Winter Ride

Since the weather is quite tropical this weekend and all the snow has melted, I decided to grab my bike and join the tri club's monthly winter ride through the city. I didn't have a pump though, so by the time I made it into the city and my tri shop, bought the pump, and was taught how to use it (I have deflated my tires the last time I tried to inflate them), it was quite late, so I rode the planned route backwards to try to catch the group on the way back.

It's a good thing I was late, because I'm told the group was really burning up Don Mills on the way out, and after four months off my bike, I needed some me-time to get reacquainted with my cleats and aero bars. I also still can't make left turns, which turned out to be a boon as it slowed me down even more. I crossed Yonge Street to take Yonge Blvd. up to Wilson, but just as I was going to take off, I saw a group of four cyclists coming down on an adjacent street. I waited for them on a hunch, and it was our group! They were taking a slightly different street back. Had I been more expedient, I would have missed them.

Since they were almost done, we stopped at a cafe for a chat, which was really nice. I was a bit more confident on the final ride back. I'm really glad I let myself have an easy ride on my own terms.

JH, my original tri bike mentor and winter ride leader, commented on how pleased he was that I was finally dressed for winter biking. Winter bib, booties, penguin gloves. I'm learning!

--Distance: 19km, don't laugh
--Duration: with or without stopping for coffee??