2009 Bells on Bloor

One more year, one more Bells on Bloor (BoB) ride and we don't have yet a bike lane on Bloor Street. I had a flat when arriving at Queen's Park.

2009 Biketrain Niagara Falls, NOTL

Picture: Union Station

Day 1

40K Toronto, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL)

We checked in at the Bikechain table at Union Station, received the train tickets and a map of the cycling routes on the Niagara Region. For CAD $31 one-way you bring your bike with you, no need to dissamble anything or remove anything; exactly, just like that: your bike.

1:00 pm. We arrived at the Niagara Falls train station which is just minutes away from the busy/popular Falls. We headed North bound to cute Niagara-on-the-Lake and from the station we rode up the Niagara Recreational Parkway. It took us about 40 minutes to arrive to NOTL. After settling in our hotel we went to ride around the wineyards and were back on time for a Shaw theatre play. My friends and I would liked to ride longer.

Day 2

40K Niagara-on-the-lake, Welland Canal, Niagara Falls

We had to be at the station at 1:30 pm to catch the 2:15 train taking us back to Toronto. We felt a bit rushed and longed for more time. From NOTL we headed to the Welland Canal starting at the St.Catharines area. The Welland Canal is superb. At the nearly end of our ride a friend got a flat and he had no spare tubes. A convenience store helper called a cab for him and we continued our ride to the station.

Pic: train station Niagara Falls

Putting the bikes in the train

2009 "Cyclon" ...thinking on signing up

too tempting...but will be riding the Northern portion of Lake Huron instead. Pictures and stories will follow.

2009 Undusted, Tuned Up & Counting

2009 Mileage...growing

2009 August (Scheduled): Seaway Trail, NY Upstate

...Getting ready and coordinating a ride starting at Niagara Falls NY., passing by Olcott, Holley, Sodus Point, Oswego, Cape Vincent, Wolfe Island. Ends at Kingston, ON.

2009 "Ride For Heart" 75K

uff...75k. good stuff.

picture: CNE Toronto

picture: a turtle wanted to cross the "Don Valley Parkway"...

2009: A bicycle ticket (Toronto)

Some counting...

From August 2006 to the October 2008 I accummulated 2,435 Km. This figure does not include my daily commute to work which would add 250K more.

The picture below has "photoshop" effects. In case u r wondering.

2009: Undusting the DeVinci

This is is the amount of dust my DaVinci catches after being parked in the basement for a long winter. I guess I breath some of this dust when I walk in here.

2008 Etobicoke, Lakeshore

...a Sunday morning ride on Toronto's lakeshore; I took this curious picture.

2008: 21 cyclists doing Ottawa-Quebec City

We were ...21 cyclists @ an average of 112 km x day x cyclist x 5 days = 11,760 km!!




Day One: 118 Km
Departure: Ottawa - Destination: Hawkesbury
Terrain: flat, great and green.
We passed by Orleans, Lefaivre, L'Original, Rockland among other towns.

Day Two: 113 Km
Hawkesbury to Montreal. Entered Montreal through Canal Lachine.

Day Three: 112 Km
Montreal - Berthierville (hometown of Gilles Villeneuve)

Day Four: 118 Km
Berthierville - St.Anne de la Perade

Day Five: 95 Km
St.Anne de la Perade to Quebec City

A picture on the last day of our ride.

2008 Bells on Bloor

Zoraida's Profile in "I Bike Toronto"

My profiles on TFO television: click on the link below...

http://www2.tfo.org/Panorama/Video/4383

My profile on ibike Toronto's blog

http://www.ibiketo.ca/node/1599#comment-1907

Photoshoping cycling pictures

2007 Atlantic Canada 5-Day Tour

Picture: red sand beaches at Stanhope












Picture: garage door (Nova Scotia)

picture: riders in Summerside, PEI

Day 1
101 Km
Ride: Moncton-Confederation Bridge-Summerside
Level of difficulty: uhmmm...not difficult
hickup: thunder showers on Km 101, it was so cold and windy I couldn't finish the last 24 Km :(

Day 2
116 Km
Route: Summerside - Malpeque - Cavendish - Stanhope - Charlottetown
Simply put: gorgeous scenic hilly ride; would do it all over again.

