Found this survivor on e-bay, all original and complete.  An old Raleigh DL-1 rod brake roadster, just like the one Dad rode as an Oxfordshire constable in England in the early '50s.

Put the hundreds of bits together and last weekend took it to Morgan at Bikeland to make it right.

This is Dad's birthday present, sort of like buying your Dad a baseball glove. Ok, well exactly like ;-)  I'm hoping to borrow it for the RfH, as a 'reward' to my sponsors for helping me raise $1,000.

Dad's expressed an interest in cycling as an exercise that'll be easier on his knees than walking.  I'd like to see him on my mtb initially as it should be a bit easier than the DL-1 after nearly six decades off bike, then have him try this oldie.

Tough bike computer

This past weekend I put a load of clothes through the wash (heavy cycle, hot wash, cold rinse), then tossed some into the drier for 20 minutes.

Something in the drier kept clunking around.  Thought 'the plastic buckle on those pants' though it sounded heavier.

Emptied the drier, and found my Sigma 1609.  Still working.  Since then I've had occasion to check all its functions, no damage other than maybe a few new scuffs.  This has worked flawlessly through its first winter going between my Barrie and Toronto bikes.  Still a happy little bike computer!

Hyperdrive bicycle

with apologies to readers: this was posted early on the morning of April 1st, 2010. But due to an incident with a really high spoke count bicycle wheel it may have appeared briefly in the late evening of March 30th. Please be assured that no detectible tear in the fabric of space time occured, and I'm quite confident that any black holes that could have been created would have been very, very tiny and of short duration.

Last year while on the GWTA I stumbled upon an extraordinarily sustainable means of augmenting energy.

It came about when I was in a bike shop having a broken spoke replaced. While there I asked for a new cadence magnet for my crank; mine had come off somewhere enroute. The mechanic grabbed one off the wall and tossed it into the bag along with the chamois cream and one or two other odds and ends.

When I got to camp that night I took out the bag intending to fit the new magnet so I'd once again have cadence indication, only to discover they'd given me a spoke magnet in error.

That night I had a revelation. If the magnet were mounted to my wheel, on the spoke opposite to the existing magnet, my bike computer would confirm that for the same pedalling effort I'd achieve twice the speed, this without any change in the wheel circumference calibration entered into the computer! I can ride comfortably all day long at an average 20kph, so with this I'd be able to achieve 40kph without any significant increase in wattage!

What's more, if two cyclists, one with and one without this technology, start off together and ride the same route, reaching their destination together, one will have travelled twice as far and twice as fast. This analysis alone proves the technology can bend space-time! More work needs to be done to develop practical applications, but the potential is obvious.

Thinking further about this I realized that putting magnets on each spoke of a thirty-six spoke wheel would allow me to maintain an absolutely terrifying average speed of 720kph all day long with peak speeds up to 3 times that or more, if only I could find a road where this could be done safely. Unfortunately our highways are choked with old fashioned automobiles, creating unacceptable traffic delays when this bicycle technology is ready for release.

I remember once reading a theory that UFO's use a form of magnetic drive technology, of which this 'double-helix onion drive' system is but one of the more sophisticated examples.

Further developing the concept, how many spokes could be fitted within the outer wheel of a device based on a monocycle? Would it be possible with such a device and a really, really high spoke count wheel to travel in time? Is it just a coincidence that this 1873 monowheel bears a passing family resemblance to illustrations of H.G.Wells Time Machine?

I can't reveal any more of my research at this time. Further developments must be done in secret, as powerful interests have conspired in the past to suppress much smaller threats to their dominance of mankind. Once all is ready I promise to release it for free, to the benefit of all. Then it will be too late to stop us! "The history of science is the history of the suppression of great inventions".

Ride the City Toronto, amazing response!

I checked out Ride the City's new Toronto cycling route selection early this morning, putting in my Toronto digs and work address to test it.

http://www.ridethecity.com/toronto

The "Safer / Safe / Direct" routes all were the same including putting the cyclist the wrong way on a one way street, and the destination address showing the same error as Google Maps. At 04:49 I submitted feedback pointing out the errors and suggesting some other routes.

Got an absolutely amazing response (at 06:26!) from Jordan at Ride the City, reproduced here:

"Thanks so much for your feedback. We've fixed the one-way problems and
adjusted the new safe and safer routes accordingly. Funny you should
mention Google as we're using Google's geocoder to find addresses,
including the incorrect address for xxxxxx. I'm going to
submit an error report to them and hopefully we can get the problem
resolved.

