Category: cycling

Getting to know you Catherine’s getting to know her Lemond e-bike, for real this time
cycling · fitness

Catherine’s getting to know her Lemond e-bike, for real this time

catherine w1 Comment

As a gigantic birthday present for turning 60, I bought myself a Lemond Prolog all-carbon e-bike. It is a beauty. And it handles like buttah.

Catherine's matte black carbon e-bike, on a visit to London, Ontario a while back.
Catherine’s matte black carbon e-bike, on a visit to London, Ontario a while back.

However, in the years since buying it, I haven’t been riding it much. Why not? Insert your favorite reasons here, adding side helpings of lack-of-fitness shame and anxiety, and that pretty much explains it.

This year I’ve been cautiously venturing out of my inertial state of less activity and taking some steps and strokes and stretches, experiencing what movement has to offer me. A bit of yoga, some walking, some swimming, and yes, some cycling– they are all back on my schedule in modest portions.

And then there is the matter of this bike. I’m somewhat handy with easy maintenance and repair (with a lot of help from friends), but this bike is different from my previous ones. It has thru axle rather than quick-release wheels. Also it has disc brakes, and there’s a motor cable connected to the rear wheel. All this means I have to relearn how to change tubes on this bike.

So I began that journey this week. I went to my LBS (local bike shop) to get the right tubes (this bike has 38mm tires). Check. And I have the necessary 6mm and 8mm hex wrenches for loosening the front and rear thru axles, respectively (why different sizes? Only Greg Lemond knows; or maybe some of you do, too?) Check.

But (and it’s a big but): some of the internet recommends that I use a torque wrench (with 6mm and 8mm bits) to tighten the wheels. Uh, okay.

But what kind of torque wrench? I learned that I can buy a cheap one at Home Depot for $35, or a fancy one at the LBS for $240. Hmmm. And do I REALLY need the torque wrench for tightening the wheels? Yes, it’s an all carbon bike, and cracking the carbon by overtightening would be a world-ending (or rather, frame-ending) scenario. But can I just be careful while tightening them, making them not to loose but not too tight? In other words, can I get it juuuust riiight?

Not too tight, not too loose. Just right. Words to live by.
Not too loose, not too tight– just right. Words to live by.

Given that I received mixed messages about torque wrench usage, I turned to friends and nice employees at the LBS. The consensus seems to be that while, yes, the torque wrench is recommended, and several people I know actually own one , they don’t actually use them for changing out tubes and tightening wheels. They’re all happy to lend me theirs.

Okay. I get the picture. So, all that remains is to bring up my bike stand from the basement and practice a bit so I can be comfortable changing a tube on the side of the road if need be. I’ve got my saddle back fully stocked with the right tubes and tools.

One more thing: I really like this e-bike, but in fact it doesn’t fit me like a glove the way my other bikes do. And I thought I was stuck with this configuration, as it has a monocoque (one-piece) cockpit (handlebar plus stem setup). So, it can’t be adjusted.

Or can it? The nice folks at my LBS (Belmont Wheelworks if anyone is interested) said it might be possible to change out the steerer tube (yes, I’m getting very bike wonky here, but will be done soon) to adjust the height of the handlebars. Or, I can go full Frankenbike and put on my own handlebars, stem, etc. (with the help of the kind LBS-ers). I will be exploring my options and will report back on the results.

In summary: I’m getting to know my e-bike much more intimately, and the two of us will make adjustments so we can ride along more happily together. Which is all we both ever wanted in the first place.

Bike love!
Bike love!
Nat’s trying a new saddle to move from “sores” to “soars”
cycling · equipment · Sat with Nat

Nat’s trying a new saddle to move from “sores” to “soars”

natalieh (she/her)2 Comments

My beloved road bike, Ethyl, is now twelve years old. Twelve years of a fair amount of cycling.

I was so pleased with my MS Bike Tour I didn’t want to talk about the downside. Mild irritation in the crease of my left inner thigh Day 1 turned into a full blown saddle sore Day 2. I had a tear about the length of my thumb that took a week to heal.

I had used chamois cream and wore good bibs. I wasn’t completely surprised it happened. Lately that one spot got a bit hot on even the shortest rides.

Michel has been gently cajoling me for years to upgrade my saddle. It’s the first customization most cyclists make, investing in a better saddle for a more comfortable ride.

