Ride Report from Renato Alessandrini:

Inspired by testosterone and the Duke Ellington song “Take the A Train” our team had the lofty aspiration of riding for 581 km in 24 hours. Five strong riders (and two strong alternates) committed for the challenge. We were attempting to break the Ontario Fleche record for the longest distance ridden in 24 hours. We prepared and trained well having several team practice rides. We even had night rides and one all night ride with plenty of hills to prepare for the daunting objective. We chose our route carefully with a relatively flat profile and in a predominantly west to east direction to catch favourable westerly winds.

The day prior we all packed ourselves and 5 bikes into my Ford Expedition equipped with a large bicycle rack. My son drove us from my house in Courtice to Windsor where we stayed at the Days Inn. That night we went to a local saloon called The Bull N’ Barrel where we admired the scenery, ate smoked meat and drank some beer. There was no pasta on the menu for carb loading so we had to improvise. We had some laughs and luckily Brian was able to hit the target once and dunk the girl in the tank. The rest of us couldn’t hit the side of a barn with the baseball, but not due the lack of trying. We all went to bed early to prepare for the ambitious ride in the morning. Our clothes, bikes, food, etc. were all organized next to our beds in each of our rooms.

In the morning it was cool and cloudy but not raining. However, the usually incompetent weatherman was right for a change and instead of prevailing westerly winds we were faced with a stiff east wind of about 15-20 kph. Not discouraged by the persisting headwind we started out of Windsor upbeat and energetic. Our paceline started immediately to shelter us from the wind. At times we organized into echelon formation to combat the crosswinds. We were able to maintain a good speed all the way to Wallaceburg then we turned northeast along the scenic St. Clair River parkway to Sarnia and then eastward to Strathroy. The route was so flat that we could almost look back and still see Windsor some 200 km back. Rolling as a smooth train on asphalt southeast from Strathroy towards Lake Erie the slight rolling hills were a welcome change. Our team was still in good spirits and seemingly energetic however Mother Nature was relentlessly blowing air on our faces. After 300 km of unyielding headwind our A train finally broke down at the Subway store in St. Thomas. Tired, sweaty and dressed in tight brightly coloured spandex we looked like we just got back from week-long kinky costume party! All of us were secretly battling with fatigue from the extra effort required. Albert, a very strong rider, told us that he could not go on. Mother Nature had its first victim. It was getting apparent that our lofty goal of 581 km was in jeopardy however it was understood by all before the ride that the primary goal was enjoyment of the ride and safety and not the lofty record attempt. To most people, a 24 hour painful endurance event and the word enjoyment are mutually exclusive.

Still determined to push on, we turned up the effort and speed toward London. The sun set and night evolved with its celestial darkness and solitude. Luckily the temperature did not drop too low so we did not have to battle with frozen toes or hands. Our generator hubs were lighting the road marvellously and we each kept taking our turns up front in the paceline. Mother Nature had taken pity on us and the winds finally died down to below 10 kph. Naturally, we all were exhausted. Dave’s stamina had significantly deteriorated but not into a full bonk. This was easily his longest ride of the year and although he was a powerhouse in the first half of the ride his tank was now almost empty. Being both the organizer of the ride and oldest (but not the wisest) of the group, earlier I tried to slow Dave down. I did this by shouting “piano !!!!” to him during his turns at the front of the paceline (“andare piano” means “to go slow” in Italian). Stephen, Brian and I now took turns at the front while Dave refuelled and recharged at the back. It was now obvious that 581 km was not going to happen this time.

The long overnight ride from London to Cambridge seemed to go on forever but in reality was only about 115 km long. There were no stores, no people only the serenity of the night with the rare automobile wheezing by. We finally arrived at the Tim Horton’s (where else!) in Cambridge at 2:45 am. Stephen who is an exceptional strong steady rider finally showed a kink in his armour. After eating, his head quickly dropped into his arms on the table where he lay motionless for almost an hour. I was so tired. I accidentally spilled an entire cup of hot chocolate all over Dave. After cleaning himself up, Dave had a nap in the same position as Stephen. Brian, who was a tour de force riding his stealthy carbon Parlee bicycle mounted with speedy 808 zipp wheels, was sprawled on a bench seat with his feet dangling. I could not decide how to rest so after using Stephen’s sleeping technique for 20 minutes, changed and copied Brian’s sleeping technique on an adjacent bench. We eventually got rolling again just after 4 am.

