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
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
With a new year upon us, it seems like a good time to summarize my past year (and decade). 2019 was a year of ups and downs as far as fitness and cycling go. I started the year with a renewed focus on training and I had an indoor set-up that motivated me through the … Continue reading 2020 – A Fresh Start
A lot of the online resources for bikepacking describe routes that take many long days to complete. Locally, July 14, 2019 marked the inaugural Grand Depart for the BT700 - a 700 km loop around south-western Ontario! Not all bikepacking trips, however, have to been multi-day epic adventures. Last weekend, I did an overnight trip … Continue reading Bikepacking in the Kitchener-Waterloo area
There are a lot of articles (and probably books) about exercise and fitness and cycling after the age of 50. Many of them are written by exceptional people who have devoted a huge amount of time to staying fit and active. If you believe what you read on the internet, it was Bill Clinton who … Continue reading Perspective: Cycling after 50
I've never written a review about a bike before. I have several bikes - some I bought brand new, others I bought used. And I even have one that I built with old parts. Each bike has its pros and cons, and each bike has its purpose in my fleet. But when I travel, I … Continue reading Product Review: Bianchi’s gravel bike – Impulso All-Road
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