pre-season riding ~ as long as the roads aren’t too messed up with Winter, I’ll ride. commuting around town or cruising Ridge Road on days I cherry-pick: not below -5c, Sunny but not too much meltwater, not too windy. with the right outer gear and electric socks, I can bike comfortably for an hour or two without stopping

early season rides ~ in Springtime more people start joining me riding outside after enduring months of indoor riding. Two Wheels To Nowhere Fondo Series begins in April with Wasaga Won Hundred and in May, Meaford Mixed Roads. club rides begin and various smaller groups jump at the opportunity that a mid April heatwave offers us to ride in Summer kit for the first time in the season

prime season begins ~ as we approach the Solstice, fitness improves and the challenges get bigger. Meaford Mixed Roads and Tour de Lāk Simcoe both offer serious riders a 200km-plus challenge and a chance to enjoy our incredibly beautiful surroundings with like-minded, determined friends

Summer riding ~ long, warm days lead us into the main event of my season… Hairshirt North. the fourth annual event had twelve of us departing together from Meridian Place in downtown Barrie. six riders chose an optional shortened “escape” route while the others carried on. 200 kilometres in, four riders stepped up to go for the new 400k option versus the standard 320 km Hairshirt route. in the end, four riders completed 400k while I completed the standard 320k route. mid-Summer BCC Sunrise Rides and Sunday Coffee Rides continued on through many spectacular mornings

late Summer rides ~ as the days start getting shorter but the beautiful Summer heat continues, terrific tours and morning rides continue. Southwood Road Ramble in mid August morphed into a Westward search for Sunshine as we tried to escape the rain that plagued the planned route which I did solo a couple of weeks later

Autumnal rides ~ late September always means a spectacular Tour de T1D around Medonte and Moonstone areas. a special jaunt with my old highschool buddies to Nashville brought us along the banks of the Cumberland River, a nice distraction from the bustling music scene on Broadway. rides around the neighbourhood with my grandkids got us all out on two wheels, young and old. Barrie Cycling Club closed its season with a tasty Tara Ride and short cruises along Kempenfelt Bay’s shores well into October

end of year rides ~ rolling into November and December means morning rides are limited to commuting and tours are limited to the weekends and I slowly get used to solo riding again as everyone else gets back to fake tours in the virtual world. still the odd mild weekend gets fellow fietsers out on the road for some mileage in meatspace as we wind down another year on two wheels to nowhere