The route after Cambridge consisted of rolling hills as we pushed on eastward toward Oakville. The sunrise was a welcome sight. Dave had recharged and pulled us onward to our new goal of just over 500 km. A sense of relief and euphoria was felt as we approached the end of the adventure. We decided to have breakfast at Denny’s in Oakville so we turned around and rode back a few freebie kilometres. We were so tired that even eating was a challenge. Dave and I could not finish our food but Brian helped us out with his ravenous appetite. Delighted but drained we took the Go train with our bikes in hand back to Oshawa where my son drove us back to my house. It was finally over, everyone healthy, no accidents, only sore butts. Even though our target was not reached it was another awesome cycling experience. Yesterday I decided I would not do another fleche attempt, however today I suffer from yet again another bad case of randonesia. I am already planning for next year’s event.

Various Definitions

Randonesia: When somebody parties so hard and so often that they cannot remember who they were with, where they were, or why they were partying.

Randonesia: This is the official account of Audax Randonneur Indonesia.

Randonesia: Forgetting how bad a ride was. No matter how much any given rando sucks, you find yourself looking forward to the next one.

Ride report from Kathy Brouse:

The Erin Mills New Hamburg 300 brevet was a great ride yesterday for the 13 participants. It was a cool day to start with and it stayed that way until the sun came out for a few hours in the late afternoon. The first 72 km of the ride is uphill to Erin, lots of hills and climbing the Escarpment. The dreaded 3 km uphill climb on gravel road turned out not to be too bad as the road had become very hard packed since last year when it was freshly laid gravel and sand. This was especially good news seeing as it had been raining hard the night before.

Going west from Erin, the Hillsborough Hills roll west for some time and then the route continues south and west Maryhill, Bloomingdale and on to St Jacobs, then south to New Hamburg. We cycled past so much lovely farmland and passed so many Mennonites on the road with horses and buggies. What with the hills and the headwinds coming from the north and the west, the ride was challenging. A large group of us met up at the Subway shop in New Hamburg and sometimes a tuna melt is the most delicious food item in the world. Bob, Jean and Paul were finishing up their lunch when Marti and I arrived and the group of 4 – Arthur, Fred, Bob and Stan rolled in just after us. This was Bob McLeod’s first 300 km brevet and he shared some interesting memories that will stay with him, like the Peloton style bonding experience that only men can do along the side of the road! One can only hope they were sheltered from the wind at the time!

I experienced a brush with fate when I touched the back of Marti’s wheel on Charles St., a busy road going in to St. Jacobs and came flying off my bike and skid along the road in front of an oncoming car that was able to swerve around me as there was no oncoming traffic. Miraculously my body was not damaged, other than the huge bruise I am now sporting on my left thigh. We were able to untangle my bike, the handlebars had twisted around and were jammed under the cross bar. The handlebar tape is ripped, the left shifter bent, but otherwise I was able to ride home. It was a very close call and today I am singing the Hallelujah chorus, or I would be if I wasn’t so tired and sore! Thanks Marti for your kind support after that incident. I will be replacing my helmet before the next ride. As Paul says, it contains some bad karma now!

The trip to St. George was beautiful, everything so green and the sun came out as we rode along the Grand River to Blue Lake Rd and to St. George. Some good memories on the last leg of the journey include the big blue heron that we startled on Marlborough Townline and the beautiful big sunset that was happening as we turned on to Britannia Rd. Then it was a quick stop to adjust the night lights, don warmer clothes and full speed ahead to the finish. From the brevet cards dropped through my car window I see that Mark N and Stephen finished the ride together in just over 12 hours with Guy Pearce pulling in next, an hour and half later and then Henk.

