Here are some random thoughts on a lazy Canada Day morning. I’ve been a “bike commuter” since 2004. When I first rediscovered cycling after a long lay off, I was amazed at the volume of traffic in my stomping grounds in York Region. I’ve written about it now and then, and used to focus on the bummer encounters with motorists. I suppose I’ve matured a bit and only write about the more egregious stuff that happens out there.
It’s strange that the more cycling becomes part of my day, the less I have to say about it. On the other hand, perhaps it’s not all that strange. New drivers probably gush about their new found skill and ‘freedom.’
In other biking news, I’m following the Tour Divide mountain biking race from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells New Mexico along the great divide. The race has been decided with a winner, but it’s far from over. I’m always in awe of what these riders can do. I’ve been thinking about mountain biking a little more seriously over the last few months. I’m not sure that I want to spend the money on a rig right now with job security being so much up in the air. Besides, I never seem to get much time to ride on the weekends. However, after completing the Toronto City Chase a couple of weeks ago, I feel hooked on the ‘adventure racing’ kind of thing and I’ve been looking around at some of the more outdoor oriented events. Of course, these events feature mountain biking! I guess I must be getting close to 40 or something…
In other news, I saw today that Steve at Bikining in Halifax, NS is blogging again after what appears to be a long illness. Welcome back!
Posted in commuting, cycling, day-to-day | 1 Comment »
Taking a break from the so called ‘war‘ between bikes and cars, I woke up early this morning hoping to get out and ride a bit in relative peace. I slupred down a cup of tea and a bowl of cheerios while watching morning cartoons with E. Everyone else was still asleep. It was cold and a little breezy when I rolled out around 7:00, and I was glad for my wool jersey and jacket, as well as the fleece gloves that I had stuffed in my pocket just in case. I headed over to Bayview and rode up the large hill between 19th and Stoufville road without too much huffing and puffing. Past lake Wilcox, I turned on to Bloomington and then south on Leslie to my favourite stretch. The road makes a screaming descent and curves around a kettle lake and then back up again. It’s pretty cool. Further south, Leslie doglegs at Stoufville road and continues south. I really like this stretch too as it passes over the railway tracks and the feedmill. There are huge mature trees lining the road, and on reallly hot days it is a good place to stop for a drink of water to escape the heat. Not so much today, however. I saw perhaps 59-60 riders singly and in small groups heading north on Leslie. There is always lots of bike traffic here, even if the road is in bad repair.. Sometimes I’ll see a huge peloton of riders heading south (the Donut ride, I think), but usually later in the day.
Coming to 16th, I decided to see if the Beaver Greenway was finished. The construction signs were still up, and it doesn’t look like anything has been done since last August. The trail was pretty muddy due to the recent thunderstroms. I decided to cut the exploration of the trail short, but I was rewarded with the view of a large stand of wild phlox.
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Phlox
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Phlox
I headed back down Leslie to the path that follows the power line east to Bayview and found my way home. S had some coffee on, and it was welcomed. A nice way to spend a Sunday morn.
Posted in cycling, photos, region of york, rides | No Comments »
I got a comment from Sandra that she had recently moved into Markham and needed some suggestions about how to get around the heinous crossing of 16th and Highway 404. Here goes 
Highway crossings are always tricky, but here is one method that works pretty well for me. It does requrie some sidewalk riding and a little walking. Use at your own risk.
From the east: take the sidewalk on the south side of 16th and go under the first bridge. The sidewalk ends under the second bridge where it becomes a narrow dirt trail. Follow the little dirt trail on to the triangular piece of gravel between 16th and the 404 on ramp. Wait for a gap in traffic and cross the ramp. You’ll find another dirt trail that you can use to access the parking lot on Leek Crescent. Take Leek Crescent over the Mural Street and head North. You can get back on 16th from the light there. See the photo below or the Gmaps Pedometer Route.
Sneaking around 16th & 404
I don’t find the eastbound leg to be as much as problem, as there is only one ramp on the south side of 16th to navigate. From the light at 16th and Leslie, travel east towards Mural Street. Just east of Mural is the entrance to a parking lot. Turn in there and do a bit of a U turn. Wait for the lights at Mural to go red for the westbound traffic and you should be able to get a nice clear road past the southbound on-ramp (Thanks to Paul, who showed me this little strategy). Alternatively, you can use the sneak shown above.
Tags: 16th, highway, safety
Posted in commuting, cycling, region of york, safety | 2 Comments »
I saw a Google Street View car on my ride in to work this morning @ 16th and Woodbine in Markham. I would have liked to photograph the photographers, but I didn’t have my camera with me. Besides, I was busy riding through the interesection. When I saw the bemasted car, I made a face like I had just dipped into my suitcase of courage and hammered past.
Tags: google, seen while riding
Posted in commuting, cycling, region of york | 2 Comments »
