Riding for a Cause

I formed a team this year to accompany me on a quest to raise money for Cancer research. We called ourselves Hope/Gratitude 2012.  It was a great weekend of riding from Montreal to Quebec City.  Some 1956 cyclists committed to raise money for the event.

Our Jersey, with Dedications to People we were Riding For

Being a cancer survivor, I was touched by the commitment of my team members, all of which had their own stories to tell.  Seems like we are all touched by this insidious disease in some way.

Rolling out together at the start amongst thousands of other riders should be experienced by everyone at some point in their lives.  It is an incredible feeling, quite hard to describe unless you're there.

Team Hope/Gratitude 2012

We had some great days of riding, lots of laughs, and it seems like we were eating all the time!  They told us to stay hydrated and fed.  And that we did!

We camped out at the half way point and had to time to reflect on our day, have a few

laughs and drink some free beer!

This little invention on two wheels not only provides an incredible feeling of freedom, but brings people together.  I witnessed it in a big way during this event.  Not only does it allow us to meet new friends, but it is a symbol of movement, action... making a difference...especially for those people who are not as fortunate to ride due to sickness.  We rode for them, proudly...

For some of my team, this was a personal accomplishment as well.  Cycling a huge number of kilometers in one day is not easy, and I was so proud to be part of their success... It is quite the feeling to ride over the finish line for the first time, knowing you have achieved a goal that seemed insurmountable at first.  I am again filled with pride to be surrounded by so many wonderful... and committed people.

Doug Reaches his first 1000 kms while on a training ride

Early Training Session with the Professor (Ernest, 2nd from Right)

My Team:

Ingrid, Steve P., Steve B., Doug, Tom, Arlene, Mathieu, Kathy

Thanks for riding, and making the commitment to make a difference...

And last but not least, for those who put up with this crazy obsession....

With Thanks, and Gratitude....

Father and Son

As long as I can remember, I have loved the freedom of riding my bike.  As a child, nothing motivated me more than being able to ride.  I remember one Christmas,  when I was all but ten years old, when my parents bought me a brand new CCM Marauder, my first "real" bike.  Not a hand-me down, but one I could call my own.

My First Bike - A CCM Marauder

 I loved that bike, and spent that whole winter admiring its unusual design while waiting impatiently for the snow to melt.  I still have fond memories of checking in on my gift which spent the winter in the garage, anticipating the fun I was going to have on it in the spring.

 I would stare at it for hours.

My dad and I never rode together, but he certainly understood the passion I had for riding.  I think he realized the impact that first bike had on me, and encouraged me to use it well.  In later years, he realized just how much the gift of a new bike meant - more so than any other gift a kid

 like me could receive. Getting a bike for Christmas or a birthday was always the best gift.

I only understand now, nearly 40 years later, how the bicycle has been a good friend to me over the years, even when in some of those years I didn't ride much. 

The first bike I bought with my own money was a Raleigh Avalanche, a steel-framed mountain bike that I had used up until a few years back when I discovered the world of road-biking.

  Today, my oldest son rides that reliable Raleigh, and I make sure to maintain its

 running order in my garage-turned bike shop.

Before having children, I imagined what it would be like to ride with my kids.  Teaching them how to ride on two wheels, discovering the neighbourhood...going that extra distance unachievable by foot. Riding together is something I can do to connect with my kids...something I guess I'm good at and the energy translates to them.

When we got the bikes out early this spring due to the mild winter, I realized it was finally time for my youngest son Timmy to have his first "real" bike... a bike he could call his own like I did with my CCM. I think I was more excited than he, recalling the feeling I had with my first bike.

He was reluctant at first, a much more cautious kid than I recall being.  He was comfortable on his small 16" frame, a hand-me down from his older brother. To him, a new bike meant the uncertainty of something new.  But he needed a larger frame, and so out we went to find his own ride...

Trying a bike... a little small

We looked at the big-box stores, the local bike shops, and even contemplated

 throwing him on a road bike.....

A Junior Size Road Bike

But a road bike limits a kid, who wants to spend much of his time on trails and in parks...perhaps a road bike down the road, in addition to his mountain bike, but for now, an all-purpose is what he needed.

Last summer, we made that Father-Son biking connection while on a camping trip with my sister in Algonquin park, Ontario. Near the site, we found a bike trail that went on for many miles.  We rode for about 15 kms, but it was on this trip that we realized we shared the same relationship to the bike. My son still talks about that trip, and later this summer we will return once again, albeit this time with his new bike.