The wind is howling outside my window as I compose this ride report. In the last half hour I have seen rain, sleet, hail and now it’s snowing. I am so happy not to be on my bike travelling through that open expanse of farmland today! Yesterday was warmer and less windy. Now, that calls for another Hallelujah!

Some photos from Stephen Jones:

Ride report from Liz Overduin:

There were 12 riders who came for this ride – for two of them it was their first ever 300. For Linda and myself, it was the first time we had done this ride, which was a big deal because I plotted and planned this ride in honour of Linda (hence the name – Linda’s Loop). Even though the weather forecast was predicting rain and strong headwinds, that did not take away from the anticipation of the ride. We started out with tailwinds and crosswinds, but by working in groups, we handled that no problem. It was a little cool – but we were mostly prepared for that – no problem. We enjoyed an awesome meal in Grand Bend, with some having fresh pickerel, some having bacon and eggs. We all agreed that a swim in the lake was not necessary. A wonderful tailwind blew us to London and then on to St Mary’s. Coming out of the Pub in St Mary’s (with some of the group having shared 2 pitchers of beer with their hamburgers), we were thrilled to see that the northwest wind had turned to southwest, and the clouds had broken up to allow sunshine. Even though I got a flat tire, Linda and I agreed that this was a near perfect ride and it was rides like this that made us all love Randonneuring. It was looking like we would make it home before it got totally dark – what a bonus! The wind really started to pick up and we were going over 30 km/hr without effort. The sunshine was covered by dark clouds and it wasn’t long before the torrential downpour began. We were 40 km from home and we didn’t really care about a bit of rain. Until we made a left turn. At 31.8 km from the end, everything changed. Our pace line of four became a scattered scramble to keep the bike upright, on the road and away from each other’s wheels. It was insane. We could barely maintain 10 km/hr and we wondered if it would be safer to walk with the bikes. At times I was shivering so hard that I wasn’t sure if the bike was wobbling because of the wind or due to my shaking! Because the ride started and finished at my home, I can tell you that coming home never felt so good. Three cyclists had finished the ride hours earlier and along with two spouses, Cindy Fisher and Ann DeBruyn, had got the fire blazing in the wood stove, sausages cooked, salads/desserts set out, and tea ready. They helped us take off our wet clothes, sat us down in chairs and gave us dishcloths soaked in hot water to cover our hands and toes, which I discovered is a most wonderful feeling. Unfortunately the conditions were more than they could bear for 2 of the riders who found shelter and needed to be picked up – good on them for getting as far as they did – they have a story to tell – cold piercing rain, 80 km/hr winds and night time riding! The tea sipping turned to beer and wine, beds were set up for those sleeping over and logs thrown into the fire to keep everyone warm and cozy. Eventually I went to bed, and as I was falling asleep, listening to my fellow cyclists talking and laughing while sitting around the wood stove, I thought to myself – “this is why I love Randonneuring!”

Ride report from Kathy Brouse:

I think the Hills of Hockley is the most challenging Toronto chapter 200 km (actually 209.5 km) ride. But, it is also the most scenic ride as it winds its way through the most picturesque part of the Escarpment, the Hockley Valley, Simcoe county and the Holland Marsh… 2131 m of climbing to Orangeville and then the lovely run through the Hockley Valley with the stopover at the charming Hockley General Store.

The day was sunny and beautiful throughout, some south wind just to create a little more challenge. 7 riders participated in this ride and everyone finished. Having ridden to Concord from Etobicoke, William went on to complete the ride first in 8:40, but we all know that William has superpowers so it is as expected! Great to see Linda P again this year and this time Paul did not get a flat. Did I mention before that on the Gentle Start, Paul attempted to patch the hole in his tire with a $20 bill?!

Every time I run up the stairs at work today I will be reminded of the Hills of Hockley!