My posture on the bike is not terribly aggressive. I adopt closer to a touring profile rather than a racing postures. My handlebars are even with my saddle so no need for a shorter saddle snout.

My original saddle shows discoloration along the white stripe. The paint is worn away and the “Liv” logo is mostly worn off.

I was dropping Michel’s bike off for new tires at To Wheels so I asked Andrew for a recommendation.

We looked at my current saddle size. It had been working for me until this year.

There are many choices to make. My goal was to get as narrow a profile as possible to reduce how much my legs rub against the side of the saddle.

I settled on Specialized’s Women’s Romin Evo Comp with MIMIC. Andrew recommended going up from a 143 mm to a 155mm for how most folks sit and the geometry.

It was about $150 Canadian, taxes in. There are plenty of more advanced and expensive options but I’m not that kind of athlete.

Once home, I had a bit of a challenge getting my old saddle off the bike. It was quite rusted on.

Nat looks at the camera with some grim determination. The offending and stubborn saddle is over her right shoulder bathed in WD-40

After failing to loosen the fastener I sprayed it with WD-40 because, in my heart of hearts, I’m an engineer. Engineers know if something isn’t moving, and it should, always try WD-40.

The magic juice loosened everything up and I was able to swap saddles. I had remembered to measure the distance from my bars to my saddle and recreated the geometry of my set up.

A top down short of my new saddle, securely installed on Ethyl.

I hopped on my bike for a quick rip around my neighbourhood. It definitely felt weird. To be fair, my old saddle was worn out and my butt is used to that. Andrew had warned me it would take a few weeks to adjust to it as well as for the saddle to break in. He also reassured me that for the first 30 days I could bring it back for exchange if the size or style didn’t work for me.

I seem to have installed it far enough back and straight. Yay!

So here’s to soaring along without hot spots. I’m giving it a good test today as I try a 100 km Populaire .

Danny MacAskill on a water obstacle course with his bike. Biking over water? Yes, it seems it’s possible (if you’re Danny MacAskill)
challenge · cycling · fitness

Biking over water? Yes, it seems it’s possible (if you’re Danny MacAskill)

catherine w4 Comments

I’m a big fan of Danny MacAskill, a Scottish cyclist whose feats on his trials bikes confirm the unlikely hypothesis that bikes can perform on land, sea and air. His videos leave me breathless and dumbfounded, but also admiring of his planning, effort, and honesty about how hard it is to know the magnitude of the obstacles you’re facing, and then face them anyway.

I wrote about his Slabs ride in 2021– how navigating a pandemic and a massive stone edifice on a bike both felt impossible but were doable. Navigating a pandemic, riding down cliff slabs: similar rules

Then in 2024, as the political atmosphere in the US became as scary as the previous pandemic one, I wrote about how Danny shows us how to take what comes: slowly when necessary, using acquired skills, trusting that your body has some knowledge that will help you, and using body english to manage unexpected twists and turns. How to make 2024 less scary, or how to move forward anyway

Now it’s 2026, and aspects of my life feel both scary and appalling, in macro and micro views. The US government is falling apart and taking too many people with it. My mother is falling apart and I’m trying to figure out how to respond. Details of life management have become harder, for macro and micro reasons.

I’m about to go on my first coffee ride in a while with my friend Janet, who’s meeting me in Arlington Center to cycle up the bike path to Lexington. I’ve done this ride dozens of times, and am looking forward to easy chat, easy pedaling, and yummy ice coffee. I remember how to do this, and am managing my anxiety with that knowledge along with the reward at the end– hanging with a friend, drinking coffee.

And I can take comfort in the fact that no part of my ride will go over water and require the skills you see practiced below by Danny MacAskill in his newest video– riding over water! I’ll just let you watch, heart in mouth, hoping against hope he doesn’t end up in the drink… If you want to read an interview with him about this course, check it out here.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Back to back Personal Bests for 80 km/ 50 miles
cycling · Sat with Nat

Back to back Personal Bests for 80 km/ 50 miles

natalieh (she/her)1 Comment

First, the MS Bike Tour is not a race. Second, I do not have a lot of recorded data before 2024.

With those 2 things in mind, I was still thrilled to PB 80 km on Day 1 of the tour, beating my previous best by 3 minutes and 43 seconds.

