Trail Ride!

So I got a new mountain bike a couple weeks ago.

Purple Surly Karate Monkey Single Speed! I haven't put those grip son yet... I've been rethinking the entire bar set up... but this is pretty much how I rode it today. I didn't actually take any pictures of my bike while riding it today. Largely because I was taking pics of my trail riding partners...

The Karate Monkey is super fun.

Despite having got it a few weeks ago, I haven't really gotten a chance to get out and RIDE it - partly because i've been pretty busy doing other stuff, but also largely because I've been having these weird dizzy spells for the last three weeks that have so far mystified my doctor. I was feeling better the last two days though, so I said: SCREW IT! LET'S GO FOR A RIDE!



We headed out up Spadian south and across the Gordie Howe Bridge to access the trails along the riverbank south of the bridge (Generally called G1 and G2)

Most of the pics I took on this part of the ride turned out blurry...



Access roade between G1 and G2



We ran into my friend Bryn the Baker and his three boys out riding.



I had a brief chat with him but eventually he had to tear off and try and catch up with the boys...



After about an hour we were back at the Gordie Howe Bridge. We stopped in it's enormous shadow and had snacks. They should put benches under the bridge. There are so many benches along so much of the nearby walking trails that are set out in the open under the blazing sun surrounded by pavement - who wants to sit out in the sun on a hot day like today!?



On our way home we hit a few of the trails in along the east side of the river in Diefenbaker Park.



Nice easy single track.



Good for fat old guys like me and their timid kids.



I hope this is the beginning of a summer full of trail rides!



Finnegan was a bit more game to try out some tighter single track - which is great because he's often so... uninterested in everything that isn't lying on his bed in his room reading books. I've got nothing against reading books - I think it's fantastic that the guy has such an active imagination and can spend great ammounts of time on his own an not get bored or upset.



But sometimes you have to get out of your head and into the real world. It's sometimes a bit of a struggle to get him to come out riding. Given the choice, he'd probably stay behind and just carry on reading. but once he actually gets out he has a really great time. I guess I just have to MAKE him go enough times that he actually starts to REMEMBER what a good time he had the last time and is a bit more positive when I suggest we go for a ride.

When Finnegan and i veered off the mail trail onto a more difficult section The Girl just waited for us to do a little loop or took an alternate easier route.

We also rode a few easy routes that she likes right down by the river.

Which I don't mind at all. They're pretty scenic rides.



"tis but a scratch..."

Seriously, it was just a little scratch - it just looks really bad because I hadn't noticed it right away and it bled a bit - when The Girl spotted it she kind of freaked out. Took some time to convince her it looked a lot worse than it really was.

Hope the dizzies are gone for good and we can get out again tomorrow!

Spring Rides with the Kids

I had hoped the last post would kick off some regular posting about our cycling shenanigans... alas...

We have been getting out and riding a lot more this spring - like, for fun, not just to get around. I've been going for morning rides most mornings - sometimes on my own, other times with Finnegan. There have been a few afternoons where I've gone out for rides with both kids.

Here are a few pictures of some of the afternoon rides I've gone on with the kids over the last few months. I'll post some more pics from morning rides later.



These first pics are from a ride in early April when we had a few unseasonably warm days. One of those afternoons I said, screw it - let's get out and go for a ride..



Got the kids trying out some new (to them) bikes. Finnegan's riding Amanda's old Soma Double Cross and The Girl is riding the Kona Jake 24 we picked up for Finnegan a few years back. The Soma looked a tad big this first ride, more recently it's looked less big. I'm hoping by the end of the summer it will totally fit.



Getting out of town via Spadina Cres.



We only went as far as Valley Road and turned around... Not bad for their first time out this way on new bikes.



Heading back into town.



Bit of pavement.



Bit of gravel!



Lots of stopping to check blood sugar and have snacks...



Took a bit of a longer route home through Gabriel Dumont park.



Everything so brown and grey - but most of the snow gone!



The girl enjoyed this first outing on the 'cross bike. I'll turn her into a gravel rider yet!


Once again in early May we had a couple of really warm days. One of those afternoons we once again dropped everything and went for a ride! This time we just did a tour of the Meewasin Trail - heading north to the Circle Drive Bridge, across and back up the other side of the river to the new South bridge, and then back home on our side of the river. (There may have been a bit of a detour through campus and over the Dragon's Den Games before rejoining the trail...)



Heading north along the Meewasin Trail.



Crossing the Circle Drive bridge at the North end of our loop.



Heading South again.



Stopping for a break at the Diefenbaker Centre.



Another stop for snacks at Gabriel Dumont park.



Finnegan riding off ahead of us.



The Girl following along behind.



South Bridge in sight!



Crossing the South bridge before heading for home!


This last batch is from just last week - things are considerably GREENER!



Heading out Spadina Cres again...



There was some debate as to whether to take mountain bikes or 'cross bikes... The Girl eventually settled on the 'cross bike as I had her lift both this 'cross bike and the mountain bike and she noticed how much lighter the 'cross bike is!



Ducks.



Geese, goslings, and a crow...?



Some rolling gravelly trail south of the train bridge on our way out to Chief Whitecap Park.



Trails through Chief Whitecap park - mostly used by off-leash dog walkers.



Most of the pictures are of The Girl because she is slow and Finnegan just rode off ahead of us...



Occasionally he stopped and waited for us!



See that little dark dot in the background - that's Finnegan riding off on us again. Don't go thinking he's a super speed demon - when I ride with just him, it also feel like we're going super slow... it's just that The Girl is even SLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWEEEERRRRRRR.. if that can be believed...

I do try to be encouraging and not bother then toomuch about trying to go faster... my hope is as long as they have fun, they'll want to keep going for longer rides with me and eventually we'll get going faster... or at least NOT SO SLOW!



Snacks and blood-sugar level checks at the far end of Chief Whitecap Park.



Heading back.



The Girl did complain that these trails were "very bumpy" and wished a few times she'd taken her mountain bike...



There weren't many climbs - but there were two she had to walk - which also made here wish she'd brought her mountain bike (more gears! though, honestly, I'm not sure she'd have made it up with the mouantain bike on either of the slopes she climbed...).



More Geese and goslings - which put a smile back on The Girl's face!



Another Mama goose and some smaller goslings.



Swimming away all together!

This next week we wrap up the last of our regularly scheduled activities with one last violin lesson on Wednesday, a dress rehearsal for Irish Dance on Thursday - followed by the final recital on Friday. Next Tuesday we have our meeting with the Home Education coordinator guy for the kids portfolio and to turn in our summative report and stuff - then we have a couple months with nothing in particular to do... well... no regularly scheduled activities... Each of the kids are going to a Theatre "camp" at Persephone School of Theatre and Finnegan is heading to D-Camp this summer and there's a little vacation planned to Prince Albert National Park - for some mountain biking! Also I have to do some serious cleaning and organizing in the basement over the next few weeks in preparation for the demolition and ultimate renovation of the kitchen... but other than that, we should have some significant free time on our hands - and hopefully that will mean MORE adventure riding!

My plan is to get out for at least a couple rides each week, pushing further and further out of town. Hopefully by the end of the summer we might head out on a few overnighters...?

I hope in the next week or so I'll get to posting all the pics I took on morning and weekend rides with Finnegan over the last month or two and then I'll try to post more regularly - maybe weekly or fortnightly updates on where we've been off to!