Category: cycling

cycling · fitness · habits · schedule · season transitions · training

Rebuilding fitness: Sam is planning the winter ahead

Sam B

As Amy recently commented here on the blog, for many of us, September feels like the start of the new year. It’s definitely the end of summer. It’s time for a return to a more scheduled way of living, and maybe, just maybe, time for some new routines.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about fitness plans and ambitions and how to fit all of that into my big job and very busy family life.

This weekend, I’ve been thinking about it while visiting my son, who works at a resort in Whitney, Ontario, on the edge of Algonquin Park. The fall colours are further along here and it’s more easy to believe winter is around the corner.

I’ve also been admiring family fitness while we’re together. My youngest son, 25, is in impossibly better shape than me. But my mother, 80, also looks pretty good. We went hiking both weekend days. We did a very steep rocky hike Sunday, and I was impressed with my mum’s stamina. I was also impressed with my new knees. Going down was tough, but I made it. This is all very exciting for me. Just 13 months ago, I couldn’t walk enough to get groceries on my own.

Here’s some hiking photos:

Saturday’s hike to the rock on the bear trail

Hike on the bear trail

Sunday’s hike on the Lookout Trail

Lookout Trail

So what’s my winter plan?

Here’s what I’m doing now:

❄️ I’m doing lots of everyday riding, commuting to work, and biking to physio. I’ve got my charging station set up for lights now that some of the riding will be in the dark.

❄️ Physio twice a week in the evenings, still working on flexion and extension, mobility, and balance. One practical thing we’re working on now is getting up off the floor, not using my hands.

❄️ Dog walking is back on the menu this fall with my new knees. Cheddar loves that we can walk further these days.

❄️ I see a personal trainer once a week for strength training. There’s a lot of kettle bells, squatting, mobility exercises focused on my knee, and sled pushing and pulling.

❄️ Finally, there’s some random everyday exercising. We have a TRX at home, which I use a few times a week. There’s a rowing machine. I’ve got a yoga mat at home and at my office for physio, with some resistance bands to make things more challenging.

So that’s all well and good, but what’s missing? What do I want to add to this?

❄️ I ended the summer with 40 km as my longest ride. I want to get back to long rides, and to Zwift racing. To do that, I need to work on my cardio fitness, which has taken a hit during this year of surgery and recovery.

The plan is to add two to three Zwift sessions a week, not just riding but using the Zwift build me up training plans. I’ll make one of the rides a long ride to increase endurance.

❄️ Once a week personal training is great, but I’d like a more regular, consistent approach to strength training over the winter.

My plan is to fit in a couple of more sessions at the gym on my own, focusing on movements that complement the work I’m doing with the trainer.

❄️ I’m still trying to sort out what I’m doing at the fancy new gym, and I’m not there yet.

A fall goal is to try out a range of their classes and make some part of my regular schedule. Maybe restorative yoga. Maybe anti-gravity yoga. The main purpose here is winter fun and avoiding boredom.

Here’s a rough weekly schedule, which doesn’t include the everyday stuff like bike commutes or dog walks.

Monday evening physio

Tuesday morning weights at gym + evening Zwift training plan

Wednesday evening physio

Thursday morning personal training + evening Zwift training plan

Friday off or something fun

Saturday long ride on Zwift

Sunday weights at gym

Here’s a Canadian version of a meme that’s making the rounds.


If August went by pretty quick, September is doing 100 km/hr in a 40 km/hr zone.

Wish me luck! It feels good to have a plan heading into the winter.

cycling · fitness

Sam bikes to her new fancy gym!

Sam B1 Comment

So a confession, I’ve been driving to my fancy new gym. I mean, it’s bad enough going to a fancy gym but then also driving there? What’s even happening to me?

I started doing it for reasons that made sense. I was recovering from knee surgery, and while I was riding on the trainer, riding outdoors on my real bike was another matter.

