Great Cycle Challenge - Day 29: Mission Accomplished

I rode with the regular crew (Multisport Addicts) on Saturday, starting at Angie and Rob’s cottage in Wasaga and heading out toward Creemore. It was a beautiful day, but a bit chilly at the start, and the heavy headwinds made some of the climbing very challenging. Still, everyone pulled through and kept things moving. Creemore had a festival going on, and although we couldn’t stay long, we did get to see some classic cars on display. We grabbed a coffee and a butter tart at Bank Café, then headed back toward Wasaga.

The return trip was incredible. Between the big downhill, the wind at our backs, the smooth tarmac on Riverside Road and Concession 6, and the gorgeous scenery, we absolutely flew back. It felt like a huge reward for the effort it took to get to Creemore in the first place.

When we rolled back into Wasaga, Angie and Rob treated us to a lovely BBQ lunch at the cottage — the perfect way to end the ride and the day. And with that ride, I officially completed my 1,500 km GCC goal for the month. A great ride, a great day, and a great way to finish the challenge.

Great Cycle Challenge - Day 28: Countryside Ride with Andrew

I drove out to the Kitchener area to ride with Andrew, one of my TD Tour de Friends teammates. It was a lovely morning weather‑wise, the kind that makes you glad you committed to the drive. The first half of the ride was faster with a gradual downhill, while the second half was slower with a gradual uphill, but overall we still held a fast average speed just under 30 kph — all thanks to the pulling Andrew did. He is undoubtedly a strong rider.

We stopped for coffee and a butter tart at a place called Jim’s Lunch, the kind of spot that feels like stepping back in time into an old diner. Later on, we had lunch at the Baden Coffee Company, a very nice, quaint coffee house that hit the spot perfectly before a short ride back to the parking lot.

By the time we wrapped up, we were a little over 100 km through beautiful countryside — quiet roads, rolling farmland, and great company. A big thanks to Andrew for setting up the ride.

Great Cycle Challenge - Day 26: A Perfect Day on the Elora-Cataract Trail

What. A. Day! We went on a 109 km gravel ride from Inglewood to Fergus along the Elora‑Cataract Trail and it was spectacular. The scenery was beautiful the entire way, and for a gravel ride it felt pretty quick — we averaged 24.7 kph, which is fast by my standards.

I rode with Sandro and Peter. It was my first time meeting Peter, and what a great guy (but aren’t all cyclists?). He’s 68 years old, strong on the bike, and incredibly well‑travelled as a cyclist. As he told me about his adventures — mostly across Europe — all I could think was: I want to be as strong, as fast, and as well‑travelled on the bike when I’m 68. Truly inspiring.

The weather was perfect: sunny, temperate, and exactly what you hope for on a long gravel day. We stopped for breakfast at The Vault in Fergus, where I had a breakfast croissant, a chocolate‑chip scone, and a coffee — vital cycling food… LOL. It was great.

There was talk about doing this ride again in the fall when the colours change, and that will be amazing. I’m now just over 1,300 km with about 200 km to go. I’ve got another 150 km planned for tomorrow and Saturday. Sunday I have to jar tomatoes, so I’ll need to find another 50 km somewhere. I should probably take today off… unless I can find a flat, slow ride somewhere. Tomorrow will be intense. I’ll figure something out.

Great Cycle Challenge - Day 25: Coffee in Kettleby and 30km of Exploring

The weather wasn’t good on Sunday or Monday, so I stayed indoors and did a couple of longer virtual rides — one in Western Canada (52 km) and another in Korea (46 km). Those are long for virtual rides by my standards, but they helped keep the mileage moving. I also went for a short 4.5 km run on Sunday. With the focus on riding this month, it was my first run in August, and it felt pretty tough.

Today I finally got outside for a 45 km ride with some of the crew. It was windy and cool enough that I had to wear a jacket. We rode from Nobleton to Kettleby and back, stopping for coffee at a little bakery that one rider described as “going to the old Nonna’s house.” He wasn’t exaggerating — the place had that cozy, old‑school charm. The coffee was good, and the chocolate‑chip cookie was just OK.

When I got home, the legs still felt decent, so I added another 30 km with an easy spin around the neighbourhood. I turned in and out of a bunch of streets — some I hadn’t been down since moving here in 2009 — which made the ride surprisingly interesting.

Later in the day, I gave a couple of bikes some TLC. I washed my road bike, degreased the chain, and switched to wax instead of traditional lubricant. It’s supposed to be much better than lube. I also added wax to my gravel bike to get it ready for a big ride tomorrow. Now it’s time to get some sleep so I’m ready to go bright and early in the morning.