A Proud dad with Son and Niece

The search lasted a while. It took some convincing that my son needed a larger frame, and  while it would feel unusual at first, he would soon discover the benefits of a new bike...

We searched and searched, and tested....

And then we found a bike with a colour scheme that jumped out at him.  Could this be the one? It certainly  was the right size, and beautiful to look at.  My son gave it some serious thought...

Today, our favourite thing to do together is to tour the parks in our neighbourhood.  We call it the 13-park ride, and it covers a distance of about 11kms. 

Not a bad distance to travel on a brand new Shiny Trek mountain bike... and as he gets

familiar with his new ride, our trips keep getting longer....

....followed closely behind by a happy and proud father.....and thoughts of nostalgia

from his own childhood...

The Rail Trail

Sept. 24 2009

This picture was taken the day before I was diagnosed with

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I remember it well as I had remarked

feeling unwell but at the same time elated to be on this trail with 

a good friend.  Cycling has saved my life in many ways and

this blog shares my passion for it.




The Rail Trail

Most of the time, I ride on the road, staying away from the gravel trails with my thin, slick-wheeled road bike.  I love the road, and the  endless possibilities for a day ride, weekend ride, cycling vacation...

.....And of course pavement lets us go that much further....

On the other hand, a few times a year, I am drawn to the variety of off-road trails that exist thanks to forward thinking planners who have seen the potential of turning old rail trails into cycling paths.  And there are a plentiful amount of trails to choose from.

Soulanges Canal Path

The rail trail allows the cyclist to experience the countryside from the vantage point of train engineers leading their locomotives from town to town, leaving one to imagine the romantic notion of rail travel from bygone days while cycling on sparsely populated paths, safely away from the road but never too far from the next hamlet of population.

On these days, we are not in a hurry like we may be on our road bikes. The trails are meant to be enjoyed with frequent stops to take a picture of an old covered bridge, a lake that you have only seen from the vantage point of a passenger  car, or a corn field cut through the middle by the path of majestic locomotives once used to haul grain and supplies to the small villages lining the tracks.

North of Montreal, the 'Petit Train du Nord', or 'Small Train of the North' cuts its way from the lower Laurentian mountain range all the way to Mont Laurier, some 220 kms. north.  During the summer, many cyclists will embark on day trips covering portions of the trail, others take on the challenge of doing it all over a few days. It is wonderfully maintained and varies in folia and terrain as you head north, or perhaps south as one can access the trail from numerous entry points.

Petit Train du Nord:  http://www.laurentians.com/parclineaire/

One of my favourite rail trails lies just south of the Canadian border in upstate Vermont.  The Mississquoi Valley Rail Trail runs 26 miles from its start in St. Albans and runs gently along the Mississquoi river east and north to Richford, Vermont.  Along the way, most of the time, there is an unobstructed view of Jay Peak, and some stunning scenery through forests, streams, farm fields and small quaint towns that long for the railroad of another era.....

A corn field along the Misissquoi Valley Rail Trail

It is on this trail that one can really get lost in thought, grateful for the wonderful land that lies so close to the bustle of the city. I usually go on a weekday, rarely seeing more than a handful of riders pass by.

With Jay Peak, Vt. in the Distance

It is truly wonderful...and peaceful, and on these days, I am never rushed for time, or in need of the thrill of speeding down a sloping descent on my road bike.

Mississquoi Valley Rail Trail:  http://mvrailtrail.com/

Just west of Montreal, there is an old canal that was once used for shipping before freighters started to use the the St. Lawrence River seaway.  Along the canal, a trail follows its length all the way to the Ontario border, roughly 35 kms. Using the same philosophy as the rebuilding of rail trails, the Soulanges Canal path has reinvigorated a once-decrepit length of waterway long past its useful prime.

It is a scenic trail, and superbly maintained.  Along its way, you get the impression that on these quiet paths, life at one time fluorished from the railway.   The towns along its entire stretch, long ago having had their heyday, now sit quietly as bedroom communities, or meeting places for farmers.

These are but a few of the hundreds of rail and canal trails across North America.
  Try one someday.  You don't need much - a hybrid bike is perfect, and of course,
a boxed lunch, a camera.....

and an imagination for what once was......

