June 26, 2015 Riding In Early Morning Fog

At 10 deg C (50 deg F) and really foggy and 6:30 AM, this would not be a preferred day for a ride, in my opinion. But I did. One of my short 30 minute, 12 km (7.5 mi) intense rides. Started out cold and questioning my normally good judgment. Ended feeling awake and refreshed.  

June 25, 2015 Port Elgin-Southampton Bike Trail Loop

A delightful post-workday 23 km, one hour evening ride through the charming towns of Southampton and Port Elgin by way of their phenomenal (Now there's a valuable word for your next Scrabble game!)  multi-use-non-motorized-once-upon-a-time railroad track, which includes 10 km (6 mi) of beautiful Lake Huron shoreline. 

The photos: Green corridor on the Rail Trail; Southampton Main Street (another Time Machine); A stretch of Bike Trail and coastline.

June 23, 2015 Post Storm Ride

A pleasant morning for a ride. But I wasn't sure what I would find. Our region experienced a massive and severe thunderstorm lasting throughout the night. Two tornadoes touched down briefly about 70 km (45 mi) to the south. 

The only obvious damage I could detect were the hundreds of frogs who fled to high ground (paved roads!) only to have a very depressed experience. They became two dimensional. 

Stats: 25 km (15.5 mi). Average speed 16.5 kph (10 mph). Trip time of one hour and forty minutes. 

Speaking of natural and not so natural disasters: You too can have one of these techie looking things near your home. All you have to do is live about 10 km (6 mi) down the road from one of the world's largest nuclear power generating stations. This is a radiation monitor designed to alert you to a hemispheric apocalypse just so you won't miss it and so you will understand the nature of your slow and painful death. Just saying. 

June 22, 2015 training ride and tent photo

Another short ride yesterday as per physiotherapist's orders, just to ease my knee back into motion. 12 km (7.5 mi) in 28 minutes. That's about 24 kph (14 mph). A nice pace for this old guy. 

The photo (Which is totally unrelated to my ride. Kind of like the irrelevant song played with movie end credits): This bicycle tent trailer intrigues me. I can see value. Roll into camp late after a long day pedalling. Unfold your bed. Climb in. Will stay dry even with several inches of rain. Brilliant. But I got to find out more: Like how much does it weigh? Looks like it would be fun pulling up a mountain side, eh?

This Year's Epic Cycling Adventure Is On the Radar: Montreal, Quebec to Tiverton, Ontario

1.227 kilometres (761 miles) of Shelley Brothers Cycling Adventure commences August 7 as Bro Mark and I roll away from the University of Montreal towards and up the St Lawrence Seaway to Toronto, along the shore of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls, then along the shore of Lake Erie to Port Burrell, then inland and north to London, and then Goderich and Tiverton on the shores of Lake Huron. 

Ten days of camping. Two nights in motels. Two nights with hospitable relatives (who simply don't have the nerve to tell their Dad and Uncle "No!" :-)

I'll soon start posting pre-trip trivia, historical and culturally relevant cool stuff, and other adrenaline activating info on this blog and our Shelley Brothers Cycling Adventures Facebook page. 

Hope you'll join us for all or part of the ride (physically or metaphorically). 

Follow the Blue Bine of High Adventure on the map below. 

May 28 2015 Port Elgin to Sauble Beach and Return

Before heading to the office a few Thursday's ago, I lashed Desert Rose (my bike) to the back of Squishy (my VW beetle) so as to be ready for an evening cruise. With daylight lingering until 10 pm, evening rides are fun and cool. 

At the end of my work day I pedalled away from LifeMatters Counselling's Port Elgin office (That was a product placement attempt, btw :-) at 7:00 pm heading north on the very nice Southampton Parkway Bike Trail; a very wide and spacious designated bike lane on the side of a beautiful road lined with charming cottages on one side and lush woodland forest on the other. Most of the time I can catch a glimpse of Lake Huron glimmering just beyond the cottages in the slowly setting sun.   

