Ride Report from Stephen Jones:

We had a good-sized group of twelve riders for the Lake Ontario 1000, despite the less than perfect forecast. Renato, Henk, Jerzy, Dick, Bob K., Albert, Fred, Jean, Terry, Brian and yours truly all headed out at the very democratically decided 6:00 start time. Stan rounded out the twelve on his new bike, a steel Marinoni Sportivo. A few of the more disciplined riders settled quickly into their own paces, but the majority stayed together for the first stretch of the ride to Hamilton and the climb up the Escarpment. This was enough to pull the group apart, at least for a while.

Albert, Renato and I formed a new group at the front riding along Ridge Road and some great scenery. Thanks to David T. for suggesting the route modification to get us off the service roads along the QEW. Renato missed a turn on a descent, putting Albert and I off the front. Renato seemed to recover quickly, and I saw him come back onto the route, but we went around another curve and lost sight of him. Around the 80 km mark, Albert and I stopped for food and water. We came out of the store just in time to see the main group zip past us. Getting back on out bikes, we caught the group, and found no Renato. He had simply disappeared.

Albert and I pulled away from the group again going through St. Catharines. I assume they stopped for supplies. Albert and I pressed on through Niagara on the Lake and back up the Escarpment. This has to be one of the most scenic stretches of road in Ontario. We got to the border crossing to find traffic backed up into the access roads leading to the bridge. We used our commuting skills to move through the line, where a helpful agent directed us to the Nexus Pass lane. The border guard processed out passports and handed them back without a single question, which was a new experience for me. Normally, my name generates a small book of wanted felons and I have to play twenty questions while we establish that I am not the fellow who held up a liquor store last fall in Portland.

Since the border crossing was so busy, we did not bother them with the control cards, instead stopping at a fast-food kiosk where they filled our bottles and fed us BLTs and Cokes. For some reason, the restroom was marked “out of order”, but proved to be perfectly serviceable. I am continually amused at the reactions we get when we explain what the little control card is for. The evidence that we are in earnest is right there in their hands as they sign our cards, but they still cannot quite believe anyone would willingly do such a thing. Nobody managed to catch us during our brief stop, and we continued on our way.

The next control, Olcott, doesn’t have much on the main road. I think I need to amend the route to include turning towards the lake, as apparently, that’s where everything is. Albert and I stopped at a pick-your-own cherry place. The only food they had was cherries (go figure) and apricots. They also had unsweetened cherry juice. The young lady took my bottle into the back and returned with them full of cherry juice and ice. It was a very nice change from water and the regular sports drinks.

Shortly after Olcott, we arrived at the Lake Ontario Parkway, which is the strangest road I’ve ever ridden on. This includes the single-lane bridges on highways in New Zealand, and hurricane-damaged roads in Cuba. The Parkway, for those who don’t know it, is a divided highway similar to the 401. Two lanes in each direction. The difference is, there are almost no vehicles. It was like we rode onto some sort of post-apocalyptic movie set. Traffic did start to increase towards the east end, and we started riding on the shoulder instead of taking the lane, but I’ve been on concession roads with more traffic.

We stopped fairly soon after getting off the parkway for resupply. I ordered a “medium” sub while Albert used the facilities. When he got back, he thought it looked good, so he ordered two larges. They were so big, you probably could have cut one up to feed the entire group. He wound up strapping them to the outside of his bag since they wouldn’t fit inside. While we were dealing with food, the group passed us again, intent on getting to the control before stopping. The place where Albert and I stopped wasn’t actually in Charlotte, so we stopped a fellow who was out for a walk to get our cards signed, with the usual explanations. He was impressed and said our ride put his fourteen miles a day of walking (that he does as part of recovering from knee surgery) to shame. I think he may have that backwards. I can imagine walking fourteen miles, and I certainly wouldn’t want to do it.

We found the group that had passed us had split up. Bob, Jean, and Brian had pressed on while Renato, Henk, Fred, and Jerzy were ensconced on the patio of a pub. After working our way through the lights and traffic of Rochester, we found the leaders just getting ready to leave the control in Webster. The desk clerk, having been through the explanations about the cards already, signed ours and the five of us left together. Albert and I were still riding at a slightly faster pace and left the other three behind.

As we worked along, the terrain became distinctly hillier, and night started to fall. We knew we had to stop before the control in Oswego. Since I didn’t know the route well, I started watching for open signs, finally finding one at an American Legion. The only people in the bar were the barkeeps unwinding after a long day. Despite us not being members, they had no problem filling our bottles for us and selling us a couple of cans of pop. I adhered to my personal adage of never passing up the opportunity to use a flush toilet while Albert went out to his bike for a snack. While I was doing that, I couldn’t help but overhear the Legion members carrying on the standard discussion of our mental health. Albert and I hopped on our bikes and headed out, just in time to see the headlights of the three trailing riders coming towards us.

Oswego was Albert’s planned overnight stop. Before he headed off to his hotel, we went into a Dunkin’ Donuts that was air conditioned to within an inch of your life. I was fine, temperature-wise up to this point, but the AC put me over the edge. I fuelled up, including a large coffee, for the overnight effort, while Albert did some pre-sleep snacking. Just before he headed off to sleep, Brian, Bob, and Jean arrived. I figured having company overnight would be wise, so I waited for them to get food and water. Not a long wait, since they are all well organized and pretty quick at controls.

Fortunately, the terrain flattens out east of Oswego. We rode as a loose group, startling the occasional deer. Jean was starting to feel the effects of lack of sleep and wanted an opportunity to nap. (To be honest, we all did, we just weren’t saying.) We spotted a closed bar with picnic tables outside under an awning, so we pulled in. Jean set his alarm for thirty minutes, and we each grabbed a bench. Other than the mosquitoes finding us, it was pretty comfortable.

Shortly after our nap, as the sun was coming up, then rain started. It didn’t rain very hard, or for too long, but it was enough to send us digging through bags for jackets and saddle covers. At some point through here, Brian and I gradually pulled ahead of Bob and Jean, arriving ahead of them at the next control. They passed us as we ate breakfast, then we passed them on the way to the border. The last we saw of them was in Gananoque. They were pulling in just as we were leaving.

