The picture below has "photoshop" effects. In case u r wondering.
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.
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: 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 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.
Zoraida's Profile in "I Bike Toronto"
My profiles on TFO television: click on the link below...
My profile on ibike Toronto's blog
2007 Atlantic Canada 5-Day Tour
Picture: red sand beaches at StanhopePicture: 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
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
Picture: downtown BancroftDiamond 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.
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"
"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 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
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!
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 went with a tour organized by "Cycle Canada". They are good. I would do it all over again. I liked the group very much.
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 when riding 80-110 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 additional 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 Bed and Breakfast on Brighton (Butler Creek on 202 County Road 30). They served a nutritious, delicious, but more importantly a healthy breakfast. The two owners of the BandB had two beautiful vintage cars from the 40's (like those taken out of a movie set) and they drove us downtown Brighton for dinner.
me? I am wearing the not-so-sexy "bubble shorts" and colourful maillot! and of course, my legs are two coloured.
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.
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.
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.
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 gave me a ride to Kingston. We are lodged at the grad student residences of the Queen's University campus. 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 alone headwinds. The bandana I wear 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 live a "peloton" experience... 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 point I got tired of the "peloton" pressure and went solo.
For the first time, I had the opportunity to live a "peloton" experience... 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 point I got tired of the "peloton" pressure and went solo.
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