Steve's Cycling Blog
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
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
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
If you scour the internet, you'll find a quote that is attributed to Gandhi. It goes something like this: The measure of a civilization is how it treats its weakest members. Other websites will refute that Gandhi ever made this statement, but they will quote a speech he made in 1931, where he said: The … Continue reading Vulnerable Humans and Victim-Blaming
First a bit of "History of Gravel Grinders with the WCC". Back in about 2012, I started riding on Saturday mornings in the fall with some friends. The mountain bike trails were too wet and the paved roads were cold and windy, so we decided to explore rail trails and gravel roads where speeds would … Continue reading Crossing the Conestoga River… what really happened!
So.... here we are. Another year over, and a new one's just begun. And you know what that means? Numbers and maps - two of my favourite things when it comes to cycling and motivation. So here's my Cycling year 2018 in numbers (sources: strava.com, veloviewer.com, http://www.jonathanokeeffe.com/strava/annualSummary.php) Total distance: 5450 kilometres (most km's I've cycled in … Continue reading 2018 Cycling Summary
On my bike commute from Waterloo to Guelph, I drive through a roundabout at Bridge and Lancaster streets in Kitchener, just before crossing the Grand River towards Bridgeport. I try to ride my bike to work about once a week while the weather is "decent", but on days I drive my car, I also take … Continue reading Building Cycling Infrastructure in a Car Culture. A Look at a Roundabout.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining the second annual "Hold the Line" bike ride in Waterloo Region. For a nominal cost of $20, the 125 km route around geographical boundaries of Kitchener-Waterloo and Cambridge was available for cycling enthusiasts (a shorter 30 km ride was also available for less hard-core individuals). According to their … Continue reading Hold the Line – 2018
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