The border crossing back into Canada was pretty uneventful, other than the bridges. Holy smokes, the bridges. Dave T. gave an inkling of what was in store before the ride, but the reality was something else. The signs say to walk your bike, but there isn’t enough room, especially with a pannier bag. So, Brian and I rode our bikes for the most part, at some points with one hand on the handlebars, and one hand on the guard rail. The bridges arch, and the climb up the arch isn’t too bad, but the descent, riding the brakes along the narrow walkway was pretty nerve racking. We did stop at one point to enjoy the view and take some pictures. It was an adventure, and I was glad when it was over. I’ll probably also being looking forward to it the next time I do this ride.

After the crossing, things start to blur a bit. Kingston was nice, but some of the really scenic stuff is beside a descent in traffic, so it went by in a bit of a blur. The convenience store in Bath was very busy, since they also have beer and an LCBO. The line for the ferry must have stretched for the better part of a mile. Again, the bikes gave us front of the line service. I don’t feel any guilt, since the bikes don’t displace any cars from the ferry, and it made no difference to those we passed.

The ride through Prince Edward County went faster than the last time I did it on TOT in 2011. During TOT, I had to beg for water from a couple out in their yard barbequing. This year, no problems, other than a flat just outside Brighton. Since the puncture was from a roofing nail, finding the source of the flat was easy and a tube change was quickly done. Brian didn’t even have time for a nap, but we were there long enough for a passing car to stop and offer assistance. Back on the bikes, and we were off to the control at Brighton and onto the Waterfront Trail.

The sun set on us again as we made our way through the lake shore towns. People are partly solar powered, and with the darkness all the effects of the lack of sleep come crashing in. By this point, I was not particularly comfortable. My hands hurt and a saddle sore that hadn’t completely healed from the previous weekend was making me regret ever discovering the concept of sitting. My feet were aching and felt like all the joints had seized up and needed to be popped loose. I didn’t so much want to take my shoes off as simply remove my feet. On top of this, my brain was starting to feel the effects as well. Company helps, but it still gets weird on the second night. I seem to have a tendency to anthropomorphize everything I’m thinking about. So, instead of thinking about the next place for water, I have an imaginary conversation about it. Like I said, weird.

Brian was also starting to suffer, with his IT band acting up on him. It got to the point where we were pulled off in a parking lot at Taunton and Enfield and he lay down while I stood on his buttocks with my heel. Yet again, a passing car stopped to ask if we were OK. For once, we didn’t have to explain what we were doing on our bikes in the middle of the night. The driver asked, “Are you randonneurs?” like he encounters people on brevets on a regular basis. It turns out that he knows Renato.

After the long, flat stretches around the lake, heading into the Moraine was a bit of a shock to the system, offset by the fact that Brian and I both know these roads well since we live in the area. I raced ahead to find a toilet at the next control, which turned into the “Quest for toilets”. I finally found one at the third place I stopped, further and further off the route and adding to my collection of bonus miles.

From Stouffville, it’s into the home stretch. The sound of the birds waking up for our second sunrise was very welcome. The last 30 km are supposed to be downhill and the last time I was through here, it was easy to maintain over 30 km/h. Brian and I managed about 25, and were happy with that. We pulled into Tim’s too tired to really show how thrilled we were with our finish. We had a quick bite to eat, and went to our vehicles to nap before the drive home. Even with the nap, I didn’t make it home and had to pull over for another nap, which lead me to having to explain randonneuring to an OPP officer.

So, a long ride report for a long ride, and written in much the same style as it was ridden, in sort of one big rush. I think the randonnesia will take a little longer to set in with this one, but even so I’m very happy with the ride and am looking forward to the Granite Anvil.

Some photos:

Direct link to the Flickr set if you prefer:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/97031042@N02/sets/72157634571038956/

Ride Report from David Thompson:

I am remiss in not putting out a ride report on the Shenandoah sooner, but time slipped by and so I thought that perhaps comparing and contrasting the two rides might be useful for anyone thinking of doing one or both of these rides.

Timing — Both were held in June of this year — June 6-9 for the Shen and 24-27 for the Gold Rush. The Shenandoah was being run for the 6th time, 6 years in a row and the Gold Rush for the 4th time, on an every-four-year cycle.

Route — The Shen starts out from Leesburg VA, heads north to Gettysburgh PA then south to Mt. Airy NC and back north to Leesburg. The GRR starts in Davis CA, just west of Sacremento and heads north to the Oregon border and then back to Davis. The Shenandoah covers the same roads for a small part of its route; The Gold Rush is mostly out-and-back on the same roads.

Climbing — everyone asks about climbing. The Shenandoah is known for its climbing, hitting about 50,000 feet according to my Garmin. The Gold Rush, while only “featuring” a little more than half of the climbing of the Shenandoah, has that climbing compressed into part of the route since the first 95 miles and the last 90 miles are completely desert-flat. The Shenandoah has some steep grades but they are mostly short and rolling with only one notable long climb on the Blue Ridge Parkway of 9 miles. The Gold Rush, on the other hand, has many long climbs but mostly moderate grades with a few exceptions.

Heat — both of these can be very hot in June. This year, however, the Shenandoah was relatively cool, since we had rain on three out of four days (not all day, mind you) — four out of four for some people. The Gold Rush started out with rain and cool and ended up with temperatures in the high 90’s on that last run across the desert. The Shenandoah can be cool in the valleys at night but it was warmer this year due to the cloud cover; the Gold Rush is usually cold on those night descents (can be in the mid 30F’s), but again, this year was moderated by the rainy weather on the way out.

Support — very different:

The Shenandoah has minimal support with bag drops to the two overnight spots (Bridgewater VA which you hit out and back and Mt. Airy NC which is the turnaround spot). Otherwise, you’re mostly on your own. The other Controls are convenience store / deli locations so it suits self support. Matt Settle runs the Shenandoah with one or two volunteers, typically, which works well for this type of ride. He has been known to pick up riders in need, but that depends on where he or the other volunteers might be at that point in time.

