I wrote much of this post on the Thursday before the Easter long weekend. I should add that I set a goal for myself for that weekend, Friday I would ride to Newmarket (Vivan Road) and then if I felt up to it, and there was time, return via Ressor Road. Saturday I would ride with my brother however far he could go. Sunday ride to Milton, ideally Derry Rd. and Appleby Line. But enough of that, on to my thoughts!
I found an alternate route home that avoids Queen Street. It is a lot longer, but given the improved weather, extending a bike ride by a few kilometers seems like a really good idea with or without road repair. So for the next little while I will be riding along Richmond to Simcoe, down Simcoe to Front, across Front to Bathurst down Bathurst to the Martin Goodman trail, the trail to the Humber river, turn 180 degrees and return home, ensuring to come north at around York or Yonge to avoid construction on Queens Quay. (Yes I am doubling back and covering the same ground twice, but unlike someone stuck inside their mobile killing machine cum mobile jail, I want the longer journey home.)
On my ride "home" from work I saw a guy on decent road bike going the other way as I neared the Humber, as was my plan I turned around shortly thereafter and with a reasonable effort was able to catch up and then let him draft. All things being equal it was a good hammerfeast for both of us. Except, I had my backpack, with office attire, and assorted bric-a-brack that besides adding drag must have contributed something in the neighbourhood of 10 or 15 pounds. The other guy had... well he was dressed for speed, he had nothing extraneous.
Of course I was on Erin and all I need do is get on her after a few days on the Coppi to remember how fast she is. This morning as I saddled up on Erin for the first time since Sunday - the weather was lousy until today - I could not believe how light Erin had become (no nothing actually happened to her, I was just used to the Coppi). Well I started to pedal and it was as if Erin was not capable of going slow, she needs to be fast, faster than anyone else out there.
Speaking of things that happened today, I was talking to our co-op who will be going back to school in a few weeks. He, like me, is a Waterlooser, only I have paid my debts to society, having served my full 32 month sentence (8 months per school year, times 4 years for a Bachelors degrees.) Waterlooser University is a bizarre place, it is located at just the wrong place, I.e. Not in a real city (Toronto, New York, Montreal, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and Miami being the only 7 real cities in the Eastern Time Zone.) Not only is Waterloo not exactly my favourite town, suffering from a lack of culture that staggers the mind, not only do the local residents HATE the students who provide so many jobs, in bars, restaurants, night clubs, pool halls, hospital stomach pumps, but the University has what must be some of the ugliest architecture among some of the most condescending staff this side of a sphere we call Earth. (Yes I have lots of fond memories of my undergraduate years.)
Actually Waterloo is not that bad a place, its just that for a city boy like me, well let me put it this way. I live in Toronto, have all my life. I don't have a particular problem with Canadians who do not live in Toronto, I just don't particularly want to live the same way they do, i.e. they do not live in a big city. Yet the number of times I have heard someone from rural Canada, (and here Rural Canada can be anything from a town of over a hundred thousand souls to a one horse town out on the parries) start ragging on Toronto, "its dirty", "the people are rude", "I got lost", "there is so much crime", yadda yadda yadda.
The fact is Canadians love to beat up on my home and frankly I'm really sick of it. First of all, by one estimate that is now about ten years old, Toronto contributes $13 billion in taxes more than we get back, (in hospitals, government pork, whatever else) that works out to about $4000 for every man woman and child in the city. Second Toronto's violent crime rate is, per capita significantly lower than many other places in Canada. For example, I believe per capita Saskatoon is the murder capital of Canada. (Attention people of Saskatchewan, I will never accuse you of being boring!)
For a city of about 3 million people Toronto is clean, you want to see dirty, take a walk down 5'th Avenue New York in a July heat wave, in any case, I do not choose to live here because of the clean streets. As for rude, well, after all the insults I read in the comments section of online Globe and Mail articles about Toronto, you expected me to be polite? Wow you must think very highly of me! And you got lost? Well I have this to say, first there is nothing more interesting to do in a big city then getting lost, that's how you discover the great restaurants, museums and galleries. Second, 3 million people!! Hello!! They all need space, it stands to reason that its going to be a big confusing place, buy a map.
Anyway I vented on Waterloo, but to Canadians outside of Toronto, stop pissing on my home or you are next! (And there are plenty of skeletons in every closet.)
Its Monday now and here are the bike rides I did.
Friday I did get to Vivian but I had to turn for home early. I was on Alex (the brand new Transition) and the front derailleur cable came loose so I had to get proper tools to fix it. Still 110km, not bad for a Tri/TT bike, especially on the hills.
This is what I did with my brother. If he gets clip in pedals, an index shifter I am in trouble, if he ever goes full carbon on his frame, I am toast. It was easy to keep ahead of him, but that could change without too much effort or money on his part.
I didn't quite make Appleby, but I knew the tail wind I had going out was too nice, if I kept going I was not sure if I would make it home again. As I was going home, my iPod battery died. (Given how low the volume is and it is only playing music, I thought that a rather unimpressive battery.) Anyway about half an hour later, on 6'th line just south of Britannia I had to stop, I had one foot on the ground and was resting on the saddle for a good minute or so when a couple guys (cyclists) passed, the lead guy yelled "Heads" and as he passed he yelled "look out" and then "don't ride with headphones". Frankly I am not sure what is more dangerous here, his inability to judge weather or not I am an object in motion or his inability to avoid a stationary object.
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