Day 3
77 Km
Route: Charlottetown - Cherry Valley - Wood Islands - Pictou

Day 4
110 Km
Route: Pictou - Truro

Day 5
114 Km
Truro - Halifax

Picture: waiting to get on the ferry to Nova Scotia. Exciting moment!

2007 Bancroft (Ontario)

Picture: Diamond Lake

Picture: downtown Bancroft

Diamond Lake cottage, Highlands.

2007 London - Port Franks - Bayfield (Ontario)

295K
LONDON-PORT FRANKS-BAYFIELD and BACK...


Not having a car can not be an excuse not to ride out of the city.
Get on a VIA train with your bike...
Level of difficulty of the terrain: 1 (in a 1 to 5 scale)
Budget: $400
Highlights of this ride: people's friendliness; the beaches at Grand Bend; the beauty of Bayfield.

DAY 1:
Toronto-London by VIA rail (check baggage train)
Sleep over in London (accommodation at UWO)
Baggage: less than 5 pounds of luggage on the rear rack. I snacked at the local farms which sold fresh fruits ready to eat or "pick-it yourself".
-Maps: used Map # 6 of the Ontario Cycling Association [not always clear but one can figure it out]
DAY 2: 90K
London-Port Franks
Departed from the University of Western Ontario;
passed by Lobo, Ailsa Craig, Theford
Highway 7 can be busy at times; truck drivers were not bike friendly. It is intimidating to see 8000 tons of steel so close to your derriere.
Accommodation: I stayed at Bee n' Bee B&B. Gorgeous place; 5/5 star. Their website does not reflect the beauty, cleanliness, friendliness, and peacefullness of this great relaxing place.
















DAY 3: 117K
Port Franks-Bayfield-Port Franks
Please don't take highway 21! Don't tell me I didn't warn you. The shoulders are not paved.
My suggestion is: take Bronson Road and ride North to Bayfield; this road is not only beautiful but quiet; very few cars, no trucks. Bayfield is a gorgeous little town 48K North of Port Franks.
Ideally, you would sleep over at Bayfield and ride the next morning North to Goderich. I didn't have the time so I rode back to Port Franks.


DAY 4: 88K
Port Franks-London
On this day I rode mostly on Highway 17 and catched the 4 pm train back to Toronto. I checked in my bicycle with VIA Rail and they shipped it the next morning. I picked the bicycle up the next day and received it in good condition.

What Would I have done differently?

-I would avoid Highway 21; I would have shipped my bicycle out of Toronto to London one day earlier and this way I would not have had to sleep over in London; I should have brought a regular road map in addition to my cycling map.

Tips

John Schubert's "Cycling for Fitness"

"European racers have rice cakes, dried fruits and fruit tarts"

"Don't eat within one hour of starting time, or you'll depress your blood sugar level with an insulin reaction...dilute those heavily sugared drinks by at least one"

"a pound of fat on your ribs slows you down"

"Long rides develop the body's ability to burn fat rather than glucose"

"If cycling has a drawback as exercise, it's the lack of stretching. Because muscles naturally tighten up when you exercise them, and because you don't need much range of motion to ride a bike"

Sore Back?

[picture: taken at Central Park, NY]

This picture is a mirror of my sore back. I injured it because my saddle was too far back and I was stretching too much.

When your back sores, do you take painkillers?

2007 Cyclism @ MoMA, NY

Wheels and Art intersect at the Museum of Modern Art of NY.

2007 New York City

(

I rented a bicycle at Eddie's Bicycle (83rd W & Amsterdam). It is not far from Central Park West. They were extremely friendly and have it all -helmets, bottles, you name it. I would come back.

2006 Season Training Log

Picture: Rose Garden-Scarborough Bluffs

Apr 30: 16K
May 5: 40K

Jun 4: 60K

Jun 5: 35K

Jun 11: 60K

Jun 13: 40K

Jun 17: 90K

Jun 18: 103K

Jun 20: 35K

Jul 3: 50K

Jul 6: 40K

Jul 8: 65K

Jul 10: 68K

Jul 13: 80K

Jul 18: 90K

Jul 20: 50K

Jul 30: 85K

Aug 2: 26K

Aug 5: 78K

Aug 6: 91K

Aug 7: 64K

Aug 11: 41K

Aug 13: 85K

Aug 14: 100K

Aug 15: 110K

Aug 17: 116K

Aug 18: 105K

Aug 19: 103K

Aug 23: 64K

Aug 31: 61K

Aug 25: 92K

Cought a cold...end of my season!