The Gold Rush, on the other hand, has multiple volunteers at every Control, from legal open to legal close. From legal open outbound to legal close inbound, that’s a very long time! They also have mobile units which you see frequently on the route. Being neutral support, if it’s really hot, they are dispensing water as necessary. They also provide limited mechanical support. There are three potential bag drops but since you hit each of those locations twice, out and back, you may or may not use every drop.

Accommodation — again, very different:

The Shenandoah utilizes motels for the two overnights with shared rooms (two-per). You hit the Bridgewater location on the way out and back.

The Gold Rush, on the other hand, has community-center-type accommodation at the bag drop locations as well as a few others. Each of those has some sleeping area with cots and/or mats. Showers are available at the three bag drop sites but only one, Susanville, is actually at the site. Unfortunately the showers were cold at Susanville. I don’t know if that’s normal.

Food — On the Shenandoah, Matt supplies home-made, pre-prepared food such as pasta at the overnights, along with a variety of packaged foods. There is food available at the other Controls but you purchase that yourself. The GRR, using community centers and many volunteers, takes advantage of cooking facilities and does made-to-order in many cases. Some is pre-prepared, such as lasagna — I don’t know if a caterer supplied that or whether it was prepared by volunteers.

Ride Logistics:

The Shenandoah route is suited to a four day ride with three days more-or-less equal distance and difficulty and a fourth at about 200 km. The Shen starts at 4am so the days follow naturally.

The Gold Rush starts at 6pm. That’s so that the first run across the desert can be accomplished in the relative cool of the evening — not an issue this year, but usually. From there you can think of the ride as 3×400 km days, perhaps, or break it up as you will, given the number of potential sleep stops.

How did I tackle the rides ?

This was my fifth Shenandoah. I know the ride well. Although it’s different each year – weather, my conditioning etc. – I know how to survive this ride. The days are long, due to the climbing, but manageable. Don’t push it; get a little sleep; make frequent water / liquid stops; don’t worry about falling behind, ride your own ride. I put two night’s packing in the Bridgewater drop bag and one night in Mt. Airy. There’s no other logical way.

The Gold Rush was new to me. The 6pm start is unusual. Although I’ve done that before on the Lake Ontario Loop 1000 km. Susanville is roughly 400 km from the start. It’s another 400 km to the turnaround and back to Susanville, then 400 km to the end. I wanted to tackle the ride as three consecutive 400 km rides. I didn’t know if that would work out logistically or whether I’d be able to start each 400 km at the same time each day …

I put two night’s gear in the Susanville bag but also put supplies (clothing, food, spares) in the Taylorsville and Adin drop bags. Taylorsville comes before Susanville; Adin after, when you’re outbound. I wanted to leave my options open.

How did it go ?

I rode with Hamid Akbarian, a friend from Florida, in the Shen. He’d DNF’d twice before due to different circumstances but I wanted to see him through the ride. We got to the first night’s stop just before 10pm and left there about 2:30 am. Two other riders left with us and although we separated for part of the day, we got into Mt. Airy together around 10pm. Hamid and I left Mt. Airy around 2am, if memory serves me correctly, and were back to Bridgewater at 9:45 pm. We headed out again at 1am and finished up at 12:30 pm for a time of 80:30. Overall we probably got 3+3+2= 8 hours sleep.

On the Gold Rush, I rode with a dozen or so other riders across that first 95 mile flat section and then the climbing / rolling began. That first section was at quite a reasonable cruising pace, no one working very hard. Typical of my style on these things, I don’t push myself the first day and often finish way behind any fast riders. I got into Susanville sometime after 3pm, finishing that first 400 km. I changed clothing, no shower unfortunately, grabbed an hour sleep and headed out again at 6pm — remember that goal of 3×400 km ? There were many riders behind me and many ahead who went onto Adin that afternoon. I was worried about feeling snoozy had I added another 120 km.

That first day the rain had started in earnest after the flat section and was on-and-off fairly heavy during that first night and it was cold as a result. By daylight, however, the rain was over. It stayed cloudy for most of the day, as I recall. That was good.

I did not intend to ride straight through. Getting to Adin just before midnight, I had something to eat and then had another hour sleep. I got to the Davis Creek turnaround and as I left, passed Catherine Shenk and another rider who were heading into that Control. I’d ridden with Catherine before in Italy, Texas and North Carolina.

There was a strong headwind at that point that persisted through most of the day. As I was leaving the next Control, Catherine pulled in and we chatted about riding the last day together to take advantage of numbers during that flat section in the wind. I headed out and as the wind persisted, I decided to wait for them at the next Control. When Catherine and Jason arrived (we had exchanged names at that point), Catherine had a pedal problem. Jason got on the phone to a bike shop in Susanville to see if they had a replacement set of pedals and arranged for those to be picked up and waiting for us at Susanville.

We got to Susanville after 7pm, the second 400 km now complete. It had been a long day for me, now running 25 hours including the one hour sleep at Adin. Catherine and Jason had ridden to Adin the previous day, so they didn’t have as many miles under their legs that day but of course we had the same mileage overall.

My eyes, however, needed a rest. They were feeling dried out and I wasn’t ready to continue. Catherine and Jason decided to continue to Taylorsville and I said that I’d catch some sleep and meet them there. I got an hour sleep and headed out, arriving at Taylorsville about 5:30 am. Catherine and Jason were still asleep; I had breakfast. They had a 6am wakeup call and as they ate breakfast, I caught another 1/2 hour sleep.

From there it was just a matter of finishing the third 400 km which, of course, we already had underway having ridden from Susanville to Taylorsville. There’s a fair amount of climbing, some very scenic sections and, of course, that last 90 miles of flat. We lucked out that the wind had died, but it was very hot, high 90’s. We weren’t fast, rolling mostly along at about 16mph, but we got-er-done, finishing up at 8:59 pm for a time of 74:59.

