to elected representatives. I’m happy to help others to do so but I’m shy myself. However I’m feeling a need to see big…
Outrage and shame over Québec City shooting
There is a meme going round the internet for a couple of years now showing the faces of several American terrorists — the white man who opened fire on the…
Giving back at 50
For 50 years I’ve lived a pretty comfortable, privileged life. Time to give something back. I’m giving up my birthday up to fundraise for the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. Read…
December 6th: Constant progress, constant retreat
We take consolation in disasters from the idea that society might learn something and that the horror might never recur. The war to end all wars, the massacre to end…
Fake news on Facebook: what they could do to fix the dust cloud of misinformation
Fake news played a pretty significant role in influencing opinion on the recent US election, which, I note, has not gone unnoticed here in Canada. The Guardian had an interesting…
Boy poses and girl poses
Lately it’s been bothering me and Irene that Mallory would come back from photo day with tales of how kids were being posed by gender. Read more
Algonquin Park trip journal: Érables, Biggar, Kioshkowkwi
Four days in the north west end of Algonquin Park. Almost 3 litres of wine. Read more
For better cycling infrastructure
I am going to lose friends for saying this but I never ride the Laurier Bike Lane. I hate it. I want to see actual, safe cycling infrastructure in Ottawa,…
Dear Canada Post, settle. Don’t be as stupid as I know you can be
Wherein I plead with Canada Post to do the sensible thing and settle. As if corporations are guided by rational thought.Read more
N-word Rapids – get racism off the map
I was planning a bike ride on my favourite route planning app when I came across a rather shocking site. There is a place marked on Google Maps — don’t think it even…
Lap the Gats – flat out bragging
Not humble bragging. Nope. Just out and out bragging. Tempered by the fact that I didn't actually win. But I rode Lap the Gats today and came in third overall.…
For fathers and men everywhere: enough rage and thuggery. Be the person you were meant to be
Between the mass shooting at Pulse in Orlando, the assassination of Jo Cox and this dude rolling on his motor, waving a gun in the air I am beside myself…
Made it back home: a much tougher day
Rideau Lakes is done - Made it back home: a much tougher day
Long grey day and bike as drying rack
What do you do with a forecast that calls for temperatures in the mid teens and a 40 to 60 per cent chance of rain. And what if you are…