First Ride of the Season

Cervélo R3 similar to what my friend bought

I went for my first ride of the season last week. My friend, Jenny, called me up and asked if I wanted to go out. She had bought a new bike over the winter from Wheels of Bloor and was going to take it in for a bike fit. They were going to adjust it to fit her body and riding style.

I have to say I was quite jealous. Jenny had bought a Cervélo R3 road bike. It was beautiful. And she got a great deal to boot. Cervélo, a Canadian company, had a manufacturer's deal where if you bought two bikes from them you got $1000 off each! So she bought one and so did one of her friends. If I had only known...

The store is located near High Park. It was a lovely day as I rode down to meet her there. We've had some record-breaking temperatures in Toronto over the past week or so. It got to at least 26C this particular day when the normal daytime high is only supposed to be 5C.

On my way across Bloor I bumped into a former colleague of mine from Trader, Shawn Belzner. He left the company a few years ago to work in New Zealand where his ex had found a job. They lived out there for three or four years and he's been back for about the same amount of time. So it's probably been close to eight years since we last saw each other in person.

Shawn was heading across the street from his small office near Christie Pits to get a slice of pizza for lunch. We stood by the road for 15-20 minutes and caught up on the latest gossip.

Afterwards I continued over to the bike store. Surprisingly I beat Jenny there even after stopping to chat with Shawn. She left slightly before me and she had driven her car. But, she had parked at High Park and half walked/half rode to the store.

The guys there made a few adjustments and we went out for a ride.

We rode around High Park for a little while. Unfortunately it's not a very big place when you're on your bike. So we went south to the trail along the waterfront and rode a bit longer.

Since it was my first ride of the season and I still had to ride back I didn't want to stay out too long. So a short time later I cut the ride short and headed back.

There were two body parts I knew would hurt - my butt and toes. For some reason my shoes feel way too tight now. And my saddle seems to be hard as a rock. Either that or my skinny ol' rump has no padding.

Still it was great to get out again. It was an amazing day to ride. And it was nice meeting old friends again.

I Love My Bike

I know... it sounds kind of weird... "I love my bike"... but, I do. Well, it's more than just loving my bike... I suppose I should be more specific - I love riding my bike.

It may sound kind of strange to some people and I'm not sure how well I can explain it. There's this indescribable feeling of absolute joy you sometimes get while riding on that perfect day. You know... when the sun is out and it's not too hot and there is little or no wind. Those are ideal conditions.

You feel a certain energy as your pedals turn over effortlessly. When you see the drivers stuck in gridlock you think, Adios señor/señorita!, and smile to yourself as you pass by. That's the freedom you have on your bicycle.

There's also the excitement factor you get riding in downtown too. Not only do you have to be wary of drivers who don't know you're there, but pedestrians as well. In the heart of the city inattentive people will cross the street without even glancing to see if the way is clear. You really have to be on your toes.

The speeds you can achieve, the feeling you get of wind blowing in your face... it all adds up to making cycling one of the most enjoyable activities I can think of doing on a lovely summer's day.