This was the first time that I’ve done a ride without a real plan in mind. I was satisfied with how it worked out. I now know that I can do my 2-3 hours of sleep per night in segments, assuming that there is a place to put one’s head down. My total sleep time on the GRR was 3.5 hours, yet I didn’t feel sleepy.

Relative difficulty ?

The Shenandoah is more difficult than the GRR, all else being equal, due to the amount of climbing. The weather, of course, is the big variable in any of these things. Both rides are pretty; both are worth doing again; both should be on any rando’s bucket list !

Ride Report from Stephen Jones:

Jerzy Dziadon, Stephen Jones(me) and Liz Overduin showed up to try the reworked Haliburton Highlands ride this year.

The forecast was for rain showers and a chance of thunderstorms, with cooling and clearing overnight. The riders quickly separated near the start, with Liz and Jerzy sticking together, and me heading off on my own.

I find it difficult to write a ride report when I do one of these on my own. I get the satisfaction of pushing my limits on the ride, but miss all the social interaction going on in the group. So, I sent out a few questions to the other riders and have compiled the responses below

Q. What did you think of the HH 600 route?

LO. Kathy Brouse recommended the Haliburton Highlands route for years and I now totally understand why – it is a spectacular brevet. The scenery is breath-taking and the hills are exhilarating. Once again this sport of randonneuring takes you to the out-of-the-way places like the amazing bakery in Orono and the “beary best” burger place in Gooderham, meeting friendly people along the way.

SJ. This is my third HH 600, and each time the route has been a bit different. Personally, I think a lot of the issues with road conditions and traffic have been addressed with this iteration.

Q. What was your favourite part of the ride?

LO. It would be hard to pick a favourite part of this ride but I did think to myself, “if this is a taste of the Granite Anvil, I can hardly wait!” (One thing that would be nice is if they re-paved the Ashburn road before August).

SJ. My favourite was big surprise to me in that it was the part I had initially not been looking forward to. Bobcaygeon Road north of Minden can be very dark at night, with no road paint or driveways or buildings for a good stretch. We do this road twice, and l managed to get to it the second time right around sunset, so I still had a fair amount of light. Combined with a full moon, and swarms of fireflies, what I thought would be a tense trip through a black hole turned into a lovely ride in the twilight.

Q. Did you have a plan for how to do this ride, and what was it?

A. Liz’s plan was ride to Haliburton and check into a hotel there. Mine was to minimize time off the bike and ride through the night. So, we had examples of two very different styles.

Q. Did you stop anywhere, like a store or restaurant, that you would recommend to other riders?

SJ. The Village Bakery and Café in Orono was introduced this year as a control, and turned out to be a lovely place to stop. I also stopped in Peterborough at Marty Moo’s restaurant and had a terrific steak burrito. It was easily the best food I had during the ride. Friendly too. I asked the waitress to sign my card, and my neighbours at the next table asked me to explain what I was doing. By the time I finished, the entire restaurant was listening and wishing me good luck on the ride.

Q. Would you do the ride again?

LO. Like Kathy, I have to recommend this ride to everyone, even if you don’t do it as a brevet, you should do this ride – take a week if you want. You will love it!

SJ. Absolutely.

Liz adds:
I(Liz) had expected that I would be on my own for this ride, (knowing that Stephen Jones is….well….he does rides a little faster than me is all I have to say) but Jerzy Dziadon had also signed up for this ride and we were able to ride together for the most part. We did not see any bears or moose, but in addition to rabbits and chipmunks we saw a skunk, coyote and a fox.

The second day, after a good rest in Haliburton, was a little tougher thanks to Heat and Headwinds. Jerzy also suffered with his saddle, describing that it was like sitting on a Hedgehog – ouch! We both struggled in the afternoon sun with Jerzy deciding to stop and rest in the shade, while I continued on very slowly. We met up again and finished the last 20 k together.

A note from Kathy Brouse:

On Sunday morning it was cold and pouring rain. Four brave souls set off from the Timmy’s In Erin Mills for the Grand River 200. I asked Guy Pearce to send me a description of the ride because I was not able to participate. Congratulations to Brian Neary for completing his first ever Randonneur brevet and to Michael B for getting all the way to the last control on his first RO ride. In true Rando and Father’s day spirit, Guy and Paul S assisted Brian and Michael along the way. Guy said I could share his write-up with you.

Ride Report from Guy Pearce:

A quick write-up of yesterday’s proceedings!

The day started off very wet, with only four silly souls choosing to ignore the weather to go out for a ride; Paul and I, and two newbies, Michael and Brian. It’s always a challenge dressing for rain – deciding between rain pants and no pants, booties or no booties, and rain coat or shower jacket – as whatever you end up choosing, it somehow always seems to be the wrong choice. Whichever way, it was certainly more inviting inside Timmies, but such is the randonneur’s life, and we ventured forth, leaving Kathy, Vaune and William behind in the comfort of Canada’s favourite coffee shop.

By the time we had reached the rollers of 1 Side Road, it became clear that the pace had to be dropped a little if we were to stick together, especially in the rain. So we regrouped at the intersection with Guelph road, and thereafter continued together without incident, at least for a while.

The downhills of Mineral Springs road are awfully good fun. In the dry. On this particular ride though, Brian understandably found sub-zero delight in inspecting the rain-drenched pavement, close up, at speed. It’s not the greatest sound hearing what you know to be one of your mates going tire-side up behind you, incidentally on the steepest part of the downhill, but amazingly the damage was minimal; Freshly character-scarred handlebar tape (a bit more than that actually), a dislocated brake lever – which Paul strongly encouraged back into proper service – and no doubt a sore hip on the part of Brian. After some fettling, making sure all was in order with man and machine, we continued, somewhat more gingerly to the first control, having become increasingly aware of how slippery the surface actually was.