2013 Gentle Start ride report from Kathy Brouse:

As you read Kathy’s ride report keep in mind that this is what the Gentle Start looked like in 2011:

April 2011 Gentle Start 200 km Brevet

What a great start to the RO brevet season! We had 27 participants on this ride, three new members – Randy, Peter P and Peter H, and two day riders – Alex and Bob. Alex obviously enjoyed the day because he is now an official member, having registered today. It may take a bit more convincing to get Bob Rotenberg out again in the near future on a brevet as he is still wondering why there were no restaurants, Timmy’s or places to purchase a hot coffee on this ride! Oh dear, I did warn people. The new members are all very strong riders, finishing in the first group with, you guessed it, Renato, Brian, William, Albert and Stephen, in less than 8 hours.

To begin with, the day was not like a typical Gentle Start. The sun shone and the weather gods smiled on us until Maryhill, the furthest point north and east on the route and also the second control. Heading south the ride began to feel more like a true Gentle Start: the wind whipped up and the rain began at around 4pm for us in Campbellville. Riders who arrived back after this time were very wet. The wettest of all was Vaune Davis who did not bring any rain gear, but then she didn’t bring her cycling shoes either and drove back to the city to collect her shoes and start the ride 1 hour and 25 minutes after everyone else, thereby proving, once again, that she is gifted with superior powers of motivation, stamina and determination! Getting back to the weather report, there was none of the snow, sleet or hail conditions often experienced at this time of year and for that we were very grateful.

Many of us wore pink ribbons or jerseys on this ride to support one of our fellow riders, Bob Macleod, who recently lost his sister to cancer. Bob’s brother was there cheering us on in true marathon style, holding a big sign and shouting encouragement to riders at the roundabout in Cambridge. So great to see familiar faces again and good to see David Pearson returning after a brief one year hiatus from the club. In fact, funny enough, the last time the TO chapter saw David was on the brutal and legendary Gentle Start 2011 (pictured above)! Thanks everyone for welcoming and supporting new and day riders and congratulations to Phil Piltch and David P who rode this 210 km brevet on their fixies! Hurray to be back on the road with fellow Randonneurs and to hear so many plans and goals for the upcoming season.

Some photos from Stephen Jones:

Ride report from Peter Leiss:

Well 4 mad men aka Randonneurs started today. One dropped off early and Henk turned back about 10 k short of Erin. William and myself carried on for the whole ride. 40 K winds from the west gusting to 52. The temp never got above 3 c and we got to experience snow, sleet and ice pellets. As William said this was good training for the upcoming Gentle Start. We got to climb Bell School line max Grade 23%, Appleby Line Max Grade 21% and 6th Line Max Grade 19%

Ride stats:

Distance 139.59 K
Time Total 6:23:00
Riding Time 5:36:59
Climbing 1537 meters

3 Butter tarts, 1 Apple tart, 1 Blueberry tart and 2 Herbal teas

Ride report from Stephen Jones:

We had nine riders on eight bikes as Peter and Peggy make another appearance with their tandem. With yet another Peter on the ride. I’m starting to think we should all change our names to Peter and be done with it.

It was a windy, cold, and wet day. The weather included periods of Scotch Mist, drizzle, rain, and snow/ice pellets. Fortunately, the wind was from the “right” direction, giving us a nice tailwind for the trip home.

Despite the weather and the somewhat desolate looking farmland, the scenery as we got into the Escarpment area makes the effort worthwhile. Small waterfalls trickled down the slope to feed the swollen rivers. The climb up Forks of the Credit Road, with its switch-backs and forested slopes is the highlight of the trip.

As is typical for a Randonnuer ride, we had a closed bridge to cross. The multiple signs advertising “no exit” and “bridge closed” as we rode along The Grange and McLaren had us wondering if we would be forced to back-track. But, the bridge was actually in fair condition for cyclists, with an easily negotiated barrier at the north end.

The Belfountain area was still feeling the after-effects of the winter storm that swept through last week. Many of the homes along the route had portable generators running and the air was filled with the smell and sound of chainsaws. The coffee shop in Belfountain itself was closed due to the power outage. Pressing on, we found a place at Olde Base Line and Hwy 10 that more than satisfied our appetites.