I used to share memes like the ‘moment of silence’ one below, but I’ve come to realize that people have lots of different reasons for driving to the gym. Some cities have non-existent cycling infrastructures. Depending on where you live and the time of year, there may be weather issues. Some people have balance issues that make riding a stationery bike in a fitness class possible even if riding outside isn’t. And for a time, that was me, I was recovering from surgery.

But now I’m riding outside again, and I love it, I ought to figure out a way to ride to the gym.

And this week, I did it!

It’s a bit more work organizing stuff, fitting it in panniers and storing panniers in lockers than it is dashing in and out from the car. But on the bright side, I don’t have to take the car home and get a drive to work. (I don’t park on campus. See this morning’s post. )

commute · cycling · fitness

Why I Ride ♥

Sam B1 Comment

So the other night I posted to Facebook, “During the summer, on the evenings I have physio, I’ve been going into my office a little later and then going straight from work to 7 pm physio. Tomorrow that ends and the academic year 830 am meetings begin. I’ll leave the house on my bike at 730 and return on my bike at 830. Wish me luck! Also the bike light charging station is all set up.”

As a result, I’ve had some questions about why I ride my bike to school and to physio. People get my recreational/fitness riding, but many non-cyclists puzzle about the everyday riding.

Here’s some of the reasons I’d rather ride my bike:

♥ I love the time between things.

♥ I enjoy the movement.

♥ Love the outdoor air.

♥ There’s a freedom that comes with having my bike. I can leave when I want and come home when I want. I’m not dependent on the plans of others. I think about it every time I’m waiting for a drive. I should have just ridden my bike!

♥ I don’t pay for parking on campus, and I like the frugality of riding to work. Not having a parking pass is a definite nudge towards biking. But of course, I could get a drive to work. I do that on some days. My mother and I share a car, and she’s happy to drive me to campus. That brings me to my next reason.

♥ More and more, I’ve been thinking about the environment. For short distances–and in Guelph they are all short distances, Guelph is a small town–we should all walk or ride bikes, if we can. I love that Strava now tells me, on rides I tag as commutes, how much carbon I saved by riding instead of driving. Here’s my ride home from physio the other night.

The carbon saved info is part of a recent update to Strava. On activities tagged as commutes, Strava will calculate the estimated carbon saved as compared to completing that trip in the average personal passenger vehicle, based on this 2021 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report. 

Here’s more on reasons to ride:

Reasons to ride that don’t include weight loss

“On yer bike” for oh so many reasons, but weight loss isn’t one of them

Why do you ride?

And then there’s 33 Reasons to Start Commuting by Bike this Fall.

♥ And of course, there’s this reason, which is my favourite.

A bus with number 59, probably in South America. 59 great things about Sam, in honor of her birthday
birthday · blog · blogging · cycling · dogs · family · fitness

59 great things about Sam, in honor of her birthday

catherine w

All of us at FIFI are grateful to Samantha and Tracy for starting the blog in 2012, inviting us to join as writers and readers, and keeping it going strong in the midst of whirlwinds of change over the past decade plus some. In honor of her birthday, and in no particular order, are 59 great things about Samantha, who turns 59 today.

1–4: Samantha’s in-house menagerie of various creatures:

Three dogs. from biggest to littlest: Cheddar, Charlie and Chase.
Three dogs. from biggest to littlest: Cheddar, Charlie and Chase.
Lizzie, the bearded dragon, whose eating habits Sam compares to that of a toddler.
Lizzie, the bearded dragon, whose eating habits Sam compares to that of a toddler.

5–8: a rotating roster of cats, past and present, including the venerable Zippy, who lived to the ripe old age of 18, Boo, her son Gavin’s cat, who lodges with them from time to time, and her daughter Mallory’s cats Louie and Moon, who visit on occasion.

Boo, reclusive tiger cat of Gavin, sometime resident at Sam's house.
The late great black cat Zippy, lounging in color.

9–16: Sam’s well-looked after family of Mallory, Gavin, Miles, Kathleen, Sarah, Jeff, Susan, and others I’m forgetting. Not to mention her many friends, students, colleagues, and neighbors (which I’m counting as one for these purposes).