Before the ride I made a slight adjustment in my seat post height. (I will pay for that for the next few weeks.) 

My destination of motivation was the Dairy Queen in the popular tourist lakeside town know as Sauble Beach (A Lake Huron waterfront community famous for a beach you can drive your car on, and waves you can actually surf. A major summer vacation destination in these parts.). 

But life has its share of disappointments, and alas, after about an hour and a half of intense pedal spinning, Dairy Queen was closed. Disappointment defined. Only open weekends until June. Bummer. The Peanut Buster Parfait would have been enjoyed. 

Instead, I eat a banana and an apple and a handful of almonds before turning my ship homeward. 

I must have also been Cheerios charged as I managed a 23.3 kph (14.3 mph) average for the 2 hours and 20 minutes of seat time over the whole 54.5 km (38.2 mi). A totally delightful ride. 

Felt great when I got back to my car and drove home. I did my post ride stretches, showered, and fell asleep contented. 

But when I woke up Friday morning, a very sore muscle or ligament or something behind my left knee made it almost impossible to bend. 

I sought wisdom from God Google. 

I was enlightened that my 2 cm (.5 in) seat height adjustment, while seemingly small, was actually enough to strain that muscle not accustomed to the new extension length I was asking of it. 

My Treatment (Self diagnosed): One week of muscle recuperating; meaning, no bike riding during that time. 

But as I write this blog entry over two weeks later, I have only pedalled my bike for 15 minutes one day just to discover what it would feel like. My leg did not hurt a bit while pedalling, but the sore bending off the bike persisted. 

So I'm exercising great restraint and not riding anymore until I see my sport physiotherapist in two days. Just want his coaching as to how best to start my training and conditioning again without foolishly causing more damage or a set back. 

In my next blog I'll share my plans for an epic Trans-Provincial two week ride in August which is my motivation to get back into training!

Enjoy the photo journalism that follows. 

Saugeen Rail Trail in Port Elgin take me to and almost all the way through Southampton. 

The northbound designated bike lane on the Southampton Parkway (Bruce Road 13). 

This is me missing that Peanut Buster Parfait. 

The Saugeen River emptying into Lake Huron at Southampton; the oldest port on this shore of the Lake. 

Canda the beautiful, eh?

A Sunday Spin Through the Countryside May 24 2015

A week ago last Sunday I pedalled on some of the few local roads I've never travelled. I headed south from my home through the quaint villages of Armow and Bervie; both nice small communities with a play ground and one or two small businesses. From Bervie I head west towards the bustling town of Kincardine on the shore of Lake Huron. At this point my trek takes me back north and east through Tiverton to my country home. Traversed 58 km (35 mi). Average speed 20.8 kph (12.8 mph). Endured the bike seat 2 hours and 47 minutes. The entire trip took 3 hours. 

Photos: I love the natural shade tunnels created every Spring in these parts, especially appreciated today with the unseasonably high temp of 29 C (84 F) with 82% humidity!.....Main Street Kincardine; works like a time machine. 

May 3 2015 First Ride of the Season

Not wanting to squander my first opportunity for the first ride of the bike season, I lubbed my chain, pumped up my tires and hit the road northwest from my home along the shore road of Lake Huron to my Port Elgin office, then inland southwest to the village of Paisley, then south to home. A big "circle." Beautiful day for a ride. Last stretch from Paisley to home very challenging due to fatigue (I am very out of shape; riding an indoor trainer all winter is not a substitute for conditioning real road-worthy leg muscles!) and extreme headwind. Kind of overdid it for first long ride of the season. But no harm done. Quite the contrary, a good time was had by all, followed by a good night's rest. I rode 80 km (49.6 mi); averaged 14.4 kph (8.9 mph). Pedalling time 5 hours and 33 minutes. Total trip time of 6 hours and 15 minutes. 

Most of this ride was on pavement, but a few kms on the Rotary Club multi-use trail just south of Port Elgin.