2006 Toronto-Montreal Tour

Being on 2 wheels for one week gave me a sense of freedom and empowerment not felt before. I empowered my legs...my body. I am more aware of what my body can achieve.

I went with a tour organized by "Cycle Canada". They are good. I would do it all over again. I liked the group very much.

Physical strenght is not enough to ride from 80 to 110 km per day; mental visualization is key as well.

...What would I have done differently? I would start the rides as early as 6:00 a.m. to avoid the afternoon "canicule". I would have done one more week.

Day 1: 92K (Kilometers)

Toronto-Bowmanville. Flat, easy. I rode slowly to make sure that I would make it to the end of the day. We departed from the Old City Hall building in downtown Toronto.

Day 2: 98K Bowmanville-Brighton; not difficult. Beautiful scenery.

We stayed at a beautiful gorgeous b&b on Brighton (Butler Creek on 202 County Road 30). They served us a nutritious, delicious, but more importantly a healthy breakfast. The two owners of the B&B had two beautiful vintage cars from the 40's (like taken out of a movie set) and they drove us downtown Brighton for dinner.

me? I am wearing the not-too-sexy "bubble shorts" and colourful maillot! and of course, my legs are two coloured.

Day 3: 125 K Brighton-Kingston - Rode on the Glenora Ferry. We stayed at the St. Lawrence College residences.

Day 4: This is our day off. However, the night before I took the train back to TO for a job interview. I returned on the same day to continue with day 4.

Day 5: 115K - Kingston to Prescott Awesome. We rode by the St. Lawrence river. Unbelievably gorgeous scenery. Not difficult, rather flat. We had a very hot afternoon sun.

All in all I was still in good shape.

Could a cyclist ask for more? I was enjoying an almost-free painless "derriere". I was developing calluses on my sitting bones/muscles/ cartilages and that was wonderful if one keeps in mind that I did not use any cushioned-camel pant that protect your buttocks.

It was like "nothing comes between me and my uncushioned-cycling shorts" -just like the Calvin Klein add of the 80's which showed Brooke Shields in a Calvin Klein jeans saying "Nothing comes between me and my jeans". ...there you go...and she has two baby girls now!

DAY 6: Prescott-Lanscaster; 116 K
The afternoon was soooooo hot, I wasn't sure I was going to make it. Unlike the previous days, today I stopped to take a break from the burning sun. Robert and I were the first ones to arrive to the motel. I promissed myself that I would start at 6:45 a.m. the next day when we will be doing Lancaster-Montreal. Other than the heat, the ride was not difficult.

DAY 7: 116K - Lancaster-Montreal

...and now the end is near...yeah, and now I was nearing the end of the ride. A wonderful feeling of anticipation...the entrance to Montreal was great. There were many other cyclists on the city's bike paths. Montreal is really a cyclists' haven...oohhh Toronto, I wish you had all the bike lanes that Montreal has...

I wonder what kind of work Montrealers have done to get all these beautiful bike lanes. They even have street lights for cyclists. Is it because they speak French? Should we start all speaking French in Toronto? Could someone explain me why Montrealers have the most developed bicycle paths in Canada? I just don't get it. I am jelous and envious.

2006 Kingston, Ontario (Cyclon)

August 4-7, 2006

Day 1: 78K

Day 2: 94K

Day 3: 64K

Cyclon is a long-weekend event organized by the Toronto Bicycle Network. A fellow cyclist kindly gave me a ride to Kingston, and I am grateful for that. We are lodged at the student residences of Queen's University which is almost at the footsteps of Lake Ontario. Cyclon worked out very well for me because it helped me to prepare for my big ride: Toronto-Montreal.

