Home of the Victoria Spokesmen, and women
Cycling authorities now have to worry about "bicycle doping" as well as doping on the part of cyclists!
There was an interesting article in the Daily Telegraph on this subject, Thanks to James for the link.
I have sometimes wondered if some of our Peloton has the Typhoon bike already??
BTW - The Telegraph is one of the few newspapers that has a regular cycling column.
The GVCC will be taking on the task of counting bikes this month for the CRD, and we need your help! The counts will take place next Wednesday July 8th between 3pm and 6pm at various locations in Greater Victoria. If you are interested, please email the GVCC Outreach Coordinator – Susanna Grimes – at outreach@gvcc.bc.ca.
By volunteering for the bike count program, you help generate valuable data that is used to inform policy makers on gaps in cycling infrastructure, and to make the case for better cycling facilities. So, please do volunteer.
Thank you!
Susanna Grimes - Outreach Coordinator
outreach@gvcc.bc.ca
Thanks to Jim for drawing this to our attention.
6 Riders met at the Brentwood Bay ferry to start the beautiful run over to Mill Bay. To be an annual or more often ride. Several riders rode from home. Hot and sunny weather. We rode from Mill Bay through the oceanfront, vineyards and countryside. Many tough hills punctuate this ride, about 40 km round trip to Cowichan Bay. We had a short tour around Cow Bay and the refurbished marine museum with some great exhibits and craftsmanship. We had a nice lunch break on the patio at Tiffany's Cheese Shop. Orliss and their grandson Kyle joined us for lunch. The ride back was a bit shorter, but no less hilly, a short stop at a winery (Enrico's?), Thrifty's to pick up some half price ferry tickets and of course the obligatory ice cream cones (small). We caught the 3 PM ferry back, another spectacular crossing and home easily in time for dinner. Sadly the Four Way curio shop and food stop appears to be closed up now. NT.
Tom wearing his Canada Day jersey
Tom was the only one dressed for the occasion - the Canada Day ride.
What another glorious day for a bike ride - some in the alternate bike ride expressed concern that it might be too hot a day for a bike ride. That was not the case on the ride from Lochside to Sidney - conditions were ideal, although there was a slight head wind on the return leg.
Rob, a late entry, joined Tom, Wayne and Norm L., left the Lochside parking lot on schedule. The first few kilometres were pleasantly cool in the shade, passing a pruning crew along the way as well as the occasional equestrian. From south of Michell’s to Sidney we were in the sun - just as well we had sunscreen on. The ride to the coffee stop at Georgia Coffee was very enjoyable if uneventful.
Conversation started at the stop at Mt Newton Cross Road - the topic was difficulty of accessing health professionals here in Victoria. Tom reminded us that we had not yet reached the coffee stop, so we saddled up and started out on the second leg to Sidney.
We were glad of a table in the shade outside Georgia Coffee - yes, in the shade! Three major topics monopolized the chat - Greece, banks and federal politics.
We expressed sympathy for the Greeks in the present economic climate - what would we do, if we were in that situation? No easy answers, just thankful that we did not have to confront.
Frustration over banks charging non-profits to deposit cash or cheques was palpable!. Sympathy was expressed for small business and their dealings with credit card companies which are controlled by the banks!
There was unanimity that the upcoming federal election would be a great spectator sport. There was agreement that negative advertising was revolting, but did get results. This will be a topic sure to be revisited in coming months.
The ride back to Lochside was uneventful, except for the noticeable head wind.
Good time had by all.
I should caution readers this was not a Solstice Ride à la Seattle or Fremont - just as well.
7 members of the combined Peloton assembled under ideal weather conditions at Mile Zero. The sun was shining, the wind was not a factor, and no tour buses on Dallas Road - only a couple of small ones at Mile Zero - a cyclist’s nirvana. At the Ross Cemetery, some took the high road and some took the low road, only to meet up in Oak Bay where David B. joined us
There was the mandatory stop at Cattle Point where we congratulated ourselves on choosing Victoria as our home, or that Victoria was fortunate to have such wonderful citizenry as ourselves!