After lunch, we rode through Lloydtown, which Robert tells me is steeped in the history of the Upper Canada Rebellion. By the time we made it back to Maple, the Sun was actually peeking out occasionally.

Our newest member on the ride, Bashir, now knows why so many of us have fenders on our bikes. I wouldn’t be surprised if his wife made him shower with the hose in the driveway to get all the mud off.

As Peter L., said, the ride was character-building.

From Trevor J. Stocki:

On Monday Feb 27, 2012, I was playing ultimate Frisbee with my best friend and the rest of our team, “Group 6”. That night I was running after the Frisbee as per usual and I felt what I thought was a soccer ball drilled in to my right calf, but there was no soccer ball to be found. My best friend said she heard a snap. The pain lasted less than a second, but it was extremely intense. After about a week of seeing various medical professionals, I found out that I ruptured my Achilles tendon. The surgeon said it would be 6 months before I could play ultimate again and 4 months before I could bike again. It was my right leg, so I could not drive anywhere. Ev drove me to and from work every day, otherwise I had to bum rides.
Somehow I got the 4 month mark and the 3 month mark mixed up and started riding my bike outside early. I had freedom as I was still not cleared to drive a car. I was very careful about the whole process. I had been riding a stationary bike at home, with very little resistance. I was extremely gradual about increasing how long I would ride for and the resistance.
Eventually I built myself up to being able to ride 100 km the day before the Randonneurs Ontario AGM in September.
I really wanted to give the first 200 of 2013 a shot as one can never know what happens on these rides. The forecast was for -5 ºC in the morning warming up to something like +3 ºC. I wasn’t sure if I should ride. I don’t like riding when it might be slippery. Luckily most of the roads have been dry around Ottawa, but I wasn’t happy enough with them to do many training rides.
I barely made it to the start in time. There were a bunch of riders. I recognized some of their voices. I was busy getting stuff on my bike, no time for introductions etc. Colleen was nice enough to give me a control card. I got my stuff on my bike just in time before everyone started.
The game of catch-up began right off the start. I was riding and my bike was making a very strange rubbing noise. I had to stop, only 10-20 m from the start. I didn’t see anything. I got back on my bike. I was in a very unfavourable gear for the chain, large front sprocket and large rear cog. That must have been it, as I shifted up the sound went away. I had just put a new wheel on the back, so I figured it was related to that.
I caught up with the group and was happy to be there. Unfortunately my right pedal could not click in. I wanted to stay with the group, so I just kept pedalling with my cleat on the pedal. I was having a hard time staying with the pack. I found that one minute I was tired, the next I felt strong.
The group was breaking up into two groups. I was feeling good. Pre-PBP 2011, I wanted to train to go faster, so I would jump on the wheels of the fast group and hang on for dear life for as long as possible, realizing that I would “hit the wall” hard later. This time, I got to the front of the slow group and pretended to be trying to catch the fast group (as they pulled away). As I passed Vytas, I said “this will be the only time this season that I will be able to do this, so here I go”, jokingly. Then with a smile on my face I joined Vytas at the front of the slow group. My gig was up. Of course there was no way I could keep up with the fast group. I have zero endurance. My left leg was fine, however, if you saw me at the gym, you would see that my right leg was practically missing a calf. That is how much I had atrophied.
I enjoyed being at the front with Vytas. It was fun chatting. Eventually I went behind the group and try to figure out why I couldn’t click in on the right side. Whilst riding, I took my right foot off the pedal and feel if anything was obstructing my cleat. No luck. I could not find anything. I tried a few times at clicking back in. Again, no luck. I was falling further and further behind, so I decide to give up on that and re-catch the group.
At some point I caught the group where we had to cross a major highway. I couldn’t resist, I said to Alain, “so this is what this place looks like during the daytime”. Alan laughed, because often on our longer rides during the night we are in the same place but coming back to Ottawa. I chatted for a while with Alan. It was nice. I told him about my cleat and he mentioned that sometimes the pedal mechanism just gets stuck. So I figured I wouldn’t worry about it until tomorrow. My feet were cold at the 10 km mark, I also mentioned this to Alan and he told me something that works for him: he overdresses a bit in the torso and that tends to keep him warmer in the feet. I liked that idea and it seemed to help (I didn’t add any clothing, but I didn’t take any off during the day).
We were a group of 5 riders: Vytas, Alan, myself, and two riders I didn’t know very well. One looked like he was in a race (very light bike, not carrying much) (Brian) and the other was riding a very cool classic bike with an internal hub (Nick). I should have introduced myself. At one point during the ride, Vytas told me their names, I think it was Brian and Nick, but I could be completely wrong.
The very fast looking rider took a nature break. Eventually he caught up with us, I had to take one as well, so I pulled over. Then worked at trying to catch the group yet again. I really need to learn how to minimize the number of times I need to catch up.