The Kingston area has tremendous hills, let along the headwind. The bandana makes me look funny but it kept my head cool. It does feel different when you protect your head.

For the first time, I had the opportunity to experience a "peloton"... very convenient on such a challenging landscape. The more experienced pelotons were arriving first; I imagine they have been in the business for what? ten years? My peloton encouraged me to keep up with their pace. However, at some points I got tired of the "peloton" pressure and went solo.

2006 Cyclists and the Voluntary Simplicity

The more I cycle the more I respect my body, develop a taste for a "simple life", want to be in touch with nature, and admire the voluntary simplicity life.

How about you?

Check out Judith Levin's book "Not Buying It" (voluntary simplicity life) .

2006 Bicycle Related Movies, Music, Books

• The Bicycle Thief -Score: 9/10; it is about emotions; survival; do not expect competition or that kind of stuff (1949).
• 2 Seconds - Score = 9/10; good stuff; funny at times; more importantly, it is made in Canada, 1990s)
• Je Reste= 6/10; it is a light movie, funny at times, bike freaks must watch this one. France (1990s)?
• "My Bike & Other Friends" (Henry Miller, yeap, believe it or not!)
• "I Want to Ride Bicycle" (Queen's CD)
• "A Ride for a Wife" (haven't seen it)
• "Wheels of Chance" (1896)
• "Bicycle Tips" book (Ed Pavleska)
• "The Canadian Cycling Association's Complete Guide to Bicycle Touring in Canada" book (Katz, Elliot)
• "Bike Cult The Ultimate Guide to Human-Powered Vehicles" book (David B. Perry)
• "Breaking Away" movie (watched: 7.9/10); USA (1970s?)
• "Quicksilver" movie (not watched yet)

2006 Inspiring Stories of Cycling Nomads

Picture: Singing Sands at the Bruce Peninsula











"Claude and Francoise Herve left the easy security of their home, car and careers in Lyons, France, to share a globe-trotting adventure of fourteen years and lost 100,000 miles" (David B. Perry's Bike Cult"

"Albert Leblanc, from Maria, Quebec cycled round the world about three times" (David B. Perry)

2006 David B. Perry's "Bike Cult"

Picture at the shores of Lake Huron/Bruce Trail















David B. Perry's "Bike Cult The Ultimate Guide to Human-Powered Vehicles" is a bicycle information tank. The author discusses the history of the bicycle, its use as a vehicle of transportation, competitive and recreational bicycling, the politics, the professional cyclists' diet...

Picture description: my Devinci at Dyer's Bay/Bruce Peninsula.

Excerpt from Perry's book:

"Bicycle eye: afflict cyclists today and is caused by a painful uncertainty whether to look for the arrival of the floor from the front, behind, or one side, and once fixed upon the countenance can never be removed. " P.165.

Massage is important for muscle recuperation, especially after a ride...The immune system is usually enhanced by cycling, yet the stresses of long distance cycling can weaken de body's defenses again bacteria and viruses (page 169).

2006 Toronto's Yonge Street

Picture: Black Creek, Toronto.

I went to have lunch in a very nice Middle-east restaurant located on the East side of Yonge Street, three blocks north of Davisville subway station (can't remember the name) .

I was sitting next to the window and while waiting for the bill and I noticed that a number of cyclists passed by. I decided to start counting and got an average of 1.5 riders per minute. Time to have a bike lane on Yonge Street?


Cyclistically yours, The Cycling Citizen

2006 Ed Pavelska's Cycling Tips

I just finished reading Ed Pavelka's book "900 All-Time Best Tips". A hundred and something pages with tips that enrich an avid cyclist's life.

Tips include -among other things- nutrition, long-rides, mountain biking advice, and the like.

The author answered my "runny-nose question". I do not suffer from any seasonal allergies but get runny nose only when I ride on temperatures close to 20 oC. Pavelka explains that a runny nose (similar to having a cold) may be due to vasomotors rhinitis (page 82). I was glad to find an answer to my four-year-old question.

2006 Summer Training Log

picture: Cherry Beach, Toronto


I am quite comforable doing 45K/day - no effort required.
My goal this summer is to increase my distance to 65K to 105K/day; speed is not important to me, however, endurance is.