I don’t think I got everyone in this montage, but that’s just because Samantha’s family and friends cannot be contained by mere digital means.

Images of Samantha with family, friends, dogs and bikes.
Samantha with family, friends, dogs and bikes.

17–26: Sam’s written a lot of very popular blog posts over the years. Here are ten of them:

The fact that Sam wrote in both 2013 and 2021 about finding clothes to fit athletic women’s bodies shows a real need for this blog. And by the way, it’s not fixed yet. But don’t worry, Sam and the rest of us are on it.

27–31: Samantha has been writing about real women’s bodies (in contrast to Barbie bodies) for a decade before the movie came out. Here are five of her posts:

32–37: Sam embraces the gear! six bikes:

  • pink brompton
  • gravel bike
  • newer road bike
  • older road bike for trainer
  • fat bike
  • track bike (possibly for sale…)

38–40: Sam continues to embrace the gear! 1.667 boats

  • 1/3 of a big sailboat
  • 1/3 of a small sailboat
  • 3/3 of a canoe

41: Sam doesn’t embrace single car ownership, but shares one with her mum.

42: Say what you will, but I think Sam and I looked pretty similar in high school.

Catherine, with less good hair than Sam but a good shirt.
Sam, very composed and camera-ready

43: I think we still look like we could be cousins (which we certainly are in a psychic sense, or something)

Sam and me in 2019 at the covered bridge in Guelph. Note similar smiles and eyes.
Sam and me in fall 2019 at the covered bridge in Guelph. Note similar smiles and eyes.
Sam and me in October 2022 at my talk in Guelph-- similar smiles, eyes, choices in professional wear.
Sam and me in October 2022 at my talk in Guelph– similar smiles, eyes, choices in professional wear.

44: Samantha loves books! She buys books, reads them, talks and writes about them in our FIFI book club (and elsewhere), and gives books to people. Hey Sam– what should our next FIFI book club be about? Something to think about.

45: Sam’s To Listen, Read and Watch posts. They are a relaxing and often informative time-out from work emails or more serious reading. Wanna catch up on some of them? Look here.

46: No matter what sort of snafu or whoopsie-thing happens with the blog (and yes, below our sleek, professional exterior, we are fallible like everyone else…:-) Samantha manages to a) fix it; or b) compensate for it; and c) not sweat about it. Thanks, Sam!

47–59: For each year of this blog– 2012–2023 and on, Samantha and Tracy deserve praise (Tracy’s birthday is coming up soon, too, so stay tuned…)

Happy 59th, Samantha, from me, the bloggers, the readers, and Robert Anderson (who took this photo on Unsplash).

Pink happy birthday signs on pink confetti frosted birthday cupcakes. yum.
Happy Birthday! yum.

challenge · charity · cycling

Sam Pedaled for Parkinsons and Now Wants a Nap

Sam B

Thanks to blog followers, family, and friends who sponsored us in this year’s Pedaling for Parkinsons ride in Prince Edward County. Our team, Spinning for Susan, raised nearly $5000.

Next year, we hope to do it again with a much larger team of fit feminist bloggers and friends and make a Prince Edward County weekend of it.

This year, it was just Sarah, Emily, and me again. Our team was small but mighty. I was nervous. It was my longest ride since knee surgery.

The weather started out cold and threatening rain. It was also a very, very windy day. Luckily, the sun did shine eventually, and we had the tailwind on the way home.

You can check out all my achievements on Strava. Thanks tailwind!

Thanks also, Sarah and Emily! I did a lot of drafting on this ride.

Garmin info
Strava map

Here’s our team:

Spinning for Susan
Sarah, Sam, Emily

See you next year! It really is a great cause, a beautiful route, and though we did the 40 km this year, I’m hoping that next year I’m ready to tackle the 75 km.

But for now, what I want is a dip in the pool, an afternoon in the hammock with my book, and possibly a nap. I was laughing at my Garmin’s estimate of my energy levels, body battery=5/100. Definitely nap time!