I re-caught the group again. Then I remember we turned right on highway 511. I always get a kick of the number for that highway, being a physicist and a spectroscopist. I was in the back and somehow I didn’t catch the last rider’s wheel. I think there was a slight headwind, but enough for me to not catch the group. I did have them in sight however. It was almost like a day of following a dangling carrot. I remember that we took a few turns. Luckily I kept them in sight. I remember we went through Balderson and I was thinking I would love to take a break and warm up my feet. Luckily I could still see the guys ahead of me and that kept me going. I was also reminiscing about the 100 km ride I did in the rain last September and the shopkeepers in Balderson being really hospitable.
Eventually we hit some hills. I was still behind the group. I could see that one rider was struggling on the hills with the group. Who was it? Was it Alan (he had told me he had not ridden any hills)? Nope, this person was too tall. Was it the new rider, who had the internal gear hub? Nope, it was Vytas. Hmm.. Then the question entered my mind, was he struggling or did he just take it easy to let me catch him?
When I caught Vytas, he picked up the pace a little. He was asking how I was doing and I told him that I lost the wheel on the 511 and the slight wind got me. We rode together for a while, which was nice.
Then we hit the gravel section of the route. The gravel was really, really well packed. I was happy. There was a small stretch where it wasn’t packed down and I cautiously slowed down for it. Just before that I lost Vytas. I caught Vytas again shortly after the gravel. Maybe he was waiting for me again.
We got to the checkpoint in Maberly. The coffee shop was closed. I was hoping to have a bagel or something. No luck. The little shop at the end was open, though.
Truth be told I love this place. I remember once I was on a long ride in the middle of the night and was running out of water and this place saved me. I really mean to go back to that restaurant for supper one day.
When Vytas and I had arrived and the rest of our group was still there, snacking, strangely outside. I say strangely because it was a bit cold, but I guess it is colder on the bike or maybe it was warming up slightly.
I got a Poweraid and noticed that I didn’t drink much during that first segment. I should have been drinking more. I remember that my mixture of Ensure and water was becoming this strange slush at the top of the bottle. Strangely the Poweraid that I brought from the start was not frozen.
I had one bite of my Kit Kat and the group was off. I threw my Kit Kat in my pocket and played catch up again. It seemed like the racer guy wanted to set a higher pace so our group broke up in to 3 groups. Racer guy in front, alone. Vytas, Alan and the guy with the hub together and me off the back. On the occasional hill I would catch the group and stay with them for a while.
I remember we had one really steep hill. I could really notice the difference between my “good” left leg and my recovering right leg. The right leg was suffering from lactic acid buildup. I could feel the burn in it. I could hear my physio asking me, “We need to review what you are doing to strengthen your quad and calf on the right side.” At one point I could feel a bit of a cramp coming on, I decided to drink Poweraid right away (I am not sure how much potassium is in my Ensure mixture) and I felt the results right away. I realized how much I missed my fast-twitch fibres which helped me climb. Actually I am sure I missed my slow twitch ones too.
I remember catching the group at one hill and talking to the guy with the internal gear hub. I really should have chatted with him more because one of my other bikes has one. He told me he was having problems with one of his gears. I tried to rack my brain to see if I could figure out anything to help him. I couldn’t think of anything, because I have never taken the gear mechanism apart other than just to change a flat tire.
Before descending down the Westport hill, I remember I lost them. I was alone. I wound my way through Westport and some cyclists at the Esso station called out. I thought they were on the ride. They told me they weren’t. I explained that I was trying to catch the other group. I told them quickly about the ride and about Randonneurs Ontario and left.
I was feeling worse and worse as I approached Newboro. I was hitting the wall hard. I ate another banana at one point and that helped for a bit. But I knew that I really needed a sit down meal; pasta would be optimum, but fish and chips will do. I got to the check point and I was a little out of it because I didn’t know where the restaurant was. The group I was with were all there snacking on cookies. I knew that wouldn’t do it for me. I told Vytas I had to go to the restaurant. He warned me that it would be slow. I didn’t mind as my goal was to finish, because I was still recovering from an injury. My goal was not to set best time. I wished the riders a good ride and go into the restaurant.
The restaurant was very, very upscale. I felt very awkward, but they were willing to serve me. Luckily I had checked out the menu on line beforehand. I knew what I wanted, before the hostess sat me, I asked her if they have fish and chips. She said yes, so that was what I was having. Strangely I don’t remember ordering, and hoped my order got placed. I also got some chocolate milk and they brought me cheese sticks. Normally I do some stretches as I wait for the food, but I called Ev and told her my status and then my food came. It was faster than I expected. I feasted and asked for the bill. I used the facilities and left. I was feeling like a new man. I stopped at the store looking for Poweraid. No luck. I got on the bike and after a while I was tired again. I eventually remembered that meals like fish and chips or burger and fries tend to make me tired once I get back on the bike. I really should have had a coffee with lunch as well.
