At the end of my last ride I realised that I was 101km short of having cycled 2,000km on my beloved new road bike in its first season. This does not seem right and needs to be fixed.
Despite entering the month of November and temperatures dropping to freezing, the weather forecast for Sunday looks excellent - blue skies and sunshine (my favourite!)
As we set off down Lachine Canal we realise that some of the puddles are frozen, so extra care is needed, plus many branches are strewn across the bike path following a mega gale on Friday.
Despite the hazards we make excellent progress and at one point I realise that I am cycling at 25km/hr without pedalling all that much. I mention to Stuart that the return journey may be a little challenging. He says it is important to enjoy the outward journey rather than worrying about the return or you wont enjoy any of the ride. Fair enough!
Given the sub-zero temperatures we decided not to attempt the 101km in one day, so it was destination Pointe Claire for a 60km round trip.
I couldn't decide what picture to use to symbolise Pointe Claire. Really it should be the little church that sits on the point of Pointe Claire...
...however, I feel the cake counter at the Patisserie and Boulangerie is more representative! Stuart always has the muesli and date muffin, which we have deemed to be the healthiest treat in the store. Today I had a particularly impressive iced cinnamon danish swirl thing. Who knows why my weight doesn't seem to be decreasing despite all the cycling? (Note - in the earlier picture on this page I have many layers on for warmth!)
By the time we get to Pointe Claire my toes have been replaced by 10 little ice cubes, so we spend quite a while here gradually warming up.
Halfway home and I stop to take a picture of the small lighthouse at the end of the Lachine Canal. There are in fact two lighthouses, one in the distance that sits on the end of a point, and one hidden in the trees. The lighthouse may be a symbol of safety to sailors, but to me it symbolises a handy bathroom stop on the way home. However, it seems that public restrooms are only open during the warmer months, no idea why - my bladder isn't seasonal!
We are lucky on the return journey, the wind has dropped making the homeward ride just as enjoyable as the outbound. It has been a glorious day, sunshine makes cycling special!
A quick stop at Atwater market on the way home, and Stuart has a pannier full of organic goodies.
Finally, home again and I think today was one of my favourite rides of the season. Perhaps it is the knowledge that we will soon be losing all the wonderful colours to a blanket of white for a few months that made the ride so poignant.
So, only 37km to go! Will we make it before the snow comes?!
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