Archive for the ‘Cycling’ Category

Cycling the Camino de Santiago, June 2011

Posted on: June 24th, 2011 No Comments

The Camino de Santiago, or Way of Saint James is a Christian pilgrimage that goes back over 1000 years. It can be walked or cycled, so we thought it would be an interesting cycling trip and a way to discover Spain.

We traveled 805 km in 2 weeks on fully loaded mountain bikes, which were converted to semi-trekking bikes. The roads and trails were much more difficult (hilly and rough) than we expected, so this was definitely a pilgrimage. But well worth it.

Aside from the beautiful scenery, villages, and the friendly locals, I think the best thing about this trip was the many people we met from all over the world. Our paths kept crossing, sometimes 3 or 4 times, which made for great friendships along the way.

Many people have personal reasons for doing the Camino, but we didn’t seem to have any, except maybe for the cycling trip. So, I asked people we met what were their reasons. Some had deep personal reasons, but most seemed to be there for the adventure. So that’s it!    Adventure!

I’ve set the photo album up as a chronological ride across northern Spain, so please enjoy, and please read the captions, as that’s where the story lies.

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Biking and Hiking on Manitoulin Island, August 2010

Posted on: August 26th, 2010 No Comments

We’d never been to Manitoulin Island, so we thought that this would be a good time to visit. We took the Chi-Cheemaun ferry from Tobermory to South Baymouth, which was a very relaxing trip. We set up our camp at Mindemoya Court and had a great first 2 days.

However, on the 2nd night, there was a very scary thunderstorm, which pretty much destroyed our tent. We had to spend the night in the car, and were  ready to leave in the morning. But the campsite had a fully equipped 24-foot trailer available, which we rented for the rest of our trip. This seemed like pure luxury!

The cycling is good because the roads are quiet, but not outstanding. But the hiking is very good, as you will see in the photos below. Manitoulin is difficult to get to because of the distance, but a trip there is well worth it.

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Port Credit to Montreal, via the Waterfront Trail, July 2010

Posted on: July 13th, 2010 No Comments

This is a bike tour I’ve wanted to do for several years, and we finally did it. 670 km in 9 days … not a marathon, but there were some very difficult areas, and the last day, on the Route Verte into Montreal, we did 117 km in 33°C heat. We literally rode our bikes out of our garage in Port Credit to Montreal. After a couple of days hanging out in Montreal, we took the Via train back to Toronto, the GO train to Port Credit, then rode back home.

A friend asked me if this trip was fun, but I could not reply with a one word answer…

On the second day, when we couldn’t find food or water, I started wondering what I got myself into. But by the next day, when we finally reached Wellington, in Prince Edward County, we became more relaxed, and started really enjoying the trip.

Along the way, we visited many small Ontario towns and communities whose names we knew previously only from the 401 exit signs. We talked to many people and it’s refreshing how really friendly people are once you’re out of the GTA.

We saw many events and festivals, including Canada Day celebrations. What other large Canadian city other than Kingston, could we actually join the parade, walking our bikes and waving to people on the sidewalks?

The last day was long and very hot, but when we reached the Lachine Canal bikeway, I felt like I was coming home. Although it was too late to celebrate at the usual Atwater park area, we did manage to congratulate ourselves with a bottle of Champagne at Chez Francois (our usual B&B)!

For more information on the Waterfront Trail, visit www.waterfronttrail.org.

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Bells on Bloor, 2010

Posted on: May 29th, 2010 No Comments

Am I now a cycling activist?

Back in the 1980′s, there was a study done in Toronto which recommended that bike lanes be installed on Bloor Street. This is one of the main commuter arteries, covering a large area in central Toronto to downtown.

Well, because of city hall politics, and the general feeling in Toronto that bicycles are just a nuisance, this recommendation has been ignored and put-off ever since. Toronto, compared to many other cities, is in the stone age, regarding cycling routes. So every year, there’s a parade that starts off Bicycle Month (June). This parade starts at High Park and goes to Queens Park. There has been up to 3000 cyclists.

Because of CAN-BIKE involvement, we were asked to volunteer to be bike marshals, and we did. So yes,  I guess I am a cycling activist!

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Teaching my 1st CAN-BIKE 2 Course

Posted on: May 11th, 2010 No Comments

I just finished teaching my 1st CAN-BIKE course at Lamport Stadium on May1, 2 and 8.

Of course, they threw me in head first!

CAN-BIKE 2 happens to be the most advanced, and as assistant instructor, helping Herb, I certainly got my feet wet quick. There were 8 students, and they were a real bunch of troopers. As you can see from the photos, on the last day, we had very heavy rain, and up to 100 km wind gusts. Everyone passed the course, and they all certainly deserved it.

Trying to get out of the rain.

Trying to get out of the rain.

Getting ready to go (in the rain)

Getting ready to go, but we didn't get very dry!

Hurry up and take that photo! I'm getting wet.

Hurry up and take that photo! I'm getting wet.

Wet, slippery, and lots of traffic on Bathhurst

Wet, slippery, and lots of traffic on Bathhurst.

CAN-BIKE Instructor

Posted on: November 19th, 2009 No Comments

Yes, this year, I completed the CAN-BIKE 2 course, and went on to get my instructor certification. I’m now qualified to teach all CAN-BIKE level courses. For 2010, I’ll be teaching possibly in Toronto and Oakville. I took this training with my good friend Bent Fink-Jensen, who is in the process of setting up programs for Oakville. Visit him at tailwindtouring.com.

I got involved with this because commuter cycling is becoming more and more widespread in the GTA and there is a huge vacuum in education, both for cyclists and motorists. There are, increasingly, a lot of very nasty things happening on the roads.

I think that in-traffic cycling education should start at an early age, which is already happening in Toronto, and hopefully very soon in Oakville and Mississauga. I believe that this training for children will eventually make them better motorists, as well. Wouldn’t it be nice if motorists were more cyclist friendly and cyclists were more motorist friendly? Well, it’s happened in Europe, so why not here?

CAN-BIKE has courses to cover everyone starting at the age of 9. I want to be part of this, where I can perhaps “make a difference“.

For more information on CAN-BIKE visit canbike.net and toronto.ca.

Featured in Vistek.ca!

Posted on: September 17th, 2009 No Comments

Hey, I’m so happy about this one! One of my articles was featured on the vistek blog. Check it out at vistek.ca.

The Joy of Photography – On a Bicycle?

Posted on: September 10th, 2009 No Comments

When you’re on a bicycle tour, you feel like you’re part of the landscape, not just riding over it! At least, that’s the feeling I get whenever I’m on a cycling journey.

Digital photography and cycling have both seen a huge upsurge in the last few years. Because of technology, eco considerations, and health concerns, the merging of these 2 pastimes seems natural. There’s no other mode of travel where you can just put your foot down, aim, and shoot, so for a serious amateur photographer like me, the two go together like pedals on a bike.

In this article I’d like to pass on some of my experience, which applies to a single day ride, as well as a multi-day cycling tour. I’ll cover equipment, taking advantage of your opportunities, and final presentation of your work. (more…)