I was feeling a little discouraged, but tried to encourage myself. I remember that last weekend I rode 100 km alone (on two different bikes). I was not feeling great, but slowly the 10s of km were adding up. I had noticed that on the cue sheet that one of the turns was at a MacEwan’s gas station, so it was no big deal if I didn’t get Poweraid at Newboro. I was not sure if I should drink the Ensure mixture. Mixtures like this when it is warm out can give some ugly side effects. I remember from the RM1200 that someone had some problems with it. However it was colder than a fridge outside so it really should be fine. I was thinking I would avoid it and maybe dump it.
I can’t remember if it was Toledo or Philipsville. (Many thanks to all of Peter’s hard work on the new cue sheets.) I checked and it was Toledo. There was a small gas station there. I bought a Gatorade. At first I nearly bought the 20 calorie one and then asked the store clerk, is there one with more calories. He said “More calories???”, “yes.” “The one at the end” I said “yes I don’t think 20 will do it” and bought it and wished him a good day.
I actually did drink the remainder of the ensure mixture and it seemed fine. I continued on. I saw that Kitley line 5 was gravel. My next turn was on Kitley line 3. I hope it wouldn’t be gravel. I remember on a different ride that Bill “the pedal nut” hated the gravel section, for some strange reason I felt it was near here. I got to Kitley line 3 and it wasn’t gravel. I was happy. There is only so much gravel one can take.
I was trying to plan ahead. I decided that I didn’t need to stop at the MacEwan’s Gas station and that I would have a very short stop in Merrickville. I figured I would just go to the grocery store and buy a Coke and a Poweraid. I thought a Coke would be kind of cold and I might not have a space for it on my 3 water bottle cages (some drinks were half finished, etc.). Then I remember the coffee shop. I didn’t want a coffee because I can’t drink coffee hot, I have to wait for it to cool. So, I didn’t want a regular coffee, however an espresso would cool faster and give me the kick I needed.
I got to Jasper. Yes Jasper, Ontario. I have a few good memories of riding there with Jim Morris. I was reminiscing about how he took a picture of me near the sign and I imagined the caption “This is not the Rocky Mountain 1200, this is the Ontario Flèche”. I also remember how he sent me a news clip about a local business in Jasper, Ontario which was pole dancing lessons. Then I realized that I was on county road or highway 16. I thought “OK that is too funny. Someone definitely had a sense of humour.” I was thinking this because, the Trans-Canada Highway between Edmonton, Alberta and Jasper Alberta is Highway 16, the Yellowhead highway. I was guessing that Jasper, Ontario was named after Jasper, Alberta. Once I got home, I tried to look up the history of each town, but I could only find that Jasper, Alberta was established in 1813.
I got to Merrickville. I decided to go into the cafe. I opened the door and I saw the espresso machine. I was practically drooling. I ordered a double and thanked the girl working there. Then I went into the grocery store and got a Poweraid. As I waiting in line the customer before me was talking to the cashier about a play that the cashier was acting in. I bought the Poweraid and wished the cashier luck with the play. I guess I was still buzzing from the play I saw on Thursday night. It was called Merz.
Anyway, I got on the bike and got going. I felt 100 times better. I thought it was the espresso. For 20 km of the 40 km to go, I felt great. I guess I also felt great because subconsciously I knew the rest of the way home! I was thinking that I could definitely finish this thing, whereas at the 100 km mark, I was not sure.
I got onto route 23 and was happy to be out of the traffic. It was good to be in a familiar place while riding alone. I knew that I would not get lost or go off route.
I was sad as I rode through Burritt’s Rapids. I was sad because the store there had closed down a few years ago. We used to have a Populaire that went out there.
Then I got on Dwyer Hill road, I was happy because with about 30 km to go, I knew it was 27 km of straight to Flewellyn. At the 180 km mark or so, the coffee was wearing off. I was not feeling great any more. I had a banana in my back pocket, but I didn’t really feel like eating. I probably should have. I tried to stay as positive as possible as I struggled through the last 20 km. I was basically just watching the km count down. Just hoping I would not get a flat tire or some other mechanical problem. Eventually, I thought I was probably close to the turn but it was Fallowfield road and not Flewellyn road. I got to Flewellyn road and was in rough shape but happy that I knew that there was only 3 km.
I got to the parking lot and my car was the only one left. I was happy I finished. I called Ev and made arrangements for supper. Just some extra notes on the ride, as per usual I brought way too much stuff. I had brought a lot of extra clothes that I didn’t need. (I wasn’t sure about the cold). My right hip was sore off and on, I am thinking it was either way too tight or an effect of the fact I was not clipped in on that side. Since 2007 I have been taping my shoulder and I didn’t for this ride. However, I probably should for the 300. The coolest thing though, is that yes I was slow, however I was only about 45 minutes slower than when I did this ride healthy back in 2009.