Onward and upward through Uplands, then the free wheeling run down into Cadbury Bay - way to go.
The conversation over coffee was remarkably diverse:
Norm L. cracked the whip before 11.00 to the chagrin of some, given that it was a glorious day sitting outside Olive Olio’s taking in a fe rays. After saddling up we started up the hill from Cadboro Bay where Cy, David B. and Wayne peeled off, with the rest enjoying the hill down through Uplands and Oak Bay with Norm L peeling off to go back along Windsor Road with the balance of the Peloton retracing their route along Beach Dr. & Dallas Rd back to Mile Zero.
Till the next ride. . . .
As a bonus - John forwarded a link to the latest iteration of the Ford electric bike
We had 8 riders out today, starting at Hatley Gardens, with some driving and some cycling to the start under blue skies, no sign of rain, but a tad cooler than anticipated. The Goose was not too crowded, but there were other walkers [some with dogs], equestrians and a few fellow cyclists.
It was a perfect day for a bike ride - all we had to complain about was the dry dusty conditions - we like to keep our bikes clean!!
The coffee stop was at My Chosen Café - it would have been a tight fit with 8 of us at Broken Paddle. Because of the fantastic weather, coffee and calories were enjoyed at a picnic table beside the petting zoo behind the Café. It was hard to get a conversation going today - Canada's Women's soccer team was given the flick - they are not playing an entertaining brand of soccer, they will have to raise their game if they hope to go farther. The Stanley Cup final was given the flick - no Canadian team so Lord Stanley's Cup stays overseas. The Premier's flakey idea of a Yoga love in was given the flick. Norm L. shared some of his Turkish travel experiences, The new Liberal proposal on electoral reform awaits more details. When the conversation moved to the Senate and the disappearance of the upper house at the provincial level, we needed this Wikipedia entry at the coffee table.
"Some Canadian provinces once possessed upper houses, but abolished them to adopt unicameral systems. Newfoundland had a Legislative Council prior to joining Canada, as did Ontario when it was Upper Canada. Newfoundland has the power to re-establish its upper house, the Legislative Council, pursuant to Term 14 (2) of the Terms of Union.[1] Manitoba had an upper chamber until it was abolished in 1876, New Brunswick's upper chamber was abolished in 1892, Prince Edward Island's upper chamber was abolished in 1893, Nova Scotia's upper chamber was abolished in 1928 and Québec's upper chamber was abolished in 1968."
The composition of the Senate was fodder for conversation - the over-representation of Ontario and Québec was grist for the mill. Despite running on a platform of a tripe E Senate, the current PM has appointed 59 senators - and he still has 11 vacancies to fill!! There are 105 senators, so the PM will have appointed 70 of 105 senators! I didn't know that.
The "over representation" from La Belle Provence brought out the best humour of the morning. James told us about his Glaswegian friend, while living in Québec, went into to an auto repair place and asked for a wheel change. The Glaswegian was totally confused when he picked up his car to be told they had completed a "Huile Change". Good one James, even if you did pick on a Scotsman!!
A pleasant ride back to Hatley Gardens was enjoyed by all. Vive Le Peloton.
Lots of sun, and no wind! Perfect day for a bike ride
Tom, Wayne, Cy and Norm L. met at Michel's Farm on a beautiful morning ideal for cycling: pleasantly warm, sunny and little to no wind. Not only were the weather conditions ideal, but also the trails were not at all busy - what more could we ask for.
The pace was relaxed - just as well or we might have been caught in a police radar trap along the north east side of the airport. As the photographs show, the countryside is really very dry [dangerously dry?].
The most critical decisions of the morning was where to stop for coffee - we opted for Belinda's - we had the outdoor patio to ourselves. Conversation over coffee focused on the positive aspects of our lives, while reflecting on the very different lives the next generation will have. The Senate shenanigans only merited a brief mention.
