random thoughts. random rides 1

It hasn't exactly been a scorcher of a summer so far this year. Indeed on
top of a very snowy winter it has been so wet that the local utility has
announced the aquifer is fully charged after many low rainfall years made it
an ongoing concern. I'm not talking about Pacific Northwest rain but wet
enough to impinge on cycle time.

Having said that, I have gotten a few good rides so far:

Thought 1:

Is it preferable to ride a gradual uphill with a slight tailwind or gradual
downhill with slight headwind?

I favour heading out of town to the north rather than the south as the
generalized topography is an average down slope to the Great Lakes and I
prefer the homeward leg to be downhill.

However a few weekends ago in and effort to get accustomed to the new ride
and with a wind coming out of the south I decided to run into it:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1990955

Other than a few sprinkles of rain the 51 km run was quite nice. The long
stretch of Victoria Rd/HWY 6 was almost roller coaster in a gentle way.
Turning west I transited Gore Rd which T-intersects Lennon Rd curiously
enough. It is pleasing in it's greenery that's in no small part to all that
rain. I pass farm fields, interspersed with wood patches wetlands and the
occasional clusters of country homes. The northern return leg is more
highway thus less green than the other roads. More uphill than the outbound
leg but; Oh! The tailwind! The combination of well maintained asphalt and
wind at my back and I fairly flew.

Thought 2:

Serendipity: short rides that turn into long rides.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2011786

I had planned on a short jaunt as the weather was uncertain yet again. I
would be going south-ish into the wind as before. Instead of going down
Victoria Rd I sidestepped over to 1st Line Rd. as the name might suggest
though uncertainly paved is not a busy highway but rather a bucolic country
rd. The traffic is sparse and more towards the dawdling motorist rather than
the hurried commuter - not to mention a fair number of brother and sister
cyclists with whom I exchange nods of greeting as we pass.

I don't know when I decided to make it a long ride. I just kept 'goin down
the road'. I think crossing the 401 may have been the Rubicon moment. I kept
going. I made my turn at Steeles Ave. I paused at encountering this 'street'
though it was very much the same type of country road as 1st Line. I knew it
from its Toronto phase where it is a major urban boulevard. Out here in the
sticks west of Mississauga is its' humble begining [or ending?]

One intersection over am stopped to help with directions for a European
tourist. I think she was Dutch or German by accent, possibly Austrian.
Further along Steeles Ave simply stops for a distance between the two cross
roads of Guelph Line and Appleby Line. I zig south again to Derry Rd and
continue my trek to Milton. As I approach the suburban sprawl of future
tract housing and commercial real estate developments scar the land. I
suppose if and when the current American recession reaches here, it might
slow the paces of these developments. As it is Milton represents the western
edge of the Greater Toronto Megopolis sprawl.

At Thompson Rd I make my turn for the return leg. Although the weather has
been pleasant there is a threatening edge. Thunderclouds are evident and the
odd 'sprinkles in sunshine' look to turn into something more. Indeed as I
continue up 4th Line thunder rumbles and lightning flashes occasionally.

It's a long upslope slog as the road crosses the Niagara Escarpment. When
I've come south I prefer Hwy 25 through Scotch Block as it has a very steep
descent. For some reason going the other way I prefer a different route.

I am stopped at railway crossing [the second time this day oddly enough,
the first being on Derry Rd.] At this crossing I briefly consider that I
have time to 'beat' the train.

BRIEFLY.

I sit and way and stretch my arms. Although I'm sure I could have made it
across I notice how deceptive the train's approach is. This particular
right-of-way is not clear of brush much so that it has a tunnel-like
quality. That I suppose adds to the optical illusion where the train seems
to speed up to the crossing. I can see how people get smucked thinking they
can 'beat' the train.

I finally reach Hwy 7 east of Acton

[Olde Hyde House - It's WORTH the trip to Acton.... Not really ]

I decide to cointinue up 4th Line and make my turn at the first side road
and thus skirt Acton and rejoin HWY 7 west of town. I was still uncertain
whether I wanted to take 7 or a parallel less busy road.

I turn towards home at Erin Halton Hills Townline planning to follow it at
least to Hwy 7 but fate intervened. For some reaon I mistook the
intersection of Wellington Rd 125/Hwy 25/3rd Line

[don't ask me to explain the highway numbering/naming system. I suspect it
is a relic of the War of 1812 as an attempt to confuse invading Americans]

as the intersection with Hwy 7. I make the turn so am heading north again.
The highway is very similar to 7 which I had ridden several times the summer
before last. But it seems to be taking far too long to reach the Wilson Rd
dogleg that is a feature of 7.

Finally I see a sign for Ospringe and I know I wasn't where I thought I
was. I also recognized the Hwy24/Hwy25 intersection from past northeast
loops. If I hadn't missed my turn I would be almost home by now and I'm
REALLY tired and the skies are still threatening but it's stil 20 km to
Guelph plus getting through town to the south end.

On the plus side it is a straight shot down a well maintained highway but
it does have some painful upslopes. Seeing as I had not excpected to be gone
this long I had not taken any money nor plastic money nor even much food
other than some sunflower seeds and raisins. Liquid in the form of dilute
organic cranberry and mixed fruit juice I still had some but not so much.

It's a tough slog and the clouds close in and when I do reach the north end
of Guelph the rains grows from a sprinkle to an intermittent shower. I hurry
through town to home and a swim, and a sauna and a shower and a well
deserved beer.