"Please let us know if you run into any other routing problems!"

If this is any indication of their commitment to evolving a truly useful mapping tool I hope many more Toronto cyclists will take part.

In the gutter or in the road?

This year I have new digs in Toronto about 5km from the office just for during the week. Saves that long bus ride from Barrie every day. A sweet, simple life in T.O!

I had a little encounter riding home from work tonight along St Clair Ave W.

For those who know it the road is two narrow lanes each direction with the new raised section for streetcar tracks between eastbound and westbound sides. The default Toronto speed limit of 50kph applies and most seem desperate to do 60, though in this section traffic can only reach those speeds mid-block in the race to the next red light. Average speeds, counting time sitting at lights or waiting for people to make turns, is probably not much more than 20kph when traffic is moderate judging by the way I see many of the same cars at light after light during my little commutes.

I was properly taking the right hand lane and proceeding at a decent pace, maybe 25kph up that little grade, when an overtaking white van decided to buzz me. An obvious attempt to intimidate or 'teach the cyclist a lesson', he passed within half a meter (actually less) as he cut through my lane, though there was plenty of clear space ahead in his lane. This was three or four seconds after my last shoulder check. Traffic was loud enough that I didn't pick up on him until he was almost beside me.

As I came up to the line of cars at the next red light a guy in an SUV stopped beside me and put his passenger window down. "You keep riding like that you're going to get yourself killed".

I explained this was the safest way to ride, following the same best practices and course the police bike patrols base their bike training on (true - CAN-BIKE 2). He seemed surprised. "Well I guess most drivers look where they're going, but you won't catch me doing it."

He seemed a nice, reasonable guy. Pity we didn't have time to discuss it further.

Buddy in the white delivery van (forgot the van's first licence plate digits after chatting with the guy in the SUV, but it was "xxx 1EH") had no problem looking where he was going. He knew exactly what he was doing.

At the red light the van was just the second vehicle ahead. I'd briefly considered going up to him for a friendly conversation about safe passing, but after my short talk with SUV guy I judged there wouldn't be enough time for a meaningful exchange before the light went green ...

SUV guy may turn out to be right in the end. None of us knows what the future holds. Any of us can be killed while driving, cycling, crossing or just walking beside roadways. They're the most dangerous place most of us ever go near thanks to bad human behaviour and inadequate enforcement. Someone like an Antonio Cellestine could run any of us down. But cycling vehicularly is still safer than driving.

Had I been riding slowly, inches from the gutter as subordinate cyclists do, and as SUV guy probably thinks is safer, I'd have been buzzed by fifty or a hundred vehicles before I got home instead of one. Many of those fifty or a hundred drivers would have divided attentions, worrying about who might be closing up in the left lane as they squeeze beside me in the right, or thinking about their dinner or their day's work. Emotionally-immature-delivery-van-man on the other hand was giving me his full attention, just me, as he cut across my lane. His entire focus was on making his point, but also making sure he missed me. He wouldn't want to make trouble for himself or scratch his van if he could help it.

When are we going to make responsibility for the safety of others the most important element of driver training, licensing, and enforcement?

Share the Road, Share the Planet.

Day 3 GWTA, Monday July 6th, Pickering to Port Hope

100.14km, 4:54:31 total cycling time, 20.47 kph average, 60.21 kph max

Breakfast courtesy of Ontario Power Generation, Starbucks in attendance and the LBS available to sell bike stuff and sort out minor mechanical problems.

The DJ played good morning music and gave us the rundown of what was going on.

So 9am start from Esplanade Park in Pickering, complete with police escort through the town to the lakefront trails. Seemed a bit overkill but Pickering wanted to get 250 cyclists down the hill and out of town with minimum fuss and maximum safety.

The first part of the day was a meandering mix of roads and multi-use paths. The paths are always pleasant to ride on but we have to moderate our speed for the sake of all the other users.

Lunch stop came early, at 10:20. This had been arranged when the intended start for the day was Fort York in Toronto and with the last minute scramble to reset the start to Pickering because of the Toronto strike it would be too difficult to arrange a new lunch stop with different location and vendors. It became an extended stop, a festive, picnic atmosphere.

The early afternoon found us more in mountain bike territory as some of the paths were more like single track. In places I found it smoother to ride in the grass beside the dirt/gravel track.