Given all the rain, I had ample opportunity to reflect on the English audax tradition of mudguards with long mudflaps, purposefully fitted to keep the mud and other gunk out of the eyes and off the face of the person behind you. It’s a good practice, and I hope the sentiment lasts long enough for me to modify my rear mudguard in the interests of the person behind me…

The scoot down to Cayuga is probably one of the nicest parts of the ride, which was made even better when we decided to stop at a diner for lunch, in order to help replenish our spirits after mostly rain and wet roads to this point. Interestingly, although it is well known that beer makes you faster, neither Michael nor Brian had a glass, which probably explains their subsequent pace :). Once we finished, we stepped out of the restaurant into some glorious warm sunshine, which was oh so welcome!

It didn’t take us long to realise that the route back to Ancaster would involve some wind. Michael battled bravely with an old injury, finally deciding to take a shortcut home about halfway to the control in Dundas. We then continued, eventually reaching the downhill into Dundas, which is always welcome, more so that it was dry now. At this point though, you try not to think too hard about the little climb out of Dundas… An almost mandatory chocolate milk and a snack later, we were on our way again.

It was great finally getting on to Britannia, with a tail wind to boot! With its assistance, we soon made it back to Erin Mills, with Brian having successfully completed his first brevet! In the meantime, Michael had made it to Oakville before calling his wife to fetch him, and was on his way to meet Brian (they had driven in together). I then left Brian to start the ride home, looking forward to a hot shower and a hot dinner!

Ride report from Liz Overduin:

There was a total of 26 Controls during Devil Week – if you include each start and finish. For us Randonneurs, it seems to be all about the Control – how far we have gone, how far to the next one, getting a signature, etc. We are truly Control Freaks. I have heard cyclists pre-plan what they are going to order when they get to the Control – homemade ice-cream at Big Bay, a real milk chocolate shake at Thornton, Creemore lager at Creemore (yup, right before the steep hill), or soup at Tim Hortons always goes down well. Riding together on the first two rides to the first Control – a double pace-line of 16 or more riders, going over 35 km/hr – that was great! (The dog coming at us was not so great.)

The wonderful thing about Randonneuring is not only the Controls, but those amazing moments between them.

On the 200 Big Bay ride we cycled through the forest of Lilacs, wishing we could just breathe in, without stopping, for the time it took to go through. In the warm sunshine we stopped for a refreshing drink at the Pub on the beach in Sauble. Then 10 km from the finish we stopped again at another favourite Restaurant – The Elk and Finch in South Hampton, where we ordered pizza and more refreshing drinks.

The highlight of the Bowle Buster 300 had to be the presence of the Devil himself at the steepest grade on Bowles Hill. Dressed in red, with horns and tail, the Devil of Devil’s Week (Bill Little) harassed us, yelled at us, belittled us and whacked us with his pitchfork to get up the hill. Not even showing concern for David Pearson who was on a Fixed Gear bike. (By the way – huge congrats to David for completing the entire Devil Week on a fixed gear bike – amazing!)

The Creemore Classic, with the famous Scenic Caves climb, also included the chance for any cyclist to stop for a game of 5 pin bowling and become the 2013 Champion. Terry Payne was not on the ride to defend his title, and we have a new winner – Larry Sowerby. It should be pointed out that even if you added the four total scores together (only 2 strikes between 4 people), it would still be a low score that no self-respecting bowler would be proud of.

Devil Week finished off with the March to the Marsh 600. With a much needed rest day between the 400 and the 600, the ride started with a spectacular sunrise. Many riders commented that they had never been on a 600 km brevet that had so many participants – it was awesome! Thanks also to John & Laurie Maccio for doing the drop bag service.

Devil Week needs a new title – with the opportunity to ride a bike for a week, it was a week of Heaven. The weather was mostly great – no crazy highs or lows in temperature, no wild thunderstorms or gale force winds, and everyone stayed safe – lots to be thankful for. Who will ever forget Abhi, the store owner in Dornoch who stayed open an extra hour when he heard there was another rider “still out there”. How about those steaks, salmon, pastas and salads at Carey & Donna’s place on Friday night. Was that the Devil at the BBQ, or was he really an Angel? (Thanks Bill Little)

One last thing I should add, my Bob took one look at me when I arrived home after the week and said “I will have to have a talk with your friends – look at you! Here I send them a beautiful wife and this….this is what they give back to me!” With my bleary bloodshot eyes, puffy face and crazy hair, he said I looked like one of those apple dolls.

Bob is currently living in the dog house.

People have been so great about sending ride reports, we have three for this ride! Interesting to get different perspectives on the same ride. Thank you to Stephen, Peter and Alex for contributing!

Ride Report from Stephen Jones:

With a forecast calling for rain all day, seven brave souls started off on the Markham-Lindsay 300. The group included a few experienced riders, like William and Stan, but four of the riders were newcomers to our particular brand of insanity. Peter P, Hannes, Andrew, and Alex were all attempting to complete their first 300.

We started out heading up Ninth Line from Markham. The rise between Major Mackenzie and Elgin Mills often splits the group, but I was pleased to see the new guys gamely hanging on. Stan, riding with his head rather than his heart, dropped off the back to ride his own ride. Ninth Line is in horrible condition and gets busier every year. Fortunately, we were early enough to not have much traffic to deal with. There are signs that the road will be improved over the next few years, but it’s a slow process.

The group stayed together through Stouffville and Web road, but the rollers on 2nd Concession proved too much, and we got our second split, with William, Peter and me in the lead group. The wind was developing out of the south-west, which gave us a nice tailwind and a sense of déjà vu as we backtracked large portions of last weekend’s Markham-Woodville ride. We managed to get to the first control before the store was open for business. So, we recorded our times and then headed off to Little Britain and the promise of butter tarts at the bakery.

Lindsay’s Tim Horton’s was very busy, so we didn’t buy anything. There was even a line for the washroom, which we gave up on. We got a bystander to fill in our cards for us and found a convenience store on the way out of town to top up fluids and food for the stretch to Millbrook. As we turned south, the winds started to work against us, and the long rollers started to take their toll on Peter, who is now looking into switching to a more reasonable gearing setup. He was riding a 53/39 crank with a 12-25 cassette, compared to my 50/34 with an 11-28. Having to push the bigger gearing on his bike made the ride just that much more difficult.