The morning of Day 1. Michel on the left, John in the centre and I’m being silly on the right.

Also, shout out to John who was the first rider to cross the finish Day 1. He was so fast! No, it’s not a race, but it is also fun to go fast.

The conditions were ideal for me. A cool 18C to start. It was calm with only the faintest of breezes. This year’s route was straighter, flatter and on quieter roads. Those things help me do my best.

Michel rode with me. Now that I know more about how my left ear affects my balance I ride with Michel on my right.

I can hear him better and I get less dizzy. We had a marvelous day.

Day 1 completed. I take a selfie with Michel and our new friend Jersey.

Ride from the ride

After we finished the course we rode the 4 km home alongside our new friend Jersey. I was tired but not wrecked when I got home.

Magical Morning

Day 2 was another excellent day for riding conditions. I felt strong and decided to see how it would go without any solid plan.

The first hour I averaged 19.5 km/hr and I could feel my thighs pumping up.

Perpetual Motion

As the morning went on I got faster and faster. It does take me about an hour to be warmed up but this was next level.

We rolled through a little town with a speed monitor that flashed 24 km/hr. That felt good!

The possibility dawned on me

I decided in the last hour or so to see how fast I could go. It’s a descent to the finish and I was feeling it. It occurred to me I might break my personal record again. Maybe?

As we rolled towards the finish Michel told me I was much faster than Day 1. I laughed. SURE BABE, SURE!

He was right, of course. I completed 80 km 6 minutes and 23 seconds faster than the previous day. Thanks to leaving from the house my total distance hit 50 miles, which I PB’d by 9 minutes and 45 seconds.

The last time I felt this strong on the bike was in 2016 on the People With AIDS ride from Toronto to Montreal. I don’t have data from that time but I know I rolled consistently in the 20-22 km/hr range.

New Possibilities

Before last weekend I thought my fastest rides were behind me. Now I’m thinking they may very well be ahead of me and that feels pretty exciting.

Some of our Canada Life Cycles team celebrating an incredible two days of riding.

It’s always a group assignment

While my watch only records my speed, my results are because of a whole bunch of people.

The event organizers and volunteers ensured each stop for water, food and toilets could be done quickly and safely. Thank you!

My physiotherapist had helped me heal from many injuries and empowered me with strategies to be strong and steady on the bike. Thank you Emily for helping me ride injury free!

My teammates provided company and encouragement on both days. I got to ride most of Day 2 with Tracy & Rosie, which was a rare treat. Rosie powered through a mechanical like it wasn’t even happening. Tracy was rocking a new ride. It was great!

And, of course, Michel there by my side for both days. We laughed. He shared snippets of Werner Herzog’s autobiography. He was listening to the audiobook read by Werner himself. There’s something really entertaining about his grim determination when you yourself are feeling determined.

A great weekend

So, long story longer, it was a marvelous weekend of riding and spending time with great people.

Michel and I are now plotting how we can do more rides together very soon.

charity · cycling · fitness

It’s August and Sam’s Riding in the Great Cycle Challenge!

Sam B1 Comment

I haven’t figured out the full plan yet, but I’m starting strong: the first holiday Monday with Sarah, then Tuesday morning before work with Abby, my Tour de Guelph Gryphons teammate. Neither ride is huge on its own — but they add up fast, and that’s the idea.

Cancer is the leading disease-related killer of Canadian kids. Over 1,700 are diagnosed every year. Kids should be living life, not fighting for it.

Click here to donate — every dollar supports SickKids Foundation’s work on care, treatment, and finding a cure.

Here’s my weekday commuting bike and my smile yesterday at the cool, clear summer air.

Today’s the day! Nat’s at the MS Bike Tour
cycling · Sat with Nat

Today’s the day! Nat’s at the MS Bike Tour

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

Canada Life Cycles team at the 2025 start line.

This morning my alarm went off at 4 am. Michel hopped on his bike to ride the 70 km to the start as part of his training.

The past two weeks have been hit and miss cycling wise due to storms and air quality. But this morning I’m feeling good.

I collected Tracy & Tyler at 5 am and we arrived at the Grand Bend Motorplex for 6 am.

I love seeing friends, old and new, at an event that continues to have a strong core of longtime supporters.

Michel and I at the 2025 registration with my friend and neighbour John.

