Steve's Cycling Blog
Over the past few years, there has been a noticeable growth in bikepacking. With the addition of routes and events such as the Central Ontario Loop Trail (COLT), Simcoe County Loop Trail (SCLT), BT700, Grand-Nith-Ramble, Cannonball 300 and most-recently the Log Driver's Waltz (LDW), bikepackers have a range of events that offer different levels of … Continue reading My Latest Bikepacking Setup
I've been cycling in the Kitchener-Waterloo (KW) area for close to two decades - first as a mountain bike and adding road riding a few years later. In about 2012 I added gravel riding to my list and it has become my favourite kind of cycling. Back in those early years of gravel grinding, a … Continue reading Guelph to Goderich Rail Trail – A Cycling Gem
Without getting into too much detail, in June of 2019, I joined a work colleague Kelly and headed to Barrie to meet a larger group of cyclists from the GTA to ride the Simcoe County Loop Trail (SCLT). This 160 km loop includes rail trail, city trails and some paved roads and has been growing … Continue reading Bikepacking the Simcoe County Loop Trail and More!
After months of contemplation and a lot of consultation and research, I finally took the leap and purchased an adventure bike. I had my eye on a Bombtrack Beyond at one of my local bike shops (King Street Cycles), but by the time I was ready to buy, it had sold. So I was back … Continue reading Product Review: 2020 Salsa Fargo Apex 1
This post is something new for RideCycleSpin.com : A guest post! I've known Barry Cox since 2002 when I started racing mountain bikes. That year, Skiis and Biikes hosted a Tuesday Night Race Series at Kelso. As with any race series, there was a wide range of speed and skill levels. Young guns like Peter … Continue reading Guest Product Review: The New Cannondale Topstone Lefty: A Two-Wheeled iPad
First: a brief history of my cycling life. Like many kids back in the day, I had a banana-seat 3-speed (I wish there were some photos of that bike). In high school, I got into road cycling and bought a nice Bianchi in about 1984 (I still have that bike, but I'm looking for a … Continue reading Gravel Cycling near Kitchener-Waterloo
Cannondale's CAADX line of cyclocross bikes have been around for years. While their SuperX line is designed for pro-level racers, the CAADX line offers more value for weekend riders. Cannondale advertises the CAADX line as "Cross Trainer" bikes, and although CAADX is in their cyclocross line of bikes, they are also very capable as all-road … Continue reading Product Review: 2019 Cannondale CAADX 105 SE
It's been 8 weeks since I started working from my home and while I don't mind it, I'm finding that the isolation is affecting me more than I expected. The state of the world, with Covid, an unsettled economy and incapable politicians swarming the headlines plus the continued need for social distancing, it's a lot … Continue reading Cycling in a Pandemic and a May Update
Only a few years ago, I scoffed at the thought of cycling indoors over the winter. I was one of those people who would ride in just about any kind of weather, particularly in winter. I've got a fat bike and tons of winter gear so there's no excuse for me not to get out. … Continue reading Indoor Cycling Training Software – A Review of Sorts
My second outdoor bicycle ride of 2020 was a solo jaunt through the City of Waterloo on January 3. The weather was mild (for January in Ontario) and the roads and bike paths were clear so I decided to take out my gravel bike and ride around the city to explore the new protected bike … Continue reading New Protected Bike Lanes in Waterloo – A First Look
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