Steve's Cycling Blog
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
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
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
In the 1990s, I started cycling semi-seriously as a mountain biker. I got my first "real" mountain bike in 1992 (an Iron Horse). In 2002 I got my first full-suspension bike (a Kona) and started to enter races. So my cycling roots are in mountain biking. In recent years however, I've found myself cycling more … Continue reading Mountain Biking at Turkey Point
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
We're now well into fall and winter is starting to arrive. For many, this means setting up the trainer or signing up for a spin class and riding indoors. For others (like me), it means getting out the warm clothing layers and getting out on the gravel roads! I've recently blogged about the pleasures of … Continue reading Gravel Grinders – How to get started
When I first took interested in bikepacking, a Google search took me to a review of a bikepacking adventure by a guy named Miles Arbour. In 2016, he rode a system of trails and roads called the Central Ontario Loop Trail, or COLT. His article got me interested, and my brother Greg and I started … Continue reading Bikepacking the Central Ontario Loop Trail
In addition to cycling, one of my favourite outdoor activities is camping. Since I was a kid, travelling to different provincial parks in Ontario has been a big part of each summer. This past weekend, I spent a couple of days at Awenda Provincial Park, near Midland-Penetanguishene, on the shore of Georgian Bay. As usual, … Continue reading Cycling at Awenda Provincial Park
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