Week 1 (Toronto)
July 3: 50K
July 6: 40K
July 8: 68K (mild low-back tiredness)

Map: Humber River North West and riding on both branches. Starting at Yonge & Eglinton, northbound to Towntree Mills Park, southbound to Summerlea Park, northbound again to Humberwood Park and back.

Week 2 (Toronto)
July 11: 68K. Avg. speed 25K/hr; flat terrain
July 13: 80 K

Week 3 (in Tobermorey's Lion's Head)
July 18: 90 K
July 19: 1 hr walk
July 20: 50 K

Week 4
July 25: rest
July 27 : 1 hr/gym.
July 30: 85K

Week 5 (Kingston, ON)
Aug 2: 26K
Aug.6-7-8: Cyclon

Week 6
Aug 11: 41K
Aug 12 (last day before depature to Montreal!)

I never got to do 100K during my "training period". However, I did reach the 90K in one of my Cyclon days in Kingston. This reassures me and makes me think that I could do 10K more without a problem.

2006 Toronto-Niagara-Toronto (TNT)

Total ride: 193 kilometers - TBN club

Day one: Sat. June 17= 90 K

Route: Stoney Creek (Hamilton) - St. Catharines - Niagara Falls
Level of difficulty: low to medium; killer afternoon heat.

Group: everyone rushes trying to get into Niagara as early as possible.



Day two: Sun.June 18= 103 K
Route: Niagara Falls - Niagara on the Lake - Stoney Creek (Hamilton)



























A welcome cake courtesy of the Maple Leaf Motel.

2006 Lake Wilcox, Ontario

60K
Easy roller
Toured with the Toronto Bicycle Network
Toronto-Lake Wilcox- Toronto

Nasty head wind



http://www.richmondhill.ca/documents/heritage_lake_wilcox.pdf

2006 Toronto Ride for Heart

Fundraising Ride for Heart
50 K in 1 H 50 min
Sunday 8:15 a.m.


Banana anyone?












Checking-in...bellies in...



No...this is not my car...but seems convenient.

2006 My stolen bike: good old story in Toronto

My stolen bike: good old story in Toronto
















On May 31 I bouth a new bicycle.

Brand: DeVinci (made in Quebec)

Aluminum frame: can't believe how fast I can go.

Computer installed so I can track how many kilometers I do.
two water bottle cases
women design saddle (nice!)
Bought at Cyclepath on Yonge St. South of Eglinton.

Her name is: "La inca"
My bike was stolen at the Eglinton Shopping Centre only four weeks after I bought it.

2006 May Bicycle Week Toronto

2006 Toronto's bike week started on May 29. Thousands of cyclists met at the Second Cup south of Bloor (at Yonge) and headed off to City Hall.

2005 Bike Racks on TTC buses

On one of my Sunday rides, I tested the bike rack service on the Bathurst (#7?) bus.

I had a good experience. The driver was patient and friendly.

While in Vancouver buses with bike racks have been operating for at least 10 years, it is a new "thing" in Toronto.

Hopefully Toronto will continue to get "civilized" and the TTC will adopt buses with bike racks in all routes.

Sure...dream...

2005 Sept. 18 TBN Toronto Scenic Tour Cynthia

70K
Cynthia's Scenic Tour offered by the TBN
easy roller

Pickering-Oshawa-Pickering 2005

70K
5 hours
Solo Tour
Could have gone farther for another 2 hours, up to Clarington maybe?
Easy ride, beautiful sight

2005- Aug 28? Toronto

40K
Eglinton-Eglinton West-Humber

Toronto-Ajax-Toronto September 2005

70K
Via Lakeshore
Nice and easy ride
Stopped at quiet beach and took a break.

Toronto-Vandorf-Unionville-Toronto 2005

70Km
TBN guided ride
Level of difficulty: not difficult
sorry no pics.

2005 - June 13 Cap Aid Ride Toronto

25 K

Team: Annabelle, Zoraida, Nathalie

On the back: smogged Toronto

Where are we? Leslie Pit

2005 - June 5 BECEL Ride for Heart 50K

50K
more than 10,000 people
Crowded at times

What I loved the most? the feeding stations!
8:15-8:45 departure
We were a team of four and made it in about 2.5 hours.

