Two months from now, we ride. 200 kilometers over 2 days with 1400 other cyclists. In my last posts I said that I needed to do three things – get a bike, raise donations and put in the training. Here is an update
I buy a bike
Cathy and I are back in Toronto, and I buy a Trek FX2 Disc Hybrid bike at Sweet Pete’s Bike Shop at Dufferin and Bloor streets. (I would recommend them – lots of stock, good bike fitting and a chance to road test several bikes). My new bike is not as quick as a pure road bike, however the straight handlebars mean I ride in a more upright position like on my mountain bike, which is a lot easier on my wrists and back. And the wider tires handle broken pavement well.
I meet my donation goal
I am very grateful to the many folks who have donated to my ride. The tally is now over $2600 and I am above my goal. If you are still planning a donation, please consider directing your donation to my riding mate Milenko Varjacic at Ride to Conquer Cancer
I elevate my training
I complete 4 training rides in the last 10 days, ranging from 25km to 35km. Toronto has a growing network of dedicated bike trails and my favourite is the Waterfront Trail along the shores of Lake Ontario and up the valleys of the Don River and the Humber River. The photos are of several members of our Ambys team at the boardwalk in the Beach after a ride up to Casa Loma, and of me biking the waterfront and out on the Leslie Spit, and back towards Toronto from Etobicoke. If you are visiting and want to take a ride, there are lots of hop on – hop off bike rental stands along these popular routes. And the City of Toronto has a comprehensive map of bike routes on its web site.