Lunch was a quick bite at Subway. It’s not fine dining, but the washroom was clean, and you can fill your water bottles for free from the soda fountain. I was looking forward to doing CR10 south from Millbrook. Typically I find myself riding this road the other way, and my legs remember a fair amount of climbing when going north. Turns out there is some climbing going south as well. This section, from about 150 km to 250 km, is the most challenging with lots of climbing. A stiff wind from the south-west added to the difficulty. Peter was gamely trying to keep up, but fell-off the pace when William and I felt the stirrings of our inner terriers and chased down another cyclist on one of the climbs.

The route has been changed a little since the last time Markham-Lindsay was offered to eliminate a section of Ganaraska Road, which can be very busy during certain times of day. The route now follows the revised Granite Anvil route to cross Highway 35/115 into Orono. Orono proved to be a very picturesque little town, but we didn’t stop as the next control was just ahead.

The name of the next control, Enniskillen, is bigger than the place itself. By this point, we could no longer see Peter behind us, even looking from the tops of hills. A somewhat woozy William decided that a large shade tree was in need of company and set up for a picnic underneath. Since he and the tree seemed to be getting along, he sent me off to finish the ride on my own.

Along Myrtle road, I was just starting to think that we might actually be able to finish the ride without any rain, and that I was going to look a bit foolish telling everyone to bring their rain gear. Of course, ten minutes after that, the sky opened up in a real deluge. Oops. The rain wasn’t unpleasant, and even inspired an offer of charity. A passing motorist pulled alongside with his windows down and asked me if I wanted a lift.

The rain didn’t really last that long, and was heavy enough to wash the grit away so I didn’t even get that dirty. The winds seemed to die down a little bit as well. The run into Uxbridge took me past a showcase of large estate homes. A quick turn-around at Macs Milk, and it was into the home stretch through my regular training grounds.

Back in Markham, I asked a couple of fellows standing outside to sign my card for me. They asked how far I had gone, suggesting 10 km as being a long distance. I think the truth strained their credulity. After a pleasant chat, I reset my GPS and headed home.

It took until noon on Sunday to account for all the riders though email. Peter and William finished together. Stan came in on his own, and Andrew and Alex got in in the dark after being chased by an invisible dog. We had one DNF due to stomach problems, but everyone is home safe, which is what counts.

Congratulations to all, especially the first time finishers. See you at the next one.

Ride Report from Alex Weber:

This was my second ride with Randonneurs Ontario, and my first 300 km ride. There were only about 8 or 9 riders on Saturday. We stayed in a group for the first 20 or so kilometres, but then the more experienced riders took off at, what seemed like, a break-neck pace. The weather had been calling for thunderstorms for several days back, and although the clouds loomed ominously above us all day, we never got more than a few sprinkles. After 50 km, there were only three riders in my group: myself (Alex), Andrew, and Hannes. It was at this point that Hannes told us he wasn’t feeling good, and was going to drop out. To be honest, I understood why, since he looked white and sickly. Amazingly, Andrew talked him into riding for more, so we slowed down our pace and tried to ride better as a group.

The next 150 km involved short stops, rolling hills (*shakes fist*), and head wind. I distinctly remember that after Emily Provincial Park, the scenery became very beautiful and there weren’t too many cars around. It was around this point that I had to point out to my riding partners just how awesome the whole experience was, and that I was really happy to be there at that moment. At the 200 km mark, Hannes had had enough, and told us he was dropping out. He would ride to Oshawa and take the train back to Toronto. We were saddened by his decision, but understood.

The next 100 km were alright, but for the first 50 km I was really starting to slow and felt like I wasn’t getting enough energy. I can’t remember the control, it was before Uxbridge, but I was convinced that I would stop there and grab something more substantial than a cliff bar, a PB&J sandwich, or baked potatoes to eat. No such luck. All there was a convenience store…so I bought some cheese curds.

Once we got to Uxbridge, I wolfed down a slice of pizza, finished all of my food, drank a chocolate milk, and drank way too much water and Gatorade. It was at this point that night was descending, and as we began the last 40 km of our ride, I realized I ate too much and was worried I might puke it back up. Luckily my stomach knew better and I miraculously made it up several hills with only suspicious burps.

Night riding is both an eerie experience and a sublime one. There’s something about the stillness and the solitary blanket that night brings that both relaxes you, and makes your brain think of worst-case-scenarios in macabre detail. Our single dog chase happened somewhere on a country road with no visibility except for our lights on the front of our bikes. Andrew yelled “GO! GO! GO!”, and as I gave my legs hell and forced them to accelerate faster than I knew they could go, I couldn’t help but be struck by how surreal it is to be chased by an invisible set of jaws that you can only assume will devour you if it could grab hold of your leg. Luckily it tired and we escaped unscathed.

We finished at 11:15 pm, happy and safe, and looking forward to a bath and getting off our saddles.

Fantastic ride! Can’t wait for a 400 km!

Ride Report from Peter Phillips:

My first 300 km ride.

I did my second Brevet and first 300 km ride this Saturday. The group of us left the Tim Horton’s with rain threatening all day. The group split sometime after our first pass through Stouffville. Stephen, William and I went ahead at a quicker pace. We hit the first control at Leaksdale shortly after the “open time” on the control card, but the control was not open. So we rode onto Little Britain for bakery purchases and re-fueling. Butter tarts might be God’s gift to cyclists.

We experienced intermittent misty rain through to Lindsay. More re-fueling and back on the road. The ride continued at a quick pace with Stephen and William leading the way. The sun started to break out as we rode into the next control in Millbrook. After a quick lunch stop, we now faced the more challenging part of the route, between 150 and 250 km. I lost touch with Stephen and William at about 180 km and resigned myself to finishing solo. I needed more frequent re-fueling, in Orono and again at the control in Enniskillen. I have to admit I had reached the low point of my ride… looking for the easy way back to the car.

