Steve's Cycling Blog
Last week, I found myself in downtown Toronto on a beautiful mid-week summer afternoon. Rather than packing up bikes and gear to ride, J. and I decided to try out the Bike Share program downtown. After a bit of internet research, I learned that there are several options for this program. We'd take advantage of … Continue reading Bike Share in Toronto
On many of my bike rides in warmer weather, I've observed that I sweat a lot more than the average person. In extreme heat (>30 degrees Celsius plus humidity), I can't keep enough fluids in me to keep up with the sweat. This has prompted me to do a little research into the physiology of exercising … Continue reading Cycling in Summer Heat
It's hard to believe 2018 is half over already. There's still a lot of warm weather ahead, and lots of long rides in the months to come! I thought I'd summarize my year to date with some of the online tools that I've blogged about. In June, I rode farther than I have in any … Continue reading Ride Summary – First Six Months of 2018
I don't usually like to ride in the rain. Having said that, there are times when I've cycled in pretty nasty conditions (winter, mud, rain, wind). Often, these rides have occurred during races (downpours during 24-hour mountain bike relays) or charity events (2017 Ride for Heart). But typically, when it's raining out, I'll avoid getting on … Continue reading Ride Don’t Hide – 2018 (in the rain!)
This past Saturday, I rode my bike up the difficult Sydenham Road climb in Dundas, Ontario for the first time. In 2013, this hill became known as "Clara's Climb" after Winter and Summer Olympic medallist Clara Hughes, who used to live and train in the area. Clara's accomplishments as both a cyclist and speed skater are … Continue reading Ride Don’t Hide – Cycling for Mental Health
Lately, I've been more selective about the cycling events I enter. Until this weekend, the only event I'd entered was Paris to Ancaster. However, when I got a message on social media that I'd won an entry to the 3rd annual Creemore SpringsTuras Mor in Creemore, Ontario, I was excited (Thanks Noelle W. from Pedal … Continue reading 2018 Turas Mor – Gravel Grinding in Creemore
The 2018 edition of the Ontario Spring Classic "Paris to Ancaster" was the 25-year anniversary of the event. I first entered this race in 2002 on my mountain bike and I haven't missed a year since (although several times, I entered the shorter 35-40km version of the race). In the 17 years I've entered this … Continue reading 2018 Paris to Ancaster
I'm sitting here in my warm house while 50 km/h winds (with 80 km/h gusts) shake the windows and walls. I'm all for winter cycling, but it's mid-April now and I don't feel like getting pelted with ice pellets at -2C in this kind of wind. Instead, I'm sitting at keyboard, writing and examining my … Continue reading April Cycling Update
A few months ago, I blogged about some of the Strava Apps I use. Since I'm an engineer, I like to play with numbers (and maps), so I've spent some time scouring the internet for more cycling tools. Here are a few more: Padvark: This website connects to your Strava account and summarizes the data. … Continue reading More cool Strava Apps
With March Break upon us (and nearly over), my family and I decided to take a mini-vacation to the Niagara Region. Rather than staying near the Falls, we found a little farm near Welland called "The Hoblet" that I'll talk about later in this post. As usual, I brought a bicycle to explore the area. … Continue reading Late winter cycling in Niagara
RideCycleSpin 