Cy opted to check out some bookstores/galleries in Sidney - or at least that's what he told us!
Many more rides like this and we are going to feel so guilty about our good fortune to be in Paradise!
What a glorious day for the Co-Ed Bike Ride - sunny, warm, little or no wind!
The "official" starting point for the ride was Lochside Park, because there would be lots of parking, or so the organiser claimed. When he arrived accompanied by Sheila, he begged forgiveness for his grave error!!
There were eleven in the Peloton - we let Bob join us because Mary Rose was in Thunder Bay. Riders were in a very positive frame of mind, relishing the wonders of life in Victoria. The only grumble that could be heard was about how busy the trail was - filled with cyclists, walkers and equestrians, who have to work from Monday to Friday!!
The Ocean Festival was on in Sidney making it a challenge to find a coffee shop capable of accommodating a table for 11. Fortunately, there was an excellent Plan B - take-out coffee and a seat on the bench in the Sidney Bandshell Park, with Mt Baker visible in the distance. What was there not to like?
With some reluctance we got on our bikes to make the return journey leaving Cy and Casey to do some gallery browsing.
A great ride with great company
There was a split Peloton on June 5, with some venturing across the Straights of Juan de Fuca, while the landlubbers opted for a ride from Mile Zero to Ten Mile Point. Mike B making a welcome return, along with Rob, Tom, Cy and Norm L met at the Terry Fox statue under perfect weather conditions. The ride to 10 Mile Point was casual and uneventful. Talk over coffee re-visited the Orange Crush in Alberta, along with references to other provinces and the travel itinerary of our Dear Leader. All serious stuff, until the tone was altered with reference to Canada’s national game - the quality of the hockey in Stanley Cup Final between two American teams was good. When the conversation moved to the appointment of coach Mike Babcock, Rob had the best line -"why did Mike Babcock take on the job of Leafs' coach? He was guaranteed April and May off every year!!
The following entry on the cross border ride was prepared by Jim
The ride got off to slow start when the Coho left 40 minutes late, arriving in Pt. A approx 1 PM. Because of that we decided to stop at a coffee shop that Jack had researched just short of Sequim, in beautiful downtown Carlsborg - to make sure we had time to get back to the return 5:20 ferry.
Beautiful day and good trails, however despite that we had 2 riders go down in separate relatively minor accidents along the way. NOTE TO THE PELETON - take more Iodine and bandages on future trips.
Also David N. had some break troubles , and then blew out a spoke resulting in a warped wheel at about KM 15. He wisely choose to turn around with the other 7 of us continuing on to Sequim. We had a nice stop at a small coffee shop in Carlsborg and I'm told the cinnamon buns were great. Look closely at the photo to see who was eating one.
The return trip to Pt. A was uneventful and we even arrived in time to have one beer at the pub next to the ferry. We eventually found David N. sleeping on a bench in the ferry terminal before boarding the Coho for an on-time departure. We hit heavy fog about half way back to Victoria (who would have guessed as it was clear on both sides). Our arrival into Victoria was delayed a bit due to 3 cruise ships trying to dock at the same time thus blocking the entrance to the harbour.
After offloading we told David N. to go ahead since he would be riding slowly with his wobbly wheel and that we would see him " on the road". When we arrived at the light to turn onto Wharf and head to the Empress we noticed a large crown of about 20 people in the road in front of the Empress and assumed there had been some sort of accident. When we reached the Empress we saw a bike with the familliar green basket lying in the road along with David. A taxi had pulled out as he was passing and sideswiped him knocking him off his bike. David has some cuts and scrapes and sore arm and knee but was able to get up before the ambulance arrived. After reports were taken and witnesses talked to, the police offered to drive him and his bike home in their paddy wagon. When I talked to David later that night we was definitely hurting but hoping to be ok.