Body battery
Demon Copperhead
Oh, August. Can we panic now?
cycling · fitness · season transitions · swimming

Oh, August. Can we panic now?

Sam B

There are first day of school photos in my social media newsfeed already. People! Geesh. Why do Americans start school so early?

But then there’s my own life. My 59th birthday is fast approaching. It’s the last day of August. My September calendar is getting pretty full. I’m thinking about a back to school haircut.

Yes, I’m on vacation this week. But the week after is a senior leadership retreat at the university, where retreat doesn’t mean we go anywhere. But it is a very big serious meeting about plans and priorities for the coming academic year.

I’m starting to have that panicky feeling that the end of summer is very much in sight. Ack!

Tonight sunset is 8:28 pm.

Now it’s normal to feel this way in August, especially for a university professor. I won’t tell you about all the writing I haven’t finished. That’s another story.

But this year, I feel the end of summer panic especially intensely. This year has been so much recovery from surgery and so much physio that there’s lots I haven’t done. Between work and physio, it’s been a very busy serious few months.

What exactly haven’t I done?

‣ I haven’t ridden my bike very far at all. No century rides for me this summer.

‣ I haven’t been out sailing in our Snipe. No Snipe racing for me this year.

‣ I haven’t gone back country canoe camping.

‣ I haven’t spent even a single day at the beach.

‣ This was also a summer of no European conferences. It’s been a while. First, no travel because of the pandemic and then no travel because of knee woes, knee surgery, and recovery.

‣ This is connected to the first point, but there’s also been no bike trips.

‣ And there are so many friends I’d like to hang out with on patios, but I am already saying, well, maybe next year.

Summer time flies by so fast.

And I haven’t even mentioned the weather and how much rain there’s been. The poor drenching wet bike rally!

Here’s three positive thoughts though.

First, focusing on my knees has been successful. I’ve been a dedicated physio patient. I’m back in the gym. And recovery is going very well. So it has been a summer of big effort and discipline but in the long run that will serve me well.

Second, summer isn’t over yet. My mum and I have a day trip planned for this week, and Sarah, mum, and I are taking all three dogs for a weekend away to visit my youngest child, Miles. It’s warm enough to enjoy the outdoors well into September and October. The very warm summer weather means that fall may be well be the best season for riding bikes.

Third, I think this year it’s okay to be making plans for next summer already. They say to allow a full year for each knee to recover from surgery. Knee #2 was April 10. So next spring and summer, I’ll be good to go knee wise. I’m hoping to travel and see a bit more of the world.

How do you feel about August and end of summer anxiety? What helps you cope?

How to feel about missing things
charity · cycling · fitness

How to feel about missing things

Sam B

Or, alternative title, this is the first summer in a very very long time when I won’t have ridden 100 km on my bike and I’m not sure how to feel about it. (Actually, that’s not quite true, there was the first pandemic summer when I was very apprehensive about riding big distances. It wasn’t because I worried about catching covid-19 or giving it to anyone else, but I was concerned about hospital capacity, and even the small risk of a crash seemed too much.)

But before that, it wasn’t since my Australia and New Zealand sabbaticals in 2017 and 2012. I did a lot of riding in Australia and NZ and even some regular racing (thanks to Women on Wheels and the Vikings) but because of all the hills, people didn’t tend to regularly ride big distances. Or at least the people I regularly rode with there didn’t ride long distances. There were endurance cycling groups but that community seemed different than the racing cycling clubs.

In my world, a century is a kind of cycling landmark. People talk about their first century ride, for example. I’ve given advice here on the blog about how to prepare for your first century.

In my early years of cycling my first century ride, 100 km, came early in the cycling season. I have very fond memories of riding to Port Stanley and back to London in late spring, early summer. See, for example, A feminist fitness bloggers’ century ride to Port Stanley. I’m afraid Tracy’s memories of her first century ride are less fond. Sorry, Tracy.

In 2018 Sarah and I did our first century of the summer on the day of the 1 day version of the bike rally. While not our best choice, we survived. I think that might have been my latest ‘first century of the summer.’