2005 Toronto -Bronte Creek - Toronto

90K
Toronto-Burlington-Toronto via Lakeshore
Camping: not my thing, really.
We were four: 2 cyclists, 2 car drivers.

Gema, where are the pictures?

2005 Toronto-Alliston-Toronto

170Km
Day 1: 100 Km
Day 2: 70 Km
Overnight in Alliston

Level of difficulty: medium; it has hills; nasty head wind but I loved the challenge.

I paired up with another woman, got lost somewhere and had to call for support on my 100th kilometer!

2005 Montreal, Part I

picture: "Parc Linear" (Quebec)

Distance: 50K/day x 6 days= 300K

Level of Difficulty: mostly flat terrain, easy ride in bicycle lanes. Fine gravel. Signs everywhere.

Rides North of Montreal: Park d'Oka, St Eustache, Linear Park (south portion only), St. Anne de Bellevue, Vieux Port, Lachinne, Ile Bizard.

The "Parc Linear" has gentle hills and the gravel is very fine. Fee of $5 to use the "Parc" and you can pay it in any of the many stations in the park. I heard that the north portion is paved. There is a bicycle bus that charges about $60 and they take you to the northest point of the path and you can start your ride.

Weather: Perfect: no rain, mild temperatures, warm enough not to need a jacket (during the 2nd week of September).

Accommodation: Very affordable accommodation and excellent meals at Abbeye Deux Montagnes.

I checked-in my bike as baggage in VIA RAIL; no need to disassemble or remove anything. You pay about $15 and you put your bike inside a plastic bag provided by VIA. Once in Montreal I rode to the suburban train station "Canora". From there I took the train (with my bicycle) and got off at "Deux Montagnes". Bikes are not allowed in the suburban trains during rush hours.

What would I have done differently?

I would have riden the whole Petit Train du Nord (Parc Linear or Bass Laurentides) from begining to end "bout au bout".

The Best: People's friendliness, delicious food, and green landscape, great bike paths everywhere. A definite come back!

2005 Montreal et Deux-Montagnes, QC - Part II

350K

A one-week Solo tour. Brought my bike on VIA Rail.

Sept. 19

11:30 a.m. VIA train Toronto-Montreal

5:00 pm. arrive in Montreal and ride to the "Canora" suburban train station. Bikes are only allowed after rush hours (heures de point).

6:00 p.m. I wait for the Canora train northbound. It is an open air station. Darkness is setting in. It is very quiet. I decide to leave my bike alone for 1 minute while I walk up the stairs to make a call to the Abbeye. I need to inform the head sister of the monastery in Abbeye Deux Montagnes -where I am staying- that I will be arriving a bit late. I know that the monastery closes its doors at 8:00 p.m. When I come back to the train platform, I notice that my backpack is gone ...stolen? But, who? there wasn't anybody here when I parked my bike. Hell!

I start to walk around the station. Not a soul! I see a dark and bushy alley, and hesitate. I am not sure whether I should go in and check if my backpack is in there. I am scared but I need my clothes. Fortunately, I had taken my wallet and my bike light with me when I went to make the phone call. Well, I decide to walk in the dark alley...my heart is beating fast and I am scared. What if the thieft is there?

I turn on the bike light and flash the area..I see my blue backpack, it was opened and my clothes were all over! I took a deep breath and ran into the alley to grab my stuff. Many thoughts flew my mind in a split of a second: trespassing, violation of private property, am I gonna get killed here?

As I was running out of the dark alley with all my stuff all over me, the southbound train was stopping at the station. The driver stepped out of the train, and yelled at me: "is everything ok?". I must have looked funny with my clothes in my shoulders, head and everywhere. I thought there was no point to mention my recent experience. I yelled back: "tout est beau, merci".

I rushed to the northbound train platform as I knew that my train (the last one of the day) was coming soon.

My train arrived. I felt safer now. I hang the bicycle by the wheel (that's the way it is done in the suburban train in Montreal) and sat on my seat. I started to deconstruct the theft. A mature darked skinned man had asked me at the station "have you lost something?" I noticed that he was holding his hand inside his jacket, like hiding something. But he looked fine to me, so I just responded quickly: "I lost my backpack". ..I had not idea that he had stolen my little "Grundig" radio that had cost me over $100 and was hiding it under his jacket.