A sad end to what had otherwise been a very nice day. The day's incidents should be a good reminder to us all to really stay alert when riding in a group, or in traffic. Assume the guy in front of you might have to stop quickly & also assume that cars do not know you are there when in traffic. - Jim
A total of 10 riders, some starting at Foi Epi, met under cloudy skies and completed the long ride to Sidney on the Lochside without incident. Coffee, outside at the usual place at the roundabout, was a bit chilly with an ocean breeze on our sweaty selves. Being real men we toughed it out and discussed issues of "great social and political import" - Janis Joplin once said something like that. The ride back seemed long to this scribe [NT] and was worthy of a nice afternoon nap that day. For most approx 60 KM were pedaled and 2.5 - 3.0 hrs in the saddle.
A much less strenuous ride was taken by James and Norm who met at the Switch Bridge heading west along the Goose. After checking out the Nest Cafe on the Goose [a second visit is required to give it a proper review], they continued westward till the trail joins the junction with the new E & R trail at which point they headed south east stopping at the new Songhees Wellness Centre, then back to the Selkirk Trestle.
Cycling has been very much in the news this week, not all good news unfortunately.
The US Secretary of State John Kerry was in a cycling accident in France.
Two Whistler cyclists were killed in a tragic car accident
The law in Ontario has changed - if you “door” a cyclist the result is 3 demerit points and a fine up to $1,000.00
And a mural is unveiled in Brisbane for a cyclist who was killed in an accident
On a more upbeat note, how about these toys for cyclists?
The Add-E
Eight riders departed from Hately Gardens en route to Metchosin. Of the
three who rode from home only Jim took the new E&N bike path - which is now
open for weekday riding and apparently shaves several minutes off the
Songhees to Royal Roads ride. It was a beautiful warm day, all wearing
shorts and only two with long sleeves - one in fear of road rash and the
other (in a green rain jacket) out of force of habit.
Despite James' saddle bag bouncing off on a road crossing, we made good time
to Metchosin. Due to the size of the group we split our coffee break in two
- the cinnamon bunners in the restaurant and the muffin men in the adjacent
gift shop / café. Next time we should bring our to-go-mugs and have coffee
(and treats) outside.
The return ride was uneventful - just a beautiful ride accented with the
fragrance of wild roses.
The Peloton assembled at Mile Zero, at least most us did! Thanks to a person of good will, Wayne and Cy found the proper starting point! Speaking of Mile Zero, here is a link to a good news story related to Terry Fox's Memory. Let's here it for VanCIty. We had a baker's dozen riders in the 10 Mile Point Peleton today. Wayne S. was welcomed back to the Peleton while Arne and Rob made cameo appearances on the "relaxed" ride. Andy O left his tennis racquet at home and joined the ride today to determine if all the "porkies" Cy, Ken Wo, Jim and Arne had been telling were indeed true.
Even before the ride got started there was some lively banter as Mark shared his passion for Rep by Pop, Ken Wo showed his skills as a Victoria Ambassador by volunteering to take photos of tourists at Mile Zero. When a full bus load of tourists disgorged he decided to be part of the Peloton and head out along Dallas Road. At the Fairfield Cemetery the Peloton split between those who opted for the challenge of the Gonzales Rise and those who preferred the more "level" option.
The Peloton re-grouped north of the Oak Bay Marina where David B joined us. From there it was onwards and upwards to Olive Olio's where a long coffee break was appreciated. Topics at one end of the table included the "orange crush" in Alberta, the long overdue change in the Air Canada policy of monitoring carry one baggage, the challenges of subduing ivy in the garden [ hope that David B wins the battle], diplomatic appointments - Russia's refusal to allow a German MP who is a supporter of Ukraine to enter Russia, and the decision by France to appoint a guy ambassador to the Vatican. Further conversation has been redacted!!
David A checking out the new Alberta Bike, original paint was PC blue, now NDP Orange!!
Consideration was given to dropping by James to monitor/supervise the garden shed project, but common sense prevailed.