But this year I won’t make it at all and that makes me a little bit sad. Just like missing the bike rally.

Someone said recently, well maybe that’s the new normal for you post knee replacement–50 km rides instead of 100 km rides. And maybe it is. If it is I think I can accept that. I’ll still love riding my bike and I’ll focus on getting faster.

But it is also just four months since total knee replacement surgery on my right knee and just under a year since surgery on my left knee.

Patience. It’s early days.

I am setting myself the goal of riding my age in a day, so that’s 59 km in a day by the end of August. I am also taking part in the Pedaling for Parkinson’s ride in Prince Edward County and that’s 40 km on August 19. Our team is Spinning for Susan and you can sponsor us here. Meeting my goal might cheer me up!

A line of rainbow-colored beach bikes, parked outside a shop. A tale of two bike rentals, or what to request for cycling on vacation
cycling · family · fitness · holiday fitness

A tale of two bike rentals, or what to request for cycling on vacation

catherine w4 Comments

Renting bicycles for vacation two-wheeled adventures with friends and family (and solo ones) is one of my favorite things. I’ve rented bikes all over the world for me, and all over the US with my sister and her kids. In fact, my sister and I have an upcoming e-bike tour in San Francisco that includes riding across the Golden Gate Bridge and taking the ferry back (with bikes) from Sausalito. Don’t worry– I’ll be documenting and reporting on it as soon as it happens.

But renting bikes doesn’t always go well.

Case in point: my sister recently reserved rental bikes online from the beach condo resort where she and the kids were staying for a long weekend. They were part of the accommodations package. When she went to the main desk at the resort to begin the pick-up process, here’s a bit of what happened:

Sister: We’re here to pick up three bikes I reserved. What sizes do you have?

Desk person: They’re all the same size (this is totally false), but the seats are different heights.

Sister: Oh, okay. Are the seats adjustable?

Desk person: We don’t have any tools for adjusting them. You would have to go buy one (while not false, this shows ignorance of the fact that the seats are all quick-release and therefore all adjustable without tools).

Sister picks up bikes, but there are no locks or helmets anywhere in sight. She doesn’t think about this until later, and is very unhappy. They can’t use the bikes to ride to the beach because of no locks (and no helmets). By the time they get back to the rental desk, it’s raining, so they give up and return them, unhappy.

My sister had much more to say about her unsatisfactory experience, but the upshot is this:

person holding a big round yellow unhappy face.
Unhappy!

Let’s contrast her experience with mine when I rent beach bikes from an actual bike shop near that same resort. Here are some things they know and deal with that the resort bike people either don’t know or don’t care about:

  • Their bikes come in different sizes and styles (step-through and not);
  • Their beach bike saddles are quick-release height adjustable;
  • Bike tires need pumping often, which is tended to;
  • Each bike comes with a lock and helmet;
  • Their bikes also have bottle cages and removable handlebar bags.

Every time I’ve ordered from Cyclopedia, they delivered and picked up the bikes themselves. We didn’t have to be there even, because they were locked them outside our condo. And the lock combo is pre-set by these folks to be the last four digits of my phone number.

When our bike rental period is over, we leave them locked outside, and the bike shop van comes to get them, knowing the combo because my phone number is on their form.

A big round yellow lemon graphic sayingEasy peasy lemon squeezy
Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

I’m writing this tale of two bike rentals because if you aren’t a regular cyclist but enjoy riding bikes on vacation, you might consider renting from an actual bike shop rather than whatever place you’re staying. I’ve had great experiences and great conversations and gotten great tips from bike shops all over by renting directly from them.

Readers, what kind of experiences have you had while renting bikes on vacation? I’d love to hear about them: the good, the bad, and the atrocious.

charity · cycling · Sat with Nat

Nat’s kind of sorta MS Bike Tour

natalieh (she/her)1 Comment

Recommended listening “Hurricane Years” by Alice Cooper

Last weekend was to be my epic, triumphant return to the MS Bike Tour Grand Bend to London after a three year hiatus. For the first time in a long time Pride London was not the same weekend as the bike tour. I participate in both as part of my corporate teams.

