We are having an unbelievable Indi… ummm “Native American” summer here in Southern Ontario. 32 degrees C (90 deg F), sunny and no wind… Spectacular.
I hadn’t planned on a ride this weekend, but I couldn’t resist.
Maybe it’s the fact I turned 50 this summer. Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t ridden much in the last couple of weeks, trying to focus on some late season running races. Whatever the reason, it turned in to one of those memories that you file away and pull out it the deepest, coldest part of the Canadian winter. I’ll remember this ride for the sight of the leaves on the trees as they explode in color and the sound they make as they crushed beneath my tires (Latex tubes, of course Jackmott!). I’ll remember this ride because it was an October ride in Canada and I didn’t have to wear a base layer, long fingered gloves, a helmet liner, knee warmers, arm warmers and any number of other sensory deprivation devices that make up cold weather cycling in Canada. I’ll remember the neighbourhood kids, preparing for their favorite season, yelling “Bike!” as I rolled through their road hockey game. I’ll remember stopping and adjusting the legs of my shorts and sleeves on my jersey to sharpen up the fading edges of my “bikers tan”. I’ll remember the sting of sweat as it ran into my left eye, a feeling usually reserved for mid-July and early August rides. And, I’ll remember the feel of my muscles, warm, loose and strong, as I powered up the final hill to my home, wondering if this will be my last warm ride of the year.
Maybe it’s the fact I turned 50 this summer, but if this turns out to be my last ride, it was memorable.
Oh yeah, and I’ll remember the taste of this New Belgium “Hoptober” while sitting on the front porch making this post.
Rode through the greenbelt N of Toronto on country roads today. Fields full of pumpkins and corn mazes, and trees ablaze with colour. What an incredible season.
Rode through the greenbelt N of Toronto on country roads today. Fields full of pumpkins and corn mazes, and trees ablaze with colour. What an incredible season.
Love the fall colours… will be out next week to visit family for a few days. Took a nice fall ride yesterday in the foothills west of Calgary. I love the contrast between bright leaves and the snow peaks …
I agree – drove up from Detroit and rode the Muskoka 70.3 bike loop yesterday - color, temps and getting my first taste at some hilly terrain made the trip worth the drive… all the better, for the food intake at the inlaws this CDN Thanksgiving will require some time to burn through…
It’s a bit OT but I have to agree. The weather this weekend has been incredible, combined with the fall colours. Yesterday may have been the nicest day in Ottawa history. No humidity, no bugs, just hot sun. Surely we are doomed for the winter now.
on saturday afternoon tanker and i drove up to hydrocut in waterloo for the first time. met up with a friend of mine and spent a few hours very nearly breaking our necks on the trails. used to do stupid stuff with jeff all the time, but it was the first time i’d seen him in 14 years!
sunday morning after a quick swim i hit a trail along the grand river for an hour and a half of running through the glorious colour and sweltering heat, then played 9 holes of golf in the afternoon before thanksgiving dinner with my parents.
took monday to ride the cambridge to paris rail trail with tanker on our CX bikes, stopping whenever we damn well pleased to take photos.
definitely a thanksgiving weekend for which i give thanks!