Meanwhile over in Sooke, 4 riders met at Stickleback under cloudy skies. The sun did emerge later for a pleasant ride. For the record it was noted that Norm T arrived exactly at 9:30 but was not the last to arrive, that honor went to a gentleman with the milk crate carrier and orange clogs for cycling shoes today. We wasted no time powering up to Leechtown on a fairly quiet trail. The discussion included taxation systems and ideas, Texas flooding, etc. On the return trip a near miss ended well when a lady with a stroller, little girl and dog all spread out on a risky downhill part of the trail near a trestle bridge. The skilled riders responded well and averted a possible crash. We returned without further incident, no coffee stop at the end this time as everyone had places to go. Special mention to John, for whom this was only a part of a 110 km training ride today.
As we know, James has been focused on designing and constructing the best cycle shed ever! It has to meet benchmark criteria including those established by SWMBO [She Who Must Be Obeyed]
I hadn't realized that there is a great body of literature on the subject of building a bicycle shed, especially in the UK. If you don't believe me, try Googling the subject and you will find erudite pieces in the Telegraph, the Guardian or the Independent. The subject even gets a mention in The Scotsman no less!
There are even see sites dedicated to what colour a bike should be! Addressing security issues. You can read reviews of bike sheds. You can even get "bespoke bike sheds"!
Good Luck James!
9 (or 10?) riders met at Ogden point and proceeded along Dallas Road. Traffic is definitely heavier with a few tour buses and more overall road use. We saw a group of 30 - 50 recreational riders along Dallas and then again at "our" coffee shop Olive Olio's. We believe they may have been barbarian intruders from Vancouver - so we hope they may represent a transient element in out tranquil backwater. The group split about equally - half taking the scenic King George Terrace route and half taking the slightly less hilly route around. The high road group were delayed as Jim authoritatively pulled a woman over (he looked a bit like a cop at the time) to advise her that her seat belt was hanging out of her car door. He was kind enough not to also inform her that she had cut us off and almost caused an accident. The low road group were delighted to find that they got to the rendez vous spot before the high road group. They were not at all interested to know why. Some riders went the extra mile to 10 Mile Point and all retired to OO for coffee and more BS.
Five intrepid adventurers met up in Duncan and, ably navigated by David A, succeeded in finding the Glenora trailhead, deep in bear country. From there we rode north for approx 20 km to Lake Cowichan over several trestle bridges and through some spectacular scenery (map attached). The north bound journey took just over two hours due to multiple stops and poor trail conditions. The trail was good at either end, but muddy in the south and very rocky in the middle. Fat tires are a must - preferably on a bike with with shocks!
After a brief lunch stop at Subway we returned on the new trail on the north of the river - somewhat longer but in better condition and considerably faster. The new trail intersects the TransCanada trail at Skutz Falls via Mayo Road. The return took about 90 minutes with no stops.
6 riders met at the RRU parking area and cycled past our normal turn on Rocky Point Rd, eventually finding a small, steep and rough path to a paved road leading to the Pearson College of the Pacific. The last km or less represents a new definition of steepness. Most of us walked at least part of the last hill. We cycled in like we owned the place, chatted up a few students on the college pier on Pedder Inlet. They offered to take our picture and assured us that yes there is a nice cafeteria here where you can get coffee. It is a beautiful residential World campus of about 200 students from many counties that are taking the full International Baccalaureate (IB) program of high school studies. We proceeded to said cafeteria in a stunning setting. We were met there by an initially stern woman who said this is a closed campus and not open to the public, but then said we could come in for coffee (and did not charge us). As we meekly drank our coffee a rather brisk but then friendly man came over and said that it is a closed campus, they they have minors there and are not really open to the public. We must have looked like pretty harmless old men as another lady was summoned to give us a brief overview of the college. It turns out she has been talking to Orliss and Rusty by phone about some off campus visits for students. A new discovery for the Peloton!
7 riders met at Lochside, rode around the south side of YYJ with gorgeous weather and a bit of wind to increase our workout. Stopped at Melinda's for coffee and treats. We logged 37 km in 1hr 40 min. Av 22 km/ hr. No bike repairs nor incidents were recorded. However at Melinda's outdoor patio Hans experienced a catastrophic chair failure. No safety report nor follow up meeting was suggested. Discussion continued to be dominated by the orange crush shock in Alberta.