I love that Canada Life supports Pride and matches the first $10,000 any corporate fundraising team raises for charity events. Win-win-win!

This year I was cycling each weekend and went from 20 km up to 60 km in just over a month. I was feeling prepared and loved that my partner Michel was able to join my team and train with me.

Michel and I take a selfie after one of our training rides. I’m in the foreground with a neon green helmet and a yellow and red jersey that reads “ms bike tour”. Michel is on the background wearing a blue t-shirt and black helmet. We are both sweaty and smiling.

Thanks to the amazing support of our friends, families, colleagues and fit is a feminist issue bloggers both Michel and I exceeded our fundraising goals raising just shy of two thousand Canadian dollars for MS research. Thank you!!

Monday before the event we picked up our registration kits and met with our Canada Life Cycles teammates for a meal. I had missed those smiling faces!

Friday night we got ready and packed all the things.

Our helmets with our participant numbers sit on tops of our red Canada Life Cycles jerseys with our numbers pinned on. We felt very prepared!

Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5 am and we were in the car by 5:22. I decided to stop at the Lucan Tim Hortons. It was open before 6 am and I saw our motorcycle marshals inside getting hot breakfasts. One came out to the vehicles in the drive through with bikes to let us know the start would be delayed an hour as there was lightning in the forecast. It was still calm and clear. I decided we’d head up anyway and connect with the team. Get photos etc.

We got to the start at 6:15 am and the clouds were rolling in. As we took our bikes off the car rack serious thunder started rumbling. A crack of lightning overhead had us dash back into the car. It wasn’t even safe to walk to the motorway just a hundred meters away.

Michel and I face the camera in our matching jerseys inside the car and are trying to keep our sense of humour.

I start getting texts from teammates in other vehicles and we notice a 6:30 email confirming a delay from a 7:30 start until 9 am. Dang. I mean. It was not safe to ride. The starting area was flooded. Registration was not open. It was very bleak in the start area when I darted in to use the port a potties while we waited. A few of my teammates had waded through calf deep water to climb up into the bandshell for shelter. It didn’t look like much room so I went back to the car to wait with Michel.

By 8:15 I got a text from my team captain that the ride was canceled and shuttles were coming to take everyone to London. I was soaked from my two trips to the toilet. The idea of waiting an hour or two more to take a bus with our bikes to within 2 km of our house did not appeal to me. Michel and I briefly considered just riding anyway. We had water, electrolytes and a couple snacks. But I had not packed enough for a fully self supported ride.

I’m also a rule follower and thought we weren’t allowed to ride. So we throw our bikes back on the car and drove home. We ran errands for our family. Later I saw most of my team had decided to ride without support. I regret not being ready to be self supported. I was so bummed out about it I cried off and on all day.

We decided to go see the Barbie movie. Great call! We laughed so hard. We also came up with a plan to ride a self supported 80 km on Day 2. We had the car in London, plus the official Day 2 ride is slightly shorter, the 150 km total is split wit a roughly 80 km Day 1 and just under 70 km Day 2.

Sunday morning we sleep in, have breakfast, walk the dog then hop on our bikes for an 80 km loop up to Ilderton. We accidentally end up on a very hilly route with 500 m of climbing. It was slow going for me but I didn’t walk up one single hill and that’s the first time this year I could say that.

Since we started from our house the club route had a break at the Tim Hortons which fell at 47 km into the trip.

Me, squinting at the camera and kind of scowling at the 47 km mark. I really needed the break off my bike, food, toilet and a refill of my water bottles.

As we left Ilderton and headed north a hefty headwind kicked in as we slowly climbed to 15 mile road. I was so over climbing at that point. As we headed east towards Adelaide street I looked forward to the downhill to home with a tailwind. I would get to fly home after grunting along at 16 km/hr on all the climbs.

But it was not my day. Somewhere on Adelaide while we were 12 km from home I got a flat. There were several fine green glass shards in my tire.