To my great surprise, William was napping under a shady tree across the street from the Enniskillen control. We started out together eager for the “short” hop to Uxbridge. For me, the ride was becoming more challenging and difficult. It finally occurred to me that my gearing was totally inappropriate for the route… I will put on proper gearing on the bike for the next ride! We had dodged the forecast of rain for much of the day, but we encountered very heavy rain for about 20 minutes between Enniskillen and Uxbridge… serious climbing and descending in pouring rain is not fun!

The last few kilometres to Uxbridge were a bit of a blur for me: fatigue, dehydration and stomach distress (I will have to stay away from Gatorade). After a longer stop in Uxbridge, fortified with a gel and a hot chocolate, we faced the final part of the ride. It felt good to hit familiar roads like Wagg and the final turn south at Mussellman Lake. It felt really good to once again turn up the pace as we “raced” downhill to the finish. The topper for the day… it starts raining again just as we finished.

I am happy to have completed the adventure. I know I got off course a few times, as my computer says that I did 311 km. And a big thanks to William for riding with me through those last 90 km. While I did not finish as quickly as I had hoped, I learned a lot from the ride to apply to future rides 400 and 600 km rides.

Ride Report by Peter Grant

The weather was still dry when 8 riders left the Stittsville Park & Ride at 5:00 am. Gentle rain started to fall about 15 minutes later wetting our clothes for the rest of the day. I rode with David McCaw and Martin Lacelle for about 10km and we chatted a bit. Then Martin felt warmed up and rode away from us to do a 15 hour and 8 minute ride. Our group riding was libertarian. Other than Martin, the 7 riders stayed within about 2 hours of each other, but rode in fluctuating group collections and chatted at controls. At about 75 km Guy Quesnel and David Pearson joined David and me near Lanark, the first control. While 3 of us sat down for breakfast, David Pearson rode on to tackle the first hills on his fixie. Terry Payne soon joined us, followed by Alan Ritchie and Vytas Janusauskas.

After Lanark, the route becomes hilly. The old pavement twists and turns through the forest and over the granite hills. At Denbigh, 186 km, Terry commented that he thought he had been riding in circles. The road he said descended a hill, curved and went up another hill and then repeated…and repeated… Ottawa riders will have to prepare better cue sheets to help our friends from southern Ontario appreciate the subtle differences of the hills. Sometimes the beaver swamp is on the left. Sometimes they are on the right. Sometimes there are alders hanging over the ditch and sometimes cedars. You have to ride the route every year to observe the slow collapse of the old barn on Buckshot Lake road and the increasing replacement of the old farms and camps by cottages. Support options are limited for the middle 200 km of the ride. There are 2 general stores, a lunch counter and LCBO outlet.

Guy and David Pearson had been forging ahead most of the day but at the top of the Opeongo Line, David McCaw and I passed then just at the beginning of the descent. David P. was walking and Guy was on his bike and keeping him company. The day had been very humid with air feeling like steam. In fact warm light rain fell for most of our climb up the Quadville Rd but as we started descending an ominous black cloud filled the sky. I was nervous as we peddled steadily on to Calabogie, but we escaped the down pours which seemed to have left water on the roads in many places.

The food was good at Calabogie Pizza, but most of us had difficulty eating much. Only the salad appealed to me which I think is an indication of electrolyte deficiency. Most of the group assembled at Calabogie, but left in pairs for the 99 km back to Stittsville. At about 340 km our route leaves the forests and returns to the open farm land of the Ottawa valley. Gentle south east winds pressed on our faces as we rode south through mostly quiet roads.

Congratulations to our visitors from other chapters, Terry Payne and David Pearson. It was nice to have you on the ride. Congratulations David, the first fixed gear rider to do the Foymount 400.

Ride Report from Carey Chappelle

Huron Chapter hosted the Wiarton Willy 200 km brevet Saturday June 1st. Wiarton Willy started at Tim Horton’s at 0800hrs. From a Randonneuring point of view, this was the first time I had ridden with as many Women as there were Men in a Brevet! The Weather forecast was a little unnerving to say the least…thunder showers and strong West winds. We headed up the peninsula with our first turn in Oxyden towards Kemble Rock. After 19km we enjoyed the infamous Kemble Rock downhill… Donna and I took it easy on our Tandem until we successfully went through the short turn then tucked in … hitting 83 km/hr. We hoped we could have received a speeding ticket but no Police were around! Enjoying a tail wind and no rain we toured along before stopping at the Kemble Women’s Institute where Liz served Tea!

From there, the Randonneurs headed towards Owen Sound, passing through Balmy Beach, then Kelso Beach across a bridge in Owen Sound then back up into the peninsula towards the Hibou Conservation Area and Leith. As far north as this brevet went, the Randonneurs headed south stopping at Inglis Falls for some photos and relaxation. I let everyone know that Tilley’s Café and Bakery was just around the corner, so we got back on the bikes and headed towards Kilsyth. Our timing was perfect! The cookies were still warm and we all enjoyed treating ourselves…because we earned it!

From Kilsyth to Sauble Beach for lunch, we had to stop at about 89 km to let the Ladies put their rain gear on! No thunder yet, but with a light rain and BLACK clouds….we were nervous, and fortunately able to get to the Sauble Dunes Restaurant for lunch with only the West Wind to fight. From here we headed out to Sauble Falls, then to Oliphant where we toured the Lonely Island on our way to Pike’s Bay. NOTHING BUT SUNSHINE and a WEST WIND!! Somehow we lost Con as he left the Sauble Dunes Restaurant ahead of us in search of Ice Cream in Sauble Beach, he found the Ice Cream but we couldn’t fine him! So we stopped in Pike’s Bay, where the Ladies and I enjoyed our Ice Cream and then…as Con flew by…Liz yelled at him and we were able to get back together again.

Our next Control was at the Lion’s Head Inn, Lion’s Head. We enjoyed a beverage on the Patio before heading back up the Escarpment to Wiarton. The wife and I noticed the 9 and 10% inclines and fell a little behind Liz and Con before passing them on the downhill section leading to Colpoy’s Bay. Just before Wiarton we were all back together and arrived at the last Control with a few hours in the bank.

