Chesterville via South Mountain 161km
My longest ride to date, bringing me to 963km of training. If I do the parkway loop again this week I’ll make the Ottawa Bicycle Club-prescribed 1000km training kilometrage, despite…
cycling
Gatineau Parkway Loop, 59km
Hot, humid evening. My friend K and I had been talking about riding up to Champlain for a while and this time we actually did it. It was her first…
Almonte 114km
There is such a thing as hill karma. It’s just an immutable fact. If you’re coming back to where you started, every metre of ascent will be returned unto you…
Kemptville, 113km
At 25C and irrepressibly sunny, today was truly summer-like. I drained 2.25 litres of water on this out-and-back trip punctuated by a delicious if excessive for biking lunch at my…
Champlain, 56km
What a glorious evening for a bike ride. Temperature in the mid 20s, sunny. Gentle wind. There were gajillions of cyclists out on the Gatineau Parkway (it opens to cars…
Dalmeny – 101km
Perfect day for a bike ride. Sunny, cloudless, a wind that seemed mostly to chase me everywhere I went. This is not a bad route. I had planned to come…
Stittsville, 82km
Unseasonably cold, but sunny. Discovered Corktown Road, which runs east-west between Carling at Andrew Haydon Park and March Road. Traffic free. Scenic. Use it to link up with the Ottawa…
After Cavedale Road I will fear no hill
Wow. That was totally exhilarating. And humiliating. I rented a wonderful carbon framed bike with Shimano DI2 gropo from Wine Country Cyclery.
I Am the Leggman
There is no more tragic story from the early days of cycling than the legendary Vance (The Leggman) Leggstrong. For a period of nearly a decade, none could match his…
Seriously Cycling: Bikes Are Getting More Attention All Across Canada
Anyone who has been cycling in Canadian cities over the past fifteen years knows that things are changing.When I left Montreal for Vancouver in 2002 the city's streets were still…
Seriously Cycling: Bikes Are Getting More Attention All Across Canada
Anyone who has been cycling in Canadian cities over the past fifteen years knows that things are changing. When I left Montreal for Vancouver in 2002 the city’s streets were…
Seriously Cycling: Bikes Are Getting More Attention All Across Canada
Anyone who has been cycling in Canadian cities over the past fifteen years knows that things are changing. When I left Montreal for Vancouver in 2002 the city’s streets were…
Totally fried, totally overjoyed
I got back home from the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour this afternoon and this was waiting for me on the kitchen counter. It was Mallory’s idea. My heart burst. And…
Halfway
So that went well. Mostly. I rode off at 6:40am and got in by 2pm. Maybe I am slowing down in my old age or maybe I need the speed…
Wish me luck the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour is tomorrow
Tomorrow morning really early I’m getting up to ride to Kingston as part of the 41st running of the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour. I’m quite excited. I would just like…
Metcalfe again this time with rain and a flat tire – 97km
Three hours and fifteen minutes of my three and a half hour ride today were doused with rain. I would prefer to not bike in the rain, but this morning…
Pakenham, 137km, five hours, six minutes
Dear Garmin BaseCamp, when I say ‘avoid dirt roads’ I mean it. Also: no illegal left turns, please. BaseCamp, Garmin’s mapping software, send me down about 7km of dirt roads…
Almonte: 122km, 4:42 hours
Great day for a ride. Sunny, 16 degrees, winds mostly polite if not obliging. And I made a new ‘neat road’ discovery.
Merrickville, 134km, 5 hours, 21 minutes
It’s only 13km more than I’ve cycled so far this season, but the trouble with those extra kilometres is that they always come at the end of the ride.
Bib 183, riding the Cruise
I just got my confirmation for the Rideau Lakes Cycle Tour today – in the email. Bravo, Ottawa Bicycle Club. You’ve made it to the age of email. As snarky…