This also brought us to some challenging steep, gravel covered climbs. As I saw the first one approaching two other road bikes were attempting the climb. One had to unclip awkwardly part way up, the other fell attempting to do the same. When I saw a clear path I called out “coming through” and up I went. Having seen the challenge I started at a higher speed at the base and, motivated by not wanting to duplicate the other cyclist's fall, powered through to the top.

The second of these gravelly climbs began immediately after a very narrow gate. I decided discretion was the better part of valour, walked through the gate straddling the bike (the space between the poles was barely wider than my handlebars) and, since the alternative would have been to attempt a start already on the steep upslope, walked up the climb. One cyclist following actually, and impressively, rode through the gate and climbed the hill, real cyclocross stuff!

The third of these climbs was too long and steep for me to attempt, remembering the challenge of the first one.

At some point in all this I broke a front spoke. Compared to the rear spoke I broke on day one this had even less effect on the wheel. A minimal wobble and very slight out-of-roundness, barely noticeable except on smooth pavement – the advantage of an old fashioned high spoke-count wheel. I made sure it was secure and carried on.

On into the ‘highlands’ of Northampton County with both rolling hills and long climbs. OK so it’s not the Pyrenees. They’re hills to us.

I love the rollers. If you get into a tuck and let gravity accelerate you, you can grab a big gear before the bottom and, with a push, let your momentum carry you to the top of the next hill. On one descent I hit my daily max speed of 60kph and was able to reach the top of the next grade still doing 45. Fun! The potholes and broken pavement left from the spring thaw add to the challenge. Look way down the road and plan your moves. Alert and alive!

The long grinding climbs were another matter. Standing on the pedals or concentrating on turning smooth circles, or changing your pedal stroke to use muscles somehow not yet tired out to get you up the climb, finding a bit of acceleration when you thought there was none left. OK stop laughing. Satisfaction at the top!

Finally the sign that says 10km to go. Then 7.5. Then 6, 5. The 3km sign is at the bottom of a long climb. 2 miles, I bet the first one is uphill. Yes the climb was just over 1.6 km. But so close to the end!

Then down the hill, around a corner, a slight rise and a descent to a small park. 98km on the computer. Shame it couldn’t be an honest metric century at least (be careful what you ask for). Where is everyone? I know I’m not first by a long way, and this parkette is much too small. No, it’s a welcoming committee from the town of Port Hope with a gift package and information about what the town offers. And directions to the camp ground. 2km and a couple more steep hills they neglected to mention and I have my 2nd metric century of this trip … 100.14km.

The day ends in Port Hope at the Town Park Recreation Centre. The library’s open till 8pm, with internet access so I can post to my blog. But that seems like a lot of trouble right now. Check in, have a beer, gather my luggage and set up the tent before it rains (confirmation later it’s still rain-tight, much to my relief). Grab a shower. Arrange to stop in Cobourg tomorrow at Sommerville’s Bike Shop to have the spoke replaced. More beer, with pizza this time. Sit and trade war stories from the day.

Earlier start tomorrow. Set the alarm.

Day 2 GWTA, Sunday July 5th, Hamilton to Pickering

Day 2 GWTA, Sunday July 5th, Hamilton to Pickering (new)
119.82 km, 6:07:06 total cycling time, 19.59 kph average, 50.91 kph max

Had trouble locating the showers this morning – I found the directions unclear and when located one of the two options was locked up tight until late morning, so got a late start folding the tent. No worries except for the folks loading the truck (sorry!), was in plenty of time for breakfast.

Breakfast was pre-arranged at Baranga’s on the Beach. What they were offering was continental, at nine dollars. Rather than grumble about the price for a coffee and danish I decided to take the advice of volunteer Nancy, who pointed out the first rest stop was just 16km down the trail in Burlington.

The City of Burlington couldn’t have been more accommodating. The new Burlington MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) was on hand to help with mechanical issues (no spoke though), some city staff were on hand with water, melon, grapes, apple and orange slices, this organized by one of the counselors who did the ride last year. Also two local Starbucks were giving out free coffee and energy bars. Always welcome!

MEC has a look at my lumpy rear wheel:










Starbucks gratis ... a good thing:

Actually this is one of the little joys of this supported tour. I'd packed assorted energy snacks for the week; nuts, candied ginger, fig bars etc. But the 41 communities supporting this ride hand out so much stuff that food is the one thing you just do not need to bring. I was just clueing into this and left the stop without any goodies, but a few kilometers down the road Burlington had a second rest stop, so I dropped in just long enough to grab a Clif bar and keep going.

Coming into Toronto we saw the first of the temporary garbage dumps necessitated by the municipal strike.