We will have a light headwind both days. It’s just how the weather worked out. Some years we get tailwinds both ways. Just the luck of the draw.

It’s delightfully cool and I’m thankful we are not in a heatwave.

The route this year is simplified. It is the same both days and uses roads local cyclists frequent.

Michel and I have had excellent results with our fundraising. I think having the top fundraiser, Barry Travnicek, join our team gave us a good reputation to live up to.

As of writing this I have raised $2,165. Michel is sitting at $685. We are hoping to best our total of $3,200.

Help us get there by Donating here

This event is much more than a cause related fundraiser. It’s a weekend riding with my beloved, our friends and colleagues.

Michel’s involvement pre-dates mine. He had been involved for a couple years before we rode together for the first time in 2018.

It’s become a touchstone in our relationship and our cycling season. We know several couples who met at the event/ride together.

Riding for this cause, the treatment and cure for MS, has brought me closer to friends. It has connected me with a community of caring and action. It’s something I treasure a great deal.

I don’t take for granted that I can ride 80 km two days back to back. It is a challenge but an achievable one.

I hope you too can find meaningful ways to connect activity and community. It’s powerful stuff.

A person in silhouette in a marsh area at sunset. BY Antoine Gatien for Unsplash. Catherine’s plans for July and August involve both sitting and pedaling
cycling · fitness · meditation · vacation

Catherine’s plans for July and August involve both sitting and pedaling

catherine wLeave a comment

It’s almost mid-July, but there’s plenty of summer left (I keep telling myself). And in fact, my two biggest getaway plans are ahead of me.

This week I’m going to Boone, North Carolina for a 4-day meditation retreat with my favorite meditation teacher Jeff Warren. It will be held at the Art of Living retreat center, which I’m looking forward to exploring. But I’ll be sitting a lot, which is kind of the point of being there.

I’m really looking forward to a dedicated time and space for stillness and quiet, and also walking and experiencing the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I doubt we'll be meditating here, but I'm hoping for coffee or ice tea on this terrace. Picture from the retreat center website.
I doubt we’ll be meditating here, but I’m hoping for coffee or ice tea on this terrace. Picture from the retreat center website.

Naturally, I’ll report next Sunday on how things went.

In early-mid August, I’ve planned another getaway– this one to Quebec with my friend Felicity for cycling Le Petit Train du Nord cycling route. We are driving up together with our bikes and parking at the southern terminus of the trail, where bus service takes us and bikes and luggage to the northern terminus. We’ll ride at a leisurely pace down the 234-km trail, staying three nights and ending our trip with an overnight celebration in Montreal. I’m so looking forward to this trip! It’s easy cycling along with opportunities for swimming, strolling around little towns, experiencing nature, and breaking out my creaky French. In case you weren’t already envious, here’s a little Youtube video to help you along.

This trip will be more active and interactive and engaged, which is also just what the doctor ordered.

Dear readers, what getaways or dedicated staycations do you have planned for the rest of the summer? I’m always looking for ideas and inspiration.

Nat’s trying to “live like Doug”
cycling · Sat with Nat · strength training · swimming · walking

Nat’s trying to “live like Doug”

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

It started as a joke a few years ago. My colleague Net would regale me with her retired husband’s adventures.

Each morning Net would wake up early to walk Rodney, her hilarious Rottweiler. Doug would jump on his bike. Net would log in to work before 7am. Doug would go for a swim. Net took her lunch at 11 and walk while Doug played hockey. Yes. This is all the same day.

Net and I would often meet at the end of her work day and I would always ask what Doug was up to.

Net would brief me on his myriad of activities and exclaim “I wish I lived the life of Doug!”

A few years later, Net retired and she joyfully does activities all morning then “whatever I want” in the afternoon.

I recently got a sweaty hug from Net on my morning walk with Michel & Lucy. She was biking to an aerobics class. We laughed and agreed she was “living like Doug”.

It’s a schedule I aspire to. And I’m giving it an honest go. On Tuesday and Thursday this week I walked Lucy & Michel. I then biked to the pool. I swam for an hour. Biked home. Then had a lunch walk with Lucy and Michel.

My bike, Myrna, at the pool

But then, then I had a GIANT NAP. It turns out I’m not in good enough shape to “live like Doug” yet. I’m trying. It’s going to take some time.

Me making a goofy face while having fun walking.