Ride Report from Phil Piltch:

My thanks to all who came out for the ride. It’s still early season and it was a bit chilly, but then this isn’t call “Ice Classic” for nothing. Many of the small lakes, including Musselman were still ice-covered, and there was even some ice over Leslie St where it curved around a small lake/pond. At least the sun stayed out until the afternoon, though the wind picked up from the southwest making the return less speedy. A special mention to Bashir who joined last month and completed his 3rd ride of the season.

Ride report from Stephen Jones:

We had ten riders today for Toronto’s first ride of the season, including two riders who are new to the club. Peter and Peggy were looking good on their tandem, and Phil decided to work the Oak Ridges Moraine on his fixy. Thanks to some timely “local knowledge” input from Fred and Henk, we switched the route up to avoid a large section of muddy gravel in the Holland Marsh. There has been an ongoing project to move the canals around, and this has left Wist and Canal roads in a pretty bad state. Since everyone had cleaned their bikes up to look good for the first ride, it was quickly decided that avoiding large amounts of mud was a good thing. The weather was a factor, with strong headwinds and temperatures around 0 C for the ride up to Bradford. After a brief stop to refuel, we headed back over the rollers on Keele with a nice tailwind to help us along. This was also Toronto’s first advertised “no-drop” ride. We had a new member turn out specifically because the ride was advertised as no-drop, and we expect to see more of him this season. Other than needing to find someplace other than Timmy’s to stop at in Bradford, it was a great start to the season.