We stopped and Michel helped me change my flat. I picked all the glass from the outside then ran my fingers inside the empty tire to find more shards poking through. I must have missed some though because we couldn’t get the new tube to inflate. We would pump it up, I’d hop on and try to ride and I could feel it was flat.

So many friends and strangers stopped to check in on us. We declined all offers of help. It was just a flat. But. Dang. I should have taken the hint. After three more attempts to get me rolling I convinced Michel to bike home and get the car.

I don’t know if it was worry, frustration or just pent up energy from a weekend that would not cooperate but he flew, like 40 km/hr flew, down that hill on a tailwind and picked up a couple Personal Bests on Strava.

I found some shade and checked social media. I posted an update

It’s sunny, I’m in the shade. I look like hell. I’m disappointed I was just 12 km away from completing my 80 km ride.

So it was a lot of fussing and feelings, not much riding but I felt very satisfied with myself. I was ready to ride 2 days back to back fully supported. I really love the energy of the MS Bike Tour.

The more years I do this event, the more I meet people living with MS and folks who love folks living with MS. It’s all around me and I don’t think I’d have that knowledge if I didn’t ride for the cause and tell people about it.

I learned a lot this year. That I am able to train up even after a long break. I will always pack for self support. I’m riding both damn days next year, come hell or high-water.

I worried about not being able to do the rides because of my physicality. But it was weather and a mechanical that foiled my plans. I worried that the folks who sponsored me would feel cheated by me not completing either day.

It turns out though, all those supporters are. Well. Really fucking supportive. Huh. And all I got was love, encouragement and commiseration.

I’m really over having plans change/:be cancelled/interfered with. The pandemic gave me a physically painful reaction to plans being canceled. I’m working on it. And I’m still making plans. The 2024 MS Bike Tour is already in my calendar. Maybe I’ll see you there?

camping · cycling · fitness

I miss you so much bike rally! ♥️

Sam B
One of my favorite stretches of the bike rally

What’s the Friends for Life Bike Rally?

“The Friends for Life Bike Rally is the only volunteer-led ride, that brings people together for an inclusive, supportive, and life-changing challenge that inspires much-needed help for people living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto, Kingston and Montréal.”

It’s a 6 day, 600+ km charity bike ride, from Toronto to Montreal.

I won’t be doing it this year. I missing the 25th anniversary year because it’s too close to my second knee replacement and I haven’t been able to train or ride those distances yet.

For many years training for the bike rally, fundraising for the bike rally, and riding the bike rally has shaped my summers. The Friends for Life Bike Rally was the big event that marked, for me, our fittest by fifty challenge that launched the blog.

I’m not going to give the full list of which summers I rode and who I rode with but it feels like the rally is part of the rhythm of my summer. There’s a partial list here, I think.

Last year Sarah and I rode the full thing and our friend Rob came along as a rubber maid rustler, helping to get the containers full of riders’ tents, clothes and sleeping bags off the trucks that accompany us along the route. I did it pretty much right before knee replacement surgery.

It’s a meaningful and importance cause. It’s also a community I care very much about. There are friends I only see every year at bike rally training rides or at the ride itself. Hey friends!

Today, Saturday, is packing day for the rally and my newsfeed is full of friends’ stories and photos of what they’ve forgotten this year and in years past. Tomorrow, Sunday, is departure day and I’ll be following along to see how my rally friends are managing, both in terms of kilometers ridden and dollars raised.

My Facebook newsfeed is also full of memories of past rides.

Sarah and Sam in their bike rally jerseys

Here’s more rally memories:

You might be wondering, “What on earth can I possibly do to make Sam feel better about missing the bike rally?” That’s easy. You can sponsor a rider who isn’t me here.

Or, you can sponsor me in the Pedal for Parkinson’s ride, which I am doing this summer here.

I’m hoping to ride in the Friends for Life Bike Rally next summer, either the three day or the six day ride, though I worry about our changing climate and heat and thunderstorms more than about my fitness.

See you there!