Four intrepid riders set out from the parking just south of Kinsol Trestle to explore the TransCanada Trail as it heads north towards Duncan. Much to our surprise the trail was in relatively good condition. Both the southern and northern ends of the ride were on good quality small size gravel. The mid section - about 4-5 km is on well graded logging road with no gravel and relatively few potholes. We rode for about 15 km through mixed scenery reminiscent of the Sooke hills. . Our ride passed without incident, but fat tires are essential as is a good repair kit as there are no cross roads until km 12 or so.
We got as far as the well equipped picnic area and trail head at Glenora Road then returned the same way. For our next "out trip" we will explore the trails along the Cowichan River stating from the Glenora Trailhead.
The weather at 6.00 am looked very promising, although the forecast for later in the morning was less optimistic. Nonetheless, James, Doug, Ken Wo and Norm L. met at Hatley Gardens. Ken claimed that he had already completed a demanding work out cycling the 6.5 km form home given the strong head winds. Little, or no sympathy was extended to Ken, The peloton was not going to be dissuaded from the ride because of a little wind.
Impressive
50m down the track, James asked Norm if he had locked his car - at which point he demonstrated the ability to extend the range of his car key fob. Much to Doug’s amazement, it worked. Sceptical readers may want to check out a similar demo on Top Gear and a more intellectual analysis conducted by Professor Roger Bowely. After a brief demonstration, it was time to tackle the head wind on the way to Mechosin. The biggest decision of the ride was - where to have coffee? The unanimous choice was the Broken Paddle.
Conversation over coffee and tea [as well as the occasional muffin or scone] was more cerebral than usual. With the advent of drones and robots, does a democratically elected parliament need to vote on going to war when it doesn’t involve “boots on the ground” or aircraft with human pilots or naval vessels with breathing crew? Should a “world power” take leadership in the development of a “drone free” war similar to a “nuclear-free war”? From there, the conversation moved on to the US President and his stature in international affairs. Reference was made to the President’s speech at the recent press gallery dinner - a speech that has become known as the “bucket speech”. Other topics included restorative justice and Exit International which promotes the idea have a "departure date" just as we have an "arrival date". James had heard Philip Nitschke interviewed on Hard Talk on the Beeb.
The ride back to Hatley Gardens was marginally easier, but because we were cycling so fast, we still encountered a head wind!!
The Peloton felt pretty good that they had enjoyed a rain free ride - there was little sympathy for Ken who had a 6.5 km ride home in the rain.
The other ride headed to the top end of the Saanich Peninsula.
7 "fearless" riders met at Michells under cloud, wind and gloom. 5 of the 7 had ridden to the meeting spot. Kudos. We wasted no time proceeding up the Lochside, across to Wain and Tatlow Roads to Deep Cove, Chalet Road and Birch Road to enjoy coffee at Deep Cove Market. We were able to sit outside and converse about all the usual and unusual stuff, back through stormy but beautiful Patricia Bay, YYJ, Lochside and back to Michells. Total of approx 36 km, 1:45 riding hours, average speed of 20.4 km/ hr. Max speeds clocked were exceeded 46 km/ hr.
Check the weather and which ride was Doug on?
Skilled observer question: Can you tell if this picture is from today or a previous day?
"Weather permitting" was the question of the day. Those of us who rode south to start the ride at Fol Epi came equipped with sunglasses, shorts and tee-shirts. Those starting from downtown were already in rain gear. The rain gear was indeed needed - so John C frantically rode home and still managed to get to Royal Roads while the coffee was still hot. In the damp conditions we opted not to do the descent to the lagoon. At coffee we convened an informal debate on the merits of male and female GP's - which Rob H's side won. For the return we cycled directly up University Drive to Sooke Road and found, much to our surprise that this was considerably shorter and no harder than going through the old military base.
At least it's dry in here!