Before this ride I made reservations for 10 at Southampton’s Elk and Finch for 19:45. Knowing that Bill Little couldn’t do the ride, I emailed him and told him to join us, but call in and make additional reservations. Bill showed up at the Elk and Finch on time and wondered where we were. He called me on the cell phone and I let him know that we would be late, so asked him to touch base with the Chef Bill Hodgkins and let him know we’d be 1/2 hr late. While standing there, another Lady that he didn’t know heard his discussion with the Chef about the Randonneurs being late for dinner and let him know that 6 of the 10 people who were having dinner with the cyclists were already there! Bill enjoyed meeting everyone and then enjoyed teasing us when we arrived!

Another AWESOME DAY RANDONNEURING!!

Ride Report by Bill Pye:

I walked into the Couche-Tard (a corner store chain in Quebec), at 8:00 PM May 25th. I never ever thought I’d take 13 hours to do a 200. I am in line with a chocolate milk ahead of me is a guy about 6’6″ in front of him is a white haired woman with a file of lottery tickets getting a bunch checked by the clerk arguing that some more should be winners and then buying more. I am beginning to panic. The clerk is very patient and seems to know the woman from previous visits.

I’ve got lots of time to think about the ride. How Teena (my wife) and I left Ottawa at 4 am. She drove and I dozed in the car. We got to St Lambert near the Victoria Bridge at 6 glad Teena had checked the map and we’d taken the Champlain Bridge instead of going for the Victoria because the Victoria was closed for long overdue repairs. I had dozed until about 6:20 started to take the bike off the back of the car when other cars with riders arrived. Jean Robert the organizer had said there would be 15 riders but when I got my brevet card he said that 5 had cancelled.

It was raining and not warm. I rode most of the way to the first checkpoint with Jean Robert. I got the feeling he was lagging back with me. He laughed at the old steel Lemond Tourmalet I was riding (its first brevet despite its age, and last brevet).

“I rode a 15 year old Marinonni for years, got tired of people losing me in the hills. Bought this (referring to a Titanium Marinonni Piuma) and I can stay with anyone.” He implied I should switch to something lighter and newer.

His words were prophetic because after the first checkpoint I lost him and although I tried I could not keep up with a couple from Maine and Rando Montreal rider who despite long conversations mixed with English and French I never got his name. The terrain was rolling and the wind and rain were in our faces. The weather report had said it was going to be light rain all day but I remember only short periods with light rain. Mostly it rained and blew. The wind seemed to change directions to never be at my back except after the leaving the third checkpoint when I missed a turn and had to backtrack 3 km to get back on the route. For those 3 km the wind pushed me, sailing along, it was hard get back on the route with the wind and the rain in my face.

Sometimes the rain seemed to come in sheets. Towards Havelock and then near Lacolle it seemed like the rain had become sleet tapping off my jacket and bike as I rode.

I had the route sheet and a GPS no track but the GPS mapping helped. The only problem was the rain was so bad I could not see the route or GPS. I would stop clean my glasses and double check. After the third checkpoint, I missed the turn because I could not believe I had gotten to the turn so quickly. May be the wind had let up enabling to go faster or I just felt stronger after leaving the Flying J checkpoint. Three kilometres extra I finally realized I had made a mistake. Cleaning my glasses as best I could I checked the route sheet and my GPS and turned back.

I enjoyed the route. It was deja vu. I’d ridden most of these roads at different times on my own when I lived in Pierrefonds or with the Beaconsfield Cycling Club. Most were deserted in standard Quebec shape; bad. I broke my old rule about riding in Quebec never ride with tires below 700 x 28. Paid for it too with two flats from potholes hidden by water. First shortly after I left the second checkpoint Boulangerie (Bakery) trying to catch Jean Robert, the Maine couple and the other Rando, I flatted. Gave up on catching them and just tried to enjoy the ride. I flatted again just after I got back on route after missing the turn.

My bike was heavy and the rain was such that it soaked through everything making me heavier too. But I never felt tired; I just couldn’t go very fast. I climbed a long hill near Hemmingford that started with an elevation of 60 by the GPS and went up to 350 metres at the top. I walked the last bit concerned that if I just pedalled up I would have nothing left when I got to the top. It was the only time I thought I’d get worn out all ride. My worry I now think was mostly in my head. Because like I said I never felt tired. It was pedalling in soup.

Thank God for the wool jersey I was wearing. My rain jacket could not keep all the rain out. The jersey was soaked but still kept me warm. I only started shivering in the last few kilometres as I got to the last checkpoint the Couche-Tarde.

The cashier finally dismissed the lady and her file of lotto tickets gesturing towards the people waiting in line behind her. The big guy in front of me asked Export A cigarettes, and pulled out his lotto tickets. Not so many this time. But I was getting more nervous. It was 8:20. Not much time left. At least, it was warm in the store and I’d stopped shivering. Finally, I got to the front. The clerk reached for my card before I’d even shown it. Said in French, she’d mark 8 PM when I’d first come in. Thank You.

I had two more kilometres to go to the parking lot where Teena was waiting for me. I was shivering now. In shock at how long the ride had taken. Feeling like I should have started slower and paced myself. Thinking about giving up on riding old steel bikes on brevets. And thinking of carrying less on brevets. And weighing less on brevets.

I e-mailed Jean Robert with my time. He got back to me and said it had been the hardest 200 he had ever done. He’s done PBP twice, ridden a lot. He’d checked the weather and the low had gotten down to 2 Celsius.

Earlier on the ride he’d invited me back for their 400 on the first of June. Just a few climbs toward Sutton. I probably will go back but not on the first. But with a different bike, less stuff and hopefully less of me.

It was fun. Lost track of whether I was speaking French or English. Got in touch with a lot of deserted scenic roads. Teena told me on the way back to Ottawa that I’d ridden on the fringe of the African Lion Safari. It explained what I thought were the most aggressive looking cows I’d ever seen. They weren’t cows. They were African water buffaloes I realize now. Wasn’t that tired just felt like I’d been wading all day. I guess I was.