On this day, I saw few people

Interesting Links:

The Route Verte is an extensive Network of road and path trails in Quebec connecting virtually
the whole province for the enjoyment of cyclists.  Its 4000kms. of trails make it the largest
cycling trail network in the world.
http://www.routeverte.com/rv/

Canadian Rail Trails:  http://www.railtrail.com/ca/index.htm

Rails to Trails Conservancy:  http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html

Never Far Away

We see each other perhaps once a year, and like all true friendships, the conversation picks up effortlessly from the moment we greet, no sign of that uncomfortable silence one feels when seeing an old acquaintance after many years. Inevitably, it takes just minutes to spark up a conversation about cycling, and from that moment on, we make the best of every precious minute we have together, fiercely debating which brand is better , which frame suits what type of riding, carbon vs. titanium, tubulars vs. clinchers.... how to carb up before a big ride...  It's all there. It is truly a wonderful time and we both cherish those moments...

Richard lives in the U.K. now, having first met him while he was on contract in Canada.  We met because I had an old Triumph TR-6, long before I had taken up the sport of cycling.  He was a car lover, and his curiosity for my vintage 1976 British roadster was enough to make that initial connection. How little did we know then the interests we shared....

That old car is long gone now,  replaced in the garage by a bike stand, tools, a variety of tires both narrow and wide, and of course.....bikes. My own personal Cycle-Pathic Shangri-la!

Richard and I have remained friends over the years, but it was his love for cycling that contributed to my curiosity in the sport. The old car connected us as friends, but it is the passion for the two-wheeler that has cemented our long friendship.

We have spent some marvelous times together while cycling - any cyclist can attest to the bounty of experiences one shares while riding alongside a friend on a cool, bright August morning with calm western winds helping to give that extra push...

A favourite place of ours to cycle is in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, a short drive north of Boston.  It is here that we have shared the most on our coastal rides.  Amusing in a sense that while riding, we talk music, culture, cars, work, family....food... but very little about bikes.  It's off the bike that we talk about bikes.  It feels like there is never an end to the banter we so deeply enjoy.  Why would anyone want it to end? That's really it.  Any cyclist understands the endless bounty of ideas to explore...

Rockport, Mass.

We have a song we sing in the absence of riding together.  Named after a street we cross frequently on our rides, Tregony Bow is not just a street, but for us the image of riding together....

Oh oh oh, Take me down to Tregony Bow....

And while the Atlantic separates us for most of the year, it only takes the thought of a short espresso at the Bean and Leaf Cafe to bring back the flow of memories from our rides, in anticipation of our next ride together...

The Bean and Leaf Cafe
Our Espresso Stop

http://www.beanandleafcafe.net/Bean_%26_Leaf_Cafe/Welcome.html

Just Getting Started

Welcome to my first blog, which will focus on my passion for cycling and the words Hope and Gratitude which figure so prominently in my life since being diagnosed in 2009 with an incurable but treatable form of non-hodgkins lymphoma.

The idea behind this blog is to share stories about why people ride, and my goal is to provide the reader with some inspiring tales of amazing things that happen when we take to the road, trail or mountain, and what the sport of cycling means to each person individually.

Cycling has saved my life in many ways. It was what helped me begin my regime of weight loss and it helped me bring into focus my physical well-being.  It also reignited a passion for the bicycle which I had since my childhood. Since I can remember, I have loved biking.

And perhaps most importantly, the weight loss from cycling helped me to discover the tumour in my abdomen.... the doctors said cycling may have just saved my life...

How is that for gratitude....

Cycling also gave me hope during my treatments, and gratitude for the many great things that have come out of a bad situation. I don't really know where to start as this blogging thing is all new to me, but I will start with the bright sunny day that I addressed 3000 people at the start of a cancer fundraiser in 2011 for which I was the spokesperson.....

When I finished my treatments for lymphoma in February 2010, I was motivated to get back on my bike as soon as possible, and one of the things I wanted to do was participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer which is a two-day event covering 250 kms. between Montreal an Quebec City.  Unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough to participate in the 2010 edition, so I trained hard and was able to ride 7500 kms in my first year post-chemo. Last year, 8100 kms. The treatments gave me my life back, my bike keeps me healthy, and my passion for cycling keeps me focused and happy.

Last year, I decided I was ready and signed up to do the ride.  Not long after, the community in which I work, friends and family all got behind me and helped me raise an astonishing $43,000!  And because I was treated at the hospital for which this event benefits, I was kindly asked to speak on behalf of all the people who have been touched by cancer - which is pretty well every one of us in some way or another.

I will remember this day as one of the highlights of my life to date...

Here is the speech (although a large portion of it is in French). The theme: Hope and Gratitude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxgFvyqgVzU

So many stories to share and not sure where to start, but I feel this will take on a life of its own.
Please share your stories with me - we all have one or two to tell..

Thanks for visiting.... just getting started....

The View from My Podium, July 9, 2011: