Tour de Hogtown

November 5, 2006. Toronto. I found this picture of me and Brenda (taken by Dwayne) riding along the Bloor Viaduct on a nice fall afternoon a couple of years ago. It reminds me of how good the bike lanes in the city are - don't get me wrong, they could and should be much better but they're not bad. On average, without leaving the city, you can ride 50kms or more and 90% of that riding is on bike paths and bike lanes. And during this time of the year there was hardly any other people out there. Bliss.

Durham Durango

September 10, 2006. Uxbridge. Some cold drinks and an outdoor BBQ at Deaner's place was a nice treat after yet another afternoon of racing, this time up the road in Durham Forest. Sadly, this event hasn't been organized since but when they do I'm sure we'll be there. Dean and I both earned 3rd places in our categories and were able to ride together for most of the race. Stitt had our team's first in-race mechanical with a broken chain but was able to fix it and finish the course. Nice job guys!

24 hrs Hot August Nights 2006

August 19-20, 2006. Albion Hills. Our first 10 person 24hr team was a success. We had a 8 rider rotation until early Sunday morning when Muller and Brenda tagged in for a couple of laps before the rest of the guys finished off the weekend. In the end, I think we surprised ourselves by finishing 16th out of 85 teams in the race's largest category. Our campsite was pretty sweet, even though it looked like tent city and we vowed to bring some more comforts in the following years - coffee maker and a microwave were just 2 of the suggestions made. Can't wait.
Clockwise from the top left:

1. Jon blasting through the course.
2. Tony being Tony.
3. Shirtless Dean hanging out while Keith gives Ryan M some mechanical advice.
4. Chico's Gator Pit.
5. Brenda & Sandy .
6. Marty?
7. Foxy's red bucket.
8. Stitt after a lap. A messy lap by the looks of it.
   
9. The team. (L-R) Fox,Bradley,Evan,Tony,Keith,Muller,Stitt,Denis,Marty,Dean,Brenda,Sandy
   

Buds, beer and the beach

Summer 2006. Albion Hills. We don't just race, ya know? A beautiful day for a casual bike ride. Albion has a man-made lake where you can cool off after a day of riding the trails. Sweet.

Lake to Lake 2006

June 18, 2006. Niagara. This was a painful one in a couple of ways. Mike had just passed away a few weeks before and he was definitely on our minds and in our hearts. A bunch of us taped his picture to our stems and top tubes for a little extra inspiration. The race was also very hot (30C + humidity) this year, and at the finish I ended up in the First Aid tent due to heat exhaustion and dehydration and, yes I admit pushing myself a little more than I should have. Along the way I found myself riding most of the 50kms with Dean, which was very helpful to both of us. In the end, a tough and emotional day but like always couldn't wait to do it again next year.

The Angry Experience

Spring 2006. We must have been feeling pretty strong in the legs at this time because Brenda, Keith and I added some O-Cups to our racing resume. We raced with the Angry Johnny's club at O-Cups #1,2 & 3 and also at the Spring 8 hrs in Mansfield. It was a great experience even though the competition is a bit tougher at these levels. Keith still rides for the team, and even though Brenda and I don't have the time for the O-Cup scene anymore, it's always nice to see some familiar faces. They have since become the top ranked cycling club in Ontario and btw, Johnny isn't angry at all, he's really a super-nice guy!

Clockwise from top left:

1. Marty climbing at Mansfield.
2. Keith & Marty hanging out after Mansfield.
   
3. Brenda, Keith & Alan at Albion.
4. Brenda & Marty after Spring 8hrs.
5. 2nd place for Brenda at Albion.
6. Keith starting the climb at Mansfield.
7. Brenda in the singletrack at Mansfield.
8. 3rd place for the girls at the Spring 8hrs.
9. Brenda's too fast for the camera!
   

Paris-Ancaster 2006

April 9, 2006. The nice thing about this event is the option of doing the 30km race starting at Harrisburg or the full 60km from Paris. No matter what you still have to climb that hill at the finish.
Rewarding ourselves with a soak in the hot tub and some home made pizza.