Steve's Cycling Blog
The Waterloo cycling community lost a local legend in September 2022. At age 58, Igor Dragoslavic passed away while on a trail-building trip in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. Though he spent a lot of time in recent years in his homeland of Serbia, his time in Waterloo will be remembered by countless people. As word … Continue reading A Tremendous Loss in the Cycling Community
It seems like personal blogs like this have a half life. When I started blogging 5 or 6 years ago, I learned from some friends who were active bloggers. Some of them are no longer in the blog game. I started this blog to document my 50th birthday and the rides I did that year. … Continue reading June 2022 cycling report
I haven't blogged since September 2020 and since that time, I've had the thought that maybe this blog has run it's course. What is the half-life of a blog, anyway? There are no rules, of course. I have been cycling - more this year than any year in the past. The pandemic has hit all … Continue reading 2021 – Reflections
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
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
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
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