My distance shows 103 km making it - thanks to my error in navigation - my
first met-cent of the season unplanned and completely serendipitous.

Thought 3:

Betwixt the country mouse and the city mouse.

This is my latest ride. I've done it before. There is - but for a short
stretch at the Grand River is a continuous rail trail from Guelph to Elmira
and beyond though I've only ridden it to Elmira.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2035866

I made an aborted attempt on Sunday stopping at Sideroad 16, almost half
way to Elmira, due to [broken record time] threatening weather.

The trail itself is in good condition at either end but get a little rough
on the eastern side of the Grand River. The scenery is quite pleasing, a mix
of farms fields, woodlots and wetlands. the rail bed itself is raised
slightly and lined with trees so that you have both shade, windbreak and a
nice view. Although flat to the eye going in a westerly directing is definte
upslope. You really noticed the difference if you come back the same way.
It's nice for the return leg but in this instance return by a defferent
route.

As noted the trail degrades to rough double track near the Grand River.
There is no bridging of the river. The pilings stand as testimony to what
was once a rail bridge so I clamber up an embankment to make Hwy 23 and
cross the river via Hwy 86.

Beyond the river I regain the trail at Township Rd 62. The trail gradully
improves to dully maintained stone dust. Elmira/St Jacobs is Mennonite
country and indeed some of the farms passed have them in the feilds pursuing
a less mechanized, less industrial form of agriculture.

I pause when I make Elmira for a sandwich I packwd plus sausage from a
vendor in town. I was hungry. As planned I was not returning by the same
route as pleasantly green as it was.

I head south via St Jacobs for the 'big city' of Kitchener-Waterloo, two
cities that grew together and then grew again to but up against Cambridge to
make a Tri-city sprawl. K-W population might be 300,000 or so plus another
100 odd thousand in Cambridge.

St. Jacobs is also Mennonite country with many an utzy craft type shops and
the like. On the plus side the highway has a car lane wide pave
shoulder/marked bikelane that is luxurious. I suspect that this is as much
for Mennonite horse drawn buggies as for cyclists. however where there are
horse there is horse poop. dodging it became job one

Before leaving St Jacobs proper I refuel witha Timmy's Coffee and donut.
Did I mention I was hungry?

I travel along King St witht he intention of taking it through the city
centers of K-W. Therein lies my thoughts on the city mouse and the country
mouse. Having traveled through some areas and methods of living that imitate
not just country life but indeed 19th century agricultural life I now head
through a modern city from oustskirts to city core.

I compare and contrast, juxtapose and superimpose. At one point along a
very busy King St a large gaggle of Canadian Geese hold up traffic as the
parents herd a group adolescent youngsters in the gawky ugly stage of almost
adult plummage. For some reason Canada Geese wear their arrogance well. The
cars wait until they've crossed the road.

Once I'm in the city core I notice that unlike the highway I am making
better time than the cars. Not just catching up at every light actually out
distancing them.

At Ottawa St I turn for the homeward leg. My 2004 map book shows Ottawa St
ending with a 'proposed' continuation across the self-same Grand River. I
figure the 'proposed extension must surely be completed in 4+ years?

Nope.

The street degenerates into a dirt rd then a track then nothing short of the
river. I head up a residential street to make Victoria and the known
crossing it represents. the rez street ends at a greenspace and off road
trail short of Victoria. I continue on the trail as I know I'm close to Vic.
The trail disapears and I'm left clambering through the bush until I make
Vic.

Unfortunately my renewed faith in the map books fails me. I realize after
getting home that I there is another 'proposed' rd - Forwell trhat is
complete. I could have taken it instead of carrying the bike through
trackless brush.

Such is life. I make Victoria - which turns into Hwy 7 for my return to
Guelph. It is not my favourite Hey, unpleasant grades, bad shoulders, too
much traffic and not at all scenic. But I continue on. I think about zigging
south and taking a parallel sideroad but many of them are unpaved while
others dogleg back onto the highway and I want to get home. As I make town
and roadage I am intimately familiar with I do finally zig down to Speedvale
via Imperial, then south to home.

Total distance 83 km.

Where to go today?

On 2008-07-01, recycled wrote:

It's a long upslope slog as the road crosses the Niagara Escarpment.

In the theme of rnadom thoughts...

I spent last week vacationing in Door County, Wisconsin, which is the opposite
end of the Niagra Escarpment from you:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Niagara_Escarpment_map.png

Given that I'm used to flat prairie riding, the bluffs made for some very
challenging rides (none of more than about 35 km, however). I made sure
to ride down the steeper routes on the side roads (close to 20% grade at one
point), saving the climbs for the longer, gentler slopes of Highway 42.

I prefer the climb with tailwind, BTW.

--

Kristian Zoerhoff

"Kristian M Zoerhoff" wrote in message
shell.org...
On 2008-07-01, recycled wrote:

It's a long upslope slog as the road crosses the Niagara Escarpment.

In the theme of rnadom thoughts...

I spent last week vacationing in Door County, Wisconsin, which is the
opposite
end of the Niagra Escarpment from you:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Niagara_Escarpment_map.png

Given that I'm used to flat prairie riding, the bluffs made for some very
challenging rides (none of more than about 35 km, however). I made sure
to ride down the steeper routes on the side roads (close to 20% grade at
one
point), saving the climbs for the longer, gentler slopes of Highway 42.

I prefer the climb with tailwind, BTW.

I've definitely favoured northern routes in the past so that the return leg
is more downhill, independent of winds. But lately I've been going south for
variety.