The rest of the week went great. I met other friendly cyclists and did the south portion of the "parc lineaire" from Gare St. Adele to Gare St. Jerome. (sorry no French accents available here). There is a $5 charge to use the park lineaire and you can pay it at any of the stations or stops. Restaurants in the parc are just delicious.

2004 Burlington-Hamilton-Oakville

50K Burlington-Hamilton-Burlington
Solo tour
2 flats (go figure!)
terrain: part of a trail is in gravel
The trail starts at McMaster University

11:00am. GO Train Toronto-Burlington
Ride through Burlingon, pass MacMaster University, Royal Botanical Gardens.
The Hamilton-Cambridge trail is just amazing. Worth the ride.

2004 Niagara Falls and Crystal Beach, ON

110K
Tour partner: Emily Daveluy
Level of Difficulty: very easy.

Scenery: It is one of the best rides I have done in Canada. The stop at Crystal Beach was refreshing although we couldn't spot the bathrooms and had to change into our swimsuits...behind a towel.

9:00 am. Greyhound bus Toronto-Niagara Falls
10:30 a.m. arrival at the Yellow Jersey in Niagara and rented the bikes. very friendly place.
11:00 Start ride
5:00 p.m. stop at Crystal Beach
6:30 Head back to the bus station via Snyder road (# 116)
10:00 p.m. under the darkness of the night we dropped the bikes at the shop (which was already closed) and ran to catch the last bus heading to Toronto. Unfortunately we did not make it on time, and hopped on the 1:00 a.m. bus. Exhausted...

What would I do differently?
I would leave Toronto earlier in order to return back earlier. Or, would stay overnight in the Niagara region.

2004 Aug. 28 - Cambridge Ontario

Grade: easy ride, nice, gravel.
40K

A "solo" tour. It rained but it was worth it. Cambridge old downtown is gorgeous.

I took an early morning Greyhound bus from Toronto. It is not a long drive. Upon arrivel in Cambridge, I rented a bike from a shop that is walking distance to the bus station stop.

2004 Aug 21 Bay of Quinte, Ontario

Level of difficulty: rather flat with some rolling hills.
Scenery: indescriptibly gorgeous...

80K
7:00 am. train Toronto-Belleville (by VIA)
9:30 a.m. A taxi took us from Belleville to Bloomfield ( 15 min ride)
10:15 a.m. arrive at Bike rental shop and get our bikes (we were three)
excellent service! amazing people!
11:00-6:00 p.m. Riding
Stop at winery and dinner in Bloomfield.

2003, Canada...is also a "Ford" nation

Ontario builds "40o highways" while its citizens develop fatty tissue around their (or our?) bellies?

I am a car-less cycling citizen. I started to get frustrated as I was not able to take my bike in any "via rail" of "GO" trains in Ontario. I am not sure if you have tried it yourself, but getting around the province with your bike is quiet a task. For instance, I wanted to go to Niagara Falls by VIA train, but this "corridor" does not allow bikes in the train.

Disassembling my bike -as Greyhound asked me to do- is too much specially if you only plan to go to towns outside of Toronto.

(Picture: the beautiful eyes of my 3-year old nephew Mateo Anaya. He lives in Rocherster, NY).

2003 Niagara Falls, Ontario

In the summer of 2003 I went to Niagara Falls by bus, and rented a bicycle at the "Yellow Jersey". Amazing service! They are located a few steps from the bus and the train stations in Niagara Falls. The ride is easy, flat. I rode on the Parkway up to Niagara-on-the-Lake and back.

2002 Exploration Rides

It is my first summer in Toronto.

Just like in Vancouver, I wanted to buy a second-hand bicycle that I would use to do my errands. Also, it would help me explore Toronto.

Most rides were along the Lakeshore from Cherry beach up to the Humber Bridge and back, the Don Valley. I discovered the city, its paths. I was just starting to build up endurance and my max. ride is 45 min rides, one and two hours long.