So ... How was the Bike Show?

Where did this weather come from? Traditionally, the Bike Show weekend is the last blizzard of the year, but it couldn't have been further from the truth in 2010. There was no way I was going to spend the weekend looking at bikes when I could be out riding them.

So I prepped the road bike right up to the point of swapping out my trainer skewer, but I didn't want to jinx it so I rode with it in. Secretly, I'm wondering if my trainer days are over ...


Saturday, I decided to ride right from my house via the new house! That's right, a new place in my future. Gerhard and I are moving to the west end as of May 1 -- maybe more on that later. I continued west past our new amazing grocery store and onto Dundas West. Then it was a complicated maze of city streets (mostly with bike lanes ... some without) until finally, at last, the city ended.

Every year it seems to take a little longer to get to that last house or shopping plaza. Sigh. I rode along Lower Baseline for a bit, making sure to ride over my favourite old wooden bailey bridge, and past the curvy river that will be filled with fishermen soon enough. Can't wait for the summer -- that spot gets so green and the sun comes through the trees all golden-like. It's hard to imagine the city just a concession away.

I came home via the College Way/Mississauga Road and the Lakeshore, stopping for a restorative Dr. Pepper, and wishing we lived in the west end NOW, because I would have been home that much sooner. My neck and shoulders definitely weren't ready for 4+ hours in the saddle, but my legs held up great, so I'm happy for that. After the Olympics I was afraid I'd be starting from zero again.

With a great ride under my belt, what more was there to do besides make a healthy dinner, and watch a movie?

Sunday, our spin instructor has decided to take himself to Cuba (whatever!) so the 7am spinning session was to be "self-led". I decided to self-lead myself on another epic solo mission.

I was a little later getting started (blueberry pancakes take time, y'know), so my ride time ended up bumping into sunset, but it was all good. That, and an unepxected training partner decided to join me -- Head Wind. What a re-introduction to riding outdoors. This time, I decided to drive to basically the same place I left off the day before and continue from there, skipping city roads, lack of bike lanes and traffic lights for a more consistent workout.

I saw a few funny things -- like snowmobilers out in the 7 degree sunny afternoon. I don't think I've ever waved to a snowmobile from my bicycle before.

The GPS did most of the driving, but I did manage to get lost anyway. I thought I was on a bikely.com route, and then all of a sudden while we were on our way to Belfountain, it started chirping "U-turn" at me although I know I was going the right way. Just as well, because I think I was about as far as I ought to have gone at that point.

By the end, I was so happy to see the van where I parked it. I hopped in, cranked the heat and drove home ... and pretty much went straight to bed.

All told, the weekend total was about 190km. Stoked.