My summer plans include swimming, cycling and strength training but I also need recovery days. Yesterday (Friday) I decided I needed a recovery day instead of my planned bike ride. I was bone tired.

So it was an active recovery day of walking with Michel & Lucy, a short utility bike ride and a decent stretching session.

Me, continuing to be a goofy goober, on my bike.

Michel could care less what I accomplish in a day. His only concern is my wellbeing. He’s delighted I am finding a new daily routine that includes lots of activities.

An example of an active day. 183 minutes of exercise including walking, biking and swimming.

I did have sore abs on Wednesday that responded to gentle movement. I’m really looking to avoid injury as it feels like I have been in physio for one injury or another for YEARS.

So yes, Doug, I’m working up to being as active as you are every day. I bet by the end of the summer I’ll be able to fully “live like Doug”.

charity · cycling · fitness

Sam’s August Charity Riding

Sam B1 Comment

Hey, blog friends,  thanks for your support on the Tour de Guelph. I’m doing some more charity riding later this summer. I’m not doing any big rides in July but Nat is. She’s doing the MS Bike Tour and you can sponsor her here.

In August, I’m riding 200 km during the month in the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids’ cancer! I think I’ll do one 50 km ride each weekend.  We’ll see.

“Because cancer is the largest killer of children from disease in Canada. Over 1,700 Canadian children are diagnosed with cancer every year. Kids should be living life, not fighting for it. Please make a donation to support my challenge and save little lives.”

Simply click this link to view my fundraising page: Your donation will support SickKids’ Foundation to continue their work to care for these kids, develop innovative treatments and find a cure for childhood cancer.

In September,  Sarah and I will be Pedaling for Parkinsons with the Spinning Wheels Bike Tour. You can join us here.

How about you? Are you doing any charity bike rides this summer?

Summer’s in full swing and Nat couldn’t be happier
cycling · Sat with Nat · swimming · walking

Summer’s in full swing and Nat couldn’t be happier

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

Like many places in the Northern Hemisphere we have been experiencing a heatwave the past week.

It has messed with cycling plans, both for Michel and I.

I just saw him and about a dozen riders off at 6 am local for “Prettiest Town” a 300 km Randonneur brevet.

Originally Michel was to do the ride Thursday but it was canceled the night before due to the temperature. As were the rides scheduled Friday.

Now everyone is off and rolling, including myself. I’m going out for a peppy 50 km ride just as soon as this post goes live.

It’s been a marvelous week of getting on both my bikes. I had a nice 10 km recovery ride on my road bike, Ethyl.

I’ve gotten back into utility cycling. I picked up some groceries Monday.

Two reusable grocery bags sit on a bench, full to the brim with $100 of groceries.

I discovered my commuter bike, Myrna, can easily carry two bags of groceries. I love just a click from a grocery store and it felt good to stretch myself into cycling more.

Tuesday I visited a friend and got a 6 km ride round trip.

Wednesday was Canada Day and VERY HOT. A friend was moving so I provided a cooler full of Gatorade on ice and linen handkerchiefs for blotting our sweaty brows. They worked marvelously.

Lucy has been getting walks in the morning and evening, avoiding the worst of the heat.

Thursday, with the change in Michel’s schedule, we walked Lucy then did strength training in our basement. It was a day of enjoying unexpected time together.

It was lovely in the evening so we went to the closest outdoor pool for a lane swim. It felt amazing.

There’s something about dappled sunlight on the pool’s surface that feels magical.

Since I’m no longer racing in triathlons I just enjoy going through my drills and getting a few laps in. It’s about 600m in 30 minutes. I focus on my form and getting a full range of motion.

Friday was still hot so we got Lucy’s walk in early. I then invited Michel to bike with me to the pool for a 9 am laps session. It was busy but all the swimmers were familiar with sharing lanes and sorting out which speed lane they should be in.

Another 30 minutes or so and about the same distance felt good. My hamstrings complained as we biked home, extending out a bit to make the route a bit longer.

Walking, biking and swimming in the heat lead to a chill evening. Just what was needed for us to wake up at 4:30 this morning.

Being up before sunrise means you get some great views

I’m loving the variety of activities, especially the availability of so many lane swim times so close to my house.

Yes, I prefer it to be in the high 20s rather than “feels like 48”. I